Archive

  • Talex achieves Auto Express tests

    New GPS-based safety camera detection system praised as a "brilliant debut for a new name at a good price" TALEX, 1 the UK's most affordable voice-based safety camera warning system, is one of only two 'plug and play' units to be recommended by Auto Express

  • Taxi driver guilty of sex attacks

    A TAXI driver who indecently assaulted two female passengers in separate incidents was told by a judge yesterday that he "must expect substantial punishment". Mohammed Shafique, aged 30, of Corporation Road, Newport, was remanded in custody after being

  • Another step closer for Toyota

    THE dawn of a new age in motoring clicked a few minutes closer this week as Toyota announced its hydrogen fuel cell powered SUV has become the first such vehicle in Japan to acquire vehicle type certification under the Road Vehicles Act by Japan's Ministry

  • Peace prospers in a city haunted by the past

    At 11.02 am on August 9, 1945, an atomic bomb exploded above Nagasaki. It killed and injured 150,000 people and destroyed a third of the city . KEVIN PILLEY visits the area 60 years on. Mrs Nakata gave me a two-fingered peace sign and handed me one of

  • Sun protection may not be all it seems

    British holidaymakers to America revelling in the strength of the pound against the dollar could suffer from the weakness of US suntan products, a new survey reveals. As many as 84% of Britons do not realise that US sun protection factor ratings are only

  • Airbus giant will be arriving late

    Travellers may to have to wait until 2007 to fly in the world's biggest passenger plane after manufacturers Airbus announced delivery delays. The first of the part British-made 555-passenger Airbus A380 superjumbos was to have been received by Singapore

  • Role for pupils in Shakespeare fest

    The BBC's Shakespeare School Festival, having grown from a small organisation in Wales, is now one of the UK's largest national theatre festivals and is coming to The Riverfront, on Sunday, at 7pm. Now in its sixth year, the Shakespeare School's Festival

  • Superlative in design and technology

    GENERATION-change at the pinnacle of automotive engineering: Mercedes-Benz presents the new S-Class. The new luxury saloon will be appearing in the showrooms of company-owned outlets and authorised dealerships as of spring 2006. As in the preceding series

  • Renault raises the performance hatch stakes

    RENAULT'S reputation for producing fine hot hatchbacks is well documented but, even by the company's usual standards, 2005 is turning out to be a vintage year with the 'Cup' version of the Megane Renaultsport 225 the latest model to join the fold. In

  • Glamorgan crash

    GLAMORGAN'S interest in the Twenty20 Cup all but disappeared at Edgbaston last night as they lost their last six wickets for 13 runs in twenty balls to turn a winning position into a spectacular four-runs defeat. Pacemen Neil Carter and Dougie Brown engineered

  • Indian inspiration

    AT Abertillery Community Theatre India Dance Wales present Evoking Rasa. As Wales' only professional company in this field, India Dance Wales has a great reputation. All over Britain there has been a vastly growing interest in Indian dance. Since India

  • Pupils get ahead of the game

    SIXTH-form students enjoyed a taste of life as undergraduates at the University of Wales, Newport. Skulls, skills and psychology featured in lectures given to sixth-formers from Bettws High School. Masterclasses in psychology, history and creative writing

  • Christine chalks up 100 with a family party

    A GIFTED seamstress who made Pontypool her home after fleeing London to escape the blitz celebrated her 100th birthday yesterday. Christine Louise Williams celebrated her centenary with a surprise party from family and friends, which included a telegram

  • REM-inders of a bygone era

    Several years ago, in the middle of a field near Pilton, REM moved a crowd of thousands with their heartfelt indie-pop. Playing with pure passion at the start of Everybody Hurts, a flare shot into the sky and didn't touch down until the song had finished

  • On your doorstep...

