Author: Rhys Gregory

Emergency financial support will continue for bus operators in Bridgend county borough who have been affected by coronavirus restrictions. At a meeting on Tuesday 19 January, Bridgend County Borough Council’s Cabinet heard a report about the second phase of Welsh Government’s Bus Emergency Scheme, which aims to support the sector through the pandemic and also sets out the intention for further discussion about the long-term future of networks. Since the start of the pandemic, Welsh Government and local authorities have stepped in to support the sector with substantial financial assistance. Funding has been assembled from monies that would otherwise have…

A Cardiff resident has been found guilty of speeding on the River Ely and ordered by magistrates to pay a £1,200 fine. Darren Ryan, from Leckwith, was filmed exceeding the legal maximum 5 knot speed limit, which also applies to boats using the River Taff and the Cardiff Bay inner harbour, on two separate occasions last June. Mr Ryan, who was in control of a boat named ‘Sea Leopard’ at the time of the offences, failed to attend court and was found guilty in his absence of breaching Cardiff Harbour Authority byelaws 5 and 14. Harbour Master, Andrew Vye-Parminter said:…

Homes in Wales hit by recent flooding will receive between £500 and £1000 in support following “devastating” scenes of damage across the country. Homes in Wales hit by recent flooding will receive between £500 and £1000 in support following “devastating” scenes of damage across the country. More than 150 properties across Wales were flooded earlier this week after the arrival of Storm Christoph – with some areas seeing more than 200mm of rain in 72 hours; more than an average months’ worth of rain in most parts of Wales More than 40 separate flood warnings and flood alerts were issued…

GPs in rural communities are joining forces to set up community vaccination centres to help vaccinate more people closer to home. This weekend [Saturday 23 January and Sunday 24 January], three centres being run by a collaboration of GP practices will open allowing the Pfizer vaccination to be used at a local level as well as the Oxford AstraZeneca. Previously, the Pfizer vaccine had to be used in Wales’ special mass vaccination centres due to the ultra-low temperatures it needs to be stored at. The community vaccination centres have been set up by health boards as part of the Welsh…

The Met Office has warned of snow across Wales and central & southern England on Sunday, becoming slow moving for a time across the Midlands. This will bring 1-3 cm of snow across much of the warning area, though not all sites will see lying snow, with areas above 100 m likely to be worst affected. Snow of 5-10 cm of snow are possible, particularly for parts of Shropshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Hampshire. Areas in Wales affected Blaenau Gwent Bridgend Caerphilly Cardiff Carmarthenshire Ceredigion Conwy Denbighshire Flintshire Gwynedd Merthyr Tydfil Monmouthshire Neath Port Talbot Newport Pembrokeshire Powys Rhondda Cynon…

Timo Werner’s struggles in a blue shirt are hardly new to Chelsea, who have seen high-profile strikers turn out to be letdowns operating at the point of attack for them over the years. Fernando Torres, Alvaro Morata, Radamel Falcao and Gonzalo Higuain all joined the Stamford Bridge side at different points in time boasting remarkable goalscoring stats only to leave with tail between legs. It takes a special breed of forward to thrive at Chelsea and, it appears the threshold is more of a mental one than it is physical as the likes of Didier Drogba and Diego Costa were…

A unique body of work created by renowned artist Professor Sue Williams during lockdown has been purchased by the National Library of Wales. Cardiff-based Professor Williams, who is course manager in Fine Art: Studio Site & Context at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s (UWTSD) Swansea College of Art, spent the lockdown of 2020 at home alone and used the time to create artwork in three Chinese folding books which she had had specially made on a trip to China in 2017. Faced with the loneliness of the lockdown, she used books to record a unique diary of the mental…

UWTSD PGCE student and Wales Rugby International Jasmine Joyce has told how her passion to teach was inspired by a teacher at school who encouraged and motivated her to succeed. Jasmine, who is one of just three Welsh women named in the initial 24-strong GB Women’s Sevens squad for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo said: “My PE teacher Rachael Thomas, at Ysgol Penrhyn Dewi, was one of the driving forces which led me to where I am now. “I’ve always wanted to train to be a teacher probably because of the good experiences I had at both my primary and…

GP practices throughout Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan are now offering COVID-19 vaccinations to priority groups in the community. All 60 practices across the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board area are inviting residents aged 80 and over to receive the vaccination at the local practice, with those over 75 due to also be invited shortly. The practices are playing an important role in contributing to the Health Board’s Mass Vaccination Programme, with the aim to keep the population of Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan safe. The Health Board has committed to offering the first dose of the…

As a three-month campaign to help households in Wales reduce their energy consumption and fuels bills draws to a close, industry experts have shared their top tips for keeping warm whilst cutting costs over winter. Big Energy Saving Winter, organised by Citizens Advice, runs up until the end of January and provides information and practical guidance on saving energy, money, and the environment through greater efficiency. Whilst the latest figures indicate a 1.8% decrease in emissions caused by residential energy use in 2019, compared to the previous year, it is expected to rise again with more people working from home…