Latest news with #Cardiff-based
Wales Online
a day ago
- Business
- Wales Online
Multi-million-pound deal struck involving more than 80 former Brains pubs
Multi-million-pound deal struck involving more than 80 former Brains pubs Hodge Bank has backed the acquisition by Brew Propco Brains (Image: WalesOnline/ Rob Browne ) The long leasehold interest in more than 80 former Brains pubs is under new ownership following a £12m deal. Brew Propco, which is majority owned by private equity firm Westbrooke Private Capital, was backed in its acquisition with a commercial loan from Cardiff-based Hodge Bank. The pubs, across south and west Wales are let to Marston's, which which took over the running of the pubs from SA Brain and Co back in 2020 in a 25-year lease agreement. Wales experiences big rise in foreign direct investment projects READ MORE: Real danger that a Welsh university could collapse union warns READ MORE: Brew Propco has acquired the leasehold interest from Cerberus Capital Management. which maintains a freehold interest in the pubs. The transaction was introduced by Cameron Hayes at specialist capital advisory firm, Arc and Co. Marston's, the UK's fifth-largest pub company, has recently increased its strategic focus on pub operations following the divestment of its share in Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company last year. it returned a robust financial performance during the six months to the end of March. Article continues below Hodge said its funding demonstrates a continued appetite for well structured, investment transactions in the leisure and hospitality sector and reaffirms the vital role pubs play as social and economic hubs in Welsh towns and cities. According to the British Beer and Pub Association, pubs contribute more than £26bn to the UK economy annually and have been experiencing a resurgence in the years following the Covid pandemic. Gareth Davies, senior business development manager, real estate finance at Hodge, said: "It has been a pleasure working with Westbrooke Private Capital on this deal and we're proud to have backed a real estate transaction of this scale in Wales, our home and our heartland. Article continues below "Supporting the acquisition of 83 long leasehold pubs across the South and West of the country demonstrates not only our commitment to the leisure and hospitality sector, but our ongoing support for businesses in Wales. Pubs remain a vital part of the social fabric, and we're excited to be part of a deal that continues to bring communities together." James Lightbody, head of real estate at Westbrooke Private Capital, said: "We're delighted to complete this transaction with the support of our lending partner, Hodge. "We've been involved with this portfolio since its original disposal by Brains in 2020 and this transaction with Hodge allows us to continue to support the sector and those pubs which are cornerstones of their communities in Wales."
South Wales Argus
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
Fantasy novel reimagines Welsh mythology for young readers
The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire by Cardiff-based writer Anna Fiteni will be published on August 28 and is set in a Welsh mining village in the 1800s. Inspired by Welsh mythology and written with elements of the Welsh language, the story follows Sabrina Parry in a quest to save her sister Ceridwen. Ms Fiteni said: "The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire is, ultimately, a love letter to growing up weird, classic guyliner-wearing YA romantic heroes, sisters, and my home, Wales. "I was inspired by a lot of other stories and films while writing, like Pan's Labyrinth, Into the Woods and Hadestown, and beloved YA novels like The Cruel Prince and An Enchantment of Ravens. "Mix those with a childhood fascination with Peter Pan and the illustrations of Cicely Mary Barker, and the lasting memory of a school trip down a coal mine, and here we are." Ms Fiteni wrote the book while in her final year of studying in England and is shaped by Wales. "I was lucky to be exposed to a fair bit of Welsh mythology when I was young. This isn't the case for every Welsh child," she said. "Like the language, Welsh history and stories aren't always accessible. I noticed this particularly in the fantasy books I read. "We have a wealth of weird and wonderful myths in Wales, but I rarely saw them put to paper. It was rarer still to see that writing done by a Welsh author."
