With the UK in lockdown, staying healthy has become imperative, and one way to get essential vitamins whilst remaining indoors is by eating five a day. Knowing what is in season and choosing locally sourced produce also means shoppers can be sure to pack in the most nutrients, as those which have travelled fewer miles will be fresher and of higher quality. However, research by The Mushroom Bureau, a partnership between local farmers, sellers and growers, has revealed that many…

Cardiff based International Mountain Leader Alan Ward is in lockdown in Cardiff whilst he should be providing mountain training in the Brecon Beacons National Park and have summitted the highest mountain on the Indonesian island of Sumatra in May. We asked him how he was occupying himself during these challenging times.   I returned home from Indonesia in February just as the Covid-19 pandemic was starting to change the world. People in airports were continuing to go about their normal…

Launched the first week the UK officially went into lockdown, eleven weeks and 44 ‘at home’ rehearsal sessions later, choirmaster and broadcaster Gareth Malone announces the release of a totally unique EP, bringing together the voices of 11,000 participants of his Great British Home Chorus project from around the world. All profits from the release will be donated to NHS Charities Together. The EP, co-produced by Gareth and Grammy-winning producer Steve Lipson, includes ‘You Are My Sunshine’ – introduced in…

British Fashion Council (BFC) has announced the launch of ‘Great British Designer Face Coverings: Reusable, for People and Planet’, a joint campaign with Bags of Ethics, to manufacture and retail internationally, sustainable and reusable non-medical face coverings to use alongside existing social distancing measures. Designed in London by six British designers, Halpern, Julien Macdonald, Liam Hodges, Mulberry, RAEBURN and RIXO the project aims to raise £1 million with 100% of sale profits going to charity and split between NHS Charities…

A retired GP, Dr Mike Bloomfield, is challenging himself to walk 500km over 100 days for leading Welsh charity City Hospice.   The 69-year-old co-founded City Hospice, formerly George Thomas Hospice Care, and remains a Vice President of the charity which provides palliative care for 550 patients with life limiting or terminal illnesses in Cardiff at any one time.   Dr Bloomfield, who has previously had both hips replaced and quadruple bypass surgery, set himself the physical challenge to raise…

Samaritans Cymru is encouraging people to show kindness to themselves and look after their emotional well-being with the launch of a new, free self-help app. Mental Health Awareness Week took place between 18-24 May.  Kindness was announced as the new theme for Mental Health Awareness Week, in response to the coronavirus outbreak.  At a time when kindness, especially to ourselves, has never been more important, Samaritans Self-Help app, offers people practical ways to cope and stay safe if they’re going…

All children will have the opportunity to “Check in, Catch Up, Prepare for summer and September”, the Education Minister Kirsty Williams announced yesterday as she published details of the next phase for schools in Wales. It is proposed that all schools will start the next phase on 29 June, with the term extended by a week, therefore ending on 27 July. In the next academic year, beginning in September, the intention is that the autumn half-term break will be expanded…

Dogs Trust Bridgend is saying a big thank you to its volunteer doggy foster carers who have continued to go the extra mile for their four-legged friends in recent months. This week (1-7 June) is Volunteers’ Week, an annual celebration of the contribution millions of people make across the UK through volunteering. Currently Dogs Trust Bridgend volunteers aren’t able to help out at the rehoming centre, but volunteer foster carers have been keeping busy doing their bit to help dogs…

Many of us are still experiencing self-isolation and social distancing is now the norm. If one good thing can come of this, is that we can use this as an opportunity to take more time for ourselves. We’ve put together a list of beauty tips to keep you feeling refreshed, looking your best and treat yourself from top to toe. Create bouncing waves and curls  – Give yourself a new look by creating bouncing waves, cute curls and voluminous tousled tresses…

Let me introduce you to Ciren. The current Mrs Nolan and I were walking through Cirencester in the days when we were allowed out and attended their Christmas Fair which was a splendid event. We could not resist buying this handmade steel dragon which is of some scale, (no pun intended), and we christened her Ciren after her place of birth. She sits in our conservatory snarling at the birds in the garden. In the recently enforced UK-wide house clean,…