Author: Rhys Gregory

We’ve all got our own way of choosing which Grand National horse to back. Some might go with one of Willie Mullins’ horses after he dominated March’s Cheltenham Festival while others might prefer to side with Nassalam as the most recent winner of the Welsh National. But surely one of the most popular ways that once-a-year punters decide who to back is by following grey horses, and this may well be the year that this tactic proves the best way to go. Probably the main reason grey horses have historically been so popular is because they’re so easy to spot…

Top Italian American restaurant Frankie & Benny’s has unveiled Easter’s most indulgent dessert IS BACK – gooey cookie dough with melted Cadbury’s® Creme eggs! The mouth-watering dessert combines their popular restaurant’s Cookie Dough dessert with one of the nation’s favourite Easter treats, the Creme Egg. How will you eat yours?! The dessert features chocolate chip cookie dough, chocolate sauce, Creme egg, vanilla ice cream top with a sprig of mint – delicious! Spaghetti and meatballs; fries and ketchup; tea and biscuits. This Easter Frankie & Benny’s is adding a new combo to that list: Cookie Dough and Creme Egg. That’s…

The smiles and quick wit of a reality TV star are hiding the trauma of an excruciatingly painful incurable disease that’s blighted her life. Gwen Roberts, 45, is a popular regular on  Gogglebocs Cymru – the hit Welsh version of Gogglebox – but viewers are totally unaware that behind all the jokes and quips she’s been plagued with Ulcerative Colitis since childhood. She appears alongside husband Dylan on the series  – where  ordinary people voice their opinions about a range of television programmes – that’s broadcast on S4C on Wednesdays at 9pm. The mum-of-two from Valley, on Anglesey, now wants…

X Factor winner Matt Cardle and Emmerdale star Sandra Marvin will join the cast of the award-winning musical & Juliet when it visits Wales Millennium Centre in 2025.   Matt Cardle – the winner of The X Factor’s highest ever rated series in 2010 – will be playing the role of Shakespeare. He will be joined by Sandra Marvin – who starred in ITV’s Emmerdale, and BBC’s Call The Midwife – in the role of Angélique. They will be joined by Gerardine Sacdalan (Made in Dagenham in Concert) as Juliet and Lara Denning (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Sunset Boulevard) as…

Just under one acre of picturesque amenity woodland in Mid Wales will be going under the hammer in April with a guide price of £15,000 to £20,000. Located half a mile from the village of Llanbrynmair, near Machynlleth, the woodland will be sold by auctioneers Halls in an auction at the company’s Shrewsbury headquarters on Friday, April 26 at 3pm. The sale is being handled by Louise Preece, Halls’ head of rural professional services, who said: “This is a rare opportunity to purchase a tranquil and picturesque corner of Wales. “The property comprises 0.86 of an acre of delightful woodland…

ONE of the fastest growing manufacturers in the UK holiday industry has joined forces with a luxury lodge park to promote “a trade show with a difference” this April. Based out of a solar-powered factory and headquarters in Yorkshire, Beverley Leisure Homes will hold the exclusive event at Maes Mynan Park, in Afonwen near Caerwys, next month. Aimed at park operators and owners across North Wales and beyond, the free two day-programme begins on Thursday April 11 and will include lodge and location tours, guidance and advice and sessions on finance, energy saving, benefits of Artificial Intelligence (AI), sales and…

Moneypenny, a leading innovator in outsourced communication services has further extended its services in the US with the acquisition of Sunshine Communication Services. Sunshine is an award-winning provider of bilingual (English and Spanish) call management solutions to businesses of all sizes ensuring they run smoothly 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Based in Florida and founded in 1975 by the Gross family, the company is dedicated to representing clients’ business in providing customised services across a variety of industries. The Moneypenny Group is a market leader, with its US HQ in Atlanta. The company employs over 1,000 people globally…

Over 400 people have been arrested in a crackdown on fraud coordinated by the National Economic Crime Centre and City of London Police. The activity, which was the third iteration of the multi-agency Operation Henhouse, ran across February and March 2024 and resulted in: 438 arrests 211 voluntary interviews 283 cease and desist notices account freezing orders of £5.1m seizures of cash and assets worth £13.9m Fraud is currently the most common crime type reported in the Crime Survey of England and Wales. It accounts for approximately 40% of all crime reports, and costs an estimated £6.8bn each year in…

A CELEBRATED organic farm estate grew its reputation as a pioneer in sustainable business with a series of net zero triumphs including a move towards ‘regenerative agriculture’. The 12,500-acre Rhug Estate, based near Corwen in North Wales, is renowned for its carbon neutral processes and ground-breaking systems. Led by owner Lord Newborough, the award-winning Estate did even more to reinforce that reputation in the last 12 months, unveiling a series of green energy projects ranging from 4KW to 5MW – including wind, solar, hydro and heat pumps – and receiving plaudits for the international success of its Rhug Wild Beauty range,…

Business confidence in Wales rose four points during March to 29%, as hiring intentions climbed to a five-month high, according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking. Although firms’ optimism in the economy dropped eight points to 13%, companies in Wales reported higher confidence in their own business prospects month-on-month, up 17 points at 45%. Taken together, this gives a headline confidence reading of 29% (vs. 25% in February). A net balance of 36% of Welsh businesses also expect to increase staff levels over the next year, up 17 points from February – the country’s strongest hiring…