Agriculture

An inaugural award in memory of the late Brynle Williams has been presented by his wife Mary at the Royal Welsh Show. The memorial award – a crystal cup sponsored by the Welsh Conservative Assembly group – was handed out in the Welsh Pony and Cob section this morning. It will now become an annual [...]

Animals

There are some exciting new initiatives arriving at the Welsh Wildlife Centre in Cilgerran in the next nine months.  Last week  they had an osprey platform installed on the marshes to encourage a visiting osprey to nest and in the next two weeks a large butterfly willow maze will be created on the meadow in [...]

Arts

I’ve always tried to follow the instructions on the old Swan Vesta matchbox – Keep Dry and Away from Children*. So it was with some trepidation that after hearing primary school children were involved and that there was flooding in Camarthenshire that I set off to see the premier of Cheryl Beer’s Dragon Tree at [...]

Business

As the First Minister undertakes the first of the Welsh Government’s 16 proposed trade missions in 2013, Welsh Conservatives have called on him to deliver for Wales. Yesterday, the First Minister travelled to Turkey in the first of six trips that he will personally undertake this year. He will also travel to Ireland this month, [...]

Charity

Charities in Wrexham are being given the opportunity by the Welsh Government to voice their opinions to an independent panel aimed at reviewing the business rates relief they currently receive on their properties. Wrexham AM Lesley Griffiths has declared her support for the notion and will write to charities in the area asking if they [...]

Children / Young People

Three children from the Holywell area have won prizes in a draw held to mark the official opening of Flintshire Connects in the town. Children in Holywell and its surrounding areas were invited to take part in a free prize draw by colouring in a Christmas stocking picture and bringing it along to the official [...]

Community

The heating will be off when the Safer Wales volunteers and staff provide support for women and young girls who are Street Based Sex working on the streets of Cardiff. Emily, Streetlife Volunteer said “I have been volunteering for this project for a number of years. This is a great team to be involved with, [...]

Crime

Cardiff Council’s Trading Standards team is campaigning to raise awareness of doorstep crime, rogue trader and distraction burglaries throughout Cardiff. Doorstep criminals use a variety of tactics to deceive residents to get into their homes. They frequently claim to be from the water board, an electricity company, local council or other organisations and they will [...]

Shoppers got more than they bargained for in Wrexham thanks to mum-of-four Claire Tranmer. But the surprised bargain hunters at the Eagles Meadow shopping centre soon got into the swing of things when a Zumba flash mob burst into life. Shoppers were tapping their feet and swaying to the Latin beat as more than 40 [...]

Disability

An identity card for young disabled people is being trialled in Gwynedd to assist them in using public transport. The new ‘Cerdyn Melyn’ provides information on the individual and the kind of support they may need including who to contact should the passenger encounter difficulties. The idea for the card has been promoted by Clebran, [...]

Drama

Outdoor Theatre at: Wlesh Wildlife Centre | Canolfan Natur Cymru Cilgerran. In 2010 Illyria was the first UK open-air touring company to be granted permission to perform the work of Roald Dahl. Following sensational sell-outs of James and the Giant Peach and Fantastic Mr Fox Illyria now return with an even bigger Dahl classic – [...]

Education

Christine Chapman AM has called on the Welsh Government to consider how it can help change attitudes towards Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – or STEM – subjects. The Cynon Valley AM said this is crucial to ensuring greater take-up of these subjects in Welsh schools, and praised the initiatives set out in the Welsh [...]

Emergency Services

Commenting on the weekend’s floods and rescue operation in mid Wales, Leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Assembly, Andrew RT Davies AM, said: “Such strong community spirit in the face of such great adversity should be an inspiration to all. “The stories of courage and bravery that have emerged over the weekend – both [...]

Employment

A course for anyone wishing to improve their communication skills, and get help with going back to work, starts on Thursday 9 August at John Summers Community Campus, Queensferry. The Telephone Skills in a Work Environment course is for six weeks and will cover practical knowledge of oral communication skills, and the recording and record [...]

Environment

Cardiff Council’s recycling facility has received a record number of green bags this Christmas, totalling an impressive 1820 tonnes between 26th December and 5th January compared to 1500 tonnes last year. Due to an efficiency drive launched by the new administration at the Materials Reclamation Facility (MRF) in order reduce cost to the Council tax payers, [...]

