Author: Rhys Gregory

A man who assaulted another man near The Arch nightclub in Neath on 15th July 2022 has been sentenced to life in prison, with 18 years minimum term, for murder. Daniel Pickering, aged 34, appeared at Swansea Crown Court on Monday 13th February, where he was sentenced for the murder of Matthew Thomas, aged 47 from Neath. Senior Investigating Officer DCI Mark Lewis said: “Daniel Pickering’s violent attack on Matthew was senseless and unprovoked and is another example of how the over consumption of alcohol and Class A drugs stimulates aggressive behaviour – resulting in tragic consequences for innocent victims…

A 91-year-old retired dairy farmer from North Wales is back on his tractor and enjoying five mile hikes after undergoing pioneering robotic surgery. Great-grandfather Owen John Thomas, from Holyhead, Anglesey, was one of the first patients to have a knee replaced using the ROSA® Knee (RObotic Surgical Assistant) system at the private Spire Murrayfield hospital, Wirral, carried out by consultant hip and knee surgeon Mr Muthu Ganapathi, from Colwyn Bay. The hospital is the first in the Wirral and Liverpool area to offer the cutting-edge robotic technology which helps surgeons plan and perform personalised bone cuts so they can fit…

A £500,000 appeal has been launched to save one of Wales’s most famous hotels and transform it into a community enterprise. The Owain Glyndwr Hotel – site of the first National Eisteddfod – stands on Corwen’s London Road, the historic A5 from London to Holyhead, which has carried Roman Legions, horse-drawn mail coaches, Irish MPs and holidaymakers for almost 2,000 years. The Corwen Partnership has been formed to raise enough money from a share issue to buy the Grade Two-listed building in the town centre and invest a further £200,000 in updating the property. In a race against time they…

One of North Wales’s longest-established law firms has just recruited four new legal eagles as it continues to expand. Swayne Johnson, which has a base in St Asaph and offices across North Wales and into Cheshire, can trace its origins back to the beginning of the 19th century but is also one of the fastest growing firms of solicitors in the region. It is also notable for the number of women it employs among a staff of over 50 from Managing Director Sarah Noton down and for the breadth of its legal expertise which include two of only three Court…

More babies in Wales will benefit from the arrival of a new electric vehicle to support donor milk collections. Last year Swansea University and Swansea Bay University Health Board announced a partnership with the Human Milk Foundation that saw a donor milk hub set up in Wales for the first time. The hub, located in Swansea’s Singleton Hospital, allows more sick and premature babies in the region to receive donor milk in neonatal intensive care units, and enables local women to donate their surplus milk, many of whom have not been able to do so previously. Now the service is…

Browns Cardiff opened its doors to guests on Monday 13th February, making it the first Browns to open in Wales! Opening just in time for Valentine’s Day and boasting a prime location in the heart of the city centre, the stunning new brasserie & bar offers relaxed yet sophisticated drinking and dining within the Cardiff Marriot Hotel, including a large outdoor terrace ready for the warmer months. Taking inspiration from the 1920s, the new interior features art deco styling, luxurious furnishings and opulent finishes, providing a simply stunning backdrop to enjoy the delicious brasserie menu, extensive cocktail list, and fine…

American burger brand Five Guys, famed for its delicious and mouth-watering, made-to-order burgers and hot dogs, generous fries and irresistible milkshakes, is set to open a new restaurant in 2023, located inside the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Bridgend. Five Guys boasts customisation across the brand, with over 250,000 possible burger order combinations and over 1,000 ways to customise your milkshake, so there is bound to be something for everyone, making it one of the most highly-anticipated restaurant openings in Wales in the new year! Founded in Virginia in 1986 and launched in the UK in 2013 in London’s Covent Garden, the American-diner…

This Spring half term, households across Wales can collect a tree, free of charge, as part of a Welsh Government giveaway to tackle the effects of climate change and create a National Forest for Wales. As part of the popular My Tree Our Forest initiative, over 60 collection hubs facilitated by Coed Cadw, the Woodland Trust in Wales, are set to open their doors to the public from 20th February until 31st March 2023. Brand new hubs will open across Wales, with new additions in Newtown, Llandrindod Wells, Conwy, Risca and more to keep up with demand. So far, the…

Moneypenny, a global leader of call answering and live chat services with offices in the UK and US has appointed a new Group Chief People Officer, Fiona Armstrong. Fiona brings a wealth of experience from a career in large scale people leadership roles; most notably LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) and The LCap Group. Fiona’s expertise lies in leading the people agenda and she is passionate about supporting globally based diverse teams full of fantastic talent. Her role at Moneypenny will be all encompassing with a focus on attracting, developing and retaining the talented and diverse individuals who make Moneypenny what it is…

Great Point Media, the diversified London-based media group that has invested more than £500 million into the creative industries worldwide, is collaborating with Fields Park, US-based Volume Global and Media Cymru, a consortium of creative and educational institutions in South Wales to build a world-class virtual production hub at Great Point Seren Studios in Cardiff. In addition to hosting full-scale film and high-end television projects from across the UK and internationally, the facility will comprise a virtual production research and training academy in collaboration with Media Cymru aimed at continuing to develop the region into a thriving global hub for…