PLEASE support our Changing Lives Cymru fundraiser to help us provide aid to vulnerable and displaced families in the Philippines in the aftermath of destructive typhoons and a succession of earthquakes.
Read more about how you can help by clicking on the Help in the Philippines GoFundMe link below.
Typhoon/earthquake double whammy hits Philippines
ON Tuesday, September 30, a powerful earthquake struck the Philippines, killing at least 69 people. This disaster comes just a week after a series of destructive typhoons struck communities, destroying homes, collapsing roads and cutting off vital power supplies. Families who were already struggling from those storms now face yet another devastating crisis.
A strong magnitude earthquake of 6.9 struck central Philippines at 10pm local time. Thousands spent the night on the streets amid repeated aftershocks.. The province of Cebu suffered the greatest devastation and has now declared a state of calamity. This is an official recognition of the scale of destruction and disruption facing local communities.
At least 69 people are known to have died, although numbers are continuing to rise as rescuers search through the rubble for survivors.
The Philippines is prone to disasters triggered by natural hazards and dangerous tropical storms. Thousands of families were still working to recover from the devastating impact of powerful typhoons that swept across the country last week. These storms have already destroyed homes, cut off electricity and left communities without accessible roads.
Now, many of these same communities have been struck again by the earthquake. Roads have cracked and bridges have collapsed, making the delivery of life-saving aid even more difficult.
Most of the earthquake victims were from Bogo, a small town on one of the largest islands in the Visayas Islands, the Philippines’ central region – and the place closest to the earthquake’s epicentre.
Images coming out of Bogo show body bags lined on the streets and hundreds of people being treated in tent hospitals. A number of those who died in Tuesday’s earthquake in Bogo had lived in a village built to house victims of Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the central Philippines 12 years ago, killing more than 6,000 people.
On Wednesday evening, Bogo was hit by yet another aftershock, this one at a magnitude of 4.7, with tremors felt in Cebu city and the neighbouring Leyte islands.
The Philippines is very vulnerable to natural disasters. It is located on the geologically unstable ‘Ring of Fire’ – so called because of the high number of earthquakes and volcanoes that occur here. The South East Asian island country also lies in the path of typhoons that sweep across the Pacific Ocean every year.
More than a dozen people were killed after tropical storm Bualoi and typhoon Ragasa hit the Philippines earlier last month. Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated and a handful remain missing.
Ewegottalove, through its overseas charitable arm Changing Lives Cymru, already provides financial support to impoverished families living in the Visayas provinces and we have had reports that injuries occurred when the quake was felt at least 150 miles away from the epicentre in Tapaz, Capiz.
Families in low-lying areas are already in fear of flooding from swollen rivers in the aftermath of the most recent typhoons. Changing Lives Cymru will continue to monitor the situation in the Visayas and is planning to set up a GoFundMe appeal in light of this critical and unstable situation.
From Blockbuster empty shell to a high-end dining experience
ON the familiar corner of Windsor Road and Hickman Road in Penarth town centre, there once stood a bright Blockbuster Video outlet – a vibrant hub of weekend browsing for film buffs and families alike.
Before DVDs or multi-choice digital television channels came along, many turned to video hire for their weekend or evening home entertainment. There was a certain level of excitement browsing through the very latest film releases at Blockbuster, or perhaps Super Star Video in Station Approach.
But as video went out of fashion around the start of the new millennium, Blockbuster, and others like them, brought the shutters down all around the UK when the chain entered administration and ceased operations.
After the lights went out and the shelves were cleared, the storefront fell silent. For years, the building lay empty – its doorway bearing the faded outline of the iconic blue-and-yellow Blockbuster sign, a nostalgic echo of home rentals, late fees, and blockbuster hits.
That chapter ended in 2022, when a local entrepreneur who purchased the long-vacant property – drew inspiration from its crossroads location on Hickman Road for its new name. A full-scale renovation transformed the empty shell into something entirely new: a refined, soulful bar and restaurant, now known as Hickmans.
Today, Hickmans exudes understated sophistication. A stunning, top-to-bottom refurbishment created a stylish three-floor bistro-bar, complete with a rooftop terrace and a state-of-the-art kitchen.
But those local residents with long memories, while delighted to see the ramshackle site finally transformed, may just feel a twinge of nostalgia at the passing of the Saturday night video rental Blockbuster era.
What’s On in Wales this September
HERE are just a few hand-picked events taking place in Wales this September. For more detailed regional listings visit the Wales Events section of the Ewegottalove website:
September 2025 — Top picks
- Porthcawl Elvis Festival • 26–28 Sept • Porthcawl (Bridgend): This annual event, which is the largest of its kind in the world, celebrates ‘The King’, Elvis Presley, and draws thousands of fans to the Welsh seaside town. For more detailed information, including ticket and schedule details, you can visit the official festival website, elvies.co.uk.
