Author: Rhys Gregory

A 1.7m gingerbread house replicating the iconic McCallister house has been unveiled by Disney+ to mark the 30 th anniversary of Home Alone. Disney+ commissioned the award-winning artist and cake designer Michelle Wibowo to recreate the Home Alone film set using edible ingredients, following the film’s UK release in 1990. Celebrated characters and other unforgettable items of the fan favourite movie have been given the full festive gingerbread treatment. This much loved festive film joins Disney+ as the service celebrates its first Christmas in the UK, becoming the perfect place for fantastic entertainment this December with a huge line up…

As Aled Jones celebrate his milestone 50th birthday, BBC Wales invites viewers to join him as he takes a festive trip down memory lane. Classic FM and Songs of Praise presenter Aled is arguably best known for being the voice behind one of the most iconic Christmas songs ever – ‘Walking in the Air’. During his remarkable career he’s released 40 albums, presented radio and television programmes, and performed for some of the biggest names in the world – including Pope John Paul II and the Queen. He revisits some of these stand-out moments in his career through nostalgic archive…

A management buy-out (MBO) proposal has been submitted to the administrators of fashion retailer Peacocks and if successful has the potential to prevent UK-wide store closures and save 4,908 people from redundancy. The bid from a senior eCommerce manager at Peacocks Stores Ltd in conjunction with a private investor, follows the announcement (18 November) that Peacock’s parent company EWM Group had placed the company into the hands of administrators, FRP Advisory. The MBO proposal which sets out to purchase the full company, its employees and its stores, also promises to strengthen Peacocks digital offering with a clear plan of investment…

Swansea University researcher Dr Lewis Francis will share his work with a global online audience at an international online conference next week.  Dr Francis, an associate professor in biomedical sciences based at Swansea University Medical School is a keynote speaker at the SelectScience Virtual Biopharmaceutical Summit. Covering hot topics from across the biopharmaceutical pipeline, this groundbreaking event gets underway on Tuesday, December 8, and will provide an interactive forum for scientists and manufacturers worldwide to connect and share knowledge at this critical time. The free event will feature a raft of speakers, with headline topics including gene therapy,  nanomedicines, drug discovery, and…

STUDENTS went under the microscope for a series of virtual interviews with leading lights from health and education. Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science learners from Coleg Cambria were quizzed as part of a series of multiple mini interviews (MMI) to prepare them for university and their future careers. Led by Nora Richardson, Curriculum Lead at Yale Sixth Form, the online sessions were well received by the 13-strong cohort from the college’s sites in Wrexham and Deeside. “The students and interviewers rose to the challenge of adapting to our new way of working and we were delighted to have had superb…

Legal & General’s refurbished Hodge House office building in central Cardiff is the first building in Wales to achieve a Wired Certified Gold rating for its digital connectivity and infrastructure. The independent audit rates the infrastructure, connectivity and technological capacity of commercial property and is a trusted international benchmark for occupiers to help them make an informed decision before signing a lease. A Wired Certified Gold rating means a building has been designed to incorporate most of the connectivity features that matter most to tenants: redundancy and resiliency of telecom infrastructure, ease of installation and capacity to readily support new…

Savills, and joint agent Knight Frank, on behalf of Aegon Asset Management, has completed the letting of 101 St Mary Street in Cardiff, to Hamlyn Williams, the specialist recruitment firm. Hamlyn Williams has agreed a five year lease on the second floor suite extending approximately 6,461 sq ft at £116,298 per annum. 101 has been refurbished to provide high quality open plan office space with a number of modern features including exposed services, concrete wash hand basins and feature lighting with each floor providing approximately 6,461 sq ft. The building also benefits from shower facilities and air conditioning. Gary Carver, office…

COVID-19 Resilience Group launches hotlines and self-assessment for Welsh food and drink manufacturers A Welsh Government backed group of specialist support organisations has launched a range of resources to help Welsh food and drink manufacturers recover from the impact of COVID-19. The resources have been produced by the COVID-19 Resilience Group, which was set up to support the delivery of the COVID-19 Recovery Plan that was created in collaboration between the Food & Drink Wales Industry Board and Welsh Government. The COVID-19 Resilience Group has established hotlines which enable manufacturers from across Wales to quickly and easily obtain targeted support…

The Welsh Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund is providing essential support to theatres, music venues, heritage sites, libraries, museums, galleries, archive services and independent cinemas, right across Wales – which have all experienced a dramatic loss of revenue due to the Covid-19 pandemic. To date more than £30m has been distributed through the Welsh Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund, with the Arts Council of Wales allocating a £20m package for the sector in October. The Welsh Government launched the first Freelancer Fund in the UK, deciding to include freelancers as a key part of the Cultural Recovery Fund recognising the essential role they play…

Residents of a North Wales town will soon take part in a pilot for a new digital method of tracking recycling, helping Wales on its route to a zero-waste, circular economy. The Welsh Government is joining Polytag Ltd, Conwy County Borough Council and WRAP to trial a new deposit return scheme (DRS) in Colwyn Heights, Conwy. The four-week trial – the first of its kind in Wales – will involve a number of homes in the area, and is due to start in the spring. Householders will be provided with a set of bottles tagged by Polytag, which they will…