Author: Rhys Gregory

A cordon which was in place for several hours following an incident in Cardiff City centre this afternoon, has now been lifted. At approximately 3.15pm South Wales Police received a report of an ongoing incident at a hotel on St Mary’s Street. Staff and residents, as well as occupants of neighbouring buildings, were evacuated as a precaution. No-one was injured. The public have been thanked for their cooperation and assistance. Officers have now been stood down from the scene following a thorough search of the area, and enquiries are ongoing to establish the source of the report to police. Anyone…

The Department for Work and Pensions has finally given the go ahead for the revolutionary pensions dashboard, with the first one expected to be introduced in the next 12 months.

A Swansea City Centre gift shop, which has provided goods for her Majesty the Queen and has been waving the flag for Welsh-made products for more than ten years, has received a gift of its own – a Swansea BID (Business Improvement District) Extra Mile Award for outstanding customer care. [aoa id=”1″]The quarterly awards recognise businesses of all kinds throughout the Swansea BID area whose staff go the extra mile to keep their customers and clients happy. They are also designed to give local businesses a boost for the hard work they carry out day in, day out, to help…

A LEADING broker has taken a long-standing insurance firm to new heights with a fresh approach to business. Since joining Credent Commercial Insurance in 2016, Niel Jones has increased turnover and staff numbers at the Colwyn Bay firm. He has big plans for the future, but none bigger than further enhancing Credent’s reputation for high-quality outcomes and customer care, rare traits in one of the most competitive and aggressive finance arenas. A former head of insurance for the sports and entertainment divisions of a global broking specialist – covering everything from major world music tours to festivals, pop stars, promoters…

COLEG CAMBRIA students are renovating a dilapidated community centre while a new £4million adult day care facility is being built [aoa id=”1″] Construction trainees have been busy painting fences and benches, plastering walls, tidying the gardens and carrying out maintenance duties at Glanrafon Adult Day Care Centre in Queensferry. Up to 50 people use the complex every day, but it is in a state of disrepair and will close next summer to be replaced by a modern single-storey facility nearby. Wirral-based Kier, a leading infrastructure services, buildings and developments and housing group, is building the new centre – to be…

British Cycling’s Geraint Thomas has topped off a fantastic 2018 by being crowned as the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. [aoa id=”1″] The 32-year-old professional cyclist saw off the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Harry Kane to win the prestigious award in front of a packed audience in Birmingham on Sunday evening. As a two-time Olympic champion on the track, Thomas consolidated his impressive accomplishments in July this year by becoming the first Welshman to win the Tour de France. Thomas becomes the fifth cyclist in history to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, with Tommy…

The ever-popular Santa’s Toy Mine has returned to Rhondda Heritage Park for 2018. The sold-out experience has been one of my favourite places to visit at this time of year since I was a child. I have fond memories of my parents bringing me, and now that I have a daughter of my own, it’s time to carry on the family tradition. Even now that I’m older, there is something about visiting a mine that fills you with mystery, and in particular Rhondda Heritage Park, as it’s full of history and only a short drive from where I live in…

County lines gang members caught with drugs worth thousands in a south Wales street were jailed last week (Thursday, 13th December, 2018) Saed Saeed, from Cardiff, and Fouad Cilmi, from Bristol, were arrested on 8th August, 2018, after being stopped by armed officers. They were driving along Llantrisant Road, Beddau, in a black Vauxhall Astra when officers spotted them and began to follow. As the vehicle turned into Cwrt Castellau officers made their approach and signalled for them for them to stop. Saed Saeed tried to run away but was caught nearby, as was Cilmi, and both were taken into…

Set in the heart of Swansea, the Grand Theatre is one of the foremost theatres in Wales with its 121 years of history. It hasn’t always been plain sailing for the theatre, and was once turned into a cinema for 14 years back in the day. Since 1969 to this very day, Swansea Council has played a major part in its survival. More recently, the theatre opened a new arts wing. When looking at the theatre’s background, it’s easy to see why the Swansea Grand Theatre is embedded into the city’s culture. Families have been coming here for years and…

Principality Building Society has given £50,000 to seven schools in Carmarthenshire to help provide more than 1,400 students with financial education. [aoa id=”1″] The project will see money allocated evenly between Ysgol Y Strade, Bro Myrrdin, Coedcae, Bryngwyn, Glan Y Mor, St John Lloyds and Maes Yr Gwendraeth secondary schools in the region. All of these schools form the Business Class Partnership programme cluster in Carmarthenshire and students will be able to achieve the London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF) L2 Certificate in Financial Capability and/or the LIBF LiFE qualification. [/aoa] Lessons will include household budgeting workshops, financial planning,…