VALEWIDE
A commission fit for a Prince

After only two years in the industry, fine furniture designer maker, Giancarlo Bianchi did not expect to be commissioned to design and make a gift for the Prince of Wales.



He was asked by the Penderyn Whisky distillery to make a solid oak, luxurious dovetailed box to house a special edition of the Penderyn whisky. Prince Charles received the gift from Stephen Davies, managing director of the Welsh Whisky Company in Penderyn at the ceremony to open the brand new visitors centre at Wales’ only whisky distillery.

Giancarlo mainly works with a range of hardwoods harvested from woodlands certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. He admits he has a soft spot for working with American Black Walnut (a beautifully grained timber with a chocolaty colour) but he has recently undertaken commissions made of oak, elm, macassar ebony and maple.

“While many of my commissions have come from the South Wales area, I am getting more and more commissions from the South East and South West of England. In addition, I am attracting interest from corporate clients including the recent work I undertook for Penderyn Distillery, both with the design of the box for Prince Charles through to some signature pieces for the new visitor centre,” says Giancarlo.

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PENARTH
Vale photographer gathers Momentum

Momentum has been in the business of food photography for over ten years with clients across Wales and the UK.



They are studio based but also fully mobile so they can bring their talent and technology to you, allowing you to be at your best, in familiar surroundings.

Mike Chapman of Momentum says, “Great food photography has the unique ability to stimulate the senses and tap directly into human desire. to whet the appetite and create anticipation of the moment.”

And the cost? They’re probably more affordable than you’d imagine. With cost effective hourly and full day rates, they can create a perfect package tailored to your budget.

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FONMON
County Marquees has Vale Life covered

The Vale Show, which takes place in the grounds of Fonmon Castle near Rhoose on Wednesday 20th August, is a huge event for the Vale of Glamorgan and this year Vale Life will be there too.

The decision to be there was an easy enough one to make. Finding the right company who could provide us with a marquee with the wow factor we were looking for was another matter.

Internet duly googled, I happened upon www.countymarquees.co.uk and thought I'd give them a call. We met with Niki Ardern, Director and Emma Jones, Event Manager at their offices in Chepstow to discuss our needs.

I hadn’t realised that there was so much to consider when hiring a marquee. We’d already decided on the type of marquee we wanted but Niki and Emma got to work creating a masterpiece of tables, chairs, sexy sofas, linings, a chandelier and even an illuminated bar! Being a family run business, father Warren has certainly taught Niki and the team well, with attention to detail and great organisational skills, qualities which have helped the business grow rapidly, supplying customers throughout south Wales and the south west from its offices in Cardiff, Chepstow and Bristol.

The company will erect and dismantle the marquee so all we have to do is turn up and enjoy the day. County Marquees will also have a marquee of their own at the show and a friendly rivalry is already present as to whose will be the most impressive!

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CULVERHOUSE
Culinary Coup for Copthorne’s Raglans

Raglans, the restaurant at The Copthorne Cardiff, has secured a second prestigious AA rosette following an inspection by a top judging panel.



The rosettes are awarded to restaurants who offer guests an outstanding holistic dining experience. Judges take into account factors from the quality of ingredients right through to service levels and the product knowledge of serving staff.

Head chef Daniel James was praised for his technical skill, innovation and menu choice. Judges were particularly impressed with the balance of seasonal ingredients illustrated in dishes such as Fillet of Poached Brill in Red Wine served with a Clove Scented Sauce.

Daniel, who won a Michelin star in a previous role as head chef at Llangoed Hall in Powys, put the success down to the hard work of his team, “I am delighted we have achieved this prestigious accolade for the hotel. The whole team works incredibly hard to ensure that every diner has a fantastic experience and this recognition reflects the high standards of the food and service.”

“The second rosette is reflective of the city’s vibrant dining scene and we look forward to welcoming customers new and old to sample our award winning menu.”

General Manager Orla Watt concluded; “Raglans restaurant is a great place to dine, with a menu which changes regularly under Daniel’s direction, a great wine list and perfectly coordinated service in attractive, relaxed surroundings. Many diners choose Raglans for a lunch meeting or dinner date not only for its sheer quality but also its convenient location.”

Raglans provides a quality menu using locally sourced ingredients and fine wine at a prime location overlooking the hotel lake, close to Cardiff Airport and just four miles from the city centre.

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COWBRIDGE
Rock Bottom in Cowbridge

RB’s first opened as Rock Bottom on the turn of the Millennium, specialises in ciders, lagers, fine wines and spirits.

With the ambition to offer customers the cheapest prices and the best quality products possible, they have taken this concept to the next level by doubling the size of the store to accommodate a large selection of premium wines from all over the world, encompassing a large French selection and New World wines, some in excess of £30.RB’s have teamed up with Specialist On Trade suppliers from London and other parts of the UK to bring you the best of the best. RB’s also offers a service for customers that need that little bit extra.

Offering a full sale or return service on large orders RB’s can help with deliveries and glass hire. They have successfully supplied many Vale weddings in the past and have built up a large part of their business by going that extra mile. David Brown, Store Manager, invites you to come and visit the store and see what they have in stock. His team is always happy to answer your questions or to discuss your particular requirements.

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WORLDWIDE
www.valelife.co.uk
welcomes the world

It seems our website is becoming as popular as Vale Life magazine!

As we go to print, a quick review of our website stats, supplied by Commedia, shows that while our Spring/Summer issue was out, www.valelife.co.uk had 4,132 unique visitors from 53 countries and visitors read a whopping 10,639 pages of our website.

