The Pembrokeshire Herald 26/07/2024

Town centre ‘stinking of skunk’ after raid

POLICE in Milford Haven have been investigating an illegal cannabis grow in a disused bar on Charles Street.

For the last 36-hours or so police have been keeping a constant vigil at both the front and the back doors of number 37, which used to be Mojo’s Retro Bar.

The address has been vacant for around two years, but in the last few days what is understood to be a large scale commercial grow has been busted.

However over the last few weeks both neighbours and members of the public walking past have said they smelt cannabis emanating from the building.

One Milford Haven resident told this newspaper: “I knew something was up. I have smelt it few times in the past when I was walking there, but I blamed the Chinese. Now it makes sense.”

Police have been seen removing plants from the property and forensics officers are at the scene collecting evidence for the investigation.

The police have been contacted for a statement.

Family of grandmother killed in A48 collision ‘devastated’

THE FAMILY of a much-loved 75-year-old woman who died in a collision on the A48 on Friday, 19 July have said that they are devastated at the loss of a dear wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother.

Nesta Jeffreys was a passenger in one of the vehicles when the collision happened at around 10:50am that morning. The family have said that they are heartbroken at the sudden loss of such a valued member of the family.

Anyone travelling on the A48 between Crosshands and Llanddarog at the time of the incident is asked to contact Police on 101.

Investigating officers would particularly like to speak to any motorists who were in the area at that time who have dash cam in their vehicles. You can get in touch in any of the following ways:

Accused of having nearly 1000 child and animal images

A 30-YEAR-OLD Milford Haven man has admitted making over 400 indecent Category A images of a child.

Mathew Wood, of Coronation Avenue, Milford Haven, admitted distributing a total of 423 Category A images, which are the most serious when he appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates court this week.

He pleaded guilty to additional charges of distributing a Category A image of a child, making 310 category B images of children, making 220 category C images of children, possessing five prohibited images of children and possessing 20 extreme pornographic images, one of which portrayed a female performing a grossly offensive sexual act with a dog.

District Judge Mark Layton was told that four of the offences took place on August 1, 2018 while two were committed on August 1, 2022.

Following a request by the Crown Prosecution Service, Judge Layton declined jurisdiction in the matter and Wood was released on bail to await his sentence at Swansea Crown Court on August 13.

Youth set to appear in court over serious sexual offences

A 19-YEAR-OLD MAN from Milford Haven, will appear in court charged with a string of serious sexual offences.

Nathan John, of Richard John Road, Milford Haven, will face the bench at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court later today (Jul 12), accused of committing multiple crimes on October 2, 2022.

The court will be told that John is accused committing two counts of rape. Additionally, the defendant is accused of committing sexual assault, and causing a female over 13 to engage in penetrative sexual activity against her will.

The court also heard that John created indecent photographs of children and possessed extreme pornographic images featuring animals.

Police vehicles parked in Robert Street, at the back gate to the former Mojo’s Bar (Pic: Herald)

Systemic failings within the fire

THE TRAGIC death of a firefighter during a training exercise almost five years ago has been officially ruled as an accident by an inquest jury.

Josh Gardener, 35, from Milford Haven, suffered a fatal head injury on September 17, 2019, while training with the Mid and West Wales Fire Service on the Cleddau River.

The incident occurred when the vessel carrying Mr Gardener collided with another inflatable craft, leading to a devastating impact that threw him into the water. The collision resulted in a severe head injury described as a “deep chop wound.” Despite immediate rescue efforts by a crew member who jumped into the water, it was evident that Mr Gardener’s injuries were fatal. He was pronounced dead at 11:55 am after the crew arrived at Neyland Yacht Club, where they were met by ambulance and police services.

The inquest, held at County Hall, Haverfordwest and led by acting senior coroner Paul Bennett, opened with a post-mortem examination revealing that Mr Gardener died from a “disruption of the head.” The jury concluded that the incident was accidental after hearing evidence of the circumstances surrounding the training exercise.

Mr Gardener had joined the fire service just a year before his death, fulfilling a lifelong dream of working in emergency services. Previously, he had worked as an offshore wind farm technician. His family, in a heartfelt statement read during the inquest,

described him as a “son to be proud of” and a devoted father of two who cared deeply for his family.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report presented during the inquest highlighted several issues in the preparation and execution of the training exercise. The report pointed out that the exercise had not been adequately planned and that there was a lack of clear leadership and coordination. It was noted that neither vessel was keeping an effective lookout, resulting in a failure to maintain awareness of the boats’ relative positions and movements.

A crucial finding of the MAIB report was that the helmsman of one of the vessels had inexplicably undertaken a full circle turn despite the proximity to the other craft. This manoeuvre, against the agreed plan to rendezvous further upstream, led directly to the collision. Additionally, it was revealed that protective headgear was available on both vessels but was not worn by any crew members, as it was considered uncomfortable and obstructive to communication. However, the MAIB report concluded that even if Mr Gardener had been wearing a helmet, it is unlikely it would have prevented his death.

The inquest also disclosed that the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service’s pre-activity planning requirements were not met, and standard operating procedures were

not followed. No individual had been assigned overall responsibility for the activity, and there was no designated person in charge during the exercise.

Following the inquest’s conclusion, the family of Mr Gardener expressed that the verdict provided a sense of closure and acknowledged the ongoing investigations by the Health and Safety Executive and the Marine and Coastguard Agency. They emphasised the significance of the MAIB report, which underscored systemic failings within the fire service.

In a tribute read during the hearing, Mr Gardener was remembered as a “committed and caring family man” who had always aspired to serve in the emergency services. His dedication to his role and his family was profoundly evident.

Chief Fire Officer Roger Thomas of the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service extended his condolences to Mr Gardener’s family, acknowledging the profound impact of the tragedy. He assured that the fire service had implemented several new practices and reviewed procedures to prevent such incidents in the future.

“We hope that the conclusion of the inquiry brings some form of closure to the family,” said Mr Thomas. “We have learned from this investigation and are committed to continuous improvement to ensure the safety of our personnel during training exercises.”

The significant amount of time between the tragic accident and the inquest is due to legal wrangling. The Fire & Rescue Service sought a judicial

Tom Sinclair editor@herald.email

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service led to firefighter’s death

review of the Coroner’s decision, based on seven grounds. This brought to light several pressing issues:

• Report Presentation in Inquest: A significant contention revolved around how the MAIB report should be presented before the jury. The Fire & Rescue Service challenged that fairness requires them to question criticisms in the report and to give evidence in response.

• Fresh Investigation Consideration: The Fire & Rescue Service claimed the Coroner misapplied the criteria to determine if a fresh investigation was necessary rather than relying on the MAIB report.

• Misunderstanding of Applicable Law: The Fire & Rescue Service alleges that the Coroner misunderstood regulatory standards, leading to a flawed perspective on the MAIB’s investigation and report.

• Engagement with Submissions: The Fire & Rescue Service believed the Coroner misunderstood its

submissions and failed to engage with them adequately in the Ruling. This, they argued, resulted in an incomplete and potentially skewed analysis of their challenge.

Mr Justice Eyre, after a comprehensive review of the presented

Police investigating after man injured during altercation in cemetery

POLICE have confirmed that they are investigating a report of an altercation which occurred in the cemetery off Gelliswick Road, Hakin, Milford Haven sometime between 4.30 and 5.00pm, Wednesday 17th July, 2024.

Following the incident, a 32-yearold man went to hospital for treatment and was later released.

A 19-year-old male has been arrested on suspicion of assault and released on bail pending further police enquiries police have confirmed.

The incident caught the attention of locals, who said there was a large police response to the incident included armed officers.

Anyone with information that could help officers with their investigation is asked to report it to Dyfed-Powys Police, either online at: https://bit.ly/DPPContactOnline, by emailing 101@dyfed-powys.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.

Quote reference: 394 of the 17th Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555111, or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org

Man pleads guilty to strangling wife

A MAN has pleaded guilty to strangling his wife, admitting to officers that she “doesn’t lie”.

Barry Jones, 42, of Heol Derwen in Merlin’s Bridge, appeared at Swansea Crown Court charged with two offences.

Jones was accused of assaulting a woman by beating in Haverfordwest on 20 June, as well as strangling her. He pleaded not guilty to battery, but admitted to intentional strangulation.

The court heard that, in his police interview, Jones told officers: “My wife doesn’t lie.”

Prosecutor Regan Walters stated that this plea was acceptable, and a trial would not be sought on the battery charge. He formally offered no evidence for the battery offence.

Hannah George, appearing for Jones, requested the court for a psychiatric report and a presentence report to be completed ahead of Jones’ next appearance in the dock.

facts and arguments, dismissed the application brought forth by the Mid and West Wales Fire & Rescue Service in July 2023. The judge’s decision was rooted in procedural rigour, clarity over jurisdictional matters, and understanding the scope and purpose of the inquest.