    See Wales Tours A TOUR company operating out of Rhondda Cynon Taff is going from strength to strength by offering visitors the chance to see the very best of South Wales. See Wales provides minibus tours all year round, taking travellers off the busy

  • Elegant food with good taste

    Chandlery Restaurant, Lower Dock Street, Newport YOU don't often find a fine restaurant in an area of town such as that in which the Chandlery lies. But there in Lower Dock Street, Newport, on the edge of the main shopping area of the city, sits one of

  • Kia team puts their heart into it

    A TEAM of 17 cyclists from Kia's head office completed the gruelling 54 mile London to Brighton bike ride last weekend to raise over £3,000 for the British Heart Foundation (BHF). Kia's team was amongst the 27,000 riders who left from Clapham Common early

  • WIN A STAY AT THE USK INN

    escape.... has teamed up with the Usk Inn at Talybont-on-Usk to offer a lucky reader the chance to win an overnight stay for two with dinner provided. The Usk Inn is an ideal venue for a weekend away, being practically on Gwent's doorstep, in a beautiful

  • Pupils rejoice as closure threat is lifted

    SCHOOLS in Malpas and Bettws look set to escape the axe as a city council cabinet member recommends that they stay open. Malpas Park and Malpas Court Primary, Bettws' Millbrook Junior, Millbrook Infants, and Monnow Primary schools were earmarked by Newport

  • Win a four-star break in city

    The four-star Jurys Kensington Hotel is in the smartest part of London, just minutes from Harrods, Hyde Park, Olympia and Earls Court. With our super contest you could win a luxury two-night bed and breakfast break for two there. This superb hotel is

  • 200 tonnes GCW heavyweight

    AYLWARD Heavy Haulage Ltd, have taken delivery of a Volvo FH16, 610 bhp, 8x4 tractor unit, making it the fifth in the County Laois operator's all-Volvo fleet. Plated for operation at 200 tonnes GCW, the truck will make full use of its torque and horsepower

  • A very satisfying taste of Talybont-on-Usk

    PAUL TRAYNOR tries out an award-winning inn . There can be few better ways to start the day than a fine view of sunlit South Wales uplands from your bedroom window. One of those few, though, is the full breakfast we were tucking into half an hour later

  • Plenty of time to share and enjoy

    Dreamt of owning your own place in France, but been put off by the thought of all the legal hassle? Sue Ockwell finds that buying a share in a French chateau in Normandy could be the answer. TIME-share conjures up images of apartments in the busiest holiday

  • Cruise controls a stunner

    War of the Worlds (12A) **** Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Tim Robbins and Miranda Otto HOLLYWOOD dream team pairing Steven Speilberg and Tom Cruise are back and aiming to build on the success of Minority Report in one of the year's most anticipated films

  • A time for heroes

    Wales' Grand Slam winning stars run out for the Lions against the All Blacks tomorrow knowing that victory will elevate them to hero status right across Britain. After the debacle that was the First Test in Christchurch last Saturday, this one's a 'must

  • Summer feast of concerts

    Sultry Portuguese sounds and hot jazz at the 2005 Welsh Proms Cardiff The Welsh Proms Cardiff are well-known for bringing internationally-acclaimed orchestras, singers and soloists to St David's Hall each year for a fantastic summer feast of concerts,

  • Wales' fitness guru leaving

    Wales' fitness and conditioning coach Andrew Hore is to return to his homeland in autumn to take up a post with the New Zealand Rugby Union. The 33-year-old has spent three years with Wales but has been tempted back down under by the offer of working

  • Don't let nasty insects bug you on holiday

    IT is a fact of camping life that at some stage some creepy crawlie or other will want to spend time in the tent with you. This is fine, as long as they don't insist on trying to make a meal out of any exposed bits of flesh. Some campers don't seem to

  • New line-up for MINI

    THIS September, MINI will add three new models to the existing hatchback range - MINI One Seven, MINI Cooper Park Lane and MINI Cooper S Checkmate. Since launch, MINI customers have always benefited from the availability of the cost effective Salt, Pepper

  • Surfing - it's child's play

    If you like a slice of adrenaline with your Devonshire cream tea, then Croyde is the place to be, discovers Tracey Davies. Nestling under the craggy nubbin of Baggy Point, ten miles northwest of Barnstaple, is the delightful seaside resort of Croyde.

