Wales.com - RSS Updates Feed

School astronomers lift off with Glamorgan project

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 2 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

A pioneering astronomy project to train the next generation of space scientists is lifting off as the new term begins in schools across Wales.

The programme harnesses the state-of-the-art Faulkes Telescopes in Hawaii and Australia, is led by the University of Glamorgan, and will link pupils from Welsh schools with students in New York State and Georgia to explore space by directing the work of the telescopes. Their work will contribute to the research of the international science community, and will include research into key areas of interest for NASA.

Dr Paul Roche, Senior Lecturer in Astronomy at the University of Glamorgan and Wales' Space Ambassador, said: "This is a great opportunity for these schoolchildren to make a real contribution to the work of the international science community. For example, we will be part of the international effort to monitor the largest star ever discovered, twice the size of what we previously believed was the largest."

The new term also sees the first students at Glamorgan taking a new degree built around the telescope programme. The BSc Hons Observational Astronomy is the first degree of its kind in Europe.

Find out more at http://www.glam.ac.uk/

Welsh European Funding Online wins European award

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 2 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

A key IT project completed by the Welsh Assembly Government and Capgemini UK plc has won the top IT award in the European Outsourcing Association (EOA) Awards 2010, beating entries from other parts of the UK, France, Germany and Italy to win the first prize. The award is pan-European recognition for the WEFO Online project which deploys advanced web technology to make it easy for people to apply for the Â£3.9 billion of structural funding available to Wales from the EU.

The EOA's IT Outsourcing Project of the Year award was presented to Capgemini senior executive Mieke Van Handenhove by the European Outsourcing Association on 28 June at an international ceremony at the Chateau du Lac in Brussels.

WEFO Online was designed in Wales by a joint team of IT and business transformation specialists from Capgemini and the Welsh European Funding Office (WEFO) which is part of the Welsh Assembly Government. Following go-live in August 2008, the first fully operational year has seen WEFO Online become the first system of its kind to win full audit approval from the European Commission, making Wales the first of 40 regions in the European Community to achieve a fully functioning online system for processing key fund applications.

Damien O'Brien, Director of the Welsh European Funding Office said: "Our efficiency in processing applications for European funding, and making accurate and timely payments to project sponsors, is crucial to the successful implementation of the programmes in delivering jobs and growth across the Welsh economy. We are delighted that our success in forging ahead of the rest of Europe with WEFO Online has been recognised in these important and high-profile international awards. I take this opportunity to applaud and thank the WEFO and Capgemini teams whose hard work and commitment have led to this latest success."

WEFO Online is designed to simplify and streamline grant applications under the European Social Fund and the European Regional Development Fund and to ensure that payments are processed quickly. It enables businesses, public sector bodies, communities and third sector organisations in Wales to make their applications quickly and easily online via the Internet. It also lets them submit evidence and documentation, complete claims and payment forms, and track progress of their application without the need for unnecessary paperwork or lengthy telephone calls. The system also delivers significant efficiency gains within WEFO in processing applications and payments. WEFO Online has already been central to the approval of 176 projects with a total value of Â£1.3 billion, with associated claims processing having paid out some Â£240.8 million under the current European Funding schemes.

Andy McDonough, Business Development Director at Capgemini UK, said: "It has been a privilege to work on a project such as WEFO Online that brings important benefits to so many people, communities and organisations across Wales, and we are naturally delighted to have won international recognition for our efforts."

In addition to its role in the design and deployment of WEFO Online, Capgemini is also supporting the system until 2016 under a long-term outsourcing contract. The award-winning Capgemini applications are hosted on infrastructure supported and maintained by Siemens.

Talking Pictures - new pictures!

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 2 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

New pictures and audio added today! Click here for a sneak preview of the exhibition

Abergavenny Food Festival praise

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 2 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Spotted a nice article on the Toronto Sun website about the Abergavenny Food Festival, which takes place in the historic border town of Abergavenny, mid Wales, between 18 – 19 September.

The Festival plays host to some of the brightest lights of the food world, and the extensive markets, situated in the centre of the town, spill into the streets and lanes and feature the best producers from Wales, the Marches, and further afield.

Read the article here: http://www.torontosun.com/travel/europe/2010/08/31/15197221.html

The Great Welsh Showdown

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Tomorrow travel bloggers from around Asia will gather for a four-day quest to discover the captivating land of Wales.

The Great Welsh Showdown, an initiative by Visit Britain and Visit Wales sees six bloggers hailing from Australia, China (Hong Kong), India, Japan, Korea and Singapore taking part in five challenges conducted in different parts of Wales, and ending off each day with a blog or video entry

.The blogger who obtains most number of comments and videos views for the various tasks will be crowned ultimate winner of the Great Welsh Showdown.

Find out more about their challenges and start reading their blogs at http://www.redworks.com.sg/thewelshshowdown/

World record set in Powys

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

A world record time was set on Sunday at the annual World Bog Snorkelling Championships in Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys.

Dan Morgan won the event in one minute and 30.66 seconds beating the previous record of one minute and 38.15 seconds.

140 people from all over the world took part in the championships that see competitors swim two lengths of a 60 yard bog without using conventional strokes.

Find out more about the World Bog Snorkelling Championships at http://www.green-events.co.uk/index.php

Things to do in Wales this weekend

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

It’s a bank holiday weekend in Wales, and there’s lots going on! Here are just some of the events on offer throughout Wales this weekend.

Cardiff Bay hosts the Harbour Festival from the 28– 30 August, with a feast of nautical entertainment for all the family. It’s all "Fish and Ships" this year with spectacular aerial and water displays, Tall ships, sea craft displays, sea shanty singers, walkabout entertainers, a continental market plus a superb music- line-up.

For the second year the festival hosts the British Fish Craft Championships which includes filleting displays, tips on preparing and cooking as well as selling the best quality fresh fish. plus the ‘Welsh Oyster Opening Championships’.

For more information, visit the Cardiff Bay Festival website.

The world will be coming to Swansea in a showcase of colour, music and food. With an excellent live music stage featuring artists and dancers from local and international communities, marquees, workshops, cooking demonstrations and tasters, this event should not be missed!

The party takes place in the grounds of the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea and entry is free.

For more information, visit the Swansea Bay Festival website.

On 29 August the World Bog Snorkelling Championships will take place in Llanwrtyd Wells in Powys, mid Wales. This unusual sport takes place every year, and sees competitors donning, a mask or goggles, snorkel & flippers and even fancy dress, to snorkel two lengths of a specially dug out, 60yd trench, in a peat bog.

For more information, visit http://www.green-events.co.uk/

Swansea World Party Weekend

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The world will be coming to Swansea this August bank holiday in a showcase of colour, music and food.

With an excellent live music stage featuring artists and dancers from local and international communities, marquees, workshops, cooking demonstrations and tasters, this event should not be missed!

From 1-6pm, in the grounds of the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

Free entry.

For more information, visit the Swansea Bay Festival website.

UW Press wins international recognition

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The University of Wales Press is delighted to announce that its publication, 'Wilkie Collins, Medicine and the Gothic' by Laurence Talairach-Vielmas, has won the European Society for the Study of English (ESSE) Book Award.

As winner of the ESSE Book Award, Laurence will receive a prize of €1500, which will be awarded to her at the General Assembly of ESSE, on Saturday 28 August in Turin, Italy.

The book examines how Wilkie Collins’s interest in medical matters developed in her writing through exploration of his revisions of the late eighteenth-century Gothic novel from his first sensational novels to her last work in the 1880s.

Wilkie Collins has mostly been studied in relation to gender and the Female Gothic. This study, however, examines the relationship between the Gothic and Medicine in Collins for the first time, making an important contribution to research in this area as well as developing the market of the rising medical humanities.

Helgard Krause, Head of the University of Wales Press, commented: "We are delighted that one of our publications has once again been recognised on an international level for this prestigious prize. Laurence Talairach-Vielmas is a very talented author and this fascinating study of Wilkie Collins fully deserves this accolade."

Ryder Cup maze appears in west Wales

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

With just over a month to go, a west Wales attraction is getting ready for when the Ryder Cup comes to Wales at the beginning of October by unveiling a giant golf-themed maze.

The complex maize maze has appeared in Heatherton Country Sports Park in Pembrokeshire and is only visible from the air. It depicts two figures swinging golf clubs either side of the famous trophy.

Marketing and operations manager at Heatherton Simon Hilling said: "As a massive fan of the Ryder Cup, it is a pleasure to celebrate Wales' success in gaining the esteemed sporting event."Heatherton has previously created mazes inspired by Welsh sports stars Joe Calzaghe and Ryan Giggs, and Welsh music legend Tom Jones.

For more information about the Ryder Cup, which will take place in the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, south Wales between 1-3 October, visit our dedicated pages.

Men Aloud hit television channels USA-wide

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Only Men Aloud, under their US name Men Aloud, are appearing on Public Broadcasting stations throughout the USA September through December as part of a major annual fundraiser for Public Television. The promotion will feature pre-recorded footage of the choir in a concert at the Wales Millennium Centre and interviews with founder and conductor of Only Men Aloud Tim Rhys Evans who talks about Wales and his own vision for bringing the Welsh choral tradition into the 21st century.

Public Broadcasting in the USA is a network of TV stations that broadcast quality programs and carry no commercials. The stations rely on donations from viewers to keep them afloat. Viewers who pledge money during the Men Aloud fundraising drive will receive copies of the new 'Men Aloud - Live from Wales' DVDs and CDs which have just been released in the US market by Denon.

Talking Pictures - sneak preview

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We've uploaded a sneak preview of some of the photographs and audio from the upcoming Talking Pictures exhibition opening in Cardiff, London and New York in September. Click here to see the preview of some of our celebrities taking part including Shirley Bassey, Michael Sheen and Matthew Rhys

More stars confirmed for welcome concert

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Pontypridd chart toppers Lostprophets and Swansea singing sensation Shaheen Jafargholi and The Mark Jermin Stage School are all set to perform as part of the prestigious 2010 Ryder Cup celebration concert 'Welcome to Wales' at the Millennium Stadium on 29 September.

Catherine Zeta Jones CBE, Katherine Jenkins, Only Men Aloud, Lostprophets and Shaheen Jafargholi and The Mark Jermin Stage School will join other stars from the entertainment and golfing arenas to celebrate the start of The Ryder Cup during this special 90 minute televised show. Also on stage, as part of the evening, will be both the European and United States Teams who will be officially introduced to the audience.

Since forming in 1998, Lostprophets have steadily built a massive following, with multiple arena tours and headlining festival appearances under their belts. Six Kerrang awards, six UK Top 20 singles, including 'Burn Burn', 'Last Train Home', 'Rooftops' and 'Its Not The End Of The World But I Can See It From Here', and three UK Top Ten albums (2004's Start Something, 2006's No. 1 album Liberation Transmission and 2010's The Betrayed), punctuate the adoration for Lostprophets' music that has been a constant presence on the charts and in the hearts of a generation of rock music fans for more than a decade.

Mike Lewis from Lostprophets said, "We're very excited to be a part of the Welcome to Wales concert. The tradition of sport is huge in Wales, and we know how important it is to the country that such a massive event like the Ryder Cup is being held here. We're very proud to be part of it."

Thirteen-year-old Shaheen Jafargholi - who found fame on ITV's Britain's Got Talent show with the Michael Jackson hit 'Who's loving you' - will join the stellar line up to honour golf's most prestigious event and welcome both the European and United States Teams to his homeland.

Ryder Cup Europe will make history as they deliver The 2010 Ryder Cup, the biggest sporting event to be held in Wales, with a massive, global TV audience. Golf's greatest team event is staged every two years, alternating between venues in Europe and the United States. This is the first time The Ryder Cup has been held in Wales and the tournament will take place at The Celtic Manor Resort in the City of Newport from October 1-3, 2010, showcasing the nation to a truly global audience.

Tickets for the Welcome to Wales event at the Millennium Stadium are available now from the following outlets

Millennium Stadium Box Office 08442 777 888
www.ticketmaster.co.uk <http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/event/120044D2DE655AB3> / www.seetickets.co.uk <http://www.seetickets.com/?c=482941>

Ticket prices:
£25 Standard,
£40 Limited premium seats,
£60 Family ticket,
£15 under 16's

£5 from each ticket sale will be donated to charity

Dylan Thomas Centre to become creative world hub

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Swansea's world-famous Dylan Thomas Centre could be transformed into a 21st Century hub for culture, creative industries, education and enterprise.

Swansea Council is looking to join forces with the University of Wales and Swansea Metropolitan University in an exciting joint venture that will make the most of the venue.

Plans would see the retention of the Dylan Thomas exhibition and literature programme as well as the introduction of several new features and services at the centre.

Some of the new features could include an improvement of the existing exhibition with the addition of interpretation about other iconic Swansea Bay-related figures.

The centre could also become home to the University of Wales Dylan Thomas Prize- the world's biggest literature prize for young published authors- as well as the Sony Reader Prize- a new UK prize sponsored by Sony in partnership with the Dylan Thomas Prize that's aimed at young unpublished writers.

Swansea Council's Cabinet is being asked to enter in principle into a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Wales and Swansea Metropolitan University that would be agreed in fine detail later this year.

Other ideas that could be realised include the accommodation of dedicated business incubation space at the Dylan Thomas Centre for creative industries.

Cllr Graham Thomas, Swansea Council's Cabinet Member for Culture, Recreation and Tourism, said: "This is an exciting plan that would build on the tremendous success story of the Dylan Thomas Centre.

"The exhibition and literature festival are major attractions. This initiative would make the most of what we already have and would give the University of Wales and Swansea Metropolitan University another base in the city centre.

"Plans would not only see the existing exhibition conserved and improved but could also include the accommodation of cutting-edge, creative industries at a time when we're looking to keep as many talented graduates as possible in the Swansea area.

"We're delighted to be working in close partnership with the University of Wales and Swansea Metropolitan University. Agreeing the Memorandum of Understanding in principle means we can further explore ideas to generate a 21st Century hub of culture, academia and business at the Dylan Thomas Centre while saving Swansea taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds in the long-term."

Professor David Warner, Vice-Chancellor of Swansea Metropolitan University, said: "These discussions are at a very early stage and there is much work to do by both the University of Wales and Swansea Metropolitan University before anything is finalised.

"Needless to say, this opportunity could offer us the chance to enhance our city centre presence in a wonderful building and would no doubt be of benefit to both Wales-based students and the people of Swansea."

The University of Wales Vice-Chancellor, Professor Marc Clement, added: "The University of Wales sees itself as a pan-Wales institution, and is delighted to seek to develop this role further in partnership with the City of Swansea and Swansea Metropolitan University."

For information about the Dylan Thomas Centre, please visit:
www.swansea.gov.uk/dtc|

For more information about the University of Wales, please visit
http://www.wales.ac.uk/|

New Wales Travel website!

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

A new website, www.traveltrade.visitwales.com, has gone live and it looks pretty good!

It is aimed for the Leisure Travel Trade and Business Tourism sectors and combines all the existing B2B websites into one dynamic well resourced website. The site also includes the events search, links to the Wales Official Tourist Guides Association website, golf clubs around Wales, regional convention bureaux and other key national and regional contacts.

It is designed to be a tool for companies worldwide to plan their clients’ trips to Wales. Enjoy!

New International Business Studies degree launched

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Glamorgan Business School is to launch a new top-up degree in International Business Studies starting in February 2011.

This is an exciting opportunity for students with an HND, or equivalent, qualification looking to commence studies in early 2011 rather than waiting until the traditional September start date. This course will focus on a number of essential areas within international business such as the concept of a global business, how different cultures can influence businesses and the impact of this on communications. Alongside these core business areas such as research, strategy and how to manage and develop the capability of the organisations will also be explored. Additionally students will benefit from an opportunity to select an option module from a wide range of subject areas such as marketing, enterprise, accounting and human resource management.

To find out more about this course please visit the BA (Hons) International Business Studies (Top-up) page.

Corus invests £185m in Port Talbot steelworks

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Europe's second largest steel producer Corus announced yesterday that they are to invest £185 million in their Port Talbot steelworks. The investment will increase capacity of the two blast furnaces by up to 400,000 tonnes per year. The news was welcomed by the First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Wales.

The First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones said:

"I am delighted to hear that Corus are making this major investment in Port Talbot which has a long, proud history of steel making and is a vote of confidence in the productivity of both the management and the workforce.

"This move will make Wales a leader in sustainable steel production and shows a long-term commitment to the future of the Steelworks.

