Author: Rhys Gregory

Planned strike action at bus company First Cymru across south and west Wales has been partly suspended after the company made a new pay offer. The strikes were originally set to begin on 22 October and take place in three weekly waves, running from 22–25 October, 30 October–2 November, and 5–8 November. However, the first week of strike action has now been called off to allow a ballot to take place on the revised and improved offer from the company. The remaining strike dates at the end of October and early November are still expected to go ahead if the…

RHYL residents, businesses and community groups have united in record numbers to shape a new 10-year, £20 million regeneration strategy for the town. Over recent months, the Our Rhyl/Ein Rhyl Board has worked with advisers Savills, Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council (DVSC), Denbighshire Youth Service, and local partners to ensure the plan reflects the priorities of local people. Engagement has included workshops, surveys, pop-ups, social media, and direct conversations across the seaside resort. The summer survey alone drew more than 550 responses, distributed both online and in person at the promenade, high street, Queen’s Market, library and the Women’s Centre. Nearly…

A gardener has scooped a hat-trick of awards after transforming his once-neglected courtyard into a stunning Italian-inspired haven – on a shoestring budget. Mark Jones, 42, who works as deputy head gardener at the Pendine Park care organisation, spent six years creating the Mediterranean-style retreat at his Pontcysyllte home, using reclaimed materials, bargain finds and even free plants. The dad-of-one, helped throughout by his daughter Lilly, 11, was crowned the overall winner of the Llangollen Rural Communities Best Kept Garden Awards, also taking home titles for Best Containers and Best Courtyard Garden. Mark, who joined Pendine Park four years ago…

As the buzz of Freshers’ Week fades and fraudsters step up their game in the new term, the Home Office and NatWest have partnered to urge students to Stop! Think Fraud. Over half of students (57%) have encountered or had money stolen by criminals , according to new data from NatWest’s Student Living Index. On average, young adults aged 18 to 24 are now having an average of £300 stolen by scammers in the past year, showing the crucial need for action. The Fraud Minister is urging students to follow the government’s Stop! Think Fraud campaign advice to ensure they are…

Rightkeysonly, an emerging Welsh EDM artist, has been named the winner of the Rising Star Award (Industry), sponsored by People’s Postcode Lottery, at the annual Youth Music Awards 2025 in association with Hal Leonard Europe. Rightkeysonly received the award at the event, held at Troxy, London, for bringing experimental beats and heavy baselines to the music sector of Wales. Keys is also a PhD student and founder of Amplifying Accessibility, a project supporting Disabled music industry workers and non-Disabled individuals to confidently engage in accessible practices. Discussing her award win, Rightkeysonly says: “Looking at the judging panel, they are immense…

Rhian Wilkinson has announced a 26-player squad for her side’s October international friendly double header. Cymru will face Australia at the Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday 25 October (KO 2:00pm) before facing Poland at Rodney Parade in Newport on Tuesday 28 October (KO 7:45pm). The match in Cardiff will mark the first time Cymru have ever played against the Matildas. Cymru and Poland both featured in their first ever major tournament at this summer’s UEFA EURO finals. The match against Australia will be Jess Fishlock’s final game for Cymru and a chance for fans to celebrate her illustrious career, following…

University of South Wales (USW) is part of a project which is looking to use AI to transform treatment for bedsores, and potentially save the NHS billions of pounds each year. With funding of £94,000 from the Henry Royce Institute Industrial Collaboration Programme (ICP), the feasibility project will look to combine graphene-based e-textile pressure sensors with AI to develop solutions for the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers. The project is being delivered in partnership with Graphene Trace Ltd, a UK start-up developing next-generation sensing fabrics, and the Rehabilitation Engineering Unit (REU) at Cardiff & Vale University Health Board (CVUHB).…

COLEG CAMBRIA welcomed the Team Wales torch to Deeside this week, marking a key milestone on its journey across Wales. The relay is building excitement ahead of the WorldSkills UK National Finals – hosted in Wales for the very first time this November – and shining a spotlight on the road to WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, known globally as the ‘Skills Olympics’. Across Wales, colleges have joined together to celebrate the collective effort behind Team Wales’s success in vocational skills. These competitions begin locally with Skills Competition Wales, coordinated by the Inspiring Skills Excellence in Wales project, before progressing to national…

Wholebake, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of healthy snack bars, has expanded its operations with the opening of a major new facility in Wrexham, which is now up and running. The site – a warehouse converted into a bespoke, food-grade factory – will run alongside Wholebake’s existing factories in Corwen and Wrexham, giving the company three sites in total. This multi-million-pound investment marks a significant milestone in Wholebake’s growth journey. With capacity at Corwen fully utilised, the Wrexham facility provides the additional space needed to strengthen production capabilities, streamline logistics and support long-term growth for its customers, including leading…

A hairdresser form Nottinghamshire has travelled to Wrexham to pay homage to her long-lost relative – Hollywood superstar Russell Crowe. Tarnia Rodgers, from New Houghton, near Mansfield, had the shock of her life when she made the exciting discovery that she is a long-lost second cousin to the Gladiator icon, recalling her exact words to be ‘Don’t be so ridiculous’. After months of tracing her family history, she unearthed links to Canada and New Zealand, and now new connections in Wrexham thanks to research carried out by the owners the Pendine Park care organisation that’s celebrating its 40th anniversary this…