Author: Rhys Gregory

Cardiff’s newest venue, Proud Mary Pub on St Mary’s Street, has announced it will open its doors on Saturday 29 October following a £1.2 million transformation by operators REKOM. The city has been chosen as the first in the UK to welcome the traditional pub with a modern ‘party’ twist, where you are guaranteed a warm and friendly welcome featuring locally brewed beers from Tiny Rebel, freshly prepared food, the latest sporting action and live music at weekends. Venue manager Mark Simons and his deputy, Paloma de Souza, will be leading a team of 50 to make sure Proud Mary…

Phase two of an optimised retrofit programme for Rhyl council homes will begin this autumn. Preparations are underway to carry out the Welsh Government funded energy improvements to the remaining Denbighshire Housing properties on Rhydwen Drive, Rhyl. The move comes following Cabinet agreement of recommendations to award the contract to the contractor currently undertaking phase one of the works. Phase two will see the remaining 40 houses undergo the energy improvement work from late September onwards. The work will include fitting solar panels that will generate electricity and also store it in connected batteries to allow energy use in the…

A grand music gig will be held in Aberystwyth this October (15 October) as part of Aberystwyth University’s 150th anniversary celebrations this year. Marking the occasion, the gig will also be a celebration of the University’s musical heritage over the years and the line-up includes many of the artists and bands who have been students there over the years. The gig will be held in the Great Hall of Aberystwyth Arts Centre on Saturday 15 October with the artists being divided over two stages to ensure non-stop live music on the night. There will also be a special exhibition about…

A Masters student at the University of South Wales (USW) will see his feature film released in cinemas this month. Mashroor Parvez, a 30-year-old filmmaker from Bangladesh, is about to complete his MA in Film Directing at the Film and TV School Wales. His second feature film, going Home, hits cinemas on Friday 30 September. The bilingual crime drama tells the story of a man working for a criminal enterprise, who finds his profession affecting his everyday relationships. The lead character, Raian, is wrestling with the consequences of the life he has led as a hitman, between the underworld and…

Whether you love hanging out with your grandparents or feel like it’s time to catch up, Revolución de Cuba is here to help this National Grandparents Day. The Cuban-themed bar brand is running a special offer on Sunday 2 October – all you have to do is take your grandparents out for breakfast, lunch or dinner and they’ll eat for free! The offer entitles one grandparent (including great grandparents!) to one free main dish, for every main dish purchased per person – whether that’s from the brunch, lunch or cantina (all-day) menu. So, for example, if you take your Gran…

Swansea University experts say digital transformation could bridge the gap between knowledge, revolutionary technology, and patient psychology, to improve the experiences of amputees and clinicians. A unique event, hosted by the University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering brought together a range of healthcare professionals, academics from diverse backgrounds including psychology, machine learning, design engineering, bio-mechanists and computer modellers and industry experts. Its aim was to discuss and better understand the expectations of prosthetic foot-users and clinicians. Event organiser Dr Rajesh Ransing, associate professor of mechanical engineering, said: “Swansea has an ambitious vision to become an international creative hub for academics, clinicians,…

Neath Port Talbot councillors have approved the publishing of the council’s Welsh in Education Plan 2022-32 (WESP). Its purpose is to improve the planning and standard of Welsh medium education in Neath Port Talbot over the next ten years by enabling all learners to develop their Welsh language skills so they can use the language confidently in everyday life. It will also contribute to the Welsh Government’s ambitious target of a million Welsh speakers in Wales by 2050. All local authorities in Wales must produce a WESP and Neath Port Talbot Council’s plan was developed through close working with partners…

Caerphilly County Borough Council is inviting businesses to attend a special networking event, being held at 5pm on Wednesday 12th October 2022 in Bargoed Library. The event is being hosted by the Council’s Business Enterprise and Renewal Team and will offer attendees the opportunity to meet with Council staff, Councillors, and other businesses throughout the county borough. The meeting agenda will include discussing exciting new developments, following up on the previous meeting notes and offering businesses the opportunity to express their views and opinions about what they think priorities should be for Bargoed. The meeting will take place at 5pm…

Blaenau Gwent councillors have this week voted to distribute funding of £746,000 to help eligible residents with household bills through a discretionary cost of living payment, and to make significant donations to local organisations supporting people at this time. Welsh Government has awarded Councils additional funding following on from the previous Cost of Living payment scheme. A £150 Cost of Living Payment will now be made to eligible households in Council Tax Bands E to H, which were not covered by the earlier scheme together with £100 to families entitled to Free School Meals. A £30,000 donation is also being…

Members of the public are being warned of the dangers of travelling in illegal ‘taxis’ after a surge in reports of them in Merthyr Tydfil town centre on weekends. Unlicensed vehicles have not been assessed as safe and suitable to carry passengers and could be in an unroadworthy condition, meaning passengers could be at risk. “The Council’s Licensing Department are receiving reports of vehicles operating as illegal taxis with unlicensed drivers,” said Cllr Michelle Symonds, Cabinet Member for Public Protection, Crime and Disorder. “The purpose of taxi licensing is to protect the public, and we would like to remind residents…