Author: Rhys Gregory

This story is also available in Welsh – click here to read it. Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government Jayne Bryant has seen first-hand how Welsh Government investment is revitalising Merthyr Tydfil’s town centre.  During a tour of the town centre, which took place ahead of a Cabinet meeting in Merthyr Tydfil, the Cabinet Secretary visited projects supported through the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns programme, which is revitalising key areas of the town and creating opportunities for local businesses, residents, and visitors. The projects visited included the relocation and transformation of the Indoor Market in St Tydfil’s Shopping Centre. Merthyr Tydfil…

The Shift Isn’t Just Tech — It’s Trust Fleet managers in the UK have long discussed safety. However, in 2025, it’s no longer just talk. It’s policy. It’s compliance. It’s accountability. And it’s being driven by something deceptively simple: cameras. Not the kind you mount for show. Not the ones that record grainy footage you never look at. We’re talking about systems that stream, store, alert, and protect. Systems that don’t just watch, they work. And they’re changing how businesses think about risk, responsibility, and reputation. According to Crystal Ball’s September 2025 guide, dash cams and in-cab systems are now…

Today, a local business’s physical presence, while vital, is no longer sufficient to ensure sustained growth. The consumer landscape has shifted, with a significant portion of purchasing research and transactions now occurring online. For local businesses, this presents both a formidable challenge and an unprecedented opportunity. Competing effectively requires more than a simple social media page. It demands a strategic, professional, and comprehensive online sales operation. This is where the specialised expertise of an Ecommerce agency becomes an invaluable asset. Here’s how an Ecommerce agency can help your local business grow. What is an Ecommerce Agency? An Ecommerce agency functions as an external team of experts dedicated to building, optimising, and marketing online stores. Their holistic approach covers every facet of the digital sales journey, from the initial technical construction of a website to the nuanced marketing strategies required to attract and retain customers. If you’re already managing day-to-day operations, the complexity of search…

The UK is home to a great many private sector businesses. Figures from the government point to there being over 4.7 million in England in 2024, and Wales boasts some 220,000 from a much smaller total pool. From there, ONS figures showed that there were over 106,000 small and medium-sized enterprises in operation in Wales in 2021. SMBs are integral to local and national economies, and have a distinct advantage even over their larger private sector peers. The smaller firms can be much more nimble, especially when it comes to leveraging new technologies to get a competitive edge. Looking to…

Mae’r stori hon hefyd ar gael yn Saesneg – cliciwch yma i’w darllen. Heddiw, cafodd rhagor o fanylion am Gyllideb Ddrafft gwerth £27 biliwn Llywodraeth Cymru eu nodi, sy’n dangos cynnydd mewn cyllid ar gyfer pob adran allweddol. Dywedodd yr Ysgrifennydd Cyllid, Mark Drakeford fod y cynlluniau gwario adrannol yn dangos ymrwymiad y llywodraeth i ddiogelu gwasanaethau cyhoeddus hanfodol, wrth gynnal sefydlogrwydd cyn etholiad y Senedd. Mae Cam Dau Cyllideb Ddrafft 2026-27 yn nodi mwy na £800 miliwn o gyllid ychwanegol o’i gymharu â chyllideb y llynedd, ac mae’n diogelu cyllid ar gyfer iechyd, addysg a gwasanaethau hanfodol eraill. Dywedodd yr Ysgrifennydd…

This story is also available in Welsh – click here to read it. Further details of the Welsh Government’s £27bn Draft Budget showing increases in funding for all key departments were set out today. Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said the departmental spending plans show the government’s commitment to protecting vital public services, while maintaining stability ahead of the Senedd election. Stage 2 of the Draft Budget 2026 – 27 sets out more than £800m of additional funding compared to last year’s budget, with protected funding for health, education and other essential services. Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said: “These spending plans show how…

The Celtic Manor is one of those places you’ve either heard of or driven past along the M4 in Newport. It’s hard to miss. In recent years, it’s gone from being known as a hotel to a full-blown destination in its own right, offering a bit of everything – luxury, dining, leisure, and plenty to do for all ages. Many will know it for hosting big events or visiting the ICC Wales next door, but what about those of us who live nearby? Is it worth booking a stay when it’s practically on your doorstep? Absolutely. For us, it’s always…

A band from North Wales have marshalled a huge community effort to get behind a fundraising single in aid of a specialist Liverpool neurosciences hospital which saved the life of one of their friends. The band, Idle Lies, were inspired to create the single after The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust cared for their friend Daniel Parsonage of Connah’s Quay, who developed a life-threatening brain haemorrhage last summer. His recovery is still ongoing, but to show their thanks, friends in the band have recorded a Christmas single, with all proceeds going to support The Walton Centre Charity. Songwriter and guitarist…

A remarkable piece of broadcasting history has resurfaced as the BBC in Bangor celebrates its 90th anniversary. The speech by none other than the former Prime Minister, David Lloyd George was broadcast prior to the 1935 general election. The so-called Welsh Wizard took to the airwaves from Bangor to criticise the government of the day. Professor Jamie Medhurst from the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies at Aberystwyth University has listened to the broadcast: “It’s a very interesting speech that criticised the Government and its Ministers in which he talked about the shortcomings of the Government’s foreign policies. It’s…

A new book mixing travel with culture, natural history with human history, myth and legend – a true exploration of Wales through its rail network, will be written over the coming months. Transport for Wales has partnered with former BBC arts and media correspondent Jon Gower to deliver the exciting new project, which will involve him using the Wales and Borders rail network and Wales’ bus network to travel the country and tell its story. Jon, who has over 40 books to his name will work as an ‘author in residence’ for Transport for Wales and bring the public transport…