Author: Rhys Gregory

Bingo has grown in popularity during the last decade. Bingo used to be a game reserved for senior residents, but today it is enjoyed by individuals of all ages. This game has numerous advantages for players. It can be used to assist individuals suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, as well as to improve overall mental wellness. Along with this research finding, bingo promotes social interaction, which can result in increased physical health and wellness, among other benefits. Bingo’s popularity continues to rise because it is a great opportunity for people from all walks of life to come together for…

Following the successful launch of the Cardiff Business Club’s 2021/22 season, Andrew Davies, Chief Executive of the Kier Group, is set to headline the first live networking event on October 18 at Cardiff Hilton Hotel. The event, sponsored by Q5 Partners, will see Andrew address attendees about the construction industry today and overcoming the challenges of COVID-19, Brexit, and fuel shortages. Andrew was appointed as CEO of Kier Group plc in April 2019, prior to which he was CEO of Wates Group. This will be the first live speaker event for the Cardiff Business Club since March 2020, during which…

A recent survey carried out by Chambers Wales has revealed the attitudes of Welsh businesses to net zero commitments. Chambers Wales’ Quarterly Economic Survey is part of a British Chambers of Commerce UK-wide survey and the data gathered from responses is closely followed by governments, policymakers, the Bank of England and wider media. Over one hundred businesses took part in the independent survey of business sentiment to record the challenges and opportunities they encountered during the third quarter of the year, as well as their plans to achieve net zero. Net zero is an important facet to mitigate global warming…

A barn owl has been returned to the wild after spending an unexpected day at a Treorchy school. Ben Read – who teaches Year 3 pupils – was driving to work when he saw a bird crash land onto the kerb close to Treorchy Primary School on Tuesday (5 October). The owl was in clear need of help – so he carefully picked up the owl in a blanket, and took the bird into school before sounding the alarm to the RSPCA. RSPCA inspector Simon Evans arrived at the school, and took the owl to a local veterinary practice to…

The headline NatWest Wales Business Activity Index – a seasonally adjusted index that measures the month-on-month change in the combined output of the region’s manufacturing and service sectors – registered 57.1 in September, down from 58.0 in August, to signal a sharp expansion in output across the Welsh private sector. The rate of growth in business activity was the steepest of the 12 monitored UK areas, despite easing to a six-month low. Where an increase in output was noted, firms attributed this to a sustained rise in client demand. That said, raw material and labour shortages weighed on the overall…

Monmouthshire County Council has confirmed its support for the Wales Placemaking Charter, joining 101 other leading Welsh organisations in the fight to tackle climate change and support recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. As the latest local authority to sign the Placemaking Charter, Monmouthshire County Council joins Neath Port Talbot Council, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority and Swansea Council. Other signatories include 29 architecture or design practices, 20 membership bodies, ten Government organisations, 11 housing associations including Pobl Housing and seven private housing developers including the UK’s leading housebuilder Redrow and Magor-based Edenstone Homes.  All have pledged to: Involve the local…

One in seven men (14%) in Wales still think the man should pay the bill on a date. This compares to almost one in five men (19%) surveyed from across the UK. Interestingly less than one in ten of all women (9%) surveyed agree that men should be the ones to pay. This is according to polling carried out as part of the new Men’s Heads and Hearts report from leading relationships charity Relate and relationships experts eharmony. The report combines insights from interviews with Relate counsellors and consumer polling plus service data. It looks at how men are feeling…

Savills has completed the freehold sales of the ibis Budget Newport and Hotel ibis Swansea to a private buyer for an undisclosed price with the hotels subsequently being leased to AGO Hotels, a hybrid lease operator providing a combination of guaranteed fixed rent and profit participation. The Hotel ibis Swansea comprises 99 bedrooms, a 50 cover restaurant and two meetings rooms. It is located on the A483 which is the main arterial road providing access to the city centre. The ibis Budget Newport comprises 103 bedrooms, a 30 cover breakfast room and bar. The Hotel benefits from its from proximity…

The boss of Marks and Spencer has hailed a new super bakery in North Wales as one of the best in the world. The praise from CEO Steve Rowe came during a visit to the Jones Village Bakery’s new state-of-the-art, 140,000 sq ft production facility on Wrexham Industrial Estate. Mr Rowe was there for a major relaunch of retail giant’s Plan A environmental strategy to combat climate change, reduce waste, use sustainable raw materials, trade ethically and help customers to lead healthier lifestyles. He chose the eco-friendly Jones Village Bakery for the reboot following a visit to see the new…

An epic swim across 60 kilometres of some of the wildest water in Wales’s seas, rivers, lakes and reservoirs is no birthday party – as TV presenter Gaz Top discovered. Gareth Jones: Nofio Adre (Gareth Jones: Swimming Home) – tells the tale of how the St Asaph-born star of ITV shows like How 2 with Fred Dinenage and Carol Vorderman and The Big Bang tackled two-metre waves in the Bristol Channel, a Mid Wales reservoir where Dambusters explosives were tested and the lake which swept away a village in the Conwy Valley. To get the energy to fuel his efforts…