MUSIC organisations in Abertillery, Blaenau, Gwent, are celebrating after another successful concert involving several groups from the town.On Sunday, St Michael’s Church in Abertillery hosted a Christmas concert involving Abertillery Town Band, Abertillery
THE Post Office is inviting customers to give their comments on its proposal to move Abertillery Post Office from its current location at Anvil Court, Church Street, to an established retailer on Division Street. The move is part of a major modernisation
NEWPORT County players brought some Christmas cheer to the children at the Royal Gwent Hospital when they visited today.Around 24 County players visited three wards at the Royal Gwent Hospital yesterday afternoon to surprise children and parents alike.Teaming
FIRECREWS responded to a report of a fishing boat overturned in the river in Monmouth earlier today. They were called at 1.24pm and found that no one was trapped.
Over the last two years more than £300,000 has been retrieved from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act and put back into Gwent community projects. HANNAH WOOD discovers how this money has helped local people and organisations. LAST WEEK, the Argus
CWMCARN High School has been evacuated due to "a smell of smoke" which caused concern. Firecrews attended and found it was caused by a faulty light fitting.
NEWPORT Gwent Dragons director of rugby Lyn Jones says Taulupe Faletau needs to become a better team player in 2015 and insists the Wales and British Lions star is not guaranteed a starting spot. Faletau helped Wales to record a long-awaited victory
GWENT’S police chief renewed a call for random breath tests as he helped launch the Welsh Christmas and New Year drink-drive campaign. The influenza epidemic continued with three Gwent hospitals forced to close their doors to some patients because
QUEUING traffic is reported on the M4 in Newport due to a crash near at J26 at Malpas. The incident happened on the eastbound side with congestion stretching to J29 A48(M) and on A48(M) to J29a A48 Eastern Avenue (St Mellons). All vehicles
JOIN reporter John Phillips for live coverage of Torfaen council planing meeting this afternoon. Tweets by @ArgusJPhillips
NEWPORT County AFC striker Aaron O’Connor will serve a three-match ban after an FA disciplinary panel threw out the club’s appeal against his red card on Saturday. O’Connor will miss the clash at his former club Luton Town this Saturday and games
Allies’ steady progress Austria and peace Persistent rumours From Warsaw this morning comes the intelligence that there are renewed reports of dissatisfaction between Austria and Germany. It is stated that the Austrians are insisting
GWENT Police are appealing for information following a burglary which saw two motorbikes, a biker jacket, helmet and hedge cutter stolen. The incident happened overnight between 11 and 12 December on Ash Street, Usk. The items taken from a
A CENTRE dedicated to helping victims of hate crime reporting has received over 700 referrals in its first seven months. The National Hate Crime Report and Support Centre was set up with £488,000 funding from the Welsh Government provided as part
THE Blackwood man being held in an Indonesian jail will be released within "five to six weeks", the Argus understands. Mathew Davies, from the Cefn Fforest area, has been locked up in Cipinang Penitentiary Institution in the country’s capital Jakarta
"Well we now know why the Welsh Assembly wants tax-raising powers don't we?", one constituent mused, stopping me in the street in Monmouth recently - "To pay yourselves more!". And of course you can't really blame the public for seeing
STOPPING Welsh MPs from voting on issues in England which concern them would be "wholly wrong", a Conservative former Welsh secretary has said. David Jones told the Commons a large number of Welsh people are heavily reliant on services provided
THE Nato summit cost the Welsh Government £3million pounds it was revealed today. In a statement today, First Minister Carwyn Jones called the summit "the largest event of its kind ever held in the United Kingdom and an unprecedented opportunity
A HORSE trapped in a reen has been rescued by firefighters this afternoon. The 27-year-old animal was hauled from the ditch in St Brides Wentlooge near Newport using large animal rescue equipment at just after 1pm.