Wales’ industrial past will be the focus of a national touring exhibition hosted by Gwynedd Archives this summer. Powering the World: Looking at Welsh Industry through Archives will be shown at Caernarfon Archives during August before moving on the Dolgellau Archives in September. The exhibition aims to raise awareness of the wealth of knowledge that [...]

Faith

A group of five people will examine how radical proposals for the Church in Wales can be delivered. They will look at recommendations made to the Church following an independent review, which took place across Wales last year, and advise the Church on how they can be taken forward. The implementation group was appointed by [...]

Fashion

The new manager of a fashion store has run up Llangollen’s Horseshoe Pass to raise funds for a cancer charity which supports young people. Big-hearted Chris Owen, who has been with men’s fashion retailer Burtons for 15 years, has taken over the reins of their store at the Eagles Meadow shopping centre. According to Chris, [...]

Festivals

West End star Mark Evans is appealing to folk dancers across Wales to represent their country against teams from around the world at Wales’s biggest international cultural festival. Mark is currently touring the USA in the lead role in the smash-hit musical comedy The Book of Mormon but he took time out of his busy [...]

Film

A cinema in Wrexham has launched a search to find the long lost relatives of film superstar Russell Crowe. The Aussie superstar can trace his family roots to the town where grandfather, John Crowe, ran the grocers, Crofruit, before emigrating to New Zealand in the mid-1920s. Oscar-winning Crowe’s latest film, Les Misérables, the first major [...]

Food and Drink

We spend, on average, £169 on our Christmas food and drink but at the same time we’re wasting £50 a month throwing away good food.  So this year make the most of Christmas with Love Food Hate Waste. We all love food at Christmas; it’s one of the things that makes the festive season special.  [...]

Health

Over the next few months a number of sessions will be held at Gwynedd Libraries to raise awareness of the risk of developing diabetes or having a stroke. Almost 240,000 people in Wales live with the effects of either stroke or diabetes, and11,000 people will have a stoke this year. The first session will be [...]

Heritage

Historic archive film of life at a top girls independent school is to be presented to the National Library of Wales. The footage from the archives of Howells School, Denbigh, spans the momentous years from 1933 to 1952 and takes in the Depression, World War Two and the accession of the Queen. It was shot [...]

Housing

A major social housing development in Wrexham could provide a £50 million plus boost to the local economy. Award-winning builders Anwyl Construction have started work on building 127 homes, with a further 20 awaiting planning, on two sites in the town for top social housing organisation Wales & West Housing, in partnership with Wrexham Council. [...]

Humour

After slipping on a wet floor and banging his head on a door frame, Balisdon born Barry Dishcloth now believes he is Welsh. The 24 year old hairdresser has shamed his family and friends by professing his ‘true nature’ as a Welshman. Barry told us: “When I came round I had an unstoppable urge to [...]

International

As the First Minister undertakes the first of the Welsh Government’s 16 proposed trade missions in 2013, Welsh Conservatives have called on him to deliver for Wales. Yesterday, the First Minister travelled to Turkey in the first of six trips that he will personally undertake this year. He will also travel to Ireland this month, [...]

Language

Communities First Higher Shotton and Deeside College are offering a Welsh beginners course at John Summers Community Campus in Queensferry. The course is every Friday between 1pm and 3pm. It’s a fun course with the emphasis on speaking – and no prior knowledge of Welsh is needed. The course costs £22 for ten weeks, and [...]

Leisure

Do you ever complain that there’s nothing worth watching on TV? One answer is to borrow a good DVD from your local library, and at Gwynedd Libraries there is plenty of choice. Throughout January, if you rent a DVD for a week from your local library – £1.55 (children DVDs) and £2.60 (other DVDs), then [...]

LGBT

Momentum is gathering for the biggest and best Cardiff Wales Mardi Gras in Wales’ largest festival of diversity. With only a month to go before the colourful extravaganza The Mardi Gras has received the support of local businesses, political parties and organisations across Wales and beyond. Last year 20,000 people joined the celebrations. Now, in [...]

