Author: Rhys Gregory

The director of a Welsh arts centre will be bowing out in style with his final exhibition set to feature work by world-renowned artist David Nash. The exhibition at Ruthin Craft Centre will be the last one organised by Philip Hughes, 66,  who will be retiring from his role after 33 years at the end of September. Philip and his team have brought ground-breaking exhibitions to Ruthin, given hundreds of new artists their first chance to show their work, and attracted millions of pounds worth of investment to the region’s arts and crafts industry through grant funding. Under his stewardship Philip oversaw the…

The UK’s newest two-day alternative music festival is set to shake up Cardiff this winter, with We Are One Festival announcing even more acts for its debut event at the iconic Tramshed in January 2026. Joining the bill are Welsh favourites CASEY, alongside Lake Malice, Raiders, CARSICK and Parma Violence – bolstering a roster already brimming with alt, rock and emo talent. The festival, which takes place from Saturday 31 January to Sunday 1 February 2026, will showcase 20 of the best alternative artists in the genre, proving that festival season doesn’t have to wait until summer. Weekend and day…

Pugh’s Garden Village will bring its successful ‘Garden Kitchen’ café concept to Abergavenny and create up to 20 new local jobs with the support of a £450,000 funding boost from NatWest. It will become the second food focused venture for the well-known family run business following the launch of the first Garden Kitchen by Pugh’s which opened in Rogerstone, Newport, in 2021 offering quality gifts, horticultural expertise, a Food Hall and Deli counter showcasing local, Welsh produce. The bespoke Garden Kitchen will comprise a 60 seated restaurant where guests can sample home cooked meals made with locally-sourced produce and speciality coffees,…

Popeyes® UK, has announced it will be bringing the bold flavours of New Orleans to Swansea for the first time this autumn, with a new restaurant opening on Oxford Street.  The new restaurant will mark Popeyes® fourth location in Wales following the success of its existing Welsh sites in Cardiff and Newport. Fans in the capital queued for over 16 hours on opening day to be one of the first to try the legendary Popeyes® Chicken Sandwich.  Swansea residents will be able to dine in or takeaway from the new restaurant, and enjoy a taste of the full Popeyes® menu,…

The number of new businesses set up in Wales rose by 25.3% in July 2025 compared to the same month last year, while insolvency-related activity in the region fell by 19.7% over the same period, according to new research from R3, the UK’s restructuring, turnaround and insolvency trade body. R3’s analysis of data provided by Creditsafe shows that 2,035 new businesses were set up in Wales in July – a 25.3 % increase from July 2024’s total of 1,624. Over the same period, the number of insolvency-related activities – which includes liquidator and administrator appointments and creditors’ meetings – fell…

Bridgend-based housing association Valleys to Coast has confirmed plans to transform the disused Revlon factory site in Maesteg into its largest housing development to date, delivering nearly 200 new homes and breathing new life into a part of the town that has stood empty for more than a decade. Valleys to Coast is delivering the £41.8m scheme with housebuilders Avant Homes, in a deal supported by law firm Hugh James. The former factory site was made ready for development by Bridgend County Borough Council and Cardiff Capital Region, which funded £3.5m of site remediation works. Located off Ewenny Road and…

A South Wales terraced house which has seen much better days could make a wonderful family home once renovated. The two bed mid terraced property in the eastern valleys town of Pontypool has all the makings of a comfortable abode but it just needs some TLC as it has become a bit overgrown. Sean Roper, of Paul Fosh Auctions said: “The house looks in a pretty sorry state at the moment as it has been empty for some time but in the right hands it’ll make a wonderful family home. “Listed with a guide price of just £29,000, the two-bedroom…

Santa’s Toy Mine is making a magical return to Rhondda Heritage Park Museum this festive season. The much-loved Christmas attraction invites families to step into a winter wonderland and experience the magic of the underground grotto. Visitors will journey through the festive mine, meeting Santa and his helpers along the way, before receiving a special gift. Santa’s Toy Mine has become a seasonal favourite in the South Wales valleys, attracting families from near and far for an unforgettable Christmas experience. The event promises plenty of festive fun for children and adults alike, with sparkling decorations, cheerful elves, and a chance…

Three Merthyr Tydfil teenagers who broke into a supermarket in the early hours of the morning armed with a machete, and helped themselves to cake, Lucozade and a bucket of ‘empty’ vapes have been sentenced. Cody Bond, 18, was with two other accomplices, who cannot be named due to their age, when he smashed his way through a glass door and entered the Tesco supermarket in Merthyr Tydfil town centre on May 28, 2025. An alarm was activated and supermarket staff alerted police – shortly after, officers armed with taser spotted them hiding behind bins in a nearby alleyway. One…

Transport for Wales (TfW) has become the first train operator in the UK to introduce new, cutting-edge Virtual Reality (VR) training technology for front-line staff. The innovative VR software allows trainees to experience key, real-world scenarios from the comfort of a classroom before moving on to practical training. The VR training features a computerised replica of a brand-new Class 197 train, which now operates on the majority of mainline routes across Wales and the Borders. Developed by Denova, a Scottish based company, the training environment gives trainees full control, allowing them to change between keys, check route diagrams, and even…