POLICE have appealed for help after a food mixer was stolen from from Sainsbury's in Newport. The theft of the item, worth £400, is believed to have happened at around 3.30pm at the store on Albany Street on Saturday December 13th, 2014. Police
THE weekend’s heavy rain which had caused the River Usk to overflow at Abergavenny and the Afon Lwyd to burst its banks at Cwmbran had receded by Monday morning and all roads in the county were now passable. It was announced that Newport's civic
GWENT Police is investigating after a man made off without paying for fuel at a Tesco superstore. The incident happened at around 5.20pm on Thursday 27 November at the Chepstow store. Officers would like to speak to the man pictured as he may
TWO grateful schools have been presented with lifesaving equipment over the past few days as part of the Argus-led Jack’s Appeal. Llanwern High School in Newport was given its heart defibrillator yesterday, while Pontllanfraith Comprehensive School
STEVENAGE manager Graham Westley says Newport County AFC have no chance of winning their appeal against Aaron O’Connor’s red card.County striker O’Connor was shown a straight red for kicking out at Stevenage defender Dean Wells at the end of Saturday’
LETTERS were returning to Newport Argus readers from the Front expressing thanks for the Christmas puddings that had been sent. One letter stated ‘there are six of us to share it, if we are alive to eat it at Christmas, which I hope we shall be’.
PLANS for allowing English MPs a "decisive say" over legislation affecting national laws are expected to be outlined by the Government. Commons leader William Hague, who led cross-party talks on the issue, will present the options for reform as
FRIENDS of the Newport museum campaigning against its possible closure have attended detailed talks with Newport City Council leader Bob Bright. President Professor Ray Howell and chairman Richard Frame, of Friends of Newport Museum and Art Gallery
NIGEL FARAGE tells the BBC’s Sunday Politics Wales that the UK’s population size, due to an “open door policy”, caused his delay. Nigel Farage has blamed high levels of immigration and the state of the M4 for missing a meet-the-leader event ahead of
WE HAVE had two glorious summers in this country, this year and last. There is so much to explore and yet we tend to forget the possibilities available here. Imagination captured the mind of the person/s who created the water park in the Cotswolds
CARDIFF University Students Union rejects Pro-Choice motion – a motion which would have made Cardiff’s student union officially pro-choice has been defeated. The way this motion was handled, our politicians could take a leaf out of the students book
THE former deputy head teacher of a Pontypool primary school has appeared before a committee accused of "serious professional incompetence". Cerys Hands, who taught at Victoria Primary School in Abersychan, faces 10 separate allegations in that
IT CONFUSES me that Newport BC propose a five per cent increase in council tax amid all the threats of cuts. We see little street cleaning, repairs, maintenance, street lighting, waste. Councillors fail to serve the people, yet the expanding population
I WOULD have thought that Newport Council would have been desperate to attract shoppers to the city centre during the Christmas period, but it seems that by the roadworks in every part of the city they are sending the opposite message. Surely all these
AFTER reading the council’s proposals for parks and green spaces etc, I am appalled that our parks could be left open and undefended by rangers. The many problems we have had over the years with vandals, drug users and drunks has been covered by me
This week we feature a scene from east Gwent. If you recognise the picture and want to share your memories with other readers e-mail nowandthen@southwalesargus.co.uk by noon, Friday, December 19.
IN REPLY to Mr D J Pritchard’s letter (1.12.14) where he aims to heap the responsibility for the global credit crunch on Labour. The facts speak for themselves. The financial credit crunch was caused by the banks, not Labour; the clue is in the description
WELSH Conservatives, the opposition to the Welsh Labour Government, has launched a package of proposals to make it easier for small businesses in Gwent to set up pop-up shops and take over empty premises. Wales has the UK’s highest high street vacancy
IT IS with some level of disbelief that we report on the state of our ambulance service today. The picture painted in an action plan designed to solve some of the well-documented problems in this area makes for pretty grim reading. The joint
THE chief of NHS Wales has today urged the public to choose well this winter as part of a programme to ease pressures on the NHS. Dr Andrew Goodall has asked people not to dial 999 or visit an A&E department at the first sign of injury or illness
FIREFIGHTERS tackled a kitchen fire in Newport last night. A crew from Malpas were called to the fire involving a cooker in a home in Thornbury Park in High Cross at 9.46pm.
