Author: Rhys Gregory

Local property expert and owner of X-Press Legal Services South Wales, Steph Hector, predicts 2023 will see a shake up of the property market across the region. Steph predicts that a hardening market will keep the conveyancing sector busy as property owners react to the economic downturn. Property prices are expected to fall but Steph believes this won’t be as severe as some pundits have predicted: “It’s going to be a very interesting 12 months for our sector,” commented Steph.   “A fall in house prices is inevitable after the highs of the past few years however, I don’t think we…

The regional tourism trade organisation for Mid Wales has pledged to support member businesses with a range of initiatives during the cost of living crisis. Val Hawkins, chief executive of MWT Cymru, which represents nearly 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Snowdonia, praised the resilience of members who, she said, had overcome a series of major challenges in recent years. “We are very mindful of how rising costs are affecting businesses, which emphasises the importance of being agile in what could be a difficult trading environment this year,” she said. “In what’s likely to be a…

Brand new one-off documentary Blood, Sweat and Cheer follows Team Wales Adaptive Abilities cheer squad as they prepare for the biggest competition of their lives at the World Cheerleading Championships in Florida. The programme follows the rigorous months of hard training the Welsh squad take on ahead of the World Championships, where they will have less than 3 minutes to impress the judges and take the title.  When the team arrive in Florida, they discover that their final showdown is with the squad from the biggest cheerleading nation: Team USA. Cheer coach Sabrina says “Adaptive Abilities is a team of disabled…

House-hunters can now get to look inside a brand new showhome which has been unveiled at a new development in Llantwit Fardre. Bellway Wales threw open the doors to a four-bedroom Bowyer house type at its Coed Derw development, off Llantrisant Road in the village at the end of last year. The developer is building a total of 95 homes at the site. There will be 87 two, three and four-bedroom houses for private sale and eight affordable properties available for local people through rent or shared ownership. The new homes are transforming a 7.5-acre brownfield site, formerly owned by…

A Ffilm Cymru programme which has brought hundreds of training opportunities and jobs to Newport can turn the city’s “raw talent” into sustainable economic opportunities for the city’s communities, according to actor and “Newport girl”, Alexandria Riley. Since spring this year, Foot In The Door has seen Ffilm Cymru work with over 800 people in Newport communities to demystify careers in film and TV, develop skills and offer opportunities for people with transferable skills to move into the screen sector. After a ground-breaking year for the Welsh film industry, with blockbuster productions like Sex Education, Willow, and His Dark Materials…

A new £2million purpose-built fracture clinic is increasing time dedicated to patient care and cutting waits on treatment after opening at Morriston Hospital. The clinic has returned to Morriston having moved to Neath Port Talbot Hospital during the start of Covid to create more space for an intensive care unit. The service is based where the hydrotherapy pool was previously situated, with Singleton and Neath Port Talbot hospitals now the focus for hydrotherapy services following a public engagement consultation. The new fracture clinic in Morriston has bigger capacity with more consultation, treatment and plaster rooms along with a dedicated plaster…

Swansea residents looking to save money are being reminded of the benefits of free library membership as the cost of living crisis continues to take hold. Seventeen libraries are available in communities throughout the city, with membership giving access to services including free books and events for people of all ages. Run by Swansea Council, free computer, internet and WiFi use are also available in Swansea libraries, enabling members to access a range of the council’s online services. These include a dedicated, one-stop shop cost of living help website at www.swansea.gov.uk/costoflivinghelp that gives information on funding support people may be entitled to,…

A North Wales mum whose daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumour after a rapid growth of her head is working with the charity Brain Tumour Research to raise awareness. Baby Molly Wardle-Hampton was just 12 weeks old when a sudden bulge of the soft spots in her head led to the discovery of an ependymoma tumour on her brain. The devastating diagnosis came months after her staff nurse mum, Corinne Wardle, 38 began to document a catalogue of unusual behaviours. These included: a fixed eye gaze, a tilt to one side of her head, not settling and vomiting. Corinne…

University students in Swansea have raised over £4,000 for the British Heart Foundation from the comfort of their accommodation, by donating preloved items they no longer want or need. Residents at St Davids, student accommodation in Swansea owned and operated by Student Roost, donated 312 bags of unwanted electrical items, books, clothing, and furniture they no longer need to the British Heart Foundation’s ‘Pack for Good’ campaign’. Since the start of the 2021/22 academic year, from October 2021 to September 2022, residents at over 50 Student Roost properties in 22 cities across the UK have donated over 4,700 bags of…

St John Ambulance Cymru has launched the Zip in to Spring Challenge, taking on the fastest seated Zip Line adventure in the world, and adrenaline junkies from across the county are being called on to take part  to ensure that Wales’s leading first aid charity can continue its mission to provide first aid to everyone, anytime, anywhere. On Saturday, 25th March participants will gather at Phoenix Zip World Tower, based at the former Tower Colliery site in Aberdare. They’ll zip down Rhigos mountain at speeds up to 70mph. The route offers stunning views of the Cynon Valley, before racing in to…