The Pembrokeshire Herald 11/08/2023

Crash involving bike closes A477

A BIKER was taken to hospital by road ambulance after an RTC involving the bike and a camper van on the A477 on Wednesday evening (Aug 9).

Dyfed-Powys Police were called to a crash on the A477 near the Neyland roundabout at around 5.25pm. The crash involved a white Peugeot camper van and a black Honda motorcycle. The road was closed for several hours.

The police told The Pembrokeshire Herald: “We attended a road traffic collision which occurred on the A477 near the roundabout at Neyland at about 5.25pm on Wednesday, August 10, 2023,” said the spokesperson.

“A white Peugeot camper van and a black

Honda motorcycle were involved in the collision.

“The rider of the motorcycle was taken to hospital with injuries not believed to be life threatening.”

Anyone who witnessed the collision should contact DyfedPowys Police, either online at: https://bit.ly/ DPPContactOnline, by emailing 101@dyfedpowys.police.uk, or by calling 101.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired, text the nonemergency number on 07811 311 908.

When reporting information on this incident, quote the reference: DP-20230809333

Accused of perverting the course of justice

MOTORIST Diyar

Ali, a resident of Baron Court, Haverfordwest, has found himself entangled in a legal battle after being charged with committing an act or series of acts with intent to pervert the course of public justice. The charges, brought by the Dyfed-Powys Police, allege that Ali, between May 12, 2021, and February 4, 2023, intentionally provided false details for the drivers of two Toyota Yaris vehicles, both caught exceeding the speed limit.

The allegations state that Diyar Ali responded to Section 172 Letters, issued by the police to

Break-in at the Cornstore Cafe

PEMBROKE’S

Cafe at the Cornstore fell victim to a burglary that took place overnight between May 21 and May 22, 2023. The establishment, known for its warm ambiance and delectable treats, was targeted by an unidentified individual who managed to gain entry and make away with money from the till.

The break-in is believed to have occurred sometime between the hours of 2:00 AM and 4:00 AM. A pivotal lead in the investigation emerged around 02:45 AM when an observant passerby reported seeing an individual on foot near the vicinity. The eyewitness account states that this person was spotted walking from the footpath adjacent to the millpond, heading towards Pembroke. The individual then proceeded to cross the millpond bridge, making their way to the Pembroke dock side. This sighting adds a significant layer to the ongoing investigation.

Moreover, a

series of vehicles were captured on surveillance cameras crossing the bridge in both directions during the aforementioned time period. Authorities are hopeful that these vehicles might hold crucial information that could aid in identifying the suspect and shedding light on the circumstances surrounding the burglary.

Dyfed Powys Police are urging anyone who may have been in the area during the specified timeframe to come forward with any information that might be pertinent to the investigation. Whether you were the person seen on the bridge or have any knowledge about the incident, your cooperation could be vital in solving this case. Authorities have established a dedicated hotline for tips and information, urging potential witnesses to reach out to Dyfed Powys Police at 101, citing reference number 23000434520.

Leading the case is PC 1190 Rhian BRADLY. Anyone with any information is encouraged to call 101.

ascertain driver details of vehicles recorded breaking traffic laws.

The letters pertained to incidents involving Ali’s own Toyota Yaris, registered under index CF04 EHH, and another bearing the index BG08 ZBR. The incidents occurred on April 21,

2021, and February 27, 2022, respectively, in St Marys Street, Tenby, Pembrokeshire.

The case reached its first hearing on August 8, 2023, at the Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court.

The court declined jurisdiction and decided to send the case to the

Crown Court for trial on unconditional bail.

The decision to escalate the case was based on Section 51(1) & (2)(a) of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.

The proceedings were adjourned to take place at the Swansea Crown Court on September 5, 2023, at 10:30 AM.

Wilko: Future uncertain for staff at two local stores

RENOWNED high street brand Wilko has this week (Aug 10) been forced to enter administration, casting a shadow of uncertainty over the future of more than 400 stores scattered across the United Kingdom - including two in Pembrokeshire, Haverfordwest and Pembroke Dock. The distressing news comes as a blow not only to the company’s dedicated workforce but also to countless loyal customers who have relied on the brand for their household essentials and budgetfriendly merchandise.

Mark Jackson, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Wilko, had recently hinted at the company’s financial troubles when he disclosed that the retailer was on the brink of insolvency due to mounting cash pressures. The desperate bid to secure a takeover and infuse the business with a much-needed lifeline ended in failure,

prompting the company to initiate drastic measures.

Last Thursday, August 3, Wilko initiated legal proceedings by filing a notice of intention to appoint administrators at the High Court. Today, the once-thriving brand officially announced its plunge into administration after failing to secure a viable rescue deal, sending shockwaves throughout the retail industry.

The immediate fallout of this unfortunate development is the jeopardy faced by over 400 Wilko stores that dot the British landscape, along with the livelihoods of approximately 12,000 employees. This grim reality has hit particularly close to home in Pembrokeshire, where two Wilko stores stand on the brink of closure, namely in Haverfordwest and Pembroke Dock. These establishments, which have served as

staples within their local communities, now hang in the balance, leaving both employees and residents anxiously awaiting the outcome.

Mark Jackson, the beleaguered CEO of Wilko, shared his perspective on the heartwrenching decision to enter administration.

“We’ve explored every conceivable avenue to preserve this remarkable business,” he remarked, “but the harsh truth is that time has elapsed, and we find ourselves with no alternative but to take this regrettable step.”

Jackson’s sentiments were echoed in a letter to stakeholders, where he outlined the company’s uphill battle and the prevailing circumstances that led to this painful outcome. “Over the past six months,” the letter reads, “Wilko has undertaken an exhaustive examination of options to expedite a turnaround strategy, recognizing the imperative need to recalibrate our operations and restore confidence in

our business model.”

He continued, “Our determination to safeguard this remarkable enterprise has been unwavering, yet we must now confront the harsh reality that our efforts have been exhausted. Consequently, we must now shift our focus towards preserving as many jobs as possible, for as long as possible, by collaborating with the administrators appointed to oversee this transitional phase.”

As Wilko navigates these treacherous waters, attention turns to the administrators charged with navigating the company through these turbulent times. The retail sector at large stands united in hoping for a resolution that preserves both jobs and the brand’s enduring legacy. The fate of Wilko remains uncertain, but its legacy of service and affordability has left an indelible mark on the high street – a legacy that many hope will endure despite these challenging circumstances.

Ted Owens: Farewell to a true hero

cause of freedom.

A remarkable aspect of Ted’s story was his resilience in the face of adversity. He survived being injured three times in a span of just five months, twice seriously, and yet continued to play a pivotal role in liberating not only France but also Belgium and the Netherlands. His dedication to service and sacrifice resonated deeply with all who knew his story.

Woman claims coercion by partner

The local fire station played its part, with a fire engine leading the way, a symbolic farewell to a man whose courage burned brightly.

JAZZMIN FRANCIS, 20, currently on trial, has testified that her partner coerced her into drug-related activities, including alleged cocaine sales. Facing charges of possession and supply of cannabis and cocaine.

A SOMBER yet proud atmosphere enveloped the streets of Pembroke Dock as around a hundred armed forces personnel and community members lined up to pay their final respects to a true hero, Ted Owens. The decorated D-Day veteran, who fought courageously in the Second World War as a Royal Marines commando and marksman, passed away just weeks before his 99th birthday.

Born in 1924 in Pembroke Dock, Ted Owens’ life was a testament to bravery and dedication. He played a pivotal role in the liberation of Normandy in

1944, a contribution that earned him the esteemed Légion D’Honneur, the highest honor in France. On this solemn day, the community came together to honor not only his valor on the battlefield but also his profound impact on the lives of those he encountered.

Ted’s indomitable spirit was evident throughout his wartime journey. Despite sustaining injuries during the D-Day landing on Sword Beach on 6 June, he defied adversity and returned to the battlefield just a few months later, a testament to his unwavering commitment to his comrades and the

Beyond his wartime heroics, Ted Owens’ legacy extended to the realm of education and remembrance. In the program “Lest We Forget,” he embarked on a poignant journey with two primary school children, imparting invaluable lessons about World War Two as he retraced his steps as a young soldier. His firsthand accounts of the Normandy landing brought history to life, leaving an indelible mark on the young minds he interacted with.

“He may not have been a scholar, but he had a world of knowledge,” said Greg Lewis, Ted’s friend and TV producer, during the funeral ceremony. “It is not just a history book or a war diary that we have lost with Ted’s passing; we have lost a library of memories and wisdom.” These words aptly encapsulated the profound impact Ted had on generations far beyond his own.

As the hearse carrying Ted’s coffin made its way from Garrison Chapel to St. John’s Church, standard bearers led the procession, a poignant reminder of his military service and dedication.

In his own words, Ted Owens reflected on his extraordinary life, saying, “I have had a wonderful life, exceptional.” The turnout at his funeral, the heartfelt tributes, and the tears shed by those who had the honor of knowing him underscored just how exceptional his life truly was.

The community of Pembroke Dock, along with veterans and armed forces personnel, united on this solemn day to bid farewell to a true hero, whose legacy of courage, resilience, and wisdom will continue to inspire generations to come. As Ted Owens takes his final journey, his memory will forever remain etched in the hearts of those who were privileged to know him and learn from his remarkable life.

Francis told the Swansea Crown Court that her partner, Max Goldsworthy, controlled her phone and actions. She admitted to messages referencing drug

deals on her phone, which she claims were sent by Goldsworthy. Francis also revealed her heavy cocaine addiction at the time and said she couldn’t afford it without Goldsworthy’s financial support. She alleged being trapped in the relationship due to her addiction. The trial continues as both defendants, Goldsworthy and Tom Sibbald, await sentencing.

Off the road for drink driving offence

MILFORD HAVEN

resident Matthew SalterJones of Woodbine Way, found himself in a legal tangle as he appeared before the Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on August 8. The 34-yearold man faced charges of driving a motor vehicle with an alcohol level above the legal limit.

The court heard that on July 19, 2023, SalterJones was driving an 09 plate BMW 1 Series on Charles Street, Milford Haven. After being pulled over he underwent a breath test that revealed an alcohol level of 82 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath, surpassing the prescribed legal limit.

During the hearing, Salter-Jones entered a plea of guilty. Salter-Jones faced various penalties, including a fine of £115.00. In addition, he was ordered to pay £85.00 in costs to the Crown Prosecution Service, along with a surcharge of £46.00. The court issued a collection order for the payments, which would be made in monthly instalments starting from August 29, 2023. Furthermore, SalterJones was given with a mandatory driving disqualification for a period of 40 months. However, there was a reduction period of 40 weeks available if he successfully completed a specified driving course by January 2, 2026.

Valero bursary scholarships extension

DUE to popular demand Valero

Pembroke Refinery have extended the deadline for their Bursary Scholarships to give more mechanical and electrical engineering university students the chance to apply.

Applications will now close on Sunday, August 20th.

Recipients of their Bursary Scheme will receive:

• £3,000 per academic year

• Paid employment during the summer holidays

• Paid employment during your ‘Year in Industry’ and a subject matter expert mentoring expert contact at the refinery.

Apply now to give your studies a boost by sending your CV and a copy of your University Personal Statement to Pembrokehr@valero. com

Millions for transport consultants

A WELSH CONSERVATIVE investigation previously revealed that Transport for Wales has spent a total cost of £14.2m on consultancy fees from February 2021 to March 2023, we can now reveal a staggering forty companies have been paid for consultancy, with only 6 of these companies registered in Wales.

Commenting on the investigation, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Transport, Natasha Asghar MS said: “Labour Government owned Transport for Wales has wasted an astounding amount of money on 40 consultancy firms, including a HR company, Management Consultancies and several IT

Coerced woman into cocaine dealing

A RECENT court ruling has illuminated a distressing case involving Daloni Jones, a woman coerced into dealing cocaine by her abusive partner, Matthew Pritchard. Both individuals were apprehended and charged in connection to cocaine-related offences, marking a troubling chapter in their tumultuous relationship.

Consultancies. What is particularly concerning is that only six companies used were Welsh, taking much needed jobs out of Wales and money out of the Welsh economy.

“With proportions of the wasted money being spent on companies offering consultation on ‘delivering your project on time and to budget’ we can see that this has been a clear waste of money, considering the South Wales Metro project is behind and extortionately over budget.

“The cost of the project is already spiralling out of control, we can only hope that recuperation costs are not eventually passed onto customers with inflated ticket pricing.”

TFW has not yet commented.

Knife case goes to Crown Court

A T HAVERFORDWEST

Magistrates’ Court, on Tuesday (Aug 8) Mcauley

Breen, a resident of Colley Court, Monkton, Pembroke, appeared before Magistrates.

Breen was charged with the offense of possessing a knife blade or sharp pointed article in a public place, as stipulated by the Criminal Justice Act 1988, contrary to section 139(1) and (6) of the aforementioned Act. The incident occurred on July 23, 2023, in Monkton, Pembroke. It was alleged that BREEN was found to be in possession of a Stanley Blade in a public

Jones, 26, from Bro Gwynfaen, Croes-lan, near Llandysul, stood before Cardiff Crown Court, having pleaded guilty to two charges: possession with intent to supply cocaine and being concerned in the supply of cocaine. The court learnt that her partner, Pritchard, 29, of Station Road in Pembroke Dock, had previously been sentenced to three years and eight months behind bars for the same offences.

The events came to light after a police raid on the couple’s residence in Llandysul on February 9th, during which law enforcement uncovered a significant stash of cocaine totalling at least 23.5 grams.

A subsequent raid on a property in Penrhiwllan on May 11th, where the couple had been staying, yielded a further 11.84 grams of the illicit substance.

In the court proceedings, Jones’s defence underscored the toxic dynamics of her relationship with Pritchard, revealing that she had acted under his explicit instructions and endured an abusive environment. The judge, Paul Hobson, acknowledged the abusive nature of their relationship, stating, “[The prosecution’s] case is this was essentially his drug dealing operation but you played an important role assisting him and dealing with customers yourself.”

He further recognised that while Jones had operated under Pritchard’s direction,

there were instances where she had engaged in drug-related activities independently.

Though not under direct compulsion or threat from Pritchard, Judge Hobson emphasised that the fear and control exerted by him had substantially influenced Jones’s actions. He noted, “You didn’t act under direct compulsion. Mr. Pritchard did not threaten you. But it seems to me highly unlikely that you would have acted in this way were you not in a relationship with him. You were in fear of him, being controlled by him.”

Jones’s addiction to cocaine at the time of the offences further underscored the complexities of

her situation. Despite her involvement in drug-related activities, the court recognised her commitment to rehabilitation during her time in prison. Judge Hobson took into consideration the efforts Jones had made towards personal growth and sentenced her to 21 months in prison, suspended for 18 months. She was also mandated to complete 30 days of rehabilitation activity and subjected to a four-month curfew from 8 pm to 7 am. The case also signalled the commencement of Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings against the couple, aiming to address any financial gains made through their illicit activities.

Sex offender jailed for social media breaches

area.

During the initial hearing, which took place on August 8, 2023, BREEN entered a plea of GUILTY. As a result, the case has been committed to the Crown Court for sentencing. The next hearing is scheduled to take place on August 29, 2023, at the Swansea Crown Court located at The Law Courts, St. Helens Road, Swansea, SA1 4PF. The defendant has been granted conditional bail until the next hearing, with strict conditions in place to prevent interference with witnesses or obstruction of the course of justice.

CALLUM ROBERTS aged 24, has been sentenced to a two-year prison term for violating a sexual harm prevention order by creating fake social media accounts. The court labeled him a “risk to young girls” when the order was issued in July 2018.

In a recent development, authorities visited Roberts’ residence on Priory Avenue, Haverfordwest, in July of this year. When asked to surrender his phone for inspection, Roberts declined, thereby violating the sexual harm prevention order. Subsequent access to his phone unveiled a trail of deceit, as he had established accounts under

false identities on TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook over the previous month. This deliberate evasion breached the order’s monitoring requirements. Moreover, law enforcement discovered that Roberts had erased Facebook messages, a direct violation of the order’s provisios.

His Honour Judge Paul Thomas KC emphasised the severity of Roberts’ actions, stating, “His attempt to elude the restrictions of the court order is deeply concerning, particularly due to the risk he poses to young girls.” Roberts faced sentencing for each breach, resulting in a cumulative two-

year imprisonment.

The sentences will be served concurrently, underscoring the gravity of his actions. In addition to the jail term, Roberts has been mandated to

pay a £187 surcharge.

The case brings into sharp focus the challenges posed by the digital age in enforcing court orders meant to protect vulnerable individuals.

WG ducks Covid scrutiny - again

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT will not release ministerial advice it received regarding the discharge of untested hospital patients to care homes in the early phase of the pandemic.

In evidence to the UK Covid Inquiry, former UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed that scientific advice received in March 2020 said the discharge of patients to social and nursing care settings should halt.

The practice stopped in England at the end of that month.

However, in Wales, the Welsh Government continued discharging untested patients into closed social care settings until at least the end of April.

“THE WELSH WAY”

A total of 1,097 patients in Wales were discharged to care homes between issuing Sage advice on the need for routine testing on 31 March 2020 and the Welsh Government’s eventual introduction of such testing.

A BBC Wales investigation in the summer of 2020 found that residents entered care homes from risky settings untested and that care homes were put under pressure to take in infected patients. The resulting care home deaths led to the Older People’s Commissioner reporting the Welsh Government to the EHRC over a suspected breach of older people’s rights to life.

Last year, the High Court ruled that the UK Government acted unlawfully by discharging untested hospital patients into care homes during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in England.

FAMILIES WANT ANSWERS NOW

Care homes became Petri dishes for the virulent virus, already known to be particularly lethal for the elderly and vulnerable. The result was predictable. Deaths in care homes spiralled upwards, and those who contracted Covid while in them were often refused hospital admission.

The Welsh Government insisted it followed scientific advice. However, the scientific advice upon which Westminster relied was the same as that given to

the Welsh Government. That last point is one of the reasons the Welsh Government gives to justify not holding a Walesspecific public inquiry into its handling of Covid-19.

The Welsh Government has never explained why it was so much slower to react than the NHS in England.

Perhaps then-Welsh Health Minister had - again - not bothered reading the advice.

Whatever Mr Gething failed to do, the consequences of delaying action were horrendous.

Trapped inside care homes, residents, staff, and staff

families were exposed to the risk of infection with a potentially deadly virus. The number of excess deaths among residents skyrocketed, and staff and their families suffered.

A string of recent Coroners’ Inquests found that NHS staff who died from Covid did so because of workplace failures. The toll on staff in the care sector will not be any lower.

Bereaved families want answers. They want to know why the Welsh Government released patients into care homes after other parts of the UK stopped. They want to know whether the result of the Welsh Government’s decision led to the deaths of their loved ones.

residents in Wales (including residents being transferred from hospitals to care homes) from 30 January 2020 to 16 May 2020.”

The Welsh Government refused because it said the information would be available at a future date during the UK Inquiry.

It claimed it was not in the public interest to release the information at this point as it would “cause confusion”.

That is transparent nonsense. The Welsh Government cannot hide behind “public interest” because releasing the information now would embarrass its ministers. And the Minister most likely to be embarrassed is Welsh Labour’s heir-apparent, Vaughan Gething.

Mr Gething’s competence and grasp of his brief took an awful battering in his first evidence session to the UK Inquiry. But his high-handed laziness did not surprise those who followed the Welsh Government’s handling of the Covid pandemic from its outset.

During March, April, May, and June, former Conservative MS Angela Burns, then the Shadow Health Minister and Rhun ap Iorwerth, who covered the health brief for Plaid, repeatedly exposed the Welsh Government’s failure to get to grips with the pandemic.

On several occasions, Mr Gething was reduced to angry blathering, including a foul-mouthed outburst captured on camera about a Labour colleague.

not testing was given as “insufficient testing capacity” for NHS staff.

Mr Gething angrily denied lack of testing capacity was an issue. Either he lied, or he had not read the relevant report - or had it read to him. The position could not be clearer. Hospital patients were not tested because there was insufficient testing capacity to cover even NHS staff, let alone patients. That was the information given to all the UK’s administrations by its core scientific advisers.

Mr Gething was prompted on the failures of the Welsh Government’s target for testing. First, he set one. When that target wasn’t met, he denied there was a target. The First Minister then contradicted him. Then the First Minister announced a “revised target”. As Angela Burns and Rhun ap Iorwerth pointed out at the time, the Welsh Government found itself revising a target its own Health Minister claimed never existed.

ARROGANCE AND UNACCOUNTABILITY

The First Minister has often claimed to be in conversation with those bereaved by Covid. The Welsh Government’s approach seems to be to speak at them rather than listen to them.

THE PUBLIC INTEREST

The current row follows the refusal of Welsh Labour to release information to Plaid Cymru.

In a Freedom of Information request, the Party of Wales requested: “all ministerial advice (and any other supporting documents) that informed the Welsh Government’s policies on Covid-19 testing for care home staff and

Only when the Conservatives ill-judgedly replaced the forensic and diligent Mrs Burns in the health brief with their nowParty leader Andrew RT Davies did Mr Gething get any relief from the exposure of his and the Welsh Government’s shortcomings.

VAUGHAN GETHING: HIS STRUGGLE WITH THE TRUTH

The Welsh Government’s refusal to release the advice it received is an attempt to duck scrutiny.

A March 2020 report to the four nations’ scientific and clinical heads states: “A key additional risk is transmission of coronavirus from nondiagnosed Covid-19 positive patients or staff, i.e. those who are asymptomatic or pauci-symptomatic.”

And the reason for

The Welsh Government’s actions prove the proposition that the Welsh Labour Government is hiding behind the UK Inquiry. Labour is desperate to duck responsibility - at least, until after the next UK General Election. With Vaughan Gething the favourite to succeed Mark Drakeford, Labour is also keen to ensure he’s not painted as the Grim Reaper at care homes’ doors. The Welsh Government’s crass party-political manoeuvering is designed to avoid embarrassing itself and the wider Labour Party.

The Welsh Government has already been criticised for not providing evidence requested by the UK Inquiry. The same Inquiry already exposed the mangrove thicket of decision-making in the Welsh NHS and Welsh Government, where the buck stops nowhere.

Against that backdrop, it is unsurprising the Welsh Government will not provide information whose release is manifestly in the public interest.

Bereaved families criticised Mr Gething’s performance during his first appearance as condescending and arrogant. The Welsh Government’s justification for refusing to release the advice it got amplifies those points.

Suspended sentence after pub altercation

the scene, leaving Mr. Griffiths vulnerable and in a distressed state. Upon regaining consciousness, Mr. Griffiths initially provided the authorities with misleading information, attributing the incident to an accidental fall. However, the truth emerged, eventually leading to Jones’ confession to the authorities.

towards his assailant. This sentiment was conveyed in an updated victim personal statement, wherein he expressed his reluctance to see Jones incarcerated for his actions.

A MAN underwent a distressing ordeal on the 8th of September, 2021, when an ostensibly routine evening at a local pub took a violent turn, resulting in a fractured skull. Wesley Griffiths, a member of staff at the Bush Inn in Tenby, was left injured and unconscious after

being punched by his inebriated acquaintance, Craig Jones.

The Magistrates’ Court heard this week that Mr. Griffiths was relishing a day off from his duties, enjoying a leisurely evening at the very establishment he was employed. The tranquility of the evening

was shattered around 11 pm, as the pub prepared to shutter its doors for the night. A task was delegated to Mr. Griffiths to prevent any latecomers from entering, a responsibility he carried out during his smoke break outside.

Among the hopeful patrons seeking entry was Craig Jones, a friend

who had partaken in the evening’s libations. Mr. Griffiths, executing his duty, politely denied Jones’ entry, a decision met with hostility. Witnesses recounted that Jones, clearly under the influence, engaged in a verbal exchange with Griffiths, accusing him of being overly earnest in his role.

In an alarming escalation, Jones brazenly snatched Mr. Griffiths’ glasses before resorting to physical violence. Onlookers noted that Jones appeared to be deliberating his actions for a brief interval before delivering a powerful punch. The impact left Mr. Griffiths incapacitated and unconscious, causing him to collapse and sustain a severe head injury upon impact with the unyielding floor.

Jones promptly fled

In his statement, Jones attempted to justify the assault as an act of selfdefense, asserting that Mr. Griffiths had displayed physical aggression and employed offensive language. This narrative, however, was debunked in court, as evidence indicated that Mr. Griffiths was the victim of an unprovoked and brutal attack.

Medical evaluations revealed the gravity of Mr. Griffiths’ injuries. Despite initially declining medical attention, his condition worsened, necessitating his admission to a hospital on the 9th of September. Subsequent examinations, including a CT scan, unveiled two brain bleeds and a depressed skull fracture. The extent of his injuries underscored the perilous nature of the incident.

In a surprising turn of events, Mr. Griffiths expressed a compassionate stance

During the legal proceedings, Jones’ defence solicitor, Jon Tarrant, shed light on his client’s history of substance abuse, specifically his excessive alcohol consumption and cocaine use. Tarrant argued that the delay in the legal proceedings had allowed Jones to demonstrate his commitment to rehabilitation, evident in his compliance with a previous community order.

Presiding over the case, Recorder David Harris delivered a stern message to Jones, emphasising the severity of his actions and the lifethreatening consequences that followed. The judge also acknowledged Jones’ initial attempt to downplay the incident by claiming self-defense.

In the culmination of the legal process, Jones received a suspended sentence of 10 months, offering him an opportunity for redemption on the condition that he adheres to strict requirements. These mandates include completing 200 hours of unpaid work, participating in a 10-day rehabilitation programme, and adhering to a 120-day alcohol abstinence monitoring obligation.

Remanded in custody on strangulation charges

A PEMBROKE DOCK man has been remanded in custody on strangulation and assault charges.

Richard John, 40, of Wavell Crescent appeared at Llanelli Magistrates Court on July 28 where he faced two charges.

According to the court records, the first charge was one count of intentional strangulation which is alleged to have taken place on July 26 in Pembroke Dock.

The second charge was one count of assault

Sex offender incarcerated for breach of order

DYFED-POWYS

POLICE have released the photograph of a west Wales sex offender who has been incarcerated due to his repeated defiance of a sexual harm prevention order.

Shaun Smith was placed under a 10-year sexual harm prevention order when he was sentenced to 15 months in prison on December 20, 2018, for attempting to meet a girl under the age of 16 following grooming, and attempting to induce a female to partake in sexual activity without her consent.

As a stipulation of his sexual harm prevention order, Smith was prohibited from erasing any browsing history on his internetconnected devices.

On June 29, two officers visited Smith’s residence on Park Street in Ammanford to conduct a risk assessment.

