Author: Rhys Gregory

Sherman Theatre’s next show Balloon Girl (9-24 October) – in co-production with Tilt – is inspired by the true Cardiff story of 14-year-old Louisa Maud Evans, who lost her life in a hot air balloon stunt in July 1896. The balloon took off from Cathays Park on 21 July; a much-hyped spectacle in which the intrepid girl was due to demonstrate the very latest in parachute technology in front of a crowd of 100,000 as part of Cardiff’s Fine Art, Industrial and Maritime Exhibition. Louisa’s body was pulled from the mud at Nash Point, Newport, three days later, and following a…

COLEG CAMBRIA is celebrating national recognition after staff and campuses were honoured at two of the hair and beauty industry’s leading awards programmes. Hair technician Jackie Holland won the Unsung Hero Award at the prestigious Concept Hair Recognition Awards, while Julie Guzzo, Curriculum Director of Technical Studies, received the coveted Services to the Industry Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the profession. The success follows a strong showing for the college, with the Deeside campus shortlisted for the Services to the Industry Award and Wrexham Yale reaching the finals in the Team of the Year and Unsung Hero…

Swansea Building Society has announced that Faith in Families will receive £20,000 from a special £25,000 charitable fund established to mark Chief Executive Alun Williams’ 25 years at the helm of the Society. The donation forms the largest allocation from the anniversary fund, which was created to celebrate Alun’s quarter-century of leadership while supporting organisations making a meaningful difference to communities across Wales. The remaining £5,000 from the fund will be awarded later this year. Faith in Families has been selected in recognition of its long-standing commitment to supporting children and families facing poverty, trauma and hardship across South Wales.…

Applications are now open across Wales for the inaugural Welsh Beer Prize, which aims to toast the work of the best brewers the country has to offer. Open to independents and commercial breweries alike, the awards will raise the bar, with brewers from across the nation invited to put forward their lagers, ales, stouts and sours to compete to be crowned the best in Wales. It’s free to enter, and applications are open until July 20th, with the shortlist announced in mid-August, before a grand award ceremony to be held at Ffos Caerffili in September. The popular comedian and actor Mike…

Cardiff Castle was packed with pop punk anthems and singalong favourites as Bowling For Soup and Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls delivered a huge co headline show as part of TK Maxx presents Depot Live at Cardiff Castle. Long time friends and two genre defying acts, both bands brought high energy performances to the historic venue, entertaining a packed crowd with an evening full of fan favourites. Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls opened the headline performances with a powerful set featuring I Still Believe, Photosynthesis, 1933, Recovery and a rousing finale of Four Simple Words. Bowling For Soup…

Wales is set for a spell of warm, sunny weather over the coming days, with temperatures climbing to 26C and plenty of sunshine expected. Today will begin with patchy low cloud across parts of the country, but skies are forecast to brighten through the morning. As the cloud clears, very warm and hazy spells of sunshine will develop, accompanied by light winds. Some low cloud may linger around coastal areas, but inland locations can expect maximum temperatures of around 26C. This evening will remain bright and warm before low cloud returns overnight, bringing mist and fog patches to some areas.…

It was a record-breaking year for the 2026 Brecon Carreg Porthcawl with the largest number of entrants the race has ever seen. More than 6,800 runners signed up to take part across the 10K and junior races – the third event in the 2026 R4W 10K Series. Omar Ahmed took the crown in the men’s event with a time of 29:44 and in the women’s race it was Charlotte Taylor who came in first in 34:22. Ahmed said: “I’m so happy to have won today. I was really excited to be back in Porthcawl , it’s one of my favourite…

Tom Grennan had the Full Attention of the crowd in North Wales on Sunday night as TK Maxx presents Live at Llangollen Pavilion welcomed one of the UK’s biggest chart topping stars for a huge headline show at the iconic venue. The BRIT and Ivor Novello nominated artist delivered a hit packed set, treating fans to favourites including Higher, All These Nights, Found What I’ve Been Looking For, Don’t Break The Heart and Crown Your Love. The atmosphere inside the Pavilion was electric from the opening moments, with the crowd on its feet throughout the evening. Performances of Boys Don’t…

Kian Bateman, of Caerau, Cardiff, was sentenced last week at Cardiff Crown Court for Shelley’s murder and grievous bodily harm with intent in relation to Shelley’s partner David Bratcher. Bateman was found guilty following a trial in May 2026. Emergency services were called to Heol Trelai just before 12.30am on Saturday September 27, 2025, to a report that the driver of a car had collided with pedestrians outside the 4th Glamorgan Home Guard Club. Shelley Davies, 38, from Caerau, was seriously injured during the incident having been run over by the car, and despite critical care, sadly died at the…

A man from Swansea has been handed an extended jail sentence after he was found guilty of rape and assault. 22-year-old Tristan Williams, from Swansea city centre, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, was ultimately found guilty of two counts of rape, one count of assault by beating and one count of voyeurism after he recorded a sexual act without the victim’s consent. The offences took place on September 11 2025. Due to the commission of the new offences, the defendant was in breach of a 12-month community order dated June 5 2025. He has been made subject of…