Author: Rhys Gregory

An outdoor table tennis table has been installed in Bute Park in memory of a former Cardiff University student who died suddenly in his sleep at just 29 years old, after going to bed with a fever. MJ, as he was known to his friends, had spent three years at Cardiff University, graduating with a first class honours degree in Engineering as well as captaining and coaching the University Table Tennis team. Although he was living with his family in New Zealand at the time of his death in July 2019, Cardiff remains a centre point for many of his…

The proposed plans of a ‘game-changing’ Snow Centre and holiday resort in the South Wales Valleys gains a further endorsement and a “trophy win” for the Valleys region and Wales which could make it a training hub of UK Olympic and elite athletes and the UK National Centre of Excellence for snow sports. Rhydycar West is submitting a planning application this summer, after collaborating with international operators GB Snowsports and Snowsport Cymru Wales. The intention is to create a facility that will become the home for British snow sports, and a National Centre of Excellence and ongoing development. GB Snowsports…

Swiss luxury watchmaker Breitling introduces its loft design concept to Cardiff’s largest shopping centre, the St David’s Centre, with the opening of its latest boutique, strengthening the brands presence in the South West as it continues to expand its reach across the UK. A contemporary urban interpretation of an industrial loft, Breitling’s signature cool and informal aesthetic is in bold contrast to classical luxury retail brand environments. The boutique is to be managed by The Watches of Switzerland Group, the UK’s largest luxury retailer of brands including Watches of Switzerland, Goldsmiths and Mappin & Webb. Gavin Murphy Breitling UK Managing…

Fridays fans in Wales will be able to celebrate the continued easing of lockdown on 26th April, as two Welsh restaurants will be reopening for outdoor dining – with a new menu. Fridays has now opened bookings for its Cardiff Newport Road and Newport Friars Walk locations, and is encouraging fans to pre-book their outdoor dining slot to avoid missing out. Those that secure a slot will be treated to a new outdoor menu that has been created to bring fans top dishes to the alfresco setting on 26th April. The new menu is jam-packed full of favourites including Fridays…

A pigeon with a broken wing, a caller unable to sleep and onion juice in the eyes were topics of some of the calls taken by the Wales Ambulance Service at the end of 2020. And the Keep Wales Safe campaign is urging people in Wales to use the right channels if they have health concerns, to support NHS Wales and to ‘Help Us, Help You’ during this busy time. NHS 111 Wales online symptom checker, which is hosted by the Welsh Ambulance Service, is one of the key services patients can tap into to check for a variety of conditions and to…

Chapter is delighted to announce that artist Steffan Dafydd’s design has been selected to be installed on a new Cardiff road crossing, located in Canton on Cowbridge Road East. Following an open call for submissions – that attracted more than 50 applications from artists, designers and illustrators – Steffan, MARCA Design (Marcus Smith) and Catrin Brierley were invited to develop their design ideas for this Canton location. The three unique and vibrant final designs then went to a public consultation in which more than 1000 local people voted on the design that they wanted to see come to life. Steffan’s…

A search has been launched to find Net Zero heroes as companies across North Wales and Merseyside battle to reduce carbon emissions. The challenge has been set by the North Wales Mersey Dee Business Council who are organising a major online conference, Net Zero 2021, on Thursday, May 20, in a bid to inspire business and industry to join the race for a net zero carbon future. The cross-border business conference will focus on how businesses can reduce their carbon footprint while improving performance at the same time. Organisations registering to attend are invited to apply to be Net Zero…

Young Flintshire taekwondo stars looking to follow in the illustrious footsteps of double Olympic gold medallist Jade Jones are being given a helping hand – thanks to cash seized from criminals. The Deeside and Flintshire Taekwondo club has a long and proud history, attracting scores of participants to its classes, but the Covid-19 pandemic has had a massive impact. The club has been unable to run its regular training sessions at Deeside Leisure Centre and other venues across Flintshire during the past year. It has been a difficult time for long-serving chief instructor Darren Richardson and his team of coaches…

A project by the world’s first preserved railway in Mid Wales to buy three new train carriages has received a £300,000 boost from the Welsh Coastal Communities Fund. The £450,000 project will allow Talyllyn Railway, which runs from the coastal resort of Tywyn, to take 155-year-old original carriages out of daily service to preserve as much of their historic fabric as possible. The new carriages will offer wheelchair accessible compartments, which will allow more passengers with mobility issues to travel in comfort. Two of the carriages will also have upgraded first class accommodation. The original carriages will still be used…

Having already rescued nearly 14 thousand tonnes of food from being wasted, Oddbox is now offering people in the South West the chance to join its mission to fight food waste and climate change Oddbox, which rescues and delivers the delicious ‘too odd’ or ‘too many’ fruit and vegetables directly from growers, has announced its expansion into the South West, including Bristol, Cardiff and Gloucester*. Oddbox has been operating its weekly rescue missions in London and the South East for the last five years and has delivered over two million boxes of ‘odd’ produce (aka the stuff that’s ‘too big’,…