"This news shows we can compete with the rest of the world when it comes to manufacturing and that steel will remain an important sector for Wales for many years to come."

The Deputy First Minister and Minister for the Economy Ieuan Wyn Jones said:

"This decision is a major boost for Port Talbot and the Welsh economy.

"Despite the current economic challenges we face, this investment shows Corus' confidence in Wales and the skills of the staff at Port Talbot who have worked tirelessly over recent years to make this site more efficient, more productive and able to compete.

"This new investment also shows that the Welsh Assembly Government was right to support and work closely with Corus during the tough times to give Port Talbot a strong future.

"Corus is an important anchor company in Wales and we are pleased that it will continue to play a vital role as we implement our plans for economic renewal."

Gold medals for Wales!

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We're celebrating this week as some of our Welsh sportswomen bring home medals from various events around the world.

Jade Jones won Great Britain’s first gold in the women's-55kg taekwondo category at the Youth Olympics in Singapore. The 17 year old grew up in Flintshire and is now looking forward to the 2012 Olympics.

Ellie Simmonds won a 2^nd Gold at the Paralympic World Swimming Championships for her 50m freestyle. She also broke her own world record with a new time of 5m 27.64 secs.

And hoping for more medals, Wales have announced their boxing team for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. On announcing the team, Coach Tony Williams said: "We did really well in Melbourne and these boxers have a lot to live up to. Boxing has a rich heritage in Wales and at the Commonwealth Games and has consistently delivered medals" Read details of the team at http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/8831275.stm

Talking Pictures

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Photographs of creative people inspired by Wales or carrying the DNA of Wales will be unveiled in Cardiff, London, New York and Los Angeles over the coming months. And the exhibition promises some surprising pictures as well as some firm favourites.

The subjects have been chosen and photographed by Llanidloes - born celebrity photographer Cambridge Jones. Jones’ portraits are direct, bold and often playful. He says, "I shoot celebrities as people rather than people as celebrities. I like my portraits to be honest without any veneer. I want a visual connection between the viewer and the subject, often jumping out of the frame. I am pleased when they walk out of a session an hour or so later and comment that they don't feel they have been photographed. It’s almost incidental that the encounter involved a camera."

But Jones wanted more than just two-dimensional images of some of Wales’s greatest stars. During each photo shoot, Jones asked each celebrity who most inspired them. Their answers accompany each of the portraits as a personal soundtrack giving the audience a unique insight into each of the celebrity’s lives. For the actor Michael Sheen, surprisingly, it was the controversial and often stinging critic, Kenneth Tynan, who inspired him. The music of Gilbert and Sullivan was an early influence on Damian Lewis - dashing star of Band of Brothers - and Terry Jones says he was inspired by going to the Esher Embassy and watching Danny Kaye "being silly".

The subjects of Talking Pictures span many generations. The elegant young designer Emma Griffiths, who looks stunning in her monochrome outfit, says that her idol was Alexander McQueen. She adds, "Ironically, I worked for him later on and it was a little bit surreal". The celebrated author Jan Morris is photographed with her equally gifted son the chaired bard Twm Morys.

Cambridge Jones has been described as ‘Britain’s answer to Annie Leibovitz’ and he is flattered with the comparison but in his own audio piece accompanying the exhibit he explains that his process is "actually very different". David Bailey was the greatest influence for Cambridge and he talks about Bailey and the secrets of the photography process in his recording.

All the people chosen by Cambridge to take part have been nurtured by Wales in some way and the exhibition celebrates the pride they have in their Welsh connections. From the Italian-born Welsh-speaking conductor Carlo Rizzi who took the Welsh National Opera into their new home in the Wales Millennium Centre, to the Carmarthen-born actor Sian Phillips who says, ’I've travelled the world but my "heaven on earth" will always be the Black Mountain’.

Talking Pictures has been produced in association with the Welsh Assembly Government. First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones AM, said: ‘The Welsh Assembly Government is very proud to have supported Cambridge Jones and his exhibition from its inception through to its completion. It is important that Wales recognises and celebrates the amazing talent that our small country produces and we are grateful to all the participants for their help in our continuing efforts to raise the profile of Wales both home and abroad.’

For exhibition venues and dates visit our Talking Pictures pages

Top amateur boxers pick Cardiff for 2012 training

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) has decided to hold its final 'Road to London' preparation training camp in Cardiff

The camp will be based at Cardiff University's Talybont Campus, which has been included in the London Olympic Games Organising Committee (LOCOG) Pre-Games Training Camp Guide.

Over 100 selected boxers and coaches from emerging nations throughout all Road to London preliminary training camp programmes will be based at the University for up to 20 days leading into the Games. For example, before the AIBA World Championships Milan 2009, a total of 94 boxers and 25 coaches from 66 countries took part in the Road to Milan program held in the city of Assisi, Italy.

AIBA's decision is the result of a partnership approach between the Welsh Assembly Government, Welsh Amateur Boxing Association (WABA) and Cardiff University and a reflection of the range and quality of international standard sporting facilities in the capital and the quality of people and services available to visiting teams. The camp will bring economic, educational and cultural benefits to Wales as well as provide a tremendous sporting legacy opportunity for Welsh Amateur Boxing.

Assembly Government Minister for Heritage, Alun Ffred Jones, said:

"AIBA's decision is a tremendous result for Wales and for Welsh Amateur Boxing. Having Olympic boxers and coaches making final 2012 preparations in Cardiff will be inspirational for people associated with the sport in Wales. We are also delighted that Cardiff will provide the opportunity for AIBA to conduct various seminars for coaches, referees and judges from around the world."

In addition to the L2012 preparation camp which will take place immediately before the Games, AIBA is also looking to stage a Pre-Olympic Qualifying Event training camp in Cardiff in January 2012 and coaching, refereeing and judging seminars.

"AIBA is proud to support boxers and coaches from emerging countries around the world leading up to London," said AIBA President Dr Ching-Kuo Wu.

"We provide funding for their travel, accommodation and board, hoping to give the boxers training and opportunities that they could not afford otherwise including all expenses of their participation in the major Championships. As we have seen in past editions of the 'Road to' programs, it is very successful in developing boxers."

Seb Coe, Chairman of the London 2012 Olympic Organising Committee, said:

"This is great news for Cardiff and Wales. Cardiff will be a great training and acclimatisation base for these emerging boxing nations to make their final preparations prior to one of the most important competitions in their sporting careers. Hosting this camp will bring great benefits to the city such as an economic boost and the chance to develop sporting and cultural links. It is a great way for Cardiff to feel real benefits of the London 2012 Olympic Games and to get involved!"

WABA representative, David Francis, said:

"Welsh Amateur Boxing Association representation within AIBA is stronger than it has ever been, and we are pleased that the President of AIBA has the confidence in the WABA to stage this, as it is the biggest training event in the Olympic cycle. The support that we have had from WAG, Sport Wales and Cardiff University has been monumental."

Stuart Vanstone, Head of Sport at Cardiff University, said:

"This is a fantastic opportunity for the University to work with elite sports men and women from around the world. We have been working extensively with the Assembly Government and the Welsh Amateur Boxing Association in producing the proposal and we are delighted that AIBA have chosen Cardiff as their training base for 2012 preparations. The AIBA training camp is in addition to the Australian Paralympic training camp that we are hosting at the University and will ensure that we are firmly engaged in the Olympic and Paralympic movement ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Legacy programs and associated benefits are being developed to ensure that we maximise the potential of our association with AIBA"

Welsh international sporting successes

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Welsh athletes to appear in first ever youth Olympic Games

A gymnast and a boxer will be among five Welsh athletes flying the flag for Wales at the first Youth Olympic Games next week.

Singapore will play host to the inaugural event (14 – 26 August) which will feature some 5,000 athletes and officials from the 205 National Olympic Committees.

A group of 40 young British athletes, aged 14-18, from 16 Olympic sports will participate in a competition schedule which includes all 26 sports on the London 2012 Olympic Programme, five of which will be up and coming Welsh talent.

Flintshire Taekwondo star 16 year-old Jade Jones, 18 year-old triathlete Eli Thorogood from Aberystwyth and Llanelli’s Zak Davies, also 18, will be joined by 17 year-old show jumper Carian Scudamore and youngest member of the Welsh contingent 14 year-old gymnast Jessica Hogg.

For more information on the Singapore Youth Olympics visit their website http://www.syog2010.mobi/public/sg2010/en.html

Welsh students take rugby stateside

Welsh students, determined to bring their passion for rugby to the US, are heading to Harlem in New York.

Rugby USA’s East Harlem Outreach Programme has recruited four students from the University of Glamorgan to help encourage the sport in New York’s schools and organised festivals and championships.

Tom Hatfield, Chris Day, Gareth Redding and Andrew Fern have all been in the US promoting the sport. They developed a new high school Sevens programme for elementary and middle schools and taken part in evaluating local rugby coaches.

Mark Griffin, chief executive of Play Rugby USA said: "The guys have been outstanding. Their knowledge of the variant game and how to coach skills are top class".

Two other students, Ben Cullen and Jamie Pincott have gone to the state of Indiana and won praise for their skill and spirit.

It is hoped greater numbers of Glamorgan students will be able to spend time across the Atlantic in future years.

Chance for Wales to power ahead on tidal energy

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Wales could at last be taking the lead when it comes to renewable energy thanks to the go- ahead for trials of an undersea tidal power scheme off Pembrokeshire.

The pioneering technology for harnessing the vast energy in our reliable-as-clockwork tides has been dreamed up and produced in Wales. Marine engineer Richard Ayre came up with the idea then developed it at his base in Little Haven, Pembrokeshire, west Wales.

The scheme is a perfect example of how green energy can benefit both the global environment and our domestic economy. Unlike other forms of renewable energy, like solar and wind, the sub-sea DeltaStream turbines are powered by an entirely predictable natural resource.

And the technology is virtually invisible with work having been done to minimise harm to the marine environment.

It is also easy to install, having the ability to be put in place from a specially adapted barge.

And even in the prototype test, which will last 12 months, people in St Davids will get a reliable supply of green energy.

If the project gets off the ground as expected, many thousands more will have clean power entering their homes.

It would be one of the world’s biggest and most difficult engineering projects.

Ladies Championship of Europe comes to north Wales

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

It’s only a few weeks to go until The Ryder Cup comes to the Celtic Manor Resort in Wales and we’re gearing up for the tournament by hosting another prestigious golf event - The Ladies European Tour.

This competition will bring ladies' professional golf to Conwy, north Wales when Europe's finest lady golfers, including North Wales' own Becky Brewerton compete in this prestigious event.

The event takes place from Thursday 12 - Sunday 15 August 2010 at Conwy Golf Club. The course is rated as one of the top links around – and among the toughest, especially the final three holes which always play a big part in every tournament.

It has hosted Ian Woosnam and Sam Torrance in the Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open, many of the best European professionals in the final Open Championship qualifying event and top amateurs in the European Amateur Team Championships.

For more information, visit the Ladies European Tour website or Conwy Golf Club website.

Tour of Britain stage to be held in Wales

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Mon, 9 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

British Road Race Champion and Olympic gold medallist, Geraint Thomas has said he is looking forward to competing in his home country in The Tour of Britain. It is the first time the event has visited Wales, since 2004.

The Welsh stage is 150km long and runs from Newtown to Swansea. Constitution Hill, Swansea, will be the steepest section of the entire tour.

A group of local schoolchildren will lead the peloton out to start the race at around 10.30 on Monday, 13 September.

Geraint Thomas said "It’s great to be able to compete in a top quality competition in my own country and I’m really looking forward to this challenging stage… Hosting this stage is great news for Welsh cycling fans to be able to see some top quality competitors, and for cycling fans in general to see this great country. Hopefully this event will also inspire more young people in Wales to take up cycling."

Geraint, who recently returned from a successful second Tour de France, will compete as part of strong Team Sky that also includes fellow Olympian, Bradley Wiggins.

Commenting on the Welsh stage, Tour of Britain technical director, Mick Bennett said "I’m delighted to bring The Tour back to Wales, particularly in a year which has seen a Welsh cyclist, Geraint Thomas, enjoy so much success. We’ve created a very tough stage, with the two hardest climbs of the entire Tour coming in the final 50 kilometres. Knowing the reputation of Constitution Hill in Swansea, I am sure cycling fans will flock from all over to see riders tackle the cobbled climb, which will prove decisive in who wins in Swansea."

The 2010 Tour of Britain will start in the north west of England on Saturday 11 September and finish in London the following weekend, on Saturday 18 September.

100 of the world’s top cyclists from 17 top professional international teams will take on the challenge of The Tour of Britain in 2010, with a route designed to deliver a worthy overall winner to join the ranks of previous yellow jerseys such as Edvald Boasson Hagen, Geoffroy Lequatre, Romain Feillu and Nick Nuyens.

Welsh International health conference

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 5 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

An International Conference on managing chronic conditions; prevention, delivery and developing sustainable solutions to help people with such conditions live more independent lives will be taking place on the 10^th & 11^th November at City Hall, Cardiff.

Approaches in Wales in recent years to improving Chronic Conditions Management has shown positive and consistent improvements to patient care, particularly reducing emergency medical admissions and length of stay. The Conference, ‘Embracing the challenges – changing conditions’, will provide a forum to share expertise further, showcase learning and acknowledge progress.

The event will provide a unique opportunity to take stock of international developments to date, inform next steps and identify opportunities for improving chronic conditions management and public health. Leading experts from across the world will be providing keynote presentations and supporting workshops across a range of topics providing invaluable insights and expertise.

For further information, a conference brochure and a booking form, please contact Henry Vaile at henry.vaile@wales.gsi.gov.uk

'Let Paul Robeson Sing!’ at National Eisteddfod

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Wed, 4 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Swansea University launched a new learning resource about Paul Robeson, the world renowned singer, actor and civil rights activist, and his links with Wales at the National Eisteddfod yesterday.

Heritage Minister, Alun Ffred Jones, launched the resource, with special guest Susan Robeson, the granddaughter of Paul Robeson.

The Minster said:

"I am delighted to be launching this important resource and it is an honour to welcome Susan to the Eisteddfod. Paul Robeson enjoyed a unique relationship with the people of Wales and this initiative by Swansea University will enable everyone to discover more about this inspirational man."

Paul Robeson, one of the foremost African-Americans of the twentieth century, was a special guest of the National Eisteddfod the last time it was in Ebbw Vale, in 1958. At that event, Robeson spoke of his love for Wales and its people, saying "You have shaped my life - I have learned from you."

The bilingual learning resource has been developed by the South Wales Miners Library, Swansea University with the financial support of the Welsh Assembly Government and will be part of the new online People's Collection Wales.

Sian Williams, the Librarian of the South Wales Miners Library said,

"The resource highlights Paul Robeson's enduring links with Wales. It is based on the successful touring exhibition 'Let Paul Robeson Sing!' which is now part of the South Wales Coalfield Collection at the South Wales Miners Library."

Paul's granddaughter Susan Robeson will be on the Swansea University stand at the National Eisteddfod in Ebbw Vale every day between 11am and 1pm.

Sian Williams said

"Susan Robeson is keen to meet anyone who remembers her grandfather or has any photographs or other memorabilia they would like to share. As Paul Robeson touched the lives of so many people in Wales, we will be recording people's memories of him and making copies of memorabilia so we can add them to the 'Let Paul Robeson Sing!' online learning resource."

‘Son et lumiere’ show comes to Caerphilly

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Wed, 4 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

illuminata, a digital sound and light spectacular, will be held at Caerphilly Castle, south Wales on 26 September to 8 October 2010.

Organized and performed by projection artist Ross Ashton, illuminata is a ‘son et lumiere’ style show that will be projected on to the dramatic walls of Caerphilly Castle. A variety of performances will precede each illuminata show, such as Cauldrons and Furnaces schools project and Fire and Drums. There are also banquets each night between 30 September and 3 October, with a range of entertainment such as Welsh music and films, and a one-night-only rock group concert on 7 October.

For more information and to book tickets visit http://www.cadwevents.co.uk/events/illuminata-2010

Australia puts Wales in top ten

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Wed, 4 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Interesting article in The Australian giving their top ten best free things to do in the UK including Wales’ Millennium Centre and our Big Weekend Festival.

Read the article at http://www.theaustralian.com.au/travel/world/gallery-fn30267p-1225897572398?page=10

Wales' Becky Brewerton hits hole in one

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Wed, 4 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Wales' Becky Brewerton has recorded her first ever hole in one during the 2010 Ricoh Women's British Open at Royal Birkdale Golf Club.

