madcamPhoto of the Day 25th May 2026.
[…]https://madcam.co.uk/2026/05/25/photo-of-the-day-25th-may-2026/
EditorFive-year-old heart surgery survivor gets red bench on Swansea Beach — as dad gears up for London Marathon this weekend
A bright red bench has been unveiled on Swansea Beach in honour of a five-year-old girl from Carmarthenshire who was born with a serious heart condition — just days before her dad runs the London Marathon in her name.
Esme Mariani, from Hendy, was born on New Year’s Day with an Atrioventricular Septal Defect (AVSD) — a congenital heart condition in which there is a large hole between the chambers of the heart and only one valve where there should be two.
Her parents Emily Bowen and Mathew Mariani didn’t know anything was wrong until Esme was ten days old, when a Sunday morning call to 111 began a frightening journey through hospitals in Cardiff and Swansea — with only one parent allowed on the ward at a time due to Covid restrictions.
“It wasn’t until Esme was 10 days old that we knew something was seriously wrong,” Emily said. “As new parents we were devastated — I was still healing myself and I just broke down. Mathew and I were perfectly healthy, so it was a complete shock.”
The couple spent weeks learning how to tube-feed Esme at home and how to perform CPR on their infant before her surgery date arrived. When Esme was six months old she had successful heart surgery at Bristol Children’s Hospital, carried out by BHF-funded Professor Massimo Caputo. To the family’s surprise and relief, Esme no longer needed tube feeding by the time she was discharged.
Emily said the experience had changed how the whole family sees life. “Nothing holds Esme back — she’s one of the gang. Despite all the challenges we’ve faced, there is no greater joy than seeing Esme flourish. She has taught us nothing is impossible. Every day I look at her and I’m just amazed by her strength. We are so proud of her.”
The red bench on Swansea Beach is one of 65 being installed across the UK by the British Heart Foundation to mark 65 years since the charity began funding lifesaving research. Each bench tells the story of someone living with cardiovascular disease — a tribute to those who have survived thanks to BHF-funded breakthroughs.
This Sunday, Mathew will run the London Marathon for the BHF, while Emily plans to run the Cardiff Half Marathon in October. Together the family have raised more than £15,000 for the charity since Esme’s diagnosis.
Mathew said: “None of these challenges will ever be as tough as what Esme, and so many children living with congenital heart disease, have already faced. Running gives me a way to raise awareness as well as funds to help children like Esme. If people see me running the London Marathon for the British Heart Foundation and it makes them stop, think, or start a conversation, then that in itself is incredibly important to me.”
Esme will require further surgeries as she grows up. The family are also looking forward to celebrating their wedding later this year.
Rhodri Thomas, Head of British Heart Foundation Cymru, said the Mariani family continued to inspire all who heard their story. “Despite being one of the UK’s biggest killers, cardiovascular disease is still misunderstood or not taken seriously,” he said. “By sharing the stories of people who live with cardiovascular disease on our iconic red benches across the UK, we hope to fund more research which will help us save and improve more lives.”
The BHF says someone in the UK dies from cardiovascular disease every three minutes. Donations can be made at bhf.org.uk.
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madCamPhoto of the Day 11th April 2026.
Milk on stage at Jabez Clegg, Manchester, 11th january 2005.
From left to right - Greg Macoy (guitar, vocals), Nick Duckett (guitar, vocals), Sam Walkerdine (drums, vocals), and Nick "Hendy" Henderson (bass, vocals).
3 photos behind the link.
https://madcam.co.uk/2026/04/11/photo-of-the-day-11th-april-2026/
#Manchester #JabezClegg #Milk #GregMacoy #NickDuckett #guitar #SamWalkerdine #drums NickHenderson #Hendy #LiverpoolBands #ManchesterMusic #LiveMusic #photography
On This Day 6th April 2001.
Nick "Hendy" Henderson, bassist with Liverpool-based band Milk, at The Star And Garter, Manchester, 6th April 2001.
4 photos behind the link.
https://madcam.co.uk/2026/04/06/on-this-day-6th-april-2001/
#Manchester #StarAndGarter #Milk #NickHenderson #Hendy #bass #OnThisDay #LiverpoolBands #ManchesterMusic
#LiveMusic #photography
On This Day 18th March 2004.
Milk - Nick "Hendy" Henderson (bass, vocals) and Greg Macoy (guitar) - on stage at the Roadhouse, Manchester, 18th March 2004.
#Manchester #TheRoadhouse #Milk #NickHenderson #Hendy #bass #GregMacoy #guitar #LiverpoolBands #ManchesterMusic #LiveMusic #photography
Hendy BAFTA winner calls for Tourette’s understanding after BBC apology over racist slur broadcast
Lauren Evans, who won the Best Casting BAFTA for her work on the film ‘I Swear’, said her incredible achievement has been “overshadowed” by the controversy. The incident occurred when John Davidson, the Tourette’s campaigner whose life the film is based on, had an involuntary tic that included a racist slur while two black actors were on stage.
The BBC has since admitted it aired the slur in error and that a second slur was edited out of the coverage. In an email to staff, the corporation’s chief content officer Kate Phillips apologised for the failure.
Speaking to BBC Radio Wales, Ms Evans said the situation was “really upsetting” for everyone involved.
“It’s really upsetting I feel for for John and Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo that the whole evening has sort of been overshadowed by this conversation,” she said. “There must be more education and more understanding about the base-guarding of things like this, and the tics and the language and what comes out.”
