7 ways to keep cool in Newport and the Vale this summer
This Grade II listed lido has been fully restored to its former glory, with three pools; a main pool, an activity pool and a splash pool. All pools are heated to a balmy 28 degrees, offering swimming facilities for people of all ages and abilities.
Tickets to swim are just £3.50 for adults and free for those aged 16 and under (though a small booking charge still applies). For an extra £3 visitors can purchase tickets to enjoy the inflatable obstacle course, Aqua Peddlerz and Water Walker.
For smaller visitors, the splash pool comes complete with an umbrella water fountain to cool the little ones down – you can even bring your own buckets and watering cans to play with.
Tickets can be booked here: The National Lido Of Wales, Lido Ponty - Swim
Take a dip in Ponty Lido's heated pools (Image: Facebook)
2. Grab an ice cream at Sub Zero
This award-winning ice cream parlour has a shop on Malpas Road in Newport. There are over 60 flavours of ice cream to choose from, with everything from the classics like chocolate and vanilla, to some more interesting creations like Turkish delight or rhubarb & custard.
If you don't fancy an ice cream, not to fear – they offer up a stunning range of sweet treats that includes crepes, ice cream specials, waffles, and sundaes. Or if you still fancied something a little simpler, you can always just grab a tub to takeaway to your favourite sunny spot.
Choose from 60 flavours of ice cream at Sub Zero (Image: NQ)
3. Jump around in Tredegar Park splash pad
Tredegar Park splash pad has quickly become a Newport favourite for sunny days. With 26 different water sprinkler features and a huge water tipping bucket, it offers the perfect way to cool off quickly.
The splash pad offers up on-site changing facilities in their changing rooms and toilet block.
The splash pad is open 7 days a week and runs relaxed sessions for children with additional learning needs. These ALN sessions run every weekday morning 10-11am, and on a Wednesday afternoon 3-5pm.
The splash pad is open as normal 11am-5pm on weekdays (11am-3pm on Wednesdays) and 10am-5pm on weekends.
Tickets for ALN sessions can be booked here: Splash 'Port Wednesday Relaxed sessions Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite
Jump around during a session at Tredegar Park splash pad (Image: NQ)
4. Visit Cwmbran Boating Lake
Cwmbran Boating Lake is a space where visitors can go to be at peace, surrounded by tranquillity and relaxation. The lake is surrounded by greenery and pathways take you through these surroundings to explore the area with a leisurely walk.
The on-site café serves up a range of ice creams and coffees for visitors to enjoy as they stroll and take in the nature around them or sat in the seating area. Visitors can also pack a picnic and 'make a day of it', as the lake has plenty of space for you to gather with friends and family to enjoy some time together, catching some sunlight.
With completely free admission, the lake offers plenty of activities to keep yourself and the little ones busy, whether it's a short stroll, some time enjoying the slides in the adventure playground, or an hour feeding the ducks and geese that live there.
5. Cool off at Cosmeston Aqua Park
Cosmeston Aqua Park is the latest in a long line of water-based activities for the people of South Wales to enjoy.
Based in Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, they offer up a range of activities like blast bags that let you launch friends and family into orbit, a 3.5-meter-tall slide appropriately named 'The Summit', and a range of other obstacle courses to test your speed, agility and balance.
Visitors are advised to arrive in swimwear and prep for a day at the beach – think towels, sun cream, and a spare change of clothes.
Children aged 8 to 15 years old inclusive must have either an over 18 adult/guardian supervising and observing from the shore, or on the Aqua Park with them for the duration of the session.
Sessions start at £21 and tickets can be purchased here: Aqua Park Group online tickets - Products
(Image: Facebook) 6. Visit the seaside at Barry Island
We all love a trip to the seaside, so why not visit one of Wales' most iconic seafront locations in Barry Island? Known famously for being the setting of BBC's Gavin and Stacey, Barry Island offers visitors a range of activities and an incredible beach to soak up the rays on.
