Author: Rhys Gregory

The girl with the dragon tattoo has nothing on a Swansea gran who has had her eyes “tattooed” to cure a rare condition. [aoa id=”1″] Mandy Liscombe had tattoo ink inserted into her corneas – effectively creating a pair of shades inside her eyes – by pioneering Singleton Hospital ophthalmology consultant Mario Saldanha. Some years ago Mrs Liscombe had laser surgery to treat glaucoma but an unusual side effect meant her eyes became highly light-sensitive. Various solutions were tried, unsuccessfully. It reached the point where Mrs Liscombe began to worry it was no longer safe for her to drive. Now…

Work has started on a £6m scheme to transform one of Swansea city centre’s most prominent buildings. [aoa id=”1″] The four-storey Orchard House, which overlooks the Kingsway Circle, will rise by two levels. It will get new commercial premises on the ground floor, modern offices on the first floor and 52 apartments on the upper levels. Swansea business Orchard House Swansea Limited owns the building’s first two floors and will let them as commercial and office space. The building’s upper four storeys are owned – and will be let as residential space – by housing provider Pobl Group. The construction…

The Luna Cinema’s open air film season is heading to castles in Cardiff and Swansea next month. As part of the UK’s largest ever season of cinema under the stars, The Luna Cinema returns to Cardiff Castle and Oystermouth Castle, Swansea with a selection of new award-winning blockbusters and cult classic films. Join Luna at both Cardiff and Oystermouth Castle this September for a screening of the Oscar-winning Bohemian Rhapsody, the biopic of Queen that centres around frontman Freddie Mercury and features Queen’s finest tunes! Don’t stop me now! Sing along to Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the…

Ceredigion-based kefir producer, Chuckling Goat, has been selected as a contributor to the book Our Royal Baby, celebrating the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s first child, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. [aoa id=”1″] The commemorative book has been produced by renowned publishing house, SJH Group and royal correspondent Robert Jobson. The book will be launched at The Ritz Hotel in London on Wednesday 4 September, with additional content about the baby’s christening. Charting Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s journey from romance and engagement, through to marriage and new parenthood, this fully illustrated, beautifully designed hardback book heralds the arrival…

Food lovers in North East Wales are in for a treat in the coming weeks as the region prepares for an autumn packed with foodie events featuring a host of fabulous local food and drink producers. [aoa id=”1″] These delightful events are all hosted and dotted around the beautiful Clwydian Range, Dee Valley and Wrexham areas. Many of the business showcasing at these events are clients of Cywain – a Menter a Busnes project.  Cywain is a business-led programme dedicated to developing new and existing micro-businesses and SMEs in the Welsh food and drink sector, focusing on maximising opportunities and…

Big hearted staff at a care home in Wrexham have been helping drive forward a fund raising appeal honouring Grand Prix racing hero Tom Pryce. [aoa id=”1″] The energetic team of carers and friends of Pendine Park’s Hillbury House Care Home used pedal power to get behind the £50,000 appeal to erect a statue in memory of the late Formula One ace and inspire young people to follow their dream just like he did. He was born at the former Trevalyn Maternity Hospital, Rossett, and well known in the Wrexham area where he had many friends. Tom, the son of a policeman…

M&S is searching for over 40 colleagues to join its new team at M&S Mumbles, opening later this year. Both Management and Customer Assistant roles are available. Hannah Jenkins, Store Manager at M&S Mumbles, said: [aoa id=”1″]“We’re working hard on developing our new M&S food store in Mumbles and we’ll update the community on the opening day as soon as we can. To help us deliver the very best service at our new store and make every moment special for customers, we need the best team in place. Whilst retail experience is helpful what we’re really after are colleagues who…

When Paul and Lindsay Crutchley were starting this year’s Swansea Half Marathon they had more on their minds than just crossing the finishing line. The couple from Bryncoch in Neath were also raising money for the children’s outpatients department at Neath Port Talbot Hospital. They signed up for the 13.1-mile run after being inspired by epilepsy nurse Lisa Phillips who helps look after their son Ellis. Paul said: “We went to support Lisa running the Swansea Half Marathon last year. She jokingly said, ‘You two could run it next year’. “Initially, it was just a little bit of a personal…

A man has been handed a suspended prison sentence after subjecting his Jack Russell Terrier to “immense suffering” through blunt force trauma – having weeks earlier asked vets to put the dog to sleep. Lindsey Stoneham, 57, of Llwyncelyn in Bettws was last week (23 August) given a 12-week prison sentence suspended for one year, and a four-year ban on the keeping of all animals. He had previously been found guilty of an Animal Welfare Act offence at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court, following a trial. The offence concerned subjecting the dog, named Tom, to unnecessary suffering through blunt force trauma. Stoneham…

Pride Cymru’s Big Weekend ends in style as performances from Honeyz, Atomic Kitten and Samantha Mumba take crowds through Pride history.  [aoa id=”1″] The 90’s and 00s stars hit the main stage in celebration of 20 years of Pride in Wales. Classic Pride hits such as Baby Come On Over, Whole Again and Finally Found were enjoyed by crowds after a full day of Bank Holiday sunshine.  Artists from that era took the crowd back in time, before headliner Bang Bang Romeo ended the night with a bang. Also showing their support were the casts of BBC’s Casualty and Holby…