Author: Rhys Gregory

Finola Wilson, a former teacher and director of Impact School Improvement, a Caerphilly-based education company shares her view on the return to school this week. After many months of uncertainty, schools across the UK are reopening for the new term and pupils and their teachers are finally returning to the classroom. And although coronavirus has not gone away, and parents are still rightly concerned for their children’s’ health and safety, ultimately that has to be seen as a good thing. We know that being out of school for long periods is detrimental to young people, not only for their education,…

Talented young musicians from Conwy, Gwynedd and Anglesey are being given the chance to shine at a top international music festival. They will have the opportunity to perform with acclaimed orchestra NEW Sinfonia at the North Wales International Music Festival that’s going virtual for the first time in its 49-year history. Instead of being held at St Asaph Cathedral the festival will be hosted on the festival’s website on the original dates from Saturday, September 12, to Saturday, September 26, thanks to support from the Arts Council of Wales and festival sponsors including Salisburys chartered accountants and the Pendine Park care…

Police in Aberdare are investigating a suspicious incident which happened at around 3.00pm on Tuesday 1st September on a lane linking Pinecroft Avenue and Werfa Lane in Abernant. A teenage girl who was walking a dog was approached by a male in his late teens who made improper suggestions towards her before attempting to grab her. The dog attacked the assailant who made off from the scene towards the Rhoswennallt Inn. The suspect is described as male, white, around 17 years old, clean shaven, about five feet seven inches tall, of slim build with brown hair.  He was wearing distinctive…

For the last 21 years, Abergavenny Food Festival has highlighted and celebrated Wales’ thriving food scene, and the chefs, producers, farmers, and growers who all work so hard to make it what it is. Every year, the rural market town becomes a hub of activity, as staging in the Castle grounds is erected; new, locally-commissioned artwork is hung in the market hall; and more than 35,000 people flood into the town to enjoy a four-day extravaganza of food, drink and culture. But this year, a global pandemic and social distancing measures mean that September 2020 will break with tradition. But whilst Abergavenny town centre won’t…

Beds and equipment at Llandarcy Field Hospital will shortly be relocated to Bay Field Hospital so the building can be handed back, with grateful thanks, to the Llandarcy Academy of Sport. Llandarcy Field Hospital was built at lightning speed in early spring, as the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Thankfully, it wasn’t needed, as Swansea Bay UHB’s main hospitals and services were able to cope. Communities helped to flatten the wave of COVID-19 infections by responding responsibly and positively to lockdown restrictions, preventing local cases from spiking too high and overwhelming services. But had the first wave been…

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in Wales, BAFTA Cymru, has announced today the nominations for the British Academy Cymru Awards, honouring excellence in broadcasting and production within film and television in Wales. This year Awards will be presented across 21 craft, performance and production categories in film and television as well as a special award for outstanding contribution to the international film and TV industry. Details of this year’s special award recipient will be announced on 8 October. Angharad Mair, Chair of BAFTA Cymru, said: “We are proposing a very different ceremony in terms of format…

A Glynneath has been ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work after dash-cam footage caught him punching and beating his cocker spaniel in public. Gregory Phillips, 40, was filmed violently handling and striking the dog on Pentre Street on 31 March. Passers-by can be heard hooting the car horn and shouting at Phillips to stop as he attacked the dog outside a local convenience store. The cocker spaniel exits the man’s car as he goes to load a crate of beer onto the back seat. He responds by picking up the dog, punching him several times, then throwing him…

An RAF veteran from Swansea is hosting an online computer games and guitar playing marathon this weekend, to raise funds and awareness for the charity which he says has changed his life. Matt Neve, 35, is living with PTSD, the result of his role in Iraq which began in 2003. He was introduced to archery through Help for Heroes, which he found helped him deal with his mental health struggles. During lockdown he has benefited from the camaraderie of sharing his experiences with other veterans through the charity’s fellowship network through online forums. Matt became part of an online gaming…

TRANSFORMING their business models ensured local food and drink producers and hospitality venues survived the Coronavirus lockdown. The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the most challenging periods in the country’s history, but it has also led to a sea change in attitudes and innovation. Driven by community concern and health and safety requirements, firms across rural towns and villages adapted their normal working hours and processes to meet demand and support customers when they needed it most. From home deliveries to takeaway services and e-commerce, there have been myriad approaches to supplying the public with fresh, artisan and homegrown…

OWNERS of an exclusive luxury holiday park have made huge strides with the development in lockdown. The first phase of Maes Mynan Park, in Afonwen near Caerwys, was launched by Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Lord Dafydd-Elis Thomas last autumn, but, as with many businesses, the Coronavirus outbreak prevented prospective holiday homeowners from visiting the picturesque site. While restrictions have lifted in past weeks interest has started to grow and Acorn Leisure directors Peter and Louise Barlow have been working hard behind the scenes to lay 23 luxury lodge bases and the foundation for new access roads. The…