Upon request, he surrendered his phone

and when questioned about potential deletions, he confessed to removing the Telegram application.

Smith claimed he had been “engaged in conversation with a woman” on the app and through a third-party explicit website, but then eliminated the app and its history.

He informed the officers that his actions were in response to “an attempt to defraud [him],” stated prosecutor Harry Dickens.

“Yes, I made an error. I accept responsibility for it,” Smith conceded to the police, subsequently leading to his arrest.

Smith, who has amassed seven prior convictions for 11 offenses, had previously violated the order on two occasions.

The first instance involved using an internetcapable phone without

notifying the police, and the second was related to acquiring a PlayStation 4 – which connects to the internet – without informing the authorities.

Rhiannon LeeMeredith, in defence, pointed out that Smith had immediately provided the information to the officers and admitted his transgression.

“He is cognizant that this marks the third breach of this court order. He acknowledges the possibility of a custodial sentence. He is fully aware and consents,” she remarked.

“He has expressed his intention to now adhere to any court-imposed directive.”

Recorder David Harris indicated that this recent breach represented “an escalation of the violations.”

He sentenced Smith to one year in prison and imposed a £187 surcharge.

UK Government confuses the two Newports

THE UK GOVERNMENT in an effort to deflect criticism from the Welsh economy minister, has found itself in an embarrassing situation after mistakenly confusing a South Wales technology hub with the peaceful Pembrokeshire coastal village located over 100 miles away.

Paul Scully, the UK Government’s technology minister, has recently drawn criticism in Wales due to remarks made to the Financial Times, where he dismissed the potential of the South Wales semiconductor cluster to compete globally.

“We shan’t be replicating Taiwan in south Wales. It’s simply

not achievable,” he asserted.

“We won’t achieve it by simply establishing a multitude of fabs across the UK.”

These comments from Mr Scully were met with strong rebuke from Welsh economy minister Vaughan Gething, who expressed astonishment at his dismissal of the Newport site.

“The technology minister’s statements are quite bewildering and detrimental to the skilled workforce in the South Wales compound semiconductor cluster,” he remarked.

Mr Gething’s criticism has prompted a poorly researched retort from the UK Government.

An unidentified spokesperson representing

the Westminster administration has recently told the Independent that Mr Gething’s remarks are “nonsensical”.

The spokesperson’s communication with the Independent carried on: “As Minister Scully clearly articulated in his interview, the UK Government remains steadfastly committed to the South West Wales cluster – our strategy is tightly focused on the exceptional strengths that Britain possesses, driven by enterprises like IQE in Cardiff and the surrounding region.”

Observant readers will note the mention of the ‘South West Wales cluster’.

It appears that the UK Government has mistakenly identified the

Alleged theft from Pennar shop

city of Newport – the home of an advanced semiconductor cluster – with the tranquil coastal town of the same name situated in Pembrokeshire (over 100 miles away, with a population of just over 1,000).

“Today, our semiconductor advisory panel convened for the first time,” the UK Government

spokesperson further added.

“This assembly, which includes representatives from the South West Wales cluster, will actively advance our ambitious £1bn strategy that strongly capitalizes on the UK’s strengths in design, compound semiconductors, and advanced manufacturing.”

Newport West MS

Jayne Bryant was among those to highlight this oversight, stating:

“There is indeed a charming town named Newport in South West Wales, but it is well over 100 miles distant from the city of Newport that houses the UK’s remarkable semiconductor cluster.

“Can they manage anything accurately?”

KEVIN BOWEN, a 62-year-old resident of Bush Street, Pembroke Dock, found himself facing charges of theft from a local establishment.

Bowen’s case reached the Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on August 8, 2023, where he made his first appearance before the judicial authorities.

The court proceedings were overseen by Fenn Richards DGJ, and

the prosecution was represented by Kelly Rivers from CPS Wales (South West). The magistrate panel consisted of Mrs. J Milewski, Mr. D Ellis, and Mrs. J Robson. The case revolves around allegations of theft that took place on March 6, 2023, at the Pennar Post Office.

According to the prosecution’s account,

Bowen stands accused of violating section 1(1) and 7 of the Theft Act 1968. Specifically, it is alleged that on the aforementioned date, Bowen unlawfully appropriated alcohol with a value of £12 that belonged to his local post office shop. The incident, which involved the theft of alcohol, has raised concerns within the local community. The case was adjourned to a future date.

Cuts needed to Welsh budget

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT faces a huge budget challenge due to the effects of inflation on its financial settlement.

On August 1, Mark Drakeford met with Cabinet members. He told them they had to find £900m of savings to meet a projected budget shortfall.

According to Mr Drakeford, it’s all the Conservatives’ fault. He must mean apart from the horrendous cock-up by the Welsh Government that meant it had to return £150m of unspent Budget to Westminster earlier this year.

A Senedd Committee report about the £150m gave the Welsh Government nowhere to go after it revealed Welsh Government ministers failed to make a usually granted request to keep the money until long after the deadline for making such a request.

MARK MICAWBER

Every year, the Welsh Government gets a grant from the UK Government to spend on its priorities in devolved policy areas.

In 2021, the UK Government announced an £18bn financial settlement for 2022/23.

Although the Westminster Government hailed it as a record settlement, the devil in the detail revealed a minuscule rise in the capital expenditure grant and no increase in the Welsh Government’s borrowing capacity.

In the House of Commons in March

this year, Jonathan Edwards said: “The Welsh Government’s overall Budget in 202324 will be £900 million less in real terms than expected in 2021. The Welsh Government have also rightly criticised the Budget for awarding only £1 million extra in capital funding for 2024-25.”

While Jonathan Edwards’s words seem prescient, they only reflect information available to the Welsh Government almost six months ago.

It did not take six months for the news about the Budget to slide down the M4 to Cardiff Bay. The Welsh Government knew of the problem when the UK Government set the financial settlement for Wales and knew inflation would eat away at its value.

There are other complications. When the UK Government increases public service pay in England, the Welsh Government usually gets a comparable grant to increase public sector pay in Wales. However, Westminster’s public service pay settlements have been funded from existing departmental budgets, meaning cuts to other programmes. That means the Welsh Government has not got extra funding to meet public sector pay settlements.

Again, this is not new. The Welsh Government knew no extra funding would arrive when The Treasury announced its

pay settlements. It said how the UK Government would fund them.

It’s not as if the Welsh Government did not know about inflation. It’s not as if it didn’t know it would have to cut budgets to fund pay awards. It’s not as if it hasn’t known of those issues and the budget shortfall for months.

The Welsh Government doesn’t want responsibility for cutting spending, whether on public services we all rely on or its empire-building in the third sector and subsidising its other pet policies.

The Welsh Government must have hoped something would turn up.

THE BUDGET

The Welsh Government’s Budget has three main spending lines. Those are the NHS, local government, and the central education budget.

The fourth-largest chunk of the Budget (£948m from the revenue budget in 2023/24) is dedicated to Climate Change and policies, including housing, designed to deliver Wales’s net-zero carbon budget by 2050 and the creation of a National Forest “stretching from north to south”. Climate Change also swallows over 50% of this year’s Welsh Government capital budget.

Compare that sum to £399m for Rural Affairs, £142m for Social Justice (including tackling Wales’s endemic poverty), and £436m for

economic development.

When the Welsh Government announced its Draft Budget last December, Mark Drakeford expressly promised his Government would not cut departmental spending to fund public sector pay increases.

Well. Now it must. And Mr Drakeford knew that was the likely outcome in December 2022 when he made his pledge.

Despite his words, Mark Drakeford’s Cabinet must now act like a normal Government. It must look at its Budget and start trimming the fat out of it.

WHERE TO CUT

Welsh Labour knows that cutting the money for the NHS would be politically damaging. That’s damaging not only for it but also for the UK party’s chances in a future General Election. It would give the Conservatives an open goal to attack, especially after Keir Starmer’s praise of doing things “the Welsh Way”.

Cutting the central education budget while the Welsh Government is rolling out its new National Curriculum for Wales, which is already in choppy waters, would be almost as unpalatable. Cutting local government budgets will lead only to increases in Council Tax to make up for any shortfall, another target for the Conservatives to aim at in any General Election.

Although local government is the most likely to face trimming,

other cuts must be made.

The only question is where those might fall.

The soft target, at least as far as Labour is concerned, is the agricultural Budget. Farming has no friends in Mark Drakeford’s Cabinet. So that will be a primary target.

With the Welsh Government’s record of tackling poverty so poor, and because of its small size, the Social Justice budget could get a light trim but nothing more.

And so we come to the elephant in the room. The climate change budget is large and unwieldy. It stretches across government departments and budget lines, creating more bureaucracy and sucking up time and resources. The Welsh Government won’t like it. Some Welsh Ministers might sulk and stamp their feet. But cuts to the climate change budget are likely.

Grants to notionally independent third-sector bodies and apparatchiks forming part of Labour’s Welsh client state will also be cut. They’re also likely in the Central Administration budget, which exceeds £330m.

Labour’s plan to gerrymander the electoral system and add 36 new members to the Senedd is where a cut won’t fall.

CAPITAL SPENDING TARGETED

And with the cuts to revenue expenditure will come cuts to departmental capital spending.

That means projects

hoping for funding - for example, a new super hospital in Whitland or St Clears - might face delays, reduced project budgets, or no project budget.

Thankfully, we’ve already saved on roads by scrapping most major projects. For example, Anglesey will remain isolated from the mainland as long as a spit and a promise hold the Menai and Britannia Bridges together. There’s not much more room to slash that Budget. Certainly not on the craziest overspend of the lot: the Heads of the Valleys road.

Other key projects might also suffer. The Welsh Government’s appetite for risk will probably decrease, curbing public investment in potentially economically beneficial projects. Or it could taper economic support spending over a much longer period, concealing real-terms cuts behind a wall of red tape.

Of course, there is another option.

The Welsh Government might gamble on announcing cuts in the hope and expectation that an incoming Labour Government in Westminster would bail it out. A sensible Welsh politician would want that in writing, signed in blood and witnessed by the Archangel Gabriel.

But, if he makes good on his word and retires, holding UK Labour to such a promise won’t be Mark Drakeford’s problem.

And, you never know, something might turn up.

Dramatic morning rescue effort by RNLI

valiantly to stem the watery tide threatening their vessel’s integrity.

Shortly thereafter, the Angle Lifeboat RNLI allweather lifeboat made its entrance onto the scene, swiftly followed by the Coast Guard Rescue Helicopter 924 from the distant coastal haven of Newquay, Cornwall. These reinforcements had heeded the Mayday call, adding their expertise to the unfolding rescue operation. A symphony of coordinated efforts ensued as the situation demanded resolution.

IN A REMARKABLE display of dedication and swift action, the volunteer crew of RNLI St Davids Lifeboat sprang into action today when their all-weather lifeboat was urgently summoned at the break of dawn, responding to a distress call that echoed off the rugged coast. The maritime drama unfolded

at precisely 4:57am when a 41-foot yacht, battling the treacherous waters near the Smalls lighthouse, found itself perilously grounded.

With dawn breaking over the mist-shrouded waters, the seasoned crew

aboard the all-weather lifeboat, christened the “Norah Wortley,” navigated the enveloping fog with unparalleled expertise. Braving the challenging conditions, the Norah Wortley sailed through tranquil to moderately choppy seas, racing towards the stricken vessel.

As the rescue operation unfurled, it became

evident that the yacht had managed to dislodge itself from the unforgiving rocks that had ensnared it. However, a grim reality persisted – the yacht’s hull had suffered considerable damage, rendering its bilge system ineffective against the incursion of water.

Taking charge of the situation, the Norah Wortley was the first to reach

the scene, a remarkable five nautical miles southsoutheast of the imposing Smalls lighthouse.

The six souls aboard the yacht, displaying admirable resilience and resourcefulness, were unscathed but faced a relentless battle against the flooding. Armed with buckets and the vessel’s bilge pump, they fought

A strategic decision was reached – the ailing yacht required vital repairs, a mission best undertaken at the skilled hands of the maritime experts stationed at Milford Haven. Thus, the Angle lifeboat was designated to dispatch a specialised crew, equipped with a salvage pump, to render assistance and facilitate the yacht’s safe journey to Milford Haven.

Acquittal in sexual assault trial

RYAN CARLMAIN a 29-year-old removals worker from Marble Hall Road, Milford Haven, has been acquitted of all charges after a trial at Swansea Crown Court.

Carlmain had been facing three counts of sexual assault, accused of sexually touching a woman without her consent at a Milford Haven address on June 6, 2021.

The trial, presided over by Her Honour Catherine Richards KC, commenced on July 31, and the verdict was delivered on August 1.

The jury unanimously found Carlmain not guilty on all three counts of sexual assault.

This decision comes after the court proceedings extended over several months, including a delay attributed to an earlier investigation and forensic examination of evidence.

The trial’s outcome signifies the importance of a thorough legal process while safeguarding the rights

and well-being of both complainants and defendants. The verdict brings a conclusion to a lengthy legal battle

for Ryan Carlmain, who can now move forward with his life after being found not guilty on all charges.

RNLI rescue boat with reports of engine failure

MIKE EDWARDS

FEAR is all in the mind.

That’s what the wife told me when she discovered a wasps nest in our shed and told me to get rid of it.

“They’re just as frightened of you as you are of them, Mike Edwards.” She declaimed in an outburst of unoriginality.

I stared at the large nest. Hundreds, if not thousands, of tiny insects packed full of venom stared back.

And I was afraid.

It’s your brain’s natural reaction to threats. Fear manifests itself through emotional and physical reactions to a shock.

Your heart beats faster. Your bowels and bladder feel looser. The fight or flight instinct often takes over. You might be paralysed with terror or find yourself frozen on the spot. Your brain tells your body to do conflicting things all at once. To yell, scream, gibber in terror or shock you into silence.

And it does all of that in an instant.

Our ancestors developed a sense of threat that kept them alive. When virtually everything in the forests or on the plains regards you as a palate-cleansing snack, you tend to either develop strategies for survival or die. Back in the mists of time, a protoEdwards must have had such a sense; otherwise, I wouldn’t be here.

As a young lad in the chapel choir, I remember singing, “Though thousands languish and fall beside thee and tens of thousands around thee perish, be not afraid.”

I’m sorry, but those are exactly the circumstances when you should be afraid. Indiscriminate slaughter is pretty scary, after all.

Although I suppose there’s comfort in numbers.

When you’re on your own, it’s a different matter.

Being alone in the dark heightens our senses. We see movement where none exists, hear sounds in absolute silence, and feel the hairs on the back of our neck prickle.

Our animal brain knows there’s something out there with sharp teeth waiting to make a meal of us. These days that’s mostly domestic cats.

Cuddles the Kitten might be the furriest, most adorable little friend you have in the world (aren’t you, Cuddles?), but they would feast on your corpse without a second thought.

It’s why dark, strange places frighten us.

It’s also why I prefer dogs. A dog will protect your cooling carcase from being munched by carrion eaters until it gets a better offer. Or gets bored. Or peckish.

Think of Greyfriars Bobby standing watch over his master’s grave. And not because an inconsiderate funeral director lowered the gravestone on his tail as one unkind soul suggested.

I wondered how long the missus would mourn my passing from being stung to death by angry wasps.

Probably until the life insurance cleared, I reckoned.

As the daylight dimmed and clad in as much protective gear as possible, I stood in the shed doorway and aimed a can of death foam at the nest.

It looked so quiet. Barely a buzz could be heard. A small wasp buzzed past me.

I let fly with the death foam and legged it.

The following day, the wasps’ nest was a tomb.

I gazed at my handiwork. I had become death, the destroyer of worlds. I realised t this must be how my beloved must always feel. And I was afraid.

TENBY’S all-weather lifeboat was requested to launch shortly after 10pm on Sunday (Aug 6) following reports of a boat with engine failure in between Waterwynch

and Monkstone, three quarters of a mile northeast of the station.

The volunteer crew were soon on the water and after a brief search, located the casualty vessel. The occupants requested a tow back to Saundersfoot.

With the vessel now safely back in Saundersfoot harbour, the lifeboat returned to station, arriving at 11.20pm.

Newgale ice cream parlour hopeful hits out

THE APPLICANT behind a scheme to turn surplus public toilets to a takeaway ice cream parlour/coffee bar has spoken out after a failed Welsh Government ‘call-in’ attempt by the National Trust.

At the June meeting of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s planning committee, members went against officer recommendations by narrowly backing the Newgale scheme, by Mike Harris, included a beach-themed small retail unit and a small rear extension for a kitchen at closed public toilets next to Newgale Campsite.

As the plan was a departure from officer recommendations, it was due to be heard at the July meeting, only for members to hear it had been subject to a potential ‘call-in’ to the Welsh Government after a request from a ‘third party,’ later revealed –following a Freedom of Information request by the applicant – to be the National Trust.

However, the Planning directorate said it did not feel the application should be called in, meaning it will be decided by national park planners

at a later date.

Mr Harris feels the decision to delay the application was taken by national park officers and the committee chair, Dr Madeleine Harvard, a National Trust member.

“Dr Harvard was aware at the time that National Trust had called-in the application but did not consult with other members of the Development Management Committee.

“The source of the ‘call-in’ request, or reasons, were not known to members at the time, and fingers were being pointed at who or whom may have been responsible.”

He said the National Trust had “a clear commercial conflict of interest” in the application, with fears it is working alongside the national park “on plans to flood Newgale valley, create a lagoon on the existing campsite and remove the beachfront businesses to achieve their objectives”.

He added: “National Trust’s reasons for requesting a ‘call-in’ were extremely weak and I

am aware that some members have raised concerns with the flawed process that allowed for the unnecessary delay in my application. The motives of National Trust were clearly malicious.”

A Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority spokesperson said: “The application was due to be determined at the Development Management Committee to be held on July 19.

“At the time the agenda was being finalised for that meeting the Authority was made aware of a ‘callin’ request to the Welsh Government, which if granted would have removed the ability for the Authority to determine the application.

“The Welsh Government was consulted on timescales for their determination of the “call-in” request. The decision was made by the Chair, in consultation with officers, to defer the matter to allow Welsh Government time to consider the ‘call-in’ request.

“The identity of the person who made the ‘call-in’ request was not material to the decision to defer. The Welsh Government refused

the ‘call-in’ request and advised the Authority of this on August 3.

“The application is currently proposed to be considered at the Development Management Committee meeting scheduled for September 6 and all members of the Authority have been

advised of this.

“The Authority has no ‘plans to flood Newgale valley’ as is alleged but the site of the application is identified as being at increasing risk of flooding, as was reported to Members on June 7.”

A National Trust Cymru spokesperson said: “We

believed that the application related to planning issues of more than local importance; the issue of flood risk and development within an area subject to coastal realignment required wider deliberation and consideration and should be determined by Welsh Ministers.”

sanctuary gives safe haven to twelve Sussex horses

SPRINGWOOD

SANCTUARY near Carmarthen has reached out to a horse rescue centre in West Sussex who were desperately searching for homes for their 12 horses and ponies. Equine Gentling have been caring for their herd for over 7 years in Sussex, but after endlessly searching for a forever home had come to the realisation they would have to rehome their herd and faced the unthinkable task of possibly separating them. Having forged a friendship over social media Jacqui and David reached out and offered to take them all at their horse and donkey sanctuary in

Wales.

Jacqui says “Here at Springwood we offer our rescued and rehabilitated horses, ponies and donkeys

the space to roam free and enjoy a natural existence. Dan and I have chatted online over the past few years, sharing our passion for equines to live with freedom and choice. When he reached out to

us we knew we had to help .”

Equine Gentling’s herd have been conservation grazing on gifted land across Sussex for the last seven years. Founder Dan Corbin says “We have been searching for a permanent home for years now and there have been some truly exceptional land owners whose land we have grazed on during that time, but we have reached the end of the road. Finances, recent extreme weather and minimal land availability has brought us to this point. When Jacqui and David answered our plea for help, it was beyond our wildest dreams. Springwood offers the herd the chance to live out their lives in peace and tranquility.”

David says “We have given our commitment that

these beautiful equines will never again be used in any way. To be able to offer another 12 horses this healthy and enriched lifestyle where they can thrive is wonderful”

Springwood is self funded and relies heavily on sponsorship and donations, and they know doubling the size of their herd will bring its own challenges. Amazingly the vast majority of Equine Gentling’s sponsors have chosen to continue to contribute after the move but there is still a huge financial gap. They need to fundraise for this major transition, as well as massively increase the amount of sponsors to meet the needs of the increased herd. Although they live naturally without the need for stables, tack

or shoes they still require health supplements, vet, dentist, farrier checks as well as land maintenance such as fences, winter field shelters and paid land labour.

They are asking for people to support their fundraiser to accommodate this new herd, or become sponsors of their new bigger rescue centre of 22 horses, ponies and donkeys to ensure these equines can continue their lives in this peaceful sanctuary. People can find out more about Springwood as well as details about donations and sponsorship on their website www. springwoodsanctuary.com

Details of the fundraiser can be found on GoFundMe by searching Springwood Sanctuary or at https:// gofund.me/03cf939f

Saundersfoot Police Station to be closed and sold off

THE POLICE STATION Saundersfoot is closing and the property will be sold.

The police say that this is in line with wider changes that will modernise and improve the policing service in Pembrokeshire.

The police press office said: “Officers that serve the community of Saundersfoot will continue to work from their base in Tenby Police Station, which is less than four miles away, and continue to ensure a visible presence and effective engagement with residents and businesses in Saundersfoot.

“This move is part of a change programme across Heddlu DyfedPowys Police, where estates, technology, and the equipment available to officers and staff are coming together to improve policing and the service to communities.”

Cllr Alec Cormack, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Corporate Finance and member for Amroth and Saundersfoot North said “In a time of massive budget pressures across the public sector it is not a surprise that the Saundersfoot police station is to finally close.

“The building has only been occupied by exception in recent years, and I hope that the money saved will be used to enhance the service provided in Saundersfoot from officers based in Tenby.”

Saundersfoot South county councillor, Chris Williams, said that he hoped the money saved by closing the station, and generated by its sale, would be used to ensure that his constituents were still well-served by the

police.

“After a recent zoom meeting with Police Superintendent Craig Templeton, his clear priority is to have officers on the streets instead of being in police stations,” he said.

“Dyfed-Powys Police has come under enormous pressure to cut costs while maintaining numbers on the beat. The station has certainly been downgraded over the years with the focus on Tenby station being less than four miles away.

“I sincerely hope that any money saved will be put into resources and making sure the residents of Saundersfoot still have a reliable police service serving the local communities.”

Chief Constable Dr Richard Lewis said: “This decision has come after careful evaluation to make best use of resources and deliver an effective police service that meets the

needs and expectations of our communities.

“The closure and sale of Saundersfoot police station is a step forward in modernising and improving our services, enabling officers to continue their work with greater efficiency and effectiveness.

“The decision has been made with the best interests of taxpayers and the community in mind, as the current station is no longer operational as it is does not meet modern day policing requirements, and it is expensive to run.

“I want to reassure the local community that Heddlu Dyfed-Powys Police is committed to maintaining the same level of service and support for our local communities, and residents and business in Saundersfoot will see no difference.

“Your local neighbourhood policing

team will continue to provide a visible presence and effective engagement with residents and businesses.”

The building at Wogan Terrace, Saundersfoot, will go to market in the coming days.

Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn said: “Historically, talk of police bases moving or stations closing and being sold, has triggered a narrative of police withdrawing from communities, fears about response times, and concerns about an increase in crime and disorder.

“However, I have been reassured by Chief Constable Dr Richard Lewis, that there will be no difference in the level of service to the public in Saundersfoot as a result of this estates decision.

“As Police and Crime Commissioner, I want to assure the public that despite the difficult

and stay informed about local issues.

“By utilising these alternative channels, we can collectively contribute to more responsive and efficient policing, allowing DyfedPowys Police to focus on critical situations while still addressing the concerns and needs of our community.

“If you have any questions or concerns, I encourage you to reach out to my office. We value your input and appreciate your ongoing support in ensuring the safety and well-being of our communities.”

Saundersfoot Community Council said that they did not want to comment on the news but confirmed that they had not been informed of the changes in advance.

decision to close and sell the station, our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our communities remains our priority.

“I recognise that change can be challenging, but please be assured that this strategic move will allow DyfedPowys Police to allocate resources more efficiently and will enhance their policing efforts.

“In today’s digital age, we are fortunate to have various channels through which people can connect with Dyfed-Powys Police. In addition to phone calls, we encourage people to explore online methods and social media platforms used by the Force. These platforms often provide valuable updates, crime prevention advice, and community engagement opportunities, allowing people to connect and engage with the police

The police added: “Local communities can contribute to more responsive and efficient policing by using online methods of contact. If you need the police when it is not an emergency, you can contact them through a direct message on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, online, by emailing 101@dyfedpowys.police.uk, or by calling 101. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired text the non-emergency number on 07811 311 908.

“Follow your Neighbourhood Policing Teams at Tenby, Saundersfoot and Narberth Police on Facebook and @ DPPTenby on Twitter for all policing news, appeals and notification of engagement events. If a crime is in progress, or there is a danger to life, risk of serious injury, or damage to property, always dial 999.”

Milford Haven police station moving in early September

MILFORD HAVEN POLICE STATION is being closed and sold off, and the police are moving to a new location near to the Haven’s Head out-of-town shopping centre

This, the police say, is in line with wider changes that will modernise and improve the policing service in Pembrokeshire.

Milford Haven Police Station has not been open to the public for a number of years, and the new station will also be closed to the public with the nearest counter service being at Haverfordwest.

The Neighbourhood Policing Team will be based at Cedar Court, Haven’s Head Business Park, from early September. The police said in a statement that this “is to be nearer to where residents feel the police should be based on demand caused by antisocial behaviour.”

Milford Haven Central councillor Terry Davies slammed the decision. He said:” I am very disappointed to see this happening in Milford Haven.

“To have a new station manned solely by PCSOs at Cedar Court with no access to the general public only by 101 or Facebook beggars belief.

Cllr Davies added: “With so much infrastructure around its shores and with the port increasing over the next few years I see no logic with this decision.”

The police released a lengthy statement on Monday (Aug 7) explaining that this move is part of a bigger change programme across Heddlu DyfedPowys Police, where estates, technology, and the equipment available to officers and staff are coming together to improve policing and the service to communities.

Chief Constable Dr Richard Lewis told The Pembrokeshire Herald: “This decision came after careful evaluation to make best use of resources and deliver an effective police service that meets the needs and expectations of our communities.

“The new police base at Cedar Court is a step

forward in modernising and improving our services, enabling officers to continue their work with greater efficiency and effectiveness.

