Author: Rhys Gregory

The UK Government’s bid to UNESCO for the Welsh slate landscape to become a World Heritage Site has been formally submitted and includes Talyllyn Railway. If successful, the bid will see Gwynedd’s Slate Landscape join such renowned places as the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, the Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Speaking in support of the Government’s submission, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was “an area of remarkable uniqueness and breathtaking beauty”. Blaenau Ffestiniog was the town that famously became known as ‘the town that roofed the world’ and…

Customers urged to check before they travel and allow extra time for their journey following further flooding to key routes In a joint statement, Bethan Jelfs, customer delivery director for Transport for Wales Rail Services and Bill Kelly, Network Rail’s route director for Wales and Borders said: “Following exceptional rainfall and flooding over the weekend and into today (Monday), we are continuing to urge customers to check their journeys before travel. “While we are working round the clock to ensure as many services as possible can run, there is still disruption on a number of routes. “The position is changing…

NAT Group has pledged to discount the prices of its Pontypridd tickets to help those who need to get around during the flood clean-up process, as well as setting up Just Giving and eBay pages to raise vital funds for those affected.

Visitors can enjoy free access to Wales’s historic sites this St David’s Day (Sunday 01 March 2020), as Cadwcelebrates Wales’s patron saint. From castles to abbeys and industrial heritage sites, free tickets for 16 Cadw properties that normally charge for admission have been released and are now available for advance bookings on the Cadw website. Ticket-holders can choose from an array of sites to explore, from Wales’s largest fortress, Caerphilly Castle, with its iconic leaning tower, to St Davids Bishop’s Palace — located near St Davids Cathedral, where Wales’s patron Saint, Dewi Sant, founded his monastery. Meanwhile, Conwy Castle, Caernarfon…

Pupils at a Llanelli school have been crowned winners in the regional final of the Tasty Challenge – an innovative competition designed to raise awareness of careers in the Welsh food and drink industry – hosted by the Business in the Community (BITC) Cymru and Careers Wales Carmarthenshire Business Class cluster and sponsored by Castell Howell Foods.  Ysgol Bryngwyn School took home the Tasty Challenge award at the event, which saw year 9 pupils from schools across the county challenged to develop an idea for a new food or drink product, targeted at Welsh customers. Designed by the National Skills…

Book lovers across Wales will join together to celebrate World Book Day, which takes place this year on 5 March 2020. The Books Council of Wales is inviting schools, bookshops, colleges, libraries, businesses and households to join the largest annual celebration of books and reading in the United Kingdom and Ireland, by taking part in activities and events across Wales and by simply sharing in the pleasure of reading. To mark World Book Day 2020, the Books Council of Wales has announced the publication of two special edition books for children in Welsh, available to buy for just £1, or…

A rising star on the Welsh music scene who has played to bumper-size crowds has spoken movingly about how he once couldn’t cross a road because he was so tormented by crushing mental anxiety. People stopped to stare as 23-year-old Elis Derby tried to make his way across the road but was frozen to the spot in the grip of an anxiety attack caused by Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). His harrowing story is now the subject of a ground-breaking short film that’s in the running for a top award from the Royal Television Society. Elis said: “I became rigid, I…

Seventeen new trees – including species such as red maple, London plane, and birch – are to be planted close to the Tesco Marina store. The new greenery, supported by the introduction of other plants, will be part of work on the £135m Swansea Central Phase One scheme. It will accompany improvements to Wellington Street. These will allow improved access to the Quadrant multi-storey and Tesco car parks, and easy access to a 588-space multi-storey being built as part of Swansea Central on the former St Mary’s car park. The improvement work is being carried out by Buckingham Group Contracting…

A college in the South Wales Valley has been named as one of the most inclusive employers in Britain by LGBT+ charity Stonewall, making it into the top 100 for the first time.  Coleg y Cymoedd has taken 79th place on the Top 100 Employers list, which was announced during LGBT+ History Month (February), and is the only further education college in the UK to be included.  The college competed against over 500 organisations from across the public, private and voluntary sectors to secure its place in the list. Coleg y Cymoedd has been recognised for the work it has…

On Sunday 29 March 2020, Dilys Price OBE, the 87-year-old world record breaking skydiver, Jamie Jewitt from ITV’s Love Island and members of the public will jump out of a plane in Swansea for leading homelessness and rough sleeping charity, The Wallich. Jamie was dared by his Love Island co-star Camilla Thurlow to make the jump for homelessness. Camilla said via Instagram on Sunday, “Last year, some of you may know I was lucky enough to do a skydive with Dilys Price, the most amazing woman. “We were chatting earlier this year about the amazing work she’d doing with The…