Author: Rhys Gregory

A former award-winning hotel, which has been closed since October 2018, will be ready to reopen under new ownership in nine weeks – if Covid-19 restrictions allow. The Lion Hotel, Llandinam, near Llanidloes has been purchased by Trevor and Pat Bebb, of Mid Wales Leisure, and is being completely refurbished at a cost of around £600,000. The refurbishment includes a new central heating system and electrical wiring, a small, private function room for up to 20 people and two new flats. Mr and Mrs Bebb plan to lease the hotel, which retains a bar and restaurant, and the flats. “We…

Important overnight work is due to take place on a number of Swansea city centre roads from June 30 to July 17. The operations will allow Swansea Council to make the road surfaces ready for a major milestone on The Kingsway’s £12m infrastructure project – the switch to two-way traffic. To allow the resurfacing work during this short time, roads will be temporarily closed on a phased basis through the night, avoiding weekends. Mark Thomas, the council’s cabinet member for environment and infrastructure management, said: “This is another important part of our work on this high-profile scheme that will help…

Through Sherman Theatre’s Creative Engagement programme, students at The College Merthyr Tydfil have connected with a local care home to create Tydfil Tales: an audio drama paying tribute to the lives and experiences of the care home residents. Through weekly visits over the course of two months prior to lockdown, 20 UAL (University of the Arts London-accredited) Performing Arts students met with residents at The Daffodils Care Home in Georgetown, Merthyr, to listen to stories of the residents’ lives in their shared Valleys town. The students were then tasked with creating an audio drama based on the memories of the residents they met,…

Macmillan Cancer Support is warning of the devastating impact coronavirus is having on the physical and mental health of people with cancer in Wales as they face the two ‘deadly Cs’ all at once, and is urging those struggling with lockdown to contact its support line service. New research by the charity reveals for the first time the scale of fear and anxiety tens of thousands of people in Wales are facing as they deal with both the threat of cancer and Covid-19. The results suggest a staggering 39,000 people with cancer in Wales (23%)have barely left the house because…

Welsh lobsters hope to stand out in the crowd with the launch of a ‘branded claw band’ scheme. When caught, lobsters have rubber bands placed on their claws to prevent them hurting themselves and those handling them. The new scheme sees lobsters being fitted with bands that clearly identify them as being caught in Welsh waters, by Welsh fishermen. The branded lobster band scheme has been co-ordinated by the Wales Seafood Cluster, a Cywain-led project which encourages and facilitates collaborative working among businesses and individuals in the seafood sector. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, over 90% of Welsh lobster was exported…

The world’s first preserved railway in Mid Wales is building up steam to reopen this summer, subject to Welsh Government guidelines. Talyllyn Railway’s general manager Stuart Williams is hoping to be able to run the first train by the end of July or early August, but instead of carrying up to 700 passengers during the day, social distance restrictions might limit the number to 100. The pandemic has meant that the seven-mile railway, based on the coast at Tywyn, has been unable to run trains since March 20. The railway’s shop reopened this week, which has given staff the chance…

New guidance for meat processing and food production plants about preventing and managing outbreaks of coronavirus has today been issued to the sector. The guidance has been developed with Public Health Wales, Unions and other key agencies, including the Food Standards Agency and the Health and Safety Executive, following recent outbreaks and incidents at three meat and food plants in Wales. The outbreaks in North Wales, centred on the 2 Sisters plant in Llangefni and Rowan Foods, in Wrexham, are being closely monitored, including for any evidence of wider community transmission. All staff working at the plants are being tested…

Laura Ashley has re-opened its stores in Bangor, Cardiff, Carmarthen, Haverfordwest, Llandudno, Newtown, and Swansea to commence its closing down sale, with dramatic reductions on fashion.  Laura Ashley’s extensive closing down sale launches with at least 50% off fashion in-store and online, plus all furniture now 30% off.  Everything has been reduced and has to go, including stock being cleared from the warehouse.  Customers are encouraged to take advantage of these fantastic discounts while stocks last. The stores are ‘COVID secure’ and adhere to a strict policy of social distancing with a limited number of shoppers allowed in-store at any…

A cell phone signal booster or commonly known as a cellular repeater is composed of 3 basic components that are an exterior antenna, an amplifier, and 1 interior antenna. These 3 components work together and form a cellular reception booster. In the following article, it will be explained how a cellular repeater helps in strengthening the network signals, and a few types of mobile amplifiers that are available on the market so that you can a better decision on buying them. A cell phone reception booster typically is a system in which an amplifier adds power to the network in…

First Minister Mark Drakeford has announced a start-up grant to support new businesses dealing with the severe impact of Coronavirus. The fund will be worth £5m initially with flexibility for the future. It will support start-up firms, which fall outside the UK Government’s Self Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) as they only began trading in 2019. Applications for this grant will open today,  29 June, at the same time as phase two of the Economic Resilience Fund opens to applications. First Minister Mark Drakeford said:  “Today’s announcement will help to support new businesses in Wales which are currently falling through…