- Americana/Bluegrass/Country/Folk & Roots Festival • 6–7 Sept • Gower Heritage Centre, Parkmill (Swansea): An unforgettable celebration of music and culture, the Gower Bluegrass Festival returns for 2025, revamped with a mix of Americana, folk, country, and roots music. Expect a jam-packed weekend of incredible bands and performances.
- Cadw Open Doors • 7–30 Sept • Wales‑wide (free entry days & tours at 200-plus historic sites). To find out which locations are participating, discover the schedule, and learn about the various historical events being held, you should visit the official Cadw website
Also on:
- IRONMAN Wales • Sun 21 Sept • Tenby (Pembrokeshire): With world-renowned spectator support and epic courses, this is the race that legends are made of. Hosted in the charming Welsh seaside village of Tenby, Pembrokeshire, athletes leave as friends in this unique, inviting and truly special destination nicknamed the ‘Iron Town. IRONMAN Wales sees Tenby come alive to a stunning sunrise swim on Tenby’s sandy North Beach, wild bike course scenery along Pembrokeshire coastline, and a fan-filled town-centre run in Tenby.
- Mostyn Pop‑up North Wales Contemporary Craft Fair • Sat 13 Sept • Llandudno (Conwy): Fourth pop-up of the year, with free entry for visitors, it’s a fantastic opportunity to buy beautiful and affordable art directly from the artists.
Bittersweet for Bluebirds
Bittersweet for Bluebirds
IT’S always great to see players from Wales’s senior football clubs called up for international duty and Craig Bellamy has included seven in his 25-man squad for the latest World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan on September 4.
Three from newly-promoted Wrexham (Kieffer Moore, Danny Ward and Nathan Broadhead), two from fellow EFL Championship side Swansea City (Ben Cabango and Liam Cullen) and two from League One leaders Cardiff City (Dylan Lawlor and Ronan Kpakio), keeping home fans happy no doubt.
But there may also be some head-scratching going on at Cardiff City Stadium with the omission of Bluebirds vice-captain Rubin Colwill, who has been a revelation in the opening weeks of the campaign, albeit in the third tier of English football.
The uncapped duo Lawlor, who signed a contract extension with Cardiff only this week, and Kpakio are among the City Academy starlets to have made the grade this season, catching Bellamy’s eye with a string of performances beyond their years.
But Colwill, who has grown considerably in stature as well as chipping in with some sensational goals, must count himself very unlucky not to have made the cut on this occasion.
The good news continues for upwardly-mobile Wrexham, however, despite a slightly sticky start to life in the Championship, with the inclusion of their three summer signings, meaning that the north Wales club is represented at the highest level for the first time in over a decade.
Wales will head to the Group J fixture at the Astana Arena on Thursday, September 4 (kick-off 3pm) bidding for a win which can lift them to top spot in the table, before taking on Canada in a friendly on September 9 at the Swansea.com Stadium (kick-off 7.45pm).
WALES SQUAD: Karl DARLOW (Leeds United), Adam DAVIES (Sheffield United), Danny WARD (Wrexham), Ben CABANGO (Swansea City), Jay DASILVA (Coventry City), Ben DAVIES (Tottenham Hotspur), Ronan KPAKIO (Cardiff City), Dylan LAWLOR (Cardiff City), Chris MEPHAM (Bournemouth), Joe RODON (Leeds United), Neco WILLIAMS (Nottingham Forest), Kai ANDREWS (Coventry City), David BROOKS (Bournemouth), Charlie CREW (Doncaster Rovers – On loan from Leeds United), Jordan JAMES (Stade Rennais), Josh SHEEHAN (Bolton Wanderers), Sorba THOMAS (Stoke City), Harry WILSON (Fulham), Nathan BROADHEAD (Wrexham), Liam Cullen (Swansea City), Mark HARRIS (Oxford United), Lewis KOUMAS (Birmingham City – On loan from Liverpool), Daniel JAMES (Leeds United), Brennan JOHNSON (Tottenham Hotspur), Kieffer MOORE (Wrexham).
‘Juggernaut’ Wins Wales Strongest Man
WATCH the man they call ‘The Juggernaut’ power his way to the title of Wales Strongest Man 2025 in Cardiff over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
In a thrilling contest in front of a bumper crowd at Cardiff International Sports Stadium, Jamie Nelson, from Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire was crowned champion after his sheer power saw him lift a 300-kilo Nissan juke and haul stone balls shoulder height, among other feats.
The Search Ends Here
EWEGOTTALOVE.COM has grown so much in recent times that we thought we should give ewe, our visitors, a helping hand when it comes to navigating our site.
There is so much information packed into this website, covering almost every aspect of life in Wales, so we have added a Search bar to the Home page to help ewe find what you’re seeking in seconds.
So, for example, type in ‘Merthyr‘ or ‘Merthyr Tydfil‘ and you will find everything you need to know about the place in south Wales which is known for its rich industrial history, an outstanding contribution to Welsh boxing, Richard Trevithick’s steam locomotive, Cyfartha Castle, the Merthyr Rising – even the Sinclair C5 car.