Judge Huw Rees ordered those reports to be prepared and instructed Jones to return to court to be sentenced on 27 August.

The judge remanded the defendant back into custody and warned Jones that all sentencing options remain open.

The rib involved in the accident (Pic: Herald)

Paying their respects: Fire fighters at St Katherine’s Church, Milford Haven

Josh Gardener’s funeral in Milford Haven was attended by hundreds. (Pic Herald)

Pics by marin cavaney

West Wales man jailed for rape after victim’s cries heard

A WEST WALES man has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison for raping a woman in an attack that ended only when her cries for help were heard by others. Charlie Evans, a 22-year-old former Exeter University student, ignored his victim’s repeated pleas for him to stop during the 45-minute ordeal.

The incident took place after Evans and his victim had attended a party, where both had been drinking. The court heard that after kissing, the pair left together, with the woman under the impression that Evans lived in a flat with her friend.

Upon returning to the flat, the woman used the toilet before Evans raped her, despite her repeatedly saying no. The prosecutor described the victim as crying hysterically and added: “She did not want these things to happen.”

During the attack, one student testified they could hear the victim not consenting and begging Evans to stop. Another person said they were so concerned they inquired about what was happening.

Police were alerted after the incident was reported to campus staff, who then contacted the emergency services. Evans was told to leave his flat and was subsequently removed from the university. He denied the offence during his police interview.

Evans, of Victoria Avenue, Mumbles, Swansea, was convicted earlier this year at Exeter Crown Court of rape and sexual assault. He was sentenced on July 12. In a victim statement, the woman said her life had been forever changed by Evans’s actions. She expressed feelings of fear, confusion, and shame during the incident and continues to suffer from nightmares. She now feels distrustful of men and has sought support to cope with her trauma, the court heard.

Christopher Quinlan KC, defending, presented multiple good character references for Evans, describing him as a “kind and respectful” young man who was “always positive, compassionate and thoughtful.” He argued that his client’s life was “in ruins” as a result of his actions.

However, Judge Stephen Climie told Evans he had “completely misrepresented” his victim’s position, adding: “She was so far away from wishing to engage in your sexual activity that the only explanation for your attitude and approach was alcohol that blinded you to what was clearly and obviously the word ‘No’.” He continued: “So far as your life is concerned you will be crushed as a result of the sentence I’m required to impose.”

Following the sentencing, DC Michele Hicks from Devon and Cornwall Police’s major crime investigation team praised the victim for her courage and resilience throughout the investigation. She said: “I hope this case reassures the community how seriously the police take reports of sexual violence against women and girls and gives people the courage to come forward in future.”

Fisherman strangled partner’s mother in front of child

A PEMBROKESHIRE fisherman, Jake Bowman-Davies, 26, of Lighthouse Drive, Llanstadwell, has been handed a suspended prison sentence after strangling his partner’s mother in a terrifying incident witnessed by a young child, Swansea Crown Court heard on Wednesday (Jul 24).

The court was told that the incident occurred on December 17 last year. The victim had been asleep when she received a frantic phone call from her daughter around 1am. She could hear her daughter shouting and screaming, with Bowman-

Davies audibly in the background.

Concerned, she went to the nearby property to intervene, only to find the front door ajar and BowmanDavies in a heated argument with her daughter inside.

Prosecution barrister Georgia Donohue described BowmanDavies’s behaviour as “erratic and loud.” When the victim asked him to leave, he screamed in her face before grabbing her throat and restricting her ability to breathe. Miss Donohue added that the victim “felt genuine fear that he was not going to let go.”

Bowman-Davies’s partner and

a young child were present during the assault. After releasing his grip, Bowman-Davies was ushered out of the house but retaliated by spraying alcohol over the victim and remained outside for another 10 minutes before police arrived and arrested him.

In a statement read in court, the victim expressed fear for her daughter and family following the incident.

Defence barrister David Singh argued that Bowman-Davies, who works at sea and tends to “bingedrink” when off work, is “a young man who clearly needs intervention.”

Judge Huw Rees addressed Bowman-Davies, emphasizing the lasting impact of such violence on children. “No child should see violence between adults of this kind. It’s seared into their subconscious and that could damage them irreparably,” he said. The judge warned BowmanDavies of severe consequences for any future breaches of court orders.

Bowman-Davies, who pleaded guilty to intentional strangulation, received a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. He is required to complete a 25day rehabilitation activity and 120 hours of unpaid work. Additionally, he was issued a restraining order, prohibiting contact with his victim for three years.

Stalking victim in plea for indefinite restraining order

A STALKING victim has made an impassioned plea before a judge sitting at Haverfordwest magistrates court to impose an indefinite restraining order on the man who has already served a custodial sentence for stalking her.

Despite serving 21 weeks in custody following his conviction for stalking in 2023, Christopher Marsh, 48, continued to breach the court-imposed restraining order which prevented him from contacting the victim.

This week he pleaded guilty to a charge of breaching the restraining order by once again contacting the victim on social media on November 27, 2023 and sending her a friend request.

In a victim impact statement that was read out to District Judge Mark Layton sitting at Haverfordwest magistrates, the woman said that since his release from prison, she has grown increasingly

fearful for her safety.

“I find myself going out less, and that night, when I was sitting at home, he sent me a friend request which made me panic that I was still in his thoughts.

“I just want him to leave me alone and get on with his life.”

The victim requested an indefinite restraining order which prevents Marsh, of Grove Court, St Florence, from having any form of contact with her for the rest of his life.

After considering the facts, Judge Layton granted her request. Marsh was also prevented from entering Shrinkle Haven, South Beach in Tenby and Penally Beach between certain times of day. He has also been prevented from approaching the victim’s home address in Tenby and from contacting her via any form of communication device. He was sentenced to 26 weeks in custody suspended for 12 months and was

ordered to pay a £154 court surcharge and £85 costs.

“You really have to make every effort to ensure that you don’t come before this court again,” said Judge Mark Layton when imposing sentence.

“Otherwise you’ll end up serving 26 weeks in prison.”

Leaving Millions – Suleyman Remembered

IMMIGRANTS to Pembrokeshire are a colourful crew. They are reshaped, and shape Wales and its localities.

This is the story of one whose journey led to a singular tree nursery.

Suleyman (born Andrew) left Oxford University and his academic family to seek wisdom in the East. There he met Aisha, from Milan, on a similar quest. They married in the Swat valley of Pakistan and farmed there for six years, living with the villagers, sharing their faith and having their first child in a turf hut.

The Swat tree line was retreating. Hoping to start a tree nursery there they came back to England where Suleyman studied horticulture in Pershore college. But the little rural Steiner school drew them to Pembrokeshire for their children’s future. Ty Rhos, a tiny cottage and 21 swampy acres near Newport became their home, previously lived in by a solitary wheelwright.

Inspired by John Seymour’s self suffiency, they began with a jersey cow and vegetables on beds raised out of the wet. Suleyman got a job as Castel Henllys’ foreman, guiding the amateur build of the iron-age huts. He biked to work, sometime loosing tools on the way, organised parties to sling mud and manure to plaster the walls and philosophised round a fire last lit 2000 years ago.

A tree nursery suited the land and met a demand for vanishing traditional fruit varieties and trees grown from local seed. Tree seed does not disperse widely so subspecies evolve to match

Vicky Moller vickymoller@gmail.com

distinct terrains, other creatures adapt, stable micro ecosystems evolve.

Humans too became friends around the tree nursery, linked with local organisations and businesses. The National Park orders native species here for public land. Ty Rhos is a landmark and anchor. People use it to give directions.

Suleyman died gracefully a few years ago and the nursery continues seamlessly with Aisha and the staff.

To mark his own and global history, Suleyman wrote poems. Here are two. The countess, thrown out by a revolution, now married and in poverty, rescued the young family when they first returned from the east:

In Memoriam : Countess Rafaella Eva Bayley 15. IX. 1915 – 19. XI. 2006

“ I know what it is to have lived with a beautiful woman “ Maxwell

Riches to rags

To riches again …

In the grandest palace in Budapest

You were born a little Countess

With a spoon of pure gold, not silver, in your mouth

Maids and footmen and coachmen and butlers..

Daughter of the richest man in Hungary, First Socialist Prime Minister of Hungary, National hero, With twenty palaces and estates.

Strange destiny.

From wealth beyond the dreams of Beckham, Madonna and Bill Gates

You became

The poorest woman in Crickhowell Huddling by an ancient Rayburn

In a draughty barn with a beautiful view

Wth twelve hens and a cat and Jacob the dog

You welcomed us in when we came from the East

With a rucsac and baby and nowhere to live

No money for coal so I sawed up dead elm

And we stayed all winter and spring

One day we came home

To find our chest of drawers gone Sold to pay the telephone bill! Then two men came in a van “We’ve come to turn off the electricity” But because our daughter was under two

They couldn’t so They installed a meter instead

At least you didn’t sell our bed!

