Archive

  • A Mini to stretch your imagination

    MINI is taking the craze for personalisation to extreme lengths with the launch of a six metre long Mini Cooper S limo called the Mini XXL which will make its world premiere in Athens this week. The six wheel, four door, six seater, stretch Mini Cooper

  • Read yourself smarter

    THE first ever book charting the history of smart, the iconic automotive brand, went on sale in early August. Published in the UK by Motorbooks International, smart thinking traces the decade-long history of the radical and exciting project that was so

  • Triumph at A-level for Gwent pupils

    STUDENTS across Gwent are celebrating today, with more of them passing A-levels than ever before. The total A-level entry for 2004 in Wales was up by nearly 500 at 35,206, and there was a 0.1 per cent rise in the pass rate, grades A to E. Welsh pupils

  • Hughes hails strike pairing

    Mark Hughes claims people should no longer be surprised that his team can pull off hugely impressive results anywhere in Europe. Wales have now gone five games unbeaten going into next month's World Cup campaign, and added the scalp of Euro 2004 finalists

  • Shoppers took me in their stride

    WE sent ADRIANNE MASLEN into the streets of Abergavenny as an 'alien' for the day. The results of her trip might surprise you... A bu-eyed mutant trawling through the streets, stopping off for a quiet drink and browsing market stalls - it was just another

  • Nothing fluffy about designer dice

    COUTURE king Giles Deacon's experience with luxury Italian accessory masters at Bottega Veneta is reflected in the new "must have" car accessory he has designed to mark the launch of the new Vauxhall Tigra this summer. Giles is gearing up for his second

  • Fear of deaths at 'squat'

    FEARS are growing that someone will be killed at Newport's derelict art college building following the latest blaze at the site this week. The building in Clarence Place has become a haven for squatters and gangs of children since it closed a decade ago

  • An automatic choice

    THE Renault Megane success story is about to get a new instalment with the launch of the 1.5 dCi 100 Auto - the first automatic transmission to be offered on the diesel versions of Europe's best-selling car, with prices starting from as little as £14,490

  • Hospital scare for Malcolm

    NEWPORT sprinter Christian Malcolm was dealt a hammer blow in his bid for Olympic glory after a virus led to him being hospitalised for five days in Cyprus with mild kidney failure. Track star Mr Malcolm, 25, has now been released from hospital and has

  • An alien's landed in Gwent!

    NEWLY-released records show that there have been dozens of reported sightings of UFOs in Gwent. LISA STEVENS investigates whether aliens could already be among us. From UFOs hovering over Abergavenny to Little Green Men wandering the Brecon Beacons -

  • Suzuki's X-ECutive decision

    SUZUKI has a completely revised 2.5-litre V6 engine and a generously uprated specification, so it is appropriate that Suzuki has named the latest addition to its wide and popular SUV range the Grand Vitara 2.5 V6 X-EC. Slotting neatly between the Grand

  • Booktown gets US seal of approval

    BLAENAVON is set to feature in a top US travel magazine with a readership of 4 million. Val Waterhouse, a writer for Travel and Leisure magazine visited Blaenavon last month to research a piece she's writing on booktowns. She's currently compiling the

  • Toyota offer more for "54"

    Toyota is presenting a series of great offers, new products and special features to create a big market impact for the September 1 arrival of the 54-registration plate. With the NCAP five-star safety rated Avensis, the new 2004 Corolla and the enduringly

  • Time to stand and remember poet

    ONE of the 20th century's most famous poets is under-recognised in Newport, the city of his birth. Mike Buckingham spoke to the author of a new biography of WH Davies. W H Davies is a poet not greatly honoured in his own city of Newport, yet there is

  • Woman left sleeping child to go clubbing

    A GWENT mother left her sleeping child home alone while she went clubbing, a court was told yesterday. The 41-year-old from the Cwmbran area admitted wilfully abandoning the child, who is under the age of ten, on April 15 Prosecutor Mike Beaman told Abergavenny

  • Hospital earmarked for former steel site

    A FORMER Newport steelworks site has been officially earmarked as the location for a potential new hospital. Newport county borough council believes a replacement for the Royal Gwent Hospital should go on land formerly occupied by the Whiteheads steel

