Author: Rhys Gregory

House prices edged upwards in Wales during July, but the rate of growth continues to slow, the latest RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) Residential Market Survey suggests. [aoa id=”1″] The balance of surveyors reporting rising prices is now at its lowest level in two years. Surveyors also pointed to lower levels of newly agreed sales than in June, fewer new buyer enquiries, and continuing falls in the number of properties becoming available for sale. Confidence in the outlook for the market in Wales has also eased back, with a broadly flat outlook for both prices and sales in the…

A mum from Denbigh is taking on the 1 Million Step Challenge for Diabetes UK Cymru to support her daughter who has Type 1 diabetes. Karen Morris’s daughter Sioned, now 22, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes aged 16. Karen will be walking one million steps between 1 July and 30 September to raise vital funds to help the charity support other people living with diabetes in Wales, and their families. She will need to walk 10,000 steps a day to reach her target. [aoa id=”1″] Karen said: “Sioned’s aunt had said Sioned was looking slimmer, but we put it…

Your weekend plans are sorted, as the 2018/19 JD Welsh Premier League season kicks off on Friday night. [aoa id=”1″] The 27th season of the JDWPL welcomes back two names synonymous with Welsh football, as Caernarfon Town and Llanelli Town return to the top flight after a number of years out. Both clubs are rooted into the heart of their respective communities and will be hoping for great support as they kick off their campaigns at home to Cefn Druids and Connah’s Quay Nomads respectively. The league has been recognised a number of times through the BBC Price of Football…

Work teams and excavators moved onto Wellington Street on Monday to take the first physical steps in helping Swansea Council deliver phase one of the vast Swansea Central project. By the end of 2020 phase one of the £200m development – either side of Oystermouth Road taking in the LC car park and St Mary’s car park and bordering buildings such as Tesco, St David’s Church and the LC – will have a stunning new look. It will boast the hi-tech arena, beach park, digital plaza, “gateway” landmark bridge over the main road, new car parking, affordable private homes and…

Apparently the oldies are still the best, as Brits say Dad’s Army and Doctor Who are the most memorable TV theme tunes. [aoa id=”1″] Both received 12 per cent of the vote in a survey of 1,000 UK consumers¹ conducted by audio branding specialist PHMG, followed by another classic, Match of the Day, which polled 10 per cent. They beat out competition from the modern era, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (10 per cent) and Friends (nine per cent), while The Simpsons received a surprisingly low seven per cent. Coronation Street won the battle of the soaps, receiving eight per…

This summer, Cardiff will be hosting the Quidditch Premier League Championship, to determine the strongest teams in the UK and set their ranking in the Quidditch Premier League. This will be the league’s second season, with the newly established Welsh Dragons playing on home ground.   [aoa id=”1″] As well as the Welsh Dragons, the Championship will be attended by the London Monarchs, Southwest Broadside, Southeast Knights, Eastern Mermaids; and Yorkshire Roses, East Midlands Archers, Northern Watch, West Midlands Revolution and Scottish Thistles. The match will be hosted by Cardiff Arms Park Stadium on August 25th and will be a…

Hannah Blythyn AM for Delyn joined volunteers to help serve lunch to youngsters as part of a programme aimed at tackling food poverty during the summer holidays. Flintshire Council and its partners – including Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and Clwyd Alyn Housing Association – joined forces with “Can Cook” to launch an ambitious “Share Your Lunch” programme, providing 20,000 free meals – 800 meals a day – over the six week summer holiday period to play schemes throughout Flintshire. Hannah Blythyn AM met with play scheme volunteers at the Gas Lane play area in Mold to learn more about…

The second cohort of 14 to 16-year-olds who have been given the opportunity to transform their lives through a pioneering vocational career route at Cardiff and vale College have celebrated successfully completing their courses. CAVC’s Year 11 Junior Apprentices were joined by friends, family and their tutors and treated to a special Graduation and Awards Ceremony at the College’s City Centre Campus. The ceremony saw the Year 11s receive their graduation certificates. Cardiff and Vale College Principal Kay Martin said: “It’s been an honour to stand on stage and celebrate he fantastic achievements of our Junior Apprentices – they have…

Two teenagers with Type 1 diabetes took on a 12,000-foot skydive for Diabetes UK Cymru, to show that the condition will not stop them reaching new heights. Kara Clarke, from Port Talbot and Amy Brown, from Pontardawe, were both diagnosed with the condition aged 12. They became close friends after meeting at Type1derful, a Diabetes UK Cymru family support group. [aoa id=”1″] Now both 16, the girls will soon be moving from paediatric to young adult clinic and wanted to mark the transition with a special fundraising challenge. Kara said, “I went to the doctor for something unrelated. He…

Swansea’s new-build private hospital is set to become a centre for diagnostic excellence, with around £2 million being invested in state of the art equipment for the HMT Sancta Maria facility, which is on track to open its doors in 2020. An MRI scanner, digital x-ray and a fluoroscopy unit will be on hand at the site, which will be built between Fabian Way, and Prince of Wales Dock, SA1. The investment is set to revolutionise diagnostics at the hospital – significantly speeding up the patient journey from diagnosis to results. HMT Sancta Maria’s Hospital Director, Stuart Hammond says: “This…