The two-time Ladies European Tour tournament champion aced the par three 12th hole using a five-iron during the third round.

Read more at http://host2.ladieseuropeantour.com/~ladies/content/let_article_item.php?Id=27723

Welsh school stars in international film

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Tue, 3 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Teachers and pupils from Ysgol Llanllechid in North Wales are starring in a new film alongside poet and novelist Benjamin Zephaniah, as part of their involvement in an education initiative to widen young people's knowledge of development issues.

The film, which was launched last month, will be distributed to schools around the world and focuses on Llanllechid's six year long partnership with Mavisville Preparatory School in Jamaica, which has been established through the government's Global School Partnerships programme. Ysgol Llanllechid was selected from more than 2,500 schools involved in the programme across the UK to star in the film, which aims to inspire and help more schools around the world to develop similar links.

Zephaniah wrote and performed a poem entitled "We go Global" for the film and has shown his support for the work that Ysgol Llanllechid and the other schools featured are doing. Zephaniah said: "Global School Partnerships can break down barriers and build links from nation to nation, helping to create communication and connections and a more positive future for young people."

Gwenan Davies Jones, Head of Llanllechid said: "We are so delighted that the British Council has produced this DVD because there is a call for it as we have recognised by mentoring several schools in the area. The whole essence of global education and partnerships is sharing and we have tried to share resources such as our own videos to inspire others in the region for several years. But to be selected to feature in a DVD with worldwide distribution is something else entirely it's simply terrific."

The Global School Partnerships programme is funded by UKaid from the Department for International Development and delivered by a consortium of the British Council, Cambridge Education Foundation, UKOWLA and VSO. Through the programme, teachers and students across the UK can work on joint projects with partners in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, with the aim of developing young people's commitment to a fairer, more sustainable world.

Miss Gloria Anderson, Head of Mavisville in Jamaica visited Ysgol Llanllechid last month, along with a few of her teachers to continue to develop joint curricular projects.

She said "It's always important for children to understand that they are part of a global world and when they are part of interaction between schools they become aware of similarities and differences and it develops a tolerance that is sometimes sadly lacking in the world."

Watch a clip from the film here.

Welsh company wins innovation gold

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Tue, 3 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

SmartKem Ltd, a participating company of the University of Wales Global Academy Prince of Wales Innovation Scholarship (POWIS) scheme has won Gold at The Inaugural Best of British Innovation Award at Venturefest 2010.

SmartKem Ltd, develops novel materials and processes that create high resolution microelectronic components directly onto thin flexible materials. This prestigious award recognises SmartKem as one of the year's most exciting technology businesses for its innovative new printed electronics solution.

The Best of British Innovation 2010 Award is part of Venturefest's annual technology showcase which identifies three of the most exciting new technology businesses in the United Kingdom and showcases them to the country's foremost investors, innovators and entrepreneurs. Displaying some of the most progressive new science companies in the country, Venturefest 2010 prompts investment in UK's high technology economy. The Innovation Showcase exhibition judging panel selected SmartKem from a shortlist of nnovative start-ups in the UK during 2010.

Based in Denbighshire, Wales, SmartKem is a new high technology enterprise delivering and generating a novel range of organic semiconductor molecules compatible with printed electronic processes. The company is also developing a high precision laser process for the fabrication of its materials into small microelectronic devices such as transistors and sensors.

Steve Kelly, CEO SmartKem, comments:

"We are delighted that SmartKem has been recognised as the most exciting new technology business of 2010. Winning this coveted award will help to boost our profile in the printed electronics market and provide us with great exposure for further equity fundraising. We are still in early stage research and development and are thrilled to be awarded for positive advancements in printed and flexible electronics."

Richie Turner, Deputy Director of the Global Academy added:

"The winning of this award for SmartKem Ltd. is not only a clear endorsement of their hugely innovative technologies but is also a clear endorsement of the quality of innovative companies that have chosen to work with the University of Wales's Prince of Wales Innovation Scholarships programme. "

POWIS is a leading edge £11.4million initiative bringing the private sector in Wales together with higher education and bright young graduates from across the globe. Currently SmartKem is benefitting from the vast experience of POWIS scholar, Dr Robert Holmes, who will be working within the company for a three-year period. The company not only receives research and development support, but they also receive access to numerous other benefits like the innovation and entrepreneurship residential programmes run by the University of Wales Global Academy and courses run by some of the worldâ€™s leading thinkers such as the MIT Sloan School. Every POWIS company or scholar is also part of the Global Academy innovation network which provides free membership to the MIT Industrial Liaison Program, a valuable resource for businesses which normally costs $60k per annum.

http://www.wales.ac.uk/en/NewsandEvents/News/GlobalAcademy/POWISPartnerCompanyStrikesInnovationGold.aspx

History of Wales website launches at Eisteddfod

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Mon, 2 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

People’s Collection Wales / Casgliad y Werin Cymru, a brand new site that uses pioneering technology to tell the story of Wales has been launched Minister for Heritage Alun Ffred Jones at this year’s National Eisteddfod.

The People’s Collection Wales is a contemporary, interactive and bilingual online experience dedicated to the history of Wales and its people. It is a rich cultural and social treasure trove that charts the human story of Wales with an archive of reminiscences, photographs, video and audio for future generations. These include film from the middle of the last century of the Ebbw Vale Steelworks, the site of the National Eisteddfod, along with the history of the Gorsedd, its ceremonies and regalia, including images, video and audio clips of interviews with Bards, and even 3D photographs of medals awarded in 1789.

The site brings the story to life using GPS technology that allows the viewer to travel over the landscape of Wales and travel back and forth in time, while viewing artefacts in 3D. And the free site will build over time as contributions create people’s own personal collections.

The People’s Collection Wales is a Welsh Assembly Government One Wales initiative that celebrates Wales’ rich cultural and social heritage. It has been wholeheartedly welcomed by a number of well known Welsh faces including Hollywood actor Matthew Rhys, who describes People’s Collection Wales as "a fantastic idea for many reasons, where I can find the places I grew up with", international harpist Catrin Finch, Gavin and Stacey actor Steffan Rhodri, British Lion Stephen Jones, broadcaster Eddie Butler who claims "it will reinvigorate the spirit of independent Wales", and celebrated Welsh chef Bryn Williams of Odette’s, who will use the site to "discover information about Welsh ingredients and the history of Welsh cooking".

Alun Ffred Jones said: "This is a proud moment launching a website that truly encapsulates the social history of Wales that is written by its people. Many of us are aware of the key events in Welsh history, but you only truly feel that connection with the past when it is told by its communities. That is what People’s Collection Wales has achieved. It will widen the understanding of our cultural heritage.

"As well as launching the site to the world, we also invite further contributions and material from the people of Wales both at home and across the world to ensure the site evolves as time goes on."

Archive material has been drawn from a number of sources including Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales, the National Library of Wales, the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, and a number of individuals across Wales have already come forward with archive material. As well as being of interest to the people of Wales, it will prove a valuable tool for the tourism industry in Wales, and as a source of learning for schools and colleges.

Mr Jones added: "People’s Collection gives a great boost to the tourism industry in Wales, allowing visitors to get a real feel for the country they will visit, and to access information and stories relevant to the site they are visiting through their mobile phones".

The advanced technology- lead by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales- allows people to pick up the site on their mobile phones, and contribute to the site from remote locations by uploading images or information for all to see.

The site has been developed by Welsh company Sequence in partnership with the Welsh Assembly Government, led by programme manager Rheinallt Jones, with the involvement of Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales, the National Library of Wales, the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, the BBC and Llafur: The Welsh People’s History Society.

www.peoplescollectionwales.co.uk

Welsh Gold and Silver at European Championships

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Mon, 2 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Welsh pair Dai Greene and Rhys Williams secured a one-two finish for Britain in the men's 400m hurdles final at the European Championships in Barcelona.

Greene, 24, won in a time of 48.12 seconds, with Williams taking silver in a personal best time of 48.96.

"There was a lot of expectation and there is no better feeling to deliver on the day," said Greene.

Greene powered to a commanding victory in 48.12 seconds, lowering his own leading time in Europe this year with a new personal best.

"It felt pressurised being the favourite tonight but the pressure helped me to focus and go faster," he said. "I didn't have any other objective than to win the gold medal and I'm very pleased to have secured a personal best at the same time."

Williams the son of former Wales rugby winger JJ Williams, survived misjudging the final hurdle to claim silver in 48.96 sec, also a new personal best.

New Ryder Cup pages

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Check out our new Ryder Cup pages at www.wales.com/rydercup with lots of information on the upcoming tournament at the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, south Wales

What are you doing this weekend?

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We thought we’d write a quick piece on some of the great events that Wales has got going on over the weekend…..

Saturday sees the start of the National Eisteddfod of Wales in Ebbw Vale. The Eisteddfod is one of Wales’ biggest festivals with an eclectic mix of Welsh culture, music, visual arts and a celebration of the Welsh language. This year sees performances by Only Men Aloud and newly formed Only Boys Aloud.

Cardiff Festival continues this weekend with the opening of Calendar Girls at the Wales Millennium Centre starring Denise Black, Jean Boht, Jennifer Ellison, Julia Hills, Rachel Lumberg, Ruth Madoc and Elaine C Smith. For ticket information call 08700 40 2000.

Also part of Cardiff Festival is the Admiral Big Weekend, a huge fun fair and live music event in the centre of Wales’ capital. This year’s festival sees home grown and top international artists playing on the FREE live music stage over 3 days.

The North Wales Boat Show starts tomorrow with over a hundred local and international companies and organisations exhibiting. The three day event takes place at the Vaynol Estate in Bangor with lots of attractions and watersports to try.

And the final of the Welsh International Super Cup takes place this weekend in Aberystwyth. Now in its 26^th year, teams from around the world will be heading to mid Wales for the tournament, which always attract many Premiership football scouts in the search for the future stars of the game.

Enjoy!

UWIC holds special graduation ceremonies in Brunei

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC) held graduation ceremonies in Brunei at the Chancellor Hall, Universiti Brunei Darussalam last week.

Award ceremonies were held over two days for almost 100 successful Bruneian students who have studied at UWIC, in the presence of Rob Fenn, British High Commissioner and Pehin Abdul Rahman Taib, former Minister of Education, who was made an Honorary Fellow of UWIC.

As well as these esteemed guests, the Vice-Chancellor of UWIC, Professor Antony Chapman, was also joined by other honoured guests and over 400 family and friends of the graduates at the Universiti of Brunei Darussalam for the award ceremony.

Rob Fenn, Brunei High Commissioner said: "It's wonderful to be here celebrating the success of so many Bruneian students. UWIC is a class act and is exceptional in the way that it looks after the welfare of these students.

I'm very proud to be here and very proud of what UWIC does for Britain in its relationship with Brunei."

John Phillips, Dean of International Students at UWIC and also Chair of the British Universities Brunei Association, said: "This event is held every two years in Brunei and allows each successful graduate to invite a large number of family and friends. Having worked so hard, our Bruneian graduates really deserve this opportunity to enjoy their moment at this ceremony in Brunei in addition to the ceremonies held in Cardiff.

"The University values its relationship with Brunei and is proud that the success of this year's student cohort was honoured by the attendance of Pehin Abdul Rahman Taib, former Minister of Education and that he was made an Honorary Fellow of the university the highest honour that UWIC can bestow.

"The graduating students are absolutely delighted - we had an audience of more than 400 family and friends for whom it was a very special day."

Nur Azimah Zaili, a graduating student in the field of Health and Social Care, who thanked everyone involved in the success of all the students, said: "UWIC is a very welcoming university and I have found all the staff to be very supportive. Cardiff is an ideal city for Bruneians - I was very happy there. I am very pleased to be receiving my academic award from Professor Antony Chapman, UWIC's Vice-Chancellor; it is a wonderful day for my family to celebrate my success."

Find out more at http://www3.uwic.ac.uk/English/News/Pages/UWIC-holds-special-graduation-ceremonies-in-Brunei.aspx

Welsh university is a winner in motor sport

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Swansea Metropolitan University's Formula Student Team have yet again proved themselves to be one of the best motorsport teams in the world, having confirmed themselves as best in Wales, top three in the UK and, even more impressively, top twelve in the world, after the 2010 Formula Student competition at Silverstone.

Formula Student, the biggest student motorsport competition in the world, promotes careers and excellence in engineering, by challenging students to design, build, develop, market and compete as a team with a small single seater racing car. It blends academic work and learning with the development of practical engineering skills.

This year's international competition saw approximately one hundred university teams from across the world converge onto the famous home of British motorsport, Silverstone. Each competition car was rigorously tested in areas such as endurance, speed and business viability.

It is the third year in a row that Swansea Met has finished in or around the world's top ten. Swansea Met also maintained its long-standing position as the top Welsh team and, for the third year in a row, secured its place in the UK top three. In addition, in one of the most competitive categories, acceleration, the team were best in the UK and seventh in the world.

Motorsport engineering and design student, Gareth Wyn Jones, from Llanfyllin, Powys, said: "We are really pleased with the result. It's fantastic that we, as undergraduates from Swansea Met with a relatively small budget and small team, can compete with large budget, big teams from across the world. The dedicated team members, who put in huge hours of work, can be proud of this respectable position.

"The team would like to thank our Faculty Advisor, Malcolm McDonald, for his guidance, technical support and motivation. Without his help and good nature the result obtained would be impossible. We would also like to thank Swansea Metropolitan University and the members of staff that have made it possible to create the 2010 car. This fantastic result is testament to the fact that people with a variety of different backgrounds from around the world can come together and achieve something against the odds.

"We are all grateful for the generosity of our sponsors. There have been many individual companies who have helped us this year and we hope they enjoy this success."

The event is the biggest of its kind in the world and is sponsored by big names in the automotive field such as Shell, National Instruments and the IET.

The speed of a Formula Student car is parallel to that of a super car, with a 0-60 speed of 3.5 seconds, and is produced at a cost of £15,000. The production of this car was partly achieved with kind sponsorship from a number of national and international companies.

Faculty Advisor, Malcolm McDonald said: â"Of the frontrunners in this competition, Swansea Met is probably the only all undergraduate team, with many other institutions including postgraduate and research students. The Swansea Met team is totally responsible for the design and engineering of the car and the results this year, and in previous years, clearly show that Swansea Met is punching above its weight in comparison with its high budget, international competitors. This is a huge result for the guys and their world ranking does justice to the time and effort they have given."

Swansea Met Vice-Chancellor, Professor David Warner, added: "Swansea Metropolitan University is very proud of the design, mechanical and management skills of its motorsport students. Some of the money used by the team is for widening participation and many of our students have come through the foundation degree and HND routes before undertaking their degrees."

Chinese Boxing Federation comes to Wales

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Chinese Boxing Federation are in Wales this week for the Night of Champions event between Wales, Sweden, US, Ireland and China. The event is being held in the Cardiff International Arena from tomorrow (29 July) until Saturday.

Find out more about the event at http://www.wbcnightofchampions.com/

Did you know we have a dedicated Chinese language site with lots of information about Welsh and Chinese links? Visit it at www.wales.cn

International student observes Welsh Assembly

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Interesting blog on the British Council website from a student on the Professional International Networking Programme at the Welsh Assembly.

Read his perception of Wales' government at http://blog.britishcouncil.org/2010/06/an-international-student-sits-in-on-the-welsh-assembly/

Welsh expertise renovates historic Mangi Bridge

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Newport based Cintec is working against time to renovate the historic Mangi Bridge in the heart of Delhi to ensure it provides a fitting gateway to the Commonwealth Games.

The nine-arched stone bridge, which connects Salimgarh Fort and the famous Red Fort, in the city centre needs to be structurally strengthened and visually enhanced. It spans the main arterial roads into the city and will form the main entrance to the Games when they open in October.

The contract for the Mangi Bridge is the largest and most prestigious that Cintec has undertaken in India to date, although the company is in negotiations regarding a number of other major contracts.

Cintec has built up a worldwide reputation for its unique anchoring systems used to strengthen and preserve ancient and historically important buildings and bridges around the globe.

The metal anchoring system is installed entirely within the fabric of the structure, leaving no visible change to the outward appearance, making it particularly appropriate for use on heritage structures.

Consignments of specially formulated micro-concrete weighing nearly 10 tonnes, plus the tailor-made anchor bars, have been flown out to Delhi for Cintec's latest project and work began on the weekend under the watchful eye of the Indian Archaeological Society.

"It really is quite an undertaking given the time constraints and the fact that much of the work has to be undertaken while the roads are open to traffic and temperatures are touching 38 degrees out there at the moment," said Cintec Managing Director Peter James.