“The decision to close and sell the old station has also been made with the best interests of taxpayers and the community in mind, as the current station is no longer fit for purpose and is expensive to run.

“I want to reassure the local community that Heddlu Dyfed-Powys Police is committed to maintaining the same level of service and support for our local communities, and residents and business in Milford Haven will see no difference.

“Your local neighbourhood policing team will continue to provide a visible presence and effective engagement with residents and businesses.”

The building at Charles Street, Milford Haven will go to market in the coming days.

Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn said: “Historically, talk of police bases moving or stations closing and being sold, has triggered a narrative of police withdrawing from communities, fears about response times, and concerns about an increase in crime and disorder.

“However, I have been reassured by Chief Constable Dr Richard Lewis, that there will be no difference in the level of service to the public in Milford Haven as a result of this estates decision.

“As Police and Crime Commissioner, I want to assure the public that despite the difficult decision to sell the station, our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our communities remains our priority.

“I recognise that change can be challenging, but please be assured that this strategic move will allow DyfedPowys Police to allocate

resources more efficiently and will enhance their policing efforts.

“In today’s digital age, we are fortunate to have various channels through which people can connect with Dyfed-Powys Police. In addition to phone calls, we encourage people to explore online methods and social media platforms used by the Force. These platforms often provide valuable updates, crime prevention advice, and community engagement opportunities, allowing people to connect and engage with the police and stay informed about local issues.

“By utilising these alternative channels, we can collectively contribute to more responsive and efficient policing, allowing Dyfed-Powys Police to focus on critical situations while still addressing the concerns and needs of our community.

“If anyone has questions or concerns, I encourage you to reach out to my office. We value your input and appreciate your ongoing support in ensuring the safety and well-being of our communities.”

The police said local communities can contribute to more responsive and efficient policing by using online methods of contact.

They continued: “If you need the police when it is not an emergency, you can contact them through a direct message on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, online, by emailing 101@dyfedpowys.police.uk, or by calling 101. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired text the non-emergency number on 07811 311 908.

“Follow your Neighbourhood Policing Teams at Milford Haven and Neyland Police on Facebook and @ DPPMilfordHaven on Twitter for all policing news, appeals and notification of engagement events.

“If a crime is in progress, or there is a danger to life, risk of serious injury, or damage to property, always dial 999.”

Central Motor Parts: A tale of transition and triumph

IN A STORY that combines determination, a touch of whimsy, and a drive to serve the community, Dean Sharp, a self-employed painter and decorator for two decades, made an audacious move two years ago by taking the reins of Central Motor Parts in Pembroke Dock. This unlikely transition has resulted in a blossoming business that now offers a wide array of products and

services to the local community.

The decision to take over Central Motor Parts, a shop Dean had been a loyal customer of for over 20 years, might have raised eyebrows at the time, but Dean’s motivations were rooted in a desire to keep a vital local business alive. The shop’s previous owner, Bill, was looking to retire, and Dean saw an opportunity not only for a good investment but to also prevent another shop from shuttering in

the heart of Pembroke Dock.

Dean’s journey into the retail world, however, was a plunge into the unknown. “None at all,” he admitted candidly when asked about his prior retail experience. This lack of experience, however, didn’t deter him from diving headfirst into the venture. With a touch of self-deprecating humor, Dean remarked, “I thought it would be easier than my previous occupation.” His years of scaling ladders and

repairing houses in the rain as a painter and decorator had apparently led him to believe that running a retail business would be a less taxing endeavor.

Starting without any formal help or partners, Dean relied on a family member who joined him as a staff member from the get-go. “Out of all the staff we’ve got, no one has ever left me,” Dean proudly remarked, a testament to the harmonious environment he has fostered.

Central Motor Parts has seen a transformation under Dean’s leadership. Once operating with minimal stock and relying on suppliers for prompt deliveries, the shop now boasts an impressive range of products. Dean has ensured that when local garages need a part urgently, they don’t have to wait for hours.

The personal touch and quick service have managed to win over several garages in the area, with the hope of

attracting more in the future.

Reflecting on his journey, Dean acknowledged the steep learning curve he faced in identifying and sourcing the right car parts, given the myriad choices and variations across makes and models. However, his commitment to adapt and expand the business has led to the addition of caravan and campervan accessories, a move that resonates with the camping enthusiasts

and holidaymakers in the area.

What truly sets Central Motor Parts apart is the personalized service. With a staff composed of locals, the shop exudes a sense of familiarity. “There’s hardly anyone who comes into the shop that we don’t know,” Dean explained. The friendly and familial atmosphere fosters genuine conversations, making customers feel valued and part of a close-knit community.

In closing, when asked about any humorous or memorable moments, Dean recalled the presence of Libby, a staff member who brings a daily dose of laughter and brightness to the shop. As Central Motor Parts looks to the future, Dean’s aspirations are simple yet significant: increasing stock levels, extending weekend hours, and continuing to provide that irreplaceable personal touch.

With gratitude, Dean

expressed his thanks to the community that has supported his venture. His success story underscores the potential for a small business to evolve, thrive, and become an integral part of its local ecosystem. As Central Motor Parts moves ahead, it continues to be a shining example of how passion, perseverance, and a personal touch can transform a business from a mere storefront into a beloved community hub.

SaundersFEST donates £25,000 to local good causes

THE RECENT success of the first ever SaundersFEST can be measured by the huge amount of positive feedback received from guests, vendors and performers along with the fact that it raised over £25,000 for charities and good causes.

The volunteer committee played a significant role in developing the musical festival which took place over the weekend of 7th9th July this year. This event would not have been possible without the cooperation of many local organisations, including Saundersfoot Harbour, Saundersfoot Sports Club, Saundersfoot Sailing Club and Saundersfoot Bowling Club, who all supported the activities over the weekend.

“Without doubt the sponsors played an incredible role in making sure that all monies from ticket sales from the event went to all the nominated charities” said Chris Williams who was

the instigator of the event “without their support this wouldn’t have been possible”.

“To raise over £25,000 in our first event has fully

supported our theory that there is the need for a music festival in the village. It was fantastic that the event was supported so well by residents, visitors and businesses. We would like to thank everyone who purchased tickets

and hopefully you will all keep an eye out for 2024 event updates coming soon!”

This week Chris Williams handed out cheques to the following organisations who all play a vital role in the community supporting

residents.

• Saundersfoot Cricket Club –£2,250

• Saundersfoot Football Club –£2,000

• Saundersfoot Bowling Club –

£2,000

• Saundersfoot Sailing Club –£1,000

• Tenby Lifeboats –£500

• Saundersfoot in Bloom £250

There are still bigger cheques to present to the remaining four charities supported by SaundersFEST –Velindre, Sandy Bears, Ty Hafan and Greenacres Animal centre.

“Another major factor to the success of the festival” says Chris “was the army of volunteers who gave up their time, so this event ran as smoothly as possible – so thank you to all of them, they did a fabulous job”.

Next year the committee will look to promote projects in the community of Saundersfoot. The organisers are keen to repay the fantastic support shown this year by working with various organisation to help enhance the village community.

Here’s to 2024!

Sanctuary wants council okay to keep going

AN ANIMAL sanctuary, which housed more than 50 pigs rescued from harrowing conditions at an illegal slaughterhouse in Pembrokeshire, has applied to the county council for formal permission to keep running.

Sash Bennett, of Tanrallt, Coxhead, Tregaron, has submitted a certificate of lawful development for Beneath the Wood Animal Sanctuary, which has been running since 2009.

The application, made through agent Rural Advisor Ltd, seeks the continued use of the land as an animal sanctuary for rescued pigs, sheep, horses, dogs and cat, as well as the siting of caravans used for permanent and temporary volunteer accommodation, ancillary facilities, and a kennels and stables for rescued dogs and horses.

The site currently looks after 92 pigs, 12 sheep, two horses, nine dogs, and two cats.

Rural Advisor Ltd said a full planning application is being submitted separately in order to regularise associated elements of development within the site, including the erection in 2020 of a livestock building for the housing of the rescued pigs and a domed timber holiday pod.

Planning law gives immunity to unauthorised uses that have prevailed for a set period of time without enforcement action taken against them, Rural Advisor Ltd says, in making the case for a certificate of lawful development.

In submission, it adds: “There is no clearer example of the achievements of Beneath the Wood Animal Sanctuary that in the case

of the 92 pigs which have called the Beneath the Wood Animal Sanctuary their home for the past four years.

“These pigs were rescued from an illegal slaughterhouse in Pembrokeshire. Following a high-profile court case which overturned a Destruction Order for 53 pigs (at the time) the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) stipulated that the animals were to be rehomed permanently with Sasha Bennett, the

registered keeper, who had brought the legal challenge.

“The pigs are unable to be moved as they are deemed at risk of having Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE) due to their consumption of dead animals, bricks, car parts and batteries during their time at the illegal slaughterhouse.”

In October 2019, the pigs were brought to Beneath the Wood Animal Sanctuary; the number of pigs had increased to 85 with a further number of

pregnant sows, as they were not separated from boars at a government holding facility, the number ultimately ending up at 92.

As reported in the local press, in 2019 an Action for Animals award was made to Sasha by vegan charity Viva! Which acknowledged that the sanctuary has been in operation since 2009.

The agent also says that, due to the potential TSE risks, Ceredigion was aware the pigs were kept on site.

The agent also detailed animal welfare work on site with sheep, horses, and dogs, the latter released to the care of Beneath the Wood Animal Sanctuary by animal charities such as Little Angels Staffie Rescue, West Wales Poundies dog rescue, Holly Hedge Sanctuary Bristol, and Davis and the former Potter Vets Lampeter, as well as by the police.

Letters of support were provided by the many volunteers at the site.

One of them, Lampeterbased researcher and historian of Chinese medicine Dolly Yang said: “They are God’s gift to humanity and Beneath the Wood Animal Sanctuary is where God’s love shines through the selfless services of Sasha and a couple of her longterm volunteers at the sanctuary.”

The application will be considered by county planners at a later date.

Plans for 18 new units at Cardigan business park

PLANS for a development of 18 commercial units at Cardigan’s Parc Teifi business park have been submitted to county planners.

Applicant TID Holdings Ltd, trading as TI Davies and Son, seeks permission for the flexible use commercial units, in the form of two buildings, at Plot C2 Parc Teifi.

In a submission to planners, Agent Llyr Evans Planning Ltd says: “The aim of the development is to provide two commercial buildings within the established business park of Parc Teifi, located within the settlement boundary of Cardigan. “The development

would consist of two buildings, unit 1 would provide six double height commercial units and unit 2 would provide 12

smaller business units over two floors.

“The units would be used for a mix of B1 (business), B2 (general

industrial) and B8 (storage or distribution) uses.”

It adds: “The proposed development

would reflect the existing context by developing a vacant plot within the existing business park and with buildings of a similar scale to those on the site.”

Dwr Cymru has asked that a drainage scheme for the site be submitted and approved by the local planning authority before any permission is granted.

A call has also been made locally that the buildings should be for local independent businesses and not be allowed for occupancy by multi-national companies. The application will be considered by planners at a later date.

Dobby’s grave desecration at Fresh West Beach sparks controversy

FRESH WEST has recently been at the centre of a peculiar and unexpected dispute. The iconic “grave” of Dobby the house-elf, a fictional character from the beloved Harry Potter series, has been subjected to an act of “sockrilege,” leaving the picturesque shoreline strewn with socks and litter. The incident has ignited discussions among locals and visitors alike, highlighting the complex relationship between popular culture, nature, and local tourism.

The incident came to light when Richard Thomas, a beachgoer, took to social media to share his dismay over the

desecration of Dobby’s makeshift grave. In a Facebook post, Thomas humorously noted that “OMG, Dobby’s grave at Fresh West has been desecrated! All his socks have gone…” The light-hearted comment quickly attracted attention, sparking a heated debate about the appropriateness of the tribute and the impact of such displays on the environment.

Wendy BaynhamMorse, a local resident and avid supporter of responsible tourism, suggested the installation of a statue as a more controlled and sustainable means

of honouring the fictional character. She argued that such a move could bolster tourism while maintaining the cleanliness of the beach. However, Ceri Hind interjected, revealing that the current “grave” was not even Dobby’s true resting place, which lies deeper within the dunes at the other end of the beach.

The conversation took an unexpected turn as Emma Thomas shared a link to a news article detailing the disappearance of a previous statue of Dobby from the beach.

The statue, crafted by a local company, had been removed less than 48 hours after its installation, raising concerns about

vandalism and theft.

The responsibility for the statue’s removal was the subject of speculation, with Kymberley Topaz attributing it to the council. Emma Thomas clarified that it was ultimately the national parks authorities who were behind the removal, emphasising the challenges of maintaining public art installations in natural and vulnerable environments.

The discussion touched on broader issues, such as the environmental impact of increased tourism and the delicate balance between preserving nature and accommodating visitors. Laura Chapman Ryder highlighted the

challenges faced by locals, expressing concerns about overcrowding and limited parking at Fresh West. Despite these concerns, Wendy Baynham-Morse reiterated the value of tourism for the local economy.

The removal of the socks and litter from the beach was met with mixed reactions. Some applauded the clean-up efforts, including Gaynor Evans, who welcomed the restoration of the beach’s natural beauty. Others, such as Bernard Foster, questioned the fervour over a fictional character’s “grave,” while Nicholas Breeze Wood delved into the cultural significance of such spontaneous

tributes, drawing parallels to sacred land shrines found in different parts of the world.

As the discourse rages on, it is clear that the tale of Dobby’s “grave” at Fresh West Beach serves as a reminder of the intricate relationship between culture, environment, and community identity. Whether viewed as an endearing tribute or an eyesore, the incident has ignited a passionate conversation that transcends the realm of fiction and underscores the importance of responsible tourism and environmental stewardship in this picturesque corner of Pembrokeshire.

Lightsource bp sponsors Fishguard and Goodwick RFC

LIGHTSOURCE

BP, developers of the local Langton solar project, are proud to be a new sponsor of the Fishguard and Goodwick RFC, as part of their commitment to supporting the communities that host their projects.

This sponsorship demonstrates Lightsource bp’s dedication to developing projects that go beyond solar to deliver additional benefits to the local community. Sponsoring the RFC strengthens the ties to the community around the Langton project and will hopefully help aid the club in its growth and success over the coming years.

Jonathan Jones, Fishguard & Goodwick RFC chairman, says: “We’re excited to have Lightsource bp on board, supporting the club and enabling our continued success across the board in 2023 and beyond.”

The Langton solar project is a 4MWp site developed by Lightsource bp in 2014 and is still operated by the company today, generating enough

electricity each year to meet the annual energy needs of 8,300houses, and saving the equivalent amount of carbon emissions to taking 4,000 cars off the road.

Stephen Rowe, landowner at Langton solar project, says: “Over the past nine years we’ve seen significant benefits from our solar lease with Lightsource bp, and we’re proud to have facilitated the partnership between the company and the RFC.”

Leasing land for solar is becoming an increasingly popular choice for farmers and landowners across the UK, providing secure, long-term rental income while the land remains available for agricultural use.

Declan Keiley, Head of Development UK & IE, Lightsource bp, says: “As a company, Lightsource bp is dedicated to having a positive impact that goes beyond generating renewable energy, not just across our global operations as a whole

but also on a local level. This sponsorship is the perfect example of how

Coffi cymraeg invites welsh language learners to the torch theatre

Welsh learners of all levels and abilities are welcomed with open arms at the Torch Theatre, Milford Haven as it hosts Coffi Cymraeg (Welsh Coffee) on a monthly basis. These welcoming sessions are held at Café Torch on the second Tuesday of every month, except September and are really growing in popularity.

The hour long sessions are held in a relaxing atmosphere and have done so since the Coffi Cymraeg sessions re-started in March, following the covid pandemic, with Janine Grayshon from the Torch Theatre at the helm. Janine is herself a Welsh language learner and enjoys meeting Welsh learners of all abilities over a cake and

a cuppa.

“Our Coffi Cymraeg sessions are always filled with such lovely groups of people and it’s very informal with no expectations. I find it incredibly helpful as a learner to practice using the language in everyday conversations and to take tips and advice from those who are more advanced. I was quite nervous about hosting the session as I’m not yet a fluent Welsh speaker, but everyone is welcome whether you are a learner or just wanting to put your Welsh into practice in a relaxed setting,” said Janine.

June saw a handful of pupils from Milford Haven Secondary School attend the session with their teacher. The pupils were starting their

GCSE Welsh language course and came along to practice their Welsh in an informative atmosphere.

Tim Howe is the Torch Theatre’s Senior Manager Youth and Community. He recently moved to Milford Haven from Cardiff and is eager to learn the language as he hosts various creative workshops for adult and children.

“These inclusive sessions are just so welcoming, informative and friendly. There’s no pressure or necessity to attend every session, and people can come and go as they please. From time to time, we invite guest speakers to give a talk and already had local author Anwen Francis visit with her children’s novels.

In October, we’ll be welcoming Rhidian

him over a coffee and cake,” said

If you would like to attend the next Coffi Cymraeg on Tuesday 10 October, just come

along at 11am. For further information, contact Tim Howe on tim@torchtheatre.co.uk.

we’re supporting our local communities –we’re proud to have our

Search for Welsh teachers begins

Welsh back into their families. They remember their grandparents using Welsh words, which has a very strong emotional connection for them.

“To anyone thinking of applying to the programme I would say just go for it. Even though it can feel like a scary thing to do, it’s such an exciting programme to be part of and a wonderful experience to live completely in Welsh and Spanish with hardly any need for English.”

Applications for the Welsh Language Project are now open until 9 October 2023. Successful applicants will receive £750 a month, plus free accommodation, travel and health insurance.

Encouraging Welsh language teachers and tutors to apply, Ruth Cocks, Director, British Council Wales, said:

THE BRITISH COUNCIL is looking for teachers to promote the Welsh language over 7,000 miles from home – in the Chubut province of Patagonia, Argentina.

From March to December 2024, the cultural relations organisation is hoping to send three teachers out to Y Wladfa, the Welsh settlement in Patagonia, to spend nine months teaching Welsh at one of three schools in the cities and towns of Trelew, Trevelin and Gaiman.

The teachers will be there as part of the Welsh Language Project, set up in 1997 to help promote the Welsh language in Patagonia, where there are currently over 6000 Welsh speakers. The region has the secondhighest volume of Welsh speakers worldwide after Welsh settlers created a permanent settlement in the Chubut Valley more than 150 years ago in 1865. Now, there are around 50,000 Patagonians of Welsh descent.

As part of the programme, the teachers

will develop the language in Patagonia through formal teaching and informal social activities. This year, two teachers – Llinos Howells and Thomas Door – will head out to spend the next three months in the region.

Thomas, originally from Aberpennar in the South Wales valleys, will teach at Ysgol Y Cwm School in Trevelin. While Llinos, currently a teacher at Santes Tudful Welsh Primary School in Merthyr Tudful, will be placed at Gaiman and Trelew Welsh Primary Schools.

Speaking ahead of her departure, Llinos said: “From a young age, I have many fond memories of listening to stories and the rich history of the early Welsh settlers in Chubut, and it was always my dream to visit. I have been lucky enough to visit on two occasions and felt a deep connection to the country and its people.

“While out there, I am particularly looking forward to coaching children for

competitions in the Eisteddfod as I have had much success in drama and recitation categories in the past. I enjoy watching the children’s confidence and passion develop and cannot wait to immerse myself within my new community and learn more about the culture, way of life and also to improve my Spanish.”

Thomas added: “To participate in this programme has been a dream of mine for many years. Before the pandemic, I was en route to volunteer in Ysgol Y Cwm but unfortunately only made it as far as Buenos Aires before the country shut down all internal and external flights. This experience is something that will hopefully enrich my teaching and life qualities. To see a Welsh culture thrive in an unfamiliar and peculiar setting is something I, and I’m sure many Welsh people, would love to see and experience.

“I would like to broaden my mind to an alternative way of living, immersing myself in another culture

with touches of familiarity and distance. My girlfriend is from Buenos Aires, so in the last seven years, I have grown into a parttime Argentinian and am familiar with a lot of the culture already. We are part of an Argentinian friendship group here in Wales and get together regularly for asados (barbeques), mates (drink) and meriendas (afternoon tea). I am excited to experience living away from my comfort zone, learning more ‘español rioplatense’ (Argentine Spanish). I want to contribute to Trevelin and Ysgol y Cwm to help give the children and local people positive experiences.”

Supporting them on the project is Marian Brosschot. From Botwnnog on the Llyn Peninsula in North West Wales, she originally took part in the programme in 2020; however, due to the Covid-19 pandemic had to teach mostly online. She now develops digital resources from Wales to support the programme and creates her own

YouTube videos to help people learn Welsh through Spanish.

She said: “I went to live in Trelew in February 2020, just a month before quarantine started in Argentina, and was able to deliver one lesson in a classroom before starting everything online. The programme made me much more flexible as a person, and I had to think a lot on my feet and be able to deal with challenges as they came up. I also learned a lot about technology and how to use it to connect with people and help them learn.

“One of the biggest things that surprised me about my time out there, though, was how at home I felt. People were kind, open and interested. Even though you’re on the other side of the world, it’s such a nice feeling to be around Welsh-speaking people. Many people are very passionate about learning Welsh as they are the descendants of people who came from Wales and have strong feelings about bringing

“We are thrilled to open applications for the Welsh Language Project in 2024, an incredible opportunity for teachers to contribute to cultural exchange and Welsh language learning in Patagonia. Since the pandemic, we’ve found it harder to recruit for the programme, so we would encourage anyone with a passion for teaching Welsh to apply. Not only does the programme continue to strengthen the relationship between Wales and Patagonia, but it provides a truly unique, once in a lifetime opportunity for those who participate in it.”

To find out more about the Welsh Language Project and eligibility criteria, visit: https://wales. britishcouncil.org/en/ programmes/education/ welsh-language-project

The Welsh Language Project continues the British Council’s work, building connection, understanding and trust between people in the UK and overseas through arts, education and English language teaching. To learn more about their work in Wales, visit https:// wales.britishcouncil.org/ en or follow on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

Cliff safety works at Lidl store get planning approval

RETROSPECTIVE

works to secure a cliff face at the back of Haverfordwest’s Lidl store have been given the backing of county planners.

Lidl UK Ltd, through agent CarneySweeney, sought retrospective permission for the retention of works to stabilise cliff face at the rear of the Perrots Road store.

Works started in March 2017 and were finished by March 2021.

A report for planners says that when the store was built, following a 2016 application, a retaining wall was omitted due to difficulties in excavation to form foundations.

The slope to be retained was cut back to a steep angle and unauthorised slope retention measures were incorporated.

A 2018 amendment to the approved scheme was submitted, seeking approval to allow highway

infrastructure alterations and for works to secure the stability of the slope to the rear of the premises. That was subject to a part refusal; the works to the slope were refused as no supporting information has been submitted with regard to the structural

integrity or otherwise of the slope and the supporting structure, the report for planners says.

Following the part refusal and commencement of enforcement action by the local authority, the latest planning application has been made to authorise the works that have been implemented.

The retaining work has entailed the removal of loose material and infilling with concrete that has been anchored into rock at 23 points, covered with rock fall netting. Although no further deterioration has been observed, the report advises continuation of an existing monitoring regime of six-monthly inspection

of the retained wall/rock face, with any defect being reported to Lidl’s engineer for review, assessment, and appropriate action.

“The Head of Infrastructure (Structural Engineer) has reviewed the application supporting documentation and visited the application site. Whilst aspects of the implemented works

may be criticised, he has advised that the slope appears stable and that there do not appear to be any signs of imminent collapse. He recommends inspections as part of a regular maintenance regime,” the report says.

It concludes: “The applicant has undertaken unauthorised works to the slope. If this has led to damage to adjoining property as alleged, it is a private civil matter for the property owner to pursue with the applicant. However, no evidence has been supplied to substantiate this claim.

“The works have been undertaken to ensure stability of the slope and officers conclude that on balance, in light of the advice of the Head of Infrastructure (Structural Engineer), that it is appropriate to approve the works retrospectively to achieve this aim.”

The application was conditionally approved by planning officers.

Excitement builds as work starts at McDonald’s site

projects in Pembrokeshire, including school developments and a former school’s redevelopment, the developers of the McDonald’s site have now taken necessary precautions to ensure the safety of both construction workers and future patrons.

WORK to build a new McDonald’s restaurant and drive-thru in Milford Haven are back on track after initial planning setbacks. County Hall planners have now given the green light for the construction to proceed, signalling a wave of excitement on social media.

The earlier roadblock came as County Hall planners rejected the initial planning application, stalling progress. The proposed restaurant, slated for the former Paul Sartori furniture store location in the Havens

Head retail park, faced challenges due to concerns over soft landscaping and the potential presence of asbestos in the ground.

However, recent developments have quashed these concerns, allowing the project to move forward. One of the key hurdles was the identification of asbestos in the vicinity of the restaurant’s location. While the presence of asbestos has delayed several building

The revised plan, submitted in response to the concerns raised, outlines detailed strategies to address potential asbestosrelated issues, assuring County Hall officers that proper measures will be in place to handle any risks associated with disturbing the material. The developers’ commitment to prioritising safety has played a pivotal role in gaining approval for the project to proceed.

The removal of the old building at the site to make way for the two-storey restaurant is about to begin, with demolition slated for this week.

Regarding the new development at Haven’s Head Retail Park, Tom Sawyer, Chief Executive at the Port of Milford Haven, said:

“The signing of a contract with McDonald’s will create much needed new jobs in Milford Haven. McDonald’s intends to recruit from the local area, providing internal training programmes and externally recognised qualifications with a clear career path to management opportunities for those who seek this opportunity. We look forward to developing an ever-stronger partnership with McDonald’s here in the town.”

Careful consideration has been given to the

potential for littering and anti-social behaviour at the site which have been addressed and will be closely monitored and managed by the operator on an ongoing basis.

McDonald’s is committed to tackling litter in as many different ways as possible. It is their company policy to conduct a minimum of three daily litter patrols, whereby employees pick up not only McDonald’s packaging, but also any other litter that may have been discarded in the vicinity of a restaurant.

Litter bins are also provided outside all restaurants, and packaging carries anti-littering symbols to encourage customers to dispose of litter responsibly. Anti-littering signage is displayed within restaurants and car parks, and support is given to support antilittering campaigns by Keep Britain Tidy, Keep Wales Tidy, Keep Scotland Beautiful and Hubbub. Any enquiries relating to the development can be sent to prdepartment@ mhpa.co.uk.

Listed hotel Flat conversion given the go-ahead

PLANS to convert a listed hotel in Tenby’s conservation area to flats have been given the go-ahead by national park planners.

