Author: Rhys Gregory

The Creative Industries make a significant contribution to the culture and economy of Wales, with pre-COVID turnover and employment levels of £2.2billion and 56,000 people. As the Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething sets out his vision to move the Welsh economy forward, with an approach geared towards creating an economy where more young people feel confident about planning their future in Wales, Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, Dawn Bowden outlines the value of the creative sector as an accessible and rewarding career choice – and sector which is booming. Wales has recently seen the busiest period of TV and Film…

“Delivering the £1bn Welsh Metro project will be one of the most ambitious and complex programmes we’ve ever undertaken.” Those were the words of Deputy Minister for Climate Change, with a responsibility for transport, Lee Waters as he unveiled new maps showing the enormous scale of the project. Speaking just a week before the Welsh Government publishes its Net Zero plans in the run up to COP26, the Deputy Minister said how the project would deliver on plans set out in Llwybr Newydd, the Wales Transport Strategy, by creating a modern, integrated and sustainable transport network that supports modern lifestyles.…

Calvendo Verlag from Munich uses the blockchain to better organize the production and supply chain. Not in theory, but in real life, and not as a PR gag, but because it makes sense. What do Korean airplane pilots and a publisher’s supply chain have in common? Why do most economic managers misunderstand the usefulness of a blockchain, and why has Ethereum lost some of its focus? Answers to this question can be found at Calvendo Verlag in Munich, which a few months ago was the first German publisher to include a blockchain in its publication and production process. But let’s…

Starting a day with a cup of coffee and a cigarette is a classic daily ritual, though not a healthy one. While breakfast is not considered the most important meal anymore, it certainly is an essential one, so whether you are a smoker or not, you need to follow the right diet and not live on smoking alone. That’s where e-cigarettes enter the stage. Vaping is the new buzzword right now. More and more people choose this option above traditional smoking due to its supposed benefits and a variety of possible flavours. And these flavours become even more of an…

The ever-popular Santa’s Toy Mine has returned to Rhondda Heritage Park for 2021. It’s the most wonderful time of the year at the Welsh Coal Mining Experience, Rhondda Heritage Park, as Santa Claus transforms the former Lewis Merthyr Colliery into a magical grotto for the season. Tickets went on sale this morning (Tuesday, 19 October) at 9am and many dates are already showing limited availability as people book online. Guests will once again be able to enjoy a magical Christmas tour, the chance to speak to Father Christmas himself and get a sELFie with him and, of course, an age-appropriate…

New figures released by the British Chambers of Commerce have revealed that the number of businesses struggling to recruit staff is rising significantly, with issues in the service and manufacturing sectors in particular at record levels. The data, which found that 9 in 10 hospitality firms in the UK struggle to find staff, was drawn from the British Chamber of Commerce’s Quarterly Recruitment Outlook. Paul Slevin, President of Chambers Wales, said: “Our own Quarterly Economic Survey results in Wales echo the wider national concerns regarding recruitment in the UK. Over half of Welsh businesses have attempted to recruit over the…

After an 18-month wait, it was revealed yesterday evening (Monday, 18 October 2021) that the winner of the Urdd Eisteddfod Crown 2020-21 is author Megan Angharad Hunter from Penygroes, Gwynedd. The Urdd is also pleased to announce that Osian Wyn Owen from Y Felinheli came not only second but also third place in the competition. Osian won the Main Poetry Award at the Urdd’s digital Eisteddfod T in 2020, and Chair at the Urdd Eisteddfod in 2018. Throughout this week, the Urdd Eisteddfod is awarding composition and creation work that was submitted in 2020, before having to postpone the national…

The flu virus is already circulating and has led to people being hospitalised. Swansea Bay University Health Board’s Director of Public Health, Dr Keith Reid, said the cases, although small in number, should be a timely reminder that everyone eligible for a free flu vaccination should take up the offer. “Flu was non-existent in autumn and winter 2020 as lockdowns, mask wearing and increased hand hygiene stopped it and other winter bugs from spreading from person to person,” he said. “But we have been expecting to see flu come back this year and potentially at levels up to twice as…

Teenager Abby Griffiths has followed in the tyre tracks of her father and brother to become one of the youngest women in the country to qualify as a bus and coach driver, a career traditionally dominated by men. Inspired by her father, Abby, 19, from Llanrwst, has realised a childhood ambition to drive buses after being inspired by her father, Anthony, who is a part-time driver for Llew Jones Coaches. The Llanrwst-based company, which has a workforce of 70, provides services ranging from school transport and local bus services to National Express and international tours. Abby has joined her brother…

Cardiff based Pelican Healthcare Ltd, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of disposable stoma products in the UK healthcare market, is celebrating the success of its carbon offsetting initiative with the announcement it has saved in CO² emissions the equivalent impact of planting one thousand trees. In direct response to Cardiff Council’s One Planet strategy, which aims for Cardiff to be a carbon neutral city by 2030, Pelican Healthcare invested approximately £500k in new solar panels to ensure its manufacturing processes are delivered via sustainable, green energy, with subsequent CO² savings of 102.54t. Its switch to solar panels has also…