Author: Alice Gregory

At its meeting on 23rd September, Cabinet approved the new draft RCT Housing Strategy (2024-2030), initiating a formal public consultation phase. The draft RCT Housing Strategy sets out how, over the next 6 years, the Council will work with stakeholders to shape and deliver safe, quality, affordable housing, and housing services. With a reduction of available public sector resources, the Strategy relies upon creativity, innovation and partnership working, focusing on inward investment with a robust strategic direction. The Councils vision for the strategy is to ensure that ‘the housing market in RCT offers our residents access to good quality, affordable…

What is it like to star in a musical in which the two leads are played by women? Sarah: It’s amazing. It’s important to be telling stories where women are strong, independent and driven. For Glinda, it’s about where she wants to be in her career and becoming a better person. It’s important people can see that women can have that voice. Laura: Wicked is two strong women making choices and leading this show. The responsibility we take on our shoulders as actors is that we, as two women, are the leads in this company. That’s pretty great. In the…

This autumn, the Dramatic Heart of Wales, Neath Port Talbot, has a fantastic lineup of events celebrating the best of Welsh culture, sport, and seasonal thrills. Neath Food and Drink Festival: 4th to 5th October Kicking off the season is the renowned Neath Food and Drink Festival, on Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th of October, from 10am to 5:30pm. The festival is a true celebration of Welsh produce, welcoming around 70 exhibitors, many of whom are local producers. Visitors can indulge in a variety of mouthwatering street food, artisanal treats, and fresh produce, all while sipping on craft…

Luxury car maker Bentley hooked up with a trailer maker from North Wales when it needed to transport a superstar of vintage racing in style. The exclusive marque turned to Ifor Williams Trailers (IWT), which has factories in Denbighshire and Deeside, to carry a gleaming classic of the 1930s – an immaculately preserved Bentley Speed Six. Appropriately, it was towed on IWT’s CT177 transporter trailer by one of the premium manufacturer’s modern day flagships, an exquisite Bentayga Extended Wheelbase. According to Bentley, the trailer was the perfect platform to showcase two generations of their vehicles in the run-up to this…

Merthyr Tydfil and Abercynon-based Complete Co-Packing Services is scaling up production ready for the festive season as demand for online order fulfilment, warehousing and distribution continues to grow. Established in 2015 by Stephen and Jacky Nicholls, Co-packing Services specialises in business to business and direct to customer order fulfilment, pick and pack, after packing and gift assembly. Turnover for Complete Co-packing Services is expected to exceed £3.5 million in 2024/25. An additional 53,000 sq. ft fulfilment, warehousing and distribution centre was opened in April 2021 on Goat Mill Industrial Estate in Merthyr Tydfil. Managing Director Stephen Nicholls said: “The festive…

Getting older shouldn’t stop us enjoying the finer things in life – which is why chef Kyle Wilson makes it his mission to bring them to his Cardiff care home residents. Kyle is the head chef at Care UK’s Llys Herbert Care Home in Pontprennau, bringing his wealth of culinary expertise to the kitchen to create a care home dining experience like no other. Now that experience has earned him a nomination for the Excellence in Catering Award – sponsored by Harlech Foodservice – at the 2024 Wales Care Awards. “This is a nomination for my team,” he said. “You…

One of the key ingredients for a ‘perfect’ walk, according to a recent public poll commissioned by Ordnance Survey, is to follow a circular route, yet they’re not always readily available. Cue a brand new selection of circular routes across the Wales Coast Path and National Trails in Wales developed by experienced travel writer, Paddy Dillon, in partnership with local trail officers. A circular walk, or a route that starts and ends in the same location, as opposed to walking a linear route from A to B, is a great way to experience the Welsh coastline and countryside without having to…

Visitors will be learning more about the natural wonders of a community orchard as green-fingered volunteers continue a grassroots drive to develop a haven for nature. The Harlech Community Orchard Project has seen a not-for-profit group of volunteers unite to transform an unused part of a local field into an important spot for wildlife. And thanks to new funding, the group will be able to further spread the message about what the project at the town’s King George V Playing Fields is all about. The group has been awarded a £1,000 grant from a Community Fund Initiative established by Go…

It’s that time of year again when we all start to wonder when are the clocks changing? Do they go forward…or back? There’s a quick mnemonic to help you remember, ‘Spring forward, fall back’ or as I say ‘March forward, fall back’ either way is helpful. The idea proposed in Britain by builder William Willett, was due to the ‘waste’ of useful daylight during the summer specifically in the morning. British Summer Time (BST) was then adopted in 1916 as a way to save candles and electricity as technology improved and became more widely available as well as money. British…

Families can tap into the magic that’s all around them at WWT Llanelli Wetland Centre this October half term, where wand making, potion crafting and spell casting are just a few of the mystical activities that will keep curious minds bewitched. The week-long Spells and Potions holiday event promises unique activities that can involve everyone, from grandparents to toddlers.  It includes making a willow wand, micro magic, brewing a potion or casting a spell using materials found outdoors, and hunting for fungi amongst the autumn leaves. All in the enchanting world of WWT Llanelli’s wetland nature. Little witches and wizards…