Author: Rhys Gregory

The fun of the fair has come to Pembrokeshire – as Folly Farm welcomes six themed lodges for visitors staying at its award-winning Adventure Park and Zoo. Taking inspiration from the resort’s impressive vintage underground funfair, Folly Farm has introduced the rustic “Foresters Lodge” design, from leading park home manufacturer Prestige, to its portfolio of 24 accommodation units. Prestige’s bespoke three-bedroom, open-plan lodges pay tribute to the farm’s vintage fairground, which boasts 17 rides and a traditional Wurlitzer organ, while also complementing the farm’s popular “Showman’s wagon” boutique accommodation. The neutral colour palette, which includes artwork of vintage carousels and…

Careers Wales is calling for former pupils of secondary schools across Wales to register their interest in supporting young people currently at their school. The project has been commissioned to be delivered by national careers service, Careers Wales, as part of the Welsh Government’s Renew and Reform Covid-19 recovery plan. The scheme aims to inspire young people and raise their awareness of the wide range of career opportunities available to them in the local, regional and national job market, as well as the option of self-employment. Alumni provide added value to careers activities, as pupils can engage with former students…

Aberystwyth University researchers are visiting the Antarctic to investigate the way ice shelves break up and can contribute to rising sea levels. Ice shelves are the floating edges of ice sheets – they disintegrate when rifts open and slabs of ice fall off to form icebergs. Current models cannot predict when these rifts in ice shelves occur, how they develop and when the shelves themselves break up. The team’s research will examine how rifts develop quickly through cold, hard ‘meteoric’ ice, but are halted in warmer and softer areas, known as ‘suture zone ice’. The team will camp at three…

Acorn has appointed Nichola Holdship as its People Development Manager in response to continued demand for its services UK-wide. The leading recruiter has created the role to help promote ongoing growth and development within its core team and help ensure the continued support of its valued business clients operating across a wide range of sectors nationwide. Nichola has been tasked with supporting existing and prospective Acorn team members to fulfil their potential and brings with her more than two decades of recruitment industry experience to the role. Formerly a Key Account Manager with South West Water, Nichola started her career…

A wheelchair sports club founded by a former paralympic world record holder is going from strength to strength and attracting members from across North Wales. Now they have been helped in a drive for more young sportspeople by a £2,000 grant for a junior sport wheelchair and a set of kit from the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT). Rhyl Raptors was set up in 2010 by Mike Hayes, born with spina bifida and who competed in the pentathlon at the 1992 Barcelona Paralympics and briefly held the 1500 metres paralympic world record. He said: “I was a pentathlete…

Monmouthshire-based Silver Circle Distillery has launched a new premixed cocktail inspired by the Welsh coast and created by Matthew ‘Welly’ Jones from Lab 22 in Cardiff (winner of Best Cocktail Bar in the UK at the Top 50 Cocktail Bars Awards). Earlier this year, the Lan Y Môr Cocktail won Silver Circle’s Aquavit Cocktail Competition – coming first place in a collection of incredible drinks made by bartenders representing some of the best bars in the country. It’s creator, Welly, said he was ultimately inspired to create an ‘ode to the Welsh coastline’, by combining kelp, samphire, elderflower and dill with Silver Circle’s award-winning Welsh Aquavit (a spirit…

Over the years, many Graphic Design graduates from University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) have secured successful design careers in the field of Sport. However, one achieved his dream job whilst studying… Jac Elsey, currently studying BA (Hons) Graphic Design at Swansea College of Art UWTSD, recently got a job with the Scarlets, a Llanelli-based, nationally renown rugby team. Jac landed a job as Graphic Designer for the Scarlets late last winter, in the middle of his second year at university, and has been able to utilise and apply what he is learning to a business close to his…

Rugby legend Sir Gareth Edwards has joined forces with boutique distillery, The Gower Gin Company, to launch a bespoke gin in celebration of him scoring ‘The Greatest Try’ ever in rugby against the All Blacks 50 years ago. Sir Gareth and his wife Lady Maureen Edwards were already fans of Gower Gin, so when the idea that a special gin could be created as part of the anniversary of ‘The Greatest Try’, they couldn’t wait to get their glasses filled. The Greatest Try London Dry Gin is made with 15 botanicals to represent each member of a rugby team and…

A record number of Welsh women entrepreneurs make up the latest cohort of NatWest’s entrepreneur accelerator in Wales. Sixty-six percent of the cohort, who took-up their places on the programmes last month are women business founders aiming to scale-up their businesses. They include Caerphilly-based motivational speaker and life coach Zoila Garman who is the founder and director of Zyger Fit. Zoila, who was previously a software developer and is based in Caerphilly, joined the Accelerator programme to help her work towards her goal of scaling her business further. She said: “I believe in my business, I’m passionate about helping people…

Every autumn, an experienced National Trust Cymru gardener takes to the skies to trim the historic, 30-foot-high yew hedges at Powis Castle and Garden. The famous yews are almost 300 years old and are well-known for their unique cloud-like shape and dramatic display cascading over the Italianate terraces. Originally planted in the 18th century, they’ve survived changes in style, fashion, and design over hundreds of years. Still standing proud below the medieval castle today, it takes one committed gardener approximately two months to ensure the topiary is in tip top condition, ready for another year of impressing visitors to this…