Author: Rhys Gregory

Your sight can be incredibly important. Without it, you may not be able to do your job, or even some of the things you love. While you may think you currently do all you can to look after your eyes, there may be some things that you have missed out. Taking the time to consider how you can better protect your vision could allow you to continue seeing as clearly as possible, even as your eyes start to age. The use of sunglasses While sunglasses may be worn predominantly in the summer, they may have their uses at other times…

Wales’ biggest ever festive lights trail, Christmas at Bute Park, has joined forces with a host of home-grown creatives to make sure its 2022 event shines brighter than ever. Visitors will wander this year’s trail to surround-sound audio created by local young composers, marvel at a host of illuminations made by locally-based lighting designers and makers, and benefit from the very best in Welsh creativity thanks to partnerships forged through the Ignite Cymru scheme. Ignite Cymru is an initiative run by Christmas at Bute Park, with the support of Arts Council of Wales and the Welsh Major Event Unit, to…

The headline NatWest Wales Business Activity Index – a seasonally adjusted index that measures the month-on-month change in the combined output of the region’s manufacturing and service sectors – registered 49.1 at the start of the fourth quarter, up from 47.7 in September. The rate of decline was marginal overall, with firms linking the decrease to weak client demand and economic uncertainty. The pace of contraction eased from September, with firms attributing this to the arrival of delayed inputs and the processing of backlogs of work. Welsh firms recorded a slower fall in output than the UK as a whole.…

The North Wales chair of a prestigious industry body is inviting local company owners and directors to reflect and share advice in preparation for the new year.  The region’s branch of the Institute of Directors (IoD) is hosting a Christmas networking lunch for businesspeople at 17thcentury Bodysgallen Hall in Llandudno.  David Roberts, who is chair of the region’s committee, is encouraging company leaders to attend and experience a refreshing take to networking, while hearing from distinguished business voices in North Wales at the historic site.  With Bodysgallen Hall surrounded by views of Snowdonia National Park and Conwy Castle, David hopes…

All three Fire and Rescue Services in Wales are urging households to remain vigilant and follow lifesaving safety advice after a growing concern for electrical fire safety at home. In the three years to 31st October 2022, Welsh Fire and Rescue Services attended almost a thousand accidental electrical fires in the home. The call for action falls in line with Electrical Fire Safety Week (14 – 20 November 2022), a consumer awareness campaign run by Electrical Safety First in partnership with the Home Office. With worries surrounding the cost of living at the forefront of all our minds, residents may…

The cost-of-living crisis is pushing people affected by terminal illness to “breaking point,” says the end-of-life charity Marie Curie. Calls to its support line from people worried about their finances have increased by over a third since last year, with one in five calls now about the cost-of-living crisis. Nearly 80% of callers surveyed were concerned about whether they or their loved one would be able to keep their home warm this winter. And 61% thought they or their loved one would struggle to pay their energy bills. Nearly two-thirds of callers (65.9%) said they or their terminally ill friend…

Swansea Building Society has announced new sponsorship deals with two local rugby union teams – Swansea RFC (colloquially known as ‘The Whites’) and Swansea University RFC – as it continues its firm commitment to support local sports, community and charitable organisations. Swansea ‘Whites’ was originally established in 1872 as a football club, before the team switched to the rugby code in 1874. A few years later, in 1881, Swansea RFC became one of the founding clubs of the Welsh Rugby Union and has gone on to be four-time Welsh Premier Division Champions. The team was exceptional in its early years,…

A man from Ammanford has been sentenced to two years and eight months in prison after an intelligence-led operation by Tarian, the Regional Organised Crime Unit. Thomas Cannon, aged 32, was already a registered sex offender after being convicted in 2018 for sexual grooming where he attempted to meet a 15-year-old girl. Following his early release from prison, he engaged in sexual conversation online with what he thought was a 13-year-old girl. An investigation was launched between Tarian and Dyfed Powys Police. Cannon was swiftly arrested where he was also found in possession of indecent images of children. Having previously…

The results are in from the Marine Conservation Society’s annual Great British Beach Clean, which took place from 16th – 25th September 2022, and was sponsored by soup brand, Cully & Sully. 561 volunteers took part in 41 events across Welsh beaches. Together, they cleaned and surveyed 4.7km of beaches and collected 316kg of litter.   Taking part in the Great British Beach Clean, volunteers not only clear beaches of litter but help tackle ocean pollution by gathering vital data used by the charity to lobby governments and create change for cleaner seas and a healthier planet.   The charity’s volunteers recorded…

Hay Festival brings five exceptional Young Adult (YA) writers direct to thousands of Year 7-10 school pupils across Wales next year with the free Scribblers Tour, 6-10 February and 13-17 February 2023. Now in its twelfth year, Hay Festival’s Scribblers Tour aims to engage and encourage the next generation in storytelling and conversation, inspiring empathy and creativity. Compèred by YA novelist Jenny Valentine, sessions for Year 7-8 pupils will feature interactive activities with novelist Maz Evans and prize-winning poet Matt Goodfellow, while sessions for Year 9-10 pupils will feature sci-fi writer Femi Fadugba and New York Timesbestselling author Caroline O’Donoghue. Events will be hosted at five Welsh universities…