Author: Rhys Gregory

Heledd Wyn, a lecturer in Media Production at the University of South Wales (USW), has been awarded a Future Wales Fellowship to explore the impact climate change is having on the everyday lives of people in Wales, using art. The Fellowship, from Arts Council Wales and Natural Resources Wales, will focus on the three main themes of energy, food and transport. Heledd and the seven other members of the Future Wales Fellowship will be given support and opportunities to develop their own artistic work, with the aim of challenging the way people think about climate change, encouraging more sustainable lifestyles.…

A prominent Welsh chef has been named the first Wales Food and Drink Champion of the Year at new awards. Colin Gray, managing director of Capital Cuisine, Caerphilly, received the special judges’ award, sponsored by the Culinary Association of Wales, at the inaugural Wales Food and Drink Awards held in Cardiff. The award recognises consistent sourcing, use and promotion of Welsh food and drink products over a period of time. Capital Cuisine is an artisan food producer, manufacturing bespoke, restaurant quality products, whilst also catering for high profile events with contemporary menus using locally sourced, ethical produce. The company employs 12 staff which…

Hundreds of Rhymney residents have had a taste of living in a ‘rich man’s world’ after scooping a share of £3.7 million with People’s Postcode Lottery. NP22 5 was revealed as the winning postcode sector in the lottery’s Postcode Millions draw on Saturday 28 May. There was a total of 435 winners in the area. Nine neighbours from Pen-Y-Dre shared the largest portion of the prize after their postcode, NP22 5DL, was named as the full winning postcode. Edward ‘Ted’ Owen, 76, who plays with two tickets scooped a massive £370,000 – the other eight winners each play with one ticket…

Cardiff Food and Drink Festival – one of the most popular free events in the summer calendar – returns in July for the first time since the pandemic. In a sign that the city continues its return to normal after the enforced hiatus, the festival is back at its regular venue in Roald Dahl Plass in Cardiff Bay from Friday, July 1 to Sunday, July 3 with a host of regular stallholders and plenty of new ones, all offering a spectacular range of local produce and delicacies from around the world. “The Food and Drink Festival is always something to…

BEACH-goers are being urged to do the right thing and use waste bins or take their rubbish home with them this summer, especially disposable BBQs. For the busy summer months, the Council has been stepping-up its beach litter collections and increasing the number of bins available for people to get rid of their rubbish responsibly. Fifteen new red bins for disposable BBQs are being set up at popular Council-owned beaches in time for the Whitsun half-term, most of which are already in place and being used. It means there is no excuse for people to leave their litter and rubbish…

A new £10m Property Development Fund (PDF) aimed at boosting investment in the Port Talbot Waterfront area is now open with Neath Port Talbot Council seeking expressions of interest from companies, land owners and developers. The Port Talbot Waterfront area includes Harbourside, Baglan Energy Park and Baglan Industrial Estate with the fund being used to encourage and enable development on the three sites. It will work by providing financial help in the form of gap funding towards the construction or refurbishment of high quality buildings for speculative, industrial and commercial use. The fund will specifically target the research, development and…

Pembrokeshire County Council Leader Councillor David Simpson has now completed the selection of his new Cabinet. Cllr Simpson was re-elected as Leader at the Annual General Meeting yesterday and appointed Councillor Paul Miller as the Deputy leader. Cllr Simpson has confirmed the remaining Cabinet appointments. The Cabinet in full is: Cllr David Simpson: Leader Cllr Paul Miller: Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Place, the Region and Climate Change Cllr Guy Woodham: Cabinet Member for Education and Welsh Language Cllr Jon Harvey: Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Delivery Cllr Michelle Bateman: Cabinet Member for Housing Operations and Regulatory Services…

All roads will lead to A Welsh Coal Mining Experience at Rhondda Heritage Park next month, as plans gear up for the Classic Car Show 2022. Father’s Day weekend is set to be a busy one at A Welsh Coal Mining Experience. The Classic Car Show makes a pit stop at the award-winning venue on Saturday, June 18, in partnership with the Glamorgan Classic Car Club. There will also be a craft fayre the same day, held by Craft of Hearts, who are based at A Welsh Coal Mining Experience and are former winners of a UK-wide craft shop award. There…

The former Store 21 on High Street, Blackwood in Caerphilly County Borough has been redeveloped and transformed into luxury apartments and five smaller retail units, combining commercial and residential in an ambitious project. The project means that a vacant property on the High Street of Blackwood has seen new life and footfall once more. The building at 87 – 89 High Street, Blackwood benefited from a funding boost from the Welsh Government Targeted Regeneration Investment (TRI) programme. The TRI funding programme aims to support regeneration projects that promote economic regeneration – creating jobs, enhancing skills and employability, and creating the…

Eligible families throughout the Caerphilly county borough are receiving free school meal packages this week in preparation for half term thanks to support from construction expert Willmott Dixon. Willmott Dixon is working in partnership with Caerphilly County Borough Council to deliver its ambitious new house building programme.  This programme will see the first new Council homes built in the county borough in almost 20 years. Volunteers from Willmott Dixon are working alongside Caerphilly Council staff to help deliver meal packages to eligible pupils throughout the county borough in readiness for half term.  Meal packages include a wide range of supplies,…