Author: Rhys Gregory

Popular for its crystal waters and rolling green hills, the Isle of Anglesey in Wales is a dream come true for people looking for peace and tranquility. Anglesey is also known for remarkable beaches and incredible historic sites, making it among the most attractive holiday hotspots in the UK. This small Island measuring about 275M2 supports a booming tourism industry, with a big heritage that welcomes around 1.6 million tourists every year. If Anglesey Island sounds like a promising adventure for a weekend, you’re sure to be spoiled with choices and lots of great things to do on the island.…

Small businesses face adversity at many points in their lifetimes. From logistical problems to the more severe, small business owners navigate some tricky waters at various periods. While the role of company owner is challenging at the best of times, this was made all the more so during the last twelve months.   The pandemic tested business owners at new lengths and brought with it various issues of its own. While we begin to emerge from the tail end of the ordeal, minds may be thinking about how we can utilise the experience and use it to our advantage?   As restrictions begin to…

Horse racing has garnered rave reviews for centuries for a variety of reasons. Among these are the drama of a close race at the final corner, the magnificence and strength of the horses, and the sport’s long, storied tradition. Perhaps nothing excites racegoers more than the chance to win money by betting on the belmont stakes horse races. Gambling has existed alongside horse races for as long as there have been races. The system for betting on horse racing has been streamlined and perfected over time. Some slight differences are depending on where the races are held, and for the…

SWANSEA Council is launching the next phase in its consultation programme to upgrade sea defences to help protect Mumbles for the next century. The project is being managed by council highways and transportation personnel. Award-winning consultants, engineers and designers Amey Consulting – who have vast experience in coastal defence initiatives – have been enlisted to come up with designs to improve flood defences along the sea wall in the Swansea community. They’re working in conjunction with delivery partners JBA Consulting and LDA Design. The existing sea defences were built more than a century ago as part of a Swansea and…

Two of South Wales’ largest bus operators, Cardiff Bus and Newport Bus, have announced a unique upgrade of their mobile ticketing system which came into effect from Monday 17th May 2021. The upgrade will allow customers on Route 30, which is run jointly by both operators between Cardiff and Newport, to use their mobile app ticket on both providers vehicles. Prior to this development, valid tickets were not recorded electronically. This new technology will allow both operators to better understand journeys that are being made and when they are being made, to ensure the service offers the best possible journey…

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 60.7 in April, up notably from 55.1 in March, to signal the steepest expansion in output since data collection for the series began in January 2001. Panellists suggested the uptick in business activity was linked to the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions and greater client demand, especially for those in the service sector. Welsh private sector firms registered a marked upturn in new business during April. Panellists stated that the further…

A peatland restoration project at Bwlch y Groes on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park is the first of its kind in Wales to be completed with the benefit of carbon funding, following validation under the Peatland Code. Thanks to funding by the Welsh Peatlands Sustainable Management Scheme, a project led by the Snowdonia National Park Authority, and in conjunction with the Roberts family who have farmed at Pennant Farm, Llanymawddwy for several generations, the 66 hectare peatland restoration project has been successfully completed. Over the winter months restoration works to re-profile and block the extensive complexes of hags…

After 12 years in the same job with a print company, Gethin Evans opted to change career to secure a better future for himself and his family, as his wife was expecting their second child. However, his new career path to become a plumber has not been without its challenges, as he’s had three employers within three years through no fault of his own. Gethin, 32, from Aberystwyth, began an apprenticeship with a plumber friend who then decided to move from the area after six months, a week before his second son was due. He then worked for another plumbing…

A team of Welsh academics has developed a new method of supporting health professionals to make clinical decisions about people who may be at risk of taking their own lives. While the UK may have one of the lowest rates of suicide in the world, it is still the biggest cause of death in men under 45, so being able to make a Structured Professional Judgement about who might attempt suicide and knowing how to intervene is vitally important. Researchers at Swansea and Cardiff universities have put together the Risk of Suicide Protocol (RoSP) which guides a professional to look…

One Powys business has picked up a major international award from top travel website TripAdvisor despite the challenges of the Covid-19 lockdown. The Old Vicarage, a Bed and Breakfast in Llangurig, near Llanidloes, has been awarded a TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Award, putting it amongst the top 10% of hotels and B&Bs in the UK. The award is based solely on reviews made by guests and reflects their experiences and the level of service they received throughout their stay. Kanika Soni, TripAdvisor’s chief commercial officer, said: “I know the past year has been extremely challenging for tourism businesses. The Travellers’ Choice…