Author: Rhys Gregory

The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society has made the decision not to stage the Horticulture Section at the 2023 Royal Welsh Show, while big plans are put in place to revamp the section in time for next year’s show. The difficult decision is due to the extreme financial challenges the RWAS has faced in the wake of the pandemic, rising costs and inflation. Last year, the Society experienced a significant operating loss, which is forecast to develop into a major budget deficit if current spending is continued. When looking for areas to grow income and cut down costs, the Society identified…

There are many myths surrounding driving in the UK, and sometimes it can be difficult to know what is true and what is not. To help, the team at The AA has looked to dispel some of the most common myths about driving in the UK, from driving with your interior lights on, to driving in Uggs. It’s very possible that at some point as a child, your parents told you that turning the car’s inside lights on while driving was a crime. However, you are not alone. The AA has revealed that Google searches for ‘is it illegal to…

Around 30 people are expected to participate in the third annual fundraising St George’s Walk, which, this year, will cover the Gower Peninsula. Consultant Richard Bond, from Hendy, created the charity walk in memory of his father, Barry, who passed away on St George’s Day, in 2020. And the walk raises funds for four charities close to Barry’s heart: Armed Forces charity Help for Heroes; the Scouts Association – for whom Barry was a venture scout leader; Children in Need; and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). Richard, 46, explained: “He had a long association with three of the charities,…

A new kind of glass made from discarded slate for a Welsh wine producer has been tested for its food preserving qualities by researchers at Aberystwyth University. Dyffryn Nantlle based Pant Du Vineyard and Orchardproduces a range of red, white and rose wines from vines grown in a former slate mining valley in Snowdonia, along with cider and apple juice from local orchards. As part of its plans to develop a new range of apple cider vinegar, Pant Du turned to researchers at the Food, Diet and Health Research Group at Aberystwyth University to test the freshness preserving properties of…

After months of economic turmoil, a measure of confidence is returning to the economy says accountancy professional body ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants). A poll of accounting professionals found cautious optimism about the economic impact of the UK government’s Spring Budget compared with the Autumn Statement in late 2022. The survey was completed by ACCA members – including members in Wales – working across all sectors of the economy. In the poll, conducted in the second half of March and following the Chancellor’s Spring Statement, 36% of respondents felt the measures announced in the UK March budget would…

Three generations of the Williams family come together to plant a rare sapling at Chirk Castle, a sapling grafted from the Pontfadog Oak which stood during Owain Gwynedd’s defeat of the English and featured in the Guinness Book of Records as the ‘widest tree in Great Britain’. The ancient Pontfadog Oak, which fell in a storm in 2013, stood at Cilcochwyn Farm, near Chirk, Wrexham, and was cared for by generations of the Morris/Williams family. It was thought to be one of the world’s largest and oldest oak trees. In 2013, The Crown Estate propagated the original Pontfadog Oak tree…

The headline NatWest Wales PMI® 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 52.0 in March, up from 50.7 in February, to signal a modest expansion in output across the Welsh private sector.  The upturn was often linked to stronger client demand and a renewed rise in new orders. Although slower than the long-run series average, the rate of growth in activity was broadly in line with that seen across the UK as a whole. Welsh private sector firms registered a return…

A woman from Haverfordwest has been disqualified from keeping animals for five years after she caused unnecessary suffering to a horse in her care. Natalie Morris of Haverfordwest, appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court for sentencing after pleading not guilty to two animal welfare offences. They were that she caused unnecessary suffering to a horse called Ben by failing to provide adequate nutrition and also caused unnecessary suffering by failing to provide adequate protection against adverse weather conditions causing rain scald on his back. Following a one-day trial on Thursday 30 March she was found guilty in her absence. On Thursday…

An overview of Exante’s trading terminal. Exante.eu is a global broker with a wide range of financial instruments across international markets, and traders can trade from a single multi-currency account. As a trading institution created by professionals for professionals, Exante is in a unique position to provide sophisticated trading tools including APIs that connect traders to data centres around the world. In this review, we examine the broker’s in-house trading platform and terminal and explore some of its functionalities. Before we begin, Exante operates globally with hubs in the UK, Hong Kong, and Cyprus. It is compliant with local regulations,…

When launching a startup, there are going to be endless hours of planning, preparation, and stress. From sorting out your business plan to working out how you’ll fund your venture, once your business goes live and you grab an audience, you need to keep your productivity levels up. In business, there is never room to slouch. Even if things are ticking along nicely, problems can quickly occur which can send your operation spiralling out of control. For that reason, you need to manage your time effectively and pour all your heart and effort into keeping your brand a success. If…