THE fifth Other Voices Cardigan 2024 Festival was a record breaker, having attracted more than 15,000 music fans from across the world to the pretty Mid Wales coastal town over three days.

The event, which ran from October 31to November 2, featured a curated programme celebrating music, friendship, language, ideas and culture from both sides of the Irish Sea and beyond.

Festival highlights included stellar performances from Nadine Shah, Bill Ryder Jones, and Fabiana Palladino.

St Mary’s Church audiences were treated to an acoustic performance by Manics’ frontman James Dean Bradfield, who performed special renditions of the classics ‘Motorcycle Emptiness’, ‘A Design for Life’, and ‘Ready for Drowning’.

Other Church performers this year include Charlotte Day Wilson, Melys, Victor Ray, and Georgia Ruth. 

Providing an extraordinary and inspiring programme across a myriad of musical genres, events took place in cafes, bars, places of worship and arts venues.    

More than 42 established and emerging acts from Wales and Ireland played the Music Trail and around 300 artists and crew worked and performed. The festival also boosted the local economy, with many businesses reporting increased foot traffic and sales during the event.

Over the past weekend, the festival saw more than 15,000 individual event admissions to more than 100 performances across the weekend, representing a 36% increase on 2023.

Visitors from outside Wales also increased significantly by 41%, with music fans coming from Ireland, Italy, New York, Sweden and Germany.

“This year has been another fantastic success,” said Dilwyn Davies, chief executive of Mwldan, co-producers of the event. “We’ve celebrated the vibrancy and vitality of the music scenes on both sides of the Irish Sea, and the spirit of our communities.

“The audience response has been incredibly positive and joyous, and we can’t wait to bring everyone together again in 2025.”

Phillip King, founder of Other Voices, added: “Cardigan/Aberteifi came alive with great music and stimulating and provocative banter when Other Voices came to town this past weekend.

“The event is growing and expanding year on year, attracting more visitors to this beautiful town. It’s a real delight to bring Other Voices across the Irish Sea, to collapse between Ireland and Wales and to bring us together in a way that deepens and strengthens every aspect of our relationship.”

Church performances were live-streamed on Other Voices YouTube channel and simultaneously streamed to the big screen at Mwldan in Cardigan. Highlights will be later broadcast on BBC Wales TV, BBC iPlayer and RTÉ and RTÉ Player via media partners. The event was presented by BBC DJ and Other Voices regular Huw Stephens.

Other Voices Cardigan is staged with the support and investment of Welsh Government and Government of Ireland, The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and The Department of Foreign Affairs’ Reconciliation Fund.

The festival is produced by South Wind Blows in partnership with Mwldan and Triongl. This project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, supported by Ceredigion County Council.

Non-GamStop casinos are popular amongst UK residents, particularly those who have an active self-exclusion with GamStop and no longer have access to gambling sites. 

With significantly more freedom than casinos on GamStop, it’s no surprise that people use

non-GamStop casinos. However, they are accompanied by some increased risks that you don’t get with UKGC-regulated casinos. So, with this in mind, let’s delve into what attracts people to casinos outside of GamStop as well as the risks associated with them, and where you can find these types of casinos. 

What attracts people in the UK to casinos outside of GamStop

Freedom

Typically, these casino sites not on GamStop offer more freedom to their players in a variety of ways. The biggest being from the GamStop self-exclusion programme. GamStop offers people who have developed unhealthy gambling habits the chance to exclude themselves from gambling sites – this could be for a few months or a few years. However, casinos outside of GamStop override this and you are free to play even if you have an active self-exclusion. 

More benefits 

Along with the freedom to gamble whenever you want, non-GamStop casinos are usually more generous with their players. They have bigger welcome bonuses and better offerings, easygoing wagering requirements, more payment options, and lenient ID verification. It’s important to state here that not all non-GamStop casinos are the same, but most have similar benefits. 

A better gaming experience

Non-GamStop casinos often provide a better gaming experience as they have a wider selection of games available, with more flexible betting limits. As games are usually available worldwide, you get the benefit of an increased number of players and 24/7 access. This creates a more immersive gambling experience. Added to this, the limited restrictions also ensure interruption free gaming. 

Risks of using non-GamStop casinos

The freedom that non-GamStop casinos provide is undoubtedly appealing to UK gamblers, however there are some risks to using non-GamStop casinos. Knowing the risks is essential to ensure safety when using online casinos.

