Author: Rhys Gregory

Wales’ largest music, science and arts festival, Green Man Festival came to a triumphant close Sunday night with a thrilling headline set from Fontaines D.C. The Dublin four piece’s first major festival headline show followed headliners from across the weekend, Caribou, Tirzah and Mogwai, and was a truly raucous display with the Black Mountains of the festival looming behind them. Following Fontaines D.C.’s closing performance, festival goers made their annual pilgrimage across the site to witness the annual burning of the handcrafted Green Man effigy under the full moon, celebrating the end of an emotional return to the hallowed festival…

St Asaph and Daresbury based Pure Residential & Commercial Ltd. has recently submitted a full planning application for a new housing development on an 8 acre site directly opposite the Betsi Cadwalader University main campus at Glan Clwyd Hospital, Bodelwyddan. The proposed development is offering a range of house types from apartments, 2,3 & 4 bed homes and given the site’s location adjacent to the main A55 coast road, demand for the homes is forecast to be high. Managing Director of Pure Residential & Commercial Chris White said: “We are delighted to be able to have secured this prime site…

EYE Cymru is a revolutionary immersive event series bringing together pioneering laser art, music and nature at iconic locations across Wales. Cardiff will play host to its international premiere at Cardiff Castle on 14th October 2021; EYE Cymru will run continuously until 31st October 2021, with live performances on the weekends featuring the headline artists. Created in partnership with the Welsh Government and Visit Wales, EYE Cymru is set to become a landmark feature of the UK arts and festival scene, with events being planned across Wales throughout 2022 and 2023. The EYE Project collective also plans a residency at…

Surface Pattern Design student from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) has started a coveted paid internship with iconic car manufacturer Rolls-Royce. Rebecca Davies, 23, gets to spend 13 months as part of the company’s exclusive eight-strong design team, which is based between Goodwood and Munich. Rebecca is studying for an MDes degree in Surface Pattern Design, specialising in Textiles for Fashion. The course is based at the University’s Swansea College of Art, Dynevor campus. Once Rebecca completes her internship, she will graduate with a Master of Design degree in Surface Pattern Design: Textiles for Fashion. To win the…

Dr Chris Martin becomes the new chair of Life Sciences Hub Wales. He succeeds Professor Sir Mansel Aylward who is stepping down from the role of chair but will continue as a non-executive director on the board. Dr Martin has been the vice chair of the organisation since 2017 and has been interim chair for the last 18 months. He is also deputy chair of the Bevan Commission, an internationally renowned Welsh health and care think tank. Eluned Morgan, Minister for Health and Social Services, welcomed the appointment saying: “I am delighted that Dr Martin is taking up the substantive…

Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre retailer, has announced the winners of its first-ever ‘Not Your Average Gardener’ awards. Judged by gardener, journalist and Dobbies’ podcast host Louise Midgley, and Dobbies’ Horticultural Director, Marcus Eyles, the duo has found a gardening star in Llanelli who will receive a £250 Giftcard to spend on gardening plants and tools in the Swansea store as well as a consultation with one of the judges. With the aim to find the best and most dedicated gardeners from Wales and beyond, the awards showcase those with creativity, commitment and passion for gardening. Kylie Walker (45)…

Red Dragon Pubs, a new pub company for Wales, has been officially launched at The Aubrey Arms, in Swansea – the first pub under its ownership. Since it bought The Aubrey, Red Dragon Pubs has added seven more venues to its portfolio in the Swansea and Gwent Valleys, with plans to open four more pubs by the end of October. Red Dragon Pubs is the brainchild of founder James Hunt, a serial entrepreneur, and a group of investors who admire and believe in the Welsh pub scene.  The company aims to buy and invest in pubs across South Wales, James…

A number of local sports clubs around Swansea can now claim new grants of up to £1,500 to help the city out of the pandemic. Swansea Council has this week launched the offer for clubs and associations that either self-manage their council pitches or lease grounds from the council. It will help clubs used by thousands of local residents as they look to bounce back from the difficulties of the past 18 months. The council has already waived permit fees for clubs that hire council pitches but do not manage the grounds. The new grants will be administered by sport and…

Grŵp Llandrillo Menai (GLLM) has appointed North Wales based READ Construction to build a brand new Sport Science training facility at the Coleg Menai campus in Llangefni. The £6.3m state-of-the-art project includes a brand new sports hall, large gym, changing facilities, 7 Sport Science classrooms, Sports Biometrics laboratories, staff rooms and  equipment storage. The contract award is the latest key milestone for the Grŵp’s extensive strategic development programme across its estate. Aled Jones-Griffiths, Coleg Menai & Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor Principal said: “This is another big step towards creating a regionally important education & training hub at Llangefni. It will bring the…

The Pembrokeshire County Council Customer Service Centre at North Wing, County Hall, Haverfordwest is to re-open next month on an appointment-only basis. The Council’s Customer Service Centres (CSC) have been closed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic since March 2020. With limited resources available, CSC staff were redeployed to the Test, Trace and Protect team as part of the Covid-19 response. That important work continues but is now possible to release some staff and North Wing Customer Service Centre will re-open on Monday September 6th for those who have received appointments for housing-related matters. Customers who arrive in person…