Easy come, easy go ! You were happy go lucky

With faith in God

“If we cut a few corners No-one will see

And it will be Alright on the night.”

And you were right!

Material riches leave you their weak slave Spiritual riches last beyond the grave

I last saw you in March With a view of plum blossom Full of girlish enthusiasm For the afterlife.

Eager to see Maxwell again

You asked me to read you (You knew the page)

A poem by Rabindranath Tagore

“We are little children playing, Building sand castles on the shore Of the ocean of Eternity.”

Now you have learned to swim

This poem was triggered 30 years ago by a warning on the radio of climate storms in centuries ahead from the greenhouse effect. The full version is lost.

The Anglo-Welsh Smallholder for R S Thomas

Why going grey still the pain, the insecurity?

What did he gain

brooding by a black stove sloping out in the rain to milk a kicking cow, lay a thinning hedge?

He built his house, reared 4 kids many kittens, many calves Loved, and hurt his wife. Smoked, drank when he could, then out

To roar round the fields in third on the little grey fergy bach harrowing, combing the green hair of our poor pure mother Earth into a ball of hay.

There were also the trees He spent seed on the soft belly of the mother, that grew and grew and grew –

Amongst all present living things Only these trees shall brave the greenhouse gales of the twenty-second century.

Only the trees can save us now. Nor little grey fergy bach nor JCB can help our flagging world regain its atmosphere.

A million arms unfurl Pathetically perfect prayer flags Proclaiming without cease The ninety-nine names of God The path of peace.

Ty Rhos has sold at least two million trees and shrubs, waving their flags in gardens, farms and public land for miles around.

Demand for trees exploded during lockdown and has continued to rise due to carbon offsetting and planting policies. Aisha has helped new tree nurseries start up. Tree people temper useful competition with even more useful collaborationcydnWerthu – to strengthen the sector.

This year Ty Rhos Trees reaches its 40th year. It has and needs no website or advertising. Customers treat it as a mecca, more paradise garden than commercial experience. They return with guidance as well as the right saplings.

Aisha and Suleyman’s children and their children are constant visitors. They will ensure its continuity for future generations.

Sex offender jailed for sending explicit image to ‘teenage boy’

A PEMBROKESHIRE man who sent an indecent photograph to someone he believed was a 14-year-old boy has been sentenced to five years in prison at Swansea Crown Court.

Andrew Gold, 41, of no fixed abode, was found guilty of attempted sexual communications with a child and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity. The court heard that Gold, formerly of Tenby, had contacted a decoy account posing as a teenage boy named Ryan between June and September last year.

Judge Catherine Richards, presiding over the case, described Gold as “devious and manipulative” in her sentencing remarks. She outlined how Gold had initially made contact via a dating app before moving the conversation to Snapchat, where he sent an explicit image and encouraged the ‘boy’ to masturbate.

“Your conversation soon turned sexual,” Judge Richards said, summarising the evidence presented at trial. “Your actions were determined and calculated.”

The court was told that Gold had chosen Snapchat specifically for its disappearing messages feature, and had subsequently deleted the app in an attempt to conceal his actions.

Prosecutor Georgia Donohue informed the court of Gold’s relevant previous convictions. In mitigation, defence barrister Dyfed Thomas acknowledged the limited grounds for leniency, stating, “This was an online offence. I accept there was some discussion about meeting. It didn’t really develop.”

Judge Richards imposed a fiveyear sentence, comprising three years in custody and two years on extended licence. She also ordered Gold to register as a sex offender for life and made him subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

“I’m sure there is a serious risk to young boys,” Judge Richards concluded as she passed sentence.

Banned for driving after taking cocaine

A JOHNSTON motorist has been sentenced for driving his Honda CRV after taking cocaine.

Jamie Cooper, 36, was stopped by officers on January 9 when they became concerned at the excessive speed at which he was driving.

Officers confirmed that they could smell cannabis emanating from inside the vehicle and during a search they also discovered a cannabis grinder. A roadside drugs wipe was positive and Cooper, of the Silverdale Lodge, Johnston, was taken to a police custody suite where blood tests were carried out.

These confirmed he had 31 mcg of cocaine in his blood, the prescribed legal limit being 10. He was also found to have 293 mcg of the cocaine derivative benzoylecgonine, which was over four times the prescribed limit.

Cooper pleaded guilty to both charges. He was disqualified from driving for three years and was fined £120. He must also pay £85 court costs and a £60 court surcharge.

Struggles continue for the Welsh NHS

A NEW set of Welsh NHS performance data released on Thursday, July 18, contained more bad news for the Welsh Government.

As Eluned Morgan waits to be elected as Wales’s First Minister, she cannot shake off the legacy of continuing problems in delivering services and meeting performance targets.

“ANOTHER DISAPPOINTING SET OF FIGURES”

Although Baroness Morgan claims that “most people” are “happy” with the Welsh NHS, the assertion confuses patients’ responses to dedicated NHS staff with their experience of the Service’s performance.

The Welsh Government repeatedly frames the data the same way.

This month, it said: “Our incredibly hard-working NHS staff continue to provide life-saving and life-changing care in the face of incredible demand for its services.”

It has said much the same for most of the last decade.

Focusing attention on the popularity of NHS staff crudely deflects from systemic failures.

Buried halfway down the Welsh Government’s response to the data, the truth is attributed to “a Welsh Government spokesperson”, who said: “Overall, this is another disappointing set of NHS performance figures.”

You can bet if there’d been a real improvement, Eluned Morgan would be delivering the news in person.

A troubled legacy: Morgan’s mess will be cleaned up by someone else

RIGGING THE FIGURES

All Welsh Health Boards remain in escalated status.

In the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board area in North Wales, Baroness Morgan recently cut the performance targets to massage particularly disastrous figures on cancer waiting times.

Wales’s First Minister-elect cut the waiting time target from 75% of patients within four months – compared to the national target of 55%.

Similarly, while the government promised to eliminate national waits for diagnosis and therapy in March this year (which is unmet), Betsi has a new target of eight and 14 weeks.

Plaid Cymru says that patients in north Wales should not be subjected to even poorer healthcare standards compared to the rest of Wales.

25 YEARS OF WELSH GOVERNMENT MISMANAGEMENT

Sam Rowlands MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Health Minister, said: “These abysmal statistics show Labour’s performance on health continues to get worse here in Wales.

“The Labour Welsh Government has consistently missed its targets. That is not just the outgoing First Minister’s legacy but the result of 25 years of Labour mismanaging the Welsh NHS.

“The Welsh Conservatives would enact a substantial workforce plan to empower primary care services and would fully resource the Welsh NHS fully with every penny received for health, as opposed to Labour’s decision to squander these funds on creating more politicians.”

The performance figures show an estimated 611,500 individual patients on treatment waiting lists—the equivalent of a quarter of the Welsh population.

Some of those patients appear on more than one waiting list.

The number of open patient pathways also continued to grow month on month.

In May, this figure increased from just over 775,000 to just over 787,900.

The rise to over 787,900 is the highest on record.

For the second consecutive month, two-year waits have increased to 22,455 in Wales. Eluned Morgan promised to eliminate these waits by March 2023.

At the end of May, the average (median) time patient pathways had been waiting for treatment was 21.5 weeks.

Performance against the 62-day target for people starting cancer treatment was only 55.4%.

THE LOCAL PICTURE: HOSPITALS

Over 30% of patients waiting to start treatment in the Hywel Dda UHB area have been waiting for over 36 weeks.

In practical terms, that means that around 4,000 people are yet to get the therapy they need.

The Welsh Government’s performance target for patients waiting to start treatment for less than 26 weeks is 95%.

No Health Board is close to meeting that target, although Hywel Dda UHB is the second-best performer—just over 50% of patients start treatment within six months.

The number of Accident & Emergency attendances in the Hywel Dda UHB area fell during June from just over 16,175 in May to 15,145.

Attendance at Withybush Accident & Emergency Department dropped in line with the broader Health Board figure. However, the number of patients attending Withybush for Accident & Emergency treatment represents a quarter of all those attending A&E across the whole of the Hywel Dda UHB area.

Caravan thief caught on M4 with fake number plates

A CARAVAN thief was apprehended on the M4 using a fake number plate secured with hair ties after raiding a site near Tenby, Swansea Crown Court heard on Tuesday.

Martin Fitzgerald, part of a gang involved in the theft of two caravans from Well Park Caravan Park in New Hedges, was arrested nearly two years after being caught for a similar crime in Wiltshire.

Prosecutor Craig Jones described how police were called to Westlands Lane in Melksham, Wiltshire, on January 29, 2022, around 10.40pm, after the part-owner of a site spotted a car leaving with a Baileys Unicorn caravan. “The site had been accessed via an orchard and a fence had been driven through,” Mr. Jones stated.

Only 56.6% of all patients attending Withybush A&E are seen within four hours.

14% of all patients attending Withybush A&E wait over twelve hours for assessment or treatment.

