Jo Barnes

Vale of Glamorgan MP and AI minister Kanishka Narayan visited the Wenvoe transmitting station, which has served South Wales since 1952 and reaches more than one million people. Arqiva engineers briefed him on the site’s television and radio services, network resilience, and exploration of data and artificial intelligence in broadcasting and smart utilities. The visit took place amid debate over a possible Freeview switch-off from 2034.

A newly built four-bedroom house on Heol Tapscott in Barry is on the market for £370,000. Listed by Knights on Rightmove, the property includes a rear garden, garage, off-road parking, and an electric vehicle charging point, with the agent promoting it as a move-in-ready family home.

Barry has three featured events this week: Billboard Ensemble’s 30 Years of Musical Magic at Memo Arts Centre on August 7 and 8; the Vale Revival Ska, Mod & Soul Festival at Milburn Park on August 8; and Empower in the Park, a wellness day at Victoria Park on August 9. Activities include live music, theatre, yoga, wellbeing talks and mandala painting, with tickets or wristbands required for some activities.

A four-bedroom semi-detached house on Plymouth Road in Barry Island is being offered for £425,000 through estate agent Knights. The extended home includes a modern kitchen, family bathroom, four bedrooms, a landscaped rear garden with a summer house, and a glass front balustrade. It is within walking distance of beaches, coastal walks, local amenities and schools, with transport links nearby.

Corgannwg, a 117-member choir comprising singers aged 10 to 80 from the Vale of Glamorgan, performed at the National Eisteddfod. Formed to mark the 25th anniversary of Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Morgannwg in Barry, the choir includes pupils, teachers, former pupils and members of the wider school community. The Eisteddfod choir competition featured 14 groups and around 800 singers. Other highlights included the Landsker Singers’ effort to perform more Welsh-language material, while Côr Bryn Owain won a separate competition organised by Cymdeithas Eisteddfod Cymru.

Dyffryn Gardens’ Edwardian rose garden has reopened in bloom after a decade of restoration challenges. National Trust Cymru used Thomas Mawson’s original design and early-20th-century photographs to rebuild hedges, beds and pathways, while volunteers prepared 1,146 pieces of locally sourced stone. David Austin roses now provide a range of colours and fragrances, with flowering expected to continue into early October and improve as the garden matures. Visitors do not need to book in advance, and entry is free for National Trust members.

A comparison of petrol and diesel prices at garages in and around Barry identifies the cheapest options using data from PetrolPrices.com. Tesco locations offer some of the lowest prices, including 150.9p per litre for unleaded at Culverhouse Cross Extra and Cardiff Extra, while Tesco Cardiff Extra has the cheapest listed diesel at 166.9p per litre. Prices may change, so readers are directed to PetrolPrices.com for the latest information.

TV architect George Clarke visited Barry Island as part of ScottishPower’s Great Green Challenge, promoting greener and less expensive household energy use. He met customer Rebecca Helmore, who uses a smart meter to monitor consumption and ScottishPower’s Power Saver service to shift energy-intensive tasks to cheaper off-peak periods. Helmore said the service and its app have helped her manage energy costs around work and family commitments.

Applications have opened for a Vale of Glamorgan fund that supports third‑sector community activities aimed at improving health, wellbeing, and independence for older residents. The scheme, administered by Glamorgan Voluntary Services in partnership with the Vale of Glamorgan Council and funded through the Welsh Government’s Regional Integration Fund, offers one‑off revenue grants of up to £6,000. Applications close on August 14, 2026, and funded projects must use the money by February 26, 2026.

Vale Foodbank in Barry is organising a five‑mile guided “pilgrimage walk” on August 22, 2026 to raise funds and awareness amid a nearly 29 percent drop in food donations despite rising demand. The charity reports a sharp year‑over‑year increase in processed food vouchers and urges the public to donate food or join the walk. Tickets cost £20 and proceeds support emergency food parcels for households in crisis.

Lists the cheapest petrol and diesel prices in and around Barry, based on data from PetrolPrices.com, highlighting the lowest-cost stations operated by major supermarket fuel retailers.