Author: Rhys Gregory

With a surge in engagements this love-filled festive season Tyn Dwr Hall will open its doors to prospective couples for its New Years’ Open Weekend. General Manager Tracey Owen and her team say they are ‘delighted’ to open up the doors of the 19th Century Country House to allow couples to experience the hall and its surroundings in 2022 – following the expected rise in proposals during Christmas and New Year. The New Years Open Day will take place on Saturday January 8th and Sunday January 9th, and all areas of the award-winning Llangollen venue will be open for viewing,…

The University of South Wales’s former Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Julie Lydon OBE, has received a damehood in the Queen’s New Year Honours List, for services to higher education. Dame Julie retired from USW in September 2021 after more than 15 years at the University, spending the last 11 years in the role of Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive. She was awarded an OBE for services to Higher Education in Wales in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2014. During her tenure Dame Julie demonstrated strong academic leadership, innovative curriculum design, a passion for widening access and forging partnerships with industry. Supporting the…

Are you a fleet manager who wishes to regulate and conserve fuel among your drivers? Are you worried about the rate at which your fleet’s drivers are using fuel? Are you looking for help on how to manage fuel consumption within your fleet? If yes, then sounds like you could use some tips on how to cut back on your fuel costs.  One of the proven ways of doing so is to switch to UK fuel cards. That being said, fuel conservation is an important part of keeping your business afloat because, for a fleet manager, a lot of money…

GRAND designs by talented art students hold the keys to a long-standing partnership with one of the country’s top property agents. Learners on the Foundation Studies in Art and Design course at Grwp Llandrillo Menai have been working alongside Williams Estates to develop a series of images for their Home is Where the Heart Is campaign. The cohort from the college’s Rhos-on-Sea site created bespoke posters for an innovative light-up window display that will capture the attention of customers and passers-by at their offices in Holywell, Denbigh, Mold, Rhyl, Ruthin, Prestatyn and Rhuddlan. It comes as Director Jason Williams and…

A PIONEERING salon highlighted its support for the hard-hit hair and beauty sector. Salon Ial at the new-look Coleg Cambria Yale site in Wrexham is offering space to start-up and mobile businesses, as well as job and training opportunities for those wanting to join the industry. The initiative is open to hairdressers, beauty therapists, complementary therapists, nail technicians and make-up artists. With Covid-19 having a negative impact on hair and beauty – there was a 21% decrease in full time employment resulting in widespread closures, with turnover falling by more than 40% UK-wide – this will give interested parties a…

More than £1 billion has been recovered from the proceeds of crime and tax offenders since the formation of a specialist HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) fraud squad five years ago. Launched in April 2016, the department’s Fraud Investigation Service (FIS) has now recovered assets equivalent to funding around 20,000 NHS nurses for an entire year. FIS has been proactively pursuing the suspected proceeds of crime using enforcement powers, both criminal and civil, to disrupt the movement of cash and assets. Since 2016, more than 1,200 seizures of cash and assets have been made while on operational duty, including gold…

Rail passengers are being asked to check before they travel as Transport for Wales updates its emergency rail timetable from Monday 3 January. TfW and Network Rail have continued to see a significant increase in staff absences as a result of the latest wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and this has impacted rail services in recent weeks. As a result, TfW introduced an emergency rail timetable from 22 December, which equated to a reduction of between 10-15% of the standard timetable introduced on 12 December. However, with staff absences continuing to increase, the decision has been taken to further reduce…

Civil Service Sports Council Group Chief Executive Simon Lee from Monmouthshire has been named as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2022 New Year’s Honours list. Development Executive Hedley Featherstone, was also named on this year’s list, which recognises individuals who have provided long-term, significant services to their communities. Simon Lee has led CSSC since 2012 and has transformed the organisation, which supports over 140,000 civil servants across the UK to lead healthier lives, delivering consistent membership growth every year. It is under Simon’s leadership that CSSC began offering members free access to English Heritage…

The Minister for Health and Social Services, Eluned Morgan and Chief Executive for the NHS Wales Judith Paget have offered their congratulations to NHS Wales employees who have been recognised in the Queen’s New Year Honours. Eight individuals from across NHS Wales have been awarded. The Chief Medical Officer for Wales Dr Frank Atherton has also been awarded a Knighthood for his role in the COVID-19 pandemic. Minister for Health and Social Services Eluned Morgan said: “A huge congratulations to everyone in NHS Wales who has been honoured in the Queen’s New Year Honours. It is good to see people…

Wales has had one of the busiest periods of film and television activity ever in 2021, with over 24 productions shooting across the country between May to October – which means there will be many opportunities to see our beautiful country on screen in 2022 Over the Christmas period, Doctor Who fans will be treated to the first of three specials which will mark the last outing for Jodie Whitaker as the Doctor. Swansea’s own Russell T Davies will return as showrunner to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the series in 2023, with BBC Studios partnering Bad Wolf to produce.…