Author: Rhys Gregory

Overnight Wednesday into Thursday, strong west to northwesterly winds are likely to develop across a large swathe of the country. Quite widely winds are expected to gust 45-55 mph, with stronger gusts, possibly reaching 65-70 mph, over and to the east of high ground, mainly across the north of the warning area. However, the strongest winds are likely to be across the far north and northeast of Scotland, including the Northern Isles during the morning. Here, gusts of 70-80 mph are possible for a time. The system has been named Storm Pia by the Danish Met Institute, as impacts are…

The owners of two award-winning restaurants in Swansea have been dubbed the ‘Kings of Curry’ after stepping in to spread some festive joy to 85 local children living in poverty. Suki and Jas Kullar who own Rasoi Indian Kitchen in Pontlliw and Swansea’s SA1 Rasoi Waterfront, were helped by staff to cook and deliver 85 delicious festive takeaways complete with chocolate treats to the Faith in Families community centre in Blaenymaes. Rasoi loaded up their iconic tuk-tuk with 85 curry and chocolate feasts and travelled to the Teilos Community Cwtch in Blaenymaes to deliver them to each and every child…

Long-established Aberdare Town FC set up the under 16’s side due to demand from players wanting to play locally but was looking for all the support they could get so that they could purchase necessary training equipment and kit for the 20-strong squad. Happy to help, local energy company Pennant Walters, stepped in and donated £800 which enabled the team to purchase training tracksuits. The funding is linked to Pennant Walters’ 9 turbine 22 MW Mynydd Bwllfa windfarm near Aberdare in Rhondda Cynon Taf, which became operational in summer 2015. Peter Taylor, Coach at Aberdare Town FC, said: “This funding,…

A former Welshpool school, which created a storm of interest from prospective buyers when the five classroom listed building was put up for auction, has sold to local buyers. The former Ardwyn School, Red Bank, Welshpool, sold for more than four times the guide price of £85,000-plus. Listed by Newport, South Wales-based Paul Fosh Auctions the property, which comprises of five, self contained classrooms and extensive playing fields, sold for £356,000. Adam Smith, a director of Shrewsbury-based property development company Homesmiths, who have bought the former school, said: “This is a very exciting opportunity to bring further investment into Welshpool. Being Welsh…

The owners of three local holiday lets are celebrating after picking up awards for their properties in North Wales. Yr Hen Oriel in the hamlet of Ceunant, owned by Maria and Huw Gwilym, won in the Best for Walking category, while Elaine and Nick Rhind scooped gold for their property in Bethesda, Bryn Derwen, in the Best for Large Groups category.  Best in North Wales overall was awarded to Ali and Anna Edwards, with their property in the quaint village of Rhuallt, Offas Dyke Escape, taking home the top prize for the region.  The awards programme by staycation specialist Sykes…

Swansea city centre art gallery Glynn Vivian has announced the return of its Swansea Open initiative. The Swansea Open is an annual art competition open to anyone who lives or works in the City and County of Swansea (SA1-SA9). It celebrates art and craft from artists and makers throughout the city. The selected works from the submissions will be shown in the gallery, run by Swansea Council, from February 3. The selection is made by a different panel of invited selectors each year, encouraging diverse viewpoints. The exhibition seeks to reflect critical and cultural awareness, with a broad range of…

Hundreds of local school children enjoyed an African adventure at the University of South Wales (USW) last week as Drama students performed a safari themed theatre show. Pupils from schools across Cardiff and Caerphilly came to USW’s Cardiff Campus to watch Beautiful Creatures, an action-packed show aimed at 4 to 7-year-olds, based on popular children’s songs from South Africa. Performed by first-year BA (Hons) Theatre and Drama students, the show told the story of Imvubu the hippo, Lucas the lion, Rita the cheetah, Roddy the rhino and many more animals through lively songs, which encouraged the audience to join in…

The Welsh Government is under huge pressure to safeguard apprenticeship funding following deep cuts announced in this week’s draft budget which could result in around 10,000 fewer apprentices. Employers’ representatives, including the FSB and CBI, have signed an open letter to First Minister Mark Drakeford outlining their deep concerns about the proposed 24.2% cuts – the equivalent of £35 million – to apprenticeships for 2024-’25. They want to know why all the money they pay to the apprenticeship levy is not being invested in apprentices, with claims that more than £80m is being spent elsewhere. The proposed cuts are a…

A Welsh energy efficiency company has announced the opening of two new offices near its Swansea headquarters. Consumer Energy Solutions (CES) will welcome 100 new team members as part of the expansion, with roughly 50 based at each new location. This expansion underscores CES’s commitment to serving the energy efficiency needs of its customers in Wales and the South West, as well as its dedication to creating job opportunities in the region. The company currently boasts a workforce of more than 500 people and supports customers in energy-proofing their homes to reduce their carbon footprint and ultimately, their energy bills.…

Cardiff Young Professionals, a monthly networking group, has successfully raised £1,000.00 for their chosen charity of the year, Dreams and Wishes. The achievement highlights the power of collective efforts in making a positive impact on the lives of those in need. Dreams and Wishes is a charity dedicated to fulfilling the dreams of seriously ill children and their families; providing them with moments of joy and happiness amidst challenging circumstances. The charity relies heavily on the support of individuals and groups, like the Cardiff Young Professionals, to carry out its mission. Wendy Hobbs, Board Member and Business Ambassador of Dreams…