Friday, May 23, 2014


Submit historic builds


CADW, theWelsh Government’s historic environ- ment service, is inviting herit- age organisations in Torfaen to get involved inOpenDoors. The pan-European pro-


gramme invites heritage organi- sations, privateowners, local authorities and others to open their doors and offer opportuni- ties for the public to discover hidden treasures and explore historic sites free of charge dur- ing September. OpenDoors is part of


European HeritageDays, which take place in 50 coun- tries across Europe every September. It isWales’s largest celebration of buildings and architecture and the largest vol- unteer event in the heritage sec- tor inWales, with over 1,800 volunteers participating. Formore information and to


register forOpenDoors 2014 go to cadw.wales.gov.uk/ opendoors,email opendoors@ wales.gsi.gov.uk or follow Cadwon Twitter and Facebook to get the latest up to date news onOpenDoors. Deadline for registration is June 1.


southwalesargus.co.uk


Tribute crowned king of the Elvises


ByHayley Mills 01633 777278 hmi@gwent-wales.co.uk Twitter@hayleymillsFP


TORFAEN’S very own Elvis trib- ute act has taken the title of Best Welsh Elvis for the third year run- ning. Darren ‘Graceland’ Jones, 42, is


now aiming for bigger competi- tions after taking the title with his performance of Suspicious Minds. He said: “I’m over the moon to win the title again as I’m the first to get it three years in a row.” Residents may already knowhim


as the star from a Torfaen council promotional video on the work of the gritters. He said: “The video was watched thousands of times by people from all over the world and it got me a lot of publicity.” Last year, Mr Jones was the Best Elvis 2013 runner up at the world- famous Porthcawl Elvis Festival. He has set his sights on going one better this time around. Talking about how it all started,


he said: “When I went to compre- hensive school, I had a quiff and one of the kids called me Elvis and then it stuck.”


and ended up performing on stage with the band. He said: “I was asked later if I


did Elvis as a profession and when I said I didn’t, I was told that I should seriously consider it.” “So I went out, purchased a suit and performed for friends and family.” He then started performing for charity nights and began studying videos of Elvis so that he could improve. Mr Jones works at Just Rollers in Cwmbran and rehearses when he gets home. His favourite song to perform is Tomorrow Never Comes.


BEST ELVIS: Darren


‘Graceland’ Jones at his home in Grifithstown. Right, Darren in action


“I loved being the centre of at- tention and I was a showman, not that much has changed over the years.” After finishing at Croesyceiliog School, he held jobs in a butcher shop, a sports shop and on a con- struction site, before a five year stint in Corfu to pursue a DJing career. The turning point came in 2006 when Mr Jones was at a wedding


Argus Lite


7


Gwent pair on country’s rich list


TWO of Gwent’s business people have made this year’s Sunday Times Rich List. Newport’s Sir Terry Matthews, owner of


the Celtic Manor secured the number two spot on the list with a wealth of £1,190m, a gain of £68m in the past 12 months. Meanwhile Hayley Parsons, Cwmbran-


born boss of Newport-based Gocompare. com makes the number 17 spot with £120m. The 26th annual Sunday Times Rich List


– the definitive guide to wealth in Britain and Ireland will be published on May 18 in The Sunday Times Magazine, which pro- files the 1,000 richest individuals and fami- lies in the UK and the 250 in Ireland. The list is based on identifiable wealth. The Sunday Times Rich List 2014 is com-


piled by Philip Beresford, the leading au- thority on British wealth, and edited by Ian Coxon.


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