Author: Rhys Gregory

Dan Simms is on day five of his long walk from Wales to Amsterdam in memory of two friends who have taken their own lives. He’s walking to break the stigma and build the conversation around mental health and suicide prevention. Dan’s on his way to Oxford right now. “On day one, I twisted my left knee and hyper extended it by walking through boggy land and flooding – because of all the wet weather we’ve been having. At first, I didn’t think anything of it, and then an hour later it started hurting. Ever since then, I’ve been limping,…

Aberystwyth University academics are visiting Svalbard in the Arctic to investigate the night life of microbes. Led by Aberystwyth University, three experts will visit Arctic glaciers to study microbial life during the area’s ‘light winter’ – when it starts to emerge from its period of permanent darkness during polar night. Until recently, scientists had assumed ecosystems on glaciers are only active when nourished with sunlight and in the brief melting season of summer, but recent data challenges that assumption. The study, which is researching microbial life in all seasons of the year in the region, including its periods of 24-hour…

Numeracy? Literacy? Life Skills? Advice on what to do next? Welsh Government invites parents to give their views on what 14-16 year olds should learn. The views of parents and carers are critical in ensuring that children leave school with the right mix of knowledge, skills and abilities to go on to further education or the workplace , the Education Minister has said today as he launched a consultation on the 14 to 16 Learner Entitlement. This consultation represents the next significant step in the rollout of a new curriculum in Wales. Primary schools and years 7 and 8 in secondary…

Transport for Wales (TfW) has teamed up with Hywel Dda University Health Board (UHB) to offer free bus travel for health board staff as part of a new pilot to encourage workers to travel more sustainably and to help reduce pressure on its car parks. The month-long pilot, which begins on Friday 1 March, means Hywel Dda UHB staff will be able to catch the TrawsCymru T1 service, operated by First Cymru, that runs between Carmarthen and Aberystwyth town centres via Glangwili Hospital free of charge by showing their staff picture ID to the driver. Additionally, staff will be able…

On Saturday December 2, 2023, Thomas Williams,26, from Rhondda Cynon Taf was detained by door security at a ‘Rave’ event at ‘The Vaults’ Cardiff. Thomas was found with numerous drugs in his possession including Ecstasy tablets, MDMA and magic mushrooms. He was subsequently arrested on suspicion of intent to supply Class A drugs. In interview he stated that ‘he purchased the MDMA from a friend of a friend and was handing over the drugs, he was meant to meet the friend in town to give the drugs to them. Thomas stated he was a dealer back in the day and…

Local businesses are reminded about the grant opportunities that are currently available for them to access in Rhondda Cynon Taf. Here, we look at how two businesses in Mountain Ash and Pontypridd have successfully secured funding, having benefitted from the support offered by our Regeneration team. The Council offers local businesses dedicated advice and assistance to help access a range of financial investment programmes that are available – using funding earmarked from external sources such as the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund and Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns initiative. Here is a summary of two opportunities currently available: Town Centre Minor…

Caerphilly County Borough Council has bought privately owned properties to provide housing for families who would otherwise find themselves in temporary accommodation. To date, the Council has accessed funding via Welsh Government’s Transitional Accommodation Capital Programme to purchase and renovate 17 homes in the Caerphilly borough.  The funding, part of Welsh Government’s work to tackle and prevent homelessness, has also been used by the Council to modernise 4 of its own properties for the same purpose. Cllr Shayne Cook, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, said “In recent years we have seen a significant increase in people presenting to the…

On 9 March 2024 a brand new exhibition, Dylan: The Lyrical Life of Dylan Thomas, will open in The Riverside: Library, Gallery & Visitor Information at Haverfordwest, to celebrate the life and work of one of Wales’ best poets. Although Dylan’s life was short and full of chaos, he was a prolific writer, and this exhibition looks at his work as a poet and playwright. Among the highlights of the exhibition will be original manuscripts of his poems, drafts and notes, as well as his famous word list and a sketch of the imaginary village ‘Llareggub’. The exhibition also celebrates…

THESE are the first images of Rhug Estate’s newest addition – 20 North American bison. The majestic animals have found their home on the 12,500-acre organic farm estate near Corwen in North Wales. As a result, Rhug now proudly boasts the largest bison herd in the UK, and visitors to the estate can catch a glimpse whilst on the farm walk, a truly memorable experience. Back in 2007, Lord Newborough had the visionary idea to introduce bison to the estate, and the herd has flourished ever since. Estate Farm Manager Emyr Owen, from Llanrwst, says the bison family has now…

Resurfacing work at River Street in Treforest will take place on the weekend, as part of the ongoing Castle Inn Footbridge project. The work will take place from 7.30am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday, March 2-3 – dependent upon fair weather. A road closure is required at River Street, from its upper junction with Fothergill Street to its lower junction with Park Street. An alternative route for motorists will be clearly signposted via Fothergill Street, Glyntaff Roundabout, A470, Upper Boat Roundabout, Tonteg Road and Llantwit Road. The closure route and alternative routes are shown on the following map. Access…