Author: Rhys Gregory

Rally fans in Mid Wales will get a chance to see former World Rally Champion Petter Solberg in competitive action for the last time in October when he ends his professional career at the Wales Rally GB. [aoa id=”1″] Fan favourite Solberg, one of the FIA World Rally Championship’s most charismatic drivers, will be driving Volkswagen Motorsport’s Polo GTI R5 and will be competing against his 17-year-old son, Oliver, who will be making his Wales Rally GB debut. The 2003 World Rally Champion is no stranger to Britain’s WRC encounter, as he’s started it 15-times and won it four…

Ronald McDonald House Charities in Cardiff are holding their annual Sponsored Pirate and Princess Walk, around King George V Drive in Cardiff, to help keep families together.  The independent Charity provides free ‘home away from home’ accommodation to families with sick children in hospitals across the UK, enabling them to maintain a degree of a normal life and be there for their child at a time when they need their family the most. The House in Cardiff are calling all pirates and princesses to join their Young American Teen International and her beauty queens on a 1.6 mile sponsored walk…

A couple are celebrating getting engaged just minutes after they both graduated from Swansea University. [aoa id=”1″] On Monday 22 July, childhood sweethearts Akeem Halimi and Natalie Hughes, both 21, graduated – Akeem with a 2:1 in Medical Biochemistry, and Natalie with a 2:1 in Applied Medical Sciences. The couple, who’ve been together for five years since they were both pupils at Bishop Vaughan Catholic School, were surrounded by their friends and family when Akeem popped the question after their graduation ceremony. [/aoa] Akeem from Morriston said: “I’d been planning on asking Natalie to marry me for a while. We’ve…

Swansea University Medical School is celebrating as its first students graduate from two new programmes. [aoa id=”1″] Graduates from the Medical School’s first cohorts of the Applied Medical Sciences BSc and the Biochemistry and Genetics MSci programmes have been awarded their degrees at a ceremony this week. The Medical School, which actually trains more life scientists than doctors, introduced its new undergraduate programmes in 2016 to ensure students gained strong foundations in the science which underpins medicine. [/aoa]Professor Keith Lloyd, Head of the Medical School, said: “The reason we are a top medical school is because we are serious…

A MAJOR new initiative has been launched placing international surgical trainees into posts throughout the UK’s NHS Trusts and Boards – with Wales set to benefit. [aoa id=”1″] Building on previous schemes that have now helped to match up more than 1000 international medical graduates (IMGs), The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) has now launched the UK’s first International Postgraduate Deanery (IPD). Over the past three years (2016-2018) the RCSEd has placed a total of nine IMGs with roles in Wales alone – and it is hoped that the Deanery will boost this number further, providing vital training…

A student who had to delay his studies twice to care for his sick mum is celebrating after finally graduating from Swansea University. Kieran Sawdon, aged 23, grew up as registered carer for mum Lynne, who suffered from a number of ailments including arthritis, coronary heart disease and fibromyalgia. After starting at university in September 2014, Kieran’s journey hit a setback when his mum suffered a stroke in his second year. Following treatment at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend, Lynne returned home and Kieran was able to begin what was meant to be his third and final year…

The father of a Swansea schoolboy has raised money for Morriston Hospital in memory of his much-loved son. Thomas David Jones was treated initially at the Emergency Department at Morriston Hospital, after being taken ill suddenly in 2017. He was then transferred to University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, for treatment but unfortunately he later passed away. The 17-year-old was described by his father as being “a kind, caring and sophisticated young man with an infectious personality”. A pupil at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bryntawe, Thomas had been studying for his A levels, he excelled at history and English, in preparation for…

The wacky out of this world experience at Pendine Park’s Highfield House Care Home in Wrexham was accompanied by appropriate music like Frank Sinatra singing Fly me to the Moon and Walking on the Moon by the Police. Once they reached the lunar surface aka the first floor, they planted a flag in a decorated sick bowl which was doubling up as a crater…but this time it was a Pendine Park banner rather than the Stars and Stripes taking pride of place. The idea for the special event was the brainchild of Pendine Park’s lead enrichment and activities co-ordinator Christine…

Colin Harding, a model railway layout builder based in Ceredigion has been sentenced to a 6 month custodial sentence, suspended for 15 months, after pleading guilty to fraud and supplying unsafe electrical goods.  Colin Harding, of Pontsian, Ceredigion whose trading names included ‘Model Railway Layouts’, had pleaded guilty to four fraud offences and one safety offence earlier this week at Aberystwyth Magistrates’ Court. He was also sentenced to 120 hours unpaid work. The Court heard how Harding had taken payments of over £15,000 from customers as part of his business which he ran from home. He offered a service to design and…

Two knives believed to be linked to the death of Fahad Mohammed Nur have been found among trees in Cardiff Civic Centre. The knives were found by two young boys searching for squirrels in a small wooded area between Museum Avenue and Park Place. Detectives believe they may be the weapons used during the incident and forensic tests are being carried out to in order to confirm their involvement. Fahad, 18, died after being stabbed in the lane near Cathays Railway Station just before 0.24am on Sunday, June 2. Three people have been charged with murder and detectives are not…