Author: Rhys Gregory

A former city centre police station is set for a secure future after the building was sold at auction. The substantial building, within sight of the city of Newport’s historic Transporter bridge, was sold at Paul Fosh Auctions. The fully-let converted former police building, transformed from offices, custody suites and cells into an assortment of flats and bedsits, was listed with a guide price of £375,000. But after some spirited bidding from a total of seven individual bidders who posted 49 bids, the imposing property sold for £482,000. Sean Roper, of Paul Fosh Auctions, said: “The property has operated successfully…

The Work Welsh programme, led by the National Centre for Learning Welsh and delivered locally by Learn Welsh Gwent, has been hailed by Estyn as a cornerstone of workplace language planning in Wales. In a recent report, Estyn praised the scheme, which delivers a range of training and support for strengthening bilingual skills across workplaces and for its positive impact on services delivered to Welsh speakers. Since its launch in 2018, Work Welsh has supported over 30,000 workers and 2,000 employers, with Learn Welsh Gwent delivering training across the Gwent region. Local examples include a project with Newport City Council, where over 100 staff attend weekly classes with a tutor…

Dance music pioneer Pete Tong and global music icon Billy Ocean, together with very special guest Marti Pellow, are bringing unmissable headline shows to Llangollen Pavilion next summer. Pete and his world-renowned Ibiza Classics show – featuring The Essential Orchestra – will play TK Maxx presents Live at Llangollen Pavilion on Thursday June 25. On Saturday June 27 – Billy Ocean, the chart-topping legend behind such classic hits as Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run) and Red Light Spells Danger, will headline the iconic Welsh venue with special guest and former Wet Wet Wet frontman Marti Pellow. From…

A North Wales choir presented a Welsh lovespoon to the daughter of the late great Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti before singing in his home city to mark what would have been his 90th birthday. The legendary singer always said he was inspired to pursue a singing career by his 1955 visit to Llangollen where the choir he and his father, Fernando, were members of, Chorus Rossini, won the choral competition at the 1955 Royal International Eisteddfod. The 36 members of the Froncysyllte Choir flew back from Italy to Manchester early after a hectic weekend culminated in their singing several pieces…

Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has been instructed to sell the lease for Benson’s Hotel, a waterfront pub with letting bedrooms in the heart of Llangollen, Denbighshire. Located on Bridge Street on the banks of the River Dee, Bensons Hotel has been run by owners John and Veronica Davies for nearly 40 years and currently operates as a comfortable and eclectic bar with a spacious waterside beer garden, open from late morning to late evening. The characterful two-storey property has riparian fishing rights and overlooks the famous bridge and weir. The property is on the market as John…

Cosmeston Lake Aqua Park welcomed more than 10,000 visitors before its two-month trial wrapped up in September. As part of the trial, which ended on September 15, the Aqua Park created 30 jobs, providing valuable seasonal employment for local residents and young people in the area and an economic and community boost to Cosmeston Lakes Country Park and the wider Vale of Glamorgan. It also drove increased footfall and spending across the park, supporting more varied activities and properly supervised use of the water in the eastern lake and an increase in visitor numbers. In addition to recreational fun, the Aqua Park…

A south Wales legal business providing specialist advice to clients across the UK has grown its operations, thanks to a £50,000 micro loan from the Development Bank of Wales. Based in Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, Tree Law provides advice to private clients, housing associations, insurance providers, developers and local authorities on legal issues relating to trees, including environmental regulations, invasive species and Tree Protection Orders. It is the UK’s only legal business which specialises only in advice and disputes involving trees. The £50,000 micro loan from the Wales Flexible Investment Fund has allowed Tree Law to take on…

A brand-new initiative will bring together tradition, community and celebration later this month with the introduction of a new county-wide Harvest Festival. The Harvest Celebration is a joint venture between Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society and Pembrokeshire YFC, which will be held in the most awe-inspiring venue of the county – St David’s Cathedral. The Harvest Celebration will be held at 7pm on Monday, 27 October and it will be more than a church service, it will be a moment to reflect, reconnect and rejoice in everything that makes Pembrokeshire’s farming community so special. Tim & Margaret Johns, Presidents of the Pembrokeshire…

Fly-tipping Action Wales has unveiled a powerful new community mural to mark the launch of its first-ever Fly-tipping Awareness Week (October 13–17). The mural designed by Year 5 pupils from Ysgol Melin and brought to life with the help of acclaimed Welsh portrait artist Nathan Wyburn — transforms a once-ordinary wall near the school into a striking reminder of how fly-tipping affects communities across Wales. In a hands-on workshop, the young artists joined Nathan and representatives from Neath Port Talbot Council to discuss the causes and consequences of fly-tipping, sharing their own ideas for keeping their neighbourhoods clean and welcoming.…

The search for life on Mars takes a leap forward today, as a key instrument for a major space mission begins its journey from Aberystwyth University to Italy for testing. The infrared spectrometer, named Enfys, will be a part of the suite of remote sensing instruments onboard the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin Rover. The Rosalind Franklin Rover is part of the European Space Agency’s ExoMars programme and Europe’s first Mars rover. Designed to be operated remotely across the planet’s rugged terrain, it will drill up to two metres beneath the surface to analyse samples for organic compounds and biomarkers – potential…