Blog

The recent news that hair salons, along with other businesses in the personal care sector, could reopen from the 4th of July, Ken Picton, owner of Ken Picton Hair Salon in Cardiff Bay and current President of the Fellowship for British Hairdressing is sharing his thoughts on what customers can expect from their post-lockdown appointment. Ken explains that although the easing of restrictions is a welcome announcement for the hair and beauty industry, it comes with great responsibility. Because of…

People across Wales are being urged to stay safe and well and to remember emergency department staff are available if they need urgent help. The number of people attending Welsh emergency departments has fallen by up to 50% since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. But chief executive of NHS Wales, Dr Andrew Goodall, has emphasised that emergency health services continue to be open for all those who need urgent care. Patient safety within emergency departments has been prioritised and…

Award-winning actor Florence Pugh (Little Women, Midsommar, King Lear) joins L Y R – Simon Armitage, Richard Walters and Patrick J Pearson – for a special setting of Armitage’s newest poem, ‘Lockdown’, recorded remotely at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the first time Florence Pugh has contributed both spoken word and vocals for a song. Proceeds from the release, out digitally via Mercury KX on 14th May, will go to Refuge, a UK-based charity providing specialist support…

Top tips for keeping morale high, with ideas and resources to help As the virus threat and the lockdown restrictions continue, it is no surprise many of us are feeling much more anxious than we would in normal circumstances. It’s easy for this to become a downward cycle of worry, lethargy and depression. The threat is real, and we can’t make it go away. What we can do is boost our resilience, finding ways to keep our spirits up. Here…

Wales is in a much stronger position to provide vital PPE equipment because of our relationships abroad and our ability to make things at home, Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport, Lee Waters has said. It comes as manufacturing company Hardshell has brought in surgical mask making machines to create a new factory in Cardiff to produce up to a million fluid resistant face masks per day for health, social care and other key workers, in Wales and the rest…

Free online Family Sign Language classes are being offered to families across Wales to celebrate Deaf Awareness Week. The videos will be released every Friday for 12 weeks. Topics will include everything from colours and days of the week to communicating as a family. The National Deaf Children’s Society is hoping to tackle loneliness and isolation during this “very challenging time for many deaf children and their families.”   Families across Wales will get the chance to learn sign Language…

  THE UK’S BIGGEST RETRO FESTIVAL, ONLINE IN AID OF CHILD BEREAVEMENT UK  FEATURING TONY HADLEY, WET WET WET, ABC, HOWARD JONES, MIDGE URE, JASON DONOVAN, TOYAH & MANY, MANY MORE  HOSTED BY PAT SHARP & DAVE BENSON PHILLIPS  DATE:  SATURDAY 16th MAY @ 7:00pm LOCATION:  ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE! After a turbulent few months and with the postponements nearly completed for the entire Let’s Rock season of festivals, Let’s Rock have put together 80s LockdownFest, a special online event in…

An online survey asking Wales’ children and young people for their views and opinions during the Coronavirus pandemic has launched today. Named Coronavirus and Me, the survey is open to those aged 7 to 18 and covers key themes and issues including about their health, education, the impact on social aspects of their lives and the needs of specific groups. Welsh Government has teamed up with the Children’s Commissioner for Wales, Children in Wales and Welsh Youth Parliament / Senedd Ieuenctid…

British Red Cross has set up a free phone line to help people facing a range of issues due to coronavirus and the lockdown period. Members of the ‘psychosocial and mental health’ team at the British Red Cross will be on-hand to provide practical and emotional support, for anything from accessing food or medicines to dealing with loneliness. The Red Cross coronavirus support line telephone number is 0808 196 3651 and is open daily from 10am to 6pm. The service is free, and completely confidential. Norman McKinley, British Red…

Image: Mrs Edna Leon First Minister Mark Drakeford is today asking Wales to unite in a two-minute silence at 11am, to mark 75 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe. From the steps of the Welsh Government buildings in Cardiff, the First Minister will encourage the country to “draw on the inspiration of those who lived through the Second World War, to help us deal with our own unique piece of history”. Throughout this week, the…