Your search will take you to mention of these topics, and more besides, which are featured across the Ewegottalove website, plus countless entries in our charity, sports and general events calendars – but do feel free to tell us if there’s something ewe want to see covered in greater detail.
Whatever brought ewe to Ewegottalove, and wherever in the world you are from, we hope you’ll enjoy browsing around our many sections about Wales. We really do appreciate all of our visitors – returning, or first-time – so please do leave a comment before ewe go. Positive and constructive feedback is always appreciated!
Heartfelt Tributes for Joey Jones
WELSH FOOTBALL lost a giant of the game recently with the passing of the much-loved Wales, Liverpool, Chelsea, Huddersfield and, of course, Wrexham defender Joey Jones.
Tributes have poured in from all of Joey’s former clubs, most notably his beloved Wrexham, the north Wales club announcing that a statue will be erected in the town in honour of the man who made close to 500 appearances for them across three separate spells at the Racecourse Ground.
Ewegottalove highlights Jones’s long playing career for both club and country in which he became the first Welshman to lift the European Cup and one the nation’s most capped players as a fixture in the Wales team for over a decade during the 1970s and 80s.
Those football fans too young to have seen Joey Jones play, may catch a few fuzzy snippets on YouTube, but these will never fully demonstrate the joy, grit, humility, and no little skill, that this Llandudno lad brought to the game.
Tributes from former team-mates, clubs and supporters recall his toughness on the pitch, his warmth off it, and his deep connection to fans.
Read our profile of Joey Jones in our Sport in Wales section on the ewegottalove.com website, along with career highlights for club and country, and feel free to share your memories and comments at ewegottalove.online@gmail.com.
Who Makes The Cut?
Name your Top 10 Actors & Actresses from Wales
WE’VE been updating our profile pages here on ewegottalove.com recently and it got us to thinking… who would ewe put in Wales’s Top 10 All-Time Actors & Actresses?
From stage legends to Hollywood icons, Wales has given the world a flock of incredible acting talent. But if you were drawing up the ultimate list of Welsh stars, who would make the cut?
Would you back the commanding presence of Anthony Hopkins, the dazzling charisma of Catherine Zeta-Jones, or the raw intensity of Michael Sheen? Maybe the old-school charm of Richard Burton, Stanley Baker, or Ioan Gruffudd? Or would you shine the spotlight on modern icons like Matthew Rhys, Luke Evans, Eve Myles or Taron Egerton?
Here’s a starter list to get ewe thinking:
- Richard Burton
- Anthony Hopkins
- Catherine Zeta-Jones
- Stanley Baker
- Ioan Gruffudd
- Michael Sheen
- Matthew Rhys
- Luke Evans
- Eve Myles
- Taron Egerton
And what about others like Rhys Ifans, Sian Phillips and Iwan Rheon – the list goes on and on. Who’s missing? Who’s overrated? And who’s the greatest Welsh actor of all time? Drop your dream Top 10 in the comments – email us at ewegottalove.online@gmail.com – and let’s see which Welsh talents truly deserve to stand centre stage in our national hall of fame.
How Ewegottalove is doing the business in 2025
EWEGOTTALOVE has always been committed to promoting Welsh small and medium-sized businessses, but we are taking that mission to a new level with the development of our first targeted Business Directory.
As Ewegottalove is based in Penarth, on the south Wales coast, it seemed only fitting that the Penarth Business Directory should be the first of its kind in Wales – covering the full range of services and retail establishments operating in the town.
Each of those businesses, featuring everything from dog grooming to fine dining, will be invited to share their feedback via a brand new #ewegottalovePenarth newsletter, while also keeping us in the loop about changes to their business information – so that the Penarth Business Directory stays bang up to date.
If these comprehensive local listings are well received, we will roll out more across the Vale of Glamorgan, Cardiff, and all regions of north, south, mid and west Wales, with the emphasis always on providing the most detailed, up-to-date and fully comprehensive coverage possible.
We hope that business leaders, shop, venue and accommodation managers will want to work with us at Ewegottalove to help us achieve our goals, with a view to further innovations such as an all-Wales business app and a Welsh language version.
Look out, too, for our helpful local and national events calendars, which throw the spotlight on goings-on in your area – already targeting Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff at a local level, south, west, mid and north Wales at a regional level, and Welsh Sport, Wales Golf, and Third Sector Wales on the national front.
Newsletters will soon be making their way out to event organisers all over Wales, so that they can partner with Ewegottalove to reach the widest audience possible – from local to national, and even global level via the ewegottalove.com website.
Ewe can run the rule over the Penarth Business Directory in our Around Wales section, and if ewe would like to see a similar showcase for your area, let us know by e-mailing ewegottalove.online@gmail.com. All constructive feedback welcome. Thank ewe!