Author: Rhys Gregory

A North Wales TV company is going global with a new big budget show that busts the myth that rain is shaped like teardrops. Caernarfon-based Cwmni Da led an international consortium to make the three-part series which takes an in depth look at how rain has affected humanity and reveals that raindrops actually look like hamburgers. The £650,000 co-production, called Rain: The Untold Story, has already been chosen by industry magazine Broadcast as one of 2022’s Top 10 picks to watch. It’s a follow-up to a ground-breaking series, Tide, which was sold to 50 countries worldwide and won the Silver…

Cardiff street art lovers will remember the sad news from last October, when an administration error led to the removal of several murals from the columns behind the city centre’s old Debenhams site. Now Beth Blandford (Blandoodles) Temeka Davies (Noble Sol) and Amber Smith (BeanHead), the artists whose work was removed, have re-created and re-imagined their artwork in spaces within The Capitol Shopping Centre. People will recognise the spirit of the previous artwork, and will get some new surprises too. The installation, which was again commissioned by FOR Cardiff, took place in April and is now complete. The lead artists were…

Dog lover Gareth Jones is helping others learn canine care, by working with the organisation that put him on the path to opening a celebrated Welsh pet salon. The 29-year-old Caerphilly native learned his skills at top training provider ACT, which has a centre on the town’s Market Street, plus many more across South Wales. Along with partner Jack Pullin, he founded dog-grooming service Pupperazi in 2018, and they have just opened a new premises in Bedwas. Gareth used his own training to get where he is today, so he wants to help others in Caerphilly enter the unusual industry…

AN AWARD-WINNING estate agent will hold free events to support landlords and tenants ahead of a landmark transformation in Welsh rental laws. Williams Estates is to host drop-in sessions and advice clinics at its offices in Ruthin, Rhyl, Denbigh, Mold, Prestatyn and Rhuddlan in the run up to July 15, when The Renting Homes Act 2016 is set to be introduced across the country. The Act has been branded the “biggest change to housing law in Wales for decades” and includes updates to current laws; among them is an increase in the notice landlords must give when issuing ‘no-fault’ evictions…

Volunteers are making some components for Corris Railway’s new Falcon steam locomotive which is progressing after a temporary pause in January while more money was raised for the new build project. Ross-on-Wye based engineering company Alan Keef Ltd has made sections of the footplate for locomotive number 10 which are being fitted prior to the mounting of the smokebox. The handbrake screw has also been machined and connected up to the rest of the mechanism to complete that part of the brake assembly and mountings are being made for the air brake cylinder. Volunteers have made the firebox doors and…

Developing friendlier and more sociable robots, 40 years of Welsh language television, and historical myths about the human body are some of the subjects set to engage audiences at the 35th Hay Festival. Three Aberystwyth University academics will feature in the programme for this year’s festival, as part of the University’s ongoing partnership with the prestigious cultural and literary event. The world’s leading festival of ideas, Hay Festival 2022 will bring readers and writers together in sustainable events to inspire, examine and entertain from 26 May–5 June in Hay-on-Wye. In his talk ‘Social Computers and Conversational Robots: Imagining a new path towards…

The National Library of Wales’ chief executive and librarian Pedr ap Llwyd has been elected a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales, the national academy for arts and sciences. Pedr is one of 66 newly elected Fellows, half of them women, which the society says show that Wales has the solutions to many of today’s challenges. Specialisms run from aerospace engineering to the history of African Europeans, ceramic microstructures to the Baroque violin, women in surgery to the National Trust and much else in between. Pedr said: “It is a privilege to be elected as a Fellow of the Learned…

Swansea BID (Business Improvement District) are bringing Rioja Day back to Swansea. Originally launched in 2018, the relaunch will take place on 9th June 2022. Bringing a little taste of Spain to Swansea, people joining the celebrations can expect much of what Beaujolais Day was in its early days. Rioja Day will provide local businesses an additional opportunity to come together every year. Swansea BID Chief Executive, Russell Greenslade said, “We have relaunched Rioja Day to complement Beaujolais Day and give the business community an additional opportunity to come together and experience the beating heart of the city. There are…

Individuals and teams across Wales have been recognised for their achievements and innovations in cancer services over the last two years with the announcement of the shortlist for the Moondance Cancer Awards. Moondance Cancer Initiative exists to find, fund and fuel brilliant people and brave ideas to make Wales a world leader in cancer survival. The awards aim to celebrate and spotlight people across NHS Wales and its partners who have maintained and innovated cancer services despite the extraordinary circumstances of the last two years. A total of 125 nominations were received, which have been shortlisted down to 62 organisations,…

As part of International Nurses Day 2022, we’ve spoken to Kelly Howell, a University of South Wales (USW) nursing graduate, about continuing her studies after a shock diagnosis. Over Christmas 2018, Kelly Howell from Bridgend, discovered a lump in her breast. She was studying to qualify as a Health Visitor at USW and was approaching the final leg of the course. Kelly was referred as an urgent case and, within a fortnight, had met her oncologist who diagnosed HER2 triple positive breast cancer – a very aggressive form so she needed to start treatment immediately, much to her and her…