No UKGC oversight 

Non-GamStop casinos are unregulated by the UKGC (UK Gambling Commission), which can make it tricky to raise disputes. Similarly, if you feel like you have been a victim of unfair gaming, receiving compensation is highly unlikely because the gambling website isn’t regulated. 

This goes hand in hand with a lack of customer support. Many casinos outside of GamStop have very poor, if any, customer service, which can make it even more difficult to raise concerns or make a complaint. 

Reduced security 

Data protection in non-GamStop casinos is typically much weaker than GamStop casinos, and they may not have the same level of encryption as those regulated by the UKGC. The risk of cyber threats or your personal or financial information being compromised is much higher. You can reduce this risk by checking for SSL certificates or other indications of proper cyber security when choosing a non-GamStop casino to use. 

Scams

Encountering fraudulent gambling sites when using casinos not on GamStop is not uncommon. Unregulated gambling sites have a much higher potential for scams and there is a bigger risk of being caught out if you’re not careful, but there are ways to avoid being scammed, starting with choosing a licenced site.

Finding casinos outside of GamStop

With the enticing benefits that come with non-GamStop casinos – more freedom, better gameplay, reduced restriction, and less stringent verification processes – casinos not on GamStop have increased in popularity amongst UK gamblers. Particularly as regulations continue to get tighter in the UK with a ban on credit cards and tighter betting limits in recent years. 

However most gamblers are aware of the risks that the lack of security and regulation can have and why it’s so important to do your research on non-GamStop casinos prior to using one. The best options are licensed and offer player safety whilst retaining the advantages of high stakes, fast payouts, generous bonuses, and complete freedom. 

Whether you’re looking to find a way around your self-exclusion or simply want a better gambling experience, non-GamStop casinos are an ideal choice. However it’s important to be aware of the risks – lack of protection, weaker security, and potential for scams – and choose your gambling destination carefully. 

A SCHEME to refurbish a quayside building in Haverfordwest’s conservation area, along with works to the existing Haverhub community hub has been backed by county planners.

The application, by Gitti Coats, for the refurbishment and extension of Haverfordwest’s Quayside Building to form multi-functional community spaces, along with an extension to the bar building to create a first-floor terrace at Quay Street was recommended for conditional approval at the November 5 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee.

A report for planners said: “The application site comprises of two existing buildings and associated outdoor area located within the Quayside area of Haverfordwest.  One of the buildings is known as the Quayside Building, which fronts the quayside and is currently vacant. The second building, which currently addresses Quay Street to the west, is known as the ‘Haverhub’ community hub.”

The Grade-II-listed Haverhub building, is a former post office, described as “a finely designed neoGeorgian Post Office in Bath stone,” built in 1934-6 for the General Post Office (GPO), and “is an example of the high quality neo-Georgian post offices of the inter-war period”.

A report for planners said the Quayside building would increase in height from approximately 7.9 metres to 11.7 metres with the creation of a second floor and accommodation within the roof space, the ground floor utilised for space in connection with a performance space within the Haverhub building.

To the first floor would be a multi-function room, which would also connect to a proposed bar area and associated first floor terrace which includes outdoor seating.  The second floor of the Quayside building would include a second multi-function and meeting room.

The main Haverhub building would be extended to provide a gallery and entrance lobby.  The existing bar and kitchen would also be extended.

The Haverhub building was granted a change of use to a community hub in 2018, with the use and building benefiting from a ground floor internal outdoor courtyard area, which is located below the proposed first floor terrace.

The report said that, as there is already an outside space for the community hub to utilise “the addition of the first-floor seating area would not create a significantly greater impact in terms of noise generation or impact on amenity than the existing outdoor area to the ground floor”.

Speaking at the November 5 meeting, Gitti Coates said Haverhub had spent the last eight years “recognising the real value of abandoned buildings,” with “a desire to see something positive happening for the town”.

She said the “iconic” quayside building had been purchased with “a significant contribution from Pembrokeshire County Council’s Enhancing Pembrokeshire fund”.

Committee chair Cllr Simon Hancock, who moved approval, described the scheme as “marvellous,” saying it would be “a distinct improvement” to the area, with Haverhub “doing the most remarkable job in trying to regenerate the town”.

Cllr Mark Carter said: “A wonderful scheme, something the town is going to be proud of.”

The application was unanimously approved by members.