Those interested in industrial history and Welsh heritage will be able to discover the sights and sounds of Victorian Blaenavon this spring, with an advanced digital project at the world-renowned Blaenavon World Heritage Site. In partnership with Big Pit National Coal Museum, Torfaen County Borough Council launched a brand-new 360⁰ virtual reality experience recently, which allows users to experience life as it was in the Blaenavon World Heritage Site during the 19th and 20th centuries. Featuring real characters from…

  A gym has recently opened at University Hospital Llandough to help those having treatment for breast cancer feel fitter, stronger and improve their confidence. Cardiff and Vale Health Board Chief Executive Len Richards, and Chair, Maria Battle visited the McCarthy Suite at the Breast Centre in University Hospital Llandough to meet Victoria Collins, Senior Physiotherapist, Mr Sumit Goyal, Consultant Oncoplastic Surgeon and some breast cancer patients using the facility. The McCarthy Suite is a gym facility which was equipped…

    The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales along with The Wildlife Trusts are delighted to join forces with some of the UK’s well know TV stars in a new Wildlife Trust film trailer. Sir David Attenborough, Stephen Fry, Catherine Tate, Alison Steadman and Asim Chaudhry have backed a new campaign from The Wildlife Trusts that calls for nature’s recovery in Wales and the UK. The broadcaster and conservationist, and actors have starring roles in a new Wind…

A Welsh music festival that has seen significant growth in recent years will open its doors for an extra night this year following its biggest turnout in 2018. Organisers of Tafwyl have partnered up with Wales’ first music distribution and promotions company, PYST to present an evening of music, arts and street food in Cardiff Castle on Friday 21st June, 2019. With free entry, the evening promises to pull in crowds ahead of the weekend event with an impressive line-up…

The Cardiac Team at the University Hospital of Wales have recently received a donation of VR headsets and Samsung smartphones to keep their patients entertained while on their wards. Samsung kindly approached Cardiff & Vale Health Charity in December of last year, asking them to be part of their Wishes Campaign, whereby members of the public voted in Samsung stores for charities to win some of their products. Cardiff & Vale Health Charity were lucky enough to win one of…

Choirs and judges from as far afield as India and New Zealand will be heading to Cardiff to compete at an international competition where the judges will include a royal composer. This is the second year of the International Choral Festival which will be held at Hoddinott Hall and the Millennium Centre over the Easter weekend. The festival is the brainchild of one of Wales’ leading choirmasters, Eilir Owen Griffiths, the former musical director of the Llangollen International Music Festival….

On Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th March, hundreds of residents from Wales took part in the UK’s annual Learn to Play Day event. Organised by the charity Music for All, people of all ages visited music venues, schools, and stores across the county, to try their hand at a new skill and take advantage of the free music lessons available. In Wales, participating venues included PMT Cardiff, Spider Music Ltd in Swansea and Pencerdd Music in Penarth, who partnered with…

A group of runners from North Wales has set a new fastest time for the Offa’s Dyke Path. Four challengers took part in the epic ultra-marathon – Jason Harper, 47 from Valley (Anglesey), Nia Albiston, 40 from Amlwch (Anglesey), Gordon Hughes, 37 from Llanaelhaearn (Gwynedd) and Laurent Gorce, 43 from Abererch, Pwllheli (Gwynedd). Two of the runners in the team had to pull out of the challenge part-way due to injury (Laurent Gorce and Jason Harper) but the other runners…

I had the pleasure of being invited to the Millennium Centre to see The National Theatre Performance of Macbeth on Tuesday 19th March. Directed by Rufus Norris, with the main parts Macbeth and Lady Macbeth played by Rory McKinnear and Anne-Marie Duff – it definitely wasn’t for the faint hearted. Depicted as a chilling, cautionary tale about how power corrupts all – this production was unlike any interpretation I had seen before. As it is such a well-known play, the…

 National Youth Arts Wales – Making a difference in the lives of young gifted musicians and performers in Wales Since its creation in 2017, National Youth Arts Wales (NYAW) has proved its success as the lead organisation now responsible for delivering Wales’ six national youth ensembles, whilst also delivering a year-round programme of exceptional creative experiences and opportunities for young people in Wales, regardless of their background. The newly reformed NYAW is leading the way in providing exceptional opportunities in…