You can get a bite to eat or a coffee at the iconic Marco's Café, complete with an Uncle Bryn photo-op, or visit one of the many refreshment huts and ice cream shops on the front for a sampler of one of their many sweet treats on offer.
Barry Island Pleasure Park sits directly on the seafront and is a favourite among locals and tourists alike, offering up thrills on fairground rides for adrenaline junkies, or some more relaxed attractions to get the wind flowing through your hair.
If you time your trip just right, you may even be lucky enough to bump into 'Knock-Off Nessa' as she does her rounds on the Island.
Soak in the sun on Barry Island (Image: NQ)
7. Take on a white-water challenge at Cardiff International White Water
Cardiff International White Water offers up a range of activities for the adrenaline junkies among us, with everything from paddleboarding and kayaking, to white water rafting on their outdoor course. Their indoor centre also offers up a wave pool for body boarding, and even a rock-climbing wall for those who don't fancy getting wet.
Activities are for those aged 6 and up and whether you're a water sports aficionado or a complete novice, there will be something on their activity list for all to enjoy.
Tickets can be purchased here: Cardiff International White Water: Family Friendly, Stag & Hen Parties, Team Building Paddlesport Activities In Cardiff
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Scotsman
5 hours ago
- Scotsman
‘I'm no deid yet!' Miriam Margolyes heads to the Edinburgh Festival with her love letter show to Dickens
Miram Margolyes | Miram Margolyes The veteran actor is as large as life and twice as noisy as she heads to the Fringe to meet her audience. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... 'I'm no deid yet!' says Miriam Margolyes, channeling her dad's Glasgow accent as she points out that she's still alive and kicking and will be at this year's Edinburgh Fringe with her show about Charles Dickens. Zooming from Australia where she lives with her life-long partner Heather Sutherland, the 84-year-old is outraged about the misinformation spread about her health and recent stories that she wouldn't be attending the Fringe, and the expletives are out. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Yeah, I'm no deid yet. I'm not even sure I'm gonna die, but I'm bloody sure I'm gonna be there at The Fringe.' The award-winning actress, TV personality and author returns with the show that is testament to her lifelong love of all things Dickens and she promises more characters and stories about the famous writer, as well as a Q&A session in which she takes questions from the audience which she will answer in her usual unfiltered frank and funny way. 'There were articles saying I was dying and I wouldn't be coming to the Fringe this year. I believe that there was some kind of a conspiracy against me to stop me from being a success at the Fringe,' she says. 'It came from an article from two years ago when I had a heart operation and was given a cow's aortic valve. I put a photograph on Facebook saying I'm in hospital but I'm coming out soon and I'm fine. Somebody took that and made an article of it and sent it round the newspapers and they printed it again. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I was very angry. It's the most utter rubbish. It's like Mark Twain who said 'reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated'. It's extraordinary, but I do think it was a kind of conspiracy. I never will get to the bottom of it. But I'm here!' Raised in Oxford in a middle-class Jewish household, Margolyes is known for a long career on stage and screen in which she has appeared in the Harry Potter films, Scorsese's The Age of Innocence (which earned her a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress), James and the Giant Peach, Mulan, and on TV more recently for Call the Midwife and the Voice of Meep in last year's Dr Who, she has also explored her adopted homeland with the Almost Australian and Australia Unmasked Documentaries and BBC travelogue Miriam Margolyes: Impossibly Australian. On stage she has performed in WICKED, The Vagina Monologues and Blithe Spirit, as well as writing two bestselling memoirs, This Much is True and Oh Miriam. Having put the record straight about her health, her indignation subsides and our attention turns to what we can expect in her Fringe show, Margolyes & Dickens: More Best Bits. 'There will be humor and tenderness and political comment and there will be quite shocking language. There will be sexual innuendo and there will be wonderful characters. