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Words about our City, from the people that live and breathe Newport

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Beyond Newport City: Blackwood’s Chartist Bridge

Newport City Radio is proud to broadcast to many towns surrounding Newport. Beyond Newport is a series of interesting facts about some of theose The Chartist Bridge, Blackwood The Chartist Bridge, opened in 2005, spans the Sirhowy Valley in Blackwood, Gwent, and is named in honor of the Chartist movement. The movement, active in the early 19th century, campaigned for political and social reforms, notably universal male suffrage. Blackwood played a key role in this movement, which culminated in the […]

today10 January 2025 9

Kym and Lindsey in NCR

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Lindsey Freckleton on Pure Local Extra

On the first Pure Local Extra show of 2025 Kym was joined by Lindsey Freckleton for a chat Other than our guest, this show was dedicated to covers. If you've been listening to the show over the past few weeks, you may recall mentions of a Covers Club. In short, the idea was that many local artists would all pick one of each other's songs to cover in their own style. For this show, we played those covers and the […]

today4 January 2025 13

Blog

In Conversation With Colin: The Devlins

"All the Days: The Devlins’ Return with Timeless Grooves and Haunting Harmony" “When you have four people in a room together and they’re playing, there are a million things happening in space and time that we don’t really understand”, declares Colin Devlin describing the recording of The Devlins latest album, All The Days. Colin and Peter Devlin earned themselves a four-star review in Rolling Stone magazine thirty one years ago with their debut album Drift. The Irish brother’s music leans […]

today3 January 2025 129 15

Blog

Colin’s Six Of The Best. 2024 Albums

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2024 – SOME OF THE BEST ALBUM RELEASES  ERIC BIBB: In The Real WorldFollowing last year’s Grammy nominated album Ridin’, this brand new release from blues legend Eric Bibb reflects his thoughts on current world events and his own personal life experiences, whilst remaining interesting, poignant and meaningful.Eric Bibb brings a unique musical heritage to his music. The son of Leon Bibb, a folk and blues singer who was notably part of the Greenwich Village folk scene in the […]

today29 December 2024 169 22

Blog

Newport Factoid # 26: Newport Wetlands

Newport Wetlands: A Hidden Gem of Nature and Wildlife The Newport Wetlands is a stunning nature reserve located on the Gwent Levels near Newport, South Wales. Established in 2000 as compensation for the loss of habitat caused by the Cardiff Bay Barrage, it has become a haven for wildlife and a favorite spot for nature enthusiasts. The reserve covers over 1,000 acres and is home to diverse bird species, including lapwings, little egrets, and the iconic avocet. It features scenic […]

today27 December 2024 4

Blog

Colin Reviews – Bywater Call

Bywater Call at The Globe, Cardiff While there’s certainly no denying the sheer power of Bywater Call on disc, nothing approaches the absolute joy of watching this band from the crowded comfort of a noisy club. Bywater Call are always a party. With a style that encompasses rock, soul, and R&B, and a grooving horn section, they always manage to get at least some of the crowd up and dancing, the truth is that all seven members of the band […]

today26 December 2024 21

Blog

Newport Factoid #25: Golden Jubilee City

A Reason to Celebrate! Newport, officially became a city on March 18, 2002, as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee celebrations. The announcement was met with a mixture of pride and debate among residents. Supporters viewed city status as a recognition of Newport's historical significance, industrial legacy, and evolving role as a modern urban center. Critics questioned whether the town possessed the infrastructure and cultural institutions traditionally associated with city status. City status brought increased investment and attention, fueling […]

today20 December 2024 6

Blog

In Conversation with Colin: Ed Daw

In conversation with Ed Daw, owner of Cardiff Record Exchange and sponsors of classic album of the week on Newport City Radio’s ‘Rock Show’ broadcast every Tuesday.  Far from being yesterday’s fading, forgotten format, vinyl records have survived and flourished as the music medium of choice for not only baby-boomers, but all ages.Previously relegated to the dustbin of media history, the vinyl LP has undergone a revival over the past decade and once again has become the best-selling format for […]

today19 December 2024 93

Blog

Gimme 5: Joe Kelly

Award Winning Local Legend Spills the Beans! Tell us about the first song you wrote. Do you still play it? I started songwriting in high school and those first few tunes escape me now! I do however remember staggering home from a night out in Meze, fumbling my way through Kings Road (probably waking up half of Chepstow Road) and being sat on my bedroom floor writing There You Go Again (quite possibly whilst in a sorry state the following […]

today18 December 2024 20 4


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