Author: Rhys Gregory

An award-winning builder is creating over 30 career opportunities for people in the construction industry this year. [aoa id=”1″] The Ewloe-based Anwyl Group has a long-standing and impressive record of providing apprenticeships on its sites across North Wales and the North West but they are also leading the way in offering openings in roles outside bricks and mortar. The company currently has a range of students, school leavers and other job-seekers in roles from health and safety, business development and marketing to site management, quantity surveying and procurement. This is in addition to more than 20 construction apprentices at work…

The Neath music scene is going from strength to strength, according to local musician Leyton Thomas. [aoa id=”1″] Leyton, who runs The Music Shop in Neath Market, and plays bass with popular local group iRock, says the community has been very supportive, and he is looking to expand the store in the future. “Music plays an important part in the life of the area, for people of all ages. The guitar and music scene here is strong and getting stronger,” he feels. Now in his fourth year of trading, in the longer term Leyton is looking to move to larger…

A family-run chain of steakhouses will soon open its third restaurant on Gorseinon High Street near Swansea, creating 40 new jobs. [aoa id=”1″] Seagers Restaurants repurchased the high-street premises with the support of six-figure funding from NatWest. The building was previously owned by the Seagers family before being sold and rebranded as The Riverside Inn. The family have since repurchased the venue which provided a perfect renovation opportunity. The project, which represents an investment in excess of £600,000, includes an extensive refurbishment of the former pub into a relaxed steakhouse, including a state-of-the-art kitchen, stylish dining area and private dining…

Chirk Castle celebrated being the first National Trust site to be accredited as bee-friendly under a new Welsh Government scheme, by welcoming Hannah Blythyn, Welsh Minister for the Environment to the castle to talk all things bees, wildflowers and better estate management for nature. Hannah met General Manager Shane Logan, Ranger Keith Griffith, and estate beekeeper John Beavan to discuss the ways that the Chirk team manage the estate to promote wildlife diversity and protect and restore habitat for vital pollinators; important work with vast areas of traditional wildflower meadow across the UK having been lost over the past 50…

Leading UK specialist recruiter Acorn has made two significant rail industry appointments to support the company’s rapidly growing client needs. Acorn Rail, part of the Acorn Group and formerly known as Exxell, has seen significant development over recent years with the team growing exponentially as the UK rail industry – particularly in Wales – goes from strength to strength. To help drive their offering forward, Acorn has appointed Kevin Morris as head of the division, with Stephen Giles joining the company as senior rail consultant. Boasting more than 24 years of industry knowledge, Morris has previously worked closely with high-profile…

Two Cardiff Met graduates are celebrating after being recognised for their creative art pieces and being presented with prestigious awards.  Jason Gregory, current Cardiff Art of School and Design (CSAD) Graduate Incubation Unit, was the joint winner of the BEEP Printing prize, which is a contemporary painting prize that brings in artists from all over the world and supports imaginative and vibrant practice in contemporary painting. BEEP is the Bi-annual Exhibition of Painting based in Swansea and supported by the Arts Council of Wales. The second Cardiff Met graduate to win an award was Gweni Llwyd who won the Eisteddfod’s…

Proceedings get underway at 2pm on Saturday, August 25, with Team Raven formation aerobatic display team and there will be a host of displays throughout the day, ending with the Red Devils Parachute Team at 4.30pm. On Sunday, August 26, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, featuring a Spitfire, Hurricane and Dakota, kicks things off at 2pm with the Red Arrows closing Rhyl Air Show at 5.30pm. Denbighshire County Council is organising Rhyl Air Show with support from Rhyl Town Council. Cllr Hugh Evans OBE, leader of Denbighshire County Council, said: “This year’s line-up is shaping up to be the…

Tomorrow (August 22nd)is World Plant Milk Day – a day to celebrate the wide array of plant-based milks on the market, highlight their many benefits – for people’s health, for animals and for the planet – and to encourage people to make the switch. [aoa id=”1″] “There has never been a better time to go dairy-free,” said Zephie Begolo, Head of Campaigns for ProVeg UK. “There are now so many different plant milks on the market and these are more readily available than ever. We are seeing one the biggest global dietary shifts of recent times towards the dairy-free industry, which is well…

An historic property on a nature reserve where one of Britain’s most endangered animals lives has been brought into the 21st century thanks to a sophisticated underground heating system. [aoa id=”1″]The stone farmhouse of Penllyn lies on Cors Goch National Nature Reserve where the rare water vole – the Water Rat of Kenneth Graham’s children’s classic The Wind In The Willows – is still found. It was once common on the UK’s rivers, lakes and streams until habitat loss and the depredations of the American mink caused a 90 per cent fall in its population in the last 40 years…

A fast-growing home improvements company is aiming to create 50 new jobs thanks to the success of TV programmes like Grand Designs. Ambitious Peninsula Home Improvements, based in Gaerwen, on Anglesey, have already taken on two staff in Cheshire where they are planning to open a second showroom as part of their expansion. The company is reaping the reward for its decision to specialise in high-end glazing products like the ones frequently featured in television makeover shows like Grand Designs. As a result, the firm which currently employs over 30 people is on course to double its turnover to £4…