Author: Rhys Gregory

All roads usually lead to Llanelwedd for the four-day pinnacle event held on the third week of July, but 2020 will see a different take on the Royal Welsh Show with members and spectators enjoying the agricultural showcase from the comfort of their homes.  As the Royal Welsh Show goes digital for 2020, show animals across the UK from Bantams to Belted Galloways are taking a week’s staycation at home. Thousands of animals that usually flock to Llanelwedd for show week are taking a back seat this year as their owners enjoy the pinnacle agricultural event without packing their wellies…

The Welsh Independent Restaurant collective has welcomed the First Minister’s announcement of a date for reopening inside venues across the sector on 3rd August, but warned that the future remains uncertain for many in the industry.  Shumana Palit and Paul Grimwood, of the Ultracomida restaurant group (who operate in Narberth and Aberystwyth, as well as running Curado Bar and Vermut in Cardiff) said: “We are delighted to finally have a date for re-opening so we can begin to move forward as a sector. Whilst sadly this is likely to be too late for some businesses, our focus continues to be…

Preparations have been made for the limited re-opening of Swansea cafes, restaurants and bars in Swansea today (July 13). A relaxation of Welsh Government restrictions means that such attractions right around the area can welcome and serve customers outside on land that’s part of the business. Customers are being urged to be responsible in the city centre and elsewhere and to: plan ahead, including travel book tables in advance if this is offered maintain the two-metre physical distancing rule respect others not gather in groups drink responsibly Swansea Council, Swansea BID, South Wales Police, businesses and others have been working…

The first Ceredigion safe zones for pedestrians are being put in place in four town centres. Ceredigion County Council wants to create safe, inviting towns for people to come shopping and to enjoy. With the slow easing of the lockdown in the county and with social distancing requirements still being important, it is necessary to make adjustments to the towns for public health reasons. Ceredigion has prevailed extremely well in its defence against the spread of coronavirus and wishes for this success to continue for the wellbeing of its citizens. Aberaeron, Aberystwyth, Cardigan and New Quay are the first towns…

Swansea’s nationally acclaimed Glynn Vivian Art Gallery is in good hands during the pandemic. The city centre attraction, managed by Swansea Council, is being kept in prime condition thanks to ongoing work by gallery staff. Although the gallery, in a spectacular listed building, is temporarily closed in line with government restrictions it will be ready to reopen when it is safe to do so. Curator Karen MacKinnon said: “We’re keeping the Glynn Vivian in excellent condition in readiness for the future when it’s safe to reopen to the public. “We’ve been paying careful attention to cleanliness, the fabric of the…

Following a gathering of a large number of people on Saturday at the Oval Basin in Cardiff Bay, police in Cardiff have put in place a Section 35 Dispersal Order for the Mermaid Quay area in order to give officers additional powers to deal with people acting in an anti-social manner. Several disturbances broke out on Saturday evening which resulted in the arrest of a small number people for being drunk and disorderly. Chief Inspector Michelle Conquer, said: “There were some unsavoury scenes in Cardiff Bay yesterday which required officers to step in and make arrests. “Much of it was…

Microwaves are one of the most innovative inventions that have made home-cooking so much easier. The benefits of owning a microwave are endless. The speedy cooking that microwaves offer has saved us plenty of time, unlike conventional cooking methods, they remain cool even after they have heated up your food. However, as useful as these space-saving and cost-effective appliances are, they can’t be used for everything. Read on to learn the 4 things you should never put in a microwave. 1. Rice You might be surprised to see rice at the top of this list because most people reheat their…

Large parts of Wales will begin to welcome back visitors as the hospitality, leisure and tourism industries re-open over the next three weeks. Most indoor tourist attractions will reopen on Monday, First Minister Mark Drakeford announced yesterday (Friday 10 July) as he set out further measures to lift Wales’ coronavirus restrictions. Following the latest 21-day review of the coronavirus regulations, the First Minister has set out a phased timetable to ease restrictions for large parts of Wales’ visitor, hospitality, and leisure and tourism sectors. He is asking the beauty sector and other close-contact services, including tattooists and nail salons, to…

The Welsh Government is being called upon to open up the housing market at a quicker pace and to match the recent changes to stamp duty land tax that have been introduced with immediate effect in both England and Northern Ireland. On Thursday, Scotland said house buyers will not pay tax on properties sold for for less than £250,000. However, the Welsh Government are yet to respond to the measures. Rebecca Evans, Minister for Finance in Wales has so far only responded on Twitter, saying that a ‘decision will be announced early next week’ and accusing UK Government for not informing…

Newport City Council will begin the process of restarting library services by reopening Newport Central Library from Tuesday 14 July. The library will be open from Tuesday-Friday, 10am-12.30pm and 1pm-4pm. Initially, only Central Library will reopen, whilst the council works to extend reopening across all libraries in the city. A reduced service will be offered at Central, with members having to pre-book an appointment slot to visit in order to collect items reserved online and browse from a small range of unreserved fiction books. Visits will be limited to two people and fifteen minutes per booking. All other services, including…