Author: Rhys Gregory

Having played a major role in the £10 million Swansea Palace Theatre refurbishment, a Welsh firm is looking to expand in 2025. Newport’s Tube and Steel Supplies (TSS) fabricated and installed balustrading for the famous theatre which once hosted a young Charlie Chaplin, and now the Grade II listed building has a new lease of life as a centre for business and enterprise. Tata Steel subsidiary, UKSE, has invested £100,000 in TSS to underpin its plan to take on a new team of 4 to cope with demand for their quality balustrading service, and to provide working capital. The UKSE…

Welsh food and drink companies are set to make a significant impact at Gulfood, one of the world’s largest food and drink exhibitions, taking place in Dubai later this month. Gulfood 2025 is a five-day event that takes place from 17-21 February 2025 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. It is set to host a record 5,500+ exhibitors from over 190 countries, unveiling new business opportunities, meeting with suppliers, sampling new food products, and assisting with solutions to new and evolving global challenges. Supported by the Welsh Government, fifteen companies from across the industry will be attending under the Food…

A buy-out of Cardigan-based Arjay Factors funded by the Development Bank of Wales has given young entrepreneurs Danny and Lowri Grota the opportunity to take on their first business venture. The couple, who are both 27 years old and expecting their first baby imminently, have purchased Arjay Factors on the Pentood Industrial Estate in Cardigan. Danny is a fully qualified mechanic and Lowri is an experienced office manager and administrator. Arjay Factors provides car, van and 4×4 mechanical parts direct to the public and local garages.  It is a successful auto-parts business that has been owned and managed by John…

Iconic city landmark Cardiff Castle was bathed in yellow on Thursday, February 7, to mark the start of the UK’s leading end of life charity’s flagship fundraiser, the Great Daffodil Appeal. The Appeal helps raise much needed funds so that Marie Curie Nurses and healthcare professionals can provide expert support and hospice care in the comfort of home or at its hospice in Penarth. There’s only one chance to give someone the best possible end of life, which is why Marie Curie is calling on people across Wales to support its Great Daffodil Appeal this February and March by giving…

WORK is underway on the construction of a new £150,000 sports facility at a top 10 independent school. St Gerard’s School is building a state-of-the-art multi-use games area (MUGA) at its seven-acre Ffriddoedd Road site in Bangor. Set for completion in March, the development will feature a ‘next generation’ artificial grass surface, toilet block and changing rooms, parking spaces, upgraded fencing and landscaping, and, subject to planning permission, floodlights. The investment follows a series of internal and external improvements at the school, which produces some of the best A Level and GCSE results year on year in Wales and was…

After tickets were snapped up fast by excited families in Cardiff, Disney On Ice has added an additional performance to its Cardiff leg of the tour. Disney On Ice presents 100 Years of Wonder will now be visiting Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena on Thursday 13th March at 2:30pm, along with the existing showtimes from 13th – 16th March. Disney On Ice presents 100 Years of Wonder is returning to the UK for a second and final time, offering a magical experience for families in Cardiff. Bringing together your most beloved Disney characters, be wowed by the stunning costumes and incredible special…

A man from Bolton has been jailed for commissioning a phishing website. His intention was to deceive members of the public into thinking they were accessing a genuine Amazon webpage, with the intention of harvesting their personal information. An investigation led by Tarian, the Regional Organised Crime Unit for southern Wales, found that 31-year-old Ewan McGavin, from Horwich, Bolton, had paid Blaine Flatt to develop the website. 22-year-old Blaine Flatt, of Broadlands, Bridgend, was sentenced to a number of offences – including making or supplying articles for use in frauds – in February 2024 having entered a guilty plea. Flatt…

The 100,000thtree in a new ‘urban forest’ has been planted in Cardiff, just four years after the first one. The oak tree was planted in Greenway Park in Rumney as part of Cardiff Council’s Coed Caerdydd (Cardiff Forest) project. The project was established by the Council in 2021 as part of its One Planet Cardiff response to the climate emergency with the aim of increasing tree canopy coverage in the city from a starting point of 18.9% to 25%. Now into its fourth planting season the project has seen council staff working alongside an army of community volunteers to plant…

An historic building in Swansea city centre is in line for a bright future. City-based St Mary’s Square Developments has acquired the unoccupied Mond Buildings thanks to a six-figure loan arranged with the help of Swansea Council. The company is now working on creating plans for the building which stands at the corner of Union Street and Park Street. It’s anticipated that the ground floor will be retained as commercial space with the uses of the other floors possibly including commercial and accommodation. The structure dates from 1911 and is grade two listed. St Mary’s Square Developments director Peter Loosmore…

A comprehensive Events Strategy to deliver a vibrant, year-round programme of festivals and events has been approved by Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet, The Neath Port Talbot Events Strategy 2025-2035, developed through extensive research, consultation and public engagement, seeks to celebrate the unique qualities of Neath Port Talbot. Approved by Cabinet members on Wednesday, 5th February, 2025, the strategy is based on a vision that by 2035, Neath Port Talbot can become one of the best places in Wales to visit, live and work, with an exciting calendar of events and festivals that showcase the area’s rich culture, heritage and…