Author: Rhys Gregory

Megan Allpress, 26, and her mother Amanda Shehab, 56, are sailing almost 5,000 nautical miles to Australia from Cape Town on the third leg of their circumnavigation. Megan, a materials engineer from Cumbria, and Amanda, a retired company director from Wrexham, are currently sailing around the world on the Clipper Race, an event that trains people from all walks of life to race across the world’s oceans on board a 70ft racing yacht. Amanda and Megan are taking on this huge adventure together to fulfil a dream that Amanda had with her late-husband to sail around the world- the pair…

With the launch of the Balchder Bro programme this week, there is an opportunity for groups across the island to apply for practical support to promote and deliver community projects. Led by social enterprise Menter Môn, the aim is to give people the confidence to come forward with plans that celebrate what makes their area unique. Funded by UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, the focus will be on celebrating the Welsh language and Anglesey’s distinct identity through projects that will foster local pride. Elen Hughes has recently been appointed as Project Director with Menter Môn, she explains: “Working for the…

MUMBLES will welcome a new opticians to its High Street as local owners invest £420,000 in a Specsavers store. The store, which is opening on Monday 27 November at 10 Newton Road, will be spearheaded by Chris Jones, Lyndsay Hewitt and Dr. Philip Jones, who are also directors of the Swansea Kingsway Specsavers store. The 12-strong team will include four local new hires – Carys Abood, Fiona Stone, Mandy Evans, and Catherine West, who were all born and raised in the area. The store will have three optical test rooms, including state-of-the-art hospital grade technology, such as an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) machine, which can…

Wales’ premiere alcohol-free craft brewery, Drop Bear Beer Co., is embarking on a significant fundraising campaign to secure £700,000 in a Convertible Loan Note round. The lead investor for this round is Henry Engelhardt’s Wrightwood Investments, marking a pivotal moment for the company with a total of £2.1 million raised to date. Drop Bear Beer Co. has been a trailblazer in the alcohol-free beer market, outpacing competitors with rapid growth four times faster than the industry average. The company’s success is attributed to its unique positioning, blending Welsh and Australian influences, and a commitment to producing high-quality, carbon-neutral, vegan, low-calorie,…

With just a week to go until the showground in Llanelwedd is once again full of visitors, exhibitors and superb livestock, The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society is looking forward to welcoming returning Winter Fair enthusiasts back to the Royal Welsh Showground. This year’s Winter Fair will be officially opened by Abi Reader on the first day of the event (Monday 27th November). The current NFU Cymru Deputy President, Abi Reader is a third generation mixed farmer, farming in partnership with her parents and uncle in Wenvoe just outside Cardiff. Goldsland Farm is home to 200 milking cows, 150 sheep, 90…

All scheduled work to repair the Gelligaled Park footbridge in Ystrad has now been completed by the Council. The scheme has future-proofed the structure to maintain this important local link between Pontrhondda Avenue and Gelligaled Park. The footbridge was damaged due to Storm Dennis and also required a series of emergency repairs last year after further extensive damage was found during an inspection. Those works have been followed by a scheduled repair and maintenance scheme in 2023 – overall, the work has included steelwork repairs, protective painting, masonry repairs and the installation of a new parapet system. A defective wingwall…

Work to improve active travel provision on Severn Road, in Welshpool is due to begin on Monday 27 November. Identified on the Active Travel Network Maps (ATNM) by the community, this route would form the first phase of a wider project to create a local active travel network – enabling more journeys to be undertaken by foot or bicycle within the town. The route will run along the north side of Severn Road, from the train station to the bridge over the canal. As part of the project the existing path will be widened to become a shared use path…

A consultation will open on 21 November on changing the school calendar, so breaks are spread out more evenly, including a 2-week half term autumn break. The current school calendar means that the autumn term is longer than others. Research suggests this term is tiring and challenging for learners and staff, as more teaching is squeezed into this term than any other. The number of days of school holidays and teaching days will not change. Some pupils, especially those from financially disadvantaged backgrounds and those with Additional Learning Needs (ALN), find it difficult to get back to learning after long…

Pembrokeshire County Council is delighted to have received confirmation that a major regeneration project for Pembroke is to receive multi-million pound funding from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund. The UK Government has provisionally confirmed funding of up to £10.54m for the Westgate to Eastgate: Levelling Up Pembroke Town project which aims to support economic and social activity across the town, famous for its imposing medieval castle, birthplace of Henry Tudor. The project includes enhancement to the public realm and green infrastructure to improve the experience of people who visit and encourage longer visits. Upgraded pedestrian connections will link Main…

The ‘Carew Castle Express’ has been unveiled to mark the introduction of brand-new Transport for Wales (TfW) trains between Swansea and Carmarthen. Named as part of TfW’s Magnificent Train Journey competition, the name ‘Carew Castle Express’ was chosen by year 5 pupil Rhys Protheroe from Johnstown Primary School in Carmarthen. Rhys and other children from the school were invited to Carmarthen Railway Station today (Thursday 16 November) to see the winning name on the side of one of TfW’s brand new Class 197 trains. The Class 197s have recently been introduced between Swansea and Carmarthen, offering greater capacity and enhanced…