  • Kia reveals all-new Sportage SUV

    KIA Motors Corporation has released the first official photographs and technical details of its eagerly awaited all-new small SUV, which will make its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show in September. Called the 'Sportage' - reviving the name of Kia's

  • Wasps are Mads about Korneliussen

    Newport promoter Tim Stone today sang the praises of unassuming rider Mads Korneliussen who finished runner-up in the Danish Under-21 championship at the weekend. Korneliussen, in his first full season of Premier League racing was beaten in a run-off

  • Changes in "54"

    THE 2005 model year brings some changes to the SEAT range in time for the new "54" registration in September. There are new model derivative names, revised specifications and a special offer to "move up" on some models. The Altea is the latest addition

  • Deadly games risk lives

    NEWPORT is the top UK troublespot for youngsters trespassing on the railway or attacking trains and lines over the last five years, a top transport policeman says. And Inspector Ian MacDonald of British Transport Police says the problem reaches its peak

  • Goodbye from hotelier George

    GWENT'S historic Cwrt Bleddyn hotel has been sold to a Monaco-based businessman for an undisclosed sum, believed to be in the region of several million pounds. And the sale marks the end of the long-running connection with Gwent of the well-known cab-aret

  • Peugeot extends offers for '54 plate'customers

    PEUGEOT is extending that 'summer feeling' this autumn with a host of offers extending into September in readiness for the eagerly awaited '54' number plate. With the continuing popularity of Britain's most successful, small, retail car, the Peugeot 206

  • BRILLIANT - County stun league favourites

    NEWPORT County sent out a Nationwide South message last night as they put full-timers Weymouth to the sword in a glorious 2-0 win at Spytty Park. Jason Bowen and Carl Wilson-Denis netted to give County the points and thrilled boss Peter Nicholas challenged

  • Vauxhall seek kids views

    CHILDREN in the UK are, for the first time, being given the chance to help design the cars of tomorrow. The Meriva and Zafira - the clever family cars from Vauxhall - are launching a search for seven children in Britain to give them the low-down on life

  • Top Welsh hope Davies feels fine

    DAVID Davies reckons he will be under no pressure despite being the best chance of a Welsh medal out here in Athens. With Nicole Cooke returning home medal-less the focus now turns to Cardiff-born Davies to fly the flag for Wales and grab some glory for

  • Hyundai get cheeky for twins fun day

    MORE than 400 sets of twins and their parents had a 'cheeky cheeky' time recently at the Hyundai-sponsored Twins and Multiple Births Association (Tamba) Fun Day! And as a special bonus, the most famous twins in pop, the Cheeky Girls, dropped by to sing

  • Golf centre plans to be explained

    A PUBLIC meeting will be held over plans to redevelop an historic Monmouth estate into a top-flight golf centre. Concerned locals will gather on September 2 to discuss details of the Willoughby Estates Ltd application to redevelop the Llangattock Estate

  • It's floral glory

    MONMOUTHSHIRE is blooming at the moment, with three buildings winning Wales in Bloom prizes. Usk Police Station, the Wye Valley Hotel and Usk Church in Wales Primary School have all won in their categories in this year's Wales in Bloom Competition. Usk

  • Mazda RX-8 claims Auto Express 'Best Coupe' title

    THE Mazda RX-8, already hugely successful since its introduction to the UK, has claimed the 'Best Coupe' title in the 2004 Auto Express awards. This latest accolade is the 25th award won by Mazda RX-8 globally and its third major UK award of the year,

  • Fond farewell to a true pro

    It was with great sadness that I learned this week that Adrian Dale is to retire from first class cricket at the end of the season. I will admit that it came as no great surprise either for ever since he was left out of the Championship side in May there

  • Hyundai passes ten million car export milestone

    HYUNDAI passed an important milestone in its short but impressive history when the ten millionth export vehicle rolled off the production lines in Ulsan, Korea. The milestone car was a Tucson bound for France. Kim Dong-Jin, Hyundai Motor Company (HMC)