Author: Rhys Gregory

Carpets of delicate white snowdrops are popping up all over Wales this month, signalling that spring is just around the corner. Usually among the first bulbs to bloom, the small white flowers are predicted to peak anytime now and flower right through until March. Popping up in woodlands, parklands and gardens, discover the best places to see snowdrops at special places in National Trust Cymru’s care this month. North Wales  Bodnant Garden, Conwy In early spring thousands of snowdrops burst into bloom at Bodnant Garden, from the unusual varieties that adorn the Winter Garden to the more common varieties that…

Par 59, the renowned bar, restaurant, and mini-golf hotspot, proudly backed by football icon Gareth Bale, is launching a new Friday night supper club – and there’s even bottomless drinks included, too. Established in March 2022 through a dynamic partnership between Bale’s Elevens Group LTD and The DEPOT, one of Wales’ most successful independent entertainment brands, Par 59 Cardiff breathed new life into a prime city-centre location that had sat vacant since 2016. It introduced a unique blend of a bar and casual dining with two custom-designed 9-hole mini golf courses, quickly becoming a favourite destination for after-work outings, date nights, and competitive gatherings. The success then…

The Welsh Fitness Expo is delighted to announce the 29th & 30th June as the dates for the third annual Welsh Fitness Expo – Welsh Fitness Games and Welsh Fitness Classic. The Welsh Fitness Expo has quickly become one of Wales’s most successful sporting and fitness events, with 2024 seeing the iconic ICC Wales as the new home of the expo. The expo has now grown to a full weekend of activities and is once again hosted by one of the UK’s leading sports broadcasters Ali Drew. The Welsh Fitness Expo showcases the best in Welsh, UK and global -…

The largest holiday park provider in Wales, Lyons Holiday Parks, is opening a brand new luxury resort and spa this April. Putting a spring in holidaymaker’s steps this April, the park is nestled in the pretty Welsh village of Dyserth in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, surrounded by fascinating ancient culture and thrilling mountain scenery. Just a stone’s throw from miles of sandy beaches, the Marian Resort & Spa, named after the Marian Mills of Dyserth, is perfectly situated for that all important vitamin sea. Visitors can choose to relax in nature-soaked tranquillity or turn up the adventure as…

Swansea Council has put the finishing touches to a number of routes, adding to the city’s growing network of safe walking and cycling infrastructure. Among the latest routes to be completed is a 2.8km off-road route between Penllergaer and Gorseinon. The route travels along the main road between the two communities (Gorseinon Road) and provides the missing link between previously completed routes, directly into Morriston, from Junction 47 (M4), along the A48 and also linking routes between Gorseinon and Kingsbridge/Gowerton. A route with newly installed pavements is also now in place along Ynysallan Road and gives residents living in nearby…

Two men involved in a conspiracy to supply and produce cannabis have been ordered to give up money they earned from their crimes under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Back in November 2022, we searched an address in Porth after being made aware of suspicious activity. The search yielded a well-established cannabis factory. Following an investigation carried out by the Mid Glamorgan Organised Crime Unit, six large-scale cannabis factories were linked to two men. On March 15, 2023, Ashley James Carter, 35 from Rhondda, and Howard Daniel Williams, 47 from Cardiff, were sentenced for drug offences at Merthyr Crown Court.…

Transport for Wales (TfW) will reintroduce hourly rail services between Chester and Liverpool via Runcorn, Helsby and Frodsham starting this week. The step-up in services will increase from 15 to 30 a day in total (15 in each direction) and will be delivered on brand-new trains, improving the customer experience and connectivity of the region. The Deputy Minister for Climate Change with responsibility for Transport, Lee Waters, said: “This is great news. These new trains will provide a much-improved passenger experience with more regular services on modern comfortable trains, encouraging more people to leave the car at home and let the…

Hawkstone Commercials is delighted to announce that it has been named as “Automotive Finance Brokers of the Year 2024”. It is the second year in a row that Hawkstone Commercials has won the Corporate Livewire Innovation & Excellence Awards. This follows hot on the heels of Hawkstone Commercials being named 55th overall in the Elite Business 100 (EB100). Hawkstone Commercials is a bridgend based commercial leasing vehicle broker which in only its second year of operation has achieved some truly staggering commercial targets. Year one saw the business generate £15 million in turnover and place 1,000 units of product into…

Cardiff-based Lexington Corporate Finance has appointed a new executive to its team, following a 2023 that saw the firm advise on more than £200 million worth of deals. Kevin Kong, who hails from New Zealand, joins the team as an Executive. His previous experience includes roles at Deloitte, where he worked on transaction services engagements advising large listed and large private equity backed clients. Earlier in his career, Kevin also completed a secondment to Xero, the international technology company that provides cloud-based accounting software for businesses. Mr Kong’s appointment boosts Lexington’s headcount to 14 and marks the firm’s first hire…

Joining only a small group of schools from across Wales, Heronsbridge School is one of just two schools in Bridgend County Borough, to succeed in not needing any recommendations during a recent Estyn inspection. The sterling Estyn report spotlights the array of strengths demonstrated by the school, ranging from the positive behaviour of pupils and their highly effective attitudes to learning, to the excellent leadership and management of Heronsbridge School. Staff are praised for their strong working relationships with pupils, their exceptional management of learners’ differing needs, as well as the use of robust assessments to monitor progress to inform…