Author: Rhys Gregory

An Abergavenny man has been disqualified from keeping animals for 10 years after he was caught on camera beating his dog. Matthew Luke Russell of Underhill Crescent, Abergavenny, appeared at Newport Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 23 July for a trial. He faced two offences, in that he caused unnecessary suffering to a pitbull type dog called Brad, by inflicting blunt force trauma and physical violence, and secondly caused unnecessary suffering to a pitbull type dog called Mercy (pictured) by failing to provide veterinary care and attention for her chronic ear disease. Russell pleaded guilty to the first offence (on 23…

A new interactive multimedia exhibition which will run at Bangor University’s arts and innovation centre, Pontio between 8-18 August will invite the public to consider how we see the landscape around us based on what we know about it and who is telling us about it. Through archive material, art, and sound, the ‘Changing Eryri’ exhibition in Pontio’s White Box will explore how our perception of a landscape such as Eryri can evolve, depending on who is in charge of the narrative and how that makes us feel. Focused within the boundaries of the historic Penrhyn Estate, the exhibition forms…

Funding worth close to £330,000 is helping to boost high street businesses across Swansea. Businesses in the city centre, Gowerton, Winch Wen and Morriston are among those benefiting from Swansea Council grants through the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund. Funding that’s been made available to 31 high street businesses includes pre-start grants, website development grants, growth grants and carbon reduction grants. Among the businesses benefiting from growth grants are Grandad Needs His Medicine –  a sandwich shop based on Oxford Street; XP Gaming Bar on Castle Street; the No 18 Vegan Café Bar on Brynymor Road; the Brew and Bloom…

South Wales Police is looking for thieves who took two metal plaques from the Memorial Gates at the entrance to Neath’s Gnoll Estate Country Park. The marble gates and series of plaques which form the memorial commemorate those from the area who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars. A council spokesman said: “This is a despicable crime – a heritage crime – and one which shows complete disrespect for the local armed service personnel who bravely gave their lives in the wars. “We would appeal to anyone who knows anything about the disappearance of these plaques…

Musically talent young people from Pembrokeshire enjoyed a six county orchestra course at Aberystwyth University this month. The event culminated in a special concert at the Brangwyn Hall, Swansea, where young people aged 12 to 19 from Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Swansea, Powys, Neath Port Talbot delighted their audience. The course was funded by the National Music Service Wales ensemble recovery fund and was free of charge for orchestra and wind band pupils ensuring that all young people could take part regardless of finance. The orchestra performed under the baton of the world renowned conductor Grant Llewellyn who is originally from…

Construction of a brand new main building for Penygawsi Primary School has now been completed – and work across the site’s external areas will start shortly, ready for pupils to enjoy the fantastic facilities from September. The Llantrisant school is one of three in Rhondda Cynon Taf to benefit from the latest Council and Welsh Government investment via the revenue funding stream of the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme – the Mutual Investment Model. Llanilltud Faerdref Primary received its new building in April, while a similar investment for Pontyclun Primary is progressing for 2025. Work to build Penygawsi Primary School’s…

Saturday the 13th of July saw thousands of people flock to Blackwood Town Centre for Blackwood Beach Party. The whole High Street was packed with visitors and there were great crowds around the entertainment stage all day. As well as the giant urban beach featuring pirate shows, there were several food, drink, and craft stalls lining the streets, funfair rides, and animal displays, as well as Blackwood Town Council’s main stage showcasing music and dance groups, including a Taylor Swift tribute. Local businesses and traders were well supported throughout the day too. Hear what they thought of the Beach Party:…

After the success of our campaign via social media in January which invited residents to join us in trialling on-street charging solutions, using funding from Welsh Government, a number of potential electric vehicle charging solutions were identified for trial. The initial products being trialled are gully channel products which enable residents to have home charging points without the worry of trailing cables along the pavement or road.  These channels conceal the charging cable and enable the resident to charge their vehicle in a safe and easy to access way. The first ‘Kerbo’ Charge gully was installed by the Highways Team…

Funding will be provided over three years to advice services to help people with their social welfare problems, alongside new training for front-line workers to ensure more people get the help they need to deal with the cost of living. The Single Advice Fund is a free service which provides access to all the advice a person needs to resolve their social welfare problems. It also makes benefit entitlement checks available to everyone accessing the services. Last year, the service put over £47.5m back into people’s pockets. 81% said the service found them a way forward and 75% said their…

Pobl Group is delighted to announce the completion of a significant housing development in the historic Brunel Quarter of Chepstow. This project, a collaboration with Monmouthshire County Council, Welsh Government, and Barratt Homes, has resulted in the creation of 26 affordable homes. An additional 19 homes funded by the Transitional Accommodation Capital Programme (TACP) have also been created to help families transition out of temporary accommodation. Situated on the banks of the picturesque River Wye, the Brunel Quarter development offers a range of homes from one to four bedrooms. Part of the larger Barratt Homes project, it features 400 eco-friendly…