Applicants Rob and Jan Evans sought the conversion of the Myrtle House Hotel bed and breakfast in St Marys Street to five selfcontained flats, while retaining the existing owners’ accommodation.

The application to convert the three-storey Grade II listed building was supported by Tenby Town Council.

Agent David J P Morgan Architect, in a submitted statement, said the changes to the 19th century former house, believed to have been built by built by Wm Davies of Tenby in the 1870s, would involve no external changes.

The statement said: “The design concept recognises the integrity of the existing building and aims to create

the desired residential units without any major disturbance of the original structure and

layout.”

It adds: “The important interior features such as staircase, ceiling coving, ceiling roses and fire surrounds which exist will be protected and will remain as part of

the new spaces where possible or otherwise will be integrated within new ceiling structures so that they remain intact and undamaged.”

A report for planners stated that local

development plan policy “protects against the loss of hotels and guest houses unless it is proven that their continued use would not be viable or that peak demand can continue to

be met in the locality”.

It added: “The application property offers a small number of rooms, and the loss of these rooms will not impact on the ability of Tenby to cater for current levels of demand.

“The application site is also situated within a street which is largely residential, with many of the properties used for holiday letting purposes.

“The principle of converting the existing bed and breakfast to flats is therefore considered acceptable in this instance.”

The report also said there was a 50 per cent requirement for affordable housing on developments of two units or more in Tenby, which would equate to two units, or an affordable housing contribution.

The application was conditionally approved by park planners.

Right to scrap living costs rule for prison compensation cases

THE DECISION by the British government to finally scrap the controversial rule that deducted living costs from compensation paid to wrongly jailed people is a significant step towards justice and fairness. The case of Andrew Malkinson, who spent 17 years in jail for a crime he did not commit, serves as a poignant reminder of the flaws in the compensation system, and the urgent need for reform.

For far too long, individuals like Mr. Malkinson have suffered the unimaginable consequences of being wrongfully convicted. Not only were they robbed of their freedom, but they were also subjected to the possibility of having a portion of their compensation unjustly withheld based on the outdated and misguided “savings” rule. This rule allowed the government to reduce compensation amounts, taking into account the living expenses that wrongly jailed individuals supposedly saved while incarcerated. Such a notion is not only absurd but also deeply unjust.

In Mr. Malkinson’s case, a new DNA investigation has linked another suspect to the crime, proving his innocence beyond any doubt. It is sickening and abhorrent that he could have faced a further delay in receiving his rightful compensation due to the deductions based on a flawed and unfair principle.

The government’s decision to remove this

rule is a common-sense change that aligns with the fundamental principles of justice and fairness. Victims of miscarriages of justice should not be penalized twice for crimes they did not commit. It is crucial to acknowledge that compensation is not a mere token of sympathy; it is a crucial part of repairing the immense harm and trauma

inflicted on wrongly jailed individuals and their families.

However, the government must not stop at this step. Reimbursing those individuals who had their compensation reduced under the flawed rule is a necessary move to right the past wrongs. These individuals have already suffered through years of wrongful imprisonment,

and denying them their full compensation only adds insult to injury. The government has a moral obligation to rectify this injustice and provide full restitution to those who were unjustly affected.

Moreover, this decision should be the starting point for a comprehensive overhaul of the compensation system in miscarriage of justice cases.

miscarriages of justice. It is disheartening to see that it took two decades for Mr. Malkinson’s innocence to be recognised fully. Such delays prolong the suffering of innocent individuals and add unnecessary strain to an already traumatic experience.

The government must prioritize the establishment of a fair and efficient compensation mechanism that respects the presumption of innocence and offers support to those who have suffered due to systemic failures. It is time to implement a process that puts victims at the forefront and provides them with the financial and emotional support they need to rebuild their lives after being wrongfully incarcerated.

Compensation must become the norm rather than the exception, and the process needs to be streamlined to ensure that victims receive timely and adequate compensation for the loss of their freedom and their lives.

The appeals system also requires thorough reform to prevent lengthy delays in acknowledging obvious

In conclusion, the decision to scrap the controversial living costs rule in compensation cases for wrongly jailed individuals is undoubtedly the right one. It is a step in the right direction towards achieving a more just and fair society. However, this should not be the end of the journey; the government must now take bold steps to review past cases and fully compensate those who have suffered injustice. Additionally, a comprehensive reform of the compensation and appeals system is essential to prevent future miscarriages of justice and ensure timely justice for all. Only then can we truly uphold the core pillar of our justice system – fairness.

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Ellis Grover set for hometown high-wire thrill

Fireman’s carnival a huge success

ON WEDNESDAY

(Aug 2) the Tenby Fireman’s Carnival delivered a day of thrilling entertainment and community bonding.

The event, orchestrated by the courageous firefighters of Tenby, drew a crowd that was left exhilarated and drenched after engaging in a variety of water-based activities.

The atmosphere was electric, as the town united to celebrate the

unwavering dedication of those who safeguard their community.

As the sun started its descent, casting a warm glow over the carnival grounds, the festivities continued to enthral attendees. The carnival’s vibrant colours against the canvas of the afternoon sky transformed Tenby into a smile of joy, leaving incredible memories for

all who participated.

The Tenby Fireman Carnival went beyond being a mere event; it served as a powerful tribute to bravery and a testament to the commitment of Tenby’s fire brigade. With every splash of water and burst of applause, the carnival kindled a sense of unity and excitement, reminding everyone that the true essence of heroism lies in shared moments of sheer exhilaration.

WELSH daredevil

Ellis Grover, famed for gravity-defying feats, readies to thrill hometown with highwire act. Born in Carmarthen, Grover’s global fame stems from audacious stunts, like cinema roof chair balance and 150-meter quarry walk.

Now, he prepares an awe-inspiring hometown show.

After showcasing fearless talents worldwide, the 30-yearold returns to Carmarthen.

In two weeks, on August 12 at 7 pm, Grover attempts a 100-meter, 10-meter-high wire walk

across Carmarthen Park’s rugby pitch—no safety, just confidence.

“I wanted to return home, gift locals my learnings. The town shaped me,” Grover shared, nostalgic.

Youth at Carmarthen Park sparked Grover’s heights interest. There, he mastered railings, especially circular ones around the velodrome, shaping his career.

His commitment persists. “I fell for heights as a teen. I walked velodrome railings at 14, unaware it’d become my career—special to return,” Grover recalled.

Despite a whirlwind

2022 of global thrilling challenges, Grover’s tied to hometown. “I honed tricks at Carmarthen Park. This performance was a longtime goal,” he stressed.

With feats like a 130-meter quarry tightrope walk and a 270-meter Penarth beach stroll, Grover’s August 12 stunt promises. His safety mantra involves calm and focus. “High-wire’s calm control in danger, focus. Preparation’s mental—I visualize,” Grover disclosed.

Dreaming of grander landscapes, Grover’s heart’s on hometown.

“Local performance’s

County Show promises to have something for everyone

by Castell Howell, showcasing wonderful Welsh produce, producers and innovators, as well as cookery demonstrations.

WALES’ largest county agricultural show, Pembrokeshire County Show, promises it will have something for everyone. The event takes place on 16 and 17 August at Pembrokeshire County Showground in Haverfordwest.

Visitors to the show can enjoy listening to the all-day entertainment from the music stage, marvel at the livestock classes, be wowed by the showjumping, explore the horticulture, arts and crafts area and shop until they drop.

Pembrokeshire

Agricultural Society (PAS) are pulling out all the stops to make the two-day show an amazing experience with a larger Country Market shopping area than ever before with 60 stalls selling unique, local, artisan products. There will also be the return of the Food Hall, sponsored

Brian Jones, Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society President said, “We are very excited about the prospect of seeing our wonderful members, competitors, trade stands, sponsors and community coming together once again for the show. Whether you’re a Pembrokeshire local or visiting we’re sure you’ll have a fantastic day out. This year’s show is jam-packed with great attractions and events. There really is something for everyone. Thousands of visitors are expected to see some of the best livestock, taste fabulous local food and drink, experience country life and enjoy a wealth of entertainment.”

Every day, there will be live entertainment from the Pure West Radio stage. Together with broadcasting live from the show both days there will be live music, choirs, special guests, competitions, workouts, arts, dance and performances.

There will be trade stands that hail from all corners of the UK and Ireland to explore. Vintage vehicles display, Andrew Holmes’ Funfair, Pembrokeshire Food Court, Craft & Horticulture, eggs and pigeon show, cattle on the Wednesday, Children’s calf showing, Children’s equine ring, sheep and pigs showing on the Thursday, horses both days including showjumping competition and the exciting final of the Arena Eventing and two Dog Agility arenas.

There’s always an emphasis on great Welsh produce, celebrating the show’s ethos of ‘field to fork’. Visitors will be able to visit the Food Hall, sponsored by Castell Howell, which

will showcase wonderful Welsh produce and local food innovators and enjoy watching cookery demonstrations. There will also be a food court for visitors to enjoy a range of food on the go.

Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society’s successful Food Story volunteers will be on hand with a fantastic display for children to visit to learn where their food comes from. Alongside the Food Story Zone we are delighted to welcome the return of the Panic Circus Big Top, with loads of FREE fun and games for all the family.

In the Countryside Park there will be BASC Wales displays by gun dogs and retrievers; Canine displays by specialist search and detection dogs; live talks and demonstrations timetabled throughout the day by Old Park Apiaries, beekeeping/honey production/pollinator support. There will also be a chance to try your hand in the BASC Air Rifle target shooting range, learn about the British Bird of Prey Centre, White tailed Eagle project and watch their exciting falconry displays. New to the arena at the Countryside Park will be internationally renowned sheepdog handler Meirion Owen to explain the inspiring role these intelligent iconic dogs play alongside the shepherds of Wales. Expert gardening advice

will be available from the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society’s own community gardens project, run by the Parc Helyg team. Fruit tree information comes from Llanblathian Orchards, with more growing advice from Haygrove Garden Tunnels.

The Community Zone will bring together a number of voluntary and community groups. Coordinated by Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services (PAVS) the marquee is an opportunity for organisations, who might not normally be able to have a presence at the show, to promote their activities in Pembrokeshire. From giving advice, supporting those in need or providing training and volunteering opportunities.

Getting around at an agricultural show can sometimes be difficult, however at the Pembrokeshire County Showground there is a good network of tarmac making conditions underfoot easier for visitors with limited mobility. Parking is available for Blue Badge holders and there will be disabled toilets courtesy of Pembrokeshire College. Mobility scooters and wheelchairs hire are available to hire from Advanced Mobility Solutions please visit the website for bookings: www.pembsshow.org

Council to showcase services at the Pembrokeshire County Show

The Pembrokeshire County Show is back once again – and this year’s event on 16th and 17th August will see Pembrokeshire County Council provide a onestop-shop of support and information.

For the first time, the Council will have one marquee, hosting teams from across the authority including social services, recruitment, waste and recycling, and many more.

Visitors will also have the chance to meet Cabinet Members and the Chief Executive and find out about a host of interesting and innovative projects happening across the county.

The marquee will be located opposite the showjumping and equestrian rings in Zone A (pitch 9).

As a celebration of rural life in the county, the show is the perfect platform to

engage with both local communities and visitors, said the Council’s Chief Executive Will Bramble.

“Our teams are excited about meeting visitors to the show and having the opportunity to demonstrate what they do – and highlight the wealth of support available along with the wide range of career opportunities we have to offer,” he said.

“Following the success of last year’s show, I am looking forward to engaging once again with the rural and wider communities of this fantastic county.

“The County Show is the perfect place to celebrate the amazing produce we have to offer – and to meet new and old friends. Please come and visit our marquee and discover more about the support available and our transformational projects, which will improve the

lives of our communities and visitors. I look forward to meeting you.”

Other teams in attendance include the Broadband project, Norman Industries and Green Pembrokeshire. In addition, Foster Care,

Carers Support and the recruitment team can advise you on how to start your career in social care and join the team making a real difference to the lives of people in our communities.

Cllr Paul Miller, Deputy

Leader and Cabinet Member for Place, the Region and Climate Change, added: “The County Show is a wellloved and important celebration of rural life in Pembrokeshire, and we are delighted to be part of

the event once again. Our staff and members will be chatting to lots of people from communities right across Pembrokeshireplease do drop into our stand and say hello - we’re looking forward to meeting you.”

Schools unveil Welsh-language song series

Harmonious melodies of Welsh music fill the air as a charming series of brand new songs composed Pembrokeshire school children is released.

The collaborative musical endeavour, organised by Pembrokeshire County Council and Menter Iaith Sir Benfro, features renowned songwriter Mei Gwynedd and exceptionally talented pupils from 46 schools across the region.

Initiated as part of their commitment to the Welsh Language Charter, the schools in Pembrokeshire embarked on this remarkable project to celebrate their area and the county’s rich cultural heritage.

The heart and soul

of this series of seven captivating songs lie in the inspiring lyrics, crafted by Criw Cymraeg’s from each school, complemented by music videos by gifted filmmaker Nico Dafydd.

Criw Cymraeg from Mary Immaculate School proudly shared: “Writing, rehearsing and performing for the video was an unforgettable experience, it was such a unique opportunity to create and write a song with a wellknown artist!”

Mei Gwynedd added: “They were all so proud of their area and I learned a lot about this lovely corner of Wales! Some were fluent in Welsh, and others with a few words, but it’s great to be able to see music uniting children from

different backgrounds.”

Cabinet Member for Education and the Welsh Language Cllr Guy Woodham said: “This remarkable project has given these talented pupils a chance to use their Welsh skills in a different context and what they have created is truly extraordinary.

“Celebrating the individual areas and the County as a whole through song is a valued tradition and it is fantastic to see –and hear – that it continues to thrive with the younger generation.”

Each school proudly unveiled their songs to their peers before the summer holidays and can be watched by everyone on YouTube.

CASTLE SCHOOL

TV 11.8.23

4.30

6.00

News at Six; Weather.

6.30 BBC Wales Today; Weather.

7.00 Iolo’s Borderlands. Iolo Williams explores the borderlands of north-east Wales. Last in the series. (R)

The Reunion

ITV, 9pm

Thomas' search for the truth about what happened to Vinca leads him to make a disturbing discovery about his own family. Max receives an unwanted relic of his past, while Francis makes a deal to help secrets stay buried. Mystery thriller, starring Ioan Gruffudd, Ivanna Sakhno, Gregory Fitoussi, Dervla Kirwan, Vahina Giocante and Shemss Audat.

7.30 Fast Track to Glory: Our Lives. The fortunes of a determined woman chasing her first season as a racing driver.

8.00 Question of Sport. With Joleon Lescott, Jazmin Sawyers, Anthony Ogogo, and Keely Hodgkinson.

8.30 Would I Lie to You? Material from the comedy panel show, not originally shown in the series 16 episodes. (R)

9.00 Celebrity MasterChef.

9.30 The Power of Parker.

10.00 BBC News at Ten.

10.30 BBC Wales Today; Weather.

10.40 Rewind: 60 Years of Welsh Pop. (R)

11.10 Film: 21 Bridges. (2019) Thriller, starring Chadwick Boseman.

12.40 BBC News.

SATURDAY’S TV 12.8.23

CHOICE

6.30 Glorious Gardens from

Above. (R) 7.15 Animal Park.

(R) 8.00 Sign Zone: Gardeners’

World. (R) 9.00 Nicky Campbell.

11.00 BBC News. 12.45

Impossible. (R) 1.30 Mastermind.

(R) 2.00 Great British Menu.

(R) 2.30 Cycling: World Championships 2023. Coverage of the men’s individual time-trial.

5.15 Flog It! (R) 5.45 Eisteddfod 2023 with Sian Eleri. (R)

6.15 The Hundred. Northern Superchargers v Oval Invincibles (Start-time

6.30pm). Live coverage of the men’s match from Headingley, Leeds.

9.30 Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing. Paul and Bob head to a lake deep in the Surrey Hills, and set their eyes and their hearts on catching big carp. (R)

10.00 Pride Live at the Apollo. Part one of two. Celebrating LGBT+ stand-up comedy, showcasing the funniest moments from stars who have appeared on Live at the Apollo, including Desiree Burch and Joe Lycett. (R)

10.30 Newsnight.

11.00 Weather.

11.05 Golf: The Women’s Open.

12.05 Earth. (R) 1.05 Sign Zone: Panorama. (R) 1.35 A Wright Family Holiday. (R)

2.05 Couples Therapy. (R) 2.35 The Hidden World of Hospitality with Tom Kerridge. (R) 3.35 This Is BBC Two.

6.00 Good Morning Britain. 9.00 Lorraine. 10.00 This Morning.

12.30 Loose Women. 1.30 ITV Lunchtime News; Weather. 1.55

ITV News Cymru Wales; Weather.

2.00 James Martin’s Islands to Highlands. (R) 3.00 Lingo. (R)

4.00 Tipping Point. (R) 5.00 The Chase. (R)

6.00 ITV News Wales at Six; Weather.

6.30 ITV Evening News; Weather.

7.00 Backstage at the Eisteddfod. Nest Jenkins speaks to musicians who are performing on the Maes.

7.30 Emmerdale. Confusion at the B&B and Bob shows a darker side.

8.00 Coronation Street. Stephen’s conscience is pricked when he meets Rufus’s son.

9.00 The Reunion. New series. Mystery thriller, starring Ioan Gruffudd.

10.00 The Reunion. Thomas's search for the truth leads to a disturbing discovery.

10.50 ITV News; Weather.

11.20 ITV News Cymru Wales; Weather.

11.35 The Murder of Molly McLaren: Social Media Murders. (R)

12.30 Karen Carney’s Leaders of the Pack. (R) 12.55 Paul Sinha’s TV Showdown. (R) 1.30 All Elite Wrestling: Collision. (R) 3.10 Cooking with the Stars. (R) 4.00 Unwind. 5.05 Katie Piper’s Breakfast Show. (R)

6.00 Cyw. (R) 9.30 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru 2023. 12.00 Newyddion S4C a’r Tywydd. 12.05

Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru 2023. 2.00 Newyddion S4C a’r Tywydd. 2.05 Eisteddfod

Genedlaethol Cymru 2023. 4.00

Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru 2023.

6.00 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru 2023.

7.30 Newyddion S4C a’r Tywydd.

7.50 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru 2023. The Corau Cerdd Dant and the Mixed Choirs compete in the Pavilion.

10.30 Y Babell Lên 2023.

11.30 Pa Fath o Bobl... sy’n Prynu Pen Llyn. (R)

12.05 Diwedd. Channel 4: 6.15 Countdown.

6.00 Milkshake!: 9.15 Jeremy Vine. 11.15 Storm Huntley.

12.40 Alexis Conran. 1.40

5 News at Lunchtime. 1.45 Home and Away. (R) 2.15 Film: Deadly Prescription. (2018)

4.00 Bargain-Loving Brits in the Sun. (R) 5.00 5 News at 5.

6.00 Eggheads. The Scramblers take on the experts. (R)

6.30 Eggheads. (R)

6.55 5 News Update.

7.00 My Cornwall with Fern Britton. The presenter begins her Cornish odyssey at Halton Quay. (R)

7.55 5 News Update.

8.00 Susan Calman’s Summer by the Sea. The comedian visits Margate on the Kent coast where she tries her first tub of cockles, visits the mysterious Shell Grotto, and hooks up with actress Sally Lindsay.

9.00 Yellowstone. The Duttons deal with a painful family anniversary, and Kayce saves a young girl from danger. Drama, starring Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes and Kelly Reilly. (R)

10.00 Film: The Bodyguard. (1992) Romantic thriller, with Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston.

Ejiofor. 11.05 AI: Artificial Intelligence (2001)

BBC1 BBC2 ITV1 WALES S4C CHANNEL 5 DIGITAL

6.00 Breakfast. 10.00 Saturday Kitchen Live. 11.30 Nadiya Bakes. (R) 12.00 Football Focus. 1.00 BBC News; Weather.

1.15 Bargain Hunt. (R) 2.00 Live Challenge Cup Rugby League. Leigh Leopards v Hull Kingston Rovers (Kick-off

3.00pm). 5.40 BBC News. 5.55 BBC Wales Today; Weather.

6.05 The Hit List. Marvin and Rochelle Humes present the music quiz, in which contestants from Glasgow, Bangor and Beckenham try to name as many songs and artists as possible.

6.50 The Weakest Link. Quiz, hosted by Romesh Ranganathan. (R)

Champion

BBC1, 9.15pm

Even those of us who aren’t fans of the show’s music have found plenty to admire about Candice CartyWilliams’s gripping drama, which fuses a cautionary tale about fighting for fame and fortune with a good, old-fashioned family saga. We’re now onto the penultimate episode, which sees Vita’s career continue to go from strength to strength, just as her brother Bosco’s falls apart.

7.35 Pointless Celebrities. Anton Du Beke, Emma Barton, Will Kirk, Lucia Scalisi, Eric Knowles, Caroline Hawley, YolanDa Brown and Jonathan Ansell compete in the star-studded general knowledge quiz.

8.25 Casualty. Max has discovered that someone has been stealing Diazepam, and proposes new rules to restrict access – a move that threatens to bring Faith’s secrets into the light.

9.15 Champion.

10.00 BBC News; Weather.

10.20 Match of the Day.

11.45 Film: Highlander. (1986) Fantasy adventure, starring Christopher Lambert.

1.35 Weather for the Week Ahead.

1.40 BBC News.

6.40 Hey Duggee. (R) 6.55

Supertato. (R) 7.05 Shaun the Sheep. (R) 7.15 Dennis & Gnasher

Unleashed! (R) 7.25 Boy Girl Dog

Cat Mouse Cheese. (R) 7.40 The Deep. (R) 8.00 The Dengineers. (R)

8.30 One Zoo Three. (R) 8.55 Newsround. 9.00 Blue Peter. (R)

9.30 Deadly 60. (R) 10.00 Film: Laura. (1944) 11.30 Live Women’s Challenge Cup. Leeds Rhinos v St Helens (Kick-off 12.00pm). 2.00

Film: The Wedding Planner. (2001)

3.40 The Wedding Dress Shop. (R)

4.10 The Pembrokeshire Coast: A Wild Year. (R) 4.30 Final Score.

5.30 The Hundred. Welsh Fire v Southern Brave.

9.00 The Everly Brothers: Songs of Innocence and Experience: Arena. A classic documentary from 1984 in which Arena took the American musicians back to the coal-mining area of Kentucky where their father Ike had also been part of a local act. (R)

10.35 The Everly Brothers Reunion Concert. The duo perform in a reunion concert in the autumn of 1983 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, which they chose because they had memories of playing there with their father, Ike. (R)

11.55 Golf: The Women’s Open.

12.55 The Everly Brothers: Harmonies from Heaven. (R) 1.55 Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby. (R) 2.55 Film: The Photograph. (2020) 4.35 This Is BBC Two.

6.00 CITV: Lloyd of the Flies. 6.20 Looney Tunes Cartoons. (R) 7.05 Mystery Lane. (R) 7.30 FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. Coverage of the third quarter-final.

10.15 James Martin’s Great British Adventure. (R) 10.45 FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. Coverage of the fourth quarterfinal. 1.55 ITV News; Weather. 2.05 Ainsley’s World Cup Flavours. (R)

3.05 Film: Big. (1988) 5.05 Tipping Point: Best Ever Finals. (R)

5.35 In for a Penny. (R)

6.05 ITV News; Weather.

6.20 ITV News Cymru Wales.

6.30 The Chase Celebrity Special. Cheryl Baker, Laura Tobin, Jason Bell and Mark Steel answer general knowledge questions and work as a team to take on a Chaser and secure a charity prize. (R)

7.30 Moneyball.

8.30 Film: Casino Royale. (2006) James Bond pursues an international criminal responsible for financing terrorist organisations across the world. Spy thriller, starring Daniel Craig, Eva Green and Mads Mikkelsen.

11.15 ITV News; Weather.

11.35 English Football League Highlights.

1.00 Karen Carney’s Leaders of the Pack. (R) 1.25 The Masked Singer. (R) 2.35 Winning Combination. (R)

3.30 Code Blue: The Killing of June Fox-Roberts. (R) 4.20 Unwind.

5.35 Ainsley’s Mediterranean Cookbook. (R)

6.00 Cyw. (R) 8.00 Stwnsh Sadwrn: Siwrne Ni. 8.05 Dyffryn

Mwmin. (R) 8.25 Bwystfil. (R) 8.35

Lego DREAMZzz. (R) 8.55 Dennis a Dannedd. (R) 9.10 Rhyfeddodau Chwilengoch a Cath Ddu. (R) 9.35

Gwrach y Rhibyn. (R) 10.00 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru 2023.

7.45 Newyddion a Chwaraeon. Weekend news and sport.

8.00 Bwrdd i Dri. Cooking show featuring news and weather presenters. (R)

8.30 Gemau’r Haf – Rygbi. England v Wales.

9.30 Y Babell Lên 2023. The day’s highlights from the Literature tent.

10.30 Ralïo+. (R)

11.00 Pysgod i Bawb. (R)

11.35 Diwedd. Channel 4: 6.00 The King of Queens. (R) 7.05 Everybody Loves Raymond. (R) 7.55 Cheers. (R)

9.25 The Simpsons. (R) 1.15

Come Dine with Me: The Professionals. (R) 2.10 Undercover Boss USA. (R) 3.10 Four in a Bed. (R) 5.45 Channel 4 News.

6.15 Elizabeth II: Making of a Monarch. 7.15 The Queens that Changed the World. 8.15 Matt Baker’s Travels in the Country: USA. (R) 9.15 Becoming Elizabeth.

11.35 Film: Mechanic: Resurrection. (2016) 1.20

Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA. (R) 2.10 Couples Come Dine with Me. (R) 3.00 Hollyoaks Omnibus. (R) 5.00 Undercover Boss Australia. (R) 5.50-6.15 Beat the Chef. (R)

6.00 Milkshake! 10.05 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. (R) 10.25

Entertainment News. 10.30

Cruising with Jane McDonald. (R)

10.45 Friends. (R) 12.40 BargainLoving Brits in the Sun. (R) 4.35 Jane McDonald: Cruising Scandinavia. (R)

6.20 5 News Weekend.