"The bridge is in need of a considerable makeover to enhance its visual appearance as well as structural strengthening and we're working flat out to ensure it's ready by mid September."

Archtec is a system developed by Cintec specifically for strengthening stone arched bridges to date the company has monitored and analysed 420 bridges worldwide, of which it has strengthened 200.

Cintec has carried out work to numerous archaeological treasures around the world including famous temples.

The company is keen to undertake similar projects in India and met the country's Culture Minister during a trade mission led by Ieuan Wyn Jones, Minister for the Economy and Transport.

Ieuan Wyn Jones congratulated the company on winning the contract:

"It's great news to hear that a Welsh company with a worldwide reputation for its highly innovative work is carrying out such a high profile project.

I understand that it has received considerable coverage in the Indian press which is helping to raise the profile of Wales internationally."

Peter James added that he discussed bridge strengthening techniques when he met Prince Charles in Cardiff several years ago and the Prince will pass under the strengthened Mangi bridge on his way to open the Commonwealth Games.

Cintec technology is also used to strengthen buildings against seismic shocks from earthquakes as well as potential terrorism attacks. In 2002 the company won the Queen's Award for innovation for its masonry strengthening technology.

The company's head office is in Newport where it develops and manufactures its specialist systems and it has offices in the USA, Canada and India.

Visit the Valleys this Summer

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

With a whole host of fantastic Summer festivals and events lined up, The Valleys is definitely the place to spend the sunny weeks ahead. So whether it’s open air activities, food, music or a bit of culture that you’re into, The Valleys has something to entertain everyone…

The Eisteddfod

The biggest festival of them all, the 2010 National Eisteddfod will be held in Ebbw Vale from 31 July to 7 August, with an eclectic mixture of culture, visual arts, poetry, dance, literature and activities for all ages across the week. As the focal point for The Valleys’ summer for locals and tourists alike and with the opening concert with Only Men Aloud and the newly formed Only Boys Aloud it couldn’t get much better. Traditional Eisteddfod-goers can also take the opportunity to visit the wider area and learn a bit about an area less-visited by the Eisteddfod in recent times.

After the festival leaves town the Eisteddod’s Pink Pavillion is being put to excellent use with a Will Young concert at on August 8th. There are limited tickets still available for the concert.

Festival Frenzy

There are festivals aplenty in the Valleys this year, with a big emphasis on music. Pontardawe Festival is just one of these from August 20 – 22.

Foodies may prefer The Big Welsh Bite in Pontypridd from 30th July – August 1st a food and farming event not to be missed.

The Margam Festival (July 4th – 30th) has something for everyone, from family fun at the Aberavon Beach Festival to music, dancing and drama.

Family days out

Keeping the kids entertained has never been easier with all the events going on in the Valleys this summer. Join in a teddy bears picnic at Cwmcarn Visitor Centre (Aug 22) or opt for all-round fun at Porthcawl’s Fun in the Sun event from August 26-30th. The Blackwood Kite Night at the Bedwellty Showground on August 21st will see giant kites being flown on the eve of the Bedwellty Agricultural Show Aug 22nd.

History Hunters

The Valleys’ rich history is waiting to be discovered right across the area. Learn about the area’s industrial past during Miners’ Fortnight at Big Pit from July 24th – 30th or go back further in time at Llancaiach Fawr Manor, Nelson by taking part in the King’s Weekend on August 7th and 8th. Combine history with music every Sunday at Big Pit during August, when there’ll be music on the patio.

Get back to nature

Despite their industrial past, the Valleys have an abundance of quiet spots where you can appreciate the beauty of the area. There are plenty of opportunities to get back to nature this summer with an evening bat walk at Cwmcarn Visitor Centre or the Wales Valleys Walking Festival right across the Valleys from Sept 4th – 19th.

Sportsmania

Sport fans have an abundance of events to choose from this summer. Enjoy the triple whammy of Triathlon with the UK Championships being held at Parc Bryn Bach, Tredegar on July 24th, and the The Cymer Afan Off-Road Triathlon in Port Talbot on August 7th. A day at the races provides some thing for everyone with a fun day at Ffos Las Racecourse on August 25th and Ladies Day on the 27th.

To find out more about these events or to see what else the Valleys has to offer log onto www.thevalleys.co.uk

Cardiff scientist awarded £1m for research

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

A researcher at Cardiff University has been awarded £1.1 million to study living cells in minute detail.

Dr Paola Borri, who works in the School of Biosciences has won the grant to develop technology which will allow cell particles, not visible to the human eye, to be examined more accurately than before.

If successful, a range of biomedical and medical problems which are currently not possible to study could be looked at. This could provide more reliable information about cell membranes which could help treat diseases like Alzheimer’s, HIV and influenza.

Dr Borri was awarded the grant through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The council’s leadership awards aim to support the work of talented researchers who have the capability to become international leaders in their field.

Ryder Cup SuperDragons unleashed on Newport

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

To celebrate the Ryder Cup coming to Wales in October, the city of Newport has unleashed 50 SuperDragons on the city centre. The Celtic Manor Resort in Newport will be the venue for the 38^th Ryder Cup tournament, which takes place between 1 – 3 October this year.

The 1.5 metre tall SuperDragons have been created by Wild in Art and are decorated by local artists. They are accompanied by 49 mini dragons, decorated by primary school children. The dragons will form a trail around Newport city centre and its tourist hotspots until October when they’ll be auctioned off for charities.

Visit the facebook page to see pictures of the SuperDragons and for more information visit the Newport SuperDragons website.

First Minister celebrates opening of Royal Welsh

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

First Minister, Carwyn Jones was in Llanelwedd today, celebrating the opening day of Wales' biggest agricultural display, The Royal Welsh Show.

As part of a busy day of events, Mr Jones welcomed a delegation from China alongside Hybu Cig Cymru - Meat Promotion Wales, who have set their sights on the country as a new area for the export of Welsh lamb.

The First Minister said:

"Exporting Welsh Lamb to places such as Hong Kong and Dubai already makes a valuable contribution to our economy but it would be great to see it exported further afield.

"Following their visit to the Royal Welsh, I hope our guests from the Chinese Embassy will be pleased with what they have seen during their visit and will want to make Welsh Lamb available in mainland China, one of the largest consumer markets in the world."

Mr Jones also had the opportunity to see supermarket Sainsbury's confirm its commitment to the country with the promise of the opening of two more stores here before summer 2011 creating over 400 new jobs.

Every year Sainsbury's sources over £100 million of Welsh products from 1,000 suppliers with around 300 Welsh products available at Sainsbury's stores across Britain.

The First Minister said:

"Local food sourcing is a priority for the Welsh Assembly Government and we have recently launched our Food Strategy for Wales for consultation.

"It's pleasing to hear that Sainsbury's is looking to strengthen its presence here as well as being committed to stocking Welsh produce in their stores."

Staff and students of Deeside College and Coleg Llysfasi celebrating their successful merger, were joined by the First Minister this afternoon, who offered them his congratulations.

The merged college, which will be one of the largest in Wales and the UK, will provide courses for almost 22,000 students each year.
At the event, students and staff will be exhibiting some of the land based skills on offer.

Stories from Wales Smithsonian Cymru

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Over 130 participants represented Wales at the 2009 Smithsonian Folklife Festival – and some of them have written great stories about their experiences there.

Beth Thomas, Curator at St Fagans: National History Museum in Wales and Beryl Evans, Family History Co-ordinator have both written articles for CyMAL, the Museums, Archives and Libraries Wales newsletter.

The articles tell us more about their experiences of representing Welsh culture and promoting Welsh roots through Welsh Family History, as well as their experiences of the Festival as a whole.

You can view the CyMAL newsletter with their stories here.

Gareth Evans, writer and researcher in Medicine and Botany, Associate of the National Botanic Garden of Wales, has also written about his experiences at the Festival, in his article "Duke Ellington’s Eye Drops – and all that jazz".

His amusing and interesting article recounts his experiences of being part of the Plants and Medicines programme, talking about Welsh traditional medicine and traditional village healers, as well as his time spent in Washington DC during the Festival.

Read his full story below.

Mars robot tested on Welsh beach

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Clarach Bay in west Wales doubled for the surface of Mars this week when testing was carried out on a state-of-the-art robot.

The Panoramic Camera (PanCam) for the new Mars rover ‘Bridget’ is being developed by academics at nearby Aberystwyth University. The robot is due to be sent to Mars in a joint ESA/NASA ExoMars mission scheduled for 2018.

The robot, which weighs a quarter of a tonne, was able to move around rock pools and cliff faces taking pictures without any problems.

Professor David Barnes, who is co-ordinating the Aberystwyth work, said the field trials went according to plan. He said the beach was ideal for the test because the terrain is very similar to what can be expected on Mars.

He said "There were rocky outcrops, stones and a cliff face, just like there will be craters and rock outcrops on Mars when we are doing this for real".

The PanCam technology aims to provide images of the rover and its surroundings and support the movement of the rover over Martian terrain as it searches for evidence of life.

£15.8m for outdoor and adventure tourism in Wales

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Nearly £16m of funding has been announced to create four tourism centres to provide world class facilities for outdoor and adventure activities across Wales.

The money will be used to develop centres of excellence with the highest standard of facilities that will act as a hub for encouraging more sustainable tourism centred on Wales’ natural environment.

In north Wales, more than £6m will be spent improving cycling facilities and activities capitalising "upon the area's outstanding natural beauty". In the south, an off-road cycling centre of excellence will be built and a scheme to link garden attractions.

The projects to benefit from the funding include a North Wales Cycling Activity Tourism Centre of Excellence, which includes a £2.2m plan to improve facilities across Denbighshire and Conwy. Money will also be spent improving facilities at Betws y Coed and Llyn Brenig in Conwy.

In Snowdonia, more than £4m will go towards the Eryri Centre of Excellence, which will be based across four sites. There will be an activity centre, and the mountain biking trails at Coed y Brenin, near Dolgellau, will be expanded.

A downhill cycling track will be developed around the old Llechwedd Quarry in Blaenau Ffestiniog, and another will link the Gwynedd village of Llanuwchllyn with the Urdd's Glan Llyn site near Bala.

Gwynedd council said it would help promote the area as a "world class outdoor activities destination".

In south Wales, more than £5m will be spent trying to create the "best all-round, purpose-built trail centre in the UK" at Afan Forest Park in Neath Port Talbot. The project will also include a "world-leading commercial bike park" in the Heads of the Valley area at Gethin Woods in Merthyr Tydfil.

Also in south Wales, more than £4.5m will go towards creating a "One Historic Garden" centre of excellence. The project hopes to improve gardens attractions in south west Wales - such as Bryngarw Country park and Colby Woodland Garden - and link them with a trail.

Super computer for research and business in Wales

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

A £40m super computer project has been launched that will give businesses and universities in Wales access to the most advanced computing technology currently available.

High Performance Computing (HPC) Wales will provide computers that can handle and analyse massive amounts of data at a high speed. It will help the economy by encouraging world-class research and development and researchers have welcomed the project.

The new technology will mean that tasks that usually take months using normal computers can be done in days or even minutes. It can be used for many diverse tasks, such as facial reconstruction modelling, animated graphics, nuclear energy research, petroleum exploration, car crash simulations and airflows over aircraft wings.

The technology will give Wales a super-computing capacity and network at a scale not attempted anywhere else in the UK or Europe, which will help the country's economy and business competitiveness.

The main computer hubs for HPC Wales will be in Cardiff and Swansea, with links to Aberystwyth, Bangor and Glamorgan universities, along with University of Wales Alliance Universities and Technium business innovation centres around Wales.

More than 100 innovation collaborative projects between the universities and industry in Wales have already been identified that would benefit from HPC technology. These range from modelling and simulating medical implants to analysing satellite images for monitoring environmental change.

Professor Ian Cluckie, Swansea University's pro vice chancellor for science and engineering, said the new technology would help researchers and businesses across Wales. He said: "It will ensure that researchers, students and businesses have access to state-of-the-art high performance computing, that is required to undertake the internationally recognised research that drives the knowledge economy and underpins the Welsh agenda in crucial sectors such as health, science, engineering and advanced manufacturing."

Professor Noel Lloyd, chair of Higher Education Wales and vice chancellor of Aberystwyth University, added: "This is tremendous for Wales, both in terms of research capacity and the ways in which the higher education sector can work in collaboration to provide opportunities and training for business."

Actor Michael Sheen nominated for Emmy Award

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We’re really pleased to hear Welshman actor Michael Sheen has been nominated for a prestigious Emmy Award for his portrayal of Tony Blair in political drama The Special Relationship.

And another Welshman, actor Jonathan Pryce, was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of widower Mr Buxton in the acclaimed BBC One drama Return to Cranford.

The Emmy Awards – the US "television Oscars" – will be given out on 29 August at a ceremony to be broadcast live on NBC in America.

Welsh astronomers help reveal unique all-sky image

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Tue, 6 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Welsh astronomers have helped reveal unique images of the entire sky which could help provide new insights into the way stars and galaxies form and reveal how the Universe itself came to life after the Big Bang.

The Planck space observatory – the European Space Agency’s mission to study the early Universe – has beamed back its first all-sky image.

Cardiff University is one of a number of UK institutions involved in the design and construction of the satellite. Members of the University’s School of Physics and Astronomy are also working alongside colleagues from around the world to operate the satellite and analyse the data.

Professor Peter Ade from Cardiff University’s School of Physics and Astronomy, who led the University’s involvement in the design, construction and operation of the High Frequency Instrument said: "It is a fantastic result for this unique satellite, and demonstrates once again that you can only do pioneering science by using advanced and therefore high-risk technologies.

"At last we can see the realisation of the full potential of Planck, showing in exquisite detail our own Milky Way galaxy superimposed on the relic fireball background."

From the closest portions of the Milky Way to the furthest reaches of space and time, the new all-sky image offers an extraordinary treasure chest of new data for astronomers.

For more information on this story, visit the Cardiff University website.

New event to spread the Spirit of Llangollen

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Tue, 6 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

A new event which promises to spread the spirit of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod to other parts of Wales and beyond has been announced today.

The new "Spirit of Llangollen" events will see some of the best international competitors from the Eisteddfod perform across Wales; a new Choir of the Decade contest ‘Voices Pavarotti’, and a Music and Peace Conference with world-renowned speakers.

It will build on the success of the Choir of the World competition at Llangollen and will receive support from the Assembly Government’s major events unit for its first three years.

The "World on the Road" tour following this year’s Eisteddfod and in July 2012, will see competitor groups moving out from the festival to perform in other areas of Wales, including Llandudno and other parts of north Wales, Cardiff, Carmarthen and Brecon (as well as other parts of the UK).

The Voices Pavarotti competition will take place in October 2011 at a venue in Cardiff. This will bring back to Wales ‘Choirs of the World’ from 2001 onwards to compete for a new trophy. Other venues will be sought to support each choir, in order for each to perform at least once more during their stay.

A ‘Llangollen Music and Peace Conference’ to take place in 2012 or 2013, bringing delegates to Llangollen and the Dee Valley for a two-day conference on the role music plays in promoting peace and harmony in the world. Speakers will include former Nobel Peace Prize winners and nominees.

This year’s Choir of the World competition takes place in the Llangollen Eisteddfod evening concert on Saturday 10 July. The finalists will be drawn from the five major choral competitions of the festival week; choirs from the USA, Philippines, Iceland, Scotland, Wales, Sweden, Indonesia, South Africa, England, Poland, New Zealand and Germany will be competing in these.

Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod opens

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Mon, 5 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Katherine Jenkins will perform at the opening gala night concert at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod today, 5 July.

The Eisteddfod is a festival of music, dance and song and attracts musicians and dancers from around the world.

This year’s Eisteddfod will run until 11 July and other artists to perform concerts over the week include violinist Nigel Kennedy, composer Karl Jenkins, choir Only Men Aloud and pianist Llyr Williams.

Also during the week there will be hundreds of performers from over 50 nations performing in the Pavillion and on the show field.

For more information about the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and its performances and to buy tickets, visit the website.

Welsh cyclist Thomas rides in 5th at Tour prologue

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Mon, 5 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We were all excited here when we heard that Geraint Thomas, a Welsh cyclist from Cardiff, is riding in the Tour de France this year. But we were especially proud to see him come in 5^th in the Prologue of the famous race just 23 seconds behind the leader, Fabian Cancellara.

