Author: Rhys Gregory

Commemorative lanterns made by care home residents to remember the victims of the Gresford colliery disaster will be lit up at the world premiere of a new opera about it. The opening night of the North Wales International Music Festival (NWIMF) at St Asaph Cathedral on Thursday, September 12 will see the first ever performance of Gresford: Up From Underground, written to mark the 90th anniversary of the tragedy in which 266 men and boys were killed. It will be performed at St Asaph Cathedral by the NEW Sinfonia orchestra and its associated community choir, NEW Voices. There will be…

A 45-year-old woman from Swindon will be taking on the Principality Cardiff Half Marathon to raise money for charity after discovering she had a brain tumour. Max Wrathall, who runs Jubilee Café a community café at Jubilee Lake, is now in recovery after having the 5cm tumour removed in December 2022. She is now training for the event on Sunday 6th October and will be running with her friends, Jody Johnson, Kelly Ohrland and Kirsty Smith, who she says helped save her life. Max had no indication there was anything wrong until she suffered a seizure in November 2022. She…

Labardi Lashes is going from strength to strength with the opening of a new lash eyelash studio on Donald Street, Cardiff that has been part-funded by a micro loan from the Development Bank of Wales. Qualified lash technician Vanessa Mensah set-up the business in 2018 and is now preparing for growth with investment in her own studio. The loan from the Development Bank has been used to fund the fit-out and the purchase of additional stock including aftercare products. Vanessa said: “I love creating great lashes and use techniques that are still new to the UK. My attention to detail…

Scientists’ search for the source of Stonehenge’s iconic Altar Stone has intensified, with a new paper ruling out Orkney as where it came from. The new findings follow last month’s news that the largest “bluestone” at the heart of Stonehenge came from the Orcadian Basin of north-eastern Scotland, and not from Wales as previously thought. Construction at Stonehenge began 5,000 years ago, with changes and additions to the ancient site happening over the next two millennia. Although it is unclear when the Altar Stone arrived at Stonehenge, it may have been placed within the world-renowned central horseshoe of stones during…

A 23-year-old man who carried out a robbery at a Wrexham fuel station only 350 yards from his home has been jailed. Corey Li, of Tudor Avenue, Rhostyllen, entered Asda fuel station on Wrexham Road, Rhostyllen in the early hours of June 9th and demanded the worker opened the till. Li, who had covered his face with a mask and armed himself with an imitation firearm, pointed the handgun towards the cashier’s head, before firing the weapon off to the side. He then took £85 cash from the till and loaded a bag with over £1,000 worth of tobacco and…

Transport for Wales (TfW) is pleased to announce the launch of a new dog treat menu – a UK first for the rail network. With the increasing popularity of dog-friendly destinations across the Wales and the Borders network, TfW has expanded its offerings to cater to the needs of dog owners on selected rail services running between north and south Wales. Partnering with Dewkes Snack For Dogs, TfW is offering passengers and their furry companions a convenient and delightful treat option with all treats made with high-quality, natural ingredients. The Dewkes range caters to dogs of all shapes and sizes,…

Porthkerry Country Park is set to receive support from the Woodland Investment Grant Scheme (TWIG) to help progress plans to improve biodiversity, woodland management, and access. The scheme, which is delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with the Welsh Government, has awarded the Vale of Glamorgan Council £249,676 to help assist with improvements across the country park’s wooded areas. The grant will be used for a number of improvements including: General woodland management works to maintain, enhance, and create a more robust and resilient woodland Effective management of invasive species such as Japanese Knotweed which needs specialist…

Newport City Council is asking for residents’ feedback on plans to expand Ysgol Bryn Derw. The plans will see an extra 40 places made available at the school starting from September 2025. Ysgol Bryn Derw is a special school which provides education for children aged from 3-19 who have a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and associated learning difficulties. The council is looking to increase capacity at the school as the demand for ASD school provision in Newport is higher than the number of places currently available. Increasing capacity within the city would provide better outcomes for local children,…

Simplelifeco is a local business that assists micro businesses across the UK, helping to ditch the use of single-use plastic by supplying 100% compostable and eco-friendly packaging and mailing supplies. Simplelifeco was founded in 2019 and currently employs 3 people. The business is heavily invested in the environment and is already part of the FSC Chain of Custody group and have successfully completed our B Corp Impact Assessment and are awaiting certification. Certified B Corps meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance and are a new kind of business, balancing profit with people and the planet. The project…

Plans to consult on closing a small north Powys primary school will be considered by Cabinet later this month, the county council has said. Powys County Council is proposing to close Ysgol Bro Cynllaith, which currently has 26 pupils. On Tuesday, September 17, Cabinet will consider the plans and will be asked to start the statutory process, which could see the school close from 31 August 2025. This represents the next stage of implementation of the Llanfyllin Catchment review approved by Cabinet in September 2023. The proposal would be for pupils to transfer to their closest school in Powys. For…