On 29th October, our reporter Beth Girdler- Maslen had the pleasure of attending the launch of Head of Steam, a new bar and restaurant, specialising in craft beers. Upon entering the venue, I was astounded by how big the inside was, with a large and full bar taking centre stage on the ground floor. Stocked to the brim with over 40 different gins, with countless craft beers and a promise to rotate when more craft beer comes through, Head of…

  In the year that marks the centenary of the end of the First World War, Cardiff’s Field of Remembrance will open to the public at Cardiff Castle with a special service of Remembrance on Wednesday 7th November.   The Field of Remembrance features more than 6,000 tributes from members of the public to Service men and women, each carrying a personal message to someone that has lost their life during or after the First World War.   The National…

A local retired portrait artist, 73 year-old Terry O’Callaghan, has painted a portrait of Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh and generously donated it to be auctioned off by the Royal British Legion. The portrait took over 3 weeks to complete, and has been well received by  the Queen who wrote back to him that she was ‘very pleased with the portrait’ and has graciously thanked him for it. Mr O’Callaghan said:’I did tell Her Majesty that…

One of Wales’ top Michelin star chefs, Chris Harrod of The Whitebrook Restaurant with Rooms was among the four winners of Great British Menu last week. He won the final and was awarded with the honour of taking his show stopping dessert to the Great British Menu banquet at the Great Hall of St Bartholomew’s Hospital which will thank NHS heros from around the country. Chris won the Wales regional heat to go through to represent Wales in the final. Chris’…

Thomasina Myers’ Mexican chain, Wahaca, have kicked off their weeklong celebration of Dia de los Muertos – the Mexican Day of the Dead. An insistent ‘celebration of life’, a slogan that adorns the walls, the custom menus, and the memory wall on which you can commemorate your loved ones, this is by no means a morbid event – and we went along to check it out. To mark this Mexican festival, Wahaca have not just hung bright banners and customised…

National property consultants, Bruton Knowles, has launched a new charity partnership with Cancer Research UK, with a target of £30,000 to raise over the next two years. To raise as much money as possible, Bruton Knowles has internally recruited a Charity Champion. Based in the Cardiff office on Newport Road, Colin Caunter, Lands Rights Specialist, will be responsible for spearheading the fundraising initiatives within his team, organising events ranging from creative bake offs to sponsored sleep outs and charity auctions….

BBC Countryfile Magazine are inviting readers to send in their suggestions of the very best of the British countryside for the BBC Countryfile Magazine Awards 2019. Nominations open from today, giving the people of Wales the chance to celebrate the counties’ mighty landmarks, outstanding national parks, beautiful nature reserves and finest rural pubs. This year there will also be a new category – Village of the Year – which is sure to be hotly contested. Place your nominations at www.countryfile.com/awards….

On Tuesday November 6 – five days before the nation commemorates the end of World War One – a very special event takes place at The Princess Royal Theatre in Port Talbot. Hundreds of older people from across South Wales who attend the Goldies Cymru Sing & Smile fun daytime sessions plus primary school children from local schools will take part in a day which will be based on the commemoration of WW1. Many of the attendees will wear costumes based on 100 years ago….

BBC Gardeners’ World magazine have announced the shortlist for the People’s Choice Award 2018 – which includes a garden in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan. Launched earlier this year, BBC Gardeners’ World magazine’s Garden of the Year competition, sponsored by Flight Centre, asked readers to nominate their private gardens to win the coveted accolade. Nearly 500 entries were whittled down to a shortlist of 11, from which Wayne Amiel’s Jamaican inspired South London garden was named the Judge’s Choice. Now, all…

The Italian Film Festival returns to Cardiff with UK premieres focusing on Naples and some of the best Italian animation. Back for the fourth year, the Italian Film Festival Cardiff (IFFC) offers yet another impressive array of films hosted once again in Cardiff’s well-known Chapter Arts Centre between 16 and 18 November. “The variety brought this year by seven independent feature films, five shorts and a selection of some of the best work of Italian animation will delight our audience…