Author: Rhys Gregory

Thomas makes a break from Sodor Island in his latest quest to fulfil his dream of seeing the world. Thomas’ big world adventure sees him cross five continents, make lots of new friends and acquaint with old ones in his fun-filled journey. The film is packed full of sing-along-songs, educational world facts, whilst ensuring they don’t skimp on any of the fun. Thomas’ mischievous ways are plentiful, which does see the little blue engine ‘almost’ get into trouble, but luckily his friends are there to help him overcome the challenges that await. No matter your age or experience, there will…

Plans to transform Caerphilly Castle into a major UK tourist attraction have been given the go-ahead with work to install new features commencing next week (July 9) ready for an August unveiling. The project, which has been given the green light by local authority planning officials, will see Wales’s largest fortress become bigger and better with the installation of an interactive Maze and an audio-visual Dragons’ Lair. All part of a £9.5m investment to enhance the visitor experience at Cadw’s top sites*, the new attractions at Caerphilly Castle will be unveiled as part of Cadw’s Castles Alive! campaign. Gilbert’s Maze…

A former teacher who runs a company making skincare products from goats’ milk is launching a new eco-friendly food wrapping made from cotton coated with beeswax. Carol Allen, 60, who set up Llanvalley Natural Products eight years ago, will officially unveil the innovative wrapping at this year’s Llangollen Food Festival which has helped propel her business to success, putting her in the right place at the right time to secure new customers. According to Carol, she was inspired to develop the new wrapping out of a desire to eliminate plastic waste from the environment. The anti-bacterial qualities of beeswax make…

A textile designer from Bridgend is taking on the 1 Million Step Challenge for Diabetes UK Cymru to mark 30 years of living with Type 1 diabetes. Laura Thomas, 41, who is also a lecturer at Carmarthen School of Art, was diagnosed with the condition aged 11 just days after starting secondary school. 30 years later, she and her family will be walking one million steps over three months to raise vital funds to help the charity support other people in Wales with the condition. The 1 Million Step Challenge takes place between 1 July and 30 September. It will…

Riverside vandals are putting lives at risk after five rescue aids were stolen from their posts alongside the Tawe in less than a week. Swansea Council’s water safety team were called yesterday morning after concerns were raised by a member of the public that some were missing. A quick survey revealed five had gone missing since the sites were checked a week ago and all were replaced within hours. But Robert Francis-Davies, Cabinet Member for Innovation, Regeneration and Tourism, urged residents to report repeat incidents and to report anyone they spot tampering with the aids to the police. He said:…

A supply teacher from Wrexham came within a whisker of winning one of the main prizes at an international festival even though it was her first ever solo competition. Soprano Rachel Marsh, 24, was a runner up in Pendine International Voice of the Future at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. She revealed that she used to dream of winning the prestigious title when driving past the Eisteddfod field on her way to work at the town’s Ysgol Bryn Collen. Although she has been singing in choirs ever since she was in school, the only recently started taking lessons to become…

An event held to help Welsh businesses learn more about the trading opportunities with Spain has been hailed a huge success by NatWest’s Managing Director of Business and Premier Banking Marcelino Castrillo. Mr Castrillo was joined by the Spanish Ambassador to the UK, Carlos Bastarreche, at the BeTheSpark organised event in Cardiff. Supported by NatWest Cymru, 100 local businesses and key stakeholders were in attendance to hear from key note speakers including Invest in Spain ICEX and a special panel Q&A. With a population of more than 45 million people Spain is home to the world’s fourteenth largest economy and…

A full scale model of the ExoMars rover which is set to search for life on Mars in 2021 has been named after a pioneering Aberystwyth University space roboticist. Barnes has been named after the late Professor Dave Barnes who initiated Aberystwyth University’s involvement with the European Space Agency / Roscosmos mission to Mars. Professor Barnes, who died suddenly in 2014, was also a leading member of the team that developed and built the innovative Beagle2 lander that formed part of the 2003 Mars Express mission. Built by Stephen Fearn and Dr Matt Gunn from the Department of Physics, the…

Simply Do Ideas has partnered with the educational charity Techniquest to help find creative solutions to engage more people with STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). The two innovative organisations plan to use the Simply Do Ideas platform to collate ideas from people across Wales, from all walks of life, which Techniquest can use to help inspire future generations of scientists and innovators. Techniquest’s mission is to embed science in Welsh culture through interactive engagement. They aim to make science fun and accessible for all ages. As well as offering the Techniquest experience at their science discovery centre in…

Swansea University staff, students, local businesses and members of the community have joined Vice-Chancellor Richard B Davies and Santander Universities UK Director Matt Hutnell to officially launch the start of a brand new bikesharing scheme for the city. Swansea now joins London and Milton Keynes, with Brunel soon to follow, to become one of four Santander backed bikeshare schemes. Santander Cycles Swansea was made possible following Swansea University’s fantastic win in the Santander Cycles University Challenge last December. During the energetic crowdfunding campaign, University students and staff, together with the local community and businesses came together to support the University…