THE LOCAL PICTURE: AMBULANCES

The percentage of red emergency calls being met within eight minutes increased across Wales.

The ambulance performance target is for 65% of all red calls to be attended to within eight minutes.

In June, 46.5% of red calls (the most serious) received an emergency/ ambulance response within eight minutes nationally.

That is a small improvement on May’s disastrous figures but less than April.

In the Hywel Dda UHB area, 46.3% of red calls received an emergency response within 8 minutes. That’s a decline over the previous month’s performance, albeit with a larger number of red calls.

Examining more detailed data for the Hywel Dda UHB area demonstrates the pressure on emergency hospital admissions and the knock-on effect on the ambulance service.

When an ambulance takes a patient to hospital, admission is supposed to take place within 15 minutes of arrival, with the ambulance returning to service 15 minutes after that.

In the Hywel Dda UHB area, ambulances were tied up beyond those markers for almost 4,000 hours beyond expected admission and return to on-call.

Fewer than 18% of patients conveyed to a Major Injury Department were admitted within 15 minutes. For Major Acute Units, that turnaround was even worse.

Police spotted Fitzgerald towing the caravan with a Nissan X-Trail on the M4, heading towards Bristol, and later the M5. Upon stopping him, they found the car’s registration did not match the vehicle and discovered cutting equipment inside.

On the afternoon of December 11 last year, the owner of Well Park Caravan Park in New Hedges reported two vehicles entering the site and a group of “six to eight” men hitching two caravans to them. Fitzgerald drove away in a Skoda with a Coachman caravan valued at £32,000, while a Kia made off with a £25,000 caravan.

Police stopped Fitzgerald on the M4 at a service station outside Cardiff. He was found driving without a licence or insurance, and the Skoda had a fake number plate secured with hair ties, covering another fake plate. Officers also found bolt cutters, jump leads, a wheel brace, towing wing mirrors, and another number plate.

Fitzgerald was disqualified from driving at the time and was on bail for the previous caravan theft. He admitted theft for the first incident, two offences of attempted theft, going equipped for theft, two offences of fraudulent use of a registration mark, driving while disqualified, and driving without insurance for the second incident.

Dan Griffiths, defending, described Fitzgerald as “an isolated, lonely individual who was struggling for money.” He emphasized that given Fitzgerald’s limitations, it was unlikely he planned the thefts and that he had agreed to tow the vehicles for a small amount of money, marking an escalation in the seriousness of his offending.

Judge Geraint Walters sentenced Fitzgerald to 10 months for the Wiltshire theft and a total of 12 months for the Pembrokeshire offences. He also banned Fitzgerald from driving for 17 months.

Jon Coles jon.coles@herald.email

Tied up: Ambulance response times hit by lack of hospital capacity

It’s a girl! Manor Wildlife Park confirms sex of tiger cub Zaza

THE PEMBROKESHIRE HERALD is excited to share the latest update from Manor Wildlife Park, situated on the outskirts of Tenby in the village of St Florence. The park has confirmed the sex of its newly born Sumatran tiger cub, Zaza, following her first health check this week. Born on May 25th, Zaza has been revealed to be a healthy little girl, marking a significant milestone as the first tiger cub born in a zoo in Wales.

Manor Park’s head keeper, Kim Wilkins, shared the joyous news: “Today, we’ve done Zaza’s 8-week health check, and we found out that Zaza is in fact a little girl.” The health check included microchipping, vaccinations, and comprehensive measurements. “She’s doing fantastically well,” Wilkins noted. “The vets are really happy with how she’s doing. Terima has been a fantastic mum and has done a wonderful job.”

Zaza’s arrival is a beacon of hope and a critical addition to the global effort to conserve the critically endangered Sumatran tiger. This species faces severe threats from habitat loss and poaching, making Zaza’s birth a significant event for wildlife conservation in Wales and beyond.

Kim Wilkins, who joined Manor Park a year ago after a distinguished career at Bristol Zoo, a dolphin therapy facility in Turkey, and Yorkshire Wildlife Park, highlighted the importance of the Sumatran tiger European breeding

programme. “Sumatran tigers are one of the rarest animals on our planet, and they are facing threats like habitat loss and poaching,” said Wilkins. “We are trying really hard to ensure Sumatran tigers are here for future generations, so we really hope that you come and visit Zaza!”

Zaza’s parents are Jaya, who joined the park from Chester Zoo in 2016, and Terima, who arrived from Beauval Zoological Park in France in 2015. The birth was closely monitored by the park’s veterinary and animal care teams to ensure both mother and cub received the best possible care. Since her birth, Zaza has been thriving under the watchful eye of her mother, Terima.

Rick Newton, the Animal Manager at Manor Wildlife Park, expressed his excitement and pride: “We are overjoyed to welcome Zaza to our family. This confirmation is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our team, who have worked tirelessly to create an

environment where these magnificent animals can thrive. Zaza’s presence is a beacon of hope for the conservation of Sumatran tigers, and we are committed to ensuring she grows up healthy and strong.”

Visitors to Manor Wildlife Park will soon have the opportunity to see Zaza as she begins to explore her surroundings outside her den. The cub will be viewable during regular park hours, offering a unique chance to witness this historic moment and learn more about the park’s ongoing conservation efforts.

For more information about Manor Wildlife Park and to plan your visit, head to www.manorwildlifepark.co.uk. The park is home to a diverse array of wildlife, including meerkats, ostriches, zebras, rhinos, red-bellied lemurs, llamas, camels, Saki monkeys, and even warty pigs. Come and experience the wonders of wildlife conservation in Pembrokeshire.

Haverfordwest woman remanded for assault on two females

A HAVERFORDWEST woman has been remanded in custody after admitting assaulting two women at The Greyhound Inn and Eddies nightclub. Both assaults took place on July 11.

Sarah Lewis-Moane, 34, of Three Meadows, Haverfordwest, pleaded guilty to an additional charge of stealing a pouch of tobacco from one of her victims, valued at between £20 and £25.

This week Lewis-Moane appeared before a district judge sitting at Haverfordwest magistrates court via a video link from Swansea Prison where she has been on remand since the offences were committed.

Despite a request by her solicitor for her to be released on bail as she awaits her sentence, Judge Mark Layton ordered that she remains in custody. Her sentencing will take place on August 6.

Pensioner jailed for assault on young girl in Pembrokeshire

A 73-YEAR-OLD pensioner has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for sexually assaulting a young girl in Pembrokeshire.

Leslie Donald Clarkson, now residing in Heol Newydd, Penlan, Swansea, admitted to two counts of causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity and one count of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching.

The Swansea Crown Court was told how Clarkson, who then living in Pembrokeshire, approached the victim, put his hands on her legs, and expressed a desire to see her breasts. The young girl, who was under the age of 13 during the incident, “froze and didn’t know what to do,” according to prosecution barrister Dean Pulling. Clarkson then proceeded to put his arms around her, kissed her neck, and instructed her not to tell anyone, including her friends.

The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, later confided in her parents, leading to an investigation. In a statement read out in court, she described the lasting impact of the assault, stating, “There are times when I just cry about what happened,” and detailing her struggles with anxiety and disrupted sleep since the incident.

Defence barrister Stuart John highlighted Clarkson’s remorse and noted his “exemplary manner” during the investigation. John also mentioned that Clarkson, married for 50 years, now leads a solitary life following the revelation of his crimes.

Judge Huw Rees, addressing Clarkson, emphasised the severity of the offences. “The seriousness of this offending cannot be lost on you and is not lost on you. You are obviously contrite if not devastated by what you have done; you have already suffered the consequences,” Judge Rees stated. He concluded that only immediate imprisonment was appropriate, sentencing Clarkson to 16 months, with half to be served in custody and the remainder on licence.

Additionally, Clarkson is required to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register and is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, both for 10 years. A restraining order prohibiting any contact with the victim for the same duration was also imposed by the judge.

Trial for farm animal cruelty delayed

A MAN and his daughter, accused of causing unnecessary suffering to dogs, pigs, and sheep at a Pembrokeshire farm, have had their trial postponed to March next year.

Richard Scarfe, 43, of Park Street in Pembroke Dock, and Brogan Scarfe, 24, of Woodbine Terrace in Pembroke, denied the allegations which relate to the treatment of animals kept at the Ridgeway in Lamphey between January 25, 2022, and April 19, 2023.

During a previous hearing, defence barrister Alycia Carpanini asserted that Brogan Scarfe “denies that the animals were suffering.” She highlighted that a vet had visited the farm the day before the animals were seized and reported “no issues.”

Richard Scarfe previously informed the court that he was not responsible for the care of the animals, as he had been banned from keeping animals.

The trial was initially scheduled for February but was vacated due to delays in instructing a defence expert and complications with the legal aid funding application. A new date was set for July 29.

However, the case returned to Swansea Crown Court, where Andrew Taylor, representing Richard Scarfe, explained that the initially appointed

expert “no longer accepts legal aid work.”

