Entertainment

How to improve your home in a cost of living crisis

Published

8 months ago

November 19, 2024

Welsh households have faced an increase in the cost of living over the last few years. Between 2022 and 2023, nearly half of Welsh residents (43%) reported a worsening of their financial situation.

With bills ever on the rise, things like home improvements have taken a back seat in an effort to save money. However, making some improvements to your home can be advantageous and there are plenty of ways to make positive changes without having to break the bank.

Benefits of home improvements

Enhanced comfort

Your home should be a positive and comforting place to be. When there are aspects of your home that you’re not happy with, it can create a negative environment. As the cost of living crisis takes its toll on people’s mental wellbeing, creating a safe and comfortable space is more important than ever.

Increased house value

Perhaps the biggest advantage to home improvements – increasing the value of your home. It’s important to make your home as valuable as possible if you’re looking to sell. A few touch ups and improvements here and there can make a significant difference to your home and increase its value substantially.

Better energy efficiency

Swapping out older elements, like lightbulbs, for more energy efficient ones is a great way to not only improve aesthetics but also keep costs down in the long run.

How to improve your home for less

Get painting

Painting is one of the easiest and most effective ways to transform a home. A fresh coat of paint on a tired looking wall or a splash of colour in a dull room can make all the difference in a bedroom, living room, or hallway. Professional decorators in Wales cost around £15 to £25 per hour or £150 to £190 per day, but you can save a lot of money by doing it yourself.

Kitchens and bathrooms can also benefit from a lick of paint. Painting kitchen cabinets is an easy way to modernise the space and bathrooms can be completely revamped with a bit of colour.

Upcycle furniture

With platforms like Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and Gumtree, it’s easy to find inexpensive furniture that you can transform into great pieces for your home. Instead of spending hundreds of pounds in IKEA, you can spend significantly less purchasing old furniture that with some cleaning, sanding, and painting, can be remoulded into a lavish piece for your home.

Swap out old lighting

Lighting can make a huge difference to the ambiance of a room. Consider replacing old bulbs with energy efficient warm white LEDs. Not only will the room have a cosier feel, but you’ll also be lowering your energy bills.

Add a touch of nature

Plants are a great way to make a house feel more like a home, and they have plenty of health benefits. To keep costs down, fake plants are a great alternative. They offer the same aesthetic benefits but are less expensive and require very little maintenance.

Home improvements worth spending more on

Some aspects of home improvements are better left to the professionals in order to get it right the first time.

Upholstery cleaning

Refreshing something you already own is almost always a cheaper and easier alternative to buying brand new. Professional upholstery cleaning services start from £49 per hour which is significantly cheaper than re-carpeting your entire house or purchasing a new sofa which could set you back thousands. By giving dull furniture a good clean, you can give your home a new lease of life.

Electrics and plumbing

Whilst there is a lot you can do yourself, it’s important to leave things like plumbing or electrical elements to the professionals as it can be difficult, or even dangerous, and getting it wrong could cost you considerably more in repairs. On average, the hourly rate of an electrician is £33 and a plumber is £32 per hour in Wales.

Small changes can have a big impact

Improving your home during a cost of living crisis is entirely possible as long as you’re smart about it. By doing things yourself or giving old items a new lease of life, you can massively cut down on costs and give your home the refresh that it needs.

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