GWENT teen Emily Clark was back in hospital yesterday enduring another course of chemotherapy as her search for a bone marrow donor continues.The 17-year-old from Cwmbran is back on the Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT) unit of the University Hospital of Wales
DOUBLE the current level of ambulance cover is needed in parts of Gwent to meet emergency demand, an action plan has revealed.But sufficient paramedic and other ambulance staff to fully operate new demand-led rotas for the area will not be in post until
RADICAL and much needed changes to the stamp duty announced in the Chancellor’s autumn statement will boost the residential property market, a leading South Wales estate agent claims. Mark Roberts, managing director of Newport-based Roberts &
Torfaen council has introduced flexible contracts for its roundabout sponsorship scheme following feedback from local businesses.The council is now offering three and six month contracts that are ideal for shorter, targeted advertising campaigns, or for
Newport-based outsourced services specialists Smart Solutions has appointed a former Welsh rugby international player to help support the business’s continued growth.Renowned in the sporting world for his 15-year career as a prop forward, including playing
NEWPORT woman Pippa Bartolotti has been re-elected as leader of the Wales Green Party. As part of the same voting process Anthony Slaughter was elected to be Deputy-Leader. Ms Bartolotti said after the vote that she was “thrilled" that members
Peter James, managing director of Newport-based structural engineering company Cintec International has received a High Commendation at the inaugural CIOB International Outstanding Achievement Awards.Peter James, who has worked in the construction industry
Queensberry Real Estate held a topping out ceremony at Friars Walk which was attended by the contractors Bowmer & Kirkland, representatives of Newport City Council and other guests. The ceremony took place on the roof of what will become the Debenhams
Newport-based conveyancing specialists Convey Law has been declared the best conveyancing company in England and Wales at the 2014 Times and Sunday Times Estate Agency Awards. The property lawyers won Best Large Conveyancing provider, the Best Overall
Businesses in Wales are being invited to take part in a national innovation challenge around the detrimental effects abandoned metal mines are seen to be having on the nation’s rivers at a special event in Newport on December 18. A briefing session at
NEWPORT County AFC goalkeeper Jamie Stephens heaped praised on his teammates after Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Stevenage extended their unbeaten run to nine games, writes Jay Bayford. The Exiles overcame a physical Stevenage side with goals from
A Monmouthshire florist is enjoying new-found business success thanks to support from the Welsh Government’s business start up service, delivered by local provider Centre for Business. Flowers by Victoria in Monmouth is owned and operated by Victoria
Unless your boss has a particularly Scrooge-like attitude to Christmas, chances are that at the very least your company will be having a Christmas party in some shape or form and if your boss is feeling particularly generous, hopefully they’ll even offer
Estate agents Peter Alan, which has branches in Gwent, has been awarded Estate Agent Agency of the Year Award for Best Wales Estate Agency for the fourth year running.The estate agent received the accolade at The Estate Agency of the Year Awards. Peter
A Gwent-based sport nutrition company founded by two sporting heroes has secured a contract with GNC Group, owned by Holland & Barratt, to supply 45 stores following support from Lloyds Bank.Pro Athlete Supplementation, which is based in Rhymney, provides
Leading Welsh independent accountancy Broomfield & Alexander in Newport has been ranked as top in the UK for providing charity expertise.Compiled from data from 1,000 charities across the UK who were asked to rate their auditors, the Charity Finance magazine
Wales Office Minister Alun Cairns visited Newport SMEs last week to find out first hand the impact of the Super Connected Cities scheme on businesses in the city, following an announcement by The Chancellor that up to £40m has been committed to extend
It seems that HMRC and The Pensions Regulator are busier than ever adding administrative burden and costs to businesses. The past year has seen RTI introduced whereby all businesses have to report their payroll return to HMRC up to 52 times per year