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It's a development of what I did last year. People enjoyed it and I enjoyed doing it. So it's talking about Dickens and acting some of the characters. Because he created 2,000 characters, and they weren't just out of his head. They were out of his life, people he met, that he knew, that fascinated him. He was a journalist, that's what fired him, a fascination with people, wanting to know why they were like they were and how they expressed themselves. And he was utterly brilliant. 'For me, he's the greatest prose writer who ever lived. A genius. He was an observer and a moralist and someone who created a world. It's brighter and sharper and crueler and busier and more dangerous even than ours. He takes you in, and that's what I want to do with the audience, bring them into the Dickens world through the characters.' 'I want to share the thrill I get when I become Mr Bumble or the lesbian, Miss Wade. Share that enthusiasm. It's a gleeful experience for me. The variety of characters from very august, top drawer, upper class to the evil and comic and desperate, that he was able to create because of his curious background. He experienced poverty and the imprisonment of his parents, then later success so he could cross class boundaries, which most writers couldn't do,' she says of the writer who loved and was inspired by Edinburgh, visiting many times and being given the freedom of the city in 1841. 'People know Christmas Carol, Great Expectations, the ones that have been on telly. But they don't know the man. They don't know about his life, his problems, his occasional wickedness. He was just boiling with fascination and rage and delight, surprise and humour. And that is in his books. He was an extraordinary man. And we're losing him. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'And then, when I come to the end of my Dickets bits, the audience can ask me questions and that's always fun because they're cheeky,' she says, eyes twinkling with anticipation. Does she set out to be cheeky and shock people or does it just happen? 'I think it always has just happened. I mean, I love it when people laugh. And when they're slightly shocked. Whenever you say something like c***sucking to people, they go, gulp, ho ho and I find that hysterically funny. I don't know why. I mean, I always did talk about it. 'But I think it's a bit sort of silly to shock people. I don't totally approve of it. But every now and again, I think it's quite useful to say 'Farage is a c***. People don't like it, but I think he is.' What do the audience ask her about most? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'They often ask me about celebrities. They want to know about well known people I worked with and I worked with a great many in my life, in Hollywood and in the theatre and the people I've met on the Graham Norton show. Because everybody's very obsessed with celebrities now. 'And they ask me about my sex life and what do I think about being gay or would I change sex or what do I think about trans? That kind of thing. But I want to talk about Israel and Kier Starmer. I'm very political, but I don't think they want that.' Margolyes, has always been political, but finds herself increasingly motivated as she observes the world around her. 'Now because of the terrible things that have been happening in Israel, I've become even more political and I'm shocked by what's happening in the world, how it's allowed to happen. And I see that we have learnt nothing at all from history. Nothing. And that charlatans like Farage and Boris Johnson, and indolent, entitled people, like Rees-Mogg, still hold power, and corrupt, total a***holes, run countries, like Putin and Trump. We are in the grip of very terrible people.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It's not just politics that Margolyes finds alarming. Her home in New South Wales was recently without water, electricity and internet after devastating floods ravaged the region and she's planning to move somewhere less rural. 'We have to sell the house here, it's just too far out. We're too old to make the journey into town and it's too isolated. I need electricity. It's one of the things I need to put down on my rider - must have electricity.' What else does she have on her rider for Edinburgh? 'Well for everywhere I have spicy tomato juice, a bloody mary mix without the vodka, and I like line caught smoked salmon and cream cheese and capers on sourdough. Does she like any other Scottish delicacies, haggis or tablet for instance? