Author: Rhys Gregory

A Tywyn man described as probably the world’s longest serving heritage railway volunteer has been presented with the Railway Magazine Annual Award for Services to Railway Preservation. John Bate, Talyllyn Railway’s former chief engineer, was honoured at the recent Heritage Railway Association awards ceremony. He volunteered during the railway’s first running season when it was saved from closure by Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society in 1951, becoming the world’s first preserved railway. Giving up some of his summer holiday to help with tracklaying started an involvement with the line which has continued ever since. John moved to Tywyn to become the…

Police in Swansea are appealing for help to locate a man who went missing following a night out in the city centre. Tapiwa Matuwi, known to friends and family as Tapi, has not been seen since the early hours of Thursday morning (February 7th). The 21-year-old, who is from Llansamlet, was last seen by friends in Fiction nightclub, Wind Street, at around 2am. He was last captured on CCTV in the Castle Gardens area at approximately 5am. Tapi is described as approximately 5ft6 tall, of slim build, with black hair which has orange on top, and very light stubble. He…

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has launched a new body offering free, impartial financial guidance.

Expedia Group’s director of market management in the UK and Ireland will be the keynote speaker at the annual Mid Wales Tourism Conference next week. [aoa id=”1″] Irene Roberts has agreed to address the conference, organised by MWT Cymru, at the Metropole Hotel, Llandrindod Wells on the Friday, February 22. Responsible for leading a team of local experts developing relationships with hotel partners in the UK and Ireland for Expedia Group, she has almost 20 years’ experience of working in the tourism and travel industry. Prior to joining Expedia in 2007, Irene worked at TUI Travel in both product and…

A Newport-based accountancy firm has fought off tough competition to oversee the accounts of one of South Wales’s biggest construction projects, worth over £80m. Kilsby Williams won the contract to work on the landmark International Convention Centre Wales (ICC Wales) project through a competitive tender process and has worked closely with the development team throughout the construction phase. With capacity for more than 5,000 delegates, ICC Wales will be a game-changing venue for the country when it comes to fruition this summer (2019), thanks in part to the role played by numerous local suppliers, including accountancy experts, Kilsby Williams. Kilsby…

The future of Snowdonia Aerospace Centre at Llanbedr Airfield has been safeguarded following its allocation by the Snowdonia National Park Authority (SNPA) in the recently adopted Eryri Local Development Plan covering the period to 2031. [aoa id=”1″] Formal adoption of the Local Plan protects the airfield’s ongoing use and supports the future development of the site for a range of aerospace and other employment uses. Lee Paul, CEO of Snowdonia Aerospace LLP, said: “This is a significant step forward for ourselves as it provides us with security and clarity on the future of the airfield and our ongoing development and…

Award-winning celebrity hairdresser Lee Stafford is opening his first Academy in Wales at NPTC Group of Colleges. [aoa id=”1″] He will work with the Hair and Applied Therapies team at the College and help deliver first class Michelin Star standard training. The experienced teaching staff will undergo intense training the Lee Stafford ‘recipe’ way so they can pass on the knowledge to the students that are on their courses. Students at Afan College have already received an impromptu masterclass from the celebrity hairdresser, who took time out of his busy schedule to demonstrate his recipe for a ‘Twisted Tong’. While…

A film showing the true-life experiences of Welsh fishermen will have its premiere in North and South Wales later this month. [aoa id=”1″] ‘Meet the Fishermen’ introduces a handful of Welsh fishermen and explores their contribution to the Welsh seafood economy – past and present. The short film aims to present a candid account, from the fishermen’s perspective, of an industry and way of life which many feel is under pressure. Currently, there are 450 registered vessels, of which 380 are small boats under 10 metres long. Some launch from ports and harbours, others from beaches and rugged slipways –…

Swansea people are to give their views on how nature can improve their city.  Their thoughts will be gathered by a consultation exercise this month. They will help to inform a new strategy being developed by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Swansea Council and the Green Infrastructure Consultancy. The strategy will promote a joined-up approach to green infrastructure in future city centre regeneration work. Robert Francis-Davies, cabinet member for investment, regeneration and tourism, said: “I urge the public to have their say. “As a council we are committed to maintaining and enhancing Swansea’s natural resources and biodiversity.” Mark Thomas, cabinet member…

Men who used to meet up in the pub after work are still enjoying their evening pint even though they are in a hospital dementia ward. The Derwen Arms is a local like any other, serving beers and refreshments and with its own pool table and dart board. And while the beer is strictly non-alcoholic and the darts are made out of plastic, that hasn’t stopped the pub from being a hit with its customers. It is located within Derwen Ward, a 20-bed, all-male assessment unit in Swansea’s Cefn Coed Hospital for men with a diagnosis of dementia. It has…