Author: Rhys Gregory

This week The Times and The Sunday Times reveals its definitive list of the 50 Best Places to Stay from across the UK. The guide will be available on Monday 9th March via the online interactive guide and as a supplement within the newspaper on Sunday 15th March. The Royal George in Tintern, Monmouthshire is named the best place to stay in Wales by The Times and The Sunday Times. The guide says a “revamp of the rooms and an impressive new restaurant are set to put it on the tourist map”. The judges praise its 20 snug rooms and…

Recent statistics from Transport Focus, the Office of Road and Rail and the UK Customer Satisfaction Index all reveal improvements in customer satisfaction and rail performance for Transport for Wales. Transport Focus recently scored TfW at 91% in overall passenger satisfaction in their recent national survey which ranks them fourth among train operators in the UK. Passengers also scored 91% for TfW trains with considerations around crowding, personal safety and cleanliness. Additionally, they achieved a six-percentage point rise in punctuality from 82 per cent to 88 per cent, the biggest quarter-on-quarter improvement of any rail operator. Recent statistics from the Office of…

FIVE friends from South Wales are taking part in a charity cold-water dip in Cardiff on 28 March in memory of loved ones they’ve lost to cancer. The Devoted Dippers met on Boxing Day a few years ago and they have been swimming and cold-water dipping in different locations across the area since then. One of their favourite places to meet for cold-water dipping is the Lisvane and Llanishen Reservoirs in the north of Cardiff. And that’s where they’ll be taking part in a Cancer Research Wales charity fundraiser cold-water dip – ‘Dip or Distance’, later this month. It’s the…

Wales is set for a mostly cloudy start to the week, with brighter spells developing later before more changeable and unsettled weather arrives from midweek, according to the Met Office. Monday will begin on a grey and cloudy note across much of the country, with showery outbreaks of rain moving through during the morning. Conditions are expected to improve slightly through the afternoon, particularly across eastern areas where some hazy sunshine may break through the cloud. Temperatures will remain close to the seasonal average, with highs reaching around 12°C. The cloud is expected to linger into Monday night, although there…

If you’re planning construction or maintenance work that involves working at height, you’ll know that choosing the right access equipment can make or break your project timeline. Scaffold towers have become a go-to solution for tradespeople and contractors across the UK because they’re quicker to put up than traditional scaffolding, easier to move around site, and you don’t always need a specialist scaffolder to assemble them. But here’s the thing: the HSE reports that falls from height are still the biggest killer on UK work sites. That means the hire company you choose really matters. You need equipment that’s been…

BLUETTI, a technology pioneer in clean energy, is launching its new Elite 300 portable power station in United Kingdom on 9 March. As the most compact 3kWh power station available, the Elite 300 packs serious power into a manageable package, making it ideal for use in RVs, off-grid setups, and as a home backup power solution. Introducing BLUETTI Elite 300: 3kWh Power at 2kWh Portability The Elite 300 has a capacity of 3,014Wh, but its dimensions are just 366mm×305mm×297.5mm, and it weighs only 26.3kg—equivalent to the size and weight of smaller 2kWh units on the market. This makes it easily…

The Welsh Estate Agency Awards (WEAA) has revealed the shortlist for its 2026 awards, celebrating the very best estate agents and property professionals from across Wales. Following a spectacular inaugural ceremony last spring, this year’s awards will take place on April 23 at the iconic Hilton Hotel in Cardiff. The event will once again be hosted by one of Welsh television and radio’s most familiar presenters, Sara Edwards. The Nominees for this year’s awards are: Residential Estate Agency of the Year Daniel Matthews Estate Agents Dawsons Estate Agents Fine & Country – West Wales FBM Estate & Lettings Agents Harris…

Drivers are being warned of delays on the A44 between Aberystwyth and the Lovesgrove Roundabout following an oil spill on the road. Dyfed Powys Police said the spill has caused disruption close to the Lovesgrove roundabout, with motorists advised to take extra care when travelling through the area. The incident is currently affecting traffic along the busy route linking Aberystwyth with the A487 and surrounding areas, with drivers experiencing delays while the situation is dealt with. Police have urged motorists to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys. Alternative routes are also being recommended where possible while the…

A Swansea-based giftware company that has achieved 35% European sales growth is launching an ambitious expansion programme that could see its EU sales hit £6 million within two years. Something Different Wholesale, which turned over £3 million in Europe last year, is rolling out four new language-specific websites, exhibiting at Europe’s largest giftware trade show and establishing a full Dutch trading operation to serve continental customers. The company expects to double European sales over the next two years. The £11 million business, which employs 75 people in Llansamlet, has been supported by the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme (AGP) and…

Europe’s longest running television variety show is clocking up another first – being hosted by an orangutan. The much-loved Welsh-language programme Noson Lawen made by Caernarfon-based Cwmni Da returns to S4C on Saturday, March 14, with Gareth the Orangutan taking the reins. The long-running series  is also a global outlier for its longevity, second worldwide only to Brazil’s legendary variety show Programa Silvio Santos, which has been broadcast continuously since 1963. The mischievous but lovable presenter – whose full name is Gareth Ulysses Llew Pongo – is already a familiar face to viewers thanks to his chat show appearances on…