Author: Rhys Gregory

Greggs has opened a new drive-thru today in St Clears, Tenby Road, creating 20 new jobs for the area. The drive-thru will stock freshly prepared Greggs favourites, including its popular Sausage Roll, Steak Bake and delicious vegan alternatives. Delicious freshly-made sandwiches, savouries and sweet treats will also be available for those looking to grab a bite on-the-go. Customers will be able to take advantage of Greggs’ deals throughout the day, including its famed breakfast combinations offering a breakfast roll or baguette alongside an orange juice or hot drink – served until 11am every day. Greggs’ velvety smooth flat white and…

A Mid Wales railway claimed a major accolade and at the Heritage Railway Association (HRA) Annual Awards in Birmingham earlier this month. To mark 70 years of preservation, Talyllyn Railway was presented with the Manisty Award for Excellence. The most prestigious award given by the HRA, the accolade was presented to honour the enormous contribution that the Tywyn-based narrow gauge line has made to the whole heritage railway sector and the inspiration it has provided to others for seven decades. Famous as being the world’s first preserved railway, the Talyllyn was also runner up in two other award categories: Environmental…

Two new appointees bring more than five decades of combined experience in finance and board-level roles to the Development Bank of Wales. Dianne Walker and Iestyn Evans join the Development Bank’s board as non-executive directors effective from March 1, 2022. They have each held leadership and main board roles in international and UK-based businesses and join the Board as the Development Bank comes to the end of its first five-year business plan and determines its future role and objectives. Born and raised in north Wales, Dianne brings more than 30 years’ experience in finance and board advisory roles to the…

Award-winning training provider Cambrian Training Company has expanded its sustainable resource management team to cover the whole of Wales. The Welshpool-based company has promoted Amy Edwards to new head of business skills, sustainable resource management and energy and Emyr Jones joins her team as the training officer covering South Wales. The company, which also has offices in Llanelli, Builth Wells, Holyhead and Colwyn Bay, already successfully delivers apprenticeships for waste management companies across North and Mid Wales and Pembrokeshire. The appointment of Emyr, who lives near Ammanford, will see training delivery extended to the rest of Wales. He was previously…

Harp sensation Ben Creighton-Griffiths will be jazzing things up at a top music festival. Ben and his band, the Transatlantic Hot Club, who play high octane “gypsy jazz” will be taking centre stage at the prestigious Wales Harp Festival at Galeri Caernarfon. The two-day event will be making a welcome return on April 12 and 13 after the Covid-19 pandemic forced its cancellation two years ago and transforming itself into a virtual event in 2021. Another major highlight will be the world premiere of a new work by the acclaimed composer Mared Emlyn, from Llanrwst. Both she and Ben will…

Work colleagues Chris Baylis and Joanne Baitup always dreamed of setting up a business together. The friends had worked for a local older person’s charity and when they had the opportunity, they decided to take the plunge taking over the vacant tea rooms in Glynneath. But just weeks later in 2020 calamity struck and the nation went into Lockdown apparently scuppering their plans. Undaunted, the pair launched a cakes and food delivery service covering a wide area between Neath and Aberdare to help the community get through those dire days. And now their hard work and commitment has paid off…

An award-winning dance club is reaching out to a new legion of twinkle-toed performers thanks to cash seized from criminals. Wisp Dance Club has transformed the lives of hundreds of young people with disabilities since being founded by Artistic Director Cher Mather in Mold in 1994. Building on almost three decades of success, the club has launched a new group, Wisp Plus, based in Wrexham and inspiring adults with additional needs to explore the world of contemporary dance and movement. They have had a helping hand with a grant of £2,500 from the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner’s Your…

Azets, the UK’s largest regional accountancy firm and business advisor to SMEs, has appointed Ritchie Tout as Tax Partner in the South Wales area and promoted Paul Haley to Partner and Head of Internal Audit for the West. Newly appointed Tax Partner, Ritchie Tout, trained in a Big Four firm with a portfolio including personal, corporate and professional partnership clients. After qualifying as a Chartered Tax Adviser, he spent 15 years at PwC as part of the management taxes team. Most recently he was a Director at Mazars, where he spent six years specialising in merger and acquisition tax work and…

Mary Immaculate’s Year ten boys’ basketball team have become the Welsh Schools Basketball Finals Champions 2021/22. This tops an outstanding season for the boys, where they’ve been unbeaten in the league and their 3 previous competitions. This is how their competitions went: Cardiff Regionals: Mary Immaculate 19-0 Eastern High Mary Immaculate 27-12 Cathays Mary Immaculate 24-10 Bro Edern Mary Immaculate 15-11 Glantaf Progress onto Southern finals: Mary Immaculate 13-6 Porthcawl Mary Immaculate 14-2 Garth Olwg Mary Immaculate 13-4 St Richard Gwyn Mary immaculate 14-5 Cwm rhymni Progress onto the National finals: Mary Immaculate 45-17 Bodedern Mary Immaculate 26-24 Olchfa The…

Almost 20,000 people in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot have had their first Covid booster jab at a community pharmacy. The new figures from Swansea Bay University Health Board show how popular providing vaccinations closer to home in these familiar settings has been. Building on the success of a pilot scheme, pharmacies across the area answered the call to administer the first booster last autumn, stepping up their efforts as Omicron cases soared in December. Some are still giving first boosters, a service which Adrian Grant, 50, from Swansea, has taken advantage of. Put off by long queues at vaccination…