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Tablet! My God, I mustn't eat tablet, because I never stop. Some people can take one piece,' and [the Scottish accent is back], 'forget that! I just scoff the lot!' 'And what's that wonderful fish soup? Cullen Skink. I love that. Years ago I was in a play written by a Scottish Jewish writer Jack Ronda, directed by Tom Cotter, called The Lost Tribe. And it was a kind of fiction that there was a lost tribe of the Jews of Scotland and Billy Paterson was in it and Phylis Logan and we were on location in a sweet wee house near Fordyce and Billy and I bought the location and did it up and it's still there. 'Billy played my father. And you know, I'm older than he is. And Phyllis was wonderful too. We had such fun. And that's where I first came across Cullen Skink. And they did high teas.' Why doesn't she reconnect with her roots and split her time between Scotland as well as England and Australia? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Oh, I'd love to live in Scotland. I'd love to live in the sort of house that my father grew up in after his parents made money. I love Glasgow. I think it's a magnificent city. It's got heart and soul. And it's real and I've always loved it. 'And there are terrific people in Scotland. You know, one of my joys last year, when I did the show in Edinburgh, was to meet Janey Godley. I'd admired and loved her for a long time. And I rang her up one day and say 'can we meet? I just think you're fabulous.' And said, 'Oh, God, I'd love to. You know, I've got cancer and I don't know how long I'm going to live', but she got her husband to drive her to Edinburgh and we spent a magical day together. We talked all day, and a couple of times we both had a nap, because we were exhausted. It was very special for me, to get to know her and she was a great lady. And she was a moralist, you know? I think that the great artists are moralists. She was a great comedian.' On the agenda for Margolyes after the Fringe is making a podcast and the follow up to her BBC documentary series, Miriam Margolyes: Almost Australian, this time round exploring New Zealand. 'Oh, gosh, it's an extraordinary country. It's actually more impressive than Australia in many ways. It has a strong Scottish influence - I have quite a few relatives there because people emigrated. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'But I think it is the relationship with the Maori people that really impressed me. They've been on a journey together and it's impressive. The Australians are still fractious about the First Nation. And actually, there are elements in New Zealand that are too, that are trying to overturn the Treaty of Waitangi, which was the treaty that cemented the respect that the white people must have for the First Nation.' At this point in the interview, which I'm conducting from home, I realise my daughter has been perched on a chair listening, drawn like a moth to a flame from another room by the sound of Margolyes' hilarity and profanity, the voices of the stream of characters she inhabits and the tales of people she has met in the places she's visited. 'Oh, can I have a look at her?' says Margolyes, more curious about other people than talking about herself, but worried about how she sounds (not the swearing of course, but the voice). 'What do I sound like? Very posh, I suppose. I think my voice puts people off, that's the trouble. You know, if I want to talk to somebody I don't know, I put on Scottish, like this [and we're back to her Glasgow accent]. 'Because I think my own voice is a bit too English and I want to try to reach people. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'My dad was from The Gorbals in Glasgow so the accent is part of the world that I grew up in. I didn't grow up in the Gorbals, but my father did. And it was a very nice place in some ways but it was the worst slums of Europe. The people were friendly. And his family went from the Gorbals, first to Govan, then Pollockshields when they made a bit of money and bought a lovely sandstone house and he became a doctor. I went and called once. I rang the bell and the lady opened the door and looked at me and said, 'what are you doing here?' And I said, "Well, I'm in Vagina Monologues, and as soon as I said the word 'vagina', she looked round to see if anyone had heard. She was sweet and invited me in.' For the rest of the interview and chat with my daughter [who tells Margolyes she finds her 'refreshing'], the actor keeps up the accent seamlessly. Will she use it when she's in Scotland to avoid being recognised, which is unlikely but she hopes won't happen. 