Wales Online
6 days ago
- Business
- Wales Online
Charity 'sad and confused' after seeing its shirt on sale in TK Maxx without permission
Charity 'sad and confused' after seeing its shirt on sale in TK Maxx without permission The £15 charity T-shirts were on sale at the high street chain for £39.99 Cardiff Dogs Home were left confused when a T-shirt of theirs was seen in TK Maxx with a 166% retail price mark-up (Image: The Rescue Hotel/Facebook ) A Cardiff-based charity which fundraises for a Welsh dogs home was astonished to come across one of its T-shirts on sale in TK Maxx without permission. According to The Rescue Hotel which fundraises for Cardiff Dogs Home TK Maxx has been offering the black Cardiff Dogs Home t-shirts for sale with a 166% retail markup. The charity said they sell the shirts for £15 but in TK Maxx they are presented as being sold at a discounted price. A photograph posted by the charity on its Facebook page shows TK Maxx selling the t-shirt for £39.99, "reduced" from a supposed recommended retail price (RRP) of £65. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here . The charity said it was confused its items were being sold in TK Maxx anyway and was also bemused as to how the store had settled on such a price. The Rescue Hotel wrote in a statement: 'Not sure whether to be flattered or furious. This weekend one of our supporters found one of our charity's T-shirts on sale at TK Maxx for £39.99 with a marked recommended retail price (RRP) of £65. Article continues below 'We're a small Welsh charity run entirely by five volunteers around our full-time jobs. We design and ship our merch ourselves to help raise money for homeless dogs in Cardiff. We sell this T-shirt for £15.' The charity added it was confused as to how the t-shirt could have ended up in TK Maxx. 'Is TK Maxx copying our design and selling it as their own,' they said. 'Is TK Maxx buying directly from us and slapping on a 166% mark-up? Where did TK Maxx get the £65 RRP from? 'Is this a second hand T-shirt sent to recycling that has made its way into a TK Maxx store where they are selling it as new? We would love some feedback from TKMaxx on how and why this has happened.' WalesOnline has contacted TK Maxx for comment. The retailer, a high street store, said on its website that it sources its stock from 'all kinds of vendors – big names and designer labels, top brands, up-and-coming labels'. In a section on its website explaining how it sources its products TK Maxx said: 'We take advantage of a wide variety of opportunities, which can include department store cancellations, a brand owner producing too much product, or a great deal when a vendor simply wants to clear merchandise. These are just some of the ways we bring you tremendous value.' The Rescue Hotel added: 'We put blood, sweat and tears into this charity. Quite literally at the moment as our merch is stored in a shipping container which is pretty unbearable to be packing orders from in this heat but we'll do anything for the dogs. Article continues below 'This has made us so sad. Every single penny of profit we make from the sale of our merch goes directly to helping the homeless dogs of Cardiff.'
Business News Wales
7 days ago
- Business
- Business News Wales
Flotek Strengthens Cloud Infrastructure Capabilities with Acquisition of Microshade
Flotek Group, a Cardiff-based managed IT and communications service provider, has acquired Microshade Business Consultants Limited. Established in 1984, Microshade provides secure IT solutions for over 286 parish councils across the UK and holds ISO 27001:2022 certification. Microshade operates its Cloud Remote Desktop Service at the Southwest Data Centre in Plymouth, where Flotek already maintains a regional office. This acquisition will allow Flotek to provide local IT support and cybersecurity services to parish councils across the country. Additionally, Flotek has been collaborating with Microshade to develop its own Private Application Hosting service, helping businesses move traditional on-premises software, such as accounting software like Sage, Iris, and Pegasus, to a private cloud environment, thereby eliminating the need for on-site servers. This acquisition comes in response to growing demand from customers for Flotek to offer private application hosting. Flotek's initial acquisition was Gower Business Systems, a Pegasus reseller. Jay Ball, CEO of Flotek Group, commented: 'We've had the pleasure of working with the Microshade team for over three years, collaborating on various projects. During the acquisition process, Stuart Wilbur, the founder, sadly passed away. Stuart's vision was to bring advanced technology to the parish council sector, a vision we wholeheartedly share and are committed to continuing. We see tremendous growth potential in hosting our customers' existing server-based applications in our private data centre technology. This complements our existing Microsoft Azure technology offering, as both solutions have their unique advantages in the market.' David Astwood, who will take the position of Head of Infrastructure, added: 'We've worked with the Flotek team for a number of years on joint projects and have enjoyed collaborating on a private cloud offering. We look forward to focusing on growth across the parish councils.' The Microshade team will form the new Cloud Infrastructure team at Flotek, continuing to deliver specialist cloud technology utilising existing data centre relationships and security positions. Microshade, a Microsoft Cloud Partner, will be fully integrated into Flotek over the next 12 months. The acquisition was advised on by Siobhan Williams, senior associate solicitor at Darwin Gray. Siobhan said: 'We are delighted to once again be advising Flotek on another exciting acquisition. It's always a pleasure working with Jay and the team at Flotek.' Flotek sees significant opportunities in the parish council sector, where they already have a substantial share, and aims to drive innovation into other vertical sectors such as accounting and legal. Microshade, based in Plymouth, provides secure IT services, including cybersecurity, to national clients.