Raised in Cardiff, Geraint is riding in the Tour de France with the Sky Pro Cycling Team alongside fellow Brit Bradley Wiggins.. It’s his second time competing in the biggest cycling event of the year, which started in Rotterdam on Saturday 3^rd July. The 97th Tour de France will see 198 riders covering a total distance of 3,642 kilometres in 1 prologue race and 20 stages. After three weeks of cycling, the race will conclude at the Champs Elysees in Paris on Sunday July 25^th.

Geraint also won the British National Road Race Championships earlier this year and this will be the first time the British Champion's jersey has been worn at the Tour for 18 years.

Good luck Geraint!

Swansea alumni help students branch out in India

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Fri, 2 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Two Swansea University alumni are sharing their success by helping current Swansea students with internship opportunities to greatly enhance their employability prospects.

Dr Thanga Prabhu studied for an MSc in Health Informatics at Swansea University from 2003 to 2005. He is now Clinical Director at GE Healthcare IT India, based in Bangalore. Last year he greatly assisted the University’s International Office in establishing their international internship programme, offering a three-month placement at GE Healthcare.

Third year student Ramya Mohan Raj, studying for an MEng in Computer Science was selected as the first Swansea University GE Healthcare intern and spent June-August last year working with the company in Bangalore.

During the placement, Dr Prabhu acted as Ramya’s mentor, helping and advising her. Ramya is now hoping she will have the opportunity to continue to work for GE when she graduates this summer.

As a result of the success of Ramya’s placement, Dr Prabhu has organised four more internships to be offered this summer to Swansea students. Word has spread throughout the University about the programme and there is great demand for places this year, from both Indian and British students.

Initially open to students studying Health Informatics and Computer Science who it was felt would have the compatible skill sets to complete the work experience, Dr Prabhu has now facilitated internships with GE Energy and GE Global Research for students from other disciplines. He is also working with Aviation and GE Transportation investigating further possible internship opportunities.

Dr Prabhu said: "Initially as the Ambassador for Swansea University I talked to prospective students in India, sharing my experiences as a student in the UK and answering their questions truthfully about studying in the UK and Swansea particularly.

"Gradually I have been able to help Swansea University connect with GE at an official level. We have hosted groups of Swansea students and staff from the University at our world-class facility in Bangalore. Internships are an important part of building one’s employability as I learnt early on as a regular user of the Careers Centre at the University.

"Swansea is the first UK University to send interns to GE India. We have increased the number of student placements from one in 2009 to four in 2010 through our introduction of the University to GE Energy, GRC (Global Research Centre) and GE Healthcare.

"These internships give students immense work experience and the opportunity to work shoulder to shoulder on global projects thereby enhancing their employability."

The organisation of the wider Bangalore internship programme has been undertaken in collaboration with Swansea alumna Priti Unadkat, the University’s Regional Representative in Banaglore.

Priti graduated from Swansea with a BSc in Management Science in 1988. As well as working with Dr Prabhu on the GE Healthcare link, Priti has also been instrumental in developing links with other global companies including Thomson Reuters. She said: "With the support of Swansea’s fantastic international department we are working with global MNC’s to provide valuable work experience to Swansea University students.

"Today’s competitive job market requires applicants to distinguish themselves, and international education experience is the perfect way to do so. Having international work experience is an incredible resume booster, as it shows prospective employers that you are motivated, independent, and generally more qualified."

Wales face Springboks in Commonwealth Sevens

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Fri, 2 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Wales Sevens coach Paul John says he is "very excited" at the prospect of facing the 2009 IRB World Sevens Series champions South Africa in the Pool stages of the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi on 11-12 October.

Reigning Rugby World Cup sevens champions Wales have been drawn with the Springboks, Tonga and host nation India in Pool B for the fourth Rugby Sevens event at the Commonwealth Games.

New Zealand have won all three previous gold medals and they have been drawn with Scotland, Canada and the Caribbean champions Guyana in Pool A.

The recently crowned IRB World Series champions Samoa head Pool C, where they will be joined by Kenya, Uganda and Papua New Guinea, while the silver medallists in Melbourne four years ago, England, head Pool D with Australia, Namibia and Sri Lanka.

"The Commonwealth Games is a major international competition and I'm sure everyone will want to play. Those players who helped Wales win the Plate final in Melbourne four years ago all said what a wonderful experience it was to be part of such a massive sporting event," said John.

"The Commonwealth Games tournament will attract massive publicity and it will be a real showcase event for the players. The sevens game is getting bigger and bigger on the world stage and in 2016 is set to be included in the Olympic Games for the first time. We have been drawn in a tough Pool with the South Africans and Tongans, but it will be a great opportunity for the Welsh players to prove themselves on a major stage."

Poet Philip Gross wins Wales Book of the Year

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 1 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Poet Philip Gross has won the English-language Wales Book of the Year prize for his collection of poems about photography.

Philip Gross's I Spy Pinhole Eye was one of the three shortlisted works for the £10,000 prize. It is the Penarth poet's second major award in a year - a different collection of his won the TS Eliot prize, also worth £10,000, in January.

John Davies won the Welsh-language award for his book Cymru: Y 100 lle i'w gweld cyn marw. The title translates as Wales: 100 places to see before dying.

I Spy Pinhole Eye is described as a collaborative work between the poet and photographer Alan Denison, who used a pinhole camera to transform the footings of electricity pylons. The poetry explores the act of seeing and interpretation.

The awards were decided by poet and University of Wales lecturer Ian Gregson, novelist James Hawes and broadcaster Sara Edwards.

Peter Finch, chief executive of Academi, which administers the prizes, said: "After long debate the judges have chosen what is clearly one of the best books of poetry to come out of Wales this year."

Ryder Cup Heritage Exhibition coming to Wales

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 1 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

A Ryder Cup Heritage Exhibition, illustrating the rich history of one of the most compelling events in world sport, will be on display in Newport and Cardiff through the summer as the build-up to The 2010 Ryder Cup gathers pace.

The Ryder Cup began in 1927 as a match between the professionals of Great Britain and the United States, and the Heritage Exhibition will tell the story of The Ryder Cup from its humble beginnings to the present day.

A fascinating and unique collection of Ryder Cup Memorabilia, from historic signed programmes and menus to team gifts and equipment, will be central to the display, brought to life by photography from those first encounters more than 80 years ago right through to recent matches.

The Ryder Cup Heritage Exhibition will first visit The Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre in Newport from July 24 to August 19.

The exhibition will then move to Wales’ capital city to go on display at Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Cardiff from August 22 to September 23.

And finally, when the eyes of the sporting world are focused on the first Ryder Cup to be held in Wales, the exhibition will be in the tented village at The Celtic Manor Resort for the thousands of spectators who will flock to see Colin Montgomerie’s European Team take on the United States Team led by Corey Pavin from September 27–October 3.

David Wright, Heritage and Member Support Executive, The Professional Golfers' Association, said: "This is an enthralling illustration of The Ryder Cup engaging with the local community. This exhibition brings to life the rich heritage of golf’s greatest team event. Visitors will get a fascinating insight into how The Ryder Cup has evolved over the years."

Rob Holt, Chief Executive of Ryder Cup Wales, added: "There will be many opportunities for the Welsh public and visitors to the area to share in the experience of The 2010 Ryder Cup, one of which will be a chance to go and see – at one of two city centre venues – a fascinating display of Ryder Cup memorabilia. In order to get a great taste of the event from years gone by, I urge everyone to make time to go along and take a look."

Ryder Cup Heritage Exhibition Venues and Dates:-

July 24 – August 19: The Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre, Kingsway, City of Newport (Free Entry)

August 22 – September 23: National Museum Cardiff, Cathays Park, Cardiff (Free Entry)

September 27 – October 3: The Celtic Manor Resort, City of Newport (Ryder Cup Ticket Holders Only)

Wakestock Festival this weekend

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 1 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We'll be making a splash this weekend in Wales when Europe’s largest wakeboard music festival takes place in Abersoch, north Wales, featuring another line up of world-class and homegrown bands and DJs.

The Festival sees thousands of fans flock to this small corner of the Llyn Peninsula, with coverage on TV and radio for those who can't make it. Amongst the line-up this year are Feeder, The Ting Tings, N-Dubz and Eric Prydz. Local bands such as Yr Ods will also be performing.

Some of the world’s best wakeboarders will be at the Festival, which for 2010 will be the third stop on the WWA Wakeboard World Series. Wakeboarding is a mix of snowboarding, surfing and skateboarding.

For more information on the Festival, visit the Wakestock website.

Arandora Star Commemoration

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 1 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

On 02 July 2010, a ceremony held in Cardiff marked the 70^th anniversary of the sinking of the Arandora Star. A memorial was unveiled in commemoration of the British liner, which was sunk in 1940 by U47 off the northwest coast of Ireland with the loss of more than 800 lives.

The unveiling took place during a service at St David's Cathedral in Cardiff. Memorials already exist in Liverpool, London, Glasgow and in Bardi, Italy.

The ceremony was attended by the Italian Ambassador to the UK, H.E. Mr Alain Giorgio Maria Economides, the Canadian High Commissioner, Mr James Wright, and the Mayor of Bardi, Mr Giuseppe Conti.

An exhibition on the tragedy has been on display to the public in the Old Library, Cardiff and the organisers hope that it will eventually travel throughout Wales.

The Arandora Star was a British liner, converted to use as a troop carrier by the Royal Navy during World War 2.

At the end of June 1940, she was assigned the task of transporting German and Italian internees and Prisoners of War to Canada. She set off from Liverpool on 01 July carrying approximately 1200 internees (712 of whom were Italian), 86 Prisoners of War and 374 guards and ship's crew.

On 02 July 1940 she was sunk by U47 off the north west coast of Ireland with the loss of more than 800 lives. Of those killed, 446 were Italian and 53 were Welsh Italian internees.

In the 1920s and 30s, almost every community in Wales had its own Italian café or ice cream parlour. The majority of the immigrants that came to Wales were from the Bardi area of Italy.

While he was in Wales for the memorial ceremony and unveiling, the Mayor of Bardi took the opportunity to visit Café Bardi, in St Fagans. Its website states that the café was named Bardi "...to highlight the strong Welsh-Italian community that exists in south Wales. Many of the Italians who settled in Wales originally came from the Bardi area of the country, and the name has become synonymous with Italian communities in the south Wales Valleys. By calling the venue Bardi, St Fagans is recognising the contribution of these communities in Welsh life today and throughout the twentieth century."

Wales at the Smithsonian - One Year On

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Later this week on 3rd July, BBC Radio Wales will be featuring the recording of a special concert which celebrates Wales's success at the 2009 Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington.

Frank Hennessy will introduce the concert during his regular Celtic Heartbeat radio programme at 8pm. The concert was recorded at BBC's Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff and features a number of the participants from Wales that took part in the festival last year.

Take a look at our Wales Smithsonian Cymru pages for more details on Wales's involvement in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival last year.

Blockbuster year for Wales Screen Commission

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Wales Screen Commission, part of the Creative Business Wales team, has experienced its most successful year on record with four major feature films using key locations in Wales.

The Commission assisted eleven feature films that shot in Wales in the last financial year, among them Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Robin Hood in south west Wales, Clash of the Titans in north Wales and Ironclad in south east Wales.

The film Clash of the Titans used Dinorwic Quarry in north Wales as a location. Interest in the film was fuelled by press coverage all over the world and the box office takings currently stand at over $480 million.

Robin Hood with Ridley Scott at the helm shot on location on Freshwater West beach in Pembrokeshire. In a recent interview with Mark Strong, who played Godfrey in the film, he was happy to share his feelings about shooting in Pembrokeshire by describing the location as "one of the most beautiful spots I think I’ve ever filmed in." The film caused a press frenzy, when it opened the 63rd Cannes Film Festival and the gross world wide box office figure to date is approximately $249 million.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, with its even bigger fan base will almost certainly surpass the other films when it is released in November 2010.

There is no doubt that these films will have an impact on the tourism industry in the longer term as film fans from all over the world seek out the locations that they’ve seen on the big screen.

Smithsonian Celtic Heartbeat

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Add your text here

Cardiff hosts UK’s Armed Forces Day

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Cardiff was the chosen city this year to host the UK Armed Forces Day, held to show support for UK troops and their families, and those who have lost their lives in battle.

On Saturday 26 June, over 80,000 people lined the streets of Cardiff to cheer serving troops, veterans and cadets as they paraded through the city and down into Cardiff Bay where a day long celebration was held in their honour.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall attended the event. Amongst the celebrations, Royal Navy frigate HMS Kent docked at Cardiff allowing people to go aboard; there were fly-overs by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the Red Arrows and Helicopter Formation and the day ended with an evening of stage performances and a firework finale.

To view pictures of the day, visit the BBC website.

Paul McCartney set to rock Cardiff

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Paul McCartney will make his long-awaited return to Cardiff tomorrow for his first gig in the Welsh capital for 35 years.

He will play Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium tomorrow night and will be supported by Welsh rockers Manic Street Preachers and The Joy Formidable.

It’s his first gig in Cardiff since his performance with The Wings at the Capitol Theatre in 1975. Tomorrow’s concert will see him play a diverse selection of tracks from his back catalogue with the Beatles and Wings, as well as more recent tracks.

For more information, visit the Millennium Stadium website.

Screen Academy Wales students on New York exchange

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The dream of a lifetime has come true for two film students from Skillset Screen Academy Wales who have been selected to attend the first New York University and Screen Academy Wales international exchange this week.

University of Wales Newport MA Film graduate, Mike Rymer, and BA Performing Arts student Lawrence Hayes have been selected to represent the Academy at the Tisch School of the Arts and the Stone Street Studios summer school, which specialises in screen acting training.

Flying out on Thursday 24 June for three weeks, the students, who came together in April to bid for the joint experience, will spend their time attending intensive 10 hour per-day training sessions at Stone Street Studios and film workshops at Tisch School of the Arts. Lawrence and Mike will use this experience to develop ideas for future film collaboration.

"The three weeks in New York will be a fantastic opportunity to learn more about empowering the actor and delving into the driving force of the actor – something we have covered on the course but which this intensive training will allow me to learn more about", said Lawrence. "This will be a unique chance to build on the knowledge gained on my BA degree."

Mike and Lawrence will be attending the New York exchange as ambassadors for the Screen Academy Wales and University of Wales, Newport and are looking forward to sharing experiences with international actors and filmmakers.

"This will be an excellent chance to learn from peers from around the world and build bridges. Hopefully we will also develop a network of contacts for future collaborations", said Mike. "The high quality of the training and the selective process by which attendees are chosen means we will be working closely with the cream of international filmmaking talent. We are very proud to be representing Wales!"

Mike and Lawrence will be travelling and working under the guidance of Dr Andy Smith and Nigel Orrillard from the University of Wales, Newport, a lead partner of the Academy.

Dr Smith, Academic Leader for Performance said:

"This exchange is the result of many years of collaboration between the Film and Performance programmes at the University of Wales, Newport. Since 2004, we have made over 200 short films through intensive workshops between actors and filmmakers, presented the results of our collaboration at international conferences and made excellent links with both Tisch School of the Arts and Stone Street Studios."

For more information about the Screen Academy Wales visit their website.

New Centre to build Wales’ green future unveiled

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

A Centre designed to support Wales’ green energy potential has been officially unveiled. Coleg Llandrillo Cymru’s multi-million pound Marine and Built Environment Centre (MBEC) has been opened in Rhos-on-Sea, Colwyn Bay, north Wales.

The MBEC offers state-of-the-art facilities for students studying construction and marine technology. Full and part time courses are being offered at the MBEC, and learning and training opportunities include apprenticeships, NVQ’s, university level courses and customised training for industry.

Housed within the MBEC is the Renewable Energy and Sustainability Centre for Wales (RESCW). The Centre generates its own heating and electricity from solar power and uses rainwater harvesting and a biomass boiler. The RESCW will offer facilities for demonstrations, educational visits, conference and seminars, as well as courses on renewable energy.

For more information visit the Coleg Llandrillo Cymru website.

International Cricket - England V Australia

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Nearly twelve months after the nail-biting draw in the Ashes Test Match at Cardiff, the Australians return to the Welsh capital for the second match in their NatWest series against England, with the day-night contest at the SWALEC Stadium starting at 2.30pm.

For more information, visit the Glamorgan Cricket website.

100 days to the Ryder Cup in Wales!

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We’re marking the 100 day countdown to the Ryder Cup in Wales today with the announcement that Katherine Jenkins has confirmed she’ll be performing at ‘Welcome to Wales’, the celebration concert to mark the start of the 2010 Ryder Cup. A-list movie star Catherine Zeta Jones CBE will also be returning home to take part in the prestigious multi-artist event.