“There’s no way I can go into a trial without an expert or an expert report,” Mr Taylor stated. He added that a new expert had been identified but would require four months to complete his report.

Prosecutor Christian Jowett argued that the delay was due to the actions of the defendants’ representation.

“This could have been done in August of last year,” he said, adding that the animals are currently in care at the

public’s expense. “That will mean that these animals will have been kept for two years, and that is almost entirely the fault of the defendants’ representation.”

Judge Catherine Richards, addressing the further delay, expressed her dissatisfaction with the situation. “It’s not a position I’m impressed with,” she remarked. Judge Richards ordered that the defence expert report be submitted by November 22, and the trial is now set to commence on March 3.

Case of unsafe scrap metal transport results in fine

AT Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday afternoon (Jul 25) a Milford Haven resident was fined for transporting an insecure load of scrap metal, posing a potential danger to the public.

Ashley Price, aged 36, of 33 Willow End, Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, summoned for a traffic offence related to the improper securing of a load on his vehicle. The incident took place on 10 December 2023 on Picton Road, Hakin, Milford Haven. Price was not

present in court during the hearing.

The court heard that Price was driving a Ford Transit van carrying a load of scrap metal that was insecurely fastened. This posed a significant risk of the load or parts of it falling off, potentially causing danger or nuisance to other road users and property.

The case, prosecuted by Dyfed Powys Police was proved in Price’s absence. The court found him guilty of violating Regulation 100(2) of the

Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, Section 42 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, and Schedule 2 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988.

Mr Price was fined £220 for the offence. In addition to the fine, he was ordered to pay an £88 surcharge to fund victim services and £90 in court costs. A collection order was made, and Mr Price has been instructed to settle the total amount of £398 by 21 August 2024.

Tribute to farmer, 65, who died in quadbike accident

A WEST WALES farmer has died after an incident involving a quadbike.

Dyfed-Powys Police have confirmed they attended a report of an incident involving an agricultural quadbike in a field in the Llanilar area of Aberystwyth on July 17.

The force has confirmed that a 65-year-old man died at the scene. They said that his next of kin have been advised and are being supported by specialist officers. The HM Coroner and Health and Safety Executives have been informed.

His family have paid tribute to him. The family said: “Hugh Tudor was a 65 year old farmer who had farmed at

Hywel Dda’s decision to close St Davids Surgery sparks outrage

Hywel Dda University Health Board has decided to close St Davids Surgery, leaving patients, especially the elderly with limited travel options, without access to local medical care.

Nearly 3,000 patients in the UK’s smallest city are set to be transferred to other practices ahead of the surgery’s closure. St Davids will now be the only city in the UK without medical facilities.

The health board has resolved to relocate patients from the surgery in St Davids, Pembrokeshire, prior to its shutdown at the end of October. The decision follows the resignation of the practice’s sole GP, Dr Stephen Riley, who stepped down from the General Medical Services contract in April after failing to recruit new partners.

In June, 520 concerned residents attended an open day hosted by the health board to discuss the future of GP services, where a protest was staged. The overwhelming majority of the 2,728 patients, approximately 2,500, will be transferred to the surgery in Solva, which is managed by the health board. An additional 161 patients are expected to transfer to Fishguard, while 28 will go to the St Thomas’s practice in Haverfordwest and 26 to the town’s Winch Lane practice.

Jill Paterson, Director of Primary Care, informed a meeting on Thursday (Jul 25) that establishing a health board-managed surgery in St Davids would cost an extra £267,000 on top of the £586,000 annual cost of providing a GP service. Paterson noted that renaming the Solva practice could provide a sense of “ownership” for St Davids residents, suggesting the name “Peninsula Practice,” though final details remain undecided.

Neil Wooding, Chairman of the Health Board, stressed that the future of GP services in St Davids must be “affordable and sustainable.” The health board agreed to explore the possibility of establishing a branch surgery in St Davids, offering about 20 hours of nurse-

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led care and services such as phlebotomy and physiotherapy.

St Davids representative on Pembrokeshire County Council, Cllr Bethan Price said: “Obviously there is disappointment that the surgery is going. We will have a nurse led-practice in the city for 20-hours a week, but we do not know yet where this will be. There is concern about elderly and vulnerable people and transport, but at least we still have Solva surgery in the Peninsula.”

Senedd Member Paul Davies has condemned the health board’s decision, warning that relocating GP services could have devastating effects on patients, particularly the elderly and vulnerable who lack transport options. The board decided on 25th July 2024 to manage the dispersal of patients to surgeries in Solva, Fishguard, and Haverfordwest while continuing to develop a local branch surgery for limited services.

Davies stated, “I’m appalled that the

Health Board has taken this decision. The Health Board is fully aware of the impact that this closure could have on patients, particularly those that are elderly, vulnerable, and have no means of transport to travel to a surgery further away. Whilst the Health Board has undertaken a consultation exercise, it’s clear that the views of patients haven’t been sufficiently addressed and many will have to travel further for vital treatment.”

He added, “It’s absolutely critical that the Welsh Government intervenes to support the local community. People living in St Davids should have access to GP services in their community, and the Welsh Government must now do everything possible to prevent this closure from happening. I will be raising this matter at the Senedd at the earliest opportunity.”

“For years, health services have been under threat across Pembrokeshire, which is fast becoming a blind spot for the Welsh Government and the Health Board. The people of Pembrokeshire deserve better, and we will keep fighting until this decision is overturned.”

St Davids residents took to the streets on Sunday, June 9, to protest the thenplanned closure.

Hundreds filled the city centre, demanding that the Board abandon plans to close the GP practice.

The move leaves St Davids unique among the UK’s cities in having neither a bank nor a GP surgery.

With the city and surrounding area’s population significantly older and more rurally located than the rest of the county, transport to and from any new provision will be a significant obstacle to accessing essential primary care services.

As always, the Health Board’s estimates of travel times are fanciful in the extreme because they are modelled on a crude average based on the distance between patient and surgery. A more rigorous analysis of the mode would show which patients could not reach surgery at short notice if they were well enough to travel. They appear founded on the belief that patients have access to personal jet packs that can whisk them often narrow and often-congested roads in a matter of minutes.

Fag-butt police court summonses spark debate

A WAVE of prosecutions for cigarette littering has hit Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court, raising questions about enforcement priorities and the use of judicial resources in Pembrokeshire.

On Thursday, July 25, it could get rather crowded in court, as 18 individuals are set to appear before the bench, all charged with depositing litter. The alleged offences, which occurred between 6 and 18 December 2023, involve an accusation of dropping of cigarette butts or rolled cigarettes in various locations across Haverfordwest, Pembroke, and Pembroke Dock.

The defendants, ranging in age from 24 to 70, face charges for discarding cigarette-related litter in public spaces, including supermarket car parks, streets, and even school grounds.

This concentrated effort to prosecute cigarette littering has sparked debate among local residents and legal experts. Critics argue that targeting smokers for what some consider a minor offence may be seen as pursuing “low-hanging fruit” rather than addressing more serious environmental concerns in Pembrokeshire.

Questions remain about the consistency of enforcement and whether other forms of littering are being pursued

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with equal vigour.

People are taken to court if they ignore paying or wish to challenge a Fixed Penalty Notice.

The FPNs can been issued for any littering, dog fouling and breach of byelaws relating to dogs on beaches.

Pembrokeshire County Council says the aim is to drive behaviour change in the

small percentage of people who cause a big impact on the local environment.

Cllr Rhys Sinnett, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, said last year: “In an ideal world there would be no need for this type of enforcement.

“However, the number of Fixed Penalty Notices issued already shows that there are still people who will drop litter or fail to pick up after their dog and commit other environmental crimes that continue to blight the environment for everybody else.

“By issuing these Fixed Penalty Notices we are sending the message that this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated.”

As the cases proceed, the outcomes will likely fuel further discussion on the appropriate balance between enforcement and education in tackling environmental offences. The debate continues on whether this approach represents a judicious use of court time or if alternative measures might better serve both the environment and the community.

Commercial property demand falls

OVERALL occupier demand for commercial property in Wales declines at all-sector level

Industrial space continues to outperform both retail and office sectors

Surveyors in Wales more optimistic on the 12-month outlook for capital values

Occupier demand for commercial property in Wales fell in Q2 after rising through the first quarter of the year according to the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Commercial Property Monitor as the industrial sector continues to outperform both office and retail.

A net balance of -17% of surveyors in Wales reported that occupier demand fell at all-sector level through the second quarter of the year. Looking at the subsectors, demand for both office and retail space was reported to have declined, with net balances of -25% and -27% respectively. Occupier demand for industrial space was noted to have fallen flat through Q2.

