Author: Rhys Gregory

Between the Trees, the nature and science festival set in a coastal woodland nature reserve, has announced a ‘boundary-pushing’ line-up of alternative folk acts appearing across the weekend of 22-24 August. Against a backdrop of growing popularity for folk and country music in the UK, Between the Trees has curated a mix of folk-based genres including indie-folk, alt-folk, nu-folk, acoustic roots, folktronica and country & Americana. Artists appearing at the festival this month include indie folk acts Matthew and the Atlas, Rusty Shackle, Firewoodisland (a Norwegian-Welsh duo), Sam Kelly, The Dunwells and Tide Lines. Country & Americana performers include The…

A project is helping Denbighshire young and old learn the value of old countryside management ways. The Clwydian Range and Dee valley National Landscapes are working together with the Little Learning Company to give people an insight into yesteryear ways of managing the land. Supported by funding from the UK Government, the Little Learning Company is a heritage skills project delivering a range of related training activities to engage new audiences in Denbighshire from 11 years old upwards to the opportunities available within the heritage skills sector. This includes sessions focussing on heritage construction, heritage engineering (within the railway sector)…

Billy Joel will be playing at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Friday August 9th. With gates to the stadium opening at 5pm, there will be a full city centre road closure around the stadium from 3pm until midnight on safety grounds. The M4 motorway is expected to be very busy due to this concert – so please plan ahead – and avoid the congestion in Cardiff by using the park & ride at the former Toy’s R Us site car park in the Sports Village – CF11 0JS. For up to date traffic information on the motorway and trunk…

A new hotel will soon be checking into Swansea city centre in a major boost to the local economy. Swansea Council has now picked a preferred developer and operator for the new hotel that would be constructed on land which had been temporarily landscaped between Swansea Arena and the LC. The council will soon hold detailed discussions with the preferred developer and operator, which works with a number of leading worldwide hotel brand names. The council will also look to announce the brand of the hotel once these discussions are complete. A 150-bedroom hotel with a rooftop bar offering views…

Talks driven by land owner Swansea Council have resulted in an imminent change of operator at the facility. The leaseholder has agreed to relinquish its lease; a new leaseholder has agreed to take on the Fairwood Common facility on a temporary basis. During that time, the airport will continue to operate – and the council will undertake a process to find a long-term tenant. Council leader Rob Stewart said: “Our successful talks in this complex matter mean that we’re now in a position to install a temporary new leaseholder – the Swansea Airport Stakeholders’ Alliance. Its members are eager to make a…

Eligible private households in the Caerphilly borough can apply for grants to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. Caerphilly County Borough Council is encouraging residents whose homes have solid fuel (coal) fires, back boilers or single glazed windows to apply for help to make their home warmer. To be eligible for an energy crisis grant: Applicants must be an owner occupier or private sector contract holder (tenant), living in the property for at least 12 months. Has a household combined gross income of £31,000 or less, or A person in the property is vulnerable to the effects of living…

Councillors in Blaenau Gwent have approved a new Net Zero 2050 Framework, which sets out how it could move forward and work with local partners and communities to reduce Blaenau Gwent’s carbon emissions and achieve Net Zero by 2050. The Net Zero 2050 Framework provides a high-level overview of what needs to be done for Blaenau Gwent to achieve Net Zero. The framework covers all carbon emissions in Blaenau Gwent, including from homes, businesses and transport.  Although many of these emissions are outside the Council’s direct control and will also require changes at the national level, the framework is important…

A gardening calendar has recently been unveiled at the Royal Welsh Show and will soon be adopted by schools across Monmouthshire. The School Growing Calendar was launched by Adam Jones and Marianne Elliott, Monmouthshire Food Partnership’s Coordinator. Children from Cross Ash Primary School attended the launch in the show’s Horticulture Village and spoke about their how their school integrates food skills – from growing to cooking – into the learning day. The calendar is a year-round resource linked to the Curriculum for Wales and tailored to the academic year. It is intended to help teachers use food-growing as a medium…

What do a tender story about a gay couple’s journey to adoption, a zombie survival shooter game, and a swathe of breath-taking fire-breathing dragons have in common? Wales’ incredible creative industry brought them all to life – and to our screens – in 2024. Creative Wales is the Welsh Government’s agency for promoting and supporting the nation’s creative industries, from TV, film and animation to games, publishing and music. It also provides funding to bring unique production and training and up-skilling opportunities to Wales and Wales-based companies. In the past six months alone, global TV, film and gaming audiences have…

Best fleet operations aren’t just about getting from one point to another; they are about ensuring safety every step of the way. Why? Because a safe fleet is actually a well-managed fleet, where the driver is well-trained and keeps the vehicle maintained at all times. Thus, proper fleet management begins with incorporating strict safety policies. This comprehensive guide contains all the information on how you can create effective fleet safety policies for your business. So, without any further ado, let us get started! 6 Key Elements of Effective Fleet Safety 1. Vehicle Maintenance A company is responsible for the safety…