Author: Rhys Gregory

A partnership is offering Welsh learners the chance to test their language skill in the great outdoors. The Clwydian Range and Dee valley National Landscapes has teamed up with Menter Iaith Wrecsam a Fflint to host outdoor guided walks in some of the area’s well-known locations through the medium of Welsh. A successful guided walk has already been held at Ty Mawr Country Park and this month a walk will be held at Loggerheads Country Park on October 10 at 2pm, followed by another walk at Chirk Castle on October 28, again at 2pm. Both events are free, and all…

Up to 100 new electric vehicle charging points could be installed with Cardiff Council support over the next two years. The plans are part of a newly published ‘Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Roadmap’to help aid the transition to electric vehicles, which also sets out the local authority’s plan to focus initially on supporting public EV charging in areas with low levels of off-street parking including Heath, Gabalfa, Cathays, Roath, Penylan, Adamsdown, Riverside, Canton, Grangetown and Butetown. The roadmap forms part of the council’s One Planet Cardiff response to climate change, which aims to reduce the 1.6 million tonnes of carbon emissions created…

It is an exciting time for the popular Haverfordwest Farmers Market as the traders officially take over the running of the weekly market at Castle Square. Pembrokeshire County Council, with help from PAVS, have aided traders to become independently operated through a registered Community Interest Company. The move means the Farmers Market, first set up by the Council in 1999, can continue to grow and access other funding options previously not available. Carla Thomas, Chair of the Haverfordwest Farmers Market, said: “Becoming a Community Interest Company allows us to focus on our mission of supporting local producers and creating a…

Planning consent is now granted for a small kiosk, selling food and drink to take away, to be built within the redeveloped former bingo hall site in Pontypridd – enabling the Council to begin the process of securing a tenant to operate the new amenity. Full permission for the unit was granted by the Planning and Development Committee on Thursday, September 26. The wider site of the old bingo hall and Angharad’s Nightclub has recently been redeveloped into a vibrant and quality public space – while its boundary with Sardis Road was also converted into the new Railway Station South…

Caerphilly County Borough Council is pleased to provide an update on the ongoing renovations at Newbridge Leisure Centre’s swimming pool. The swimming pool has been closed since July to allow for the replacement of the air handling unit fans, which required custom-made parts that unfortunately are not available within the United Kingdom. The Council is happy to report that the work is progressing well, with the project nearing completion. Alongside the fan replacement, additional maintenance has been brought forward to prevent further closures later in the year. As part of the renovation, the flume has also undergone a full refurbishment,…

Projects costing a total of £12,000 for new signs at Llanidloes and Talgarth have been completed thanks to grant funding secured by Powys County Council. Four new gateway signs on the approaches to Llanidloes have been installed at a cost of £7,000 to ‘welcome’ visitors, while three town maps and information boards have been installed in Talgarth at a cost of £5,000. The Talgarth signs highlight local history and walking opportunities at Pengenffordd, Hay and Brecon Railway, and Talgarth Woodlands. The work was made possible thanks to the 80% grant funding secured by the county council’s Economy and Climate Service…

The next round of a tourism fund enhancing visitor experiences across Wales has been launched by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans. The Brilliant Basics fund for 2025-2027 will see a further £5 million invested to support local authorities and national parks to deliver improvements to tourist destinations which will benefit both visitors and local communities. The focus will be on improvements in basic but essential visitor infrastructure that improves accessibility at sites and makes tourist hotspots more environmentally sustainable. Previous projects funded by Brilliant Basics have included solar panels and electric vehicle charging points at…

A South Wales three bed end terrace house listed for sale at auction with a guide price of £0(nil) stunned bidders and sellers alike when it sold for more than £100,000. A dozen prospective owners waded into the fray in a bid to secure the dilapidated property in Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan. Eventually, after a staggering 230 bids were laid, the empty house with an overgrown ‘jungle’ as a back garden, which was the opening lot in the catalogue of some eighty other properties, sold for a mind-boggling £104,850. Sean Roper of South Wales-based Paul Fosh Auctions said: “Although the terraced house…

Seafood lovers are in for a treat during the upcoming Welsh Seafood Week (14th—18th October 2024), which celebrates the harvest of the sea. Fishmongers and retailers selling Welsh seafood will feature special displays and promote #WelshSeafood to customers in-store and online, highlighting the quality and diversity of the catch from around Wales’ coastline. Also, using the hashtags #BwydMôrCymru #WelshSeafood, fishermen and those in the wider seafood sector will encourage people to seek and enjoy Welsh produce. Food and Drink Wales’ Seafood Cluster manager Chris Parker said Welsh Seafood Week will allow the sector to highlight the wide variety of seafood…

One of the UK’s most successful Garden Railway Festivals will be making a welcome return journey to Llangollen Pavilion on Saturday, June 7.  The Llangollen Garden Railway Festival is one of the UK’s biggest model garden railway events. The event, which has been held since 2021 is once again expected to bring in thousands of garden railway enthusiasts to Northeast Wales.  It is also a great day for families and kids as well as hobbyists and enthusiasts! Over 40 of UK’s leading retailers have already confirmed their attendance at the iconic pavilion on June 7, 2025.  The day-long event will…