Journalism posts

Circle of Fifths (National Theatre of Wales)

“I go on a bright journey when I play music. If I’m in a dark place, I’m not in that dark place no more.”

Many of us have been in a dark place in the past couple of years. Missing the usual rituals that mark a death makes it harder to grieve fully. Circle of Fifths is less a conventional theatre production and more a cathartic space to honour the dead and acknowledge our loss. The crowd gather, in the Butetown tradition, by a brightly decorated coffin. The celebration begins.

Winners (Sherman Theatre)

What happens when the thing that brought you together has started pushing you apart? Troubled couple Cassie and Dafydd really need to talk about rugby: why he feels his career is over and she thinks he’s barely getting started. Or, to put it another way, why his priorities in life have started wildly diverging from hers. No wonder he’d rather talk about skirting boards and loft conversions.

A Tomb With A View (Llanover Hall)

A collection of eccentrics are gathered in a remote country house for a will reading. Heavy fog descends outside, but it’s the inside of Monument House that’s really dangerous. Will the squabbling over money turn into a more deadly game? Where are the hidden millions? And what is that noise coming from the cellar?

Sustainable Sainsburys?

How does a profit-making business stick to its ethical commitments? Can a national supermarket chain really have a relationship with the local community? And why do supermarket apples have those silly stickers on them?

All these questions, and lots more, were answered when Vince Brimble, store manager of Sainsburys in Witney, spoke at the Sustainable Witney AGM. 

Eight things I wish I’d known about using Cocoon

I wrote yesterday about getting my home insulated with Cocoon, the subsidised scheme where you can get loft or cavity wall insulation done for just £99. I’m very happy we had it done, but there are a few things I wish I’d known before I started the process, things that weren’t clear from the Cocoon website or the literature I saw before booking. 

Wrap your home up warm for winter

Sometimes it feels like a conspiracy to wish the summer away. The fashion mags are talking about autumn collections, department stores are doing “Back to School” deals,  and now Sustainable Witney is blogging about insulation. But if you can bear reading on, we’ll explain why now is the perfect time to get it sorted. 

What's The Big Idea?

Most people would like to be more active – so why do so many of us jump in the car when we need to get somewhere? This was the question asked in What’s The Big Idea?, a thought-provoking presentation about the way we travel in town. 

Kevin Hickman of  Witney Bike User Group  (Witney BUG for short) told us that 40% of car journeys in Witney are 5km or shorter, while nearly 25% are less than 2km. Why are nearly a quarter of people getting in their cars to travel distances of less than a mile?

Plastic-free takeaways?

Grabbing a takeaway in Oxford might become a little kinder on the environment, thanks to a proposal by the city’s licensing committee. Oxford City Council is proposing a ban on polystyrene containers for takeaway food and a move towards biodegradeable packaging. 

Funny business

Deal or no deal?

It’s supposed to “revolutionise the energy efficiency of British properties”. It will change the way  private landlords invest in their properties. So why isn’t everybody talking about the government’s Green Deal?