  • There's something about Evans

    LEE Evans has spent the last couple of years making films and television programmes, and now he can't wait to get back to his first love - stand-up comedy. "I've been off doing telly and films, but I don't kid myself... my job is stand-up," he says. "

  • Mazda's sets the stage for rotary success

    LAST weekend two Mazda rotary-powered Le Mans race cars from yesteryear excited the crowds of today at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Bringing back the excitement of racing at Le Mans, the two BF Goodrich Mazda-Lola T616 race cars sped up the famous

  • FACTFILE

    Kevin Pilley travelled with JAL, 0845 7747 700, which offers flights starting at £740. For further info log on to ticketoffice@japan-airlines.co.uk He stayed at the Holiday Inn, 6-24 Doza-Machi, Nagasaki, 95 828 1234 and at The InterContinental Hotel,

  • Hardly boxing clever

    BOXING is a great sport, extremely well regulated on the whole nowadays, especially in this country, and has given me many memorable moments most people could never dream of, but sometimes it does almost drive me to despair. A couple of things that have

  • Spate of vandalism hits play parks

    PARENTS are being warned to be vigilant after a spate of attacks by vandals at two children's playgrounds in Newport. In the past week there have been seven separate incidents of grease and oil being smeared on the children's play equipment at the Shaftesbury

  • Hardly boxing clever

    BOXING is a great sport, extremely well regulated on the whole nowadays, especially in this country, and has given me many memorable moments most people could never dream of, but sometimes it does almost drive me to despair. A couple of things that have

  • Glamorgan crash

    GLAMORGAN'S interest in the Twenty20 Cup all but disappeared at Edgbaston last night as they lost their last six wickets for 13 runs in twenty balls to turn a winning position into a spectacular four-runs defeat. Pacemen Neil Carter and Dougie Brown engineered

  • Surfing - it's child's play

    Surfing - it's child's play If you like a slice of adrenaline with your Devonshire cream tea, then Croyde is the place to be, discovers Tracey Davies Nestling under the craggy nubbin of Baggy Point, ten miles northwest of Barnstaple, is the delightful

  • Take a trip to see local talent

    This week we have two local bands taking to the stage at the Meze Lounge on Monday. First up we have Newport- based prog rockers Trip. The band boast a huge range of styles, both classic and modern, including rock, jazz, electronica and metal, fusing

  • It's magical music

    Last August, a brother and sister had a dream of bringing together the most competent, dedicated singers and performers in the area to deliver musical theatre shows of uncompromising quality and professionalism. Not content with performances designed

  • My nightmare with bullying boyfriend

    THE former girlfriend of a man described by a judge as "a bully" with little regard for the equality of women today tells how she is trying to put her life back together. Gareth King, 26, of New Inn, Pontypool, was jailed for four years after admitting

  • Maserati Birdcage makes official debut

    THE Maserati Birdcage 75th, a Pininfarina designed concept car based on the Maserati MC12 and built in collaboration with Motorola has made its official driving debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The gorgeous car, which received the "Best Concept

  • Party death: five quizzed

    DETECTIVES are probing the death of a Newport man after a house party, it was revealed today. Richard Peter Arnold, 32, was found dead at his flat on the Old Barn Estate, St Julians, at 12.30pm on Saturday. Police say they were called in by the ambulance

  • Sophia Loren chooses a Quattroporte

    The Maserati Quattroporte, flagship saloon of the Trident Marque, was the car of choice for Sophia Loren to attend the ceremony in which she was appointed Honorary Citizen of Pozzuoli, the small town near Naples where she grew up. The elegance and style

  • County open at home

    NEWPORT County will kick off their Nationwide South campaign in familiar fashion in August, starting against the two sides they battled with to avoid the drop last season. County's campaign gets under way at Spytty Park on Saturday, August 13, against

  • "Are we nearly there yet?"

    THE thought of entertaining the kids in the summer holidays can be daunting. The thought of entertaining them on a car journey can be even worse! With an increasing number of cars now featuring DVD players, Early Years Entertainment Ltd (EYE) has the

  • Shop around to change money

    More than half of Britons fail to shop around to check they are getting a good deal on their travel money, research showed today. About 53% of people said they did not check exchange rates when it came to buying foreign currency, says NatWest Travel Money

  • Is this the end for boy racers?

