Author: Rhys Gregory

A Cardiff man who transformed his bathroom during lockdown has won £1000 of heating and bathroom goodies in a national DIY competition. The Lockdown Glow-Up competition, launched by BestHeating and Big Bathroom Shop, invited entrants to put forward their DIY projects they have been working on over the past few months. With social distancing rules in place and many hours stuck at home, the entries ranged from staircases to kitchens, gardens and bedrooms with Brit’s trying their hand at some new skills. The competition was launched after research from heating and bathroom experts, BestHeating and Big Bathroom Shop, found that…

Talyllyn Railway in Mid Wales reopened on Saturday after the COVD-19 pandemic lockdown had halted steam train services for 20 weeks. The first public train since February on the world’s first preserved railway was waved off from Wharf Station, Tywyn by local MP, Liz Saville-Roberts, at 10.30am, with carefully designed social distancing arrangements for travel. Fittingly, the train was hauled by Locomotive No.2, ‘Dolgoch’, which has been in service on the railway since 1866 and was used for the first ever train in railway preservation in 1951. David Ventry, Talyllyn Railway Board chairman and safety director, said the railway had…

Wales rugby international Cory Hill and double Paralympic champion Aled Sion Davies are among the stars lining up for an evening with sporting legends to raise money for Tenovus Cancer Care. They will be joined by Commonwealth Games and Winter Olympic athlete Mica Moore, British, Commonwealth and WBA Continental and International champion boxer Joe Cordina and Olympic silver medallist and former world champion Jamie Baulch. The online event, on Friday 14th August, will be hosted by ex-Wales rugby international and Llanelli Scarlets legend Rupert Moon, who is a patron of Tenovus Cancer Care and has supported the charity for more…

An innovative wearable solution which helps to identify certain health risks early on, has been implemented by Cardiff Council as part of their Telecare response service. The ARMED (Advanced Risk Modelling for Early Detection) software, developed by HAS Technology, was adopted by Cardiff Council as part of a response service to put preventative measures into place for its community and residents. ARMED empowers users with easy access to data allowing for better self-management, whilst healthcare professionals can be quickly alerted to potential issues. Twenty individuals have been identified as having a potential ‘falls risk’ and provided with ARMED’s wearable smart…

After an unsettled start to the week in places, it will turn drier and much warmer across many parts of the UK later this week, with hot conditions developing across southern areas. Ahead of the hot weather, northern parts of the UK can expect a wet and windy spell on Tuesday and Wednesday as an Atlantic low-pressure crosses to the northwest of the UK, with more settled conditions across southern areas. A weather warning for rain has been issued for some western parts of Scotland on Tuesday.  From Thursday onward it will turn widely settled and warmer for most as southerly winds…

The Welsh Government’s bespoke Economic Resilience Fund (ERF) is providing crucial support to protect jobs at an important employer in Wrexham, Economy and North Wales Minister Ken Skates has announced. Gresford-based F Bender Limited has received £149,000 from the fund to help it safeguard its 150-strong workforce from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. The ERF, which is part of the Welsh Government’s £1.7bn support package for businesses, is providing thousands of companies across Wales with significant financial support and complements the help provided by the UK Government. To date, more than 12,500 businesses have received financial support worth more…

Wales’ Childcare Offer providing 30 hours of early education and care to the working parents of 3 and 4 year olds across Wales is set to reopen, Deputy Minister for Health and Social Care Julie Morgan has announced today. The Childcare Offer was suspended in April to allow resources to be refocused, to support the childcare needs of critical workers and vulnerable children through the Coronavirus Childcare Assistance Scheme (C-CAS). As of the last week of the school term, just over 9,000 children were accessing this scheme. As Wales moves to ease more lockdown restrictions and with schools set to…

Repair work will shortly get underway to rectify the damage to the 3G sports pitch in Aberdare following damage caused by Storm Dennis – for the benefit of local sports teams, schools and the wider community.  The facility, which is located at the Sobell leisure complex in Aberdare, was closed following severe storm damage sustained during the unprecedented weather event earlier this year. The Council has now appointed South Wales Sports Grounds as the contractor responsible for carrying out the repairs. Work will begin on site in the week commencing Monday, August 3, lasting approximately five weeks – and it…

A new mobile enforcement vehicle will hit the streets of Newport later this month as part of the council’s ongoing effort to tackle illegal parking. Since civil parking enforcement was introduced in July last year, almost 22,000 Penalty Charge Notices have been issued to motorists parking illegally across the city. Public feedback has been very positive, but reports have shown that the areas around schools continued to be problem areas. To help target this issue, Newport Council is introducing a new mobile enforcement vehicle to enforce zigzags outside schools, as well as pedestrian crossings, bus stops, taxi ranks, clearways and…

Paddle boarding is making its return to Pen y Fan Pond from 5pm-7pm on Wednesday 5 August. Stand up paddle boarding (SUP) is a popular water sport that delivers a full-body workout, a lot of fun and is a great way to enjoy the beautiful scenery and nature. It is a combination of surfing and kayaking and Pen y Fan Pond’s peaceful water offers the perfect environment to get started! Pre-booking is required with the cost of the session being £10 per person or £5 if you have your own board (Payments are cash only). Wet suits will be available…