Author: Rhys Gregory

The First Minister’s message to the people of Wales on St David’s Day Happy St David’s Day – Dydd Gwyl Ddewi hapus i chi. As we celebrate our national day, we’re also welcoming in the spring. It’s a time when nature’s colour starts to reappear after the long winter months. A time to look forward with hope for the future. This is especially true this year, as we hope to leave the worst of the pandemic behind us. It’s been a difficult two years during which we’ve all made sacrifices to keep each other safe. I want to thank everyone…

A Fochriw resident has been fined for fly tipping on mountain land off Bogey Road after County Borough Council Environmental Health Officers identified the culprit. The woman paid a £400 fixed penalty notice (FPN) for dumping cardboard packaging and bags of assorted household waste. Council Environmental Enforcement Officer Rob Thomas said: “We’re determined to deter the minority of irresponsible individuals whose actions blight Merthyr Tydfil’s roads and countryside. We will not hesitate in issuing penalty notices or initiating prosecutions where offenders are identified.” Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Public Protection Cllr Geraint Thomas said: “In a recent reorganisation of Council…

Caerphilly County Borough Council have joined forces with a number of local businesses to bring the best shopping experience to your doorstep. Funded through the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns programme, the Campaign will run throughout 2022 with the aim to encourage residents to #ChooseLocal and explore each of our key town centres (Bargoed, Blackwood, Caerphilly, Risca, Newbridge, Ystrad Mynach) and surrounding areas to fulfil all your general shopping needs. If you Choose Local this year, you will discover the fantastic selection of unique independent retailers and big names that adorn our local high streets and surrounding areas. If you fancy…

An expected 700 children from Haverfordwest and beyond will take to the streets of the county town today, March 1st for a parade to celebrate St David’s Day. The parade, organised by Pembrokeshire County Council and the Pembrokeshire Language Forum, will start at 10am from the carpark behind the former county library building on Dew Street. Led by the fantastic Samba Doc they will head down High Street, through Bridge Street and across the Old Bridge, back through Quay Street, then finishing at County Hall for an open-air jamboree led by Sian Elin Williams. There is also a special shop window competition…

Blaenau Gwent Council’s Community Services Scrutiny committee has welcomed a Fly Tipping Enforcement Activity 2021/22 report and will continue to support the waste regulation work and development of the Frontline Enforcement Service. A new Frontline Enforcement Team has been in operation since September 2021. This has resulted in a more co-ordinated and integrated approach in dealing with illegal accumulations of waste in town centres and rural / semi-rural settings. There are a number of legal sanctions available to the Frontline Enforcement Team which are contained within the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Since April 2021 until February 2022 the following waste…

From this week (Monday 28 February), Newport’s libraries will return to the same opening hours that were in place before the pandemic began in March 2019. Residents will also be able to book one of the public computers for up to a maximum of two hours. Books and other borrowed items will no longer be “quarantined” for 72 hours. The changes reflect the lifting of Covid restrictions in Wales but, as the virus is still circulating in local communities, customers are asked to take precautions to protect other users. It is requested that they follow the most current Welsh Government…

Gardening has a host of benefits, both for your general wellbeing (since eating something you’ve planted and grown yourself is better than eating store bought produce), but also for your mental health. Gardening has great benefits for your psyche, and is a great way to relax after a long week. Unfortunately, wild animals love it, also, and are probably thinking about your garden right now. In this article, we’ll talk about three things you can do to keep wild animals away from your garden. Because allowing wildlife near your garden is not only bad for the garden itself, but also…

For boating enthusiasts, a yachting holiday is always top of the agenda, but for those still new to the boating world, the prospect of taking to the water and setting sail can seem a little daunting. However, with so many different types of boating experiences to enjoy, and incredible, often untouched, destinations to explore by water, Matt Ovenden, on-the-water expert at Britain’s leading yacht charter marketplace Borrow A Boat, explains why a boating adventure should be top of every Brit’s holiday wish list. Matt says: “When chartering a yacht, the key thing to consider is what kind of experience you’re after,…

Wales, as a nation, has set out to achieve net zero by 2050, in line with many countries around the world. However, the Welsh Government has also set a target for the public sector to reach this commitment by 2030 and many large corporations have set similar targets. Although SMEs are not necessarily obligated to meet these interim targets, the impact will be felt within the supply chain and procurement with businesses potentially losing out on contracts if they cannot demonstrate their own net zero commitments. Taking part in a Chambers Wales South East, South West and Mid facilitated event…

Mr Bruce AKA Ian Bruce is the former frontman of The Correspondents, one of Britain’s most in-demand festival acts for a decade.    An acclaimed portrait artist and an award-winning animator in his own right, Mr Bruce began hatching plans for a solo career while on tour in Australia with The Correspondents in 2018. Bored in hotel rooms between shows, he found himself writing dance music that harked back to his early clubbing days, rather than the jazz and swing infused sound with which he found fame. Fleshing out the songs in the UK with the London-based producer Angus Kemp,…