Author: Rhys Gregory

Llandovery Sheep Festival will be going baaaa-ck to its wonderfully woolly roots next month when the emphasis will be on the different varieties of sheep breeds, wool crafts and wool demonstrations. The weekend-long festival, taking place on 20 & 21 September 2025 in Llandovery town centre, will highlight the wool industry and local sheep farming. It will also be a celebration of rural arts and crafts, local food and drink producers and live entertainment and performers. Rachel Everett, Chairman of the Festival, said, “The Llandovery Sheep Festival is 15 years old this year and has gone from strength to strength…

Surveyors in Wales remain cautious about the outlook for the housing market with demand subdued and supply weaker according to the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Residential Market Survey. A net balance of 1% of surveyors in Wales reported that prices rose over the past three months. Although muted, this is higher than the average UK balance which sits at -13%. However, looking forward surveyors are cautious when it comes to pricing as a net balance of -18% expect prices to fall over the next three months. Although remaining in negative territory, this is up slightly from the…

Dow Schofield Watts (DSW) is strengthening its Cardiff-based corporate finance team with the appointment of Ellis Jenkins, the former Cardiff Rugby (previously “Cardiff Blues”) and Wales Rugby Union captain, who has been appointed as Corporate Relations Lead. Ellis recently retired from a successful career in elite rugby, having represented Wales on the world stage against some of the sport’s greatest teams, including the New Zealand All Blacks and South Africa, often performing in front of 75,000 people at the Principality Stadium. Ellis also studied an Executive MBA at Cardiff University, whilst playing professional rugby. His experience leading at the highest…

A NEW lifeline for those struggling with drug and alcohol addiction has been launched in memory of much-loved drag star and TV personality, The Vivienne. House of The Vivienne is described as a “safe, inclusive space” offering free, confidential advice, guidance, and compassionate listening every Tuesday at Ty Enfys (Rainbow House) in Colwyn Bay. The group is led by Chanel Williams, sister of the late James Lee Williams — better known to millions as The Vivienne — and her family, and has been created to honour James’s life and their courage in speaking about their own struggles, and their unwavering…

A women’s touch rugby tournament has scored a remarkable success by raising more than £23,000 for Swansea Bay’s very own cancer centre. The inaugural Touched by Cancer event, in aid of the South West Wales Cancer Centre at Singleton Hospital, was staged at the Talbot Athletic Ground, the famous home of Aberavon RFC. With the sun shining and spirits high, 16 all-women teams came together from across Swansea and Neath Port Talbot for a day filled with sport, solidary and fundraising. It opened with a moving tribute – a minute’s silence to remember loved ones lost to cancer followed by…

Ffeibr, Wales’ newest high-speed internet network, has delivered its first commercial fibre connectivity contract for Cloud Centres Networks. Launched at the end of last year, ffeibr is a new, full-fibre network built in parallel with the electrification of the Welsh Core Valley Train Lines, offering robust connectivity to some of the hardest-to-reach places in Wales. A subsidiary of Transport for Wales, ffeibr delivered its first project providing a complex fibre connectivity solution for Cloud Centre Networks in partnership with Cardiff University. Ffeibr’s first commercial project involved designing and implementing a dark fibre solution to connect Cardiff University’s main campus with…

The Vale of Glamorgan Council is set to become the first Local Authority in Wales to restrict the advertising of unhealthy foods in its spaces. Foods categorised as High in Fat, Sugar and Salt (HFSS) will no longer be promoted at bus stops or on boards along the Vale’s highway system if recommendations are approved by the Authority’s Cabinet. This move would also prevent such products from being marketed on the Council’s website. Cllr Lis Burnett, Leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council, said: “Vale 2030, our new five-year Plan, sets out this Council’s ongoing drive to create Strong Communities…

The Ospreys have received a warm welcome from Bridgend County Borough Council following the announcement that the Dunraven Brewery Field will host their home matches during their 2025-26 campaign. The Brewery Field will provide the team with a temporary home while they continue to finalise a lease for St Helen’s Sports Ground in Swansea. It is hoped that the new ground will be ready for them in time for next year’s season. “I am delighted to welcome the Ospreys back to Bridgend County Borough. They have a long association with the area and have played at the Brewery Field a…

From D-Day heroes to the brilliance of the Bletchley Park codebreakers, a group of extraordinary men and women will gather in quiet pride and solemn remembrance to help Swansea mark the 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day. All from South West Wales, the veterans not only endured the hardships of the Second World War but actively shaped its outcome through bravery, selflessness and sacrifice. They’ll be joining city leaders and civic dignitaries in a VJ Day 80 Commemoration event at Swansea’s Guildhall on Friday August 15 to mark 80 years since the Japanese surrender that ended World War Two.…

Residents are advised that Berw Road Bridge (White Bridge) in Pontypridd will temporarily close from August 18-22, and then August 26-29 following the Bank Holiday weekend. This will enable the contractor of the recent major restoration scheme to undertake corrective works, followed by a routine inspection of the structure. The Listed structure was damaged in Storm Dennis, and the Council worked closely with Cadw on the development and delivery of a complex restoration scheme that was substantially completed in July 2024. It included several hundred individual concrete and structural steelwork repairs, bridge deck waterproofing, and replacing the highway drainage system…