Author: Rhys Gregory

The first all-new and complete carriage built for Talyllyn Railway in 156 years has arrived in Tywyn, on the Mid Wales coast. Carriage No.24 was built by the neighbouring Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway’s Boston Lodge works, funded by a grant from the Welsh Government’s Coastal Communities Fund and Talyllyn Railway’s legacy income. Although similar to the railway’s existing bogie carriages, No.24 is a new configuration, with accommodation for first and third class passengers, including a wheelchair accessible compartment. Carriage No.24 will undergo testing before entering service. Two more new carriages, now under construction at Boston Lodge, will follow in…

The first phase of The Grove, comprising of 42 homes, is now complete thanks to £5m in funding provided by Principality Commercial. Based in Llanfoist village on the outskirts of Abergavenny, the site has been developed by Candleston, a subsidiary of Melin Homes housing association. When all three phases are complete the development will provide 69 homes for open market sale which are eligible for Help to Buy Wales and 37 homes which will be offered as affordable housing for local communities. Finished to a modern and high quality standard, the housing will range from two to five bedroom properties,…

When Swansea-based Gower Chemicals reviewed its materials handling requirements, all the prospective suppliers reached the same conclusion. Except one. Instead of suggesting replacing like with like, and specifying a fleet of diesel counterbalance trucks, the region’s leading independent dealership SWIE-Lift presented a compelling case for switching to electric. It was a major decision. For more than 30 years this UK leader in the processing and blending of sulphuric acids industrial chemicals had been running diesel-powered trucks. What persuaded Gower to make the switch? It was on the strength of impressively powerful performance and strikingly low long-term running costs that the…

A pioneering scientific study has shown that the effects of multiple concussions in rugby players continue to have an impact on their brain even in retirement. Led by a team of researchers at the Neurovascular Research Laboratory, University of South Wales, the study examined the impact of recurrent concussions sustained over two decades of playing rugby union. The findings, published in ‘Experimental Physiology’, shed light on the persistent symptoms of concussion experienced by retired players and their impaired cognitive abilities, which may increase their vulnerability to dementia later in life. In this groundbreaking study, researchers compared retired rugby players with…

They may be man’s best friend – but sadly cruelty towards dogs increased by 10% in Wales last year, new figures released by RSPCA Cymru reveal. In 2022, there were 3,379 reports made to the RSPCA in the area about cruelty to dogs, compared with 3,065 in 2021. The heartbreaking figures include reports made about intentional harm, neglect and abandonments. Shockingly, there were 579 reports of intentional harm to dogs in 2022, while there were 45 abandonment reports, 81 reports concerning illegal activity and 1,922 reports relating to neglect. In 2022, across Wales, the most calls for dogs came in…

Isuzu UK is thrilled to announce that renowned Welsh rugby player Shane Williams has once again chosen the Isuzu D-Max as his vehicle of choice, opting for the prestigious top-of-the-range V-Cross version for the seventh consecutive year. This exciting partnership highlights the shared values of toughness, reliability, and a relentless pursuit of excellence that both Isuzu and Shane Williams embody. Shane Williams, MBE, a true icon in the world of rugby, has consistently demonstrated his dedication, strength, and determination on the field, earning him a place among the sport’s legends. Williams is Wales’ record try scorer in Six Nations Championships…

A 20-year-old from Tredegar encouraged by his grandfather to become an electrician is inspiring his now-retired relative with his innovative work in the green industry. Caethan Griffin is a Level 3 Electrical Apprentice at Melin Homes. He was encouraged by Grandad Jack to follow in his footsteps and consider a career as a ‘sparky’. Now Caethan is rolling up his sleeves, getting stuck into hands-on work, and says his apprenticeship with the registered social landlord allows him to work on net zero projects. The electrical industry is undergoing a huge transformation as the Welsh Government strives towards meeting its Net…

A Welsh family owned housebuilding and manufacturing group has increased its production capacity with a new state of the art concrete block making plant thanks to a seven figure funding package from HSBC UK. W.D. Lewis, based in Aberdare, is using the new plant to increase the efficiency and capacity of its concrete product business. The plant has the capacity for 27,000 blocks per day and is a major investment in the future of concrete product manufacturing in South Wales. The business’s client base includes residential developers such as Barratt Homes and Bellway Homes, and has supplied its products to…

Lawyers at national law firm Clarke Willmott LLP have advised South Wales-based Tai Calon Community Housing on a £105 million long-term debt refinancing with NatWest Group. The social housing provider, which is based in Blaina, says the new funding ushers in a new era of growth that means it can embark on a full-scale development programme to construct new affordable homes for those in need across the county of Blaenau Gwent. It allows Tai Calon to access a level of funding flexibility to support its future development plans. Until now, the organisation had been limited to more modest development schemes.…

Macmillan Cancer Support has warned that Wales’ cancer care system is failing patients, as performance against targets falls to the second lowest on record. The charity says that data published today for June shows that only 53.4% of people with cancer started their treatment on time – leaving over 870 people to face delays in their treatment during just one month alone. Macmillan is also warning that people with certain forms of cancer are not receiving equal access to timely treatment, and that cancer treatment waiting times performance for those cancers remains worryingly low. The latest data shows that as…