Author: Rhys Gregory

After delighting audiences as The Ghost of Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol last year, Seiriol Davies returns to the stage with his ferocious new musical comedy Milky Peaks. If the title Milky Peaks sounds familiar, then you’re not wrong. Back in 2020 the show was in its final rehearsals when the pandemic hit, and the venue was forced to close. So, it’s great to see it not to go to waste and return to where it should be. The show is set in the foothills of Snowdonia and that’s where you’ll find the Welsh town of Milky Peaks. A charming Welsh…

A WHIRLWIND six months will culminate in an appearance at the Miss Wales finals for a talented apprentice engineer. Since being shortlisted for the competition – to be held in Newport over three days from this Friday – Jess Downes has visited schools, held charity events, and taken on numerous challenges. All this while juggling her academic studies at Coleg Cambria and placement at Toyota’s Deeside plant. The 23 year-old is now putting the final touches to preparations and looks forward to flying the flag for Conwy county in an attempt to bring the title up north. “We have not…

National Theatre Wales has announced its latest production, Circle of Fifths, an immersive theatre experience directed by Butetown film and theatre-maker Gavin Porter. Devised with a collective of musicians and artists, including Cardiff musical legend Anthony ‘Drumtan’ Ward, the production will combine film, music and theatre to create a live documentary. Featuring real-life stories from people across Wales, the show hopes to explore how music and stories can connect us in times of grief and loss – allowing us a moment of collective reflection and celebration to process some of what we have all been through over the past two…

Cambria Business School unveiled a raft of innovative new funded courses to meet industry demand. The Coronavirus pandemic has transformed the way the private sector operates, including flexible working hours and conditions, sustainable, ‘green’ initiatives, and future proofing. The Northop-based Business School – part of Coleg Cambria – has designed professional programmes (funding subject to eligibility) in partnership with leading organisations such as IOSH, NEBOSH, the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), CIPD, Prince2, Highfield, and the ILM (Institute of Learning and Management). Among them are qualifications on the themes of People Management, Organisational Learning and Development, Leadership and Management, Project…

As the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) begins its latest triennial funding valuation (as at 31 March 2022), Quantum Advisory has explored the key issues likely to unfold in 2022 and beyond, warning employers who use the LGPS to provide pensions for their employees to review its strategy to avoid potential problems in the future. The LGPS has over 6 million members and 18,000 participating employers across the 80+ different LGPS Funds. Each individual Fund will see differences in their 2022 valuation results. Ahead of the results being published later this year, Michael Welford, a senior member of Quantum Advisory’s…

Despite Covid restrictions and support schemes being wound down across the country, leading independent accountancy firm Kilsby Williams is urging businesses to continue to ensure that their records are in order, in preparation for potential furlough inspections being carried out by HMRC. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, commonly referred to as furlough, protected nearly 12 million jobs across the UK during the pandemic with the government subsidising up to 80% of employees’ wages. While the scheme prevented mass unemployment and supported businesses through an unpredictable financial period, it is reported that furlough has cost the government £70 billion and, in…

Savills, on behalf of MVJ Capital, has completed the freehold sale of 232 Penarth Road in Cardiff to LXi REIT for £4.1 million. The building is let to Cazoo Car Dealership. The sale price represents a net initial yield of 5.57%. The property comprises of a purpose-built car dealership erected in 1999 providing showroom, office and servicing space spanning c.17,785 sq ft and external car parking. It sits on a site of approximately 1.61 acres (0.65 hectares) in a prominent position on the corner of Penarth and Hadfield Road. A new 20 year lease had been signed in September 2021…

Savills, on behalf of Maya Capital, has launched the sale of Eastgate House in Cardiff for offers in excess of £12 million. The sale price represents a net initial yield of 9.69% representing a low capital value of £127 per sq ft. The multi-let office building provides a total of c.95,000 sq ft of accommodation across ground floor retail and first to thirteenth floors of office accommodation. The building has undergone a multi-million pound refurbishment in 2018 both internally and externally, and benefits from excellent on site amenities including a gym, coffee shop and car parking. Occupiers include Cardiff University,…

FinTech Wales Foundry, the flagship accelerator program created by FinTech Wales, has today completed its 2022 programme with a pledge to create, between them, more than £70 million in revenue, and create more than 100 jobs in Wales, over the next three years. Sponsored by Principality Building Society, Admiral Money, and supported by Cardiff Capital Region City Deal, the accelerator programme offered places to eight start-up businesses from across the UK and Europe. Just six months since the last programme, the Foundry launched with its second season, bigger, and bolder than before. Thanks to lifting of Covid restrictions the program…

A graduate from The University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Carmarthen Business School has created a new business venture by opening a new vintage clothing store in Carmarthen. Mathew Kilgariff is the owner of ‘The Dandy Lion Vintage’ in Carmarthen. It is an independent business that specialises in vintage/retro clothing and accessories, whilst also offering customers sustainable, affordable & unique styles. The idea originated from the fact that there were no good quality vintage clothing shops according to Mathew in the Carmarthenshire area (especially for men). He had visited vintage clothes shops in Manchester, Bristol and Cardiff and realised that a…