Author: Rhys Gregory

A country music charity event organised by husband and wife duo Sherri and Rick Naylor from Llanfallteg, has raised £4,100 for Macmillan Cancer Support and The Old Mill Foundation. The sold-out musical weekend fundraiser was held at The Snooty Fox in Martletwy near Narberth. Both evenings featured Rick and Sherri who were joined by Richard Howell on pedal steel guitar and supported by friends Huw Evans and Billy Ware. The couple were keen to raise money to help people in Wales living with cancer after Rick was diagnosed last year with stage 4 lung cancer. Rick has received practical information…

From the foothills of Southern Snowdonia to the striking landscapes of the Brecon Beacons, Offa’s Dyke to the spectacular Ceredigion coast and everywhere in between, this is Mid Wales at its wintery best. 1. Bwlch Nant yr Arian, near Aberystwyth The Visitor Centre is easy to find, just off the A44. Soak up the sights, sounds and smells of nature along waymarked trails without the crowds. Chances are, there’ll be more red kites than people. The number of these beautiful birds of prey which come in for daily feeding is often higher during winter. Feeding time is at 2pm every…

Graduates from the University of South Wales (USW) will be crossing the graduation stage for the first time at the International Convention Centre Wales (ICC Wales) in Newport next year. USW is working with ICC Wales to deliver all of the University’s rescheduled graduation ceremonies for 2020 and 2021 graduates, which were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Thousands of graduates will be invited to attend ceremonies in March and April 2022, with their families and friends, at the UK’s newest and most exciting events venue. The ceremonies will be held across two weeks – the week beginning 14 March…

The performance of Talyllyn Railway since passenger trains resumed in May has been hailed by general manager Stuart Williams. With two months of the financial year remaining, the Tywyn-based heritage railway has carried 36,472 passengers so far in 2021 compared to 49,344 in 2019, which was a record breaking year. This reduction is perfectly understandable bearing in mind that passenger numbers have been restricted due to Covid safety measures and there were no trains between February and the end of April due to the pandemic. The railway’s revenue, including tickets, shop and cafes, is 3.7% behind the 2019 full year…

A graduate from the Sport and Exercise Science course at The University of Wales Trinity Saint David has become a British champion after recently winning his first natural bodybuilding competition. Lewis Beecher currently works as a Gym/ Sports Centre attendant on the Carmarthen and Lampeter campus. He recently competed in a competition that was organised by 2brospro events held in Maidenhead. He won the open class category for bodybuilding 1st timers, and as a result, he qualified to compete at the British finals, where he also won his category. Lewis developed a passion for resistance training after an injury in his…

EIGHT assaults every day were committed against Welsh emergency workers during the first six months of this year, new figures have revealed. More than 1,360 assaults were committed in the six-month period from 01 January 2021 – 30 June 2021. They included kicking, slapping, head-butting and verbal abuse, and ranged from common assault to serious premediated attacks involving grievous bodily harm. With Christmas fast approaching – the time of year when assaults traditionally spike – emergency workers are asking the public to treat them with respect. Jason Killens, Chief Executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has…

Work is due to start this week on a new play area for Mayhill. Residents and local children have been involved in designing the facility and choosing the equipment for Mayhill Park. There include swings, a slide, a 25 metre cableway, a wheelchair-friendly roundabout and other fun items of equipment. Contractors are due on site this week and, if the weather allows, are hopeful of completing the project by the time children break-up for the Christmas holidays. Plans for upgrades and new play areas for communities around the city were unveiled in March this year and the Mayhill initiative is…

The historic turbine house located in Margam Country Park has been restored to once again provide electricity for the Margam Estate. The Turbine house was built in 1891 for Emily Charlotte Talbot, who commissioned the development of a hydro-electric scheme powered by a nearby fishpond. The original turbine generated enough electricity to power 400 lamps. It is thought Margam Castle was the second domestic dwelling to have electricity in Britain at that time. During the 1950s, the original turbine was removed and taken to South Africa. The replacement turbine has now been fully restored after being neglected for many years.…

Bridgend County Borough Council has confirmed that support will once again be available for anyone who finds themselves homeless or at risk of homelessness this winter. Following Welsh Government’s ‘no one left out’ approach which has been in place since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, hundreds of people in Bridgend County Borough have already received help and temporary accommodation. Over the winter months, the council will continue to work closely with our partners to ensure full support is provided to anyone who is homeless or who finds themselves at risk of becoming homeless. We would urge anyone who thinks…

Over 7,500 rapid lateral flow test (LFT) kits were handed out from the asymptomatic testing centre that was set up to test visitors attending this year’s Winter Fair without a Covid pass, the county council has said. The centre, which was at the Royal Welsh Showground while the Winter Fair took place, was organised by Powys County Council and Powys Teaching Health Board, who have been leading the county’s approach to Test Trace Protect, in partnership with the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society. 77 people were tested at the centre over the two days and only one person testing positive. The…