At all-sector level, a net balance of -19% of surveyors in Wales reported a fall in investment enquiries. Investment enquiries were up in the industrial sector, with a net balance of 6% of respondents noting an increase. A net balance of -36% of survey respondents noted a fall in demand from investors, and -27% reported a fall for office space. Capital values are expected to fall in the short term, with a net balance of -13% anticipating a decline over

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the next three months at all sector level, down from 7% in Q1. Looking at the subsectors, industrial space is the only subsector in which capital values are expected to rise with a net balance of 27% anticipating an increase. A net balance of -23% of Welsh respondents expect a fall in retail space and -43% in office space.

On the 12-month horizon, surveyors in Wales appear more upbeat with a net balance of 13% of respondents anticipating a rise in capital value expectations over the next year at all-sector level. Surveyors in Wales anticipate that capital values for both office and industrial space will rise over the next year, 8% and 47% respectively whilst retail space is expected to fall (a net balance of -17%).

Chris Sutton of Sutton Consulting Ltd in Cardiff commented: “The industrial market remains strong, particularly along the M4 corridor with quoting rents of £9.00+psf on St Modwen Park, Newport for Grade A large units. On the opposite side of Newport, KLA has developed a 220,000 sq ft production / R&D facility at Imperial Park. Other bright spots are the data and energy sectors. In Cardiff, Grade A offices remain in demand as tenants readjust their occupational footprints to increased tech and new working practices.”

Haydn Thomas of Hutchings &| Thomas property consultants, in

MIKE EDWARDS

SITTING in an English garden waiting for the sun

If the sun don’t come, you get a tan From standing in the English rain.

Well, as I am the Walrus, you can take it from me that - in light of the above - I am tanned like the finest leather upholstery. The era of hot summers, cold winters, crisp autumns, and mild springs has ended.

Let’s just get used to the fact that what we’re getting is a mono-seasonal year.

I have decided it shall be called “Sog”. Short for soggy.

It will save so much time.

Imagine the savings in DFS adverts. Every three or four months, DFS must produce a new advert for its seasonal sales. In my plan, there would be just one seasonal sale. “The DFS Sog Sale”. I pick on DFS because their adverts are so ubiquitous. In reality, I could pick any one of the UK’s perma-sale businesses as a target.

I realised I was born to be unlucky when I realised I was born on the only trading day that Harris Queensway didn’t have a sale. Nowadays, a child would be damned unlucky to be born on a day when Oak Furniture Land are not hawking their products at unbeatable prices.

My beloved, to whose wisdom I often suggest to her I defer, is used to there being only one season a year. She’s from rural Ceredigion, the only Welsh county where you can have a bleak midsummer. I remember when I first took my darling one to Saundersfoot one fine May day many moons ago.

Newport added: “The South Wales commercial property market remains fairly static, with some sectors such as industrial space and roadside drive thru doing well. Lack of supply of front door owner occupier office space remains an issue especially from 3-5,000 sq ft. Demand for office space with larger floor plates remains low; Cardiff City may be bucking this trend slightly. Retails in city centres remains a problem, however, some smaller market towns seem to be doing well in terms of occupancy.”

Commenting on the UK picture, RICS Senior Economist, Tarrant Parsons, says: “Overall activity remains relatively subdued across the UK commercial property market, with conditions seen as generally flat in Q2. That said, respondents now feel the market is moving towards the early stages of an upturn following a challenging couple of years.

“The near-term path for monetary policy will be key to the outlook for CRE investment going forward, although hopes of an immediate easing in lending rates may be optimistic given still sticky services inflation (even if the headline rate has returned to target). Away from the cyclical picture, a strong structural trend that continues is the outperformance of prime office markets compared their struggling secondary counterparts. In particular, prime offices across London are seen delivering solid capital value and rental income returns over the coming twelve months.”

She was amazed that so many people were walking around without waders and long Mackintoshes and asked what the strange light in the sky was. Where, she wondered, was the horizontal rain, and why wasn’t the sky a comforting slate grey colour?

After I reassured my beloved that what she was experiencing was called “weather”, she calmed down and stopped quoting passages from the Book of Revelations at passers-by.

I am no longer as sure that the end of times is not upon us.

Last Saturday, I woke at an unaccustomedly early hour.

A cockerel’s crow did not wake me. I was undisturbed by the sound of Moggie-Pult launching next-door’s cat towards concealed sharpened bamboo spikes.

Puzzled by what had disturbed my dreams, I lifted the window blind and looked outside.

Although you’re never far from the sea in Pembrokeshire, we do live a little way inland. I was, therefore, surprised to see what looked like the tide coming in.

If Gene Kelly had been out in rainfall of that severity, he’d have been paddling down the lane with a happy refrain. Any attempt by the beloved hoofer to throw back his head with a smile on his face would’ve ended with a tragic drowning. I remember when people used to talk about “global warming”. In those days, I dreamed of growing lemons in the backyard.

The only yellow thing I’m likely to see in the garden this year is a sou’wester.

Call for landowners to check for ash dieback

WORK has been carried out across Pembrokeshire to manage trees affected by ash dieback.

Ash dieback is one of the worst tree disease epidemics the UK has ever seen and there is no treatment option.

Trees affected by the disease become brittle over time with branches breaking away.

If they are not dealt with, trees are weakened and may become susceptible to secondary pathogens which may result in total failure, presenting an immediate danger to the surrounding area.

Cllr Rhys Sinnett, the Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, said: “Like many areas of Wales and the UK, ash dieback is prevalent in Pembrokeshire.

“It is always a shame when a tree has to be removed but this work is important for public safety.

“The Council is also highlighting

important action that needs to be taken by private landowners.”

Through highway inspections, the Authority has identified trees on private land that could impact on the highway and therefore require attention.

Private landowners have a duty, under the Highways Act, to manage trees on their land that may impact on the public highway.

The Council’s Streetcare Team continues to contact private landowners to identify trees that fall within the higher category of decay.

In order to assist with this issue the Council is requesting that private landowners check their ash trees for any sign of the disease and take appropriate action.

This is especially important at this time of year, as lack of leaf growth and decayed branches will be signs of diseased trees that landowners will need to check and take action if necessary.

Further decline in Dwr Cymru performance highlighted

NATURAL RESOURCES WALES has today published its 2023 performance reports for the two water companies operating in Wales, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and Hafren Dyfrdwy.

It highlights the worst performance from Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water against the metrics measured against, which are standardised in England and Wales.

The company was responsible for a total of 107 sewage pollution incidents during 2023. The number of serious pollution incidents rose from five to seven, including a major incident involving a burst sewer pipe on the River Taff at Pontypridd in March last year.

The report also flags concerns about a small but significant decline in water discharge permit compliance, dropping to 98%.

Improvements were made to the number of pollution incidents selfreported to NRW, rising to 70% during 2023, but still falling short of the minimum 80% target.

Water companies are expected to self-report incidents to NRW before others do. Without a rapid response, the impact of pollution can escalate and the opportunity for mitigation measures can be lost.

While Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water will stay at two-star (company requires improvement) rating this year, NRW has issued a stark warning to the company that it needs to turn the tables on its downward performance trends.

Clare Pillman, Chief Executive of NRW said: “Despite increased pressure from ourselves as regulators, and from politicians and the public, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water have failed to make the kind of improvements we want and

expect to see.

“It is unacceptable that we are now seeing a year-on-year increase in significant pollution incidents, at a time where so much is being invested in improving our rivers and water quality for nature and people.

“In response, we continue to use all the enforcement tools available to us to drive improvements. We are pursuing several formal investigations, including potential prosecutions relating to incidents and issues of permit compliance. While these processes can take time, we are absolutely committed to seeing them through.”

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water provide drinking water and wastewater sewerage to the majority of Wales, but Hafren

Dyfrdwy, part of the Severn Trent group, provide wastewater services to some border counties in north and mid Wales.

Due to its small operating area, Hafren Dyfrdwy does not receive a star rating from NRW, however similar measures are used to assess the company’s performance.

For 2023, Hafren Dyfrdwy saw an increase in descriptive condition permit non-compliances (aspects such as maintenance, management and reporting) compared to 2022.

The company was responsible for one low-level sewerage incident, but no serious pollution incidents.

Clare Pillman added: “While there are always improvements to make, we are pleased to report that Hafren

Dyfrdwy’s performance has improved from last year.

“We would like to see the company to build on this accomplishment and continue to drive further improvements during the 2024 reporting period.”

NRW and the Environment Agency are reviewing the methodology for the annual reporting of water company performance for use on 2026-2030 data.

The review will include strengthening and broadening the current Environmental Performance Assessment to ensure it results in the most beneficial change for the environment.

A consultation with water companies and other relevant stakeholders will be held over the summer.

Paul Sartori secures grant from the Albert Hunt Trust

PAUL SARTORI Hospice at Home have been well-supported by a major national giving trust, The Albert Hunt Trust, over recent years. Their support of £96,000 since 2017 has been invaluable to the charity and has helped to support the core service ensuring families are supported at end of life. This year (2024) has been no different to other years, where they have gracefully supported Paul Sartori with an annual donation towards its end-of-life home nursing care service.

