Author: Rhys Gregory

Two Swansea business leaders have given the thumbs-up to a new office development that’s recently been officially opened in the city centre. Adam Gibbons and Carwyn Davies say the 71/72 Kingsway scheme will complement others to create more city centre footfall and spending while also meeting the need for more high-quality office accommodation in Swansea. Three tenants have already been named for the development – financial company Futures First, flexible workspace provider IWG, and travel and leisure company TUI. Tenant fitouts will now take place at the development ahead of staff moving in. Developed by Swansea Council, the 104,000 square…

Footwear retailer shoezone reopens its store in Llandudno on Saturday, 12th July. A new space at Unit 9b, Conway Road, Llandudno, LL30 1PX offers a bigger selection for customers and an exciting range of new brands. To celebrate the relaunch of the store, shoezone has a number of special offers for customers, including savings on a selection of various styles and seasonal opening offers. From Monday to Friday, the store will open 9 am – 8 pm, 9 am – 7 pm on Saturday and 11 am – 5 pm on Sunday. In the weeks following the launch, the relocated…

Friday 13th turned out to be the luckiest day ever for a band of 16 almost-strangers from Bridgend, as they bagged a life-changing £3,613,997 on EuroMillions. The ‘West Is Best Syndicate’ received an incredible sum of just over £212k each. Rhian Owen (44), formed the syndicate with a handful of her work colleagues at Bridgend Council where she worked in the West Hub – where the syndicate got its name. Continuing the syndicate once she left the job, she posted on Facebook looking for new members – and that’s when the group blossomed into an eclectic mix of people, including…

Wales’s top bard will be reading an “uplifting poem” she wrote to cheer people up during Covid at a music festival Mererid Hopwood, the Archdruid of Wales, will be among the star attractions of the fringe events at the North Wales International Music Festival in St Asaph, from September 11 to 20. The festival is being made possible thanks to the backing of headline sponsors, the Pendine Park care organisation via the Pendine Arts and Community Trust which supports community and arts activities. Support is also being provided by main grant funders the Arts Council of Wales, Arts & Business…

North Wales Police are increasing patrols in the Hirael, Maesgeirchen and High Street areas following a serious assault in Bangor earlier this week, Tuesday 9th July. Emergency services attended Llandegai Road shortly before 8.30pm following reports of an assault, which subsequently resulted in a teenager being taken to hospital with serious injuries. Three young people were arrested in connection with the incident and remain in police custody whilst enquiries are ongoing. Officers are not currently seeking anyone else in connection with the incident. District Inspector for Gwynedd North Jamie Owens said: “I would like to thank members of the community…

A man from Swansea has been jailed after he drove a stolen vehicle into a bike shop and made off with two bikes. 40-year-old Matthew Morgan, from Blaenymaes, targeted a business in Fforestfach on May 12. After first stealing a DHL delivery van and damaging several other vehicles belonging to another business, Morgan then used the vehicle to forcefully cause damage to the front of Uprise Bikes, before stealing two bikes from within the premises. Morgan pleaded guilty to theft, two counts of criminal damage to property under £5,000 and theft of a motor vehicle He has been sentenced to…

Projects to support nature in Cardiff are to receive a £2 million funding boost through a ‘Local Places for Nature’ scheme. The two-year Welsh Government funding will enable the Council to continue its work, through Cardiff’s Local Nature Partnership, to support nature recovery and engage with the community on the delivery of strategic improvements to green infrastructure and practical conservation efforts across the city. Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Events, Cllr Jennifer Burke, said: “This additional £2 million funding means we will be able to continue taking practical steps locally to help address the nature emergency facing Wales and…

Fake versions of one of the world’s most popular toys have been seized from shops in Swansea. Swansea Council’s Trading Standards Team has recently visited more than a dozen shops in the city and seized more than 1,500 counterfeit ‘Labubu’ plushie toys and keyrings. The Labubu toys, manufactured by Pop Mart, have increasingly become one of the most sought after collectibles around the world, with the toys being resold in shops and online for double or triple their original price. The toys come in the form of keyrings and plushies and are packaged as ‘blind boxes’ – meaning you don’t…

The new Treorchy Park and Ride facility has been fully-constructed, and Transport for Wales has now brought the 52-space car park into use for train users – significantly increasing local access to public transport. The new parking facility has been created in a joint project – with the Council providing funding for the construction costs via the ongoing Highways and Transportation Capital Programme. The scheme has utilised unused land owned by Transport for Wales. It is located off Clos Ystadfechan – to the south of Cae Mawr football pitch and south-east of Treorchy Railway Station. Transport for Wales is the…

The U20 Six Nations Summer Series opened with an exciting day of international rugby at the Centre for Sporting Excellence in Ystrad Mynach. Spectators enjoyed a showcase of elite youth talent, with three competitive fixtures held at one of South Wales’s premier rugby venues. Round 1 results from 5th July: France 46 to 5 Italy Ireland 29 to 10 Wales England 31 to 17 Scotland The tournament brings together the next generation of international players, with all matches hosted at the Centre for Sporting Excellence. The facility is a professional-standard venue regularly used by both community and elite-level sport. Two…