Author: Rhys Gregory

The world’s first preserved railway is one of 50 heritage and steam railways across the UK that is receiving support from a leading independent lubricants company. The seven-mile Talyllyn Railway, which has been running for 155 years from Tywyn on the Mid Wales coast, is approaching the 70th anniversary of the formation of Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society in October. The railway provided the inspiration for the creation of the fictional character ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ by author the Rev W. V. Awdry, who was an early volunteer on the Talyllyn. Like many other railways across the UK, train services on…

Home improvement retailer Wickes has opened a brand new store in Cardiff. The national brand closed its Cardiff West shop as part of its estate transformation strategy; relocating the operation to Dragon Retail Park, Newport Road, (opposite Morrisons). The store is open Monday to Saturday 7am – 6pm and Sunday 10am – 4pm. New store, new offering  The 30,000 square foot unit supports Wickes’ distinctive service model and new store format, with clear areas that cater for DIYers, small trade and those consumers looking for support on larger transformational home improvement projects. The new Cardiff store also marks a milestone…

Most colleges require applicants to send in a snapshot of their personality and a recap of their extracurricular capabilities, awards, academic accolades, etc. A resume can capture this information in a concise and easily-distributable manner. These one-page documents display a student’s academic performance, hobbies, work history, and other interests. Because earning a bachelor’s degree has become commonplace, standing out from fellow applicants is essential. Diversifying your skill set will ultimately serve you in the college application process, so you’ll need to plan your extracurricular activities accordingly. Academic performance Most colleges look for applicants who excelled academically in the discipline they…

The Help to Buy Wales scheme is to be extended for a third phase, the Minister for Housing and Local Government Julie James has announced. The popular homeownership scheme, which was due to close to applicants on 31 March 2021, will be extended until March 2022 with the possibility for a further extension until March 2023 subject to the availability of funding from the UK Government. Help to Buy Wales has made an important contribution in supporting people looking to own a new build home but require assistance to do so by ensuring homes are affordable and within reach of…

Finance Ministers from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have met to discuss a range of fiscal matters and voiced their collective concerns about the financial implications the UK Internal Market Bill will have on devolved governments. Rebecca Evans, Kate Forbes and Conor Murphy expressed their joint concerns on the spending powers set out in the Bill which override the existing devolution settlement.  The powers enable the UK Government to undertake spending in devolved areas, including for replacement EU funding, without any engagement with devolved nations.  Finance Ministers also voiced concerns about what this could mean for future consequential funding arrangements.…

The Walters Group have presented Jonathan Davies OBE with a donation of £20,000 for Velindre Cancer Centre – their nominated charity for 2019/20. This incredible amount was raised by Walters’s employees who took part in various fundraising events during the year. The two key drivers for fundraising were a weekly Penyfan challenge which saw many of our employees climb Penyfan at dawn before starting their normal day – unfortunately this was halted like many of the activities, due to Coronavirus, but we have now started the weekly climb again. Walters also donated 10p for every mile that their fleet travelled…

Member-owned Cardiff & Vale Credit Union has opened a flagship branch in the heart of the Welsh capital, bringing affordable loans and ethical savings to the city centre. The launch of the new branch in Working Street, just off the Hayes, comes months after Cardiff was named one of the top 10 ‘payday lending hotspots’ in the UK. The study showed a staggering 74,000 payday loans were issued to people in Cardiff, with a collective value of over £17.5 million in just one year. Chief Executive of Cardiff & Vale Credit Union Leanne Herberg urged local people not to fall…

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded almost £3 million (£2,742,400) to 54 organisations in Wales as part of an emergency support package for the UK’s heritage sector. The money raised from The National Lottery will help address immediate pressures over the next few months for those organisations most affected by the repercussions of COVID-19. The Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF) grants range between £3,000 and £250,000. Some of the organisations in Wales receiving HEF funding include: The Wildlife Trust of South West Wales, Bridgend (£194,900) The South Wales Miners Museum, Neath Port Talbot (£9,800) The Cynon Valley Museum Trust, Rhondda Cynon…

One of the UK’s leading floodlighting and electrical installation and maintenance organisations has appointed a new Director to help support its exciting growth plans. Following a company restructure earlier in the year, South Wales-based Floodlighting and Electrical has appointed Gareth Roberts, former Commercial Director at Warwickshire County Cricket Club, to shape and lead its ambitious business strategy. With his experience in overseeing significant growth in his previous role, Mr Roberts will focus on progressing the commercial, personnel and operations sides of the business. Roberts said: “This is a rare opportunity to be joining a company of Floodlighting and Electrical’s calibre.…

Winners, Nova Theatre’s contemporary play about rugby and love, has been adapted into an audio drama and is now available to stream online free. As the remaining Six Nations games loom and the Autumn Tournament is fast approaching, Nova Theatre’s comedy drama Winners shines a spotlight on rugby and gender roles in Wales, told through a couple who have got their priorities wrong, who want to change, but don’t know how. Artistic Director of Nova Theatre Lowri Jenkins has written the piece, and also performs it alongside Oliver Morgan-Thomas. Winners is about a couple, Cassie and Dafydd. Cassie is from…