Author: Rhys Gregory

David Ian in association with Barry and Fran Weissler are delighted to announce TV personality Gemma ‘The GC’ Collins will star as ‘Mama Morton’ in the acclaimed UK and Ireland tour of the international smash hit musical CHICAGO. Gemma will join the tour at the Sunderland Empire from Tuesday 31 May 2022, ahead of playing Cardiff New Theatre, Blackpool Winter Gardens, Sheffield Lyceum, Norwich Theatre Royal and New Theatre, Oxford. David Ian said today, “We were completely stunned by Gemma’s audition for the role. She’s an undeniable force both on and off stage, and we can’t wait to see her portrayal…

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding working parents in Wales to not miss out on the opportunity to get up to £2,000 a year to pay for regulated childcare, including holiday clubs and other out-of-school activities, during the Easter holidays. Tax-Free Childcare provides thousands of eligible working families with up to £500 every three months (or £1,000 if their child is disabled) towards the cost of holiday clubs, before and after-school clubs, childminders and nurseries, and other approved childcare schemes. For every £8 deposited into a Tax-Free Childcare online account, families will receive an additional £2 in government top-up,…

Bar 45, a new gin bar owned by award-winning local distillery In the Welsh Wind, has opened at 45 St Mary Street, adding to the thriving food and drink scene in Cardigan. Formerly the Bara Menyn bakehouse, which has relocated to new premises on the corner of St Mary Street and Chancery Lane, Bar 45 is a must for gin lovers. The bar stocks the full range of In the Welsh Wind and Eccentric gins and offers a carefully selected cocktail menu showcasing the different gins available. Alongside gin, Bar 45 stock a range of bottled and canned beers from…

Following their initial expansion, resulting in a move from Swansea to Llanelli, the popular American-style smokehouse is announcing it’s return to the city with the opening of a new branch in May. With humble beginnings in Clydach, it wouldn’t be long before the business outgrew its location. Not content with their ambitions being cooled by the COVID-19 pandemic, sights were set on a new home. Having opened with over 4,000 table bookings, the success of the Llanelli branch is attributed to Cattle & Co’s unique take on beautifully smoked, tender brisket and twists on comfort classics such as Mac ‘n’…

The latest multi-million pound luxury lodge development in Denbighshire has secured the backing of the Development Bank of Wales. Bryn Morfydd Hotel and Lodge Park at Llanrhaeadr, near Denbigh, closed in January 2009 and fell into disrepair. The 15-acre site will now be redeveloped by Jamie Hughes of HHH Park No 1 Limited with a £2.2 million loan from the Wales Business Fund being used to part-finance the construction of 68 luxury lodges. The deal was completed with the assistance of North Wales law firm Lanyon Bowdler who acted on behalf of HHH Park No 1 Limited. James Guile of…

The Pottery reopened on Friday 25th March 2022 as a new look Sizzling Pub following an extensive refurbishment. Staff and locals at the Pottery celebrated the pub’s reopening with a ceremonial ribbon cutting, following a major remodel. Located in Pontypridd, the refreshed Pottery resumed serving guests after being closed for 29 days. Commenting on the pub’s new look, general manager, Christopher Rickards, said: “Bringing the new look Pottery to Pontypridd is really exciting for the whole team. At the Pottery, we want to offer great food and great value for all our guests, and we’re thrilled to be providing the…

Reigning British Rally champion Matt Edwards stormed to a National win at Saturday’s WKD Trained Dogs Rally North Wales after a gruelling day in the forests surrounding the Dolgellau rally base. Edwards, from Conwy and co-driver Hamish Campbell blasted their FIAT 131 Abarth to a nail-biting Historic category win in the National Rally. Matt Hirst and co-driver Declan Dear made it back-to-back Interclub victories, taking their Ford Fiesta R5 to six fastest times in a fine display during what would be a difficult day of competition for many crews. The popular motorsport event, sponsored by leading multi-disciplined dog training firm WKD Trained…

Work has begun on the installation of a new solar array that will generate green electricity for Aberystwyth University. The £2.9m investment will provide up to 25 per cent of the annual electricity needs of the Penglais Campus and reduce the University’s carbon emissions by just over 500 tonnes annually, and up to 12,000 tonnes over its anticipated 25-year working life. Covering an area of 3.8 hectares of University-owned land on Fferm Penglais, the new array will feature more than 4500 individual solar panels and is scheduled to be fully operational by the end of July 2022. The electricity generated…

A powerful, immersive art experience that taps into the ‘limitless potential of the human mind’ is coming to Cardiff in May as part of the UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK festival. Dreamachine, presented at the Temple of Peace in Cathays Park between May 12 and June 18, is inspired by a little-known 1959 creation by artist-inventor Brion Gysin. His experimental device used flickering light to create vivid illusions, kaleidoscopic patterns and explosions of colour in the mind of the viewer. The 21st Century equivalent is a seated experience, between an hour and 90 minutes long, that is designed to be…

A four-day bank holiday weekend will take place between Thursday 2 June – Sunday 5 June 2022 along with a series of national events designed to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Bridgend County Borough Council has made a step-by-step guide available to help residents who want to mark the occasion with a street party or other community celebration. Residents coming together to organise street parties marking royal or other national events are a British tradition. The Platinum Jubilee will offer communities throughout Bridgend County Borough a great chance to get together and hold a celebration with neighbours. To support this…