Author: Rhys Gregory

Kier, working on behalf of Swansea Council, are beginning to put up internal walls on some of the three floors. The past few months have seen progress on matters such as demolition of walls and creating a huge new roof light which, in the daytime, will flood the interior with natural light. The city centre project, in the former BHS store in Oxford Street, is on course for completion this year. It will bring a range of publicly accessible services, encouraging footfall for local businesses as the council continues its £1bn regeneration programme. Council leader Rob Stewart said: “It’s great…

The Priory, a historic gem nestled in the heart of Caerleon, South Wales, has unveiled a stunning new look for its 100-cover restaurant following a transformative refurbishment. With a rich history dating back to 1180, The Priory is cementing itself as a destination restaurant and hotel, now seamlessly blending timeless charm with bold, contemporary interior design. The ambitious redesign represents a new chapter for The Priory, and an evolution of the venue’s celebrated legacy. The old-fashioned brasserie-style counter has been replaced by state-of-the-art dry-ageing fridges and an open kitchen where guests can watch chefs at work over open flames; the reimagining of the…

Shine TV, makers of the world-class MasterChef: The Professionals, are on the hunt for the UK’s most talented, up-and-coming chefs to apply for the 18th series, for BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The competition continues from our new home in Digbeth, Birmingham, to showcase and celebrate exceptional culinary talent from across the UK and provide a springboard for chefs to achieve industry acclaim. The latest series was a huge success, with Lancaster-based chef, Dan Merriman triumphing as the 2024 Champion. Over the years, MasterChef: The Professionals has propelled a number of culinary rising stars into the spotlight, with alumni including…

Wales is geared up to mark 200 years of passenger rail travel this year as the UK marks the historic anniversary of the advent of the modern rail. As part of the celebrations, a launch event is being held in Aberystwyth today, kicking off a year of events around the country. Dr Louise Moon, Transport for Wales’ Railway 200 Programme Lead said it was exciting to be showcasing Wales’ history as well as promoting the innovations that are taking place now. She said: “We’re incredibly excited to be sharing so much of our history across Wales within our communities, telling…

North Wales Police are appealing for information following a theft in Wrexham. At 3.35pm on Wednesday, December 11th, an elderly couple attended Nationwide bank on Regent Street and withdrew cash. The money was placed in an envelope and the elderly man put it in his pocket. As the couple walked down Duke Street shortly before 3.45pm, a man stole the cash from his pocket, before running towards Egerton Street, past Mc Donald’s, along Hill Street and through Island Green. PC Kat Wright is appealing to anyone who might recognise the suspect pictured below to contact her. She said: “I appreciate…

Transport for Wales and Network Rail are urging all customers to check before they travel on Friday morning and into the weekend with weather warnings in place across the country. With Storm Eowyn set to hit Wales and winds reaching 90mph on Friday morning, customers should expect disruptions and are strongly urged to check before they travel. There will be alterations to rail services, replacement road transport on certain routes and blanket speed restrictions at some locations, meaning journeys could take longer than usual. Stand by buses are being planned at key locations around the network in preparation for travel…

A vacant and derelict former public house in Tonna has been given a new lease of life and will open its doors to the public again having been fully renovated thanks to a grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Previously known as the Old Railway Tavern, the building has been empty for the last few years and had suffered flood damage before being acquired by the Booth family who lovingly restored the building to its former glory. It has now been transformed into a family run Artisan Café, with two self-contained holiday apartments on the first floor. Located alongside…

Rural towns and villages in South West Wales are set to benefit from UK Government’s Project Gigabit, which aims to deliver gigabit-capable connectivity to hard-to-reach premises across Britain by 2030. The programme is a key component of the Government’s Plan for Change, designed to stimulate economic growth and remove barriers to opportunity, with a goal of achieving  as close to 100% gigabit coverage by 2030 as possible. This latest rollout will ensure that harder to reach communities benefit from some of the fastest broadband speeds available, providing better access to essential services such as healthcare , remote education, and video…

Good progress continues on the project to transform one of Newport’s most loved icons, the Transporter Bridge. Last month, just before Christmas, the contractors working on the new state-of-the-art visitor centre, John Perkins Construction, officially handed that site back to the council. The experience at the visitor centre tells the story of the bridge and the site it sits on through the personal accounts of those who worked on its construction, as well as from those who used it to cross the river every day. The visitor centre is currently undergoing some internal finishing touches, which is being carried out…

Blaenau Gwent councillors have this week unanimously approved the appointment of Stephen Vickers as the permanent Joint Chief Executive for both Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen County Borough Councils. This follows approval by councillors in Torfaen earlier in the week. The reports received by both councils follow a 7 month ‘discovery phase’ during which both councils agreed to share the Chief Executive role, while exploratory work took place to understand the opportunities and risks of closer working. The review supported by Local Partnerships concluded following engagement with councillors, senior officers, and staff, as well as representatives of Welsh Government, the Welsh…