Literature

A Swansea University Creative Writing MA student has won a much prized place on the BBC Production Talent Pool training scheme. Kelsey Richards, from Maesteg, is one of only 13 successful candidates to be based in Cardiff. From 2,298 applications to the UK-wide scheme, only 123 were accepted. The scheme offers successful applicants training and [...]

Local Government

Responding to the announcement that the Welsh Government will now fund 100% of the council tax benefit, Peter Black, Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Local Government and Finance Minister, said: “This is very much welcome news, however the Welsh Labour Government could have avoided the uncertainty and mess they created just before Christmas if they had [...]

Media

BBC Cymru Wales has joined forces with the Arts Council of Wales in a brand new partnership in celebration of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad – to support a new free digital arts service The Space. Aimed at offering new ways for people to connect with, and experience arts and culture this summer, the initiative [...]

A new community choir from a housing estate in North Wales is preparing for its debut at a top international music festival – conducted by a royal composer. The choir from the Peulwys estate, above Old Colwyn, will be performing at the North Wales International Music Festival, in St Asaph Cathedral. They will be under [...]

People

A Gwynedd man who decided on a change of career after seeing how much his wife enjoyed her job, has recently been recognised at a prestigious national care awards ceremony. Twenty eight years after giving up his job as an accountant, Peter Fletcher from Tywyn won the bronze award at this year’s Wales Care Awards, [...]

Politics

As the First Minister undertakes the first of the Welsh Government’s 16 proposed trade missions in 2013, Welsh Conservatives have called on him to deliver for Wales. Yesterday, the First Minister travelled to Turkey in the first of six trips that he will personally undertake this year. He will also travel to Ireland this month, [...]

Retail

Outdoor clothing shops in Wrexham say trade is busier than the pre-Christmas rush thanks to the Arctic weather. Business is booming at stores like Trespass and Mountain Warehouse at the Eagles Meadow shopping centre. Sledges and snow suits have been particularly popular and they’re now having to get their skates on to order new stock [...]

Seniors

It was just what the doctors ordered. Two top performers from Welsh National Opera gave an intimate performance just for the residents of Pendine Park care homes. Doctors Diva and Divo – alias the “singing doctors” Zoe Milton Brown and David Graham – gave show-stopping performances in four one hour shows for residents of the [...]

A golf club is aiming to build the most eco-friendly clubhouse in Wales. The pay and play Silver Birch Golf Club, in Betws yn Rhos, near Abergele, plans to invest up to £100,000 with a major upgrade of its facilities. They are hoping to build a new, single story clubhouse complete with solar panels, rainwater [...]

Technology

The Welsh Government has made public last week (17th January) more details about how it intends to roll-out its eagerly awaited Next Generation Broadband Project – Superfast Cymru. The £425m project which will be delivered by BT, aims to allow 96% of Welsh homes and businesses to have access to “world class broadband speeds” of [...]

Tourism

The Welsh Labour Government has axed all marketing of Wales in two of the very few countries in the world which have direct transport links to Wales, it emerged today. In 2008-09 the Welsh Government spent £121,000 promoting Wales to tourists in Spain and Ireland, yet not a penny has been spent in either country [...]

Transport

The B5127 Old Mold Road, Ewloe, at its junction with the Ewloe roundabout is closed due to a burst water main. Remedial works are anticipated to be completed within two days. As a result of the closure, traffic from the A494/A55/B5125 will not be able to gain access to Northop Hall/ Ewloe Green/Buckley. Traffic from [...]

WAG

Wrexham AM Lesley Griffiths has backed the Welsh Government’s ‘one stop shop’ service which is part of a £6.5 million scheme aimed at supporting small enterprises around Wales. The service will see a network of eleven offices set up around the country, one of which will be based in Wrexham at the Redwither Tower on [...]

Anglesey

The MP for Anglesey has revealed how a second chance college transformed his life. Albert Owen was speaking during a return visit to Coleg Harlech to  officially open a new bistro and art gallery. The other main guest of honour was Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, the AM for Dwyfor Meirionnydd and former National Assembly Presiding Officer, [...]

Artist David Jones forages for inspiration – in supermarket trolleys. Other people’s everyday shopping lists are “artistic gold” to David, 72, who studied at Liverpool Art College with the late Beatle, John Lennon. Now two of his unusual linocut prints are to be featured at a prestigious art exhibition at the Anglesey Show on August [...]