Wales Online
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
I'm a drag queen and there's one thing so many people don't understand
I'm a drag queen and there's one thing so many people don't understand "It's an odd, really crazy time right now" Gigi Spot on why drag is so important ahead of Pride Cymru 2025 (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) A row of wigs in every colour you could imagine, a clothes rail jam packed with sequins and feathers, the floor lined with luminous high heels, fake nails, glitter, jewellery Bet Lynch would be proud of - it could only be a drag queen's closet. This closet belongs to Gigi Spot, a Cardiff-based drag artist whose career began just shy of five years ago when her alter-ego Alex bought her first wig. That wig, now "in bits", is still here in this closet, all part of a journey to the bedazzled Gigi now sat in front of me, with her thick lick of eyeline, purple eyeshadow and silver glitter and a first outing for a new dress, ready for its first big outing this weekend. Gigi is one of the acts at this weekend's Pride Cymru, and when we meet in the build up, her current worry is how she'll cope in the heatwave the weather forecasters are projecting, and who can blame her? Because being Gigi means a thick layer of make-up, bouffant wig, a lycra rainbow dress (plus rhinestones) and not forgetting the heels. You can read all about Pride Cymru, how to get tickets, where to see the parade and who is performing here. For Gigi, Pride isn't just another event, but a chance to show people how inclusive Cardiff is, how inclusive Pride is, and how inclusive drag is. Article continues below Gigi getting ready - she's taught herself how to do make-up (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Gigi was a singer, doing weddings until the night, while watching a drag act she watched on and thought she could do it - and could do it better. And then she bought that first wig. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here . And the rest is history - a history documented in her closet packed with custom made outfits, from her very first dress (a sequinned short number with net underskirt) right through to festive outfits, a burgundy velvet number with Maleficent-style shoulder pads I've ever seen and a floor length, fuschia, feather-trimmed evening gown. She actually never intended to become involved in drag. "You just kind of fall into it. You buy one wig as a joke and you think 'this is going to be fine' and then you get a taste for it," she said. Her first performance was in Cardiff at a charity event. "I've deleted all the photos from it and videos," she laughs. "I do remember people saying you've got something and I should work at it but that was two weeks before the Covid lockdown. "Cut to five months later and I did a proper gig," she said. Her sister taught Alex how to do make-up, but there were mishaps when Gigi started doing her own, including not setting her make-up properly so it ran down her face, mid-set. "It's an evolutionary journey," she cackles. But don't ever think it's ever just about a great dress and some make-up. "Drag is such a craft, there's so many facets to it. You've got to have the hair right, the shape of your body right. The outfits need to be right. And then there's the makeup on top. "You're crafting the jokes that you're writing, that there's so many components to it. There's probably not many art forms have so much going on for just one show," said Gigi. Drag has been around for centuries, and the word 'drag' is believed to have theatrical origins from when the dresses men wore to play female characters would drag along the floor. Now? Now it's so much more. "I am clearly am a drag queen, and proudly so, but I'm completely accepting the drag spectrum now is is very broad," says Gigi. "There is no definition anymore for what drag is just. Drag means something completely different to each person who's performing. "There's drag queens, drag kings. It can be whatever you want it to be, but there's performers that aren't really queens or kings, for more androgynous, non-binary creative expression. "There's no judgement, you can be whoever you are, perhaps except a serial killer," she laughs. "You can be whoever you are, and you'll be accepted and feel welcome. "I think we're just changing the definition of what it means to be a man or a woman or anything in between. "There is no boundary in drag, we completely open it up. People clearly know I'm a man, but then I'm flouncing around a little bit on stage, so you're blurring the line a bit. "People respond well to it because you're just completely open and honest. "More and more as the years have gone on, it's really important for drag performers to use their platform not just to have a laugh and a joke and be part of someone's night out but to remind people that this is a community, people are safe here. Gigi's closet is full of custom outfits (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) "Even though we