A new community centre and performance venue has opened on a small peninsula opposite Plymouth - and it's doing what it can to give people what they want. Patchwork Studios is a creative space established by local residents to bring people together and build a sense of belonging and community. The unique creative complex at Maker Heights on the Rame Peninsula sits in an old fortification - the Barrack Building - that once defended the Cornish coast from invasion. Now, it's a home for artists, creators, musicians, makers and more. Patchwork Studios, which opened towards the end of last year has since flourished into a thriving hub for all ages and walks of life. Poetry nights, music workshops, theatre performances and live music gigs have already made a big impact in a short space of time. And now, the Community Interest Company has just been awarded their biggest funding grant - £10,000 from the National Lottery. The chunk of cash from the lottery's Community Fund means an … [Read more...] about New community venue given £10k to teach youngsters music
New day refinance
Microsoft’s new disc-less Xbox has finally arrived
After months of speculation, Microsoft’s shiny new Xbox has finally been announced: the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition. Very similar in design and form factor to the current Xbox One S, the big difference here is that the new version has no disc drive, so games will only be accessible via Xbox Game Pass, the company’s subscription service. Everything is digital now, with Spotify and Apple Music holding all of your music, Google Photos and iCloud storing your photos, and Netflix and Amazon Prime replacing DVDs long ago. With the advent of Xbox One S All-Digital Edition, and the forthcoming Google Stadia, it looks like gaming is going that way. Speaking about the reveal, Jeff Gatis, general manager of platform and devices marketing at Microsoft, said: “We think of the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition as an option that caters to audiences who prefer to find and play their games digitally. "We’re not looking to push customers towards … [Read more...] about Microsoft’s new disc-less Xbox has finally arrived
Saudi Aramco takes £1bn stake in South Korean refiner days after record-setting bond issue
The Saudi state oil giant which was recently revealed as the world’s most profitable company will take a 1.4 trillion won (£944m) stake in South Korean refiner Hyundai Oilbank. Saudi Aramco has agreed to buy 17 per cent of the firm, Oilbank’s biggest shareholder Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings said in a regulatory filing today. Read more: Saudi Aramco beats records with $100bn bond demand The deal includes an option for the oil firm to buy an extra 2.9 per cent stake in Hyundai Oilbank. It comes after Hyundai Heavy in January said Saudi Aramco would take as much as a 19.9 per cent stake for up to £1.2bn. At 33,000 won per share, the new deal is slightly cheaper per share than originally forecast an official at Hyundai Heavy told Reuters. Hyundai Heavy is now reconsidering its plans to list the refiner after the deal, it said. Hyundai Oilbank is South Korea’s smallest refiner with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day in the south of the country. It is … [Read more...] about Saudi Aramco takes £1bn stake in South Korean refiner days after record-setting bond issue
Russia cashes in as European oil refiners pay for US sanctions
European refiners are paying the price for US oil sanctions on Venezuela and Iran as they scramble to replace the sour crude Washington has blocked from the global market with increasingly expensive Russian oil, trading sources said and data showed. Compounding the impact of sanctions, OPEC members have mainly cut sour crude output as part of their deal with allied producers to boost oil prices while a large, new refinery, designed to run on sour oil, has just started up in Turkey. US output is soaring and exports are set to jump later this year as new infrastructure comes online but it is not an alternative, being mainly light and sweet. As a result, European refiners have been left competing to secure as much medium, sour Russian Urals as they can, pushing the differential of that oil to levels not seen since 2013. “Urals is anchored in a positive zone versus dated Brent and there is no indication it will fall to a discount any time soon,” a trading source at a European … [Read more...] about Russia cashes in as European oil refiners pay for US sanctions
Former nurses home opens its doors to special visitor ahead of new beginnings
Councillor Ross Grant was invited to Somerville Refined Senior Living at Grosvenor Gate to see how a family team has restored the former Towers nurses’ home. The project was taken on by the Patel family after Siraz Patel saw the building up for sale. Manager at Somerville, Fatima Patel explained: “Siraz used to drive past the building every day and admired it, because it’s a gorgeous Thirties Arts and Crafts design. “When it went up for sale he couldn’t believe it, especially when he found it was only £600,000. He persuaded us all to buy it but then it took five years to decide what to do with it!” Although the project was always going to be a massive undertaking, Fatima said the whole family trusted Siraz’s vision. “Siraz is visionary but he’s also very sensible,” she said. “So even though he is the one with the big ideas, the rest of us all help him with the support side.” They toyed with many ideas on what … [Read more...] about Former nurses home opens its doors to special visitor ahead of new beginnings