Author: Rhys Gregory

A 61-year-old man from Pembrokeshire has taken his 6,000th ride on Oakwood’s famous wooden rollercoaster, Megafobia, after pandemic delays. Ryan, from Milford Haven, has been riding the rollercoaster since it opened in 1996, having previously completed 21 rides of the iconic attraction in just one day. His love affair with the ride stems from his passion for wooden rollers coasters, which he says are his favourite since the material allows them to sway and move more, providing a more intense experience. Ryan, who has been a rollercoaster enthusiast for as long as he can remember, having enjoyed some of the…

INDEPENDENT producers can showcase their goods and garner support and advice at an innovative business hub. Running for eight weeks from Tuesday November 9, Love Live Local @ Rhyl will be based in the town’s White Rose Centre. Supported by Denbighshire County Council, Antur Cymru and the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns Coastal Communities Fund, the project aims to attract new and existing food and drink firms or those looking to launch or develop their own venture to take up space, display local produce and utilise the expert guidance and mentoring on offer. Open Tuesday to Sunday until the new year,…

National Geographic Traveller (UK) has teamed up with Food & Drink Wales to launch a new multi-stage initiative designed to showcase the country as a culinary destination. The project is centred around a new 52-page food-focused guide to Wales, which was sponsored by Food & Drink Wales and distributed with the October edition of National Geographic Traveller — the first time a culinary guide has been distributed with the magazine in its 10-year history. The guide, which was overseen by Glen Mutel, the editor of the magazine’s quarterly special edition, National Geographic Traveller Food (UK), looks at all aspects of Wales’s…

A talented young pianist won the top prize at a prestigious international festival after putting on a virtuoso performance. Tomos Boyles, 21, from Cardiff, won the senior competition at the four-yearly Wales International Piano Festival at Galeri in Caernarfon. He was presented with a £3,000 prize which was donated by food company Roberts of Port Dinorwic. It was the second time Tomos  had competed at the festival. In 2016 he had taken part in the junior section. He was extremely happy to win the first prize. “I am in my third year studying music at Christ College, Oxford and I’m…

A significant increase of COVID-19 cases are being seen across Ceredigion. Current rates show that Ceredigion stands at 656.2 per 100,000 of the population with 464 positive cases reported in the last 7 days. This is the highest recorded level in Ceredigion since the start of the pandemic. The highest numbers are being seen in South Aberystwyth, 851.6 per 100,000 of the population and Borth & Bontgoch 1159.9 per 100,000 of the population. With a very concerning number of cases across the county, Ceredigion Council is urging residents to stick to the basics in order to protect our friends, families…

A stunning new fly-through shows how Swansea’s new-look, family-friendly Wind Street will look once its £3m upgrade is finished. Wind Street is the city’s best-known street and is a thriving base for daytime and nightlife businesses and communities. It’s anticipated substantial completion of the £3m upgrade will be done by the end of November. When it’s finished it will be even more attractive, featuring new flower beds, street furniture and other additions to add colour and vitality. It’ll also link to the soon-to-be upgraded Castle Square Gardens which will also boast more trees and more greenery to offer another family-friendly…

More than 500 pupils are getting ready to move to a new home when they return to school next week after the half-term break. The £11.5m new build for Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Tirdeunaw has been completed and will open on Wednesday. The two-storey state-of-the-art development has been jointly funded by Swansea Council and the Welsh Government and is the latest project to be completed under the 21st Century Schools and Colleges programme. It is part of a £170m in new school buildings and facilities. Swansea Council Leader Rob Stewart visited the new build next to Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bryn Tawe in…

Drivers are being warned that a further overnight road closure will soon take place as part of resurfacing works along a stretch of the A4063 near Maesteg. Part of the WEPA Paper Mills’ ongoing £100m expansion, work was due to be completed last week but poor weather and plant operational issues meant the work was unable to be finished. The rescheduled work is expected to take place on 8 November between 11pm and 4am the following day. This will affect the A4063 from the layby opposite the paper mills to the Cefn Ydfa access. With a temporary diversion route in…

Residents in parts of Merthyr Vale, Plymouth and Treharris Wards have agreed with proposals to extend the planned average speed cameras along the A4054 (Cardiff Road). The public consultation exercise, which took place August to September 2021, prompted over 1200 responses from residents, road users and members of the wider public, with over 63% of people agreeing with the installation of the cameras. The consultation was carried out after speed surveys identified ‘excessive speeding on a continuous basis’ along the road, meaning action was urgently needed to improve road safety.  Several options were considered, and average speed cameras were deemed…

Rugby supporters heading into Cardiff to watch Wales’ autumn internationals are being reminded they must wear a face covering on public transport. A capacity 74,500 crowd is expected at the Principality Stadium on Saturday for Wales’ opening game of the series against New Zealand – the first sell-out since the 2020 Six Nations. With many more thousands of people expected into the Welsh capital to watch the match in bars and other venues, Transport for Wales and the British Transport Police are stressing the importance of following the Welsh Government’s Covid regulations. Leyton Powell, Safety and Sustainability Director at Transport…