Author: Rhys Gregory

Creative studio, Bleak Fabulous, in collaboration with This is Wales is set to unveil a stunning new curation that will showcase the stories of communities and creatives across Wales—each contributing to the vibrant tapestry of our nation. Bleak Fabulous previously garnered significant attention with their project It’s Called Ffasiwn, featured in Vogue, where the duo juxtaposed ‘bleak’ landscapes with ‘fabulous’ fashion, offering an original and compelling representation of the contemporary Valleys. Bleak Fabulous was founded by Clémentine Schneidermann, a French photographer and educator based in both Wales and France, and Charlotte James, a Creative Director, filmmaker, and educator from Merthyr…

Tŷ Hotel Newport, which opened in 2024, is using part of its £9.7m funding from Cardiff Capital Region’s Strategic Premises Fund to finance on site practical training for hospitality students as it prepares the next generation for careers in the sector. The Celtic Collection, which manages the hotel, collaborated with the University of South Wales to create a paid nine-month placement programme which provides hands on experience for students as they complete the practical training components of their hospitality and business management courses. The two successful applicants, Deepu Chandran and Dilakshan Classen, began their placement at Coldra Court Hotel before…

Celebrate St David’s Day this year by hearing first-hand about a great Welsh success story. For many years, the ACCA Cymru/Wales Saint David’s Day Breakfast has been a highlight of the business networking calendar in south Wales. The event brings together representatives from across the entire business community to network and to celebrate Dydd Gŵyl Dewi. And this year ACCA keeps to that tradition as it hears from a very special guest speaker who is not afraid to analyse and address the challenges sport, women in sport and Welsh society face. Guests will be able to hear from Rhian Wilkinson, Head…

Christina Wall, 32, from Adamsdown, Cardiff, has been jailed following a city centre robbery in May last year. Accompanied by two men, Wall approached the victim, a 23-year-old man from Roath, before punching him inside a multi-storey car park, then strangling him and attempting to gouge his eyes. Wall also told him they were in possession of a knife, threatening to kill him unless he emptied his pockets. Wall then took his mobile phone and wallet. Wall pleaded guilty to robbery and has been sentenced to eight years and three months in prison. Detective Constable Carys Davies said: “This was…

Cllr Lis Burnett, Leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council, was joined by Jayne Bryant MS, the Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government to see key council housing developments. They visited several housing sites in Barry – one of the areas with the greatest demand for accommodation – including three schemes at Coldbrook Road East, Clos Holm View and on the former Colcot Clinic site, as well as the newly completed homes at Hayeswood Road. The Hayeswood Road development consists of one, two, three and four-bedroom properties built on land acquired by the Vale of Glamorgan Council…

Plans for a new-build replacement Mynydd Cynffig Primary School are continuing to progress with a full planning application now having been submitted for consideration. Under the plans, the new-build school would be built on land currently occupied by Mynydd Cynffig Primary School’s junior department and would operate on a single site basis, bringing together all year groups in the same location. The school has also been designed with sustainable features and will be Net Zero Carbon in operation. In addition to the classrooms, the two-storey school features an indoor learning plaza, a main hall, ancillary studio hall, outdoor play areas,…

Newport City Council’s leader and cabinet member for regeneration have welcomed ambitious proposals by docks’ operator ABP. Last year, the company unveiled its masterplan which set out how it would build on its classic port role while blending in innovations to become a highly efficient, zero-carbon port with a “clean growth hub” by 2040. Councillor Dimitri Batrouni and Councillor James Clarke met with ABP representatives during a recent visit to the port. Councillor Batrouni said: “Newport Docks have been pivotal to the development of the city over the last two centuries and we were impressed with the company’s plans to…

Redevelopment work is set to begin on two Caerphilly town squares while conserving and enhancing much-loved public art installations. Stockland Square and Windsor Square, on Cardiff Road, were built in the late 1990s featuring now familiar sculptures of jackdaws and geese, connecting residential streets to one of the town’s main shopping streets. Preparation work is set to begin later this month to rejuvenate the squares to create an open social space while introducing more greenery, seating, and improve bin facilities for local businesses. The project will be delivered as part of the Caerphilly Town 2035 Placemaking Plan, utilising up to…

Communities across mid-Wales are set to experience early benefits that groundbreaking bus reform will bring. Led by Transport for Wales and mid-Wales councils’ a trial of the criteria designed for bus reform will take place and identify what a good bus network will look like. The trial will also bring opportunities for early improvements to services in rural communities in Ceredigion and Powys, through better reliability of buses. This will help inform further improvements as part of plans for full franchising in the longer term. Contracts for this work are expected to be awarded later this year. This trial provides…

With one in six species at risk of extinction in Wales, it has never been more important to restore and strengthen people’s connection to nature. Today, Huw Irranca-Davies, Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change has outlined the ways Welsh Government has spent more than £150m restoring nature this Senedd term. Speaking in the Siambr, he said: “Restoring nature means restoring the places we live and enjoy. “It provides green jobs, supports local and rural economies and underpins the economy in a whole range of sectors, including food production and tourism. “That’s why, in this Senedd term alone we…