Author: Rhys Gregory

Over 130 members of the Welsh baking industry have come together to discuss key issues facing the sector at the second annual Welsh Baking Conference. The event, which took place in Cardiff on Wednesday 13 March 2024, was organised by ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre at Cardiff Metropolitan University, and focused on the theme of the ‘Past, Present and Future’. Bakeries of all sizes, industry bodies, students, and equipment and ingredient suppliers met to share their perspectives on the issues facing the sector in Wales. The conference was opened by Patrick Wilson, President of the Craft Bakers Association, and other speakers…

Easter is right around the corner, which means two weeks of finding fun, family friendly activities to keep the children ‘hoppier’ than ever. From seeking out the daffodil hotspots to enjoying egg hunts against the backdrop of medieval castles, the team at the Wales Coast Path are sharing seven free experiences which you can enjoy along the coast this Easter. Spot the national flower of Wales in bloom The daffodil is a national icon — and many attribute that to its translation from the Welsh name “Cenhinen Bedr”, which means “St Peter’s Leek”. There are several daffodil hotspots along the…

MINDS, bodies, and spirits in a seaside town have been lifted by the arrival of a revolutionary health and exercise complex. LVL5 Gyms Ltd has been a major success since opening in December, attracting a variety of new members and day visitors to Llandudno. The 6,000 square-metre two-floor facility – formerly Tudno Castle Hotel – had been vacant for several years before directors Sion Pritchard and Rich Blake took on the premises. They transformed the building into a state-of-the-art, high-quality gym, complete with coffee and smoothie bar, sauna, changing rooms, retail store and more, and are thrilled with the positive response…

Work to restore a grade II* listed former bicycle and car showroom – the oldest in Wales – and bring it back into use as a business centre has been completed. A total of £3.1 million has been spent on buying and refurbishing the Art Nouveau and Art Deco style Automobile Palace in the centre of Llandrindod Wells, after Powys County Council secured £1.585 million in funding from the Welsh Government and £550,000 from the UK Government. The council is now ready to let nine business units which have been upgraded and made more energy efficient thanks to the work…

The man who died near to Llandaff Rugby Club on Western Avenue, Cardiff, has been named as Stephen Bulpin, from Fairwater, Cardiff. Emergency services were called to the path alongside the rugby club at around 3am on Monday, March 18. Detectives are appealing for anyone who may have seen Stephen from Sunday afternoon into the early hours of Monday to please come forward. His death is being treated as sudden and unexplained at this stage. A postmortem examination is being carried out to establish the cause of death and Stephen’s family is being kept updated. Detective Inspector Bob Chambers, from…

New commercial units, bringing empty properties back into use and the restoration of an historic theatre are among the schemes set to breathe more life into Swansea’s High Street. An investment worth over £100m is ongoing to transform the street for the benefit of businesses, residents and visitors to the city. Schemes either ongoing or planned will follow on from the completion of other major projects on High Street in recent years including the first phase of Coastal Housing’s Urban Village development and improvements in and around Swansea Railway Station. Swansea University has also opened the Oriel Science venue on…

Pembrokeshire County Council has taken direct action to remove a lean-to that was built against a neighbour’s listed building without consent. Paul Mason built the lean to without planning permission or listed building consent from the Council contrary to section 43 of Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. As a result, the Council issued a Listed Buildings Enforcement Notice on June 17th 2021. The notice related to ‘the construction of a rendered blockwork outbuilding within the curtilage of 1, Newport Road, Fishguard, Pembrokeshire, and the attachment of this building to the neighbouring property at 1, Glyn-y-Mel Road, Lower…

49-year-old Martin Padfield – an amputee of 24 years – can join in with his son’s football team again thanks to Welsh Government funded specialist Microprocessor Controlled Prosthetic knees Martin is one of 80 people across Wales who have had their mobility transformed by Microprocessor Controlled Prosthetic Knees (MPKs), since the £700,000 Welsh Government fund was launched two years ago. The funding was split across the three artificial limb and appliance centres (ALAC) located in Swansea, Cardiff and Wrexham. MPKs are a type of prosthetic knee, used by people who have lost a leg at or above the knee. It…

Savills Cardiff has announced four promotions within its multi-disciplinary office. The promotions, which took effect on 1st March 2023, are within the real estate consultancy’s Planning and Property Management teams. Chris Potts, head of Savills Cardiff, said: ‘I am hugely proud of the talent we have within our Cardiff business and therefore it is a great pleasure to congratulate Portia, Nick, Joel and Jake, who have seen their hard work recognised with new positions within their respective teams.’ The full list of promotions is below: Portia Banwell Planning Associate Director Nick Heard Planning Associate Director Joel Williams Property Management Associate…

The University of South Wales (USW) has announced it will continue its sponsorship of the ABP Newport Marathon Festival as official partner. The event, which takes place on Sunday 28th April, will see more than 6,000 runners take to the streets of Newport for the new-look festival of running, featuring all-new marathon, half marathon and 10K courses for 2024. USW has been a partner since the event’s inception in 2018 and its campus building on Usk Way has been an integral base for runners ahead of them setting off around the city. Dr Ben Calvert, University of South Wales Vice-Chancellor,…