Author: Rhys Gregory

TGI Fridays used to be one of those places that felt like an event. Growing up in Cardiff, a visit to the Newport Road restaurant was a real treat. It was where we went for birthdays, family get togethers and even my 21st. When St David’s 2 arrived in 2009, it became the new home of those celebrations. Over the years though, as Cardiff’s food scene grew, our visits slowly stopped. It wasn’t out of dislike, more that new places opened and stole the spotlight. Then last year came the closures. Newport, Swansea and the original Newport Road site all…

Cooking more than 600 meals for people who need a hot dinner and a chat is all in a week’s work for Matthew’s House in Swansea. It is home to Matt’s Café which is open three times a week providing a choice of meals to all -comers, whatever their situation, and is part of the Matthew’s House project, an initiative of The Hill Church Swansea Charity, in the city’s High Street. Now Tata Steel subsidiary UKSE has donated £1000 to buy a large freezer to help store food supplied by supermarkets, local businesses, charities and individuals. The Community Fund gives targeted support…

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) has unveiled a pioneering new welfare and wildfire vehicle – the first of its kind in the UK. Built and designed in Wales utilising a Mercedes lorry supplied by Euro commercials Cardiff, the vehicles have been custom-built by local body company Neath Coach Builders (and emergency warning systems installed by Elite of Bridgend) to meet the unique demands of prolonged emergency operations. Designed to transport the Service’s wildfire response – Can-Am 6×6 all-terrain vehicles – the fleet of four are the result of a collaboration between Fleet, the Wildfire Group and Operational Risk…

Welsh food and drink producers have triumphed at two prestigious competitions, showcasing the outstanding quality and craftsmanship that make Welsh produce among the best in the world. The Welsh Vineyards Association (WVA) recently hosted their Welsh Wine Awards 2025 at Llanerch Vineyard, bringing together nearly 60 wines from across Wales. The judging panel, led by renowned wine expert Oz Clarke, praised the confidence and character of Welsh wines, comparing their rise to some of the world’s most admired new regions. Champion Wine of Wales was awarded to Gwinllan Llaethliw in Ceredigion, who also secured titles for Best Overall Sparkling Wine,…

‘Flamebaster’ is back for a new series on S4C, and this time Chris Roberts will be in Japan to get a taste of the country’s cuisine. In Llond Bol o Japan, he’ll meet some of the country’s top chefs and people from Wales who have fallen in love with the place. The three-part series will air from 9 December at 21.00 on S4C and the entire series will be available to stream on S4C Clic and BBC iPlayer from the same date. Chris’s journey begins in Fukuoka on Japan’s most southerly island, where he meets social media star and sushi…

The former Treorchy Hotel, recently run as The Flamingo Cabaret Bar, is for sale through South Wales based Paul Fosh Auctions. The property is listed with a guide price of £165,000. James Holingsworth, of Paul Fosh Auctions, said: “The former Treorchy Hotel, on a corner plot at 165, Bute Street in the town, with two main function rooms together with a couple of smaller seating areas and bar areas, could be a  wonderful investment opportunity. “The upper floors of the premises, which was run for a while as the Flamingo Cabaret Bar, provides residential accommodation including three bedrooms, a kitchen…

A Denbighshire-based construction firm has reduced its scope one and two carbon emissions by more than half in a bid to reach net zero by 2040, a decade ahead of the Welsh Government’s target. Wynne Construction is progressing its decarbonisation strategy after cutting direct and indirect CO2 production by 55 per cent since 2021. The two scopes consist of emissions controlled by a business and those created as a by-product of purchased energy such as electricity, heat, or steam. Activity by the family-owned company includes investing in an expanding hybrid fleet, including a new commercial van, and introducing hybrid battery-powered…

A drug driver has been sentenced following a road traffic collision which took place in Denbighshire earlier this year. 20-year-old Harry Rigby of Walton Heath Road, Walton, Warrington appeared before Mold Crown Court last week (Thursday) after pleading guilty to dangerous driving and drug driving. Three people were injured following the collision, which happened on the B5104 at Bryneglwys in Denbighshire on May 10th and involved a Vauxhall Corsa being driven by Rigby who overtook on a blind bend and collided with a white BMW car. Rigby was sentenced to 14 months in a Young Offender’s institution which was suspended…

A Swansea shoplifter was caught by plain-clothes officers on patrol in Swansea city centre as part of Operation Viscaria as he tried to make a bicycle getaway. 27-year-old Joshua Hayter, from Ynysforgan, was spotted on Swansea High Street on November 26, trying to sell expensive cosmetics which he’d just stolen from a nearby shop. He tried to make off on his bike when he noticed plain-clothed officers approaching him, but he was soon stopped in his tracks thanks to a well-timed tackle from the officer. Hundreds of pounds of cosmetics and 13 grams of cannabis was recovered, and Hayter was…

Transport for Wales (TfW) and British Transport Police (BTP) are working together to step up safety and customer support across the rail network this festive season, with the return of Operation Genesis and Garland. The initiative will see extra police officers and rail staff deployed across the Wales and Borders rail network to provide visible support, assist anyone who needs help, and offer personal safety advice. There will be an enhanced presence of high‑visibility police patrols across trains and stations, supported by plain‑clothes officers focused on tackling sexual harassment, anti‑social behaviour, and alcohol‑related disorder. Operation Genesis and Garland first launched…