In the current housing market, more people are choosing to rejuvenate their existing home, rather than buying a new property. By making a range of changes, big and small, you can make your home feel fresh, potentially making it so significantly different that you’ll feel like you’ve moved home without all the stresses of changing […]
Focus Magazines
The local magazines for Abergavenny, Crickhowell, Brecon & Talgarth – Events, News and Advertising
Monthly Archives: April 2014
Easter Oven-Baked Scotch Eggs
Scotch eggs are a classic picnic staple, but since their invention by Fortnum & Mason many years ago, they have become increasingly popular, with gourmet versions popping up in posh delicatessens and at Food Festivals all over the country. They do make a fabulous picnic food, but also go down well as a delicious lunch; […]
Nana’s Kitchen: Hot Cross Buns
My thanks for this recipe go to an experienced baker named Mike, who shared his knowledge and expertise with me and showed me how to achieve consistently excellent results with bread and buns. In the past my attempts have yielded fairly abysmal results, but not anymore! These buns are delicious and freeze well. I have […]
Easter Egg Trees
In Germany and Austria, it’s traditional to celebrate Easter by hanging hollow eggs from the branches of trees known as Ostereierbaum. It’s a custom that has gained popularity in recent years here in the UK, perhaps because it is a way of marking Easter with an alternative to gorging on chocolate eggs. One particular German […]
Hobbies, Crafts & Pastimes
The feature for the May issue of The Abergavenny Focus and The Crick & Usk Valley Focus is Hobbies, Crafts & Pastimes! Are you a potter, a painter, a writer, a sculptor, a photographer, a knitter, a stamp collector, a model maker, a glass blower/cutter, an antiques collector, a lace maker, a wool spinner or […]
Film Review: Svengali
Film Review by Patty Papageorgiou-Axford who recently attended the premiere in Brynmawr. Welsh actor and producer Johnny Owen stars in the true story of Dixie, a music-fanatic Valleys man who moves to London in pursuit of his lifelong dream – to become a famous music band manager. Searching the internet, he finds a highly promising […]
In the garden: April
Even though April sees much longer days and bouts of sunshine, you still need to be on the watch for night frosts. There’s always plenty to do in the garden, so here is a list of top jobs to get done this month: Plant summer flowering bulbs such as lilies, gladiolus and ranunculus into beds, […]
Taking a look at some really Special police officers
Could you spot the difference between a Police Constable and a Special Constable? No? Well you wouldn’t be alone. Special constables have exactly the same police powers as regular officers, wear the same uniform, use the same equipment and do the same job. In Abergavenny and throughout the rest of Gwent Police, Special Constables work […]
Playing Out
Not that many years ago children used to play with their friends and neighbours on their streets. Streets used to be much safer places, with far fewer cars around and more off-street parking. The lack of street play we see today is a shame – it means children don’t get to know their neighbours so […]
The Gilwern Grunt
‘The Gilwern Grunt’ will take place on Easter Monday, 21st April. Rogueruns are organising this local event, which is a challenging, hilly, multi-terrain, 10 mile race. It will be a well-marked course amongst some spectacular scenery and will take runners on a 10 mile tour around the Clydach Gorge, encompassing the limestone ramparts of Gilwern […]