This year, however, The Albert Hunt Trust have awarded this Pembrokeshirebased charity a substantial sum of £30,000. This is not only in recognition of all UK hospices facing funding cuts, but also the continuing challenge of the rise in the cost of living and increases in all bills borne by the charity. Of course, the charity has seen an increase in demand for its services, which continues to rise year after year.

This support is vital for the charity to continue to provide the range of services and to support many local families with a life limiting diagnosis, especially during the cost-of-living crisis with rising costs putting a strain on many charities.

This grant will contribute towards the flexible and responsive Home Nursing Care Service delivered in the county by the team at Paul Sartori Hospice at Home. They offer a 24/7 on-call facility, a standby service, rapid response, as well as Registered Nurse attendance for symptom management. Working

closely with other health and social care professionals they complement statutory services to deliver the right care tailored to meet the needs of end-of-life patients, their families and carers. The support provided by the charity is regarded as “invaluable”, a “great comfort” and makes “a difficult time so much easier”.

The donation will help towards providing supportive care at night so family members can get much-needed rests; will enable families to access the fast-track service, and more importantly enable families to be at home together.

“I am delighted to take this opportunity to give our thanks to the Albert Hunt Trust for their very generous donation of £30,000,” said Phil Thompson MBE, Vice Chair of Paul Sartori Hospice at Home, “This is not the first time they have helped us either; they have supported our charity since 2017, to the tune of a massive £96,000. Thank you very much. At times like this, words don’t seem enough, but believe me, we are extremely grateful.”

“The Albert Hunt trust is committed, as far as possible, to continue to provide unrestricted core funding for hospice care for the remaining years of operation and until the Trust’s entire resources have been spent. Paul Sartori Hospice at Home has received faithful support as they continue their work in Pembrokeshire,” said Jane Deller Ray, Operations Manager at The Albert Hunt Trust.

The Albert Hunt Trust was established in recognition of the successful

businessman, Mr Albert Hunt, who died in 1957. He left his business jointly to two ladies: Miss Florence I Reakes (his niece) and Miss Mary K Coyle. Miss Reakes and Miss Coyle established the Trust in Albert Hunt’s name in 1979. Miss Reakes died in 1996 and Miss Coyle in 2000. They kindly bequeathed the bulk of their estates to the Trust, providing it with a significant endowment. This enabled the trust to increase its active support of charitable causes. Since the trust was established, significant sums have been paid as grants. However, the Trust plans to spend its entire resources by 2029.

Paul Sartori Hospice at Home has been providing a range of services to Pembrokeshire people living in the final

stages of a life-limiting illness for over 40 years. The support now includes home nursing care, equipment loan, complementary therapy, bereavement and counselling support, physiotherapy, future care planning and training. The services provided enable people in the later stages of any life-limiting illness to be cared for and to die at home with dignity, independence, pain free and surrounded by those they hold most dear, if that is their wish. All of the services are free of charge and are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, thanks to the generosity of supporters near and far.

Further information on the charity, and its services, visit their website www. paulsartori.org, or phone 01437 763223.

Câr-Y-Môr ocean farm purchases The Pembrokeshire Beach Food Co

WALES’ first regenerative ocean farm, Câr-Y-Môr, has purchased The Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company. The purchase, completed on July 4, 2024 and announced today, Wednesday July 24, at The Royal Welsh Show, will expand CârY-Môr’s selection of seaweed and shellfish products with an exciting new range of seaweed deli produce.

The Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company was founded in 2012 by local entrepreneur Jonathan Williams, inspired by his love of food, the beach, and the sea. Its deli products grew from recipes created at Café Mor, the award-winning solar-powered mobile street food kitchen Jonathan set up in 2010.

Over the years, The Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company’s products have won several coveted Great Taste awards, and the range has grown to include dried seaweeds, seasonings and sauces, seaweed butters and pestos, and laverbread, a culinary staple of Welsh culture.

Its products will now enhance CârY-Môr’s existing online and wholesale seaweed and shellfish offering, allowing customers to access a premium seafood and a deli range, directly from Câr-Y-Môr’s website and farm shop, as well as the existing Pembrokeshire Beach Foods site.

St Davids-based Câr-Y-Môr produces seaweed and shellfish in the Grade A waters of Ramsey

Sound, on Pembrokeshire’s beautiful coast. It was formed as a Community Benefit Society in 2019, providing year-round employment opportunities and support to the local community, while advancing the regenerative ocean farming industry in Wales and beyond.

As a pioneer investor and early supporter of Câr-Y-Môr’s journey, ever-busy entrepreneur Jonathan Williams will be charting a course for new challenges, including a Blue Carbon project, running The Old Point House pub in Angle, and overseeing

operations at Barti Rum, a seaweed infused spice rum.

Jonathan Williams said: “I’m proud to be passing The Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company into such safe hands. It’s been a wonderful journey building the company and showcasing the outstanding produce that comes from the seas off the Pembrokeshire Coast. Câr-Y-Môr shares the same commitment to championing Welsh delicacies through sustainable food production that benefits the people and communities of Pembrokeshire.

I’m very pleased to see The

Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company moving on to an exciting new chapter.”

The purchase will enhance CârY-Môr’s food offering, but this is just one part of the ocean farm’s work. In addition to products for consumption, Câr-Y-Môr is collaborating with partners to develop products such as biostimulants and bioplastics, in a move to inspire other well-established industries—from agriculture to consumer packaging—to develop greener practices using abundant and sustainable resources from the sea.

Câr-Y-Môr founder Owen Haines said: “We’re very excited to have purchased The Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company, which is a perfect addition to Câr-Y-Môr’s food offering. As well as the existing website, its products will be available direct from Câr-Y-Môr for pick-up and home delivery, alongside our outstanding fish and seafood. Our mission is to improve the coastal environment and the well-being of the local community through regenerative ocean farming and sustainable job creation, and this new purchase will help us to further that aim.

“We are looking forward to developing The Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company’s offering while also continuing our important work to pioneer new ways to harness the sea’s sustainable resources in industries beyond the food sector.”

Delight in ice cream treat from Pemb’s number one van

CHILDREN at Ysgol Caer Elen in Haverfordwest were treated to a delightful surprise on Tuesday when they were all given the opportunity to enjoy ice cream, generously provided by Mr McGeown and his family.

The delicious ice cream, a highlight of the school’s summer celebrations, was not just a treat for the pupils but also a testament to the McGeown family’s commitment to supporting educational projects. The funds raised by the family have been donated to the school, aimed at enhancing various

Tom Sinclair editor@herald.email

school initiatives.

The joyous event was made even more special by the efforts of volunteers Martin, Sian, Amirah, Jack, and Alyannah, who served the ice cream. Their contribution ensured that the occasion was filled with a wonderful and happy atmosphere.

The school extends its heartfelt thanks to Mr McGeown and his family for their generosity and support. Their

donation will play a crucial role in the continued development and success of school projects, benefiting all pupils.

“We are incredibly grateful to Mr McGeown and his family for their kindness and support,” said Mr Dafydd Hughes, the headteacher of Ysgol Caer Elen. “The ice cream treat brought immense joy to the children and added to the spirit of our summer celebrations.”

Ysgol Caer Elen, a pioneering Welsh-medium school catering to

students from ages 3 to 16, prides itself on its vibrant community and commitment to high-quality education in Pembrokeshire. The school’s ethos centres on creating a caring and inclusive environment where every pupil is encouraged to achieve their best and develop their skills for the 21st century

The community looks forward to seeing the positive impact of the McGeown family’s contribution, as the school continues to thrive with the support of dedicated and caring individuals.

10-mile trek raises £1,000 for stroke unit

A TEAM of 18 from CARA Wales took on a 10-mile trek and raised £1,000 for the Stroke Ward at Withybush Hospital.

The team from CARA Wales, an agricultural and rural consultancy and advice organisation, walked across the Preseli Mountains from Foel Drygan to Foel Eryr on 17th June 2023.

Mererid Sandbrook, who works for CARA Wales, said: “The walk started in Crymych and continued along the Golden Road up to Foel Eryr, the highest point of Preseli Mountain. It was a really enjoyable day.

“We were all really pleased to have raised such a great amount of money. We would like to thank everyone who donated money towards our challenge.”

They also raised £1,000 for Stroke Association.

Nicola Llewelyn, Head of Hywel Dda Health Charities, the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “We’d like to say a big thank you to CARA Wales for taking on the 10-mile trek in aid of the Stroke Ward.

“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.”

Your donations are making a positive difference to the health, wellbeing and experience of NHS patients, service users and staff. For more details about the charity and how you can help support local NHS patients and staff, go to www. hywelddahealthcharities.org.uk

School children focus on renewable energy future

FENTON COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL welcomed renewable energy experts to help Year 5 and 6 learners broaden their knowledge as part of their Marine Energy Project.

During the summer term Blue Gem Wind, Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum and the Darwin Experience have discussed Pembrokeshire’s importance in the renewable energy sector and low carbon technologies with the school children.

