Author: Rhys Gregory

Ex Wales rugby player Sam Davies and his semi-professional footballer fiancé Elianna Chavez have selected Hensol Castle Distillery as the Consulting Distillery partner for the launch of their new brand of gin, Toca Vida. With so much financial uncertainty facing topflight rugby professionals, many, like Sam, are being forced to consider life after their sport far earlier in their careers than ever before. Sam and Elianna have designed and created their own gin recipe and brand that mirrors their story of being together and join the likes of Alun Wyn Jones, Shane Williams and Mike Phillips who have all launched…

The Vale Resort has been appointed the Official Hotel of The 2023 Senior Open Presented by Rolex, which takes place at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club, Bridgend, Wales, from July 27-30. The luxury hotel, nestled within a 650-acre private estate in the beautiful Welsh countryside, consists of 143 elegant rooms, with some offering spectacular balcony views across the Vale of Glamorgan. The Vale Resort has become one of the UK’s most desirable golf and leisure break destinations due to the two Championship Golf courses on-site, while also treating guests to an award-winning restaurant, exceptional sporting facilities and Wales’ largest spa. As…

An 11-year-old schoolboy with autism who has become TV’s most wanted farming expert has received a helping hand from Europe’s top trailer maker. Joe Trofer-Cook, from Billinghay, Lincoln, was miserable at school and finding learning a real battle when he decided to pursue his dream of becoming a farmer and has now  built a thriving livestock enterprise from scratch. The youngster, who was seven at the time and had been diagnosed with autism, dyslexia, memory problems and severe anxiety, began growing fruit and vegetables from a raised bed his granddad built and sold the produce from trolleys at the end…

Face-to-face banking is returning to a North Wales town next month after more than ten years thanks to a partnership between a leading North Wales social enterprise group and a credit union. South Denbighshire Community Partnership’s Canolfan Ni headquarters in Corwen will play host to the Cambrian Credit Union’s new three-days a week service in the town. There will be a special event to mark the opening of the service at Canolfan Ni on Friday, June 30, to which Clwyd South’s three constituency representatives, Senedd Members Ken Skates and Llyr Gruffydd and Simon Baines MP, have been invited. The new…

National Trust Cymru share a whole host of events and activities for families this summer Explore vast Welsh castles, get stuck in with Summer of Play activities, or let off steam in natural play areas with National Trust Cymru this summer. With fun-filled activities and exciting events, there are plenty of great family days out to be had in Wales this summer. What’s more, Starling Bank are sponsoring the conservation charity’s Summer of Play offer, meaning some places have new and exciting activities. At Chirk Castle in north Wales, families can expect a giant straw bale castle where children can…

Cardiff will see the stars descend this summer as Samantha Womack, Michael Praed, Faye Tozer, Les Dennis and Nicole-Lily Baisden will be starring in 42nd Street when the show visits Wales Millennium Centre in August 2023 on a UK and Ireland tour. Well-known entertainer Les Dennis will be playing the role of Bert Barry. Les is best-known for presenting Family Fortunes and has starred in multiple TV shows including Death In Paradise, Coronation Street, Holby City, and Hotel Babylon. His theatre credits are equally impressive, as they include Only Fools & Horses The Musical (Theatre Royal Haymarket), HMS Pinafore (ENO),…

From September 2023, approximately 1600 primary school pupils starting Year 3 will be offered a free school meal. The offer, which coincides with the start of the new academic school year, follows the previous roll-out of free school meals to Reception pupils in September 2022, and to Year 1 and Year 2 pupils in April this year. Over 4600 pupils in the county borough are now entitled to a universal primary free school meal, and it is hoped that the offer will be extended to Nursery school pupils in January 2024, Year 4 pupils in April 2024, and to Year…

Sport Pembrokeshire and Crossfit Pembrokeshire joined together recently to hold the School Crossfit Games for pupils in local primary and secondary schools. Eleven primary schools and six secondary schools in Pembrokeshire took part, with year groups ranging from Year 5 through to Year 10. Crossfit is a mix of strength, gymnastics and cardio and the participants performed a range of exercises. The workouts were solo and pupils also had to work as a team. “It was an amazing turnout and really nice to create a positive experience within a new activity,” said Georgia Osborne Davies from Sport Pembrokeshire. This event…

Public Health Wales, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board and Newport City Council are investigating a single case of tuberculosis (TB) in an individual associated with The John Frost School in Newport. As a precaution all pupils and teachers who had contact with the individual will be offered screening for TB. There is nothing to suggest that the case contracted TB at the school, rather they have attended the premises when they unknowingly had the infection. No outbreak has been declared. James Adamson, Acting Consultant in Health Protection at Public Health Wales and chair of the multi-agency incident management team said:…

Caerphilly County Borough Council wants your views on our Draft Flood Risk Management Strategy. The council first published a Local Flood Risk Management Strategy (LFMRS) in 2013. They are now looking to update the strategy in line with the changes to the national strategy, new legislation and guidance and lessons learnt over the past 10 years. This feedback will help the council in drafting a revised Local Flood Risk Management Strategy and will consult further on the revised draft in the autumn 2023. The strategy only deals with local flood risk which is defined in the act as being a…