Her comments highlight the complexities of Tourette syndrome, a condition where only a small percentage of sufferers, between 10% and 30%, experience tics that involve swearing or socially unacceptable language.
Viral Acceptance Speech
Ms Evans’ viral acceptance speech, in which she declared she had no speech prepared and that her kids “will not give a damn” about her win tomorrow, was celebrated as a refreshingly honest moment. However, the subsequent controversy has shifted the focus from her success and that of the film, which also saw its lead actor Robert Aramayo win a BAFTA.
Llanelli MS Lee Waters had praised her win on social media, calling it “the most Hendy ever acceptance speech.”
New BBC Comedy Project
Despite the controversy, Ms Evans is already working on her next project – casting for an upcoming BBC comedy series starring Welsh favourites Ruth Jones and Steve Speirs. She is currently looking to cast a nine-year-old boy with a Merthyr Tydfil accent to play Speirs’ grandson.
Her win was for her work on ‘I Swear’, a film about the life of Scottish campaigner John Davidson. She told the BBC that casting the role was a “unique” process that required looking beyond acting skills to find someone with the right commitment and tenacity for the low-budget film.
Ms Evans, whose impressive CV includes casting for Netflix‘s ‘Sex Education’, ‘Gavin & Stacey’, and ‘Paddington 2’, said she felt “privileged” to work on projects that “make a difference and prompt a discussion.”
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Swansea Bay NewsVIRAL MOMENT: Hendy casting director Lauren Evans wins BAFTA for 'I Swear' with hilarious speech: "I'm going to enjoy it because my kids tomorrow will not give a damn!" Llanelli MS Lee Waters calls it "the most Hendy ever acceptance speech!"
#BAFTA #Hendy #Llanelli #Wales #ISwear
https://swanseabaynews.com/hendy-womans-chaotic-bafta-winning-moment-goes-viral/
Hendy woman’s ‘chaotic’ BAFTA-winning moment goes viral
Lauren Evans took home the award for Best Casting for her work on the critically acclaimed film ‘I Swear’, and her chaotic, emotional, and quintessentially Welsh reaction has captured the hearts of viewers.
As she took to the stage, a visibly shocked Lauren declared, “Oh my god. People have been saying all day, have you got a speech? I’m like, no, there’s no chance.”
She continued, to the delight of the audience: “I’m going to enjoy it, because my kids tomorrow will not give a damn about it. So I’m really going to enjoy it.”
The moment was celebrated by Llanelli MS Lee Waters, who posted on Facebook: “Massive congratulations to local talent Lauren Evans from Hendy who tonight won a BAFTA for her casting work on the brilliant film ‘I Swear’.” He later added a link to the speech, commenting it was “the most Hendy ever acceptance speech!”
‘I Swear’ had a hugely successful night, with the film also picking up the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Robert Aramayo. The film, based on the true story of John Davidson who suffers from Tourette Syndrome, is set to be released on Netflix from March 10.
This was Lauren’s first BAFTA win, despite four previous nominations for her work on hit shows like Netflix’s ‘Sex Education’ and the BBC’s ‘Lost Boys & Fairies’. Her impressive CV also includes casting for ‘Gavin & Stacey’, ‘Renegade Nell’, and ‘Paddington 2’.
Her win, and her refreshingly honest reaction, have been widely praised as a highlight of the awards ceremony. The Llanelli area has a proud tradition of producing talent in the film and television industry, with Lauren’s success adding to that legacy.
#BAFTA #casting #film #Hendy #LeeWatersMS #TouretteSyndromeBonus Photo of the Day 2 20th February 2026.
Nick "Hendy" Henderson (bass, vocals), Nick Duckett (guitar, vocals), and Greg Macoy (guitar, vocals) of Milk on stage at Jabez Clegg, Manchester, 9th December 2004.
#Manchester #JabezClegg #Milk #NickHenderson #Hendy #NickDuckett #GregMacoy #Bass #vocals #Guitar #LiverpoolVBands #ManchesterMusic #LiveMusic #BandPhotography
Two new super-fast EV charging hubs open near Swansea and the M4
Osprey Charging, Wales’ largest open-access rapid EV charging network, has installed eight 300kW chargers at West Swansea Retail Park in Cadle, Fforestfach, just off Junction 47 of the M4 along the A483, and a further eight at the Canolfan Gwili Centre in Hendy, close to Junction 48.
The chargers can typically add around 100 miles of range in 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the vehicle, and are compatible with every electric car on the market. They accept contactless bank cards, Apple and Google Pay, the Osprey app, RFID cards and major third-party payment methods including fleet cards.
Osprey says the new hubs are part of its UK-wide rollout of public charging infrastructure in key locations, helping to support the shift to electric vehicles ahead of the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars. The company now operates six ultra-rapid charging hubs in Wales, with 58 charge points in total.
Ian Johnston, CEO of Osprey Charging, said:
“The roll-out of EV charging facilities is quickly gathering pace and we’re here to provide a reliable and rapid public charging service for all drivers, from Land’s End to John O’Groats. The new charging hubs in the Swansea area form a vital part of the re-charging network that will enable the decarbonisation of transport in the UK.”
Both sites are powered by renewable energy and have a free 24/7 helpline for customers. Osprey funds, operates and maintains the chargers, which are designed to be easy to use and accessible for all drivers.
#Cadle #CanolfanGwiliCentre #electricCarCharging #EVCharging #Fforestfach #Hendy #Junction47 #Junction48 #M4 #OspreyCharging #WestSwanseaRetailPark
