Author: Rhys Gregory

Cardiff will become the meeting place for two cultures next weekend, as the city plays host to Welsh-Hungarian Day – a community-led event marking the growing friendship between Hungary and Wales. Taking place on Sunday 18 May at Lisvane Memorial Hall, the event promises a lively afternoon of cultural exchange through live entertainment, craft stalls, food workshops, and family-friendly activities. The celebration falls around Welsh-Hungarian Friendship Day (14 May), an initiative founded by not-for-profit group Magyar Cymru in 2022 to honour the deepening ties between the two nations. Organisers say this year’s celebration will be the most diverse yet –…

A former West Wales shop for sale at auction could prove to be a sweet investment as a spacious residential property. Currently the substantial character property is like stepping back in time with vintage shop fittings and even an ancient cash register almost the same as when it served its last customer many years ago. There’s a period weighing scales, pine cladding and even the shop’s sturdy counter and display cabinet, all as it were the day it closed. Where sweet jars once stood now lined on the pine shelves are old Penguin paperbacks and other old hardback books adorning…

A man from Swansea has been jailed for his involvement in the supply of a range of different drugs. 36-year-old Lee Paul, from Brynmill, was seen jumping out of the window of his address while officers were investigating an unrelated matter. Officers then entered his address to find large amounts of cannabis and bags containing other white substances, as well as weighing scales with further white power on a weighing plate. It was later established that Paul was concerned in the supply of cocaine, ketamine, ecstasy, cannabis and alazopram. He has been sentenced to three years and four months in…

Rhyl pupils have helped create a new woodland to support and protect county nature. Christ the Word pupils recently travelled to the new Green Gates Nature Reserve at St Asaph to help out with tree planting at the site. The tree planting is part of continuing work at the site to create a a 70-acre nature reserve supporting local biodiversity. All of the trees planted come from the local provenance tree nursery on the Green Gates site and include species such as Oak, Alder, Willow, Silver Birch, along with some of the rarer Wild Service and Spindle Fresh from working…

Boundary-pushing music and performance will fill venues, clubs and pop-up locations in Cardiff for two weeks this autumn as Cardiff Music City Festival soundtracks the city for a second year. The innovative festival will run from Friday 3 October – Saturday 18 October 2025, bringing together musicians, promoters, and immersive tech specialists from far and wide to create unique collaborations and unmissable one-off events. Established artists, underground heroes and breakout Wales-based stars will fill a genre-bending programme designed to thrill audiences alongside specially commissioned urban soundscapes, inspiring talks, and industry sessions. Supported by Cardiff Council, the festival will feature a…

Swansea primary school pupils now have the unique opportunity to explore the historic Oystermouth Castle free of charge during select sessions over the coming weeks. Children dressed in their local school uniforms can enjoy complimentary entry, when visiting the ticket office after 3pm on term-time weekdays. The castle remains open daily until 5pm, with the last admission at 4:30pm. Additionally, children under the age of five continue to enjoy free entry during all opening hours. This initiative is proudly managed by the Friends of Oystermouth Castle and aims to provide an enriching, low-cost experience for young learners. The offer runs…

The second phase of major culvert repairs at Troed y Rhiw Road in Mountain Ash will get underway next week – but please be assured that through traffic on the A4059 will remain unaffected. Urgent repairs were initially undertaken following Storm Bert, and a main repair scheme to rectify damage and ensure greater resilience to future storm events is taking place over two phases of work. Phase one was completed in mid-April 2025, and the second phase will now follow on as planned from Monday, May 12 – lasting around four weeks. The upcoming work will upsize a section of…

The new Mayor of Caerphilly County Borough Council has been announced as Dawn Ingram-Jones. Dawn, who represents the Aberbargoed and Bargoed ward, accepted the position of civic head at the Annual General Meeting of Council last week (Thursday 8th May). The Mayor’s chosen charity for this year will be Home-Start Cymru, a family support service for parents. Dawn Ingram-Jones has been married to Geraint for 32 years and is a proud mother to Rebecca and Megan. She has lived and worked in the local community for the majority of her life. Over the past 15 years, she has served residents…

On Wednesday, April 30, the Monmouth Comprehensive School senior boys’ football team etched their names into the history books with a thrilling Welsh Schools Under-18 FA Cup final victory. MCS ran out 3-2 winners against Bryntirion Comprehensive School of Bridgend in the final, which took place at Pen-y-Darren Park, home of Merthyr Town FC. Before the match, the players were presented with their new kits by Mayor of Monmouth, Councillor David Evans, on behalf of Monmouth Town Council. Under a scorching sun, Bryntirion dominated the opening stages – a forward latching onto a long ball forward to slot in past…

A free and confidential online HIV testing service will be expanded with new funding to support measures to eliminate new transmissions. More than £9m is being invested in Wales’ HIV Action Plan over the next two years, which includes almost £4m a year to expand access to testing services. The online testing service already provides 40,000 at-home HIV tests every year and almost 16,000 community testing kits across Wales. The new funding will support the further expansion of the service. Other measures to be supported include improving access and uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which reduces the risk of contracting…