Author: Rhys Gregory

A new work by one of Wales’ most revered composers which tells the story of the death of Owain Glyndŵr will be premiered at this year’s North Wales International Music Festival. [aoa id=”1″] Composer Brian Hughes, who lives in Gresford, near Wrexham, has written his haunting string orchestral piece, Death of the Skylark, based on a traditional Welsh poem. It will be performed by the festival’s resident orchestra, NEW Sinfonia, at St Asaph Cathedral during the evening concert on Saturday, September 29. The concert will also feature renowned cellist Raphael Wallfisch performing Elgar’s Cello Concerto. The festival, which runs from…

A dedicated charity worker who plays a vital role in keeping vulnerable children safe from trafficking and exploitation has been honoured by North Wales’s policing chief. [aoa id=”1″] Sian Humphreys, who works for Barnardo’s as an Independent Child Trafficking Advocate for Wales, has won the Anti-Slavery Champion title in the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner’s Community Awards. The fact that almost 40 per cent of all reported cases in Wales come from the north which has the highest number of referrals to child welfare charity Barnardo’s Independent Child Trafficking Advocate (ICTA) service of any police region in Wales and…

A life-saving piece of equipment has been installed at a community centre after a fundraising drive by members of a club who meet there. [aoa id=”1″] The public access defibrillator was unveiled at the Park Way Community Centre in Rhos-on-Sea that’s managed by housing association Cartrefi Conwy. The £1,400 to buy the machine was raised by members of the local Park Way Coffee and Social Club who were inspired by the Welsh Hearts charity’s Shay Hearts campaign. It’s been fixed to the wall by the entrance of the centre and members of the community are being trained how to use…

An “incredible” woman who was born during the First World War has celebrated her 102nd birthday – with a glass of her favourite sweet sherry. According to Martha Elizabeth Hughes, known as Bessie, enjoying an occasional tipple and going for regular walks are among the secrets of her longevity. She lived independently in Brymbo, near Wrexham, where she was born and bred, until she was 101 and moved to Pendine Park’s Hillbury Care Home due to failing eyesight and suffering a fractured hip after a fall. When she was 100 she received a birthday card from her favourite author, Jeffrey…

A NEW range of pies made by men from Wrexham’s Berwyn Prison and dubbed ‘as good on the inside as the outside’ will be launched at a top food festival. The Custodial Pie Corporation was set up by the prison and Dylan’s restaurants with the aim of rehabilitating Berwyn’s men, giving them new skills for the future and enabling them to return to work. A dedicated team of men, supported by prison staff, currently make mouth-watering savoury pies which have been a big hit at food festivals throughout the country and bagged them a host of awards. [aoa id=”1″][/aoa] Just…

Tate & Lyle, a leading global provider of food and beverage ingredients and solutions, is proud to announce that Amy Jackson, Tate & Lyle Bakery Technologist, is one of five shortlisted contenders for the title ‘Food Scientist of the Year’ in the UK Food and Drink Federation Awards 2018. Amy has been shortlisted for her work helping bakers across the UK and Europe to reduce sugar, fat and calories in their cakes, biscuits and other baked goods. From Tate & Lyle’s technical service centre and ingredient blending facility in Mold, Flintshire, Amy has adapted hundreds of product recipes to improve…

They are dedicated to strengthening and developing the health board’s workforce so patients can access the best possible care. But now the team behind many staff achievements has itself secured an award. The ABMU Apprentice Academy, which offers apprenticeship opportunities in a number of departments, has received the People’s Choice Award for Excellence in Workforce, OD (Organisational Development) and HR (Human Resources) at the HPMA Wales Awards 2018. The academy, managed by Ruth Gates, is endorsed by ABMU leaders and has more than 140 apprentices working in jobs that vary from administrators to health care support workers while undertaking training…

The start-up supporters Town Square Spaces has appointed Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE as its new chairman. [aoa id=”1″] The appointment adds to the leadership team of Gareth Jones as CEO and Mandy Weston as COO to continue their plans to expand as the business grows. Dylan is no stranger to the boardroom having held prominent positions at businesses and organisations such as Prime Cymru, the Institute of Directors in Wales, the European Council of Small Business, Outlook Expeditions, the Institute of Small Business and Enterprise, Finance Wales and Welsh ICE. [/aoa] As well as chairing the advisory panel that led…

Wales’ Celtic rainforests will get a new lease of life this autumn with £8.6m of funding backed by the European and Welsh Government. Through the eradication of invasive alien plant species and the implementation of proactive management the aim is to bring these woodlands back to their former fertile state. [aoa id=”1″] Celtic rainforests, which are mainly found in the UK, are considered of European importance owing to their open structure, and the mild and humid conditions within them that provide a perfect habitat for a wealth of vegetation. The woodlands are currently in an unfavorable condition and are continuing…

Green Man Festival – Wales’ largest music festival – came to a triumphant close on Sunday 17th August after four sun-filled days of music, performance and arts, with a thrilling headline set by The War On Drugs, before festival goers made their pilgrimage up the hill to witness the burning of the Green Man. Green Man this year sold out in record time and the festival delighted and surprised 20,000 returning Green Man fans and newcomers at the foot of the stunning Black Mountains in the Brecon Beacons. Fiona Stewart, owner and director of Green Man said: “Green Man 2018…