Author: Rhys Gregory

BREATHTAKING British wildlife has been celebrated and showcased within a flourishing partnership between Darwin Escapes and Chester Zoo. And that relationship will be strengthened further as the two organisations forge even closer links this summer. The Talacre-based holiday home company – which owns a series of luxury lodge retreats across the UK – has sponsored British wildlife conservation at Chester Zoo, celebrated by Native, the captivating immersive exhibition, since its opening last year. The exhibition has been viewed by up to a million people and offers a fully immersive 360-degree experience using projections to showcase the captivating species which inhabit…

The designs that are transforming the home of Wales’s first University College into a major cultural and creative centre have been recognised at major awards ceremony in London. Led by architects Lawray, the redevelopment of the Old College in Aberystwyth won the award for ‘Best Use of Heritage in Placemaking’ at the Planning Awards 2024 this month. The awards recognises projects that use a place’s heritage in a way that improves the community. Once completed, the Old College is expected to attract 200,000 visitors and contribute up to £14.5m annually to the local economy, putting it on par with major…

A planning application to build 16 bungalows in a north Powys town will be considered next week, the county council has said. Powys County Council has submitted the plans which would see the highly-insulated and eco-friendly bungalows being built on the site of the former Gungrog Church in Wales Nursery and Infant School in Welshpool. The planning application for the development will be considered by the council’s Planning, Taxi Licensing & Rights of Way Committee on Thursday, June 27. As part of the development, the former school building will be demolished to make way for the new bungalows. If planning…

The new cycle and pedestrian active travel bridge in Newtown is planned to be lifted into place on Thursday 27 June. Funded by Welsh Government with support from Transport for Wales, the steel, single span, open arch structure will span approximately 53 metres and connect the riverside path and communities on the west of the River Severn to Pool Road on the east. “All being well, and without any disruptions from the weather, the construction firm responsible for the bridge build, JN Bentley, are planning to lift the 88-tonne bridge structure into place by crane on Thursday 27 June.” Explains…

Foo Fighterswill be playing at Principality Stadium on June 25h. With the gates to the stadium opening at 4pm, there will be a full city centre road closure around the stadium from 3pm until midnight. 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 Cardiff City Football Club in Leckwith – CF11 8AZ. For up to date traffic information on the motorway and trunk roads go to the Traffic Wales website, or @TrafficWalesS on Twitter and Facebook.…

Pentrych Primary School have celebrated the completion of construction works including the expansion of the existing school building and the official opening its first ever nursery provision. The new development, undertaken by contractor Knox and Wells, has included a broad scope of works including a new single storey extension housing two classrooms with their own external play/teaching area including canopies, a new nursery with toilets and changing room, teaching kitchen, quiet room and external teaching space with canopies. A new toilet block, staff office and headteachers office have been delivered, as well as hard and soft landscaping, infiltration basin and…

Rhondda Heritage Park Museum is thrilled to be the only recipient in Wales of the Confederation of Passenger Transport’s Coach Friendly Award! Coaches arrive from all over the UK and beyond to experience the fantastic group travel offer at Rhondda Heritage Park Museum.  From the moment the coach is welcomed into the large, free car park, groups are entertained with bespoke packages including performances from iconic male voice choirs, fantastic catering options and of course, the star of the show, the unique Black Gold Experience Underground Guided Tour.  Visitors are fitted with miners’ helmets and guided underground by our ex-miner…

Twyn Primary School is delighted to announce the successful opening of its new playground, following an extraordinary fundraising campaign led by its students. The playground was officially opened on Tuesday, 5th June, thanks to the combined efforts of the school and the local community. The students raised an impressive £11,000 towards the £20,000 target by participating in the Bryn Meadows Caerphilly 2k race on May 12th. Their dedication and hard work were further recognised with a £100 gift voucher from Sport Caerphilly, awarded for having the highest number of entrants in the race among local schools. Headteacher Lee Thomas expressed…

The Welsh Government is celebrating doubling the number of employee-owned businesses in Wales – including a highly regarded woollen mill – almost two years ahead of schedule. Today, on Employee Ownership Day [Friday 21 June], the Welsh Government has announced it has reached its aim of 74 Wales-based businesses being under employee control. This new total had already grown from 37 in 2021 to 63 last year. The 2026 target was set by previous Economy Minister Vaughan Gething in 2022, hand in hand with a commitment to support buyouts by workers and help ensure Welsh companies remained in Welsh hands.…

As part of Climate Challenge Cymru, 50 pupils from 10 mid and west Wales schools took part in a Climate Youth event at the Senedd this week. The event celebrated the work schools have undertaken to complete the challenges set via the Climate Challenge Cymru project. In addition to presentations and exhibitions from the schools attending, the young people heard from the Children’s Commissioner for Wales and a member from Earthshot.  They also took part in interactive sessions with Eco Schools and Size of Wales looking at the types of action young people can take – and ways to inspire…