Author: Rhys Gregory

A cute West Wales cottage got an online auction really buzzing when  it was offered for sale at just £5,000. While an adjacent plot of land, to the rear of the cottage, went for a single bid of just £1. The sale of the traditional two bedroom cottage, Y Bwthyn, at Llwynygroes, near Tregaron, in Ceredigion, created a storm of interest. Positive pre auction profile translated to a flurry of online bids when the property was offered for sale by Paul Fosh Auctions. Eventually a total of nine bidders battled to secure the property lodging some 48 bids before the…

A 44-year-old man has been jailed after controlling behaviour towards his ex-partner. Carl Thomas, of Min Y Ddol, Maesgeirchen, Bangor, appeared at Llandudno Magistrates Court on Monday 22 December after admitting to assault and controlling and coercive behaviour. Thomas’ relationship with his ex-partner had ended after he was jailed for a previous assault against her. However, he attempted to control her by searching through her personal belongings and calling her place of work demanding to know where she was. The woman asked Thomas to leave her home after he turned up intoxicated, but he refused and came towards her with…

Drivers travelling on the M4 in South Wales are being warned to expect delays today, Monday 29 December, due to emergency repair works. According to Traffic Wales, lanes one and two are closed on the eastbound carriageway between Junction 38 at Margam and Junction 37 at Pyle. The closures are in place to allow critical emergency works to be carried out. The lane closures are expected to cause congestion, particularly during busier periods, and motorists are advised to allow extra time for their journeys or consider alternative routes where possible. Traffic Wales has apologised for the inconvenience and is urging…

Wales set for cold, cloudy end to December with frost and wintry showers on the way Wales is expected to see a largely dry but chilly spell of weather through the end of December, with cloud dominating for many and the best of any sunshine staying mainly in the west, according to the Met Office. The forecast covers the period from Monday 29 December through to Friday 2 January, with colder conditions becoming more noticeable as the New Year approaches. Today Monday It will remain rather cloudy across much of Wales, although western areas will see the brightest conditions. Cloud…

A popular wellness festival is set to return to Pembrokeshire in 2026, while also expanding to a brand new location for the first time. The Big Retreat Festival has confirmed it will be back in Lawrenny from 22 to 25 May 2026, marking its seventh year in Wales. At the same time, organisers have announced the launch of a second event in Cambridgeshire, taking place from 11 to 13 September 2026. Held in the coastal village of Lawrenny within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, The Big Retreat has grown into one of the UK’s best known feel good festivals, combining…

A booming North Wales bakery has been given a formal royal seal of approval after its products went global and created 100 jobs. Lord Lieutenant Harry Fetherstonhaugh, the King’s representative in Clwyd, presented staff at Jones Village Bakery with the prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise during a visit to its headquarters. The firm has opened up new markets throughout the globe in recent years, establishing sales in Australia, the Middle East, France, Italy, Belgium, Holland and Norway. The Lord Lieutenant was given a tour of the firm’s state-of-the-art flagship bakery on Wrexham Industrial Estate before presenting the King’s Award to…

Four talented, young chefs have been selected to contest the Junior Chef of Wales final next month. Both the Junior and National Chef of Wales finals, organised by the Culinary Association of Wales (CAW), are being held alongside the Castell Howell Trade Food Service Show at ICC Wales, Newport on January 20 and 21. The Junior Chef of Wales final – the country’s premier culinary competition for young chefs – will be contested on January 20. Katie Duffy, chef at The Halfway, Llanelli, who was runner-up this year and third in 2024, will be looking to go one better and…

Over 92% of care services in Wales have achieved high standards in the first seven months of a new ratings system being in place. Since April, 578 inspections of care homes and domiciliary support services have taken place, with ratings for 566 being published. The ratings system assesses services against four key themes: wellbeing, leadership and management, care and support, and environment. Services receive individual ratings for each theme rather than a single overall rating for the care home or domiciliary support services. Of the 2,115 ratings awarded by Care Inspectorate Wales between April and October 2025, 1,958 – representing…

Nationwide and Dementia UK’s free face-to-face clinics are returning to Nationwide branches in Cwmbran in January, offering specialist support in a safe, comfortable and private space for people to discuss any aspect of dementia. Hosted by Dementia UK’s Admiral Nurses, the clinics are open to anyone impacted by dementia, offering life-changing support to families and individuals in the area. The clinics will offer practical and emotional advice on all aspects of dementia – from worries about symptoms through to getting a diagnosis and understanding how the condition can progress. Ahead of the appointments, Dementia UK, the specialist dementia nursing charity,…

COLEG CAMBRIA has launched a new series of trailblazing flexible higher education courses. The college is continuing to transform the landscape of further and higher education with the expansion of its HN Flex model – an innovative, bitesize and accessible approach to learning designed for people who want to study around their busy lives. Following the HNC Flex in Business at Northop – unveiled earlier this year – Cambria University Centre is rolling out a full series of Higher National unit delivery, giving learners even greater choice and flexibility in how they study. Developed in partnership with Pearson, the HN…