Blaenau Gwent

TARGET is a not-for-profit theatre initiative based in South Wales, that works to encourage individuals to get involved in the performing arts through classes, workshops and projects. We offer innovative and exciting arts projects for participants, usually in association with a local or national charity. Over the last few years, we have run a number [...]

Her Majesty The Queen will join parishioners for two church services as she tours Wales to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee this week. The visit will begin on Thursday at Llandaff Cathedral when The Queen will join 600 people for a national service of thanksgiving for her 60-year reign. Then on Friday Her Majesty and The [...]

Bridgend

A Swansea University Creative Writing MA student has won a much prized place on the BBC Production Talent Pool training scheme. Kelsey Richards, from Maesteg, is one of only 13 successful candidates to be based in Cardiff. From 2,298 applications to the UK-wide scheme, only 123 were accepted. The scheme offers successful applicants training and [...]

A vicar who is a keen convert to social media, plans to use the full force of the internet to reach out to young people in his new parish. Revd Roger Pitman who creates websites, writes blogs and tweets in his spare time, was licensed as priest-in-charge of the parish of Llangeinor and the Garw [...]

Caerphilly

Local Labour AM Jeff Cuthbert has criticised the record of the former Plaid Cymru-led administration of Caerphilly County Borough Council, following the publication of the Welsh Government’s ‘Local Authority Services Performance, 2011-12’ document earlier this week. Headline performance indicators are highlighted by the Welsh Government in its ‘Quick Guide’ which supplements the main document. Caerphilly’s [...]

On Thursday 12 July Caerphilly AM Jeff Cuthbert attended the opening of the new Sensory Garden which has been built by GE volunteers for palliative care patients at Ysbwty Ystrad Fawr. The garden opening, which is part of the Palliative Care Day Unit at the hospital, was attended by GE Aviation Vice President Tony Aiello, [...]

Cardiff

A Children’s Home in Cardiff has received praise for its management and good practice following a recent routine inspection by the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW). Crosslands home, in the west of the city is described by CSSIW as a well managed home, providing ‘skilful care in supporting the children and young people [...]

The heating will be off when the Safer Wales volunteers and staff provide support for women and young girls who are Street Based Sex working on the streets of Cardiff. Emily, Streetlife Volunteer said “I have been volunteering for this project for a number of years. This is a great team to be involved with, [...]

Carmarthenshire

A tree-mendous action-packed weekend lies ahead at the National Botanic Garden on August 18-19 with the Welsh Tree Festival, appealing to wood lovers, families and anyone who likes trees. There’ll be lots of things to do and see including woodcraft demonstrations, tree-focused family activities, guided walks, a tropical Ghost Forest, tree planting and terrific tree [...]

Côr Meibion Llanelli are geared up their biggest test of the year – the main male voice choir competition at the National Eisteddfod. The choir roll of honour includes five previous wins in the National Eisteddfod. This year’s event, the Bro Morgannwg Eisteddfod, takes place at Llandow, near Cowbridge, and will see the choir take [...]

Ceredigion

Aberystwyth University’s Department of Law and Criminology has been awarded a £87,743 Leverhulme Research Project Grant to study the deterrent effect of legal measures taken against business cartels. The two year study, Explaining and Understanding Business Cartel Collusion, will be undertaken by Professor Christopher Harding and Dr Jennifer Edwards. The study’s main objective will be [...]

Fish shoals follow the first fish to move. And they follow it because it usually knows where to find dinner.  Or so say scientists from Aberystwyth University, publishing their investigations of tropical guppies online in the journal Animal Behaviour – http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.10.013. But how, and how much, can fish learn from others? No surprise perhaps that [...]

Conwy

Roads Closed: B5106 Llanrwst to Trefriw A548 Llanrwst to Abergele A544 Llansannan Eglwysbach School Main Road into Eglwysbach from Tal y Cafn (Ffordd Ty Gwyn) Many minor roads closed. A548 Llanfair TH Beach Rd, Llanddulas Promenade (section to Old Colwyn) Llannefydd to Llanfair TH (nr Pont y Gwyledd flooded due to River Elwy) Bryn Helig, [...]

