Author: Rhys Gregory

Nearly one in five older people in Wales (18%) say public transport is a challenge for them, according to Age Cymru’s fourth annual What matters to you? survey of almost 1200 older people across Wales. Crucially, respondents said reduced or unreliable services impacted on their ability to attend health appointments, especially those with mobility issues. One respondent told us “I don’t know how to get to my hospital appointments because I no longer drive, and there are only two buses from my village a day.” Older people in both rural and urban areas in equal measure report experiencing cuts to bus…

As Wales take on the Barbarians at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Saturday 4th November, Cardiff Bus is alerting customers to city centre diversions. There will be changes to usual bus stop locations and road closures which are set to come into force between 10:30 and 19:00. Services 13, 17, 18, 25, 61, 62, and 63 will start and end at Fitzhamon Embankment. Services 4, 92, 94, 95 and 96 will start and end at Tudor Street. Service 9 will be split at the city center to operate in two sections, Sports Village to the City Centre and City Centre to…

An iconic folk singer and Welsh nationalist claims an agent provocateur tried to lure him into a fake plot to assassinate King Charles when he was the Prince of Wales. Dafydd Iwan, who celebrated his 80th birthday over the summer, makes the startling revelation in his new autobiography, Dafydd Iwan: Still Singing Yma o Hyd, that’s due to be launched on November 9. He says the bizarre incident happened during the run-up to the investiture of the then Prince of Wales, now King Charles, at Caernarfon Castle in July 1969 when his  satirical song, “Carlo” (Charles) was riding high in…

More than a third (35%) of job vacancies in Wales were hard to fill in 2022* due to the quality of applicants and skills shortages, affecting 10% of all businesses, according to new analysis from the CIPD. The new CIPD report Devolution and evolution in UK skills policy: Finding common ground across the four nations, explores skills policy of the four UK nations, with a particular focus on UK apprenticeship systems and their outcomes. It shows that over the course of six years, skills shortages have now more than doubled in Wales from 9,000 in 2017 to 20,600 in 2022,…

An Ogmore Valley community group is further equipped to continue its great work in cleaning up the valley after receiving funding from local energy company, Pennant Walters. Ogmore Valley Priide received £7,000 which has been put to good use in purchasing a large storage unit and further equipment, to aid the group of local volunteers as they work tirelessly to carry out clean up operations including litter picking, river cleaning, grass cutting and planting flowers and bulbs in green areas. The funding from Pennant Walters is from a fund linked to the construction of the new, but standalone, Pant y…

The Wales Coast Path is well known for its 870 miles of rugged coastline, sandy beaches, and epic views over the waves — but did you know that it’s also teeming with spooky stories? As the autumnal winds whisper through Wales’ coastal cliffs, adventure seekers; history enthusiasts; and those with a penchant for the paranormal are invited to see the Path in a new light. And what better time to do so than Halloween? Read on to discover 7 terrifying tales of those who walked the Path before us… If you dare! 1. The Reverend of Rhossili’s Old Rectory Perched…

Businesses in Wales are being advised to prepare for the new requirements under the Welsh Government’s new Workplace Recycling Wales laws, which come into force in April 2024. Recycling experts discussed the upcoming changes in one of a series of roundtable discussions being held online in the run-up to the Green Economy Conference and Exhibition, which will take place at Swansea Arena on November 22. Explaining the laws, Andy Rees from the Welsh Government said they will impact all non-domestic premises in Wales, requiring them to separate out their waste recyclables. Unsold items such as electrical equipment and textiles also…

Over 60,000 meters of Overhead Line Equipment (OLE) has now been energised across the whole South Wales Metro rail network. The South Wales Metro will provide more rail services and make it easier for people to travel in the region.  Brand-new Citylink Class 398 tram-trains are already in test on Metro routes and the £100 million Metro Depot at Taff’s Well is near completion. Karl Gilmore Rail Infrastructure Director at TfW said: “This is yet another key milestone in the transformation work of our core valley lines as we continue to progress in delivering the South Wales Metro It’s really…

On Friday, officers conducted a warrant at a unit in Treforest Industrial Estate, following thermal images from a police drone which led to the warrant. Four men were found inside the unit, and they attempted to hide in the attic but were found and detained by the officers with the help of a police dog. The warehouse had been converted into two large rooms which contained 956 cannabis plants, and further rooms had been converted in preparation of having more cannabis plants. The estimated value of the plants was over £1 million. All four men have been charged and remanded…

Watch the moment an armed robber entered a bookmakers and threatened the cashier with an 8-inch blade. Anton Jones has since been jailed for eleven and a half years after the incident at the Betfred shop in Merthyr Tydfil town centre. In April, Jones, 46, entered the shop, concealing his face with a balaclava and an eight-inch bread knife hidden in his jacket sleeve. He deliberately didn’t speak whilst demanding money from the staff as he was a regular customer in the shop, and the staff on duty would have readily recognised his voice. He stole around £600. Following extensive…