Entertainment

BBC Wales announce whole raft of activity for BBC Children in Need

Published

9 months ago

October 24, 2024

BBC WALES has announced a range of activity this year to raise money for BBC Children in Need, with presenters including Aled Hughes, Jason Mohammad and Derek Brockway all getting involved in the action.

From making a splash with the Thousand Mile Challenge to tackling a gruelling seven-day hike along the North Wales Pilgrim’s Way and joining our resident weatherman for an extra special walk, teams across BBC Cymru Wales are facing some of their most ambitious challenges yet.

BBC Radio Cymru’s Aled Hughes is undertaking an extraordinary 135-mile hike from Holywell to Aberdaron, retracing the steps of pilgrims from centuries ago. Aled will be attempting to walk over 20 miles a day, covering particularly challenging terrain between Bangor and Nantlle Valley, as well as climbing the Carneddau mountains in Eryri.

Accompanying Aled on the week’s walk is mountain leader and expert, Merfyn Jones, along with guests including comedians Tudur Owen and Katie Gill-Williams, and presenters Gerallt Pennant and Dilwyn Morgan.

Aled Hughes said: “Since joining Radio Cymru in 2016 I’ve taken on lots of different challenges to raise money for Children in Need, from climbing up Yr Wyddfa five times in five daysto cycling from Bangor to Cardiff, but I can say hands down this will be the toughest challenge I’ve ever attempted. But across the seven days there will be plenty of fun, banter and storytelling, and we’ll learn from the people who live in and are part of the communities along the trail.”

Aled’s walk will take place across the week leading up to the BBC Children in Need Big Night of TV (9-15 November).

From one gruelling challenge to another, BBC Radio Wales’ Jason Mohammad and BBC Radio Cymru 2’s Dom James will be taking part in an epic swimming challenge with colleagues from across BBC Local Radio in England, BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Radio Foyle to swim a combined 1000 miles for BBC Children in Need.

As part of the Thousand Mile Challenge for BBC Children in Need, Jason will attempt to swim a total of 12 miles across five days (4-8 November), accompanied each day by fellow presenters; Lucy Owen, Molly Palmer, Behnaz Akhgar, Ian Hunt, Eleri Sion and Dom James, who will endeavour to swim 12 miles between them to reach the combined attempted BBC Cymru Wales distance of 24 miles.

***BBC Radio Cymru’s Aled Hughes will be walking over 135 miles for BBC Children in Need***

The presenters will be cheered on and supported by former Team GB swimmers and Olympians, Rebecca Adlington and Mark Foster. The pair of seasoned swimmers and multiple medal winners will be on hand to share all their experience, training tips and words of encouragement as the presenters dive into the challenge.

Jason Mohammad said: “BBC Children in Need is so important and has played a big role in my broadcasting life. From hosting the big concerts for BBC Cymru Wales to the Swim Challenge I completed in Salford Quays for BBC Radio 2 a few years ago. So to have been asked to do a few more miles this time around is an honour, although I have to admit, slightly daunting. I will take on this challenge with everything I’ve got, and I’m already training hard for it, so bring it on.”

Elsewhere, Derek Brockway will be in Pembrokeshire for a special episode of Weatherman Walking as he walks from St David’s to Whitesands while celebrating some of the incredible work done by charities and projects from across Wales which are supported by BBC Children in Need.

Throughout the episode we will hear from organisations including Ruthin-based Calon RDA, which offers children and young people the opportunity to build their confidence through a connection with horses, and RAY Ceredigion, which gives children and young people living in rural areas of west Wales new opportunities, along with a range of charities and projects from across Wales.

The special episode of Weatherman Walking for Children in Need will TX on Wednesday 13November at 8pm on BBC1 Wales.

Rhuanedd Richards, Director of BBC Wales, said: “BBC Children in Need is something we’re proud to support year after year, but we’re so pleased to announce a wealth of activity coming from our teams in BBC Wales this year, with our continued aim to help support vital charity projects in communities across Wales and the rest of the UK. These endeavours might be more ambitious than ever before, but we’ve got no doubt that Aled, Jason, and everyone else taking part will give it their all, and we’ll be cheering them on every step of the way.”

Simon Antrobus, Chief Executive at BBC Children in Need, said: “We’re thrilled to see the BBC Nations and Regions get behind BBC Children in Need’s 2024 Appeal. Right now we are only able to fund 1 in 8 organisations who ask us for support. Only with the generosity of the public can we continue help to lighten the load for hundreds of thousands of children and young people across the UK and help change their lives.”

To find out more, visit https://www.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/

Entertainment

Solva Edge Festival to celebrate 10th anniversary this July

Published

2 days ago

July 6, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THOUSANDS expected for Pembrokeshire’s most spirited summer weekend

SOLVA Edge Festival returns from 25–27 July, promising a packed weekend of music, culture and coastal charm — and this year marks a major milestone as the community-run event celebrates its 10th anniversary.

Set in the heart of Solva with dramatic views over the Pembrokeshire coastline, the not-for-profit festival has grown into one of the most loved events in the West Wales summer calendar. Organisers say the 2025 event — dubbed “Edge X” — will be the most ambitious yet.

