Author: Rhys Gregory

A TV extra is hoping to inspire other disabled people to follow their dreams after landing a place on one of his favourite shows – the Welsh version of Gogglebox. Self-confessed soap addict Aaron Pleming, from Caernarfon, who was born with hydrocephalus and cerebral palsy, is one of the new faces of Gogglebocs Cymru. The 33-year-old, who won  over producers with his off-the-cuff quips and comedic timing during test screenings, appears  alongside his mum, Linda, 59, on the  second series of the hit show on S4C. The first six episodes are being shown at 9pm on Wednesday nights in October…

An RSPCA campaign is continuing to make waves across Wales – with more and more local authorities taking action to ban the giving out of pets as prizes on their land. The tank is now almost full as 17 local authorities out of 22 have ensured that pets of any kind cannot be given as a prize on council land. Merthyr Tydfil has recently joined the banned list and Gwynedd has also confirmed that a pets as prizes ban is part of their terms and conditions of any fair/market/event held on council owned land. While Powys, Ceredigion and Isle of…

30,000 more trees are expected to be planted in Cardiff’s urban forest over the next 6 months as volunteers join community tree planting events taking place across the city. More than 150 community events will be held during the official tree planting season, which runs from late October through until early April as part of Cardiff Council’s mass tree planting programme, Coed Caerdydd. This includes events with schools, community groups, corporate volunteers, and residents. Established in 2021, Coed Caerdydd has already seen volunteers donate 5,000 hours of their time, helping to plant and care for approximately 50,000 new trees, spread across every…

Morriston will be transported back to Victorian times at a Christmas-themed event taking place towards the end of November. A Victorian barrel organ, Santa’s grotto, a brass band and circus workshops will be among the fun at Victorian Day 2023, which is being held in the town from 10am to 2pm on Saturday November 25. Christmas carols, a Christmas tree trail and stilt walkers in Victorian outfits will also feature. Organised by Swansea Council, the event is being funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. As well as street entertainment, venues hosting activities on the day…

Swansea residents and visitors can make the most of the city during next week’s school half-term holiday. With the cost of living crisis continuing, Swansea Council is putting on a host of free and low-cost activities and events. Many will enable families to enjoy the city centre. Half-term runs from October 28 to November 5. Council cabinet member Robert Francis-Davies said: “With a holiday on the horizon, there’s no better time to discover what’s on offer in Swansea Bay.” Free family fun day Spooks in the City is an annual big hit with families. This city centre event is due…

The beach is one of eight official bathing waters in the Vale and is a popular destination for local swimming groups. As part of a wider programme of works to enhance the coastal resort, £10,000 of the Council’s Annual Coastal Infrastructure Capital Budget was spent on building the new showering facilities. Located opposite Penarth RNLI Lifeboat Station, the showers will be open for use around the clock. Councillor Mark Wilson, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood and Building Services said: “The Vale’s beaches play a vital role in supporting wellbeing and cohesion within our communities. “We were delighted to see Penarth beach…

Minister for Social Justice and Chief Whip Jane Hutt has praised the progress and uptake of the Basic Income pilot scheme after meeting care leavers taking part in the innovative programme. The Basic Income for Care Leavers in Wales pilot provided care leavers turning 18 between 01 July 2022 and 30 June 2023 with the opportunity to receive £1,600 (before tax) per month for a period of two years. During the 12-month enrolment period, which ended on 30 June this year, 635 young people leaving care in Wales joined the pilot. The provisional uptake rate of 97% represents a significantly…

Callum Beer was arrested when plain clothes officers patrolling the city centre witnessed suspected drug dealing. The police officers noticed Beer was attracting a steady stream of suspected drug users in an area close to the River Taff in Sophia Gardens. He was seen to carry out 10 to 15 exchanges while placing bank notes in his man bag and constantly taking and making calls on a mobile phone. Beer tried to make off and discard his mobile phone but was arrested and taken to Cardiff Bay Police Station. In his man bag, he had a black pot containing 10…

A scheme to repair a wall at Abernant Road will take place next week requiring a local footway closure – scheduled for half term to minimise disruption. The wall (pictured) is located just south of the turn into the former hospital site, and will be repaired using Council revenue funding. The scheme will take place from Monday, October 30 – and will be completed by the end of the school half term break. Work will include removing vegetation, repointing works, reconstructing small sections of the wall, and resetting several coping stones. The Council has appointed Hammonds Ltd as the contractor…

A Bridgend man has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of over 160 child sexual offences following an investigation by the South Wales Police Online Investigation Team. Enquiries first began in December 2022 when police received intelligence about suspicious bank transactions and online activity, linked to the downloading of indecent images of children from the dark web. An IP address was linked to an address in the Bridgend area and further checks led to the offender being identified as 23-year-old Lewis Edwards – a serving police officer. In the following days, a warrant was executed at his…