Mayor gets his teeth into PR

Swansea Lord Mayor
Richard Lewis in today's
South Wales Evening Post

Richard Lewis is usually happy to be in the limelight.

And that's good news for Swansea Council and the city in general.

It means that his 12-month stint as Lord Mayor is proving to be far from dull.

The councillor has enjoyed a colourful political career spanning several decades and has an eye for the media.

Soon after his May inauguration he was pictured with knotted hanky headgear to applaud Gower's beaches.

Today he's due to visit a conference at the Liberty Stadium, tomorrow an exhibition at the Grand Theatre.

Vampire

And this morning he makes the front of the South Wales Evening Post ... all made up and dressed as a vampire.

On page three, reporter Jason Evans tells us that the County Hall figurehead swapped the council chamber for the crypt to host a Halloween event.

The cellar of his official residence was transformed into a dungeon as around 70 guests enjoyed a fancy dress fund-raiser for charity.

Mood

A funeral home lent the Lord Mayor a coffin and Grand lighting experts helped create the mood.

Charities to benefit included the Air Training Corps and Splash, a project to build a swimming pool for children with special needs.

Happily, the Evening Post praises the effort.

In an opinion piece, they say: "In these austere times, questions are asked about the role and cost of the civic mayoralty. Councillor Lewis is providing some convincing answers."

July 8's Swansea Bay Media Highlights

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For all those interested in & working in the Swansea Bay media
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Social media Twitter #Swansea
6.07am - stupid_tuesday: Up and preparing for 4N Swansea at the Village Hotel this morning - 160 mile round trip!
6.11am - sqfMelvin: Swansea City ... Who will replace Sousa at the Liberty Stadium?: The bookies hardly ever get it wrong - http://bit.ly/cee7L9
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Print South Wales Evening Post Click
News - Solicitor Sophie Pincott, of Swansea-based Peter Lynn and Partners, is to undertake an arduous sponsored trek soon in aid of disability charity Scope. She'll be accompanied by city barrister Lucy Leader. Click
Arts – Geraint Morgan, aged 17, is the latest actor to portray Jesus. He has the lead role in this Saturday's two performances of 70s hit musical Godspell at the Grand Theatre, Swansea, by the Class Act Theatre School. Click
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Broadcast The Wave Click
Key local story - Swansea Bay politicians are calling for more to be done to save the Linamar car components plant after plans were announced to take its work to Mexico.
More local news - A new report claims that not enough is being done to exploit all opportunties created by the Welsh beer and cider industry. A comparison is drawn with the interest created in Ireland for drinks such as Guinness.
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Online Gower News Click
News No 1 - The annual Gower Show takes place on 1 August in the beautiful grounds of Penrice Castle Park, overlooking Oxwich Bay. Click
News No 2 – A celebration of country living will take place from today to Saturday from 10am-6pm at Cheriton Church, Gower. Tomorrow's attractions include a concert by the Trinity Choir and Friends. Click
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Links Twitter | Website
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June 24's Swansea Bay Media Highlights

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For all those interested in & working in the Swansea Bay media
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Broadcast The Wave Click
Key local story - Pink got the party started for Swansea fans at the Liberty Stadium last night. As well as pumping out the hits, she performed a trapeze act and ventured into the audience in a giant plastic ball.
You heard it here - Australia has its first female prime minister ... Julia Gillard, born in Barry, Wales.
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Print Llanelli Star Click
News - Police investigate claims of dirty tricks aiming to scupper Pembrey Country Park's Beach Break Live student music festival - but Carmarthenshire Council hails the event a huge success. Click
Community – Great effort by the Star as it devotes four pages to photos of the Llanelli Waterside 10k and its 1,000 runners. The races were started by football hero John Hartson. Click
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Online Afan FM 97.4 & 107.9fm Click
Key ads - Top home page advertisers include Apollo Cinemas, Sin City and the Grand Theatre, Swansea. Promo – Cute hook-up with Stereophonics: Win a signed guitar from the band in an Afan FM competition. Click
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Links Twitter | Website
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June 21's Swansea Bay Media Highlights

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For all those interested in & working in the Swansea Bay media
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Print South Wales Evening Post Click
Business - Emergency Budget: Swansea-based investment manager Richard Croydon, of Brewin Dolphin, says the Government's proposed changes to capital gains tax would have a devastating effect on savers and buy-to-let investors.
Music – The Storys' penultimate gig, at Swansea Grand Theatre's intimate Depot venue on Friday, is reviewed by arts writer Graham Williams: "At a time when the Welsh music industry is mourning Stuart Cable it's heartening to see another iconic Wales-based outfit going out in style."
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Broadcast BBC Radio Wales 93-104fm, 657 & 882mw Click
UK - The Chancellor's putting the final touches to tomorrow's Emergency Budget. He says painful spending cuts are inevitable.
Wales - The chief executive of the Ars Council of Wales says some arts organisations are at risk after a major funding review.
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Online Real Radio 105-106fm Click
News - The funeral of original Stereophonics drummer Stuart Cable will take place today at St Elvan's Church, Aberdare. It's expected to feature a horse-drawn carriage. Click
Commercial - Yesterday saw auditions for a big wedding promotion. From tomorrow each finalist will try to convince Real Radio listeners that they should be the station's Bride on the Run. Prize: A wedding on the set of the Wales Millennium Centre's Mamma Mia! Click
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Links Twitter | Website
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Buzz flies media flag for South Wales comedy

Out now ... a splendid new edition of South Wales ents and leisure mag Buzz. Catch it electronically by clicking here.
Comedian Paul Merton appears on the cover. That's convenient as the Media Master will be taking in his forthcoming improv show at the Grand Theatre, Swansea. Shame it clashes with the Taliesin showing of Ian Dury biopic Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll ... but you can't have it all ways.
Illustrating how live comedy is doing remarkably good business at the moment, there are also features on the likes of Reginald D Hunter, Katy Brand, Rhod Gilbert and the Machynlleth Comedy Festival.
In other fields, there's a healthy preview for the annual Mumbles Mostly Blues and Jazz Festival, an exceptionally tempting ad inviting us all to see modmeisters The Lambrettas in The Rhondda and - thanks to an Andy Pearson Publicity press release - a pleasing mention of The Storys' final gig in Swansea this summer.
Buzz is a beacon of quality in the South Wales ents market. Keep up the good work, all concerned!

Swansea Bay media man's Facebook fillip

Multi-faceted Swansea media guy Kev Johns is embracing social media with increasing warmth. Oh yes, he is.
This weekend, the Swansea Sound breakfast show presenter, author, actor, MC and after-dinner speaker has used his Facebook page (http://bit.ly/6j5Y4h) to send out two plugs for his wireless output and a good luck message to Swansea City.
That's good form, Kev - the web's there to be used for exactly those purposes. It's cheap, easy and incisive.
For the record, the publicity is for an appearance by Welsh Lib-Dem leader Kirsty Williams on his Swansea Sound Sunday Hotline and for a series of competitions on his Monday-Friday show.
The prizes, incidentally, include a six-month membership of local council gyms aka Active Swansea and tickets to a Buddy Holly and the Cricketers show at Swansea's Grand Theatre this week.
And there's a good message for all businesses ... give some product away on a local radio show. These days you'll even find it publicised on Facebook!