The concert will be staged at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on Wednesday 29 September. As part of the evening, the European and United States teams will be on stage to be officially introduced to the audience.

For more information, visit the Welcome to Wales website.

It’s the first time The Ryder Cup has been held in Wales and the tournament will take place at The Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, south Wales between 1 and 3 October.

Visit Wales have produced some interesting blogs - view the 2010 Ryder Cup course in figures, and find out what to expect from the Celtic Manor Resort when the Ryder Cup is there.

We’ve found a great article which gives 100 facts about the Ryder Cup, which you can view on the Wales Online website.

And finally, for some fun you can try playing this golf game!

Queen’s Birthday Party in Dushanbe, Tajikistan

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The British Embassy in Dushanbe, Tajikistan held a Queen’s Birthday Party reception on 10 June.

The reception reflected the spirit of all the nations that make up the United Kingdom with traditional food and drink from Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland being enjoyed by the guests.

A selection of photos from the evening can be seen below.

Snowdon International Race

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Snowdon International Race is an annual fell-running event, in which 500 participants race from Padarn Park in Llanberis, to the peak of Snowdon, and back again.

The course is 10 miles long, and is one of Europe's toughest endurance challenges and offers a serious challenge to super fit participants from over ten different countries. The event is also televised.

For more information, visit the Snowdon International Race website.

Bangor University graduate to be Olympics director

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Oscar-winning film-maker Danny Boyle will be artistic director for the London 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony, organisers have announced.

The Slumdog Millionaire director, who studied his craft at Bangor University in north Wales, said he was "honoured" by his appointment.

Boyle said it was a "unique opportunity to contribute to what I'm sure are going to be a fantastic Games." and that his job was "to provide a thrilling, enthralling, captivating evening. Hopefully it'll take its place in the list of openings, but it'll be a new beginning as well."

"These Games are bringing together world-class British talent," said Lord Coe, chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG).

"Each one of these individuals would hold their own on the worldwide stage. They are joining names like children's author Michael Morpurgo who has created the story behind our highly successful mascots. We are delighted with the team we have brought together to deliver our ceremonies in 2012."

Welsh scientist in top 10 academic breakthroughs

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Pioneering research by a Nobel prize-winning Welsh scientist has made it into an illustrious poll of the top ten discoveries from UK universities.

Professor Martin Evans, Cardiff University’s President, was the first scientist to identify embryonic stem cells, and in 2007 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine for discoveries in this field and DNA recombination in mammals.

Placed ninth in a list that includes Watson and Crick’s ground-breaking DNA work, genetic fingerprinting and the creation of the first working computer, it was predicted that in future Professor Evans’ findings would be even higher up the list.

His discoveries are now applied in virtually all areas of biomedicine, and have given hope to sufferers of diseases such as Huntingdon’s.

Describing his discovery, Sir Martin said: "I grew these control cells out and when I looked down the microscope, I saw stem cells growing. That was the Eureka moment – I knew immediately what I’d got".

Warm weather boosts sea wildlife spotting

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We’ve had a warm spell in Wales recently which wildlife watchers say has helped boost wildlife spotting off the coast of west Wales.

The Sea Trust Organisation in Wales has reported sightings of rare whales such as fin and minke and hundreds of common dolphins.

These whales normally live off the coast of Norway and Japan.

A superpod of 1,500 dolphins was also spotted, and last week the Marine Conservation Trust reported two sightings of the rare leatherback turtle off the coast of Wales.

View the Whales in Wales blog for more information on these fantastic wildlife sightings.

Fulbright scholars choose Wales

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The 2010-11 scholarships for the Fulbright Commission exchange between the UK and US exchange has been announced and we are delighted to be welcoming five students from the US to study at our universities in Cardiff and Aberystwyth.

Stephen Jones, will attend Aberystwyth University. He has gained a BA in the fields of Philosophy and English Literature from Taylor University in 2005, and an MA in Literature and Film from Indiana University in 2007.

Cardiff University are welcoming three scholars this year, Laura Powell, Jace Stuckey and Lesley Frame. Laura Powell will be conducting independent research which explores the importance of the Welsh language in creating and performing modern Welsh culture. Jace Stuckey will work at the Cardiff Centre for the Crusades and the Cardiff Centre for Medieval Society and Culture in order to complete a monograph on the Legend of Charlemagne in the High Middle Ages. Lesley Frame will be working with UK colleagues to use neutron diffraction as a non-destructive method of analysis of archaeological metals.

Arun Sharma will work towards an MA in ceramics at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff's (UWIC's)School of Art & Design and will be studying the Fragmented Figure at the National Centre for Ceramic Studies.

We'd also like to congratulate the students from Welsh universities who will be travelling to the US to study, as part of the exchange programme.

The Fulbright Commission was established in 1948 by Senator J William Fulbright to promote leadership, learning and empathy between nations through educational exchange. Each year around 50 UK and 50 US students gain scholarships to study, lecture, conduct research or focus on professional development at leading institutions in their exchange nation.

Earlier this year the US scholars on the 2009/10 visited Wales and attended an event at the Senedd hosted by Permanent Secretary Dame Gillian Morgan. View our blog about their visit.

Learn more about the Fulbright Commission.

Cardiff’s St David’s shopping voted world’s best

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The St David’s shopping arcade in Cardiff has beaten off competition across the globe to be crowned the international shopping centre of the year.

The £675 million St David’s arcade beat shortlist contenders Portugal’s Dolce Vita Tejo and Singapore’s Ion Orchard to scoop the award eight months after opening.

The Global Retail Leisure International (RLI) awards are judged by an independent panel of business leaders who judged the entries on their merit and positive impact on the market.

The award is given to the shopping centre offering the highest levels of customer care and service, the widest choice of shops and the cleanest facilities.

Cardiff council leader Rodney Berman said "I am delighted at the news that St David’s has won the International Shopping Centre of the Year Award. Since St David’s opened last year its popularity has spread far and wide and it is very satisfying for me to see that Cardiff and the St David’s Partnership have delivered a world-class development".

For more information about St David’s shopping, visit their website.

Talking Pictures

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Sept 7 – Oct 25, 2010

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff

Come and view a different kind of photo exhibit. New and refreshing portraits of celebrities with Welsh DNA will be on display at the Wales Millennium Centre, each with its own audio accompaniment. The exhibition will include old favourites and some new surprises.

The celebrity photographer Cambridge Jones has a special knack for getting stars to be themselves. For this collection of photos he asks his subjects the big question: Who inspired you?

Dame Shirley Bassey says the biggest influence on her career was Judy Garland. For Bryn Terfel it’s Placido Domingo and for Matthew Rhys, seeing Robert Duvall in Apocalypse Now had a huge impact on his wanting to be an actor.

"I want my photos to be more than 2D", says photographer Cambridge Jones and he adds, "a viewer reconnects with a famous person when they not only look at an image but also hear them speak about something they are passionate about".

Hailing from Llanidloes, Cambridge has worked with major stars such as Al Pacino, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Billy Bob Thornton. This exhibition is especially close to his heart because all the people he has chosen to photograph have been nurtured by Wales in some way. Cambridge says he is "celebrating Welsh pride".

Talking Pictures will be at the Wales Millennium Centre from Sept 7 – Oct 25, 2010 and entry is free. The project has been developed in association with the Welsh Assembly Government and the exhibition will open as follows in London, New York and Los Angeles:

London

Sept 6 - 12, 2010
Proud Gallery Central, 32 John Adam Street, London WC2
www.proud.co.uk

Sept 14 - Oct 1, 2010
The Lobby, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5AB
www.canarywharf.com/mainfrm1.asp

New York

Sep 20 - Nov 27, 2010
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Lincoln Center, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-498
www.nypl.org/locations/lpa

Los Angeles

March 3 - April 3, 2011
The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Barnsdall Art Park, 4800 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027
www.barnsdallartpark.com

Artes Mundi

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Take a look at this video showcasing entries and interviews of some of the shortlisted artists and organisers of the Artes Mundi 4 prize.

Cardiff University creates new research institutes

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The launch of three major new research institutes has been announced today, putting Cardiff University at the forefront of international research.

The university is investing almost £10 million into the centres, which will tackle the important issues of cancer, sustainability and mental illness.

Each of the institutes will combine different academic disciplines and build on existing strengths to offer a distinctive approach.

The Sustainable Places Research Institute will focus on developing sustainable solutions for individual cities and their surrounding regions. The Cardiff city region and the Seven Estuary will be among the first areas for study, combining expertise in buildings, energy systems, communities, the natural environment, infrastructure, health and policy-making.

The Neurosciences and Mental Health Research Institute will build on breakthroughs by Cardiff-based experts, including identifying the genetic origins of diseases such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and Alzheimer’s.

The third institute will focus on research into cancer stem cells.

Plans for a new research campus at Maindy Park, in Cardiff, last week received outline planning permission. The first building on the campus, the £30 million Gateway Building, is expected to open in 2012 and will provide a new home for two of the institutes.

For more information, visit the Cardiff University website.

State of the art eco-centre opens in Wales

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

A new £5.2 million state of the art "green" college teaching environmental courses has opened in Machynlleth, mid Wales.

The Wales Institute for Sustainable Education (WISE) opened yesterday at the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) and is the biggest environmental facility of its kind in the UK.

Students will be able to study courses on wind power, solar water heating and organic gardening in an inspiring eco environment.

The college was built using a variety of sustainable building methods, including an environmentally-friendly concrete called hemcrete, which was sprayed onto heraklith (wood wool) board walls. The 200-seater circular lecture theatre has been made of "rammed earth", similar to that used in Cornwall’s Eden Project. Study bedrooms are fitted with energy monitors.

Paul Allen, director of CAT, said the centre will be pivotal in the transition to a zero carbon Britain; "As demand for retraining in the environmental sector increases, the opening of WISE could not come at a better time" he said. "I can think of no better organisation to take on the business of training up the thousands of engineers and skilled practitioners who will be needed to deliver a genuinely sustainable built environment".

For more information, visit the Centre for Alternative Technology website.

Llangollen Comedy Festival

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The inaugural Llangollen Comedy Festival kicks off on 10 June, bringing together the best of Welsh, UK and international comedians.

The Festival runs until 13 June and takes place in the recently revamped Llangollen Pavillion. Comedians performing at the Festival include John Bishop, Tanyalee Davis, Alun Cochrane and Ed Byrne.

The Festival is also child friendly, with comedy suitable for children on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

For more information visit the Llangollen Comedy Festival website and the Llangollen Pavillion website.

Antiques Roadshow visits St Fagans today

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We’re hoping to unearth some antique treasures in Wales today, when the Antiques Roadshow visits the National History Museum at St Fagans.

Free advice and valuations are on offer to visitors bringing their family heirlooms and car boot bargains from the leading UK antiques and fine art specialists from the show.

Previous series have seen a collection of 1930’s posters, bought for £0.50 pence in the 1970’s valued at £30,000.

Visit the St Fagans website for more details.

Torchwood is going global!

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Wed, 9 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We’re excited to see the Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood will return for a fourth series with a more international flavour. While previous series have been recorded in Cardiff, new storylines for the next series will include locations in the US and around the world.

Torchwood tells the story of a team of alien investigators based under the Oval Basin in Cardiff Bay. John Barrowman will return as Captain Jack alongside Eve Myles as Gwen.

The first series of the sci-fi drama was shown on BBC Three in 2006 with the second broadcast two years later on BBC Two. The five-part third series, Children of Earth, was shown on consecutive nights on BBC One last July.

Torchwood creator and former Doctor Who head writer Russell T Davies will lead a team of writers to create the new series. He said "It's going to be lively, it's going to be a good laugh".

The 10-part series will be funded by BBC Wales, as well as the corporation's commercial arm - BBC Worldwide - and US cable network Starz Entertainment.

See the BBC Torchwood website for more information about the show.

Cardiff Castle shortlisted for industry awards

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Wed, 9 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Cardiff Castle has been shortlisted in the prestigious 2010 Group Travel Awards for the categories of Best Venue offering Guided Tours and Best On-line Information.

The Group Travel Awards represents the Group Travel Organisers Association, a leading body in the travel trade within the UK. Voting took place during the winter by their members and the votes have now been counted to give the shortlists in each of the 26 categories.

The category for Best Venue offering Guided Tours is closely fought, with other attractions in the shortlist being BBC Television Centre, Black Country Living Museum, City and Village Tours of London, The National Trust, Blue Badge Guides and St. Paul's Cathedral.

Guided tours at Cardiff Castle have been the highlight of a visit for many years. All the guides are passionate about the site and many have worked at the castle for years, unable to drag themselves away from such a wonderful venue. The tours take visitors through the spectacular apartments of the castle, designed in the Gothic Revival style by William Burges in the 19^th century.

Castle Manager, Kevin Burt, explains, "We are delighted to be shortlisted for these awards, especially to be included in 2 categories, not just one. We have always known that our guided tours are the highlight for many castle visitors, and this is testament to the hard work and dedication of our team of guides."

Nigel Howells, Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport, said "The Council's aim is to make Cardiff Castle a world-class visitor attraction and to be shortlisted in these awards is great news. It demonstrates that the high quality visitor experience is appreciated by professionals in the industry."

The winners in each category will be announced at an awards ceremony on the night of Friday 11^th June

Swansea Bay to host Wales' first wakeboarding park

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Tue, 8 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Wales’ first permanent cable powered wakeboarding park opens this summer in Swansea’s SA1 development and is set to become a key attraction for water sports enthusiasts.

Wakeboarding - a variant of water skiing - is one of the fastest growing extreme water sports, with parks under development all over the world.

Work starts this week on GoWake - the new park which will open in time for the summer tourism season and operate from the 28 acre Prince of Wales Dock at the heart of the city’s SA1 development.

It has been supported by the Welsh Assembly Government through the Single Investment Fund and by Associated British Ports.

Described as a combination of waterskiing, snowboarding and surfing, wakeboard riders are traditionally towed behind purpose built motorboats, using the wake to create the lift needed to carry out a range of airborne manoeuvres and jumps.

Cable powered systems are a greener alternative and ideally suited for enclosed water. They are not weather dependent, can be operated all year round and suitable for everyone from beginners to advanced wake boarders. The cable system at GoWake is designed specifically for wake sports and capable of speeds of up to 25mph, depending on the experience of the rider.

The portable, straight-line cable system is powered by a frequency regulated electric drive motor and riders are pulled by cable across the surface of the water and back to the starting point – a distance of approximately 175metres. It is ideally suited for beginners enabling instructors to provide one to one tuition.

GoWake is a collaboration between two established water sports operators in Wales – Gower Kiteriders, run by Matt Barker-Smith in Swansea Bay and Big Blue Experience, based in Pembrokeshire.

The wake park will be a key new attraction for the region and a significant addition to the wide range of water sports already available in Swansea Bay which includes, kayaking, surfing, kite surfing, stand up paddle boarding, yachting and jet skiing.

Rhossili Bay voted Britain’s best beach

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Tue, 8 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We’re proud of our stunning coastline and award winning beaches in Wales, and it seems others agree that the golden sand and blue waters of Rhossili Bay deserve further recognition.

Rhossili Bay, on the western tip of the Gower peninsula in south Wales has been voted Britain’s best beach in the Cadbury Flake 99 Great British Beach awards. It took 47 per cent of the vote seeing off stiff competition from some of Britain’s better known seaside resorts including Brighton, Blackpool and Bournemouth. Tresco in the Isles of Scilly came second with 19 per cent of the votes.

Rhossili Bay is a favourite with surfers and sightseers can glimpse the remains of shipwrecks at low tides, including the Helvetia which ran aground in 1887. Just last month, it was voted the best picnic spot by a team of travel writers.

For more information on the Gower Peninsula and its beaches visit the Swansea Bay website.

Captain Scott exhibition in National Museum

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Mon, 7 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The famous masthead of Captain Scott’s ship the Terra Nova is at the centre of a Cardiff exhibition in the National Museum about his ill-fated trip to the South Pole. The legendary trip, which claimed the life of Captain Scott and four more explorers, left from Cardiff 100 years ago this June.

The Terra Nova was cheered on by thousands when it set sail from the Welsh capital early on the afternoon of 15 June, 1910. The ship left the city's docks laden with Welsh coal, fuel, and supplies. Three years later, crowds of around 60,000 joined Scott's widow Lady Helen and young son Peter to welcome her back.