A new community choir from a housing estate in North Wales is preparing for its debut at a top international music festival – conducted by a royal composer. The choir from the Peulwys estate, above Old Colwyn, will be performing at the North Wales International Music Festival, in St Asaph Cathedral. They will be under [...]

Denbighshire

Historic archive film of life at a top girls independent school is to be presented to the National Library of Wales. The footage from the archives of Howells School, Denbigh, spans the momentous years from 1933 to 1952 and takes in the Depression, World War Two and the accession of the Queen. It was shot [...]

Winter is here and Denbighshire County Council has been busy making sure that plans are in place to deal with any severe weather over the next few months. One of the most common enquiries the Council receives is about school closures. The Council makes sure the website is updated in real time so parents have [...]

Flintshire

Three children from the Holywell area have won prizes in a draw held to mark the official opening of Flintshire Connects in the town. Children in Holywell and its surrounding areas were invited to take part in a free prize draw by colouring in a Christmas stocking picture and bringing it along to the official [...]

Communities First Higher Shotton and Deeside College are offering a Welsh beginners course at John Summers Community Campus in Queensferry. The course is every Friday between 1pm and 3pm. It’s a fun course with the emphasis on speaking – and no prior knowledge of Welsh is needed. The course costs £22 for ten weeks, and [...]

Gwynedd

Over the next few months a number of sessions will be held at Gwynedd Libraries to raise awareness of the risk of developing diabetes or having a stroke. Almost 240,000 people in Wales live with the effects of either stroke or diabetes, and11,000 people will have a stoke this year. The first session will be [...]

Businesses in North Wales are gaining a competitive advantage from being part of Coachwales, an ESF/Welsh Government-funded coaching and mentoring initiative aimed at accelerating a coaching culture in business and third sector organisations across Wales. “How I run my business has changed as a result of the programme. I was bogged down with the things [...]

Merthyr Tydfil

Commenting on reports that 146 jobs are at risk at an aerosol factory in Merthyr Tydfil, Nick Ramsay AM, Shadow Minister for Business, Enterprise, Technology & Science, said: “This is very worrying news for the workers affected and their families. “This emphasises the fragile nature of the Welsh economy and the need for Welsh Labour [...]

Officers at South Wales Police hope dramatic CCTV footage taken from a Merthyr betting shop which was recently targeted by thieves, will encourage people to come forward with valuable information. On Monday (April 16), at around 1.45am, a local man called the police when he was awoken by the crash of a vehicle as it [...]

Monmouthshire

An eight week contract to alleviate flooding to properties within Monmouth’s Wyesham estate will commence on January 14th. Existing culverts will be repaired or replaced and a new structure and ditches will collect water running off the Kymin and fields above Tudor Road. Residents have been affected by flooding for many years – most recently [...]

Monmouthshire County Council is to dedicate a public right of way on land at Caerwent to secure public access from the centre of the village to the ancient southern gate. The council owns the land but intends to dispose of it. Access to the southern gate is currently gained either permissively on the alignment of [...]

Neath Port Talbot

Graduating Gower College Swansea student Rosie Sheehy has been swamped with offers from some of the UK’s leading performing arts institutions. Port Talbot resident Rosie, who studied A Level Drama at the Gorseinon campus, has been offered places at RADA, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the London Contemporary Dance School. “For a [...]

As plans for this year’s Real Nappy Week get underway, Neath Port Talbot Council has teamed up with Waste Awareness Wales to encourage local parents to join the growing numbers using ‘real’ cloth nappies on babies. Real Nappy Week is an annual event between 16th and 22nd April and aims to show how reusable nappies [...]

Newport

A summer spectacular awaits you at Caerleon this August. Come and enjoy a fantastic weekend of Roman re-enactment as Empire: A Roman Spectacular takes places in Caerleon Amphitheatre and the National Roman Legion Museum on Saturday 18 & Sunday 19 August, 11am-5pm. Be part of it and experience a day out to remember. (Adults £4.50; [...]

Matthew Evans, former leader of Newport City Council has told Welsh Icons in an exclusive interview when we asked him about the new system of only allowing written questions at open meetings: “As a former Leader of Newport City Council, I know that council meetings, and the “cut and thrust ” of debate, is an [...]