don't have to, we're paid to be entertainers but I think more and more as it's gone on we use that as a platform just to remind people about community," he said. That doesn't mean it's all about fun, jokes and songs. There have been political controversies, for example, Drag Queen Story Hour UK, founded by Aida H Dee, was met with protests and criticism. You can read that here. "There are groups of society that just don't understand the creativity and the the fun and joy around drag, but those people are never going to go away. "It's a very small minority of people with backwards views that cause the biggest ruckus, and that I think that's what we see a lot," she said. The ongoing battles of the trans community too have taken their toll. "It's not just my job but my friends. "When I was younger, just being gay was hard, and now these trans people have done nothing other than just decide they want to identify as who they actually are but there's been massive hurdles put up to make them feel unaccepted or not part of society," she said. That is the anthesis of drag, she admits. "We're there to be completely inclusive. Drag on stage is that everyone can take the piss out of everything, and we all laugh and joke about it because it's that one moment away from the real world but I guess what's upsetting is that when we take our makeup off and we lock the bar up at the end of the night, those people have gone back to a real world, which is not that particularly very nice at the moment. They are our friends or colleagues who work at the bars or on the doors or performing. "There's a lot going on and it just seems like even the politicians aren't particularly on side, so what do we do? And it shouldn't be like that in the UK. It's an odd, really crazy time right now," she said. Drag has stood the test of time, and will continue to, she believes. "I think prostitutes are the only thing that was going on before drag queens, and even then I think there was some crossover," she laughs. "Drag will always have a place in society that's not going away, and I think history has shown that already. The bars are becoming ever more important, and drag performers are becoming an even more important cornerstone of the community, especially with everything going on. Cardiff has a relatively small drag scene but all are welcome, Gigi said, and drag venues aren't just for the queer community, she says. "They are an open door not just to queer communities, but to other parts of society that just want to come in and have a good time and enjoy themselves and not show judgement. We perform a lot of straight people and that's fine," she said. She is a proud supporter of Pride Cymru because it's important for Wales to have such a thing. "I think it's important in Wales because we we're separate from the rest of the country. "We still make our own laws and make our own decisions. Having a Pride here is really important for the people of Wales, because we are different things happen differently here. "So even though it's small, it's still a brilliant event and probably has more of a community feel than most Prides," she said, "It's just so important that we don't stop celebrating and protesting". Every year, in Pride month, there are comments which ask why Pride is needed. To that, Gigi says this: "I'd like to think that within our community, our queer community, that we maybe no, we don't need Pride. Because every day is Pride. We're always doing it every night but we're not in our queer community all the time. We're often in the real world and we all face judgement, sometimes insecurity, embarrassment, or, sometimes persecution just for who you are. "With the stuff that's going on in the media and going through Parliament, government and the Supreme Court is just showing us that Pride is even more important now than it's been in the past, because we thought we were making progress, but it seems to be going backwards a little bit," she said. This year's Pride Cymru will look back at the first march in Cardiff, which took place 40 years ago. "It breaks your hearts that they had to live their lives going through all of this. But we're taking the baton on that they started. You're carrying it forwards because it's still so important," she said. Asked why anyone should go along to Pride, Gigi said: "We're in a country where we should be aiming for reallycomplete, happy, wholesome society and it's only when everyone in society is given the rights that they deserve to be themselves to to just be the best person they can. "If you can't be yourself, you're going to struggle being the best at your job, being the best at this, that, and the other, because you're being held back. "It's only when everyone is at that level, when we're living in a nice society that our society will be better generally for everyone. Everyone is part of Pride, it's not just the scene. It's important that everyone gets part of it," she said. Article continues below And with that, she declared, "let's get this wig off".
