Author: Rhys Gregory

Wales rugby fans and bus users in Cardiff are being urged to plan their journeys ahead of time as the Six Nations return to the city this weekend. Diversions and road closures are set to come into force on Saturday 4 February from 10:15 until 18:30 as Wales take on Ireland at the Principality Stadium. Diversions will also be in place on Saturday 25 February from 12:45 until 20:45 for the match between Wales and England. Cardiff Bus services running through Cardiff city centre will be affected, and cross city routes will be split. Services 1 and 2 and 7…

The 2023 Welsh Varsity tournament will be returning to Cardiff for the first time since 2019 as student teams from Swansea and Cardiff University go head-to-head in its 25th year. For what is arguably the biggest day on the student calendar, Varsity is a festival of sport which sees students from Swansea University and Cardiff University battle it out in more than 30 sports, including both the men’s and women’s rugby matches which will be played at Cardiff Arms Park. Varsity has been ever-present on the sporting calendar for both Swansea University and Cardiff University since it began in 1997…

Swansea Building Society, with branch offices in Swansea, Mumbles, Carmarthen and Cowbridge, celebrates a milestone 100 years as a mutual during 2023. The Society’s centenary celebrations will include multiple initiatives, events and fundraisers to occur throughout the year, all based around the number 100. The largest of the Society’s centenary initiatives will see it donate £100,000 to local charities. The majority of the funds will be divided between three main charitable causes, which have already been agreed and will be announced by the Society in the coming months. Furthermore, £15,000 will remain for the Society’s Swansea, Carmarthen, and Cowbridge branches…

Construction of a major new office development in Swansea city centre has now reached street level. Developed by Swansea Council, initial building work for two basement floors of the 71/72 Kingsway scheme has been completed, paving the way for construction of three more storeys at street level and above. Bouygues UK are main contractors for the project, which is taking shape at the site where a number of nightclubs were once located. These included Top Rank, Ritzy’s, Time and Envy, and, most recently, Oceana. With construction due for completion by the end of 2023, the development will provide space for…

Two charities providing key support to the people of North East Wales are set to receive donations from a Flintshire manufacturer. A contribution of £1,000 has been made to both the region’s Mind and the Nightingale House Hospice by Synthite, a Mold-based chemical plant. This year marks the third donation Synthite has made to North East Wales Mind and the fifth for Nightingale House Hospice. North East Wales Mind provides services to help people from Wrexham and Flintshire with their mental health, offering activities such as talking therapies, wellbeing walks, social drop-ins, mindfulness, and yoga. Synthite’s donation will go towards…

Wacky composer David Toop doesn’t just think outside the box – he uses one when he’s making music. Cardboard boxes will be among the array of unusual items the acclaimed sound artist will be using at Bangor Music Festival, along with components from hearing aids and old fashioned cassette players. Toop will also be using more conventional instruments like a guitar and flute when he stars at the event, which takes place on February 17 and 18. The theme for this year’s festival, now established as a highlight on Wales’s cultural calendar, is Improvisation. According to co-founder and organiser Guto…

A big hearted TV production company has given all its staff a £500 bonus to help them ride out the cost of living crisis. Caernarfon-based Cwmni Da, which made broadcast history four years ago when it became an employee-owned trust, makes some of the best-loved programmes on S4C. According to operations director Bethan Griffiths, the well-being of the staff was always a major priority for them. The bonus was a way of rewarding the commitment of the 53 people who work there at a time when the price of energy and food was soaring. The company, founded in 1994, had…

This spring, The Angel Hotel in Abergavenny is offering a brand new Gong Bath Break to help tackle the tensions of everyday life. Ideal for reducing stress and anxiety, Gong Baths are the ultimate way to relax as you bathe in the healing vibrations of sound. This ancient deep relaxation technique is known to work on numerous levels and can help balance emotions and support mental health. Led by Chrys Blanchard, a sound healing expert and composer for over 40 years, the 90-minute Gong Bath sessions enable powerful shifts to take place, bringing positive change. Lying down with closed eyes,…

Welsh firm Storage Giant has cut the ribbon on a new high-security self-storage facility in Bridgend, which gives the company a tally of six sites in Wales. The fast-growing company, which is headquartered in Newport, is one of the most impressive business success stories in the country, having started out as a single-facility concern at the onset of recession, in 2007, to becoming the largest independent self-storage firm in the UK. The Bridgend facility offers 47,625 sqft of personal, domestic and business units and 600-plus storage rooms, ranging from 10sq ft to 250sq ft, at South Road, Bridgend Industrial Estate, 25…

Street Food Warehouse are delighted to announce the return of Swansea Street Food Festival to Museum Park (SA1 3NE) for four days of food and drink fuelled fun! Over Easter Weekend, from Friday 7th – Monday 10th April 2023, 30 top street food traders from across Wales and the UK will descend onto the Marina ready to fill you up with some stunning food! This year they’ve got more traders than ever before and are planning to add an entertainment stage with live music and fun for all the family! Swansea Street Food Festival is now into its 5th year!…