Pembrokeshire

I’ve always tried to follow the instructions on the old Swan Vesta matchbox – Keep Dry and Away from Children*. So it was with some trepidation that after hearing primary school children were involved and that there was flooding in Camarthenshire that I set off to see the premier of Cheryl Beer’s Dragon Tree at [...]

There are some exciting new initiatives arriving at the Welsh Wildlife Centre in Cilgerran in the next nine months.  Last week  they had an osprey platform installed on the marshes to encourage a visiting osprey to nest and in the next two weeks a large butterfly willow maze will be created on the meadow in [...]

Powys

The Welsh Government has made public last week (17th January) more details about how it intends to roll-out its eagerly awaited Next Generation Broadband Project – Superfast Cymru. The £425m project which will be delivered by BT, aims to allow 96% of Welsh homes and businesses to have access to “world class broadband speeds” of [...]

The Welsh Local Government Minister has been severely criticised for again providing Powys County Council with the worst revenue support grant settlement in Wales. The comments were made during a debate in the National Assembly on the Welsh Government’s final funding settlement for local government for the next financial year. Montgomeryshire Assembly Member, Russell George, [...]

Rhondda Cynon Taf

Labour AM for Cynon Valley, Christine Chapman, will meet some of the local people who volunteer at the WRVS Mountain Ash Darby and Joan club when she stops by for a visit on Wednesday 25 July at 2pm. The Darby and Joan club provides those who use it with a chance to leave the house [...]

Leanne Wood has criticised Barclays for their failure to justify in public their decision to close the last bank branch in Treherbert. The Plaid leader and South Wales Central AM she was disappointed by the refusal of the company to visit the town to explain their reasons for axing their branch on Bute Street which [...]

Swansea

A young Swansea songstress who has learned her trade in the pubs and clubs of South Wales has just recorded her first CD and it is already available on Amazon. Laura Jayne Davies, 21, has released Songbook, an album of covers of some of her favourite songs after taking a second place in a heat [...]

A piece of ancient glass over 3000 years old, on display in Swansea University’s Egypt Centre, has been identified as one of the missing pieces from a rare glass Egyptian vase which is currently in the Cairo Museum. The brightly coloured fragment, which is on loan from Swansea Museum, originally belonged to pharaoh Amenhotep II [...]

Torfaen

Three Complementary Therapy students from Coleg Gwent’s Pontypool Campus were in need of some well-earned rest and relaxation of their own recently when they took part in a challenge to raise £300 for charity in the great outdoors. Usually spending their time soothing others with massage or reflexology, the Level 3 Complementary Therapy students Emily [...]

Even the tiniest clues can be crucial in a crime scene investigation.  A team of budding scientists from Coleg Gwent recently tested their attention to detail with a ‘crime scene’ of their own. Making sure they left no stone unturned, Level 3 Forensic Science students from Coleg Gwent’s Pontypool Campus gathered and examined ‘evidence’ from [...]

Vale of Glamorgan

Welsh learners and people interested in the language should feel welcome at the National Eisteddfod, the Archbishop of Wales said on Monday. Dr Barry Morgan, who is also Bishop of Llandaff – the diocese which encompasses the Vale of Glamorgan where this year’s Eisteddfod is being held – said the event was open to all, [...]

Visitors to the 2012 National Eisteddfod in the Vale of Glamorgan will have a taste of Denbighshire as the county gears up to stage next year’s prestigious festival. The 2013 Eisteddfod will be held on the outskirts of Denbigh- the same location as the Eisteddfod when it last visited the county in 2001. It is [...]

Wrexham

It was just what the doctors ordered. Two top performers from Welsh National Opera gave an intimate performance just for the residents of Pendine Park care homes. Doctors Diva and Divo – alias the “singing doctors” Zoe Milton Brown and David Graham – gave show-stopping performances in four one hour shows for residents of the [...]

Outdoor clothing shops in Wrexham say trade is busier than the pre-Christmas rush thanks to the Arctic weather. Business is booming at stores like Trespass and Mountain Warehouse at the Eagles Meadow shopping centre. Sledges and snow suits have been particularly popular and they’re now having to get their skates on to order new stock [...]