'I hope people won't recognise me because they get overexcited when they see me.' What do they say to her? 'Harry Potter, that kind of stuff, you know.' Do they ask her about JK Rowling? 'Yeah, all the time. I've never met JK Rowling. I mean, I like her detective stories, but I've never read The Harry Potter books. Because science fiction, I go to sleep because it's all about gadgets and stuff like that.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'And in the show if people ask me what I think about things, I will absolutely say. And I will certainly make a comment about Gaza. Because it's not acceptable. I reject it completely. That the Jewish people can do what they're doing, it's wrong. No question about it. I do think what Hamas did was terrible. I don't support that. But my God, the retaliation. It's really shocking. 'And people ask about the trans issue so I will say things about that. I just want people to be a bit kinder. People should be able to be what they want to be. I think it's awfully sad to find that you're in the wrong body. So I'm very sympathetic to trans people. But if somebody was trying to rape me and were pretending they were changing sex and still had a p**** and were doing damage, well, I'd f***ing kill them. But let's get realistic. The number of people who cause trouble is very, very small. Violence is a crime. If trans people commit crime, they're to be treated like anybody else. But because you want to change your sex, that's not a crime. It's not a crime to want to be called 'them'. It's ungrammatical, but it's not a crime.' Margolyes has plenty to say and will continue to do so as long as she's alive and kicking, which we've established that she is. Is it true that Queen Elizabeth II once told her to be quiet? 'Oh, yes. It was a rather uncomfortable moment because when you meet the royals, you slightly lose your marbles. Anyway, I met her at this British Book Week event and she came over and she said, 'what do you do?' And instead of saying, 'I'm an actress' or 'I record books', I said, 'Your Majesty, I am the best reader of stories in the world'. She looked at me, rolled her eyes and sighed, and obviously thought this woman is barking mad. And then she turned to the next person and said, 'what do you do?' and ignored me. He said, 'Mam, I published books for children and we've discovered that if the pages and the ink for the various letters is different colours it helps children absorb the information more quickly and easily,' and I said, 'good heavens, that's extraordinary. I didn't know that. What an amazing thing.' And Her Majesty turned to me and said, "Be quiet." With a very crisp tea on the end of 'quiet'. Never to be forgotten.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Never to be forgotten, but heeded and obeyed? Nae chance. Her audience will expect nothing less. Margolyes & Dickens: More Best Bits, Pleasance @ The EICC – Pentland, 9-24 Aug (except 18th & 21st), 6pm (show runs for 70 minutes)
Metro
7 hours ago
- Metro
Legendary six-time Grammy Award-winning musician dies aged 86
Steve Charnock Published August 1, 2025 1:52pm Updated August 1, 2025 1:52pm Link is copied Comments Flaco Jiménez, the iconic American-Mexican accordionist whose music helped define and push Tejano, Tex-Mex and conjunto styles, has died aged 86. His family confirmed his death on Facebook yesterday evening, writing: 'He was surrounded by his loved ones and will be missed immensely… His legacy will live on through his music and all of his fans. The family requests privacy during this time of sadness' (Picture: Gary Miller/FilmMagic) Born Leonardo Jiménez in San Antonio, Texas, in 1939, 'Flaco' (a nickname meaning 'skinny' that both he and his father shared) was raised in an incredibly musical household. His father, Santiago Jiménez Sr., was a key figure in conjunto music - which has its roots in the Texas-Mexico border region. His grandfather Patricio was also a prominent musician. Flaco joined his dad's band by seven, first playing the bajo sexto before switching to the accordion, which would become his signature instrument (Picture: Michel Linssen/Redferns) Heavily influenced by his father and zydeco legend Clifton Chenier, Jiménez - who would go on to win six Grammys, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015 - soon made his name beyond Tejano circles. He became the go-to accordionist for musical stars across the genres, adding his distinctive sound to a wide range of recordings and albums. His solo work and collaborations made him something of an international ambassador for Mexican-American music. It was a role he warmly and