6.25 When All-Inclusive Holidays Go Horribly Wrong. Holidaymakers discuss dream breaks that turned into nightmares, including a nurse whose family vacation in Crete was ruined by a construction site next to her hotel. (R)

7.45 Beatrice and Eugenie: Surviving Controversy. A profile of the sisters, who have been vilified, mocked, satirised and trolled, looking at how close to reality public perception of the princesses actually is. (R)

9.15 Buckingham Palace with Alexander Armstrong. A look at how Queen Victoria fled the palace after Prince Albert died.

10.15 The Curse of the Spencers. (R)

11.50 Top of the Pops: Most Shocking Moments. (R)

1.15 Teleshopping. 3.15 A Country Life for Half the Price with Kate Humble. (R) 4.05 OMG: My Midlife Plastic Crisis. (R) 4.50 Wildlife SOS. (R) 5.15 House Doctor. (R) 5.40 Entertainment News. 5.45 Paw Patrol. (R)

BBC Four

7.00 Our Coast 8.00 Rome: A History of the Eternal City 9.00 Clean Sweep 10.40 Oppenheimer

ITV2

4.40 Film: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010) 7.25

Film: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) Conclusion of the fantasy saga, starring Daniel Radcliffe. 10.00 Family Guy

ITV3

2.50 A Touch of Frost 5.00 Midsomer Murders 11.00 Maigret in Montmartre

ITV4

1.10 ITV Racing: Live from Ascot. Francesca Cumani presents the Shergar Cup from Ascot. 5.00 World Series of Darts: New South Wales Masters 9.00 English Football League Highlights. Action from the latest fixtures. 10.30 Film: The Purge (2013) Horror, starring Lena Headey.

E4

3.40 Young Sheldon 4.10 The Big Bang Theory 7.15 Film: Bride Wars (2009) Comedy, starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway. 9.00 Celebrity Gogglebox 10.00 Gogglebox

Film4

2.40 Crocodile Dundee (1986) 4.45 My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)

6.50 Sister Act (1992) Comedy, starring Whoopi Goldberg. 9.00 12 Strong (2018) War drama, starring Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon and Michael Pena. 11.35 Overlord (2018) Action thriller, starring Jovan Adepo.

TV 13.8.23

6.00

World on Fire

BBC1, 9pm

We’re nearing the end of the second run now and the latest character to suffer heartbreak is Harry.

As the siege drags on in Tobruk, tragedy strikes at the heart of the translator’s unit. Meanwhile, back in Manchester, Kasia is also confronted by more of the horrors of the war. And finally, on a more uplifting note, romance appears to be blossoming between David and Henriette.

Sian Eleri. Sian Eleri brings a flavour of the diverse selection of performances at the event.

6.30 BBC News.

6.50 BBC Wales Today; Weather.

7.00 Countryfile. John Craven and Hamza Yassin are in Renfrewshire, joined by Edith Bowman, who will be the judge of this year’s entries to the Countryfile photographic competition.

8.00 Antiques Roadshow. Fiona Bruce presents the show from Sefton Park Palm House in Liverpool. (R)

9.00 World on Fire. Tragedy strikes at the heart of Harry’s unit, as the siege drags on in Tobruk.

10.00 BBC News; Weather.

10.25 BBC Wales Today; Weather.

10.30 Match of the Day 2.

11.30 Film: Cape Fear. (1991) Thriller remake, starring Robert De Niro and Nick Nolte.

1.30 Weather for the Week Ahead.

1.35 BBC News.

6.05 Gardeners’ World. (R)

7.05 Countryfile. (R) 8.00 Beechgrove Garden. (R) 8.30

Life in a Cottage Garden with Carol Klein. (R) 9.00 Heligan: Secrets of the Lost Garden.

(R) 10.00 Saturday Kitchen Best Bites. 11.30 Strawbridge Over the Drawbridge. (R) 12.00 The Travelling Auctioneers. (R) 12.30 Caribbean Food Made Easy. (R)

1.00 Cycling: World Championships. Live coverage of the women’s road race. 5.00 Weatherman Walking. (R) 5.30 Coast. (R) 5.55 Beethoven’s Fifth at the Proms. (R)

8.00 Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby. Monica Galetti and Rob Rinder travel by seaplane to go behind the scenes of Joali hotel resort in the Maldives, which offers guests a luxury experience despite its remote location.

9.00 Crazy Rich Agents: Selling Dream Homes. Georgie is given the chance to list a £15 million house.

10.00 Film: Ammonite. (2020) Premiere. Fossil hunter Mary Anning’s solitary existence is changed by the arrival of a palaeontologist’s wife. Historical biopic, starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan.

11.50 Golf: The Women’s Open.

12.50 Sign Zone: Money for Nothing. (R) 1.35 Rip Off Britain. (R) 2.20 Wolf. (R) 3.20 This Is BBC Two.

6.30 Bargain Hunt. (R) 7.15

Animal Park. (R) 8.00 Sign Zone: Clive Myrie’s Italian Road Trip.

(R) 8.30 Great British Railway Journeys. (R) 9.00 Nicky Campbell.

11.00 BBC News. 12.45

Impossible. (R) 1.30 Mastermind.

(R)

2.00 Make Me a Dealer. (R)

2.45 Great British Menu. (R) 3.45

Portillo’s State Secrets. (R) 4.15 Tigers About the House. (R) 5.15

6.00 CITV: Dare Master. 6.05 Lloyd of the Flies. (R) 6.35 Looney Tunes Cartoons. 7.05 Mystery Lane. (R) 7.30 50/50 Heroes. (R) 7.45 The Rubbish World of Dave Spud. (R) 7.55 Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! (R) 8.25 ITV News. 8.30 Katie Piper’s Breakfast Show. 9.25 Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh. (R) 11.25 Love Your Garden. (R) 11.55 Cooking with the Stars. (R) 1.00 ITV News; Weather. 1.15 Moneyball. (R) 2.20 Film: Evan Almighty. (2007) 4.20 Film: Tomorrow Never Dies. (1997)

6.30 ITV News; Weather.

6.45 ITV News Cymru Wales; Weather.

7.00 Tipping Point: Lucky Stars. With Linda Robson, Max George and Jess Phillips.

8.00 The Real Spies Among Friends. The true story behind the ITV espionage thriller.

9.00 A Spy Among Friends. Elliott’s four-day debrief of Philby in Beirut ends with a painful personal truth for him, revealing the complex emotional reasons why he let him escape. Last in the series.

10.10 ITV News; Weather.

10.30 Long Lost Family. (R)

11.25 Code Blue: The Killing of June Fox-Roberts. (R)

12.20 English Football League Highlights. (R) 1.30 The Masked Singer. (R) 2.40 Motorsport UK. (R) 3.30 Unwind. 5.10 Ainsley’s Caribbean Kitchen. (R)

6.00 Good Morning Britain. 9.00 Lorraine. 10.00 This Morning.

12.30 Loose Women. 1.30 ITV Lunchtime News; Weather. 1.55 ITV News Cymru Wales; Weather.

2.00 James Martin’s Islands to Highlands. (R) 3.00 Lingo. (R)

4.00 Tipping Point. (R) 5.00 The Chase. (R)

6.00 ITV News Wales at Six; Weather.

6.00 Cyw. (R) 8.50 Penblwyddi Cyw. 9.00 Codi Pac. (R) 10.00 Ffit Cymru 2023. (R) 11.00 Gerddi Cymru. (R) 11.30 Ffasiwn Drefn. (R) 12.00 Bwrdd i Dri. (R) 12.30

Hydref Gwyllt Iolo. (R) 1.30 Colleen Ramsey: Bywyd a Bwyd. (R) 2.20 Y Sioe 2023. (R) 3.15 Cefn Gwlad. (R) 4.15 Sgwrs Dan y Lloer. (R)

5.00 Sgorio. Colwyn Bay v Caernarfon Town (Kick-off 5.15pm).

7.15 Newyddion a Chwaraeon. Weekend news and sport.

7.30 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol

Cymru 2023. The presenting team look back at the highlights of the Eisteddfod competitions.

9.00 Y Babell Lên 2023. Another opportunity to join in all the fun of the Literature Tent.

10.00 Gemau’r Haf – Rygbi. (R)

11.00 Waliau’n Siarad. (R)

12.05 Diwedd.

Channel 4: 6.15 Cheers. (R) 7.15

The King of Queens. (R) 8.30 Bake

Off: The Professionals. (R) 9.30

Sunday Brunch. 12.30 The

Simpsons. (R) 1.55 The Secret Life of the Zoo. (R) 2.55 Film:

Transformers. (2007) 5.40 Channel

4 News. 6.10 Coastal Railways with Julie Walters. (R) 7.00 Remarkable

Places to Eat. (R) 8.00 Levison

Wood: Walking with Lions. 9.00

Alone. 10.05 Gogglebox. (R) 12.05

Queer as Folk US. 12.55 Film:

Downsizing. (2017) 3.10 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA. (R) 4.00 Find It, Fix It, Flog It. (R) 4.10-6.15

Come Dine with Me. (R)

6.00 Milkshake!: 10.00 Teenage

Mutant Ninja Turtles. (R) 10.25

Entertainment News. 10.30

Friends. (R) 11.55 Police

Interceptors. (R) 1.55 Inside the Tower of London. (R) 3.50 Prince

Albert: Consort & Confidante. (R)

5.50 5 News Weekend.

6.00 Dorset: Country and Coast. A visit to the oldest icecream parlour in Weymouth.

(R)

7.00 Budget Hotels: Too Good to Be True? Alexis Conran looks at the best and worst hotels the UK has to offer.

(R)

8.00 Million Pound Motorhomes. TV presenters Amanda Lamb and Matt Tebbutt try out motorhoming.

9.00 Rich Holiday, Poor Holiday. New series. A support worker and her son swap holidays with two entrepreneurs.

10.00 A&E After Dark. (R)

10.50 Police Code Zero: Officer Under Attack. A policeman is knocked out in an unprovoked attack. (R)

11.50 Surgeons: A Matter of Life or Death. Cameras focus on a woman with an incurable brain tumour. (R)

12.50 Entertainment News. 1.00 Teleshopping. 3.00 A Country Life for Half the Price with Kate Humble.

(R) 3.50 The Funny Thing About Holidays. (R) 4.40 Wildlife SOS.

(R) 5.05 House Doctor. (R) 5.30

Entertainment News. 5.35 Thomas & Friends. (R) 5.45 Paw Patrol. (R)

BBC Four

7.00 The Joy of Mozart 8.00 Felix Klieser Plays Mozart at the Proms

10.00 Eisteddfod 2023 with Sian Eleri 11.00 The Ascent of Man

ITV2

3.30 Film: Home (2015) 5.20 Film: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) 8.00 Film: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) 10.35 Family Guy

ITV3

6.00 Rosemary & Thyme 8.00 Judi Dench’s Wild Borneo Adventure

S4C CHANNEL 5 DIGITAL

6.00 Cyw. (R) 12.00 Newyddion S4C a’r Tywydd. 12.05 Sgwrs Dan y Lloer. (R) 12.30 3 Lle. (R) 1.00 Gwyliau Gartref. (R) 1.30 ParaTriathlon Y Byd. (R) 2.00 Newyddion S4C a’r Tywydd. 2.05 Prynhawn Da.

3.00 Newyddion S4C a’r Tywydd. 3.05 Y ’Sgubor Flodau. (R) 4.00 Awr Fawr. (R) 5.00 Stwnsh. (R) 6.00 Cymry ar Gynfas. (R)

Wolf

BBC1, 9pm

This crime series got off to an unusual start, but any viewers who expected that Wolf would eventually settle down into something a bit more conventional could be in for a surprise, as screenwriter Megan Gallagher has hinted it’s heading towards a truly startling conclusion. In tonight’s penultimate episode, Jack receives a creepy gift from Penderecki.

News at Six; Weather.

6.30 BBC Wales Today; Weather.

7.00 Food Fest Wales. Sean Fletcher explores Wales’ best food festivals, beginning in Abergavenny. (R)

7.30 EastEnders. Tommy and Alfie clash.

8.00 Panorama. Current affairs report.

8.30 Extraordinary Portraits with Bill Bailey. A painting of an entire family of NHS staff.

9.00 Wolf. A creepy gift from Penderecki sets Jack off in a new direction, and Honey takes control of his predicament only to find it is too late and that his troubles are only just beginning.

10.00 BBC News at Ten.

10.30 BBC Wales Today; Weather.

10.40 Have I Got a Bit More News for You. Clive Myrie hosts an extended edition of the satirical current affairs quiz. (R)

11.25 The Hit List. (R)

12.10 Weather for the Week Ahead.

12.15 BBC News.

Flog It! (R) 5.30 Eisteddfod 2023 with Sian Eleri. (R)

6.00 The Farmers’ Country Showdown. A couple sell their cider for the first time at Lenham Country Market in Kent. (R)

6.30 The Farmers’ Country Showdown. Cow and goat farmers compete in Edenbridge and Oxted Agricultural Show. (R)

7.00 The Lakes with Simon Reeve. The adventurer explores the Lake District. (R)

8.00 Only Connect.

8.30 University Challenge.

9.00 Earth. Chris Packham examines the impact that humans have had on the planet. Last in the series.

10.00 The Royle Family. (R)

10.30 Newsnight.

11.10 Weather.

11.15 Film: The Piano. (1993) Period drama, starring Holly Hunter.

1.10 Sign Zone: Countryfile. (R)

2.05 Wolf. (R) 3.05 This Is BBC

Two.

6.30 ITV Evening News; Weather.

7.30 Emmerdale. Bob is angry about Liam and Wendy –with devastating results.

8.00 Coronation Street. Stephen aims to retrieve some incriminating evidence. Gemma feels out of her depth in her new job. The Bailey men discuss a new business enterprise.

9.00 Long Lost Family: False Identity Special. The stories of two men born in Ireland to unmarried mothers. Last in the series.

10.00 ITV News at Ten; Weather.

10.30 ITV News Cymru Wales; Weather.

10.45 Lest We Forget. (R)

11.10 The Ipcress File. Spy thriller, starring Joe Cole. (R)

12.05 Wales on TV. (R) 12.30 Kate Garraway’s Life Stories. (R) 1.20 All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite. (R)

3.05 1979 FA Cup Final – Arsenal v Man Utd – ITV Football Classics. (R) 3.55 Unwind. 5.10 Made in Britain. (R) 5.35 Karen Carney’s Leaders of the Pack. (R)

Garejis: Dan y Bonet. (R)

7.30 Newyddion S4C a’r Tywydd.

8.00 Cegin Bryn: Y Dosbarth Meistr. (R)

8.25 Garddio a Mwy. 8.55 Newyddion S4C a’r

6.00 Milkshake!: 9.15 Jeremy Vine. 11.15 Storm Huntley. 12.40 Alexis Conran. 1.40 5 News at Lunchtime.

1.45 Home and Away. (R) 2.15

Film: A View to Kill For. (2023)

4.00 The Cruise: Fun-Loving Brits at Sea. 5.00 5 News at 5.

6.00 Eggheads. The Rollermaniacs UK take on the experts. (R)

6.30 Eggheads. Great Minds and All That take on the experts. (R)

6.55 5 News Update.

7.00 Motorway Cops: Catching Britain’s Speeders. A suspected drug dealer has an unusual explanation for the contents of his car. (R)

7.55 5 News Update.

8.00 Police Interceptors. Officers go after a man wanted on suspicion of making threats to kill; 5 News Update.

9.00 Court Martial: Soldiers Behind Bars. New series. Life at the Army’s Military Corrective Training Centre in Colchester.

A Place in the

New Life in the Sun: Where Are They Now? (R) 5.00 Four in a Bed. (R) 5.30 Come Dine with Me.

(R)

The Simpsons. (R) 6.30 Hollyoaks. (R) 7.00 Channel 4 News. 8.00 A Cotswold Farmshop. 9.00 24 Hours in A&E. (R) 10.00 24 Hours in Police Custody. (R) 11.05 The Unique Boutique. 12.05 First Dates. (R) 1.00 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA. (R)

10.00 999: Emergency Call Out. A 12-year-old boy is hit by a car at 50mph on the Isle of Sheppey. (R)

11.05 Ambulance: Code Red. (R) 12.05 Police Interceptors. (R) 1.00 Teleshopping. 3.00 Wild Animal Rescue. (R) 3.50 Britain’s Biggest Mosque. (R)

Welsh language adaptation of Fleabag

wH at ’s on

THIS FILTHY, funny, unfiltered show follows a Welsh woman’s chaotic journey towards having nothing to lose. She may seem oversexed, emotionally raw and self-obsessed, but that’s the tip of the iceberg. With relationships straining and a guinea pig café struggling, she’s on the edge with seemingly nowhere to go.

Earlier this year Theatr Clwyd announced it’s producing a world premiere of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s awardwinning comedic play Fleabag, which will be adapted into the Welsh language. This production will be performed at the Torch Theatre on Tuesday 29 August.

Originally written and performed by

Phoebe Waller-Bridge at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the show was then turned into a BBC TV series which won BAFTAs, Emmys and a Golden Globe award.

Theatr Clwyd’s production of Fleabag has been adapted by acclaimed Welsh writer Branwen Davies (Dirty Protest and Os Nad Nawr). The show has been re-set in north Wales, and the Welsh language brings a new layer of meaning and interpretation unique to this production. Leah Gaffey (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sherman Theatre) will perform and Sara Lloyd (Nyrsys, Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru) will direct this exciting new production.

As rehearsals begin for this wicked onewoman comedy, the

Torch Theatre can’t wait for the show to visit its studio as the show travels to various venues across Wales. The opening performance will take place at this year’s National Eisteddfod before coming to Pembrokeshire.

Liam Evans-Ford, Executive Director of Theatr Clwyd said:

“Each year we produce a range of shows – from the best new writing from Welsh and Wales-based writers to new musicals, and major revivals. Fleabag is one of the best solo shows of the past 10 years – it has a distinctive voice, a rare humour. It’s a show we’ve been developing for the past 2 years, and will bring audiences the Welsh language version of a huge smash hit. This adaptation brings new layers of meaning and interpretation which will be unique to our production whilst being faithful to the original. We are extremely grateful that Phoebe has allowed us to take her story and tell it anew in the Welsh language – what a privilege, and what a brilliant, brilliant female led creative team we have to do just that.”

Fleabag will be performed at the Torch Theatre on Tuesday 29 August. Tickets: £15/U26: £13.50 can be purchased from www.torchtheatre. co.uk / 01646 695267. Recommended age rating of 16+ as it contains some strong language and sexual references. There are references to death and suicide.

Vision Youth presents ‘We Will Rock You’

Vision Arts Studios in Haverfordwest is ringing to the music of Queen, as young performers taking part in this year’s Summer Youth Project rehearse the sublime We Will Rock You (Young@ Part).

The show has been especially created for

young performers, but is as packed with all the evergreen Queen classics that you’d expect.

Audiences will meet Galileo Figario; Scaramouche and the Killer Queen - and the rest of the inhabitants of the much-loved musical, written by Ben Elton and

featuring music by Queen.

The show will be performed on Friday and Saturday of this week at Boulevard Theatre, Milford Haven and is on track to be another sellout for the young performers at Vision Arts.

Directed by Vision’s Creative Director Drew

Baker, musical direction by Clive Raymond and choreography by Katy Thomas, the show is set to be another triumph.

“One of the joys of this production is introducing a new generation to the music of Queen - and seeing them embrace it fully.

“The songs are not your usual pop songs, they can be tricky - which is really stretching and developing the skills of the young people, but they are working incredibly hard and having a wonderful time.

“One of the best things about my job is bringing young people from different backgrounds and of different ages together to collaborate on a project - the whole is always so much more than the sum of the individual parts - because they demonstrate such great teamwork and support each other.

“This is going to be such an amazing show… you’ll be sorry if you don’t get to see it!” Tickets are available from www. visionartswales.com

ALRIGHT, my mates, gather ‘round and let me spin you a tale about this here game called The Crew Motorfest, part of that whole Ubisoft racing gig, kinda like Forza and Need for Speed’s love child.

It’s been hanging around for nearly a decade, trying to make its mark on the racing scene, but it’s been a bit of a struggle, I must say. Sales are screaming for sequels, and now they’ve even got a threequel in the works. So, I got the chance to dip my toes into a fourhour remote preview of Motorfest, hoping it would tickle my senses in a new way. But, well, just like its predecessors, The Crew 2 and OG Crew, Motorfest feels a bit meh, even if it’s still a decent racer.

Now, if you’ve had a go at the recent Forza Horizon by Xbox’s Playground Games, you might find Motorfest feeling a tad familiar – maybe even too much so. Picture this: we’re on the lush tropical playground of Oahu in Hawaii, the whole shebang’s transformed into a car-lover’s paradise. You got flashy race scenes, fireworks painting the sky, massive sculptures, and signs coming at you from

watcH tHe trailer Here!

all angles, screaming that Motorfest is in town. It’s all bright and beautiful, but it’s missing that zing, that special oomph, ya know? Oahu might be the poster child for your mental tropical paradise, but if it ain’t, Motorfest ain’t doing much to set it apart. It’s like they took a general “tropical island” vibe and slapped it on.

My main gripe with Motorfest is its identity crisis, or should I say, lack thereof. While trundling through this Motorfest extravaganza, I jumped into different playlists that sort of corralled the openworld fun around Oahu. We’re talking Porsche 911 Legacy, Made in Japan, Offroad Addict, Motorsports, and more. Each playlist serves up a mix of themed races. Some are a blast – I’m digging those Porsche 911 Legacy races, weaving in archival shots of the car’s history. Also, the Vintage Garage races take you back to the groovy ‘60s with cars lacking the fancy GPS and turbos. Electric Odyssey is intriguing too, focusing on electric rides and lanes that juice up your battery’s turbo. But, here’s the kicker, after a taste of each, it’s all kind of blending together, even with the variety of

cars, boats, and planes.

The Made in Japan playlist, for instance, tries to immerse you in Japanese street racing vibes. They throw modded Mazdas and Hondas your way, but the celebration kinda boils down to them calling your ride a “kaiju” or Godzilla here and there. And sure, they’ve given Honolulu a Tokyo-style makeover, but it’s like a rushed cosplay attempt – neon lights and all, but lacking that genuine Japanese flair. I thought it might evolve as I raced along, but three rounds deep, it’s all about as deep as a puddle. It’s like they’ve thrown a few sushi rolls on top, called it a day, and that’s that.

In terms of the racing action, it’s alright, solid even. The Crew’s standout feature, the seamless transitions between cars, boats, and planes, still brings joy in Motorfest. Beyond that, though, it’s a bit like other racing games, you know what I mean? Personally, I’m more partial to Forza and Need for Speed, so Motorfest’s gameplay ain’t exactly giving me fireworks. But if you’re in the mood for another racing jaunt because you’ve wrung out the others, you might just find some fun amidst

Motorfest’s lineup of rides. My preview adventure wraps up as I venture into the Main Stage, this puzzle of races served up seasonally. There’s the Compete playlist, dishing out challenging competition-style races for trophies, the Explore track where I’m going nuts with freestyle stunts across Oahu, and the Revisit track taking me back to races from the earlier playlists. Main Stage seems like they’re taking a stab at keeping us hooked on Motorfest, even beyond the credits rolling, but how this live-service seasonal thingy pans out is still up in the air.

So, my cats, those four hours with Motorfest ain’t half bad, but they ain’t sending my heart racing either. At its peak, it’s a totally fine racing game, but my initial impression – and it’s a rather lengthy one – is that it’s a bit of a snoozer. When you’re talking about a racing genre that’s bursting at the seams with wild ideas from AAA and indie folks, Motorfest’s attempt to sprint with the big dogs feels like it’s tripping over its own shoelaces. Does it have the mojo to compete on that racetrack? Well, after this hands-on whirl, it’s still a toss-up, if you ask me.

Tai, Gwaith, Iaith – Angen strategaeth newydd i atal diboblogi”

AR drothwy sesiwn

banel arbennig ar faes yr Eisteddfod

Genedlaethol ym

Moduan ddydd Llun, mae Arweinydd Plaid

Cymru Rhun ap

Iorwerth AS galwodd ar Lywodraeth Lafur

Cymru i ddatblygu

strategaeth newydd

gynhwysfawr i atal

diboblogi mewn

cymunedau Cymreig.

Wrth gyfeirio at ffigyrau sy’n dangos cwymp yn y nifer o bobl

iau mewn ardaloedd

megis Môn a Phenfro, dywedodd Rhun ap

Iorwerth AS mai “tai, gwaith, ac iaith” yw conglfeini cymunedau hyfyw a gwydn.

Ychwanegodd

Arweinydd Plaid

Cymru fod ei blaid

wedi sicrhau sawl

gweithred gadarnhaol

gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn sgil y Cytundeb

Cydweithio, ond bod yn rhaid i’r Llywodraeth

fynd llawer pellach os am gyrraedd miliwn o siaradwyr Cymraeg erbyn 2050 ac os am wella gwytnwch economaidd cymunedau cefn gwlad.

Dywedodd Rhun

ap Iorwerth AS: “Mae pobl ifanc Cymru yn cael eu gorfodi i adael eu cymunedau yn eu cannoedd oherwydd diffyg cyfleoedd gwaith a phrinder cartrefi fforddiadwy.

“Mae gennym genhedlaeth o dalent sy’n ysu i wneud cyfraniad ond mae methiant Llywodraeth

Lafur Cymru i fynd i’r afael a’r argyfwng sy’n wynebu ein cymunedau yn golygu fod diffyg cyfleoedd iddynt.

“Rhwng dau gyfrifiad 2011 a 2021, gwelwyd cwymp o 2,300 yn y nifer o bobl 35-49 oed sy’n byw ar Ynys Môn tra bod y ffigwr cyffelyb ar gyfer Sir Benfro yn 4,000.

“Tai, gwaith, iaith – dyna gonglfeini cymunedau hyfyw a gwydn. Dyna pam fod Plaid Cymru wedi blaenoriaethu taclo’r argyfwng tai fel rhan o’r

Cytundeb Cydweithio gan berswadio

Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru i weithredu ar ail gartrefi. Dyna pam hefyd ein bod wedi sicrhau cyllid

i’r cynllun Arfor 2 sy’n buddsoddi mewn gwella gwytnwch economaidd

cadarnleoedd yr iaith.

“Ond mae angen i’r Llywodraeth fynd llawer pellach. Nid dim ond prinder cartrefi fforddiadwy sy’n gorfodi pobl ifanc i symud ond hefyd y diffyg swyddi sgiliau uchel sy’n talu’n dda.

“Mae’n rhaid felly i Lywodraeth Lafur Cymru ddatblygu strategaeth newydd bellgyrhaeddol i fynd i’r afael a diboblogi ac i ddenu buddsoddiad cynaliadwy i gadarnleoedd ein hiaith.

“Rhaid i hyn gynnwys cefnogaeth frys i ardaloedd megis Llangefni a Chapel Hendre sydd wedi colli cannoedd o swyddi yn ddiweddar wrth i gwmnïau godi pac yn sgil yr argyfwng costau byw a Brexit.

