Latest news with #Llanidloes-based
Powys County Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Powys County Times
Powys bus company wins Welsh Gov contract from Stagecoach
A Powys bus company has been awarded a major route by the Welsh Government. Llanidloes-based bus operator Celtic Travel has been awarded a contract to deliver the TrawsCymru T4 service between Merthyr and Newtown from September. The popular route has been operating for 14 years and is well used by commuters, students, residents, and tourists accessing Bannau Brycheiniog, the Royal Welsh Show, and many of the towns and villages along the route. Celtic Travel has been delivering transport services across Powys and the surrounding areas since 2006 and the news was welcomed by Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates. 'It's good to see Celtic Travel join the Traws network and deliver the T4 from September this year,' said Mr Skates. 'This is an important route linking towns and villages in mid Wales.' Phyl Davies, Director of Celtic Travel, said the company's local knowledge would be an asset for running the service. 'We're excited to be taking on this new contract and will be working with our colleagues at Williams of Brecon to ensure we deliver an improved level of service and reliability for T4 customers using our many years of experience delivering coach and bus services to the people of Powys,' said Mr Davies. 'It's great to be part of the TrawsCymru network, and with our knowledge of the local road network and an appreciation of the geography of this area, we feel we can bring a great deal to this service.' Help support trusted local news Sign up for a digital subscription now: As a digital subscriber you will get Unlimited access to the County Times website Advert-light access Reader rewards Full access to our app The TrawsCymru T4 will continue to be operated by Stagecoach until the end of August, then from September Stagecoach will launch a new X4 service between Merthyr and Cardiff with buses operating up to every sixty minutes, Monday to Saturday. The new X4 service will serve Treforest Industrial Estate, offering improved connections to places of work, education, and leisure. 'We're looking forward to working with Celtic Travel to provide this service. We will be developing the timetable and improving services where we can, including the introduction of new vehicles in March next year,' added Lee Robinson, Executive Director for Regional Transport and Integration at TfW. 'This is a fantastic example of how small and medium-sized operators can work in partnership to bid for tenders and take on new contracts.'
Business News Wales
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business News Wales
Mid Wales Firm Launches New Outdoor Escape Game
Beyond Breakout founders Jo Woodall (left) and Lorna Morris with the Old Market Hall, Llanidloes in the background. Outdoor escape games business Beyond Breakout has launched a new outdoor adventure with a strong Mid Wales connection. The Llanidloes-based business, led by Lorna Morris and Jo Woodall, have devised Operation Whiskerfall which sends players on a spy quest through the streets of Llanidloes, blending mobile technology with real-world escape room challenges. Players join the secret agency F.I.S.H. (Feline Intelligence Security Headquarters) to save top agent Philly Purry, who has vanished while investigating the strange goings on in Mid Wales. Using a code sent straight to their mobile phones, teams activate the game and work together to uncover clues, crack codes and claw their way to victory. This allows teams total flexibility and control over when they want to play. 'We wanted to create something fun, family-friendly and totally unique,' said Jo, co-founder of Beyond Breakout. 'Operation Whiskerfall combines the excitement of an escape room outdoors with the added magic of mobile interactivity and a healthy dose of feline flair. 'This game is a celebration of everything we love – storytelling, community, teamwork and, of course, cats,' added Lorna Morris. 'All our games are designed to bring people together through laughter and play,' said Lorna. 'We have permanent routes set up in Llanidloes, Newtown and recently added a route in Rhayader. We are adding more towns all the time.'
Powys County Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
New adventure launched by Powys outdoor escape company
POWYS-based outdoor escape games business Beyond Breakout has launched a new adventure with a strong mid Wales connection. The Llanidloes-based business, led by Lorna Morris and Jo Woodall, will test the skills of players with Operation Whiskerfall. Their latest mission sends players on a thrilling spy quest through the streets of Llanidloes, blending mobile technology with real-world escape room challenges. Designed for groups of all ages, Operation Whiskerfall is packed with clever puzzles, fun and a storyline full of intrigue and tail-twisting turns. Players join the secret agency F.I.S.H or Feline Intelligence Security Headquarters to save top agent Philly Purry, who has vanished while investigating the strange goings on in mid Wales. Using a code sent straight to their mobile phones, teams activate the game and work together to uncover clues, crack codes and claw their way to victory. This allows teams total flexibility and control over when they want to play. 'We wanted to create something fun, family-friendly and totally unique,' said Jo. 'Operation Whiskerfall combines the excitement of an escape room outdoors with the added magic of mobile interactivity and a healthy dose of feline flair. 'This game is a celebration of everything we love - storytelling, community, teamwork and, of course, cats' added Lorna Morris. 'It's a paws-itively unforgettable experience.' Operation Whiskerfall is now live and available to book via the Beyond Breakout website - It's perfect for families, friends, tourists, or anyone looking for a fresh adventure in mid Wales. 'All our games are designed to bring people together through laughter and play,' said Lorna. 'We have permanent routes set up in Llanidloes, Newtown and recently added a route in Rhayader. We are adding more towns all the time.'
Powys County Times
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- Powys County Times
Crash closes A44 road between Powys and Aberystwyth
A crash has closed a busy main road between Powys and Aberystwyth this afternoon (Friday). The A44 is shut in both directions following a collision near the Sweet Lamb motorsport venue between Llangurig and Eisteddfa Gurig. In an update shortly before 5pm, Dyfed-Powys Police told motorists to avoid the area between Caersws and the Lovesgrove roundabout, near Aberystwyth, and find alternative routes while the road is closed. Welsh Government's Traffic Wales service said the road is "likely to remain closed for some time". Traffic Wales says a diversion is in place along the B4343. Llanidloes-based bus company Celtic Travel has told passengers that the 5pm X47 service to Aberystwyth has been cancelled and there will be no 5.50pm service from Aberystwyth to Llanidloes due to the road closure.
Powys County Times
30-04-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
Peta calls for plaque to cows at Llanidloes development
Animal rights group Peta has called for Powys County Council to erect a memorial plaque for cows at the site of a new housing development. The leading animal charity said the memorial at the now demolished former Sandringham Leather Goods Factory site in Llanidloes would "highlight the individuals killed there and remind the site's new homeowners to furnish their homes and wardrobes with compassion". Powys County Council approved a planning application by Llanidloes-based developer JJP Services in March for 10 new homes on the Eastgate Street site which had most recently been used by Hafren Furnishers as overflow storage space. Watch the site being demolished to make way for new homes: In a letter addressed to councillors, Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) said a plaque would commemorate cows "who suffered for their skins that passed through the building". Yvonne Taylor, PETA's vice president of corporate projects, said: 'Cows can recognise the faces of their friends in photographs, and they mourn when a loved one dies, yet every year millions are strung up, and their throats are slit so their skin and flesh can be sold. 'The skins of countless cows who were violently killed passed through this building, and PETA is calling on local officials to acknowledge this atrocity with an honorary plaque.' The Sandringham Leather Goods Factory was a large single storey warehouse built during the 1960s. The property was then bought by local business Hafren Furnishers in 1997. In response, a Powys County Council spokesman said: "The council will consider the content of the letter from Peta when it is received and will respond back in due course.' Last year, Peta wrote to Selattyn and Gobowen Parish Council, near Oswestry asking it to install a permanent memorial to seven cows after they died when the lorry transporting them overturned on the A5 in Gobowen. Vets from Oswestry were praised for their work in saving the other 33 cows. National Highways, which is responsible for the management of the A5, said that while it was also sympathetic, it would not allow the plaque to be placed on the road.