Captain Scott had to continue fundraising even after his ship set sail Wales and Cardiff played a huge role in the whole trip, explained Tom Sharpe, curator of the exhibition at National Museum Cardiff.

"The ship went laden with 100 tonnes of coal, 300 tonnes of fuel made from coal dust mixed with bitumen, as well as pots and plans from the Llanelli tin works. In fact, she was so full, she started leaking and letting in water. Cardiff contributed far more than any other city in the UK," he said.

Exhausted, cold and hungry, the explorers died just 11 miles from safety in March 1912, having made it to the South Pole in January of that year only to find Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen had beaten them to it. Two other members of the polar party, Welshman Edgar Evans from Rhossili on Gower, and Captain William Oates - he of the renowned phrase "I am going outside and I may be some time" had earlier lost their lives.

The exhibition also explores other Welsh links with Antarctica - a geologist from St Fagans, a stowaway from Newport and the Antarctic work of a zoologist from St Brides Major who later became director of the National Museum.

The display will close on 14 June, marking the date the Terra Nova returned to Bute Dock at the close of the expedition 97 years ago. It will then be shown at the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea from 14 July until 10 October 2010.

Wales Book of the Year shortlists unveiled

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Mon, 7 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Authors Philip Gross, from Penarth, novelist Terri Wiltshire from Newport, and Nikolai Tolstoy from Berkshire have been shortlisted for the English-language Wales Book of the Year award, announced at a ceremony at the Hay Literary Festival.

The winner of the £10,000 prize will be unveiled in Cardiff on 30 June.

The awards are administered by Academi, the Welsh national literature promotion agency and society for authors.

Poet Philip Gross is shortlisted for his work I Spy Pinhole Eye, Terri Wiltshire for her debut novel Carry Me Home and Nikolai Tolstoy for The Compilation of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi, an analysis of the origins of the Welsh folk tales.

Now in its 18 year, the awards are presented to the best books of the year in the English and Welsh languages.

The three works shortlisted in Welsh for the Book of the Year were also announced at the Powys book festival on Sunday afternoon. The works shortlisted are Banerog, a volume of poetry by Hywel Griffiths; Naw Mis, a novel by Caryl Lewis and Cymru: Y 100 lle i'w gweld cyn marw, by John Davies, a guide to 100 places in Wales that the author thinks people should see before they die.

'Grandpa in my Pocket' to be made in Wales

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Fri, 4 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Internationally successful and hugely popular children’s TV show ‘Grandpa in my Pocket’ is to have its third series produced in Wales.

The announcement comes hot on the heels of the news that the series won the Bafta Cymru Award for the Best Children’s category.

The Welsh Assembly Government is supporting the production through the Single Investment Fund to ensure the latest series is made in Wales, providing an important boost for the creative sector.

The first two series were also produced in Wales and supported by Finance Wales.

‘Grandpa in my Pocket’ is written and produced by Mellie Buse and Jan Page of Adastra Creative Ltd who have been working in children’s media for more than fifteen years.

Set in the picture book village of Sunnysands it is a magical story about seven year old Jason Mason and his Grandpa. Grandpa has a magic shrinking cap which, when he puts it on, makes him shrink to the size of a coffee cup. He can get up to all sorts of mischief when he’s small but he and Jason always work together to make everything turn out for the best .

Mellie said she was delighted the third series will be a Welsh production and ensures the continuation of the highly creative collaboration between Adastra Creative, which is based in Cambridge and Cardiff based Dinamo Productions who carry out the animation.

"We have built up a tremendous relationship with the team from Wales who make an incredible contribution to the success of the show and it’s a real joy to work with them," she said.

"They bring a huge amount of individual expertise, knowledge and enthusiasm to the production and their commitment is second to none. which is why we would like to do more and more productions in Wales if possible. In short, anything that can be done in Wales, we’ll do in Wales."

The series, originally commissioned by Cbeebies, is now also shown on BBC1 and has been sold to 100 countries overseas. It stars James Bolam as Grandpa and child actor Jay Ruckley from Barry as Jason.

Wales International Storytelling Festival

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Fri, 4 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Beyond the Border, Britain's leading international festival of storytelling, returns to St Donats Castle for another spectacular weekend of stories by the sea!

Visit the Beyond the Border website for more information.

Cardiff festival launches!

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Fri, 4 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Summer in the city has officially begun with the launch of the Cardiff Festival! The Festival will be celebrating its 25^th Anniversary this year and a host of new events have been added.

The Festival runs from 1 July to 4 September and the majority of the events are free to attend. This year’s festival features the usual favourites such as the Cardiff Big Weekend. Other events include the Elvis Tribute World Cup, the Cardiff International Food and Drink Festival and the Cardiff Comedy Festival.

For more information visit the Cardiff Festival website.

Stereophonics first to play at stadium

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 3 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Stereophonics make history this weekend by becoming the first band to play the Cardiff City Stadium. The band will be supported by Welsh bands 4^th Street Traffic and Kids in Glass Houses as well as Doves.

The concert follows a sell-out world tour for the Cwmaman band, including a UK-wide arena tour through March with the band’s latest album Keep Calm and Carry On. As well as playing a record-breaking 13 previous sell-out shows at the Cardiff International Arena, the Stereophonics have performed at the Millennium Stadium and Cardiff Castle.

Following Saturday’s concert, the band will then embark on a summer of festival performances across Europe as well as UK festivals T in the Park and V Festival.

Wales Open at the Celtic Manor

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 3 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Celtic Manor Wales Open golf tournament returns today for the eleventh year running. Already established as one of the leading events on the European Tour, the tournament is set for its third year on the spectacular Twenty Ten course, the first in history to be designed and built to host The Ryder Cup – which will be coming to Wales in October this year.

See some of the biggest names in golf - including Ryder Cup stars Luke Donald, Graeme McDowell, Oliver Wilson,Thomas Bjorn, David Howell and this year's European captain Colin Montgomerie - as they take on the formidable challenge of The Twenty Ten.

As well as the on-course action, families can also enjoy a great day out at the Tented Village with its bars and food outlets, exhibition stands, a big screen to watch the golf and the Junior Golf area.

The Wales Open starts today Thursday 3 June and ends on Sunday 6 June.

For more information visit the Wales Open website.

Welsh food and drink hope to share Ryder Cup magic

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Wed, 2 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The 2010 Ryder Cup (October 1-3) remains on course to put Wales in the global spotlight and Welsh food and drink companies which have been identified as potential suppliers will attend a special supplier event in Newport.

Held at The Celtic Manor Resort - the venue for the world's most famous team golfing event - the Ryder Cup Supplier Forum is an opportunity for food and drink producers, many of whom are True Taste Award winners, to meet directly on an individual basis with representatives from Compass Group UK and Ireland, who are responsible for the catering at The Ryder Cup 2010, and talk through the final details of the requirements for the event.

Organised as part of the Welsh Assembly Government's Trade Development Programme, in association with food marketing specialists Levercliff, more than 40 companies have been invited to the Forum by Ryder Cup Europe and its catering partners, Compass Group UK and Ireland and Mecco.

Elin Jones, the Minister for Rural Affairs said:

"I'm pleased that the Welsh Assembly Government has been able to help facilitate this event involving more than 40 Welsh food & drink suppliers."

"I am sure that the quality of Welsh produce will speak for itself and that this event will confirm the commercial opportunities for Welsh companies to supply the catering firms involved in The Ryder Cup."

"Having Welsh food and drink at The Ryder Cup will add to the experience of being in Wales for our visitors, as well as helping to further raise the profile of some of the quality produce from Wales."

Ryder Cup Limited, who own the rights to the event when it is held in Europe, including the appointment of all suppliers, has been working with "Team Wales" to bring Welsh flavour to the event, and has been engaging with contractors and food suppliers, with the Forum part of the process.

Richard Hills, Ryder Cup Director, said:

"Wales has a long and rich history when it comes to sourcing and producing food and drink of the highest quality; from pure mineral water to world-class meat, fish and dairy products.

"It is very important that, as with previous Ryder Cups in Ireland and Spain, we work with the relevant Government bodies to help give visitors to this international event a truly memorable culinary and cultural Welsh experience."

The Forum will be opened by David Lloyd - Chair of the Agri-food Partnership South East Wales and Director of the Food industry Centre at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff.

Jo Willets, Retail Director, Compass Group UK & Ireland said:

"Compass is committed to working with local suppliers to provide our customers and clients with the freshest, high-quality ingredients. This event provides local suppliers with the perfect opportunity to showcase their produce and meet key organisations in the Welsh business community and it is great to see so many of them involved."

Top 10 accolade for National Garden

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Wed, 2 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The National Botanic Garden of Wales has earned a place in the Top 10 gardens in Britain.

Publication of the Yahoo! Travel best gardens chart comes hot on the heels of last month's BBC Gardeners World magazine poll which rated the National Botanic Garden as the No 1 to visit in Wales.

Choppers

And, talking of high-fliers, the Helicopter Club of Great Britain made a flying visit to the Garden today (June 2).

Organiser of the helicopter club day trip, club member Dilwyn Williams says: "We hold events like this all over the UK and are always on the look-out for beautiful and interesting venues for members to visit"

By ech!

And, still on the subject of lofty heights, does anyone know the record for the tallest ever echium? This towering triffid is currently wowing the crowds as it reaches for the sky in Lord Foster's stunning Great Glasshouse.

Blodeugerdd wins IMA award

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Sat, 29 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Blodeugerdd: Song of the Flowers - An Anthology of Welsh Music and Song has won the World Tradition category in the 9th annual awards given by the Independent Music Awards (IMA).

In 2009 Smithsonian Folkways commissioned Welsh musician Ceri Rhys Matthews to produce an album of Welsh music and song to coincide with Wales being the featured nation at the Smithsonian festival that year.

The IMA is an international program that honours top-ranked independent (indie) artists and releases in more than 50 Album, Song, Music Video and Design categories. It announced that the album won the World Tradition category in January 2010.

The 2009 Smithsonian Folklife Festival program featured the creative culture of Wales and included six musicians from Blodeugerdd - Song of the Flowers.

Ceri Rhys Matthews, the album producer, said this about the album:

"In making this blodeugerdd or anthology (the Welsh word 'flower-song' echoing the Greek, 'flower-gathering') the purpose is specifically to refresh the context in which the music of this part of the world is made in and listened to."

Buildings in Wales win awards

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Fri, 28 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Seven landmark buildings in Wales have won awards given by the Royal Insititute of British Architects (RIBA). The awards are handed out throughout the UK to the best UK architecture. This year Wales has surpassed its previous records.

Seven buildings have won RIBA Awards in 2010. They are:

Margam Discovery Centre, Port Talbot SA13 2TJ by Loyn and Co Architects and Design Research Unit, Welsh School of Architecture
Creative Business Units, Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Penglais Hill, Aberystwyth SY23 3DE by Heatherwick Studio
Cardiff Central Library, The Hayes, Cardiff CF10 1FL by BDP (and Stride Treglown Davies)
Chapter Arts Centre, Market Road, Canton, Cardiff CF5 1QE by Ash Sakula Architects
Sleeperz Hotel, Station Approach, Saunders Road, Cardiff CF10 1RH by Clash Associates (and Holder Mathias)
Skypad - Teenage Cancer Trust Unit, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XW by Orms Architecture Design (and Stride Treglown Davies)
Hafod Eryi (Snowdon Summit Building), Betws Garmon, Caernafon, Gwynedd LL55 4NO by Ray Hole Architects

Hafod Eryi, the visitor centre at the top of Wales' highest peak Snowdon, has also won a 'project of the year' award from The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). There were a record number of entries from Wales this year and winners in other categories included the Scala Cinema and Arts Centre,Prestatyn and Villa Marina, Llandudno.

Find out about more about the Royal Institute of British Architects awards. Or about the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors awards.

Corgi Hosiery return to Washington festival

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Fri, 28 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Corgi Hosiery has been asked to supply socks at this year’s Smithsonian Marketplace as part of a special feature of past featured nations.

Corgi Hosiery took part in the Wales Smithsonian Cymru festival in 2010, and was among the 130 participants that represented Wales at the festival. They have received orders from the USA via their website over the past year and the company’s presence at the Festival has helped to raise awareness of the brand through exposure in the Marketplace.

Chris Jones is the Managing Director for Corgi Hosiery, a family-run company founded in 1893 that produces hosiery and knitwear. Corgi exports their products around the world and is a holder of a Royal Warrant to HRH Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales. With support from Wales Trade International, Corgi often visits the USA, its biggest market.

Hay Festival begins

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 27 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Today sees the start of the internationally renowned Guardian Hay Festival in Hay on Wye, south Wales.

The literary festival, which runs till the 6 June, brings together writers, comedians, musicians and academics from around the world. Former US president Bill Clinton described it as the 'Woodstock of the Mind'.

This years programme sees talks from Bill Bryson, Roddy Doyle, Philip Pullman and Hilary Mantel. Other well known faces appearing include Stephen Fry, Ian McEwan and Beth Orton.

Two internationally-renowned Cardiff University academics will be also be showcasing their research over the course of the festival.

University President, Nobel Prize winner and Fellow of the Royal Society, Professor Sir Martin Evans will be making two appearances the Guardian Stage. He will be discussing his work on how to culture embryonic stem cells, the knockout mouse and the related technology of gene targeting and taking part in the Guardian and Welcome Trust Science Debate: Ten Years of the Human Genome together with Nobel Laureate John Sulston.

On Sunday 6 June, Professor Sioned Davies, Head of the School of Welsh will be wowing audiences with one of Wales’ literary gems – the White Book of Rhydderch. Professor Davies will be at The Ritzy introducing this priceless Welsh manuscript, which includes the world-renowned ‘Mabinogi’ tales.

For more information, news from the festival and to book tickets visit: www.hayfestival.com/wales

Company exports training expertise internationally

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Wed, 26 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Highly specialised safety training programmes developed in Wales for engineers working hundreds of feet above ground on wind turbines is now being rolled out in the USA and Europe.

Safety Technology Ltd, of Raglan, has formed a joint venture company in Spain, recently opened a training centre in Madrid and teamed up with Rockford Bergé to deliver the training in the USA at the Grand Rapids Community College in Michigan.

Support from the Welsh Assembly Government played a pivotal role in the company’s rapid international expansion.

Safety Technology has also expanded to new purpose designed headquarters with training facilities in Clytha and in discussions with Coleg Gwent to set up specialised training programmes for wind turbine engineers in Wales.

The aim is to ensure Wales has the capability and capacity to take advantage of the projected growth in the wind energy industry.

Ieuan Wyn Jones, Minister for the Economy and Transport, said he was pleased to hear Safety Technology was making significant in-roads into international markets with its innovative training services.

“The company operates in a niche market area that has significant potential for growth and I am delighted the Assembly Government is supporting its expansion and helped it establish these international connections.”

Safety Technology’s core business is the industrial design, development and supply of patented safety equipment to the utility, telecoms, wind energy and forestry sectors and training in their use.

The Assembly Government supported its move into the Spanish market by funding market research to identify opportunities and supported the company to attend a key trade exhibition in Spain.

This resulted in a joint venture with Ynfiniti Engineering Services (YES) to form YST (YES/Safety Technology) – the new company specialising in providing training for wind energy engineers. Last month YST opened its purpose built training centre in Madrid that is supported by the Spanish Wind Energy Association and the Government. Safety Technology Ltd. owns the Intellectual Property for the programmes.

Managing Director Bob Dickens said this development led to a Joint Venture with wind farm construction and logistics company Rockford Bergé and a licensing agreement with Grand Rapids Community College in Michigan.

The College is now the first US training centre to offer the globally recognised safety certification programme for the wind industry developed by Safety Technology. It will serve as the North American training hub for YST programme instructors.

Mr Dickens, who is a member of RenewableUK, formerly British Wind Energy Association and sits on its training advisory group, is in the US this week promoting its pioneering training services.

“We offer state-of-the-art systems and have pioneered these training standards which are creating tremendous interest as the wind energy industry expands globally. The support of the Assembly Government has been extremely important and opened up new business opportunities for us.

“We are particularly keen that Wales is in a position to benefit economically from the recently announced expansion of off-shore wind farms in the UK and that we can develop spin off benefits in the Welsh supply chain.”

Mr Dickens added,

"These wind turbines are more than 300ft above ground, have ladders and elevators inside and engineers have to work in confined spaces in the nacelle at the very top of the turbines where the drive systems and generators are based, as well as outside the structures.

“It is imperative that they are not only trained in the use of specialist equipment but also in safety, evacuation, first aid, fire and rescue procedures which is what we have developed.”