“Mae gwarchod y Gymraeg hefyd yn fwy na gosod targed – rhaid gwarchod y cymunedau hynny ble gall yr iaith ffynnu. Mae data’r Cyfrifiad yn dangos fod llai o blant yn credu eu bod yn medru’r Gymraeg nag oedd ddeng mlynedd yn ôl, ac mae’r amcan o gyrraedd Miliwn o Siaradwyr erbyn

2050 yn ymddangos yn gynyddol afrealistig ar sail ymagwedd a pholisïau presennol y Llywodraeth.

“Dengys y Cyfrifiad hefyd fod cwymp yn y nifer o oedolion sy’n siarad Cymraeg yn

yr ardaloedd ble fo cynnydd yn y nifer o ail gartrefi, ac mae hyn yn tanlinellu pwysigrwydd cael pecyn cynhwysfawr o bolisïau i fynd i’r afael a’r heriau sy’n wynebu meysydd tai, gwaith ac iaith, a hynny ar fyrder.”

Rhagor o grantiau’n agor ar gyfer prosiectau cymunedol Cymraeg

MAE Llywodraeth

Cymru’n gwahodd grwpiau cymunedol i wneud cais am grantiau bach i helpu i sefydlu

cwmnïau cydweithredol cymunedol, mentrau cymdeithasol a phrosiectau tai, neu eu cynorthwyo i dyfu.

Grantiau Bach Prosiect

Perthyn yw enw’r cyllid ac mae’n rhan o’r Cynllun Tai Cymunedau

Cymraeg.

Nod y grant yw

helpu i greu cyfleoedd

economaidd, darparu tai

fforddiadwy, a chefnogi cymunedau Cymraeg sydd â dwysedd uchel o ail gartrefi.

Hwn yw ail gylch y grant. Llwyddodd 21 o brosiectau i gael cyllid yn y cylch cyntaf, gan gynnwys pedwar sy’n agos at faes yr Eisteddfod yng Ngwynedd:

Cafodd Menter y Plu £8,000 i ddatblygu tafarn enwog yn Llanystumdwy a brynwyd ganddynt i

gynnal digwyddiadau cymunedol.

Rhoddwyd £12,000 i Fro’r Eifl, grŵp sy’n gweithio i ddatblygu cynllun tai sy’n cael ei arwain gan y gymuned.

Dmayrannwyd £12,000 i Felin Daron i sefydlu a chefnogi melin

ddŵr hanesyddol gradd II

Aberdaron i addysgu pobl am dreftadaeth yr ardal a darparu llety i bobl leol yn yr eiddo.

Cafodd Menter

Rabar, Abersoch grant o £12,430. Sefydlwyd y fenter ym mis Chwefror 2023 i gael prydles ar hen ysgol Abersoch, neu ei phrynu, oddi wrth Gyngor

Gwynedd. Y bwriad yw

ailwampio’r hen ysgol a’i

defnyddio fel canolfan yng nghanol y pentref, i’w rhedeg gan y gymuned er budd y gymuned.

Bydd yn bosibl

gwneud cais ar gyfer yr

ail gylch cyllid o 12:30pm

ddydd Mawrth 8 Awst. Mae ffurflen gais a

chanllawiau ar gael yma.

Dywedodd Gweinidog y Gymraeg ac Addysg, Jeremy Miles: “Mae prosiectau bach yn gallu gwneud gwahaniaeth mawr yn ein cymunedau ni. Ry’n ni eisoes yn gweld cymunedau ger maes yr Eisteddfod yn gweithio i gyflawni prosiectau arloesol. Rwy’n edrych ymlaen at weld llawer o greadigrwydd, dysgu am syniadau a chlywed am brofiadau pobl yr wythnos yma yn yr

Eisteddfod Genedlaethol

ym Moduan.

“Ry’n ni wedi gweld llawer o syniadau creadigol sut mae cymunedau yn cefnogi’r Gymraeg ar lawr gwlad ac wedi gweld hefyd yr effaith y gall swm cymharol fach o arian ei chael, a’r gwahaniaeth mae hynny’n ei wneud. Dyna pam rwy’n falch o gyhoeddi bod cyfle arall i grwpiau cymunedol wneud cais am gefnogaeth. Os ydych chi’n grŵp cymunedol sy’n cynnal prosiect a fydd

yn cefnogi’r Gymraeg yn eich cymuned ac yn barod i’r prosiect gymryd y cam nesaf, fe fyddwn i’n eich annog chi i wneud cais am grant bach

Prosiect Perthyn.”

Cwmpas fydd yn gweinyddu’r grant ar ran Llywodraeth Cymru. Dywedodd Jocelle Lovell, Cyfarwyddwr

Cymunedau Cynhwysol yn Cwmpas: “Wedi llwyddiant cynllun peilot y grant, mae Cwmpas yn falch dros ben o gael gweinyddu ail gylch o geisiadau. Mae’r grantiau wedi gwneud y fath wahaniaeth mewn cymunedau Cymraeg sydd â dwysedd uchel o ail gartrefi a byddant yn gwneud hynny eto.

Mae’r grantiau refeniw yn helpu i feithrin gallu lleol a chyflymu syniadau cymunedau am gwmnïau, mentrau cydweithredol a phrosiectau tai fforddiadwy newydd.”

FUW Carmarthen looks forward to local show

The Carmarthen team of the Farmers’ Union of Wales is looking forward to Llandeilo Show, which is held on Saturday 19 August.

The local county show presents an excellent opportunity for members of the Union to discuss the most urgent farming matters with officials and also meet with their local elected politicians.

UW Carmarthenshire chair Ann Davies said:

“Local shows, such as Llandeilo show, are incredibly valuable. Not just to our way of life and through providing an opportunity to catch up with friends, but also in highlighting why farming matters.

“When we meet with our local politicians at the show, we will bring to their attention issues that affect the viability and sustainability of our family farms and I look forward to discussing not just the problems we face but also the solutions.”

FUW and FUW Insurance Services staff look forward to welcoming members and customers to the stand.

The art of deer farming

BECCA WILLIAMS is in a field of sheep.

It is early June, and, in the distance, she has spotted her first fawn of the year in a field among her herd of farmed deer.

If the newborn were a calf or a lamb produced by her family’s suckler cows or sheep, she would intervene to take care of its health needs, dipping its navel perhaps, or seeing to the practicalities like checking its sex.

But the advice is to leave the mothers and their babies well alone, and it is only at weaning that Becca first meets the progeny close-up.

BREEDING ISSUES

As farmed deer are just a few generations removed from the wild, any breeding issues have been dealt with by natural selection, she says.

“If a deer had an issue calving in the wild, she wouldn’t survive, so the genetics that may have caused that difficult calving

have been bred out.”

Becca farms with her parents, Keith and Ali, in Powys, at 160ha (400 acre) Hendy Farm, near Hundred House.

SIGHTS SET ELSEWHERE

It was never her intention to farm. Becca set her sights on becoming an art teacher, embarking on an art degree at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Carmarthen.

But just three weeks into that course, she abandoned it. “We spent those weeks’ responding’ to cardboard boxes. At that point, I realised it wasn’t for me!” she laughs.

Becca also missed the countryside and green fields. “I didn’t like being surrounded by concrete.”

She returned to Hendy, worked as a nail technician and helped on the farm. It wasn’t long before she was further drawn into the dayto-day farm jobs, with both Becca and her parents recognising that there was

an important role for her there.

TAKEN THE FARM FOR GRANTED

“Until then, I had never realised that farming would be an option for me; I had taken the farm for granted but didn’t see its opportunities.

“I wanted to farm, and the opportunity was there. It has since made me appreciate how much harder it would have been to achieve that if my family weren’t farming.”

Keith and Ali were thrilled at her decision too. “The family has farmed at Hendy since 1904. It is wonderful to have that succession,” says Ali.

NO OBLIGATION TO FARM

“Becca never felt any obligation to farm, we never put any pressure on her, and I think that really helped her to make a decision that was right for her.”

The three work well as a

team, each having strengths and responsibilities.

For Becca, the deer have given her a chance to make her mark.

Not long after she returned to Hendy, Waitrose launched an advertising campaign encouraging farmers to diversify into deer to boost its supply of venison.

A GOOD FIT FOR THE BUSINESS

“Dad joked that we should consider it, but the more we thought about it, the more we could see it would be a good fit for the business.

“We were already supplying Waitrose with beef and lamb, so it was the next step for us.”

It meant reducing the sheep flock by 200 ewes to create a dedicated 26ha (64-acre) grazing area for the deer. With a higher value end product, the economics favoured venison.

Three years on, the new enterprise is helping the Williamses make the

best use of farm and labour resources as the key production stages in the three systems complement each other.

RESEARCH

After a great deal of research, which included visiting established commercial deer farms, they took the plunge in 2019, investing £100,000 in fencing and handling and buying 80 young hinds and two stags from UK deer farms.

These are run as two herds, with one stag to 40 hinds; the stags cost £2,000 a head compared to an average of £250 for the hind calves, but they should have a working life of 10 years.

The Williamses quickly realised that farming deer needed a different mindset for running sheep and cattle.

CHANGING MENTALITY

“It was about changing our mentality as much as

anything else,” says Becca. “For example, we will work a dog behind the sheep when we are moving them but you can’t do that with deer. The deer will also always run along the fence line when you try to move them. It’s all those things that we had to get used to.”

And, although fields and sheds need to be secure to contain sheep and cattle, there are much greater requirements for deer. Fencing needs to be at least two metres high and well-maintained. If a deer escapes, it is unlikely to be seen again, so there has to be absolute certainty they won’t get out.

EASIER TO FARM

But fencing and handling aside, for nearly every other management aspect, Becca believes deer are easier to farm than sheep or cattle. The hinds calve at grass in June and July. Calves stay with their mothers until weaning at five to six months old, after the rutting season, and they

are housed in a cattle shed fitted with netting.

Silage is fed in troughs during housing, while hinds and the stags are outwintered on hay and fed a minimal amount of concentrates to help manage.

Youngstock are turned out to grass at the beginning of April, just before the ewes are housed for lambing.

SALES

All sales are to Dovecote Park to supply Waitrose; it means a journey time of three hours and 40 minutes to Pontefract, but the deer travel well.

The family had hoped to sell some of the meat directly to add value over and above the £6/ kg deadweight paid by their processor; however, it would mean hiring the abattoir specifically for that. The regulations don’t allow deer to be slaughtered in the same kill as other livestock, so they would have to hire out the entire slaughterhouse and pay for a vet to be present, which would not be financially viable for processing two or three deer.

VERY FEW HEALTH ISSUES

Deers have few health issues – they don’t suffer from foot rot, fly strike or mastitis.

The only health interventions in the herds at Hendy are a copper bolus and worming if required, administered once a year pre-rutting, and a flukicide when the calves are weaned in December.

De-entering is a job that needs to be done once a year when the velvet has finished in August or September.

Elsewhere on the farm, the sheep flock comprises 700 crossbred ewes and 180 ewe lambs, lowmaintenance sheep Keith has bred with hybrid vigour in mind.

PERFORMANCE RECORDING

All breeding stock comes from performancerecorded flocks.

“Everything we buy has figures,” says Keith.

If a ewe has a health issue, her ear is notched, and she is later culled. There have been multiple benefits from that strict approach, notably that there wasn’t a single prolapse during lambing this year.

Lambing is from April 1, both indoors and outdoors. The flock scanned at 137% this year, down by 15% on an average year due to the exceptionally dry conditions in 2022.

Any lambs that can’t be finished off grass are sold at stores at Hereford Market.

CATTLE ENTERPRISE

The cattle herd comprises 26 polled Welsh Blacks, which calve from April.

Opting for polled genetics means less stress and a reduced labour requirement.

“It’s another reason to not have to handle the calves,” says Keith. “We don’t miss dehorning at

this time of the year, when there are flies and maggots around.”

WORK OFF THE FARM

Becca also works off the farm, wrapping wool and for a grounds work business, helping lay the foundations for buildings and projects like cycle paths.

It is a very physical job, mixing cement and carrying slabs, but one that Becca enjoys.

She is involved in many off-farm activities, including as Secretary and ViceChairman of Edw Valley YFC and, with her older sister, Lauren, helps with the sheep section at the annual Hundred House Show.

NFU CYMRU NEXT GENERATION GROUP

She is also a member of the NFU Cymru Next Generation Group.

“Farming should have a much higher priority in the work of government,” she

said.

Becca and her parents share concerns about the new Sustainable Farming Scheme, particularly the proposed 10% farm tree cover requirement.

At just 2% existing tree cover, the family has worked out that they would need to plant over 30 acres of Hendy with trees to meet that target. With no waste ground, they are unwilling to give up productive land for permanent tree cover.

“We have calculated that to make up for the loss of that land, Welsh Government would need to pay us £60,000 a year just to stand still, without us making money out of it,” says Keith.

“It just won’t be worthwhile us joining the scheme.”

Becca said: “I hope we see a return to fewer food miles, to more direct sales and farm shops.

“It makes more sense for the environment to be selling straight from the farm instead of incurring food miles and all that packaging.”

August is going to remain a busy month for our teams across Wales as county shows continue to provide opportunities for us to meet with members, stakeholders and politicians.

A topic that we have been discussing with members and politicians continuously for some time are the Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) ‘NVZ’ regulations. Those who were at the Royal Welsh Show on the Monday will have had the opportunity to hear a panel of experts discuss the ins and outs of those regulations in some detail.

We are all too clear that the ‘NVZ’ regulations are having an impact on all farmers across Wales in one way or another. As such, the aim of the seminar was to provide a platform for members to come and hear where we are with the regulations and representatives from ADAS and Kebek explained what farmers need to do to comply with the requirements.

Despite the fact that the regulations are now in the statutory book, we continue to focus our lobbying efforts on amendments and on ways in which the regulations could be made more workable for farmers.

This includes work relating to the proposed licensing scheme for increasing the whole farm nitrogen limit from livestock manures. In our response to the consultation earlier this year, we highlighted how the proposed scheme could act as a significant safety net for a number of farmers in Wales who are already above this limit as long as the criteria is fair and proportionate.

Nevertheless, farmers who are attempting to invest into new infrastructure in order to comply with these regulations continue to face a number of challenges when it comes to finance, tenancies and

planning. We have also highlighted that the Welsh Government should provide farmers with draft maps and pre-filled records to help with compliance and we expect an update on this in due course.

The Welsh Government recently set out a list of areas which they intend to take forward as part of the 4-year review and while most of them are points of clarity, they will also be considering taking some other proposals forward such as alternatives to the closed periods for spreading slurry.

While the Welsh Government is only required to review the effectiveness of the regulations as a means of reducing or preventing water pollution from agricultural sources every four years, EU NVZ regulations differ in that Member States must also take into account the impact on agricultural practices amongst other considerations.

The FUW is fully aware of the complexities of the regulations and the spreadsheet template is complicated. We would encourage those who are having difficulties to speak to their county office who will help with sign-posting members to the right support and available information.

Infrastructure is also a concern. We are not just aware of but have also highlighted these concerns many times in our conversations and engagement with the Welsh Government. The overall advice is that farmers need to ensure that they calculate the size of a required slurry store correctly, taking rainwater and freeboards into account. Farmers have also been advised not to start building until planning permission has been granted.

More information on this will be available to members in due course and we encourage those who are expecting a visit from an inspector to work with them and find a way to be compliant.

Help keep animals safe in the heat, urges RSPCA

AFTER receiving a large number of worrying calls to their cruelty line, the RSPCA is reminding people that all animals can suffer during hot weather.

Stories such as the tragic death of pet pug Merlin last Friday during a Channel crossing on a P&O ferry have been a sobering reminder to dog owners of the risk they face.

However, it isn’t just dogs that can suffer. Just over last weekend the RSPCA received nearly 400 calls about animals affected by the rising temperatures, including a rabbit left outside without shade or water; a parrot left trapped in a hot car; a cage of hamsters left in a petshop window in direct sunlight; a horse left tethered in 82 degree heat unable to move to get water; a cat trapped in a glass box and around 30 chicks kept in a wire cage with no access to shade.

“Hot weather can cause problems for all animals. Every summer we urge people to take extra precautions during the heat but sadly our inspectors on the ground are still being faced with distressing situations that could have been avoided,” said RSPCA pet welfare expert Dr Jane Tyson.

“We have already had calls about animals such as rabbits dying in their cages due to the heat and lack of access to water. While we hope the message is starting to get through to people that hot cars can be death traps for dogs, it is really important to remember that other animals may be suffering too,” she added.

With the current heatwave set to last and even more calls coming in this week, the charity has issued their top 10 tips on what to do to make sure all our animals are safe from the heat.

1. Never leave an animal in a car in warm weather. On warm or sunny days cars heat up quickly. Every summer RSPCA inspectors are regularly called out to reports of animals being left in hot cars. Sadly, some of them die because of their thoughtless owners. Pets should not be left in conservatories, greenhouses and caravans either.

2. Don’t let your pet get sunburned. Animals can suffer from sunburn too, particularly white

infected with fly-strike is not treated straight away it could die a painful death. Animals should be kept clean and their back end checked every day. If it is dirty, clean immediately with warm water and dry. Bedding should be changed every week during the summer.

6. Don’t allow animals to exercise excessively in the heat. During hot weather walk your dog in the cooler periods such as early morning or eveningwhen it is at a decreased risk of heatstroke.

cats and dogs. Ear-tip cancer is more common in white cats and is very similar to malignant melanoma in humans. Owners should cover any white extremities, especially ear tips, with pet safe sun cream at least once a day before the animal goes outside.

3. Make sure all pets have access to shade and a constant supply of fresh drinking water. All cages and enclosures should be kept in the shade. Watch out for warning signs of heatstroke. If your dog pants heavily, is lethargic or collapses put them in a cool spot and spray with cool water immediately. Always contact a vet urgently for advice.

4. Check your pets for fleas, ticks and mites. Heat brings out nasty creepy-crawlies, so check pets regularly. Excessive scratching and itching are the first signs of infestation. If your pets have fleas a flea treatment from your vet is advised..

5. Check twice a day for fly-strike. Flies like to lay their eggs in fur of rabbits, guinea pigs, dogs and cats. If an animal

7. Fish suffer in hot weather too. Keep indoor fish tanks out of direct sunlight, change the water regularly and keep them clear of algae, which spread much faster on sunny days. Outside, spray a hose over ponds to top up water levels and replace lost oxygen.

8. Don’t leave pets home alone when you go on holiday. It is an offence to abandon an animal in circumstances likely to cause it unnecessary suffering. Make sure pets are left in the care of a responsible person (such as a friend, relative or pet sitter) or a reputable boarding kennel.

9. Be wildlifefriendly in the garden. Take care when using a lawn-mower or strimmer - both can be deadly to animals. Hedgehogs in long grass may curl up if they feel threatened and toads tend to squat down rather than run away. Keep pesticides out of reach of animals or switch to non-toxic deterrents.

10. Search bonfires before burning garden rubbish. Lizards, grass snakes, hedgehogs and toads often seek sanctuary in heaps of garden refuse.

Bluestone swimming teacher champions water safety

THE DANGERS of swimming in local rivers and the sea have been highlighted to schoolchildren in Pembrokeshire as they enjoy their summer holidays.

Ruth Watson, a Swim Wales teacher at the Blue Lagoon water park at Bluestone National Park Resort, near Narberth, and Carys Blower, an RLSS Trainer Assessor, have been raising awareness about water safety among schoolchildren in Pembrokeshire as part of the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS) campaign to prevent drowning.

Ruth and Carys embarked on a tour of several local schools before they broke up for the summer break to highlight the dangers of entering water bodies like rivers and the local sea during the holidays.

Ruth’s aim was to educate the younger generation about the potential hazards of water activities and

how to stay safe while enjoying water-related activities.

“As a swimming teacher, I understand the importance of ensuring children and young people are well-informed about water safety,” said

Ruth. “During the school holidays and other times of the year, it is crucial that they understand the potential dangers associated with water activities in our local rivers and beaches.”

The RLSS drowning

campaign, which spans from May through to the summer, serves as an important initiative in proactively raising awareness about water safety and preventing accidental drowning throughout the UK.

“With the increased risk to the public during the warmer months, the campaign seeks to encourage everyone to enjoy water safely while partaking in outdoor activities,” added Ruth.

Language skills ‘on pause’ during COVID - report

According to research by Aberystwyth and Bangor Universities, some school children felt their Welsh-language skills were “on pause” during the COVID pandemic.

The research explored learners’ experiences in Welsh-medium education from non-Welshspeaking families and the perceptions of their parents during the public health emergency, particularly in the transition from primary to secondary school.

As part of the study, pupils and their families were interviewed about their home learning experiences during COVID.

The Wales COVID-19 Evidence Centre, which Health and Care Research Wales funds on behalf of the Welsh Government, supported the research.

In the report, the research team quoted one pupil, whose words they felt described the

general experiences of all the families interviewed, and highlighted the lack of opportunity to engage actively and use the Welsh language during lockdown: “In my opinion, it (developing Welsh language skills) was a bit on pause... we didn’t use it that much.”

Dr Siân Lloyd Williams, Lecturer in Education at Aberystwyth University, was one of the lead investigators.

She said: “It is well known that the

COVID-19 pandemic, with its lockdowns and school closures, caused significant upheaval to people’s lives. Previous research has shown that the lack of exposure to the Welsh language during the pandemic was particularly problematic for pupils who attended Welsh-medium schools but lived in a home where the primary language was other than Welsh.

“Our research gathered the views and pandemic experiences of such

pupils and their parents to determine the impact that the lack of exposure to Welsh and fewer opportunities to use the language had on the pupils’ Welsh language skills.”

The research findings identify the value of strengthening the links between primary and secondary settings to ease the transition process. They also underline the importance of assessing pupils’ Welsh language skills between key stages - for example, when

transitioning from primary to secondary school –to identify any support required.

The study also stresses the importance of ensuring effective communication between home and school and using bilingual communication - for example, providing lists of key terminology that would aid parents in accessing and understanding feedback.

The importance of increasing extra-curricular opportunities to use the Welsh language within and outside school is also highlighted.

Dr Siân Lloyd Williams said: “Our research findings identify several key policy and practice implications relevant to the Welsh Government, Local Education Authorities and schools, which will help them to identify areas for support to ensure all pupils can develop their Welsh language skills to the best of their ability.”

Staycation slip-ups:

Škoda reveals the simple checks drivers forget before a holiday road trip

MANY BRITS are staying put this summer, with more than a third opting for a UK staycation over travelling abroad*. New research from Škoda UK has uncovered how motorists get ready for long road trips, and has pulled together a handy summer checklist to help keep the car in top condition.

Škoda research reveals 30% of drivers forget to check their tyre pressures before setting off. Not only can poorly inflated tyres reduce efficiency by around 3% or more**, but under inflated tyres can reduce the ability of the car to brake or turn effectively.

MFurther demonstrating a lack of road trip readiness, 53% of motorists only check the fluid levels of their car less than once in every three

months, with 5% not checking at all. Lower than necessary levels increase the risk of a breakdown and potentially serious damage to a car, a problem that could be exacerbated for the 18% of drivers who admitted to having have no roadside assistance cover at all, leaving them at greater risk of being stranded.

Holiday-goers beware, failure to keep up with simple maintenance tasks such as topping up washer fluid or checking the wipers, not only risks safety on the road but can also result in a £100 on-the-spot fine or three points on your licence.

Away from the needs of the car, there are those of the occupants, and Škoda’s data shows that 43% of drivers don’t carry additional water in case of long delays or an emergency. More

than half (52%) also forego keeping a first aid kit in their car.

Škoda’s top tips for summer road trips:

• Inflate tyres. Correctly inflated tyres means better fuel economy and a car that will accelerate, brake and turn as expected. Every Škoda features a Tyre Pressure Monitoring system and highlights the optimum tyre pressures for the car inside the fuel filler cap.

• Tread carefully. Not having the correct tyre tread depth puts you at risk of an accident and is illegal. It’s a simple check, and the Škoda ice scraper doubles up as a handy tyre tread checker, so no excuses!

• Pack high-visibility jackets. Although not a legal requirement in the UK, there’s no harm in keeping a number of high-vis jackets in the car just in case, to ensure that occupants are clearly visible to passing motorists in the event of a breakdown.

• Double check fluid levels. Ensure a car’s coolant, oil and washer fluid levels are correct to reduce your chances of a breakdown and being fined for having an empty screen wash bottle.

• Pack a first aid kit. Always useful to have on hand.

• Bring water. Dehydration can cause fatigue and a dip in concentration levels, so have enough water for everyone in the car.

Pack enough that there is plenty extra in case of lengthy traffic jams.

• Check air conditioning. Škoda takes air conditioning technology seriously, testing in temperatures ranging from -40 to 60 degrees Celsius, but maintenance and system health is important. Before going away, ensure air conditioning doesn’t need regassing, and that it is used regularly even if it isn’t hot, as this will ensure the compressor and seals are well lubricated.

• Take regular breaks. Plan your journey ahead of time to so you can set off in good time and not rush, and add in a quick 15 minute break every two hours.

NHS charity funds training for clinical nurse specialist

Thanks to generous donations, Hywel Dda Health Charities, the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board, has been able to fund Prescribing Lifestyle Medicine online training for Neuro-Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist Janet Bower.

Lifestyle medicine is a branch of medicine focused on preventive healthcare and self-care. It focuses on areas such as nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances, and positive social connections. The course trains the practitioner in personalised care and lifestyle medicine principles, supporting them to grow their confidence in applying lifestyle medicine in a practical way to practice.

Janet supports and cares for people diagnosed with a primary brain tumour across the whole of the Hywel Dda Health Board area.

Janet said: “I’m incredibly grateful that charitable funds have allowed me to undergo the Prescribing Lifestyle Medicine training. The training has supported me in responding to

challenges people face that fall outside of the typical treatment-related side effects.

“For example, many brain tumour patients are affected by fatigue, poor diabetes control, lack of sleep, reduced exercise and loss of confidence. This course will train me to assess for the broader issues that affect people and provide actionable advice to improve their quality of life.

“The challenge of caring for people with brain tumours is that treatment options can be limited and come with challenging side effects. Completion of this course has meant that I can offer people another option that meets their individual needs alongside any conventional treatment.”

Nicola Llewelyn, Head of Hywel Dda Health Charities, the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “The support of our local communities enables us to provide services over and above what the NHS can provide in the three counties of Hywel Dda and we are extremely grateful for every donation we receive.”

For more details about

the charity and how you can help support local

HFamily raises over £2,000 for Withybush Hospital

Seren Cole and her family have raised a fantastic £2,640 for Hywel Dda Health Charities, the official charity of the Hywel Dda University Health Board.