    A POLICE crackdown on 'boy racers' began early last night in the run-up to the introduction of tough new powers in a Gwent town. Police in Blackwood are enforcing a new dispersal order from Monday in a bid to beat 'boy racers' making life hell for residents

  • Bikers tunnel into Eurpoe

    Europe's premier biker gathering is rapidly becoming one of the Continent's most anticipated motorcycling events. Over the long weekend of 1-3 July, a huge number of UK riders will leave England's green and pleasant land and ride to the forests and mountains

  • FACT FILE

    Copies of the guide can be ordered freefrom the FCO's website www.fco.gov.uk/travel For further information and advice on travel overseas, visit www.fco.gov.uk/travel or call 0870 606 0290. Rough Guides, founded in 1982, now number more than 300 titles

  • Wasps looking to get back on track

    Newport Wasps lack of action and attention to strengthening the team has perhaps detracted from the fact that they have slipped in the Premier League. But they will be looking to halt their slide - they have suffered four successive league defeats - when

  • Meet the THUMS

    YOU won't meet the THUMS family at your local supermarket and they aren't due to appear as characters in your favourite TV soap, but as a 'family' they are going to make a big impact. Several impacts, in fact, as they are a new breed of virtual crash

  • Rough guide for a smooth trip

    The Foreign & Commonwealth Office has teamed up with the publishers Rough Guides to produce a guide to travel safety. A new free guide for travellers offers some indispensible advice in a neat, pocket-sized format. It's part of the Foreign and Commonwealth

  • Amazing party I'll never forget

    Gaynor Davies was 19 when she made the trip to London for the all-star gig in 1985. She said: "Tickets were like gold dust and cost £25 each - a lot of money then. I was lucky to get one. My brother had a ticket but couldn't go, so I bought it off him

  • Suzuki's RM-Z450 winning at all levels

    SUZUKI'S new RM-Z450 four-stroke motocrosser is taking two of the world's top motocross championships by storm in the hands of 25-year-old American, Ricky Carmichael, and 36-year-old Belgian ace, Joel Smets. World Supercross and American Supercross double

  • Sadness for Countdown finalist

    GWENT pub landlord John Brackstone is a contestant on the last Countdown with the late Richard Whiteley, on Channel 4 today. And watching the show he will feel more than a little sadness, even though reaching the final was a personal triumph for Mr Brackstone

  • Nissan show at Goodwood

    NISSAN showed its performance side at the 2005 Goodwood Festival of Speed last week with cars you can buy and some you can't. Leading the charge will be a 350Z specially developed by Nissan Motorsport International. The company also played an important

  • Opening time for Micra CC

    THE latest chapter in the Micra story is set to open with the arrival of the Micra C+C coupe/convertible which was designed and engineered in the UK and will be built here, too. Thanks to its clever folding roof, Micra C+C allows owners the best of both

  • Welcome to the latest issue of escape...

    Some reports have suggested that we are heading for a good summer, so it might be time to think of a break at home rather than abroad. To that end we are featuring one of the nicest hotels in the borders region of Scotland. Peebles Hydro is an ideal base

  • A time for heroes

    Wales' Grand Slam winning stars run out for the Lions against the All Blacks tomorrow knowing that victory will elevate them to hero status right across Britain. After the debacle that was the First Test in Christchurch last Saturday, this one's a 'must

  • Car hire sites

    e-sc@pe internet travel sites Car hire sites One of the best things about travelling abroad for a holiday is the chance to explore a totally new region. escape... surfs some car hire websites to see what is available and whether savings can be made. As

  • Rhapsodising over Hungary

    It was interesting to visit Budapest, the Hungarian capital, this month. It used to be two cities - Buda on the hilly side and Pest on the flat side. The Danube flows between Buda and Pest, which are linked by seven bridges. Budapest has beautiful squares

  • Deadline difficulty for woods trust

    THE Woodland Trust has less than two weeks to put together a bid to save a swathe of ancient Gwent woodland. All parties interested in purchasing almost 900 acres of Wentwood Forest, near Caerwent, must make their final offers at noon on Thursday, July

  • Still time to grab a bargain

    We've a real variety of late deals for you this month - ranging from a four-star hotel break in Bulgaria to 14 nights camping in the Arctic Circle. From Cardiff DIRECT Holidays has the following late deals. Departing July 1, 14 nights in Tenerife, 3 star

  • Lap up a luxurious cruise

    No other holiday seems to have quite the same magical appeal as an ocean cruise. Escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and relax as your floating hotel brings the world to your window, taking you to experience many exciting and exotic destinations