Author: Rhys Gregory

A local housebuilder has launched its latest public consultation for its proposed development in Pontarddulais. Persimmon Homes West Wales plans to construct 516 zero-carbon ready homes for local people on land south of Glanffrwd Road. The no-gas site will feature one-bedroom apartments to four-bedroom houses, which will be powered by air-source heat pumps and solar panels. A number of properties will also be transferred to a housing association partner. As part of its extensive engagement with the local community, the developer is inviting the public to review and feedback on the plans before they are submitted to the local planning…

A freelance community has launched a petition to ban the nine-to-five in a bid to amplify a national conversation on a more modern view of working life. Over 12,000 people from across the UK have signed the petition so far and the community behind it believe that this is just the beginning. Karl Swanepoel, the Founder of the Caerphilly-based freelance marketplace Revolancer who launched the petition, said the aim was to set a marker to focus the conversation on the growing issue of work. Karl said: “We need to redefine self-employment from an ‘alternative way of working’ and help people…

A Barry family is getting ready to glow up – literally! – and have some spooktacular fun for Tŷ Hafan Children’s Hospice and is urging others to do the same.  The Spence family have been supported by Tŷ Hafan ever since 2009 after son David, 15, was diagnosed with a serious congenital heart condition.  Mum Kerry says that without the help of the iconic Welsh hospice charity they would not have been able to cope with the many huge challenges that they face every day thanks to David’s condition.   Now they are getting ready to do Tŷ Hafan’s new Barry Island Dark Run on Friday 13 October to raise vital funds for the hospice and are encouraging as many…

Aberglasney is set to host the Dragon Bonsai Autumn Show next month. The two-day event will include everything from advice to equipment for Bonsai tree enthusiasts and admirers. The event will be held on Saturday and Sunday, 7 and 8 October 2023. The organisers, Dragon Bonsai Club, hope those with an interest in Bonsai trees, as well as those looking to have a Bonsai tree, will attend the free event. There will be a Bonsai Tree Show and Bonsai trees for sale, as well as Bonsai tools and wire etc. One of Dragon Bonsai club members is a very talented…

Having successfully raised money for mental health charity Mind back in 2021, with a free pizza extravaganza, the guys behind Tin Can Kitchen are back with not one, but two free-food giveaways. On Tuesday, October 10th, Tin Can Kitchen will run a dual cook-off, handing out free food at their kitchens in Newport and Cwmbran. Situated just behind What! Stores on Llantarnam Road, staff at Tin Can Kitchen Cwmbran will hand out free cheeseburgers and fries; at the same time, staff at Tin Can Kitchen Newport will hand out free 9” margherita and vegan margherita pizzas.  Both giveaways will run from…

An animated film created from the medium of sand is hoping to scoop an award at the upcoming Welsh BAFTAs. Inner Polar Bear, a parable on the dangers of global warming, was created by Cardiff- based artist Gerald Conn and has been nominated in the Best Short Film category at the gala event in October. Previous BAFTA winner Gerald, whose films have been broadcast on national television and shown at numerous international festivals, is a leading figure in the innovative technique of using sand to create graphic images rather than the more traditional methods of sketched or model-based animation. He embarked…

Green Man, Wales’ largest music, science and arts festival, has sold all of its tickets for the 2024 festival in just over two hours, breaking its record sales last year. Now in its 22nd year, it is the first 2024 UK festival to have sold out in record time, without releasing its line-up. Tickets to the 25,000 capacity a day festival tickets went on sale at 10am on Saturday (30th September) and promptly sold out just after midday. The 2024 festival takes place from 15th to 18th August 2024 in the Black Mountains, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park in Wales. Fiona…

Stars of the stage and small screen will be joining the cast of the award-winning Bonnie & Clyde The Musical when it embarks on its first-ever UK and Ireland tour, bringing hell-raising thrills to Wales Millennium Centre next spring.   Coronation Street and Strictly Come Dancing star Catherine Tyldesley will be making her musical theatre debut in the role of Blanche Barrow. Alex James-Hatton (star of Heathers and Newsies) will be playing the role of Clyde Barrow. After wowing audiences in the West End and International Tour of Bat Out of Hell, Katie Tonkinson will play Bonnie Parker.    They will be…

Hay Festival Winter Weekend brings writers and readers together for a year-end wonderland of in-person events, 23–26 November. Over four days, more than 70 acclaimed writers and performers take part in over 60 events, launching the best new fiction and non-fiction, offering creative solutions to some of the biggest challenges of our time, and spreading festive joy in conversations, candle-lit storytelling, comedy, music, and workshops. Now in its 24th year, events will take place in a new 350-seater marquee in the grounds of Hay Castle, tripling the event’s previous capacity. Additional events will also take place in the Castle’s Clore…

Between sea and mountain in north Pembrokeshire, Wales’s largest youth organisation, Urdd Gobaith Cymru is celebrating the opening of its fourth Residential Centre. The first of its kind in Wales, Pentre Ifan Environmental and Wellbeing Residential Centre will prioritise the environment, the emotional wellbeing of young people and the Welsh language in one magical residential experience. Digital detox retreat Pentre Ifan Residential Centre will be a digital detox retreat for 8,000 youngsters annually, and a place for them to prioritise their wellbeing, connect with the environment, and experience a more sustainable lifestyle. The idea behind the development came following a…