Author: Rhys Gregory

Christmas is meant to be a time of fun and festivities, but sometimes our emotional wellbeing takes a hit during the winter months. Many people can benefit from a little extra emotional support during the festive season. This support can be especially crucial for people living with sight loss, especially if they have been recently diagnosed. Receiving help, advice and support at the right time can make a real difference to blind and partially sighted people, helping them to enjoy a magical Christmas. With 13 people a day losing their sight in Wales*, RNIB is urging blind and partially sighted…

Patients at the Marie Curie Cardiff and the Vale Hospice on Bridgeman Road, Penarth, met members of the cast from the New Theatre’s production Cinderella – including the Fairy Gokmother played by the well-known TV presenter, Gok Wan. The New Theatre’s spectacular family pantomime also stars comedian Mike Doyle and Ceri Dupree as The Ugly Sisters. Comedian Phil Butler has also taken on the role of Buttons. The show will be running until Sunday 12 January 2020 and promises a production packed full of sensational special effects, beautiful costumes, music, comedy, dancing, and audience participation. Between performances on Wednesday the…

Potter Alex Allpress and artist Blue MacAskill, graduates from Camberwell College of Arts in London in 2008, have realised a dream of owning their own place where they can build a life together and establish a studio. They have settled in Newbridge-on-Wye, a village nestled in the glorious Wye Valley in Mid Wales where they are bringing up three children and running a successful business. However, success has not come without a few trials and experiments along the way to discover what works and pays and what doesn’t. Now Alex and Blue are looking forward confidently to 2020, having developed…

The award-winning Llangoed Hall, located in the beautiful Brecon Beacons, has appointed Sam Bowser as its new head chef, following a successful career at Dormy House. Sam Bowser replaces Nick Brodie – who had been at Llangoed for six years – and is excited to take the next step in a hugely successful career. Having been in the industry for 18 years, Sam’s impressive portfolio has seen him cook in some of the finest kitchens in the UK including Whatley Manor, The Square and Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons. He has spent the last two-and-a-half years as head chef at…

Pioneering Sri-Lankan restaurant group The Coconut Tree will introduce three new, plant-based dishes to their menu to celebrate Veganuary. Available for a limited time only (from 2nd January until 13th February 2020), the new dishes add to the existing 15 plant-based options available on the menu, which is naturally abundant in vegan tropical cuisine. The new vegan dishes on offer at the group’s six restaurants in Cheltenham, Bristol, Oxford, Cardiff and Bournemouth are: TCT Potato – Lightly spiced, oven roast potatoes entwined with caramelised onions, a smattering of chilli and fresh curry leaf. Brinjals – Lightly fried and tossed wambatu (aubergine),…

In today’s modern world of immediate gratification, it is more vital than ever to stay focus on saving money in any possible means. Money is part of our everyday essentials. It is vital to help us survive and keep us up with the modern standards of living. As such, every decision, action, and purchase we make comes with a monetary value. This typical way of life makes us think that it is entirely difficult to save money. However, we should always know that saving money is feasible and that the most challenging part of it is how to get started.…

Comedy star Joel Dommett is familiar with challenges after his memorable runners-up spot in the 2016 ‘I’m a Celebrity….Get Me Out of Here’. His most recent challenge saw him go head-to-head with fellow former campmates Dean Gaffney and Rosemary Shrager, not in the jungle but on a Catchphrase celebrity special last weekend. Joel’s unique humour and quick wit sparkled again as he won £11,200 for charity Brain Tumour Support, a charity that runs a support group in Cardiff. “I can’t believe how much money I won!” said Joel. “Turns out – I’m good at Catchphrase! I was so happy to…

Swansea facilities management company DRS FM Services has formed a partnership with international lighting company Philips Lighting to supply and fit its unique flexible, energy saving lighting systems to commercial and office buildings. Engineers from DRS have been trained as Interact Pro installers, enabling them to bring connected lighting to South Wales and beyond. With connected lighting,LED lights with integrated sensors are connected to application software, opening up a whole new world of opportunities. Interact Pro has an intuitive dashboard and app that create the perfect ambience to suit the task, time of day, security requirements or location. The dashboard…

The festive season is a special time for celebration, however it can bring extra distractions. This year, we’re asking you to keep fire safety at the top your list. Many of us enjoy a merry tipple over the holidays however, mixing cooking and alcohol can be a recipe for disaster. Remember – fire starts when your attention stops! Unattended cooking is one of the biggest causes of house fires in South Wales and can lead to tragic consequences. In the last three years one in three accidental house fires during the festive period were caused by unattended cooking. If you’re…

Thousands of gifts, donated by generous St David’s Cardiff shoppers, were provided to Children’s charities across the city this week as part of the centre’s annual Toy Appeal. Running until 23 December, the Toy Appeal is supporting more than 20 incredible charities across South Wales, and almost 3,500 gifts have already been donated in the first week alone. Every toy donated helps to spread festive cheer to children and families across South Wales. The charities that benefitted from the first round of Toy Appeal donations included Homestart Cymru, Noah’s Ark and Children’s Leukaemia Society, Valley’s Kids and Kidney Wales. Another…