With Christmas fast approaching many employees could be tempted to use their break times to squeeze in a spot of Christmas shopping, leaving them with no time to do anything else, including using the toilet. Here David Lewis, Employment Law Specialist
POLICE are appealing for information after tools were recovered from a house on Trosnant Crescent , Caerphilly after a warrant was executed, under the Misuse of Drugs Act, on December 5th. If anyone recognises the tools or believes they have lost them
BLAENAU Gwent MP, Nick Smith has welcomed the Government’s action to protect children online from sexual predators after a successful NSPCC campaign. Prime Minister David Cameron has announced the Government will be bringing forward legislation
A PHOTOGRAPHIC exhibition honouring the men who built the Great South Lock at the Port of Newport has been opened – a century after the port opened.The exhibition, at Newport Museum and Art Gallery and commissioned by the Associated British Ports, shows
CORPORATE supporters of the Monmouth Raft Race helped steer organisers Monmouth Rotary Club to hit a record targets for 2014.An impressive 23-raft entry from DHL enabled the 49th annual race to break through the 100 raft entry target and to deliver a
A summit being held in the spring is set to look at why Business Improvement Districts, like the one voted for in Newport recently, have become so popular. Speakers at next March’s Future High Street Summit are gearing up to explore the ins and
MIDFIELDER Lee Minshull believes Newport County AFC will be able to sustain a League Two promotion push this season.Minshull is convinced that County have learned from the post-Christmas collapse that derailed their 2013/2014 campaign.And he insists the
A NEWPORT trio have returned to their home town to play a gig before releasing their first EP on January 19. The Hearts is made up of childhood friends Alex Nash, (guitar and lead singer) Hamish Kay (guitar) and Jamie Roberts (bassist), all 25.
HE COULD have been running at a raucous Rodney Parade but instead Gerwyn Price will enter a jam-packed Alexandra Palace to the sound of Vanilla Ice on Friday night.The 29-year-old from Markham has qualified for the William Hill World Darts Championship
MONMOUTHSHIRE council’s bid to build a state-of-the-art off-road cycle track in Gilwern has hit the buffers.It announced last year that the track, which will be the first of its kind in Wales, would open at Gilwern Outdoor Education Centre, near Abergavenny
TOM Prydie believes the threat of the axe can help Newport Gwent Dragons crank up their attacking game in the Guinness Pro12.The Rodney Parade region have the worst attack in the league with just eight tries from nine games and head into crunch clashes
Queuing traffic is reported for six miles on the M4 westbound in Newport this morning. The delays are centred between J28, A48 (Tredegar Park) and J29 A48(M), because of an earlier broken down vehicle. All lanes have been re-opened. Congestion
A CWMCARN man is researching the past of the men who served in 130th (St John) Field Ambulance in recognition of the unit’s 100 year anniversary. The 130th (St John) Field Ambulance was formed from men of the St John Ambulance Association and researcher
NEWPORT Gwent Dragons may have cruised to victory against Bucharest but James Thomas believes the strong Romanian pack ensured it was a good tune-up for Sunday’s must-win encounter with Zebre.The Rodney Parade region enjoyed back-to-back bonus-point wins
THE Now and Then picture shows Westgate Square in Commercial Street. There are no tram lines or tram wires visible nor any motor vehicles. It’s difficult to tell whether the picture was taken before the trams started being used in Newport in the
WE'VE reached the point where it is now harder and harder to argue that Newport County AFC fans should be content this season with mere progress.This is a difficult assessment, not least because all evidence surrounding the club suggests progress is as
SCHOOLCHILDREN in Gwent can now enjoy a new way of learning while on their historical visits thanks to a new programme.Newly-launched activities at Blaenavon Ironworks include an interactive guided tour by a costumed worker, with pupils treated as new
SPARKLE Appeal is urging more people to donate money to help them raise £10,000 for an ‘equipment library’ to help disabled children. We launched the appeal last week, which aims to provide the Serennu Children’s Centre in Newport with specialised