After falling critically ill in December 2022 and receiving treatment for pneumonia, streptococcus A, influenza and sepsis, Seren set up a GoFundMe page with her family to raise funds for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the Acute Clinical Decision Unit (ACDU) and Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) at Withybush Hospital.

HSeren said: “The continued care and dedication of the staff at Withybush General Hospital is the reason

I am still here today, and nothing could ever express the depth of our gratitude.

“Hopefully, the funds and gifts will go towards providing some wellearned respite for staff and comfort for patients.”

Katy Coates, Senior Sister on ACDU, said: “On behalf of all the units we would like to say a huge thank you to Seren and her family and friends for raising money and purchasing items to support patients and staff on the units. It was very kind of you and much appreciated by us all.”

For more details about the charity and how you can help support local NHS patients and staff, go to www.hywelddahealth charities.org.uk

Get their children’s eyes tested this summer.

A NEW campaign encourages parents to get their children’s eyes tested this summer at their local opticians.

The Help Us Help You optometry campaign is designed to help everyone in Wales, especially children, get their eyes checked to help prevent future problems.

Research shows around 20% of schoolaged children have an undiagnosed vision problem. Regular eye health checks for adults and children can help prevent or detect a range of eye issues, including glaucoma, diabetes and myopia, earlier.

Optometrists are eye specialists who can test children’s eyesight and diagnose a range of eye issues and conditions early enough to ensure successful treatment. The NHS will provide de glasses for children who need them to help with their vision and eye care treatment.

With the demand for eye care services growing, the Welsh

Government is changing how eye care is delivered in Wales. This includes a new optometry contract enabling optometrists on the high street to manage, monitor and treat more eye conditions. This means more people will be able to receive free

eye care and treatments more quickly and closer to home. It will also help improve outcomes and reduce some of the pressures on GP practices and hospitals.

Minister for Health and Social Services

Eluned Morgan said: “We

recommend everyone visits their local opticians for regular preventative eye health checks. The younger you are when you start having eye tests, the better. That is why I encourage all parents and carers to get their child’s eyes tested

this summer ahead of the new school year. Optometrists are experts in eye health. “We are planning to transform the way optometry is provided in Wales, supporting hospital eye services through local high street

optometry practices so people can receive high-quality eye care in their communities. By changing the way opticians are funded, optometrists can prioritise clinical eye health and care.”

David O’Sullivan, Wales’ Chief Optometric Adviser, said: “Good eyesight is critical in ensuring a child develops to their full potential. Eyes are still developing throughout early childhood, so if problems are treated early, it can make a lasting difference, and it is never too early to have a sight test with your local optometrist.

Only 28% of children access regular eye tests with their high street optometrist. This could mean that children may have problems with their vision that could be corrected. Free eye checks from a local optician are the best way for parents to get their children’s eyes checked, and I encourage everyone to take up regular eye checks.”

A whole new game

A CAMPAIGN to get lean, high-protein game meat on the menu in Welsh hospitals and schools will launch next month

The call will be made at the second annual Welsh Game Fair, which champions the countryside and rural pursuits.

Organisers say venison, pheasant, duck and rabbit are cheaper, healthy options that NHS and school caterers should embrace

They want to see game meat given equal billing to more regularly used staples like chicken, beef and lamb.

The crusade will get underway at the twoday Welsh Game Fair, staged in association with the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, at Faenol Estate near Bangor over the weekend of September 9 and 10.

James Gower, chief executive of Stable Events, which organises the show alongside The Game Fair and the Scottish Game Fair, said they’re aiming to double last year’s attendance figures and get 20,000 people through the gates this time.

The event will cover everything from angling and axemen to conservation, shooting and wildlife on the Faenol’s magnificent 500

acres overlooking the Menai Straits.

Mr Gower is right behind the drive to promote lean meats like venison and pheasant as an alternative to other protein sources.

He said: “It is homegrown right here in Wales, the most natural free-range meat we have. It has a low carbon footprint and is incredibly healthy. It makes absolute sense for it to be a regular choice on our hospital menus.”

A strong advocate of the campaign is Will Oakley, operations director of one of the UK’s leading suppliers of game meat, Shropshirebased Willo Game, which sources more than half its products from Wales.

Mr Oakley, a former gamekeeper turned meat supplier, has more than 30 years in the business and believes it is time game was as much a part of the menu in hospitals and schools as other meats.

He said: “We have some hurdles to overcome, but these are mainly based on common misconceptions about the use of game as a food source.

“But when you sit down and look at the actual facts there are an abundance of sound and compelling reasons to introduce game to NHS menus. First among them must be that

this is the healthiest meat there is. It is the leanest and has the highest protein value of any meat.”

A 100g serving of venison has 22g of protein compared to 17g in beef. It has nearly twice as much iron, half as much saturated fat and only 7g of total fat compared to 20g in beef. It also carries much fewer calories - 160, contrasting with 245 in beef.

He said: “It’s also free of human intervention, with zero steroids, antibiotics or other additives compared to some farmed meats.

“This is because of the animals’ wild lifestyle. From the moment they are born, deer live in the wild, roaming free, grazing naturally.

“They and other varieties of game live outdoors in their natural habit, making them the most free-range meat source we have.”

“It is a similar story with fowl. Wild pheasant, partridge and grouse all have higher protein levels than chicken, and a lot less saturated fat but more, healthier polyunsaturated fat, meaning they are much lower in cholesterol.

“All this means that the consumer is likely to get more nutrition eating a small portion of game than they would with a plateful of other red meat.

“This could be particularly advantageous

in hospitals where recovering or ill patients may not feel up to eating large meals. They will know they can still get their required nutrition even if they eat a fairly small portion.”

Willo Game sources more than half its venison from Wales, and 50 percent of the meat it exports abroad comprises Welsh game.

The company currently exports 100 pallets a week to Europe, six to seven containers to Hong Kong and a similar amount to the Middle East.

Closer to home, he said demand is also on the increase as more pubs and restaurants have come to realise the value of game, and supermarkets are increasingly stocking it.

“In Wales, game has a comparable carbon footprint to locally raised beef or lamb and is more than competitive on the price front.

“For instance, the latest market figures show the price of beef at £35 per kilo compared to £23 per kilo for venison. That makes it financially viable for hospitals. Choosing game would not add any further constraints to NHS budgets,” said Mr Oakley James Gower added: “The truth is that deer in Wales have to be culled every year to protect their habitats and for the overall health of the herd.

They have no natural predators, so if deer were allowed to breed unchecked, the numbers would be so large that they would eat all the local flora and fauna, so damaging our natural ecosystem. Eventually, they would run out of grazing areas.

“Once culled, they immediately enter the food chain as a natural source of additive-free meat.”

“This is why game should be valued rather than excluded from hospital menus. It is time for a re-think on how we approach healthy diets.

“We hope events like the Welsh Game Fair will open people’s eyes to its potential and put game front and centre of the table.

“Our aim is to celebrate everything that is best about the countryside and rural pursuits, including the wider benefits of conservation and field sports.

“We’ll have gundogs, clay shooting, archery, fishing, food and falconry - not to mention the amazing shopping at the wide range of stalls.

“Over the two days, we have a jam-packed itinerary of displays, demonstrations, havea-go attractions and exhibitors.”

For more on the Welsh Game Fair, go to www. welshgamefair.org

DP Energy powers National Park conservation

PEMBROKESHIRE

Coast Charitable Trust is delighted to announce a new partnership with Irishfounded renewable energy company DP Energy which made its UK home in Pembroke Dock.

Katie Macro, Director of the Pembrokeshire Coast Charitable Trust, said: “We are thrilled that DP Energy has chosen to become a Silver Partner and help in our mission to support conservation, community and culture in the National Park.”

The Trust was set up to safeguard the spectacular National Park landscapes for future generations.

Headquartered in Cork, DP Energy has over 30 years of experience in the global renewable energy sector. It has developed over 1GW (1,000MW) of renewable energy projects, which are built

and operational.

DP Energy has an immediate pipeline of over 9GW of on and offshore wind, solar and

ocean energy projects across Ireland, the UK, Australia and Canada.

DP Energy has been operating in the

UK since the 1990s to deliver onshore wind projects and opened an office in Pembrokeshire in 2021.

In 2022, the company entered a Celtic Sea joint venture with EDF Renewables for the Gwynt Glas Floating Offshore Wind Farm project and is currently developing a wider portfolio of projects in the UK and new markets.

Chris Williams, Head of Development UK and New Markets for DP Energy, said: “DP Energy is delighted to be a Pembrokeshire Coast Charitable Trust Silver Partner.

“We are 100% committed to using the most sustainable and environmentally responsible methods in all our energy developments. Our Pembrokeshire-based team is passionate about supporting the growth of a new energy sector that can meet net-zero targets and sustain skilled, wellpaid jobs for future generations, to benefit

local communities.

“We are extremely fortunate to live and work in this beautiful part of the world. We look forward to working with the Trust on their initiatives to enhance conservation, community, and culture in the National Park.”

Since 2021, the Trust has run an annual business membership programme, offering a variety of packages to suit businesses of any size and type.

Further information about the Pembrokeshire Coast Partners scheme can be found at https://pembrokeshire coasttrust.wales/ how-you-can-help/ pembrokeshire-coastpartners/.

If you would like to discuss a scheme further, please contact the team by calling 01646 624811 or emailing support@ pembrokeshire coasttrust.wales.

POSITIVELY LIBERAL

Climate change

week, used the term “global boiling”. We have been used to the term “global warming” in recent years, but the summer of 2023 has seen Rhodes burning and Europe melting, whilst other nations across the planet experience high temperatures, including the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea, where 4,500 UK scouts were moved into hotel accommodation in the capital, Seoul.

The UK has so far, seen fresher weather and abnormally, a high volume of rainfall, for the month of July. It may have been more comfortable for us, but it’s not ideal for farmers or holidaymakers.

PM Rishi Sunak bangs on about his 5 pledges, yet climate change or the environment is not included. All the paranoia seems to be about “stop the boats” and cutting hotel costs of £6m a day. Meanwhile, the Tories seem to be backpedalling on environmental issues following the failure of Labour to win the Uxbridge by-election. ULEZ may matter in London, but here in Pembrokeshire, it probably doesn’t even appear on the political radar of issues of concern.

politicsmeanwhile, the Liberal Democrats have called on the government to scrap £3bn tax cuts for the big banks after HSBC announced profits worth £16.9bn in the first six months of the year.

Jeremy Hunt’s Spring Budget confirmed a cut to the Bank Surcharge from 8% to 3% from 1 April 2023. Combined with the government’s cuts to the Bank Levy that have taken place since 2016, it means banks are being handed a total tax giveaway of £3.2 billion in 2023-24.

Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said: “These profits are frankly insulting whilst big banks hike mortgages but refuse to pass on higher rates to savers.

“Enough is enough. The government should reverse tax cuts being given to the big banks. That money should instead be given to families at risk losing their homes as a result of spiralling mortgage bills.

Ministers have completely failed to protect struggling homeowners from rising interest rates, and instead allowed banks to rake in eye-watering profits at their expense. This shows just how out of touch this Conservative government is.

Sarah Olney MP, also commented on BP announcing Q2 profits of £2bn, saying: “These monster profits will be another nasty shock to families who couldn’t afford to heat their homes this year.

“The government shouldn’t be hoodwinked to remove the windfall tax by this profit drop. Let’s be frank, these are still huge.

“No family should go cold next winter because the Government backed down on taxing the likes of BP

“It is time to put the needs of struggling families and pensioners over the wallets of global oil firms. Yet this Conservative government is completely out of touch and has its priorities all wrong.”

Ironically, former Welsh Secretary, John Redwood, has hit the news, calling on Rishi Sunak to cut Corporation Tax in half, yet fails to say where services would be cut or taxes raised elsewhere, to plug the gap.

You couldn’t make it up. The Liberal Democrats proposals would be there to protect and build public services.

If you have any issues or comments, please contact me at andrew.lye@pembslibdems.wales

AT one time, scientists were careless about naming climate change “global warming” and equally careless about communicating its effects.

For example, an average rise in global temperatures of onedegree Celsius since 1880 does not seem a lot. That two-thirds of that increase has occurred since 1975 is a fraction more concerning.

Superficially that still does not seem that much.

The nine years to 2022 were the warmest since records began. We can look back at ice cores, data from fossilised trees or pollen, and even literary analyses of ancient texts to try and establish a baseline for the global climate. Still, nothing beats the record of direct observation accompanied by empirical measurement.

DEFINITIONS AND CONSENSUS

We must define our terms.

Weather refers to the short-term conditions of the lower atmosphere, such as precipitation, temperature, humidity, wind direction, wind speed, and atmospheric pressure. It could be sunny, cloudy, rainy, foggy, cold, hot, windy, stormy, or snowing. That’s the weather for you.

While weather refers to short-term changes in the atmosphere, climate refers to atmospheric

changes over longer periods, usually defined as 30 years or more. That is why it is possible to have an especially cold spell even though, on average, global temperatures are rising. The former is a weather event that occurs over days, while the latter indicates an overall climate change that occurs over decades.

In other words, a cold and wet July is a relatively small atmospheric perturbation within a much larger, long-term warming trend. Because climate change is treated as a global phenomenon, climate change includes rising temperatures in one region and falling ones in another.

Scientists are nearly unanimous (around 98% agree) that climate change is real and happening now. That is more than enough to provide a consensus. There are, of course, degrees of difference as to climate change’s extent, impact, and severity. But climate change is real.

THE POLITICAL DIMENSION

Problems arise when the reality of climate change interacts with politics and society.

To howls of protest from the middle classes who can afford to go without a little, UK Labour is playing down its green rhetoric in favour of a more cautious approach.

The arithmetic is simple. Labour cannot win working-class votes in its former Red Wall by promising to deliver policies that will make voters worse off now. It’s also learned a cautionary lesson from Wales.

Those who bothered to turn out to vote in the last Welsh Parliamentary elections did not vote to be worse off, have worse roads, or wreck Welsh industries in the cause of tackling climate change. But with its mandate from around 18.5% of the Welsh electorate, that’s what Welsh Labour’s delivering.

Labour swept the constituency vote in the Valleys and North East Wales. It did so on often minuscule voter turnouts in its traditional strongholds.

Wales’s Climate Change Minister, Julie James, won Swansea West with 46.4% of the votes on a turnout of around 40%. Around 18.5% of the electorate voted for her. Anyone who imagines all those voters voted Labour because of its climate change policies is smoking something illegal, or is Lee Waters.

At least Welsh Labour can say it warned voters what it would do in its pursuit of a net-zero nation. That said, the idea that voters bother reading manifestos is a fantasy. If the Conservatives had presented an identical manifesto to Labour’s, they would not have won Merthyr or Caerphilly from

meets political reality

its noise. Incessant messaging about a climate, biodiversity, or nature emergency blends together to make so much blah-blah-blah.

“The world is on fire” is a strong headline but a tough sell if the flames are thousands of miles away. A warming ocean in the Southern Hemisphere is literally half a world away.

BLUE VIEW

COUNTY COUNCILLOR DAVID BRYAN

any Labour candidate, including the proverbial donkey wearing a red rosette.

Wales is a small contributor to the rapidly declining emissions of a small contributor to the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. And net-zero is an accounting ruse involving polluters offshoring their emissions by trading them on a notably corrupt international market.

OPPORTUNITY AND COST

The theory is that increased costs in the relatively short term will be more than offset by cheaper longterm energy and the development of new industries in emerging technologies. The pain of increased taxes, the cost of subsidies, and the burden on the consumer will - supposedly - fade, and everyone will be better off. Meanwhile, carbon emissions will reduce to the national and global benefit.

The theory demonstrates the model’s problems.

Few people can afford to be altruists. Most of us must work for a living, earn a wage, and cannot spend hours each day agonising over whether farting cows endanger humanity.

Put bluntly, no party in any modern democracy won the most votes or seats in a Parliament by telling voters they would be poorer.

The cost of decarbonising the UK’s economy will run into the hundreds of billions. That money can come only from increased taxes and government borrowing.

Private companies will always primarily act in their interests and those of their shareholders. That’s the profit motive which underpins private enterprise and economic growth. That means private sector investment will not come without direct and indirect government subsidies in the form of grants, loans and tax incentives.

Considering those factors, it is hardly surprising that workingclass voters are sceptical about net zero’s benefits. They know where the cost burden will fall and who will get the opportunities. And it won’t be them.

Apart from the economic and political elements, other issues are in play:

• A growing mistrust of experts.

• Distrust of big government intervening in individual choice.

• Social class.

• A sense that what we can do will make no difference.

CATASTROPHE AND INDIFFERENCE

While the above all act in combination, the key issue on which they hang is human nature.

Older behavioural modelling systems

depend on human beings acting rationally in a system of exchange. Governments have relied on those systems to encourage people to act in the common, longterm interest against their immediate advantage.

People have predictably responded by doing the easy and cheap things (for example, recycling household waste) while resisting the more difficult and expensive options (i.e. installing heat pumps). At a time when the cost of living weighs heavily on most, such resistance is inevitable.

A compounding factor is the nature of activists’ messaging. Climate change, people can get a handle on. Climate catastrophism is another thing altogether. If you constantly sound an alarm, people eventually filter out

The picture is too large, remote, and terrifying to process. It’s hardly surprising that people react with indifference or resignation. The alternatives are the negative responses of anger directed at “the system” that led us to this point (see Just Stop Oil) and denial or avoidance based on an “us and them” narrative (populist politicians). As Keir Starmer now understands, underestimating the power of insular selfinterest is electorally dangerous.

That is the problem climate activists do not understand. It’s analogous to how Remain lost the 2016 Referendum. You will never win if you can’t advance a positive vision for the future that aligns with people’s basic wants and needs.

If people are told we’re all going to Hell in a handcart, come what may, it’s hardly surprising that some will volunteer to get out and push.

As the County Councillor for Haverfordwest Priory ward, more and more complaints are coming my way about the number of times that pedestrians are not able to use pavements due to vehicles blocking their way.

Unless you are a parent pushing a pushchair, a disabled person using a mobility scooter / wheelchair or a partially sighted person it may be this is just an inconvenience.

If you are in those categories however the blockage presents severe problems. Do you abandon your journey along the footpath and turn back or do you step into what is often a very busy and dangerous road, with all its attendant dangers ?

Anyone with any sense would realise the dangers they are creating by parking selfishly on pavements. Yet this selfish behaviour has no deterrent it seems.

The Welsh Labour Government thought at one time there should bring a law in to stop pavement parking. They then did their usual fine job of prevaricating time after time . At the moment there is no sign of legislation. A 20mph speed limit on all urban roads is being brought in by the Welsh Labour Government next month, in the misguided belief that this will encourage more walking and cycling . There is no interest however from them in making pavements safer. What will it take to let drivers know that pavements are for pedestrians, roads are for vehicles and bicycles. I would encourage readers who have similar views to lobby their Senedd Members, not just the constituency ones, but also those who are elected via the Mid and West Wales regional list. Who knows, the Welsh Labour Government may have to start listening!

Baffled by on-going import check delays

WG Launches New

THE Farmers’ Union of Wales has described the ongoing delay in postBrexit border checks on food as baffling. The UK Government’s apparent decision to continue to allow imports from the EU to circumvent checks is a blow for many UK producers, and an own goal in terms of the UK’s negotiating position over improvements that would help UK exporters.

While thorough checks have been in place for UK food exports to the EU since 1 January 2021, equivalent checks on food products imported from the EU were due to be introduced from 1 April 2021 following a transition period to allow importers to adjust to the UK’s departure from the EU Single Market.

It has been reported that there is concern that the extra checks on imported goods will push up prices and fuel inflation.

Responding to the news, FUW President Ian Rickman said: Whilst it is understandable that such checks have the potential to push up prices, that will be of little comfort to our producers who have to comply with a plethora of regulations and checks in order to export their goods.

“Our borders continue to operate like valves that make it extremely difficult and costly for us to export to the EU, due to all the

paperwork and checks at EU borders, but it’s extremely easy for those in the EU to import into the UK because the UK Government has waived the need for equivalent checks at our own borders.

“This means we have an uneven playing field that greatly favours EU businesses, and now the UK Government has extended this advantage again.”

Mr Rickman added that farmers and many processors were extremely angry that the UK Government had failed to prepare properly for its own hard-Brexit policy, and was now extending deadlines to make up for its failings in a way which would disadvantage many Welsh businesses and favour many EU businesses.

“We should not be in a situation where we are limping from extension to extension because of a lack of planning and foresight by the UK Government, while UK businesses are suffering unfair competition as a result,” he added.

WALES’s Climate Change Minister Julie James and Plaid Cymru’s Designated Member Siân

Gwenllian launched Ynni Cymru – a new publicly-owned energy company for Wales - at a community-owned hydro project.

Ynni Cymru, based at M-SParc, Ynys Mon, is being established to expand communityowned renewable energy generation across Wales as part of the Co-operation Agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru.

Early scoping work indicates a strong opportunity for Ynni Cymru to position Wales at the forefront of developing and delivering smarter local energy projects.

On the visit to the Anafon Hydro in Abergwyngregyn, which generates almost 1 GWh of electricity a year from its base in Eryri National Park, the Minister and Designated Member confirmed that £750,000 has been given to 11 projects in the form of resource grants over the next three years.

These include Cwm Arian for their “Heart of Dyfed Power Unlocker” project; the Dyffryn Ogwen Gynaladwy project in Bethesda to deliver solar power on community and business

buildings in the Ogwen Valley; Ynni Cymunedol Gwrog’s Tanygrisiau heat project; and support to Ynni Newydd Cyfyngedig’sBretton Hall solar project.

Climate Change Minister Julie James said: “With the launch of Ynni Cymru, we are on our pathway to meet the equivalent of 100% of our annual electricity consumption from renewable electricity by 2035 and to keep pace with consumption after that.

“However, we need a rapid energy system transformation to reach this.

“The current marketbased approach to the energy system is not delivering decarbonisation at the scale or pace necessary for the climate emergency and has not retained sufficient benefit in Wales.

“Local use of locally generated energy is an effective way to support net-zero and keep the benefit in our communities.

“Ynni Cymru will complement the great work already being undertaken by the Welsh Government Energy Service and Community Energy Wales, especially around scaling up and increasing the impact of renewable energy assets across Wales.

“We are taking the lead in shaping the energy system to drive Wales towards meeting its Net Zero targets and delivering on Wellbeing goals for a more prosperous future.”

Plaid Cymru Designated Member

Siân Gwenllian added: “Ynni Cymru is an ambitious project which aims to give local people and communities control over local resources and renewable energy initiatives. As we face multiple challenges of a climate crisis and high energy bills, it is more important than ever that we develop renewable energy projects with local benefit and ownership as a core aim.

“How we produce and consume energy is essential to achieving net zero. Eknow that whoever owns energy assets is hugely important. Ynni Cymru’s investment in expanding community-owned renewable energy generation will help decarbonise our energy supply with sustainable green energy and directly benefit people who live in those communities.”

The £1.2 million Anafon Hydro Project started in 2010 and began generating in December 2015. Grants, community shares and a Charity Bank loan

funded it.

Ynni Anafon Energy Cyf, which operates the Anafon Hydro, is a community benefit company run by eight volunteer directors from the communities of Abergwyngregyn and Llanfairfechan.

To date, it has generated 7.5 GWh of electricity - enough to supply 1,900 houses for a year.

Gavin Gatehouse, Chair, Ynni Anafon Energy Cyf, said: “The reorganisation of the electricity grid to allow local domestic and business consumers to access locally generated electricity has the potential to revolutionise public support for, and engagement with, existing and new community renewable energy projects. We welcome the launch of Ynni Cymru as a significant step towards achieving this goal.”

The Welsh Conservative Shadow Climate Minister, Janet Finch-Saunders MS, said: “I welcome the investment in community-owned renewable energy generation in Wales, but both Labour and Plaid Cymru are ignoring the elephant in the room. There are hundreds of watercourses running through privately owned land in Wales.

“Alongside support

Energy Company

Over the decades, who has actually given a jot about Wales and its citizens? Did the dynastic quarry, pit, and mine owners of the industrial revolution? Did the landowners that squeezed every effort from the workers who ploughed its soil? Well, those who did were few and far between.

it doesn’t matter who we vote for: injustice, unfairness, and poor treatment for Wales will continue?

for community-owned schemes, the Labour Government should remove barriers to privately owned schemes. Here in Eryri, I know of private individuals who want to invest in small hydro schemes but are being put off because of costs created by the Labour Government. The Labour Government stripped farmers of business rate relief for hydro schemes on their land.

“Labour and Plaid Cymru are not using all the levers at their disposal to unleash Wales’s hydro-power

According to one renewable energy expert, rural communities face an ‘energy injustice’, and the planning process for smaller-scale renewable energy projects needs to be streamlined.

Ed Bailey, Director of Baileys and Partners, based in Meirionnydd and Ynys Môn, advises farmers on various projects, including hydroelectric projects, commercial-scale wind and solar farms, battery storage and tidal energy systems.

As a farmer, he recognises the

increasing need to produce homeharvested energy whilst also protecting the biodiversity of the land in Wales and the continued viability of food production. But he added that several of his clients were still facing huge barriers preventing them from actively contributing to these targets.

“What we lose when schemes are refused are support for a rural economy, support for the local communities, and we lose confidence from investors. This has to be addressed.”

He added: “The

National Grid was designed for centralised generation, and rural areas have been at the end of the line. Restructuring the whole grid would, of course, be too expensive.

“Rural areas face an energy injustice because of a lack of access to affordable, low-carbon energy. We need localised energy solutions and a streamlined consenting regime for projects. It can put people off what can be pretty simple schemes, such as generating hydropower.”

MP backs Royal British Legion Campaign

CARMARTHENSHIRE

MP Jonathan Edwards has backed a campaign by the Royal British Legion calling on the Government to amend current benefit regulations. Mr Edwards is a lead signatory to a parliamentary motion recognising the sacrifices of veterans and their families. The motion notes that compensated for this great sacrifice should not be regarded as income when veterans undergo welfare benefits means testing.

Compensation has been awarded to 150,000 Armed Forces veterans and their families for

Did successive political dynasties see Wales as little more than a bountiful Eldorado of resources to feed, roof, and fuel the biggest empire the world has ever seen? Probably not. What about the executives of the National Coal Board responsible for tip No. 7 of the Merthyr Vale Colliery? History will show otherwise.

Luckily, across the centuries, people have cared. Cared enough to get together to accomplish Herculean feats. From the power of the Chartist movement and the miners’s strike to the language campaigners of recent decades.

