Author: Rhys Gregory

The lost communities of Cardiff’s docklands are to feature in a new four-part tv series on ITV Cymru Wales. ‘Dock of the Bay’ examines the transformation of the city’s waterfront from Tiger Bay to Cardiff Bay. [aoa id=”1″] It also chronicles the history and demolition of Newtown, nick-named ‘Little Ireland’ and Lower Splott, a community that was built in the shadow of the giant East Moors steelworks. The series celebrates the present day diversity of the Bay and goes behind the scenes of some of the area’s most beautiful buildings as well as capturing the daily life of the docks…

Staff, visitors and patients at Swansea’s HMT Sancta Maria Hospital showed their support for cancer charity, Maggie’s, when the two healthcare and wellbeing specialists got together to promote Breast Cancer Awareness Month. [aoa id=”1″]A representative of Maggie’s visited Swansea’s private hospital, HMT Sancta Maria, at the beginning of October to collect a donation of £540, which was raised via the sale of some equipment. While at the site, in Swansea’s Uplands, Maggie’s talked to patients, their families and the HMT Sancta Maria workforce about the range of support services available to the people of Swansea at Maggie’s.[/aoa] HMT Sancta Maria’s…

The “inspirational” transformation of a housing estate in Llandudno has been hailed as an example to the rest of Wales. [aoa id=”1″] The plaudits came from Sophie Howe, the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, who was speaking at a ceremony to mark the completion of the ground-breaking project by housing association Cartrefi Conwy at the Tre Cwm estate. She was told that neglected areas of land had been turned into a “green oasis” featuring a giant caterpillar made out of boulders as part of a £1.4 million environmental scheme. [/aoa] According to Cartrefi Conwy, the aim was to reconnect youngsters…

Jobs in digital tech in Cardiff have grown by almost a third over the last three years, as Wales builds on its heritage of advanced manufacturing and innovation to build one of the UK’s thriving tech clusters as revealed by the Tech Nation Report 2018. [aoa id=”1″]Startups are flourishing in the Welsh capital which has embraced high-tech industries and the startup culture is now pushing out into the valleys. Last month, the Welsh Government said it would invest £100m over ten years to make Blaenau Gwent and the wider South Wales Valleys a global centre for emerging technologies. The programme,…

Educational charity Techniquest is moving forward with its plans to radically transform its science discovery centre in Cardiff Bay with the appointment of a globally-recognised exhibit designer. [aoa id=”1″] After securing £5.7m for its Science Capital project, which involves extending its Stuart Street site and repositioning itself in the marketplace, the 32-year-old charity has appointed Huttinger, following a competitive pitch. The German company is a specialist in its field having designed and manufactured exhibits worldwide for science centres including The Scientific Centre in Kuwait, the Science Museum in London, Hong Kong Science Museum and NEMO science museum in Amsterdam. [/aoa]…

A Carmarthenshire business woman has been announced as ‘Mentor of the Year’ in the national Women in Financial Advice Awards.

A Mid Wales micro distillery has become the first in the UK to win the coveted Best British Gin award twice. [aoa id=”1″] The Dyfi Distillery in Corris, near Machynlleth, which collected the prestigious trophy from the Great British Food Awards in 2017 for its Pollination Gin, has retained the award this year for its Dyfi Original Gin. MasterChef’s John Torode, the lead category judge, said: “A wonderful gin straight up or in a martini or with a mixer. Smooth, beautifully flavoured and not overpowering in any way. I am a convert.” [/aoa] Natasha Lovell-Smith, editor of Great British Food,…

The Inflatable Arena, a new activity centre for children and adults alike, is set to open at Jubilee Trading Estate in Cardiff later this month following a letting deal brokered by leading property consultancy JLL. [aoa id=”1″]Complete with inflatable vertical drop slides, rope swings, mountain climbs and tunnels, the arena is expected to create around 15 part-time and four full-time jobs. Visitors will be able to take part in ‘Gladiator-style’ games and a challenging ‘Ninja Warrior-style’ assault course. There will also be an onsite café offering a range of refreshments.[/aoa] The activity centre, located within 20,000 sq ft of space…

Last weekend’s Dayinsure Wales Rally GB has been universally acclaimed by competitors, fans, officials, media and all those who savoured four days of epic World Rally Championship action. [aoa id=”1″]This year’s history-making event maximised new legislation permitting public roads to be closed for motorsport to deliver a refreshed – and now widely-applauded – new look itinerary. After a dazzling opening night under the spotlights at the Tir Prince Raceway on Thursday evening, Friday’s competitive special stages were based around the testing forests of North Wales.[/aoa] Living up to its ‘Fans’ Friday’ billing, car parks were filled to capacity including at…

The picturesque town of Llangollen will be transformed into the culinary capital of the UK this weekend. Thousands of foodies will be flocking to the town’s popular annual food festival that’s rated as one of the Top 10 food festivals in the UK and has provided a successful platform for innovative new food and drink from the area. There to greet the gastronomes on Saturday and Sunday will be a host of top chefs, including Graham Tinsley, the star of ITV’s Taste the Nation and a former captain of the Welsh Culinary Team. Another of the kitchen stars will be…