Richard Bennewith of Commedia, the company that designs and manages the website said, “Since the Vale Life website went live, we have been working hard to optimise the site and generate ever-increasing site traffic. I am delighted to report that since the beginning of February, visitor numbers have increased by over 600% and page views by over 500%.”

Richard added, “Many people think that hits mean visitors. Hits are generally files or objects such as images in the form of gifs or jpegs that make up elements of a web page. Quoting hits isn’t a particularly good performance indicator although many businesses do it because the numbers seem more impressive when actually they aren’t. The true test of any website’s success is unique visitor numbers, visits and page views. After that, it simply comes down to actual business generated from traffic which is what most companies look for. If you’re selling online or using your website to generate sales enquiries, it’s all about the stats and converting visits into hard currency.”

Richard is confident that by the end of 2008, Commedia will have helped triple traffic to the Vale Life website giving advertisers even more exposure.

Jennifer Hobbs-Roberts, Editor of Vale Life said, “Each editorial in the magazine is put on the website including all the images and active hyperlinks. Because of this, readers from around the UK and overseas have the opportunity to read the content of each magazine as it is published and discover what a fantastic county the Vale of Glamorgan is.”

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PONTYCLUN
Smoothlines
smoothes away lines

Vale Life talked Sian Ledbury who is a regular customer and avid fan of Smoothlines’ treatments.



Why do you go to Kudos and Smoothlines?
I have been a regular customer of Kudos for at least 15 years, and with Smoothlines since September 2007. I initially went to Kudos after always feeling disappointed with previous stylists – I get bored quickly with my hair and other stylists were reluctant to support me with change. At Kudos I have been able to experiment with styles and colour work, with constructive advice which I trust.

How did you hear about them?
I first went to Kudos all those years ago because I liked the look of the salon and it was reasonably local. I now recommend to family and friends.

Nigel introduced me to Smoothlines while I was having my hair done and complaining about my sagging face. He provided me with a leaflet and advised me to contact Bev for an informal chat/consultation. I t was made easier being able to meet Bev at Kudos.

What did you have done?
At Kudos I have regular colour work and styling. At Smoothlines I initially went for discussion/advice about anti wrinkle treatments, however I was introduced to something new to me – Sculptra.

I’m still waiting for the full results of my Sculptra treatment and it will be a few more months for the true result. However work colleagues are already commenting on the difference - I now have cheeks not a hollow sunken face.

What do you like about Kudos and Smoothlines?
Nigel always looks after his staff and customers, he came to my home on his day off, which happened to be Christmas Eve to do my hair on my wedding day, he also opened up early the day of my son’s wedding to do my hair.

At Smoothlines Bev and Ian are a warm friendly couple, they introduce the treatments in a professional manner, ensuring you are well informed about any procedure undertaken. I always feel totally relaxed when undertaking any procedure with them even when needles are involved!!

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VALEWIDE
Business referrals Prosper in the Vale

To prosper is to flourish and we all want our businesses to prosper and flourish, but hey guess what we can’t do it alone. The best gift anyone can give anyone is business is the gift of friendship, support and development opportunities.

So often businesses try and go it alone and run their enterprises as if they were one hand clapping. Successful businesses recognise that one hand clapping makes no sound and has no impact, so you need another hand to make something significant happen.

The Prosper Business Referral Network considers itself a spare pair of hands to support business get more business and to grow and develop by that same process. Prosper was established in the Vale and is known as an exclusive business network that serves its members by:

■ generating new business opportunities
■ updating their business skills via business master classes
■ supports them via business surgeries
■ helps them explore new business opportunities together by organising bi-monthly under the microscope workshops
■ identifies business venture capital and grant funding

In short it is the first business networking group to offer a holistic service to members.

Prosper has meetings scheduled at:
LLANERCH VINEYARD, HENSOL (VALE) 23 Sept, 28 Oct, 25 Nov and 16 Dec, 2008 MARRIOT HOTEL, SWANSEA 9 Sept ,1 Oct, 4 Nov, 3 Dec, 2008
ST DAVID’S HOTEL, CARDIFF Autumn 2008. Dates to be confirmed.
COED Y MWYSTER HOTEL, BRIDGEND Summer 2008.
Dates to be confirmed.

For more information on the Prosper Business Referral Network please visit www.prosperuk.net or contact Cheryl Bass on 07974 762601
or email cheryl@prosperuk.net

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VALEWIDE
Commedia expands its sign
and display range

Leading the pack, without breaking your back or your budget. When you need to make an impact in a hurry, you need a portable display system from Commedia. Their exciting range of roller banners pop-ups and panel and pole systems is exactly what you need to make a big impression.

Commedia provide a complete package: design, artwork, print and delivery. For a free demonstration, please call them on 0845 130 1508.

Commedia can design and supply all sorts of signage. Interior signs, exterior signs, you name it - they can create it. They also design vehicle livery too. From small vans to articulated lorries - no job is too big or too small. Call for a free quotation!

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PONTCANNA
Dunia Collection at The Jewellery Studio

We are delighted to announce that Roger Williams has introduced the latest Dunia silver collection from Paris to his Jewellery Studio.

Dunia is an exciting new brand of sterling silver fashionable jewellery which is sold exclusively in the Cardiff area by Roger Williams’ Jewellery Studio.

The latest Dunia collection has over twenty individually named styles of eye catching designs to be worn and admired by women of all ages – ideal as a treat for yourself or as a gift - you’ll be sure to find something you love! The Jewellery is created with high quality rhodium plated Sterling Silver and is set with white and coloured CZ. Prices range from £60 to £400. The jewellery is beautifully packaged and comes with a guarantee card.

The full range with prices can be viewed at www.jewellerystudio.co.uk