enthusiastically embraced (Picture: Rick Diamond/WireImage) Doug Sahm was one of the first rock musicians to spotlight Jiménez, featuring him on a 1971 solo album of his. That break led to sessions with Ry Cooder, Bob Dylan, Dr. John, Los Lobos and David Lindley. Cooder featured Jiménez on his 1976 album Chicken Skin Music, which would lead to an appearance on Saturday Night Live later that year (Picture:for Americana Music) Flaco's solo career thrived alongside his session work. He won his first Grammy in 1986 for Ay Te Dejo en San Antonio. His accordion work was also featured on the 1988 country hit Streets of Bakersfield alongside Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens, earning him a spot on a No. 1 country single. The three of them would perform together a number of times, to the delight of their fans (Picture: Redferns) In 1989, he co-founded the Texas Tornados with Sahm, Freddy Fender and Augie Meyers. Their hit 'Soy de San Luis,' written by Flaco's father, won them a Grammy. A year earlier, he won another Grammy with the supergroup Los Super Seven. He later joined the Free Mexican Airforce with bluegrass player Peter Rowan (Picture: Frazer Harrison/WireImage) Even in the 1990s and beyond, Jiménez's appeal endured. He played on the Rolling Stones album Voodoo Lounge in 1994 and continued releasing music on his own and with others. In 2024, he received the Founder of the Sound award at the Ameripolitan Awards in Austin, a tribute to his lifelong impact (Picture:) From San Antonio to stages all around the world, Flaco Jiménez was proud to showcase the music of his culture. His name may have meant 'skinny,' but he was a giant of Mexican-American music. One who'll be missed by both those who loved him and those that loved his sound (Picture: Redferns) Next Gallery
Scottish Sun
10 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
AI attractiveness bot reveals world's most beautiful singer – as celebs such as Taylor Swift & Dua Lipa vie for top spot
POP superstar Taylor Swift is the most attractive singer on the planet, according to analysis by artificial intelligence. She scored 9.14 out of ten after her images were run through an attractiveness program. Advertisement 11 Taylor Swift is the most attractive singer on the planet, according to analysis by artificial intelligence Credit: Getty 11 US singer Demi Lovato came second with a score of 9.10 from the A.I bot Credit: Getty - Contributor 11 Lana Del Rey came third with a rating of 8.93 Credit: Getty Fellow US singers Demi Lovato and Lana Del Rey came second and third with scores of 9.10 and 8.93. An AI program processed images using the golden ratio, equal to 1.618 and studied since antiquity to analyse objects' proportions. The closer the ratios of a face or body are to 1.618, the more beautiful they are deemed to be. After examining images of 140 musical artists — both male and female — for gaming site 1377, South Korean boyband star Jungkook was rated the fourth most attractive, followed by Brits Adele and Dua Lipa in fifth and sixth. Advertisement US rapper Megan Thee Stallion was seventh and ex-One Direction star Zayn Malik eighth. Country star Kacey Musgraves and former The Voice UK coach Meghan Trainor made up the top ten. 11 South Korean boyband star Jungkook was rated the fourth most attractive Credit: Splash 11 Brit singer Adele came in fifth Credit: Getty Advertisement 11 Fellow Brit Dua Lipa was rated sixth Credit: Getty But there was no spot for Right Said Fred pair Fred and Richard Fairbrass, who had a No2 hit in 1991 with I'm Too Sexy. A 1377 spokesman said: 'This study raises questions about how beauty standards are being reinforced by algorithms. "As AI tools become more mainstream, we need to be aware of how they may replicate narrow or biased ideals of attractiveness.' Advertisement It's not just stars who can feel the benefits of AI. Taylor Swift and Dakota Johnson enjoy night out with rarely-seen brothers Austin and Jesse in NYC Now Chatgpt allows you to put a picture into their system and give you pointers on how to improve your appearance for a glow-up this summer. Send an image of yourself with your usual hair and make-up and asked it to give some tips for a summer glow up. The AI system will then tell you what you're getting right - and give you a list of tips to improve your look. Advertisement 11 US rapper Megan Thee Stallion was seventh Credit: Getty 11 Ex-One Direction star Zayn Malik came in eighth Credit: Getty 11 Country star Kacey Musgraves was rated ninth Credit: Getty 11 US star Meghan Trainor completed the top 10 Credit: Getty Images - Getty Advertisement