With vision and passion, our communities have pulled together to create such working class cathedrals to learning as the Workers Education Association (WEA), the workers’s halls, and our very own schools and universities.

Do we care about how we are governed?

The perception that none of the political class of this century hold the moral scruples of their predecessors is constantly upheld by the actions of many politicians. Successive Westminster scandals, from expenses to partygate, have left the legacy of a public more disengaged than ever from politics and governance. Electioneering now seems nothing more than who can shout the loudest.

Enduring our fourth economic downturn in 15 years on the back of a global pandemic and a messy divorce from our biggest trading partner has focused vast swathes of the people of Wales on survival. A large proportion of our population have learnt how to blank out the white noise of rhetoric in the media. Surviving until the next payday with the occasional midmonth flourish on the odd takeaway is the new norm.

What difference does political bluster and rhetoric make? We are poor and getting poorer, and knuckling down to get by is sucking up our individual and collective energy and enthusiasm.

the pain

and

loss they endured in service. The “Credit their Service” campaign calls on the Government to amend benefit regulations to ensure that no member of the Armed Forces community has their compensation treated as income during welfare benefits means testing.

Jonathan Edwards MP said: “Veterans and their families deserve the best possible care and support in recognition of their service and sacrifices. Treating this compensation as an income is the Government simply giving it with one hand and taking it away with the other. I am proud

to support this campaign by the Royal British Legion and thank them for their tireless work in bringing attention to these important issues on behalf of veterans.”

Ken Burton, President of Ammanford and Cross Hands British Legion, said: “It is good to see our MP supporting the

campaign launched by the Royal British Legion. The current system means that veterans and their families miss out on thousands of pounds a year. This is an unacceptable situation. I am grateful to Mr Edwards for putting pressure on the Government in this case, and hope they will take meaningful action.”

Do people in the early years of the 21st century care about who happens to be in government, and how? It is sadly the case that those of us who take an interest in politics are in the minority today. And that maybe party politics has mostly dissolved into a grey, lukewarm soup of murkiness.

Voter participation in Wales at local and Senedd level is very poor indeed, and over a third of voters won’t even turn out for a general election despite the relentless media coverage that comes with it.

Have we become apathetic because we know we have no agency here in Wales? That

Fortunately, many of us still care enough to vote, to engage in debate in pubs or on online forums. There is a realisation that good governance makes a real difference to daily life, from public health policies in times of crisis to legislation and regulation protecting tenants in highrise homes.

We should be able to expect integrity, passion, and compassion from those who govern us however political apathy in Wales demonstrates that this is not the case. So, what gives? Isn’t it time to accept that Westminster does not work for Wales and explore other models such as pendence?

death notices

MICHAEL FRANCIS

Francis Michael “Ginge

“ Michael sadly passed away at his home in Pembroke on August 3rd. Rosemary, his beloved wife of 65 years beside him. Michael was 86 years young and had experienced poor health for some months. All arrangements will be managed and available from Neil Roberts, Pembroke Dock.

ROBERT MATHIAS

Mr Robert Mathias Milford Haven (formerly of Scleddau) Suddenly on Thursday 27th July at Milford Haven, Robert formerly of Scleddau. Loving son of the late Gwladys & Glyn Mathias and a dear brother of Richard and the late Barbara & Susan.

Funeral service on Friday

18th August at Parc Gwyn Crematorium, Narberth

at 10.45am. Family flowers only. Further enquiries to Paul Jenkins & Sons Funeral Directors, Fishguard. Tel: 01348 873250.

JOHN WYNFORD

PHILLIPS

PHILLIPS John Wynford of Haverfordwest John passed away peacefully on the 26th July, 2023 aged 74 years. Dearly loved, he will be sadly missed by all who knew

Pause for thought...

My brother did a DNA test the other day and I certainly didn’t expect to discover that I am more Irish than Welsh. I was born in Wales of course and I love the ‘Land of my Fathers’ as passionately as anyone, but the scientific evidence is clear. I am Irish first and Welsh second.

I don’t have any Korean genes in my DNA, but I am thrilled to say I have lots of Korean brothers and sisters in my Christian family and we had a wonderful reunion a few weeks ago when members of the London Central (Korean) church joined us for another week of prayer. This was not the first time we have done this though; in fact, most of the churches in Pembroke have been taking part in the Korean Prayer Mission for the past nine years. The links are so strong that we decided to continue online through Covid, and they will be taking part in our annual ‘Picnic Prayer and Praise’ in Pembroke again on September 10th. I’d love you to join us. If their

dance routine is anything like the last time, you’ll be mesmerised.

Wales had the privilege of hosting nine prayer teams this year, two of which were based in Pembrokeshire, and the atmosphere at the final rally in Cardiff was simply ‘electric’. Wales holds a special place in Korean hearts, and they are deeply saddened to see us jettisoning the faith we shared with them.

Sadly, far too few of us know the story of Robert Jermain Thomas, the Welsh missionary who is remembered as the first Protestant martyr in Korea. Thomas gave out Bibles before he died and this apparently insignificant action gave birth to a church when an enterprising Korean used their pages as wallpaper and people could read the ‘writing on the wall’. In fact, as I understand it Thomas’s influence was such that just fifteen years after his death Pyongyang had become a strong Christian centre with a hundred churches. As the century turned, Korea started looking to Wales

for inspiration and the Welsh Religious Revival of 1904 was echoed by a similar revival in Korea in 1907.

Given the current state of the church in Wales it is all too tempting to write its obituary. But that would be highly premature. The Korean church is a vivid reminder that Jesus was not deluded when He told His apostles that nothing could stop Him building His church. He can and is still doing that in spite of the persecution, indifference, division and disinterest it constantly encounters. As the ‘Romero Prayer’ wisely observes ‘It helps, now and then, to step back and take the long view…. We accomplish in our lifetime only a fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work….This is what we are about. We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders, ministers, not messiahs’.

For up to date news please check our social network channels www.pembrokeshire-herald.co.uk

him. Funeral service, Friday 11th August, 2023 at 10.00am at Parc Gwyn Crematorium, Narberth. All enquiries to Roy Folland & Son Funeral Directors (01437) 763821.

MICHAEL JOHN THOMAS

Mr. Michael John Thomas Hook The death occurred suddenly but peacefully at Withybush Hospital, Haverfordwest on Monday 31st July of Mr. Michael John Thomas, aged 71 years of New Road, Hook. Dearly loved husband of Denise, devoted father of Natalie and adored grandfather to Jack. John will be sadly missed and fondly remembered by his family and friends. In accordance with John’s wishes, a small private funeral for family and close friends will take place. Family flowers only, donations if desired may be sent to The Paul Sartori Foundation, Paul Sartori House, Winch Lane, Haverfordwest, SA61 1RP. All enquiries to Tom Newing & Sons Ltd., Funeral Directors, Milford Haven. Telephone 01646 693180.

ROSA LUCY LYE

LYE Rosa Lucy Mynachlogddu Suddenly on Thursday, 20th July, at Withybush Hospital, Haverfordwest, Rosa of Allt-y-gog, Mynachlogddu, Clunderwen. Beloved wife of Tom dear mother of Jeremy respected mother-in-law of Jennifer loving grandmother of Catherine and Jason.

Private Funeral Service on Saturday, August 5th, at St Dogmaels Church, Mynachlogddu. Family flowers only. Donations if so desired, towards The British Heart Foundation, c/o Ken Davies & Sons,Funeral Directors, Blaenwern, Bro Waldo, Clunderwen. SA66 7NQ Tel: 01437 563319.

HILDA CLARKE

Mrs Hilda Clarke (née Scarr) Newport Peacefully on Thursday 27th July at Parc y Llyn Nursing Home, Hilda of Newport. Beloved wife of the late Tony, loving mother of Biddy and the late Tim, a much-loved Granma and Great Granma. Funeral service on Wednesday 9th August at St Mary’s Church, Newport at 11am followed by interment in the Churchyard. No flowers by request. Donations in lieu if desired, made payable to ‘Pembrokeshire Samaritans’ c/o Paul Jenkins & Sons Funeral Directors, Feidr Castell, Fishguard, SA65 9BB. Tel: 01348 873250.

MR. BRIAN RICHARDS

Mr. Brian Richards Pembroke The death occurred peacefully on Saturday 22nd. July of Mr. Brian Richards of Croft Court, Pembroke. Brian was 88 and will be greatly missed by all his family and very many friends. The funeral will take place on Tuesday 15th. August with a service at Tabernacle Chapel, Main Street, Pembroke

at 1.00.pm followed by cremation at Parc Gwyn Crematorium at 2.30. pm. Family flowers only please but if desired, donations in lieu in memory of Brian for The Paul Sartori Foundation may be sent to John Roberts & Son, Funeral Directors, 51, Bush Street, Pembroke Dock, SA72 6AN, Tel. 01646 683115, who are carrying out the arrangements.

GWENDOLINE MORGAN (NEE WATTS)

MORGAN Gwendoline (nee Watts) (Gwen) Formerly of Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. Passed peacefully away at the Swallows Care Home, Haverhill, Suffolk on Monday 10th July 2023 aged 88 years. A dearly loved wife to the late Bartle, and a much loved Mum, Grandma, Great Grandma, Sister-inLaw, Aunt, Great Aunt and Cousin. Funeral service at The West Suffolk Crematorium, St. Edmund’s Chapel on Friday 25th August 2023 at 2:00 pm (webcast login at www.obitus.com, username: vadu3123

password: 364587)

A memorial service will held next year in Haverfordwest. Details will follow. Family flowers only please but donations if desired to Cancer Research UK may be left at the service or sent c/o G R Peachey and Son Funeral Directors, 16 North Terrace, Mildenhall, Suffolk, IP28 7AA. Tel. 01638 713201.

, HELP US TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF OLDER PEOPLE IN WALES

DEAR SIR

WE’RE LOOKING for two dedicated, passionate people to join the Age Cymru Board of Trustees.

Age Cymru is the national charity for older people in Wales, we’re here for older people when we’re needed most with our trusted advice, support and services. Our trustees set our strategic direction, and use their practical skills, experience, and knowledge to support and challenge the staff teams who deliver a wide range of services for older people across the whole of Wales.

We welcome applications from everyone who feels they have a contribution to make, bringing either life or professional experience. No previous board experience is required.

To broaden our representation, we’re particularly keen to hear from those who are living in mid or north Wales, Welsh speaking, from ethnic

minority groups, or part of a LGBTQ+ community.

We’re also particularly interested to hear from individuals with fundraising experience.

Appointments are for four years and trustees will be provided with an induction to the charity, ongoing updates and training as required.

If you would like further information visit www.agecymru.org.uk/ becomeatrustee or call 029 2043 1573 for an informal discussion. Your sincerely Victoria Lloyd Chief Executive ,

CLOSURE OF TICKET OFFICES

DEAR SIR

I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the proposed closure of rail ticket offices, a move that could have a profoundly negative impact on the independence of blind and partially sighted individuals. This decision stands to hinder their access to essential activities such as commuting

to work, attending medical appointments, and maintaining social connections.

The significance of ticket offices extends beyond mere ticket sales. They serve as invaluable points of contact for various forms of assistance, facilitating essential services such as guiding visually impaired individuals through the station and onto trains, as well as offering guidance on route changes and travel adjustments.

The advancement of our railway systems should embody more than just technological upgrades like apps and touchscreens; true progress must embrace inclusivity and ensure that no one is left behind. It is imperative that these closure proposals are reevaluated and ultimately discarded in favor of a more compassionate and inclusive approach.

PROPOSED CLOSURE OF RAIL TICKET OFFICES

DEAR SIR

I am writing to highlight the proposed closure of rail ticket offices that will have a devastating impact on blind and partially sighted people’s ability to travel independently: stopping people getting to work, health appointments, and seeing friends.

Ticket offices are not just about selling tickets. They provide a reliable first point of contact for many kinds of staff assistance such as arranging sighted guidance through the station and safely on to the train, to advising on any changes to journeys.

Modernisation of our railways doesn’t just mean apps and touchscreens; modernisation means inclusivity and not leaving anyone behind. These proposals must be scrapped.

THE STATE OF THE NHS

DEAR SIR

I am writing to express my concern and frustration regarding the state of the National Health Service (NHS) and the approach taken by the Conservative party towards it over the

years. As we reflect on the establishment of the NHS by the Labour party in 1948, it is disheartening to see that the principles of Egalitarianism and Social Justice were fiercely opposed by the Conservatives. Unfortunately, it seems that these principles have not had a significant impact on their minds to this day.

For the past 85 years, the Tories have maintained a pretence while gradually privatising certain aspects of the NHS, citing a “dreadful waste of taxpayers’ money” as their primary concern. However, it is evident that their narrow focus on finances has blinded them to the true essence of healthcare – the well-being of our citizens.

Healthcare should never be reduced to a mere monetary matter. It is about providing timely and effective care to all those in need, preventing the spread of diseases, and minimising chronic complications. Delay in medical attention only exacerbates the costs and human suffering.

Investing in modern medical equipment, such as scanners, is crucial for early detection and treatment of medical conditions. By running these facilities around the clock with well-paid shift operators, we can make significant strides in improving healthcare outcomes.

Furthermore, a principled government would value the hardworking NHS staff, ensuring they are supported and motivated to deliver their best. By creating an environment where healthcare professionals feel appreciated, they will be more inclined to operate the equipment efficiently and effectively, maximising its potential for patient care.

It is disconcerting that many sick and elderly patients occupy expensive hospital beds due to a lack of foresight in earlier generations of Conservative politicians and voters. The vision for the NHS should encompass caring for all conditions while maintaining smaller healthcare facilities like cottage hospitals and nursing homes. These

facilities can cater to the needs of many elderly patients without overburdening our modern hospitals.

As a society, we must realise that we have squandered millions of pounds in the wrong directions for the wrong reasons. While funding is essential, what we truly need are moral principles guiding our decisions. We should prioritise the health and well-being of our citizens over any financial concerns.

In conclusion, the NHS is a vital institution that needs our unwavering support and a principled approach from the government. Let us rise above political divisions and work together to ensure a healthier, happier future for our nation.

 Tenders

WHITESANDS CAFÉ RAILINGS REMEDIAL WORKS

o Tenders are requested for remedial works to the railings as described below. Completed tenders shall be returned to The Clerk, City Hall, High St, St Davids SA62 6SD no later than 12.00pm on Friday 1st September 2023.

o Tender documents shall consist of:

 Completed Tender Details.

 Completed Contractor Information.

 Copy of Public Liability Insurance Certificate to carry out all aspects of the work required.

 Written terms of warranty.

 Scope of the Works

o The work to commence on Monday 6th November 2023.

o The work involves examining the exposed three round structural steel columns supporting the mono-pitched roof which are rusted.

o To remove all the current coating and blast / grind to SA 2 ½: any rust remaining should be treated with Rust Converter.

o Re-paint – ensuring that prior to using the rust convertor and final painting, all areas be thoroughly degreased. RAL colour to match existing colour and finish.

o Because of the location of the site it is essential that material applied are high quality primers, rust converters and polyurethane topcoat paints.

 Access

o There will be ample access in the Whitesands Car Park on commencement of the contract.

o You are requested to visit prior to preparing for the tender. To visit the site please contact the Clerk.

 Requirements – The contractor shall: -

o Provide all labour, materials and equipment to complete the contract in timely fashion and within the agreed timescales.

o Be responsible for the removal and disposal of all debris from site.

o Ensure public safety by the provision of protective barriers and signage to current safety regulations.

o Provide the Council with a written Risk Assessment and a Method Statement prior to commencing the contract.

o Comply with all relevant statutes e.g. Health & Safety at Work Act and other agreements in respect of safety, health and welfare and include the adjacent properties to the railings.

o The contractor shall not assign the contract nor sub-contract any part of the work without the Council’s prior consent.

 Terms of payment

o The contract is made between St Davids City Council and name (“the Contractor”).

o Payment will be made by bank transfer within 30 days on receipt of invoice.

serVices

CARAVANS

CLEARANCES

CAR PARTS

ELECTRICAL

FENCING, DRIVEWAYS AND LANDSCAPING

HAIRDRESSING

CARPENTRY

CAMERAS & PHOTOGRAPHY

FABRICATION

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING

HANDYMAN

OVEN CLEANING

RECLAIMED BUILDING MATERIAL

RUBBISH AND WASTE REMOVAL

STORAGE TANKS

TRAILERS

PROFESSIONAL CAR WASH

SOUND LIGHT AND STAGE

VAN CONVERSIONS

PODIATRY

SCRAP METAL

SHUTTERS & BLINDS

TECHNOLOGY AND COMPUTERS

WINDOWS

01834 482022

Rossiter leaves his mark at Ireland’s Cork 20

Pembrokeshire’s own Martin Rossiter showcased his remarkable skills on the picturesque roads of Ireland during Cork 20 held on August 7, 2023.

Rossiter, behind the wheel of his trusty Ford Escort RS1800, etched his name into the event’s history by securing a commendable fourth position in the overall standings.

The fiercely competitive Historic category event saw seasoned rally drivers battling it out, navigating challenging terrains and unpredictable weather conditions. Rossiter and his co-driver Ian Davis stood tall among their peers, manoeuvring the treacherous course with a blend of skill, precision, and unwavering determination.

Rossiter’s dedication and driving prowess were evident in the event’s results, where he completed the demanding course with a total time of 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 24.7 seconds. While the dynamic duo faced

a time gap of 4 minutes and 25 seconds from the leaders, their performance resonated with the spirit of rally racing – tenacity, perseverance, and the pursuit of excellence.

The Ford Escort RS1800 responded beautifully to Rossiter’s

expert handling, a testament to his deep understanding of both the vehicle and the nuances of rally racing strategy. This achievement not only underscores his commitment to the sport but also sets a promising tone for his future

endeavours in the world of historic rally racing.

Trevor Wilson and Paul Mulholland clinched the event’s top spot, skillfully navigating a Ford Escort Mk2 to victory with a time of 2 hours, 5 minutes, and 59.7 seconds.

As the rally season

continues to unfold, all eyes will remain on Martin Rossiter as he continues to make his mark in the competitive realm of historic rally racing. His determination, finesse, and unyielding spirit position him as a rising star in the upcoming events.

Rugby star returns to Haverfordwest, aims to foster local talent

AFTER an illustrious career on the international stage, Rob Evans, 31, has come full circle, returning to his roots at Haverfordwest RFC, the club where his rugby journey began. Having earned 39 caps for Wales, including a significant Grand Slam victory in 2019, Evans is set to reinvigorate his local team alongside his new teammates at Pembroke Road.

“I am really excited about joining the Blues and putting something back into the town – and more broadly, community rugby,” said Evans, reflecting on his homecoming. “It feels like the right time to repay the people who helped me on the ladder at the start of my career. Randal wants to build here. It will be brilliant and I’m looking forward to it.”

Coach Randal Evans, a

recent addition to the club from Narberth, expressed his enthusiasm for the valuable addition to the team: “We’re delighted to be welcoming a player of Rob’s calibre and excited about the impact he can make with us. Rob is still highly driven and focused on helping our ambition. He wants to achieve at Haverfordwest.”

Rob Evans’ career trajectory has been remarkable. His international debut came in the 2015 Six Nations tournament against Ireland, with his last game representing Wales against England in 2020. His dedication and skill were also apparent at Scarlets, where he made a total of 151 appearances over nine seasons between 2011 and 2020. Earlier this year, he retired from professional rugby, transitioning to Division Three West of the WRU

Men’s National Leagues. Evans’ connection to Haverfordwest RFC runs deep, with his father Graham and uncle Richard having played for the club during the 1970s and 1980s. Graham Dalton, the club secretary, underscored the significance of Rob’s return: “Rob means a great deal to the club because of his achievements and he’s hungry to help cultivate the next generation. There’s an air of excitement here.”

The upcoming season holds promise as Haverfordwest RFC prepares to kick off the 2023-24 campaign against Neyland on September 2. With Rob Evans’ presence, the local club is poised not only for success on the field but also for nurturing the emerging talents that will shape the future of Welsh rugby.

THIS WEEK IN CRICKET Neyland leads Division One

thomas carroll pembrokeshire league

Fixtures

NEYLAND Cricket

Club emerged as the frontrunners in Division

One with an impressive seven-wicket victory over Saundersfoot. The match showcased standout performances from key players, setting the tone for the league.

The Neyland team displayed exceptional bowling prowess, as Patrick Hannon returned figures of 4-10 and Andrew Miller contributed with 5-33, effectively dismantling the Saundersfoot batting order. Brad McDermottJenkins showcased his batting finesse, amassing a remarkable 70 runs, while Ashley Sutton added 54 runs to the tally. This collective effort led Neyland to a decisive victory, reaching a total of 149 for 3.

Brian Hall’s steadfast innings of 57 runs secured a win for Carew, who prevailed against Herbrandston by three wickets in an intense contest. Carew’s Shaun Whitfield and Ethan Hall also showcased their skills with the ball, grabbing crucial wickets. The margin of victory was slim, underscoring the competitive spirit of the league.

Cresselly secured their victory against Lawrenny by a significant margin of 51 runs, largely thanks to Tom Arthur’s exceptional

bowling figures of 3-14. Llangwm’s Will Beresford shone with a commanding 58 runs, contributing significantly to their fourwicket win against St Ishmaels, whose Karl Rhead’s valiant 57 runs couldn’t turn the tide.

Narberth’s Lewis

Hough played a pivotal role in his team’s sixwicket victory over Burton, notching up 43 runs and also making an impact with the ball. These performances highlighted the fierce competition and individual brilliance that characterize the league.

As the league standings evolve, Neyland’s commanding performance has positioned them as the ones to watch in Division One. With each match bringing its own set of heroics and nail-biting moments, the Thomas Carroll Pembrokeshire League continues to captivate cricket enthusiasts and fans alike.

In the words of Neyland’s captain, Brad McDermott-Jenkins: “Our team’s collective effort and determination were on full display today. We’re focused on maintaining this momentum as we navigate through the season.” As the league action unfolds, cricket fans can look forward to more enthralling encounters and exceptional displays of skill.

Lawrenny II v Haverfordwest III

Neyland II v Saundersfoot II

division 5

Haverfordwest IV v Pembroke Dock II

Kilgetty II v Herbrandston II

division 6

Hundleton II v Llechryd III

Laugharne II v Cresselly III

Stackpole II v Whitland III

Alternative Wales side to face England at Twickenham

IN A BOLD maneuver, Wales is set to take on England at Twickenham this Saturday with an entirely restructured starting XV.

Head coach Warren Gatland’s strategic shakeup follows their recent triumph over England with a resounding 20-9 victory at the Principality Stadium only days ago.

Dewi Lake, a rising star, will embrace a leadership role as he dons the captain’s armband for the first time in the upcoming showdown. Gatland’s lineup overhaul introduces fresh faces, with Scarlets’ center Joe Roberts primed for his Wales debut. Meanwhile, Scarlets’ loosehead prop Kemsley Mathias and Ospreys’ center Keiran Williams, though placed on the bench, have a chance to display their potential.

Notably, Taine Plumtree, who made an impact in the previous encounter, earns his spot as the starting No. 8 following an impressive bench performance. Gatland’s strategic acumen extends beyond team selection; he once again reveals his matchday 23 ahead of schedule, mirroring his tactics from the previous week.

While Wales basks in the glow of their recent victory, Gatland is acutely aware of the mounting challenge posed by the English team on their home turf. England’s head coach, Steve Borthwick, responds with a seasoned starting XV this time, signaling his determination to regain

victory after the recent setback.

Borthwick’s forwardlooking approach is emphasized by his early unveiling of the official 33-man squad for the upcoming World Cup in France next month. In contrast, Gatland views this impending Test match as a golden opportunity to refine his selections for the tournament. The stakes are high, with a crucial warm-up match against South Africa scheduled for August 19, after which Gatland will finalize his official squad.

Gatland’s shakeup features Dewi Lake leading the revamped Wales side against England at Twickenham,

with Joe Roberts making his debut as center on Saturday. This move follows a whopping 15 changes to the team that secured a 20-9 victory in Cardiff over England.

Lake takes over the captaincy from Jac Morgan, and Taine Plumtree is rewarded with his first start at number eight, having impressed as a replacement in the previous match. The back row, also comprising Dan Lydiate and Tommy Reffell, will rely on Plumtree’s prowess.

Prop Kemsley Mathias and center Keiran Williams are poised for their international debuts from the bench in the World Cup warm-

up game. Meanwhile, Ospreys’ fly-half Owen Williams gets his chance after missing out on the World Cup warm-up camps, partnering with Tomos Williams at halfback.

Gatland’s strategy to rotate captains sees Dewi Lake, an influential figure within the squad, taking the helm. Gatland praises Lake’s qualities, stating, “He’s well-respected in the group, he’s got a voice and he has confidence about himself and his own ability.” This shift also aligns with Gatland’s broader vision, considering the team’s future prospects beyond the immediate matches.

Joe Roberts, 23, pairs

up with Nick Tompkins at center, while Scarlets’ wing Rogers will make his third international start. The front-five includes Ospreys quartet Lake, Gareth Thomas, Rhys Davies, and Adam Beard, with prop Tomas Francis completing the unit.

Gatland acknowledges the opportunity for the new lineup to make its mark and underscores the competition within the squad. He expresses satisfaction with the team’s prior performance and result while highlighting the pressure on this group to deliver. This match against England sets the stage for subsequent challenges, including a fixture against

South Africa.

The upcoming match holds personal significance for Josh Adams, who secures his 50th Wales cap. Gatland commends Adams for his dedication and resilience, overcoming obstacles to reach this milestone. The broader squad, including Teddy Williams, Cai Evans, Gareth Anscombe, Alex Cuthbert, Taulupe Faletau, and Johnny Williams, will not participate in the initial warm-up matches.

Wales faces world champions South Africa in their final warm-up game on August 19, leading to Gatland’s subsequent announcement of the 33man World Cup squad.

The journey begins on September 10 with a World Cup campaign opener against Fiji in Bordeaux, followed by clashes with Portugal, Australia, and Georgia.

WALES

STARTING ELEVEN:

Fullback: Liam Williams

Wingers: Josh Adams, Tom Rogers

Centers: Joe Roberts, Nick Tompkins

Fly-half: Owen Williams

Scrum-half: Tomos

Williams

Front row: Gareth Thomas, Dewi Lake (capt), Tomas Francis

Second row: Rhys Davies, Adam Beard

Flankers: Dan Lydiate, Tommy Reffell No. 8: Taine Plumtree

RESERVES:

Sam Parry, Kemsley Mathias, Dillon Lewis

Christ Tshiunza, Taine Basham, Kieran Hardy Dan Biggar, Keiran Williams

sport