Headline acts include Dirty Weekend, Daft Punkz and Who’s Molly

This year’s musical line-up is led by high-energy favourites Dirty Weekend, dance-pop crowd-pleasers Daft Punkz, and the anthemic Who’s Molly. Festival regulars will also welcome the return of Good Times, while the coveted ‘legends slot’ will be filled by Fleetwood Mad, a tribute act drawing crowds across the UK for their faithful recreation of Fleetwood Mac’s greatest hits.

Activities for all ages

In addition to the music, organisers have confirmed a broad range of activities. These include:

Children’s entertainment, from magicians to singalongs;
A literary reading of Erimos, a new work exploring myth and hope, with author Mark Lewis and illustrator Peter Stevenson;
Guided walks with the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park team.

Festival-goers can also enjoy artisan stalls, henna tattoos, street food, and local ales at the popular Green Scar Bar.

A festival with heart

Solva Edge is unique in being run entirely by volunteers, with all proceeds returned to the community through grants and bursaries. Past beneficiaries include Solva AFC, St Davids Guides, Strength Academy Wales, Simpson’s Cross Activities Group, and Victoria Hall in Roch.

Organiser Luci Chapman said: “This is a special year for us — ten years of celebrating music, community and the coastline we love. Every ticket bought helps fund youth groups, sports clubs and creative projects across North Pembrokeshire.”

The event takes place at Solva Football Club, Maes Y Mor, Solva, SA62 6XW, with free parking on site.

Tickets are available online at www.edgefestival.co.uk or at the gate.

Entertainment

Milford Haven gears up for Carnival Day 2025 – Festivities at The Lord Nelson Hotel

Published

4 days ago

July 4, 2025

Luke Sinclair

Milford Haven is alive with anticipation as Carnival Day 2025 sails into town this Saturday, and The Lord Nelson Hotel is going all out to mark the occasion with a day full of vibrant celebrations.

Set for Saturday 5th July, The Lord Nelson is throwing open its doors from 9am for a jam-packed day of carnival fun, music, and food. The popular venue has announced it will be walk-in only, with no reserved seating – so locals are encouraged to arrive early to grab a spot.

With three bars open throughout the day and a BBQ sizzling from 12pm to 6pm, guests can expect mouth-watering food and refreshing drinks. (Note: the hotel’s usual menu won’t be available during the BBQ hours.)

The afternoon promises a musical treat, kicking off with live music with Steve Bartram from 4pm, followed by a West presents DJ stage to keep the carnival spirit alive well into the evening.

“It’s set to be one of our biggest and best Carnival Days yet,” said owner James Findlay . “We’re excited to welcome everyone to celebrate with great food, live entertainment, and a real community atmosphere.”

Sunday 6th July brings a more relaxed vibe, with the hotel offering a hearty breakfast from 8am to 11am, followed by a lunch menu (12pm–3pm) and an evening service from 5pm to 8:30pm. Please note – no Sunday roast will be served this weekend.

With sunshine forecast and the whole town ready to celebrate, Milford Haven’s Carnival Day is shaping up to be a highlight of the Pembrokeshire summer.

Entertainment

West Wales rock band Supergene is reuniting for a special one-off show

Published

5 days ago

July 3, 2025

Tom Sinclair

SUPERGENE will perform at the Queens Hall Narberth on Saturday, July 12, supporting the also recently reformed folk rock band The Blims, who are returning after a hiatus after the passing away of their drummer four years ago.

Speaking about the upcoming event Supergene keyboardist Danny Walters, who went to Fishguard school, said it was the first time getting together as this line-up for a decade.

Danny said: “Supergene has had so many different band members over the years that our singer Samuel Walters suggested they could each walk across the stage and wave to the crowd as we played the set to see which one got the loudest cheer! When I heard The Blims had decided to get back to playing live again, after losing their drummer in 2021 to cancer, I reached out to them to see what they thought of us both playing The Queens Hall, Narberth, as a kind of nostalgia celebration of the days when we thought we’d make it. They loved the idea and agreed straight away. I then pitched this to the last major iteration our band had to see who was interested. Fortunately everyone was missing playing as much as me and so we started blowing the cobwebs and dust off of the old favourites.”

“The Queens Hall has always been a favourite venue of both bands to play, and so it only seemed fitting to hit the nostalgia button there, where some of our best memories lie.”

“We have also decided to play some of the last songs we had made and never got to play live, and so the set will have three ‘brand new’ songs that deserve to be heard. Two of these songs will also be put on our 5 track EP, called Cut It Out – a newly released collection of unreleased singles and demos that until now have been sitting on hard drives doing nothing. This release is to help promote the gig, and was suggested by a fan relatively new to the band’s music that was keen to hear more.”

Martin Dann, frontman of The Blims said: “We are really looking forward to playing in the Queens Hall again. It’s been five years since we played together there and it’s always been a great venue to play, with great crowds who always make it a gig to remember. We’ve got a cracking show ready and can’t wait to rock out with our brothers Supergene.”

Doors open at 7.30pm and tickets are £15, available from www.thequeenshall.org.uk or call Box Office on 01834 861212