Author: Alice Gregory

The Richard Burton Archives at Swansea University, which holds material of local, regional and national significance, celebrates 10 years of accreditation status in recognition of its high standards, both in looking after valuable records and in making them available to researchers and the wider community. Archive Service Accreditation is the UK standard for archive services, and the Richard Burton Archives was the first university in the UK and the first service in Wales to receive accreditation status after the launch of the standard in 2013. ‌Head of Cultural Collections, Engagement and Curation Siân Williams said: “We were honoured when we…

Musical theatre legend Carrie Hope Fletcher will lead the cast of a new tour of Calamity Jane, coming to Cardiff in 2025. The whip crackin’ musical comedy classic will arrive at Wales Millennium Centre on 11-15 March 2025 as part of a new UK & Ireland tour, marking 10 years since the show last hit the road. Jamie Wilson Productions are reviving The Watermill Theatre’s production of the Broadway and West End hit musical, reuniting the previous creative team with Direction by Curve Artistic Director, Nikolai Foster (An Officer and a Gentleman, Kinky Boots), Co-Direction and Choreography by Nick Winston…

A swan rescued by the RSPCA was found to have swallowed a fishing hook and also had a pellet lodged inside his head. X-Rays on the male swan – found on Thursday 23 May in a pond in the Cefn Golau area in Tredegar – discovered a pellet in his head whilst investigating the fishing litter lodged down his neck. He had also been found with a fishing line around his leg. Sadly the swan was put to sleep on welfare grounds after rescuers trying to remove the hook –  found that it had penetrated the oesophagus and had caused…

Care home residents in Wrexham have been getting to grips with an exciting Paralympic sport. The residents of Pendine Park’s homes in Wrexham have become big fans of the ball game Boccia, which was first introduced into the Paralympic Games back in 1984 and is set to feature again in Paris this summer. Pendine Park residents are sure to be among the millions of viewers worldwide who will be watching when it celebrates its 40th anniversary at the games in Paris this summer. In the latest tournament, the residents of the Penybryn and Highfield care homes were pitted against each…

A ground-breaking North Wales wine merchant harnessed the power of Artificial Intelligence to fuel record sales as it celebrates 10 years in business. The husband and wife team of Dylan and Llinos Rowlands launched Gwin Dylanwad, based in Dolgellau, in Gwynedd,  in 2014 as a follow up to their successful restaurant in the town and a decade later they are going from strength to strength. They revealed the secrets of their success at a social media masterclass organised as part of the pioneering Dyfodol Digidol (Digital Future) a Gwynedd Council Project. The project has received funding from the Gwynedd Shared…

A sizeable bay fronted three bed semi detached period home in the heart of the South Wales valleys needs a fair bit of fettling to get it in tune. But once the work is completed the substantial house in gardens front and back, stained glass window and with a piano in the front room, will be ready to put on a show. Sean Roper, of Newport-based Paul Fosh Auctions, said: “The house, in the town of Merthyr a place which is currently enjoying a prolonged period of renewed investment and job creation, has the basics of which, in the correct…

After months of gruelling training, 20 new recruits have received their wings and are ready to take to the skies as TUI cabin crew from Cardiff Airport this summer. TUI’s Head of Cabin Crew Management Ian Campbell said: “This year we saw unprecedented interest, with thousands applying for the roles available; and 10,000 applications flying in during the first week.”. The majority of the training takes place at TUI’s Training Centre in East Midlands, where the new recruits are put through their paces and learn everything from safety, service and everything in-between. One day we could be teaching them how…

A bumper silver, jewellery and watches sale with nearly 500 lots at a Shropshire fine art auction house produced an outstanding £140,000 result on Wednesday. Shrewsbury-based Halls Fine Art recorded a 95% sold rate as the new format sale built on the success of the inaugural silver, jewellery and watches auction in January. “We are really thrilled with the sale result and hope our vendors are happy too with the prices achieved,” said Halls’ associate director and silver and jewellery specialist Maryanne Lineker-Mobberley. “The sold rate was brilliant and prices were strong across the board with a busy saleroom and…

A dad from Cardiff who survived a cardiac arrest has joined football legends including Graeme Souness and David Ginola in urging people in Wales, and across the UK, to learn CPR. Andrew Barnett, 50, is part of a line-up who have joined forces with Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) for the Every Minute Matters campaign, which is urging more than a quarter of a million people to learn the lifesaving skill. Taking his place in the ‘Re-Starting 11’, Andrew stood shoulder to shoulder at the iconic Wembley stadium with fellowcardiac arrest survivors Tom Lockyer, Fabrice Muamba, and…

A new documentary has been created by young men with the hope of helping to tackle violence against women. Sound Lad is a powerful 15-minute film, focusing on society’s perceptions of masculinity, and how damaging stereotypes can cause deep seated issues for men when it comes to relationships. The documentary has been created as part of the Welsh Government’s award-winning Sound campaign – which has spent the last year working with young men in Wales to educate them about gender-based violence and healthy relationships, with the aim of ending violence against women, domestic abuse, and sexual violence. As part of…