Author: Rhys Gregory

Lesley Joseph has joined the cast of the Olivier-Award nominated Sister Act The Musical, which will be bringing divine comedy to Wales Millennium Centre when it visits Cardiff from 13-18 November on its tour of the UK and Ireland. Television and stage star Lesley Joseph will be playing Mother Superior. Lesley’s theatre credits include playing Miss Hannigan in Annie, her Olivier Award nominated performance as Frau Blucher in Young Frankenstein, as well as performing in Calendar Girls and Hot Flush!. Lesley is best known for playing Dorien Green in the hugely successful sitcom Birds of a Feather.  She has also…

RSPCA Cymru is appealing for information after a cat and her three young kittens were found dumped in a carrier bag outside a Cardiff vets. The four cats were left inside a freezer insulated Asda carrier bag yesterday (18 September) outside a vets in Ely. The kittens – aged around five to six weeks – and their mum have now been transferred into the care of the RSPCA and have been taken to the RSPCA Merthyr Tydfil Veterinary Clinic for a full health check. The kittens have affectionately been named Snap, Crackle and Pop – and their mum has been…

Film fans and their new bundles of joy can grab tickets for just £5.50 at Showcase Cinemas nationwide at its special Baby Cinema screenings. The screenings, which take place every Tuesday and Thursday at 10am, give parents and guardians the chance to experience the latest blockbusters in an environment comfortable for their newborns.  To create the perfect atmosphere for a baby, adjustments are made to the screenings which include soft lighting levels, lowered film volumes, a dedicated area for prams and free movement around the auditorium.  Jon Dixon, UK Marketing Director at Showcase Cinemas, said: “We want to make sure…

UWTSD is known for celebrating creative talent and last Thursday evening they showcased the next generation of creatives. The University welcomed pupils from Gowerton and Bishop Gore Comprehensives, Coleg Gwent, St Clare’s Porthcawl, Ysgol Gyfun Bryntawe, Dylan Thomas and Ysgol Dyffryn Aman schools to take part in a series of events for Swansea’s Got Textiles Talent – giving them a unique opportunity to look ahead if they choose to continue studying Textiles and Surface Pattern at HE. There were opportunities to tour the department, engage with current and past students, view a curated Exhibition of other Secondary students’ fantastic work…

The golden voice of singing care worker Karl Bohana has been hailed as “tonic for the soul”. According to Karl, 38, who works at Pendine Park’s Bryn Seiont Newydd in Caernarfon, he always wakes up every morning with a song in his heart. As well as providing day to day care, he delights the residents by singing their favourite songs. Karl said: “I’ll sing in the morning and on my way to work and then sing all day with the residents here. I love working at Bryn Seiont Newydd because I know I can make a difference to the people…

The Welsh Secretary says that driving a lorry for the family firm helped put him on the road to success as he called for more on-the-job training for school leavers. David TC Davies MP told business leaders in North Wales that past governments got it “completely wrong” when they turned their backs on industrial and business apprenticeships to focus on encouraging the majority of young people to enrol on university degree courses. Speaking at a meeting of the Wrexham Business Professionals group, he said apprenticeships offered an unparalleled opportunity for them to learn from those who are already running businesses.…

Bridgend County Borough Council will shortly be going out to tender to source a provider to run the new Welsh-medium childcare facility, based in Bettws. The new Welsh-medium hub, built on the former Boys and Girls Club site in Bettws, is part of a £2.8m investment into Welsh-medium childcare, which also involves establishing facilities at Blackmill, Bridgend and Porthcawl. The provision will offer 16 Welsh-medium childcare places, plus six places for younger children aged up to two years. As the provision develops, out-of-school childcare may also become available, and the facility will operate for up to 51 weeks of the…

Volunteers who promote the heritage of a former centre of Swansea industry plan a big weekend for the public. The Friends of Hafod Morfa Copperworks will be taking part in the Cadw Open Doors scheme on September 23 and 24 – with free public tours. Swansea Council is supporting the event by opening up the doors of two engine houses it helped save in recent years. Friends chairman Tom Henderson said: “This weekend is a unique opportunity to get up and close to two rare survivors of Swansea’s once vast copper industry.” Council cabinet member Robert Francis-Davies said: “Our intention is…

An initial phase of work is now underway to provide additional support to a bridge in Stanleytown, which carries Llanwonno Road over the community route. Temporary traffic lights had already been placed on the bridge to mitigate vehicle loading. They were installed following an inspection earlier this year, which found the bridge has significant defects. Work that started on Monday, September 18, has begun preparations to install a propping system to the under-side of the bridge. Contractor Hammonds (ECS) Ltd will be on site for around two weeks to firstly construct a new footpath beneath the bridge, and then to…

Newport City Council is offering more financial assistance to local businesses thanks to funding from the UK government’s shared prosperity fund, part of its levelling up agenda. For several years, the council has given grants to small and medium-sized businesses in the city to help with start-up and other costs and this is continuing. However, the new accelerated growth grants programme will build on what has been a very successful scheme by offering grants of between £25,000 and £75,000 towards capital investment. Councillor Jane Mudd, leader of Newport City Council, said: “Our ambitious vision for the city’s growth and development…