Author: Rhys Gregory

Castle Arcade has welcomed three new independent businesses this month in the run up to the Christmas shopping season. Green & Jenks, Tŷ Caws and Welsh Connection have taken advantage of a scheme to offer Christmas pop-up spaces in the Castle Quarter Arcades which gives local businesses the opportunity to take city centre retail space on a short or flexible lease. Green & Jenks is an independent deli, hampers and gift shop specialising in artisan food and drinks from across Wales. This year celebrates the 135th anniversary of its founding as the Roath Park Dairy Company on Albany Road, Roath.…

After two decades of dedicated service at Coleg Gwent and having spent the last eight years as Principal and Chief Executive, Guy Lacey has announced his intention to retire at the end of the academic year 2023/24. The announcement signifies a new chapter for the college as it prepares to embark on the search for a new Principal to lead and continue his legacy. Guy Lacey, a visionary leader, has presided over a period of remarkable growth and transformation during his tenure. Under his care, Coleg Gwent has ascended to prominence as one of the top-performing colleges in Wales, offering…

Cardiff Bus staff came together on November 9th in honour of those have fought for their country with a tree planting ceremony at the Cardiff Bus depot. The bus operator brought together members of staff who are ex-forces and their colleagues to join together in memory of those who have served and sacrificed for their country. Cardiff Bus staff is made up of 20 ex-forces members, including the company’s Managing Director Craig Hampton Stone, who was keen to bring the team together to mark Remembrance Sunday in a meaningful way. The company is currently on a pathway towards becoming a…

 A BELOVED village pub has undergone significant redevelopment and will open its doors again in the coming weeks. The purchase of the freehold and refurbishment of The Cross Keys in Llanfynydd is bittersweet. A story that started as one of family loss, soon became one of gain; a life legacy to give back to the people and the community that meant so much to Mark Steene, a popular character in the picturesque Flintshire village. In 2015, Mark had a cycling accident which left him paralysed. Sadly, he passed away six years later aged just 54. A keen cyclist and businessman,…

Carmarthenshire-based manufacturing company Victorian Sliders is being tipped to become a “world-class business” following a new £4-million investment by BGF – one of the largest and most experienced investors in the UK and Ireland. The Ammanford-headquartered company is now poised for a period of accelerated growth after BGF, which invested £14-million in the business two years ago, provided an additional round of funding alongside HSBC to support its growth plans. Group Managing Director Steve Winslet said: “Over the last 18 months, we’ve made significant strides in quality, reliability, lead times and customer service. “We are determined to maintain that progress and turn…

From serene natural retreats to luxurious glamping destinations, the annual AA Caravan and Camping Awards has just revealed the top UK outdoor accommodation for 2024. The worthy award winners make an ideal destination for the 16.7 million camping and caravanning trips taken in the UK. The awards honoured 12 sites across the country, carefully handpicked by the AA’s expert inspectors who assessed them based on their exceptional quality and unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction. Categories included AA Glamping Site of the Year, AA Campsite of the Year and AA Most Improved Campsite of the Year. This year’s winners represent every…

A gross misconduct hearing has found that force used by a South Wales Police was necessary, proportionate, and reasonable. The officer had been accused of breaching the standard of professional behaviour by using unnecessary force on Mr Mohamud Hassan at Cardiff Bay Police Station. The misconduct hearing panel, made up of a Legally Qualified Chair, a police superintendent from a different police force, and an independent member, considered whether the officer had breached the standards of professional behaviour. The panel found the allegations were not proven. They concluded that the evidence supported the officer’s account, and that the use of…

The impact of the conflict in the Kurdish borderlands of Turkey will be the focus of new research at Aberystwyth University following the awarding of a prestigious fellowship. Over the next two years, Dr Dilan Okcuoglu will study state-building and control in the war-torn region in the south-east of the Turkish state. Hosted by the Department of International Politics in Aberystwyth, Dr Okcuoglu’s research is financed through the UK Guarantee funding for Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowships. Speaking about her project, Dr Okcuoglu said: “My research examines the everyday lived experiences of people in the remote and mountainous…

Supporters of Swansea charity Faith in Families have raised over £30,000 in a 100km trek in Jordan. Faith in Families CEO Cherrie Bija was joined on the challenging Wadi Rum trek by 15 supporters, including her son Ellis Taylor, and members of the business community across Wales – Caroline Platt, Bev Garside, Ceri Potter, Caludia Whittaker, Gilli Davies, Jane Storer, Jordan Wilcox, Linda Fox, Marcus Elphick, Mark Bowden, Phillipa Fraison, Sue West- Jones, Beth Thomas and Iwan Griffiths. Wadi Rum, also known as the Desert of the Moon, is a spectacular granite sandstone valley in Jordan made famous by the…

A Rhondda Cynon Taf man and a woman have been banned from keeping animals for 10 years after they failed to care appropriately for a marmoset monkey they kept as a pet – leading her to suffer from severe metabolic bone disease. Tragically, the white-faced marmoset – commonly known as a Geoffroy’s marmoset monkey – named Precious, was put to sleep on veterinary advice to prevent further suffering. Sadly, her two owners had not researched how to care for a marmoset before purchasing her and had been feeding her the wrong diet and had not been meeting her needs. Laura…