Safety Technology provide on-site training to companies all over the world but also host courses at their Clytha Centre which attracts engineers from many European countries, bringing direct economic benefits to the local community.

The company is currently working with the newly formed Global Wind Organisation, which includes all the global manufacturing companies in the sector, developing safety-training manuals for people working on wind turbines.

Latvian Ambassador visits Welsh School

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Wed, 26 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Earlier this month Latvian Ambassador H.E. Eduards Stiprais was in Wales to meet students from twinned schools, Jaunpiebalga Secondary School in Latvia and Tredegar Comprehensive School in South Wales.

The students performed music for the Ambassador who gave a brief speech expressing his enthusiasm at the link between the two schools.

Tredegar School recently took part in the Voice of a Million concert held in the O2 Arena, London.

Welsh gardener wins top award at flower show

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Tue, 25 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Medwyn Williams from Anglesey, north Wales has won the President's Award for best display at the Chelsea Flower Show.

His display, which is 20ft long, has 42 different types of vegetable including unusual varieties such as scarlet turnips and blue potatoes all centered around a Welsh leek.

In previous years the winner of the Presidents Award has been given the honour of meeting the Queen.

Find out more at http://www.rhs.org.uk/Shows-Events/RHS-Chelsea-Flower-Show/2010

Wales gets ready for summer of events

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Tue, 25 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Wales is gearing up to host a wide variety of events this summer.

And today it has been announced that event organisers will be able to take advantage of a free Welsh language service thanks to a partnership agreement between the Welsh Assembly Government and the Welsh Language Board.

Minister for Heritage, Alun Ffred Jones said

"Last weekend 40,000 music fans enjoyed seeing some of the world's top pop musicians at the Faenol Estate, near Bangor for the BBC's Big Weekend. This provided not only benefits to the local economy but invaluable exposure for north Wales and what it has to offer visitors.

The Faenol festival returns this year and north Wales will also host Wakestock and the European Rugby Golden Oldies tournament this summer.

Elsewhere sports fans will get to enjoy the Ryder Cup in Newport, the climax of the world rally championship in Wales, a leg of the Tour of Britain cycling and the Cardiff half marathon. On Thursday the Hay Festival, with guest such as Ian McEwan, Beth Orton and Bill Bryson, starts off what should be an exciting summer of activity."

Other events over the summer include:

May 30th - 4th June: Urdd Eisteddfod, Llanerchaeron

June 24 England: V Australia, One Day International Cardiff

July 1 - 4: Glanusk International Horse Trials

July 2 - 4: Beyond the Borders Storytelling Festival, St Donats

July 5 - 11: Llangollen International Eisteddfod

July 10: British Speedway Grand Prix, Cardiff

July 19 - 22: Royal Welsh Show, Builth Wells

July 30: GB v Rest of the World Amateur Boxing, Cardiff

July 31 - 7 Aug: National Eisteddfod, Ebbw Vale

August 8: Will Young Concert, Eisteddfod Pavilion, Ebbw Vale

August 20 - 22: Green Man Festival, Brecon

Sept 5 & 7: England V Pakistan, International Twenty20, Cardiff

Winner of UK's largest art prize announced

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones attended a ceremony at National Museum, Cardiff last week to present the UK’s largest art prize.

The fourth Artes Mundi prize, worth £40,000, was won by Yael Bartana of Israel, who was unable to be present at the ceremony.

The other artists joining Ms Bartana on the shortlist were Fernando Bryce from Peru, Ergin Çavusoglu of Bulgaria, Chen Chieh-jen of Taiwan, Olga Chernysheva from Russia, Gulnara Kasmalieva and Muratbek Djumaliev from Kyrgyzstan and Adrian Paci from Albania.

The First Minister said:

“Artes Mundi is a most significant and successful arts initiative and I am pleased that the Welsh Assembly Government has been able to support the prize from the beginning. Its impact goes beyond Wales to the UK and to wider international arts audiences. Not only is it still one of the largest art prizes in the world but it is one of the very few that is genuinely international, providing a showcase for artists from across the globe.”

The Artes Mundi exhibition is on display until 6 June at National Museum Cardiff.

Cardiff Blues victorious in European Cup

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Cardiff Blues rugby team won a European rugby trophy after beating French team Toulon in Marseille to claim The Amlin Challenge Cup on Sunday (23 May 2010).

On a beautiful day in front of 48,990 vociferous fans Cardiff Blues triumphed 28-21 in what was a tremendous advert for Welsh rugby.

Next season Welsh rugby will have a full house at the premier event of European rugby, the Heineken Cup, with four Welsh teams, the Scarlets, Ospreys, Dragons and Blues competing in the tournament.

Read more about Sport in Wales

D Day for Bluebirds

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Fri, 21 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Tomorrow without a doubt is the biggest day in the history of Cardiff City Football Club.

Fans will be flying in from as far afield as the US, South America, Canada, Australian, Denmark and Spain for the match.

Victory in the Coca Cola Championship play-off final against Blackpool at Wembley would create a new global audience for Cardiff and Wales.

Promotion to the Premier League would also net the club an estimated £90m in revenue.

For more information visit Cardiff City's website at http://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/

Green homes, green jobs, green skills

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Fri, 21 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

A ground breaking green home improvement scheme has been launched in Wales.

No other scheme of this scale in the UK has taken such an all encompassing approach. The Arbed scheme will

Improve energy efficiency in 6,000 homes by March 2011 not only saving people money but also lowering carbon emissions in our continuing commitment to tackle climate change
Kick-start the economy by providing contracts to local companies and boosting an energy efficiency and renewable energy industry in Wales
Create new green jobs and training opportunities
Enable small and medium size businesses and contractors to gain extra qualifications where needed
The approach to greening homes and setting up a new, coordinated sustainable supply chain will deliver economic, educational, social and renewable energy benefits for Wales.

Speaking in the village of Markham in Caerphilly, in Wales’ Heads of the Valleys Low Carbon Zone, where work fitting solar panels and external wall insulation has begun, Environment Minister Jane Davidson said:

“Wales is leading the way in the UK with this innovative scheme that focuses on energy efficiency. But it is truly sustainable because we will be reducing fuel costs and helping those most in need who are in fuel poverty, and making local job creation and training a key part of the schemes.

“I am committed to tackling climate change and arbed demonstrates the Assembly Government's commitment to take practical action to help Welsh residents. Climate change is the biggest threat facing the world and making homes more energy efficient will reduce Wales' carbon footprint as the direct and indirect consumption of energy from buildings generates approximately 40% of all carbon emissions in the UK. It will also help Wales to meet its target of 3% annual reductions in emissions from 2011 onwards."

Helen Northmore, Head of Energy Saving Trust Wales said,

“Wales is leading the game on the agenda and this is the biggest, most ambitious scheme of its type actually underway in the UK.

Charles Gallacher, Ofgem’s Director for Scotland, Wales and the Regions, said:

“We congratulate the Welsh Assembly Government on the launch of this ambitious programme to help energy consumers in deprived areas. Reducing energy consumption by improving energy efficiency is an effective and important means of improving the position of those suffering from fuel poverty.

We look forward to seeing the programme progress and will work with the Assembly Government on any aspects that fall within our remit.”

Cardiff University's excellence award

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 20 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Cardiff University has been named as the UK's first Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research centre of excellence.

The university is conducting research that aims to allow doctors who will respond to treatment and how effective the drugs are.

Alan Burnett, professor of haematology at the university said

"It encourages the scientist who work there greatly. This is a great day for new investment in the leukaemia programme here"

Find out more at www.cardiff.ac.uk

Come to Wales for a proper holiday

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 20 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Follow the Darkes family, Mum Dawn, dad Richard and kids Jacob, Alfie and Lois as they embarked on a holiday around Wales after a bit of bad luck with a package holiday.

Visit http://www.visitwales.co.uk/proper-holidays/ to see them visiting Portmeirion, our Italianate resort on the coast of Snowdonia, experiencing eco-luxury on a yurt in Shell Island and trying their hand at a bit of Bushcraft.

Alicia Keys replaces New York with North Wales

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

US superstar Alicia Keys recorded a special version of her hit Empire State of Mind for the Chris Moyles breakfast show ahead of her performing at Radio 1’s Big Weekend at the Faenol Estate, North Wales.

She replaces the chorus of "New York" to "North Wales" and sings about the Llandudno Junction and the Menai Bridge. She also says how nice the people of North Wales are and how picturesque the landscape is.

Radio 1’s big Weekend is being held this weekend (22 – 23 May) at the Faenol, Estate in Bangor, North Wales. Other acts appearing include Cheryl Cole, Rhianna, Florence and the Machine and Welsh band Kids in Glass Houses.

For more information visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/bigweekend/2010/

Welsh wine wins international award

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Ancre Hill Estates vineyard in Monmouth, south Wales has won a medal for its vintage wine at the International Wine and Spirit Competition.

The winery was set up by the Morris family in 2005 after they discovered that the soil near their home was similar to that found in France’s Chablis region.

Find out more about Ancre Hill Estates at http://www.ancrehillestates.co.uk/

Royal Welsh Students perform at Buckingham Palace

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama staff, students and alumni attended a star-studded Royal Gala at Buckingham Palaceon on the 29 April 2010. The event was hosted by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. His Royal Highness announced that the college’s new 160-theatre, currently under construction, is to be named the Richard Burton Theatre.

Guests at the event included Dame Shirley Bassey, Ruth Jones and Rob Brydon as well as Lord Lloyd Webber, Lord and Lady Sainsbury of Preston Candover, Sir David Frost, Sir Michael Parkinson and Sir Howard Stringer, together with several members of Richard Burton’s family.

"The Burton family is deeply appreciative of the naming of this wonderful theatre," said Richard Burton’s nephew, Guy Masterson. "Wales has given the world some of its greatest artists, and we are delighted that Rich’s legacy lives on in his homeland. We are confident that it will provide a great environment for the students at the Royal Welsh College."

Dame Elizabeth Taylor was also amongst the guests to see her former husband honoured and presented Prince Charles with an original bronze bust of Richard Burton as a young man, which will stand in the foyer of the new theatre in the College.

"It is wonderful to receive a bust of this great Welshman and personal friend in the presence of our Patron, His Royal Highness, who is an enthusiastic supporter of the College, and alongside representatives of the Burton family," said College President, Lord Rowe-Beddoe. He added, "This evening has been an exciting occasion for the College, and a fitting climax to our 60th anniversary celebrations." Hilary Boulding, Principal at the College, added, "It’s a great thrill for the Royal Welsh College to be able to honour one of Wales’ most famous sons. Richard Burton is synonymous with a passion and talent for acting, and commemorating his legacy in this way will be an inspiration for our students. We are delighted that Wales’ newest theatre will bear his name."

The evening featured a series of performances showcasing the talents of the College’s students, alongside Bryn Terfel CBE, an Honorary Fellow of the College, who made his Buckingham Palace debut singing at the event.

Postgraduate student, Justina Gringyte, of Lithuania, is currently studying on the Opera Pathway and has just won a place at the prestigious National Opera Studio in London.

"Preparing for the occasion was so exiting," she said. "RWCMD principal, Hilary Boulding, chose the programme – I was to sing Seguidilla from Bizet’s Carmen and My Man’s Gone Now from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. I often perform these pieces with Head of Opera, Vocal Performance and Choral Conducting, Angela Livingstone, so we both felt quite confident. Our duet was ready to go to the Palace.

I am very grateful to RWCMD that I had the chance to live for one day in that wonderful dream."

It was a moving occasion for all involved but none more so than for the family of Richard Burton. Kate Burton, Richard Burton’s daughter, who was unable to be at Buckingham Palace due to work commitments in the US, said: "I am proud and very excited about the naming of this theatre for my father. He was a very passionate and determined man and I know this new theatre in the capital of Wales will inspire future generations of young actors to follow in his footsteps."

Dame Elizabeth Taylor said: "Richard would have been so deeply touched by this honour as am I."

The Richard Burton Theatre, along with the 450-seat concert hall, four acting & movement studios and exhibition gallery, will be an important new addition to the College’s professional training and performance facilities. The development, designed by architectural practice BFLS, is due to open in the spring of 2011.

Heineken Cup final returns to Cardiff

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Tue, 18 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Heineken Cup final is returning to the Welsh capital for the sixth time.

The final of club rugby’s top competition will take place at the Millennium Stadium in 2011.

The First Minister for Wales said:

“I’m pleased that Wales has managed to secure this great event for Wales, beating competition from other venues around Europe. With Cardiff hosting three of the last eight Heineken Cup finals, our capital city is obviously a great favourite with rugby fans. The Heineken Cup is European rugby’s top competition and will bring thousands of fans to Cardiff for the weekend, which in turn will bring huge economic benefits for the city.”

Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones, who attended the launch of the event in Cardiff, said:

“Thousands of rugby fans across Wales will welcome this news. We are committed to bringing major sporting events to Wales and I am delighted the organisers of this competition have once again acknowledged the world class facilities available in Cardiff.”

Only Men Aloud win Classical Brit Award

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Tue, 18 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Welsh choir and BBC winners Only Men Aloud won the award for Album of the Year at the prestigious Classical Brit Awards last week.

The First Minister for Wales congratulated the group saying "Congratulations to Only Men Aloud on winning this prestigious award. Under Tim Rhys-Evans’ musical direction, the choir offers an alternative take on the traditional choral repertoire and winning this award shows that their style of music is very popular with their many fans."

Only Men Aloud is a choir which is very proud of its Welsh roots and since winning BBC’s Last Choir Standing programme, they have gone from strength to strength and performed all over the world. including at last year’s Smithsonian Festival in Washington, which has allowed them to build their reputation and in turn, raise the profile of Wales internationally."

Last year the choir performed in the US and collaborated with Bonnie Tyler. Find out more at http://www.onlymenaloud.com/

Wales Sustainability Week

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Mon, 17 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This week sees the launch of Wales Sustainability Week by the Welsh Assembly Government.

Taking place from the 17 - 23 May the week sees events all over Wales celebrating and promoting their sustainable activity.

For a full calendar of events visit the Welsh Assembly Government website.

Julien Macdonald launches shoe range in Wales

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Fri, 14 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

World famous designer Julien Macdonald could have chosen anywhere across the globe to launch his latest collection. But Welsh shoppers yesterday became the first, apart from Jimmy Choo, to get their hands on Julien Macdonald’s debut shoe collection.

Welshman Julien launched the pieces at a store in Merthyr Tydfil, south Wales to a crowd of excited fans. The collection comprises vibrant shades, animal prints, multiple straps and safari styles and are available as part of his Star range at Debenhams.

See the full story here:
www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/05/14/julien-launches-new-shoes-in-wales-91466-26442951/

Pembrokeshire Coastal Path celebrates 40 years

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 13 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

With 1,200km of coastline in Wales we have some stunning coastal walks and Pembrokeshire Coastal Path is celebrating 40 years of welcoming visitors this week, since opening in 1970.

It was the first trail of its kind in Wales, having been made possible by the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. It now welcomes as many as 900,000 visitors a year.

Winding from Amroth to St Dogmael’s, the path takes in ruined chapels and churches, Norman castles and 300-million-year-old cliffs.

It’s home to birds including razorbills, guillemots, kittiwakes, gulls and peregrine falcons. There’s also a wide variety of wild flowers growing along the path.

For more information, visit the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park website.

First Minister launches Corus investment

editor@wales.com (Editor) — Thu, 13 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

First Minister Carwyn Jones yesterday joined the CEO of Tata Steel Europe, Kirby Adams to launch a new plant which will significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions at Port Talbot steelworks.

The £60 million investment will reduce the site’s carbon dioxide emissions by some 240,000 tonnes a year and has created a facility which will complement Wales’ commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 3% annually.

The plant recovers gas from the Basic Oxygen Steelmaking plant and reuses it elsewhere in the plant. The facility is also expected to reduce the emission of dust (known as PM10s), as well as to half the Port Talbot works’ external requirement for natural gas.

Speaking at the launch, the First Minister said:

"With Wales Sustainability Week taking place next week, it is a pleasure to be here in Port Talbot to launch this key investment by Corus, which is a big boost for sustainability in Wales. This project is all about protecting the environment, but moreover it represents a massive boost to the Welsh economy and a real vote of confidence by Tata in steelmaking in Wales."

The steelworks business at Port Talbot directly employs some 5,000 people, but the economic community of contractors, suppliers and other partners increases the number many times. Corus employs over 7,000 people in Wales in total.

International students choose Wales