Learners designed and built models of different anchorage structures for offshore turbines, and learnt from the Darwin Centre about the different marine organisms that might colonise them.

They pitched their design ideas, with a combination of class designs being built and deployed at the Marine Energy Test Area (META) in Milford Haven by Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum.

The visits have inspired many new ideas and possibilities for the future of the learners.

Summer Marshall (Year 6) explained: “It was a great opportunity for our designs to be actually made into something for a real-life purpose.”

“If it wasn’t for this project I wouldn’t have learned about the importance of marine habitats and how these are linked to our future,” added TJ Hill (Year 6)

“It is really important because a lot of future jobs will be based around renewable energy and technology,” said Milly Badger (Year 6).

“From having Blue Gem Wind, META and Darwin visit, it’s made me think about a job in renewable energy,” added Oscar Davies (Year 6).

Tom Sinclair editor@herald.email

Acting Executive Headteacher

Gareth Thomas said: “The project has enabled development of careers and work-related experiences with our learners. Direct industry engagement has been crucial to motivate our learners to think about the future jobs in Pembrokeshire and the life they may lead here.”

pupils could work in the renewable industry in future.

Year 5 and 6 teachers Leah Hackett, Matthew Vaughan and Mike Lowde agreed that many of their

“Hopefully, after this, we have a group of enthusiastic pupils who already have a keen understanding of the benefits of renewable energy and the place it holds in Pembrokeshire and the wider world,” they added.

Llandeilo Antiques and Vintage Fair has in a Nutshell, become a place to find and start your collections

T HIS popular monthly fair is held on the first Saturday of each month at the Civic Hall in Llandeilo. The next one will be held on Saturday 3rd August.It has been become a place where you can expect high quality antiques at affordable prices. There’s a huge variety of antiques , vintage and gardinalia to choose from and it has fast become a Mecca for the antiques enthusiasts.Set in the heart of this busy town , the Civic Hall is ideally placed, opposite the main carpark. There is such a diverse range on offer from quality jewellery, welsh pottery, textiles and art , to French brocante, postcards , small pieces of furniture and ephemera.

Sometimes it’s said that from small acorns , mighty oaks grow and that’s true in the area of collecting.You can start small and grow your collections slowly, improving on the quality and age of your items.Whether it’s coins, welsh pottery, postcards you gain so much knowledge and history from the area of collecting.

Whilst recently browsing around a local antiques centre, I came across a squirrel shaped nutcracker. It started me wondering about the many shapes I’d seen in the past, of this simple tool and how many designs were out there to collect.I was amazed to find there was a real history behind these simple tools.

When most people think of a nutcracker, they might picture the wooden soldier decorations for Christmas time, which have been around for almost 200 years. These were popularized by the famous ballet, “The Nutcracker”. While many of these nutcrackers are functional for cracking nuts, most are just for decoration. It’s interesting to look back on the many different forms of nutcrackers there have been produced over time.

Excavations of early civilizations have revealed nutshells that were probably broken by stones when too hard for the teeth to crack. Pitted stones used for cracking nuts have been found in various parts of the United States and Europe and have been dated back to the Archaic Period, 4,000 to 8,000 years ago. These nomadic peoples would camp near the nut trees when it was time for the nuts to fall. Kernels were eaten whole or ground to make flour or nut butters. While this method does work, it can be difficult to make sure you’re not breaking the nut kernel inside.

The oldest known metal nutcracker dates to the third or fourth century B.C. and is shown in a museum

in Tarent, Italy. The Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum shows a bronze Roman nutcracker dated between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D. It was found in 1960 after being buried for over 1800 years. These early nutcracker tools were created in the form of pliers and worked like a modern-day plier to crack nuts and were often decorated with engravings. In the 13th century, the design changed to an iron lever model and took the shapes of different animals. To make the design more interesting, the nut was placed in the animal’s mouth and cracked in the jaw. This

may be where the idea came from for the modern soldier design. Brass nutcrackers became popular in the 14th and 15th centuries. At first these metal nutcrackers were hand wrought, but in later centuries, hot metals were poured into molds. England became famous for its brass production and produced many nutcracker styles, and the United States was known for its cast iron products. being referred to as nutcrackers. The brass designs were like the plier versions of the past, but with much better functionality. Wooden nutcrackers

with leather straps showed up in the 15th and 16th centuries and by the 17th century, the screw nutcracker was created.

The first wooden nutcrackers were simply two pieces of wood fastened together by a leather strap or metal hinge. By the 15th and 16th century, wood carvers in France and England were creating beautiful wooden nutcrackers. They used the wood from their locality, but preferred boxwood because of its fine grain and uniform color. Many of these delicately carved nutcrackers can be seen in the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum.

In the 19th century, we finally see the iconic wooden soldier nutcracker , emerge from Germany. They were designed with a lever on the back to control the jaw of the soldier where the nut is cracked. Today many wooden toy soldier nutcrackers are manufactured in Germany to meet the demands of the many collectors in the United States. This interest is renewed each year by the many productions of the Nutcracker Ballet. Collectors can now find designs in the characters from the ballet as well as hundreds of other designs.

There are many other popular designs in other regions such as the brass crocodile, cast-iron squirrel, and cast-iron dog.

In the early 20th century, the spring-jointed nutcracker was invented by Henry Quackenbush. After the 1960s, the availability of pre-shelled nuts led to a decline in ownership of nutcrackers and a fall in the tradition of nuts being put in children’s Christmas stocking . While nutcrackers come in all different shapes and sizes, and are made with different materials.This is a simple area of collecting and quite affordable .

This monthly fair doesn’t disappoint and people are amazed at the quality on offer of genuine antiques with a good representation of silver, jewellery and interior design pieces plus the specialised interests of militaria, coins and postcards, gardinaliaa and tools.There will be also collections of vintage textiles and always examples of welsh blankets. You will also discover outside stands at the fair ,providing that exciting rummage that so many people enjoy.

.Refreshments will be available and ample parking can be found opposite the hall.Doors open at 10 am until 4pm. Admission is just £2 Dogs are welcome at the fair.

For more information follow Derwen Antiques on FB and Instagram , or go to the web site wwwderwen antiques.co.uk.

Time Bandits reimagined

Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement, and Iain Morris have reimagined the 1981 film Time Bandits into a 10-episode family comedy for Apple TV+, featuring Lisa Kudrow.

Children of the ‘80s had plenty of entertainment, but films like Gremlins and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom occasionally caused trauma. Terry Gilliam specialised in making films that seemed kid-friendly but weren’t always suitable for all children, like Jabberwocky and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. Time Bandits, a juvenile romp with dark imagery, is no exception.

For Apple TV+’s new Time Bandits, the darker elements have been smoothed out, focusing more on the “romp” aspect. This approach is typical of co-creator and director Taika Waititi, whose style can be described as “Terry Gilliam with safety measures.”

This Time Bandits starts amiably but flat, attempting to replicate the movie exactly. However, it eventually finds its own story and voice, becoming funny, clever, and emotional between episodes six and nine.

The series introduces Kevin (Kal-El Tuck), an 11-year-old history enthusiast whose life

changes when he discovers a portal in his wardrobe. Five time-travelling bandits emerge: leader Penelope (Lisa Kudrow), empath Judy (Charlyne Yi), actor Alto (Tadhg Murphy), large Bittelig (Rune Temte), and navigator Widgit (Roger Jean Nsengiyumva). They’ve stolen a precious map, allowing them to travel through time stealing treasure. The Supreme Being (Waititi) wants his map back, while his adversary Pure Evil (Clement) is thrilled to exploit it. Pure Evil sends Fianna (Rachel House) to retrieve the map by any means necessary.

The series creators don’t shy away from Monty Python-esque humour, but the first half feels like Monty Python karaoke. Polishing away rough edges, they adopt traces of Mel Brooks, resembling both British and CBS versions of Ghosts. There are derivative chuckles, especially in episodes about the Trojan horse and the Middle Ages. The show’s pattern of time-hopping and Kevin’s historical lectures becomes dull.

Unlike the movie, the series aims to deliver educational tidbits and life lessons, but the storytelling and filmmaking are unremarkable. The film’s cult status stems from its DIY effects and locations, whereas

the series settles for “pretty.”

The first half of the season still allows Tuck to shine, and Kudrow, Murphy, and Nsengiyumva deliver strong performances. However, after a few strong early punchlines about Judy’s empathetic skills, the series loses track of Yi’s character, which fades away unceremoniously.

The show improves significantly when it shifts focus to Thompson’s Saffron. Episodes seven and eight, written by Clement, place Saffron at the forefront, bringing hilarity and a clearer personal arc. Her droll, slang-filled delivery fuels the show’s take on anachronism and dramatic irony.

The show hasn’t fully integrated Clement and Waititi’s characters as adversaries, but there’s complexity in how “good” and “evil” are depicted. The closing episodes set up the series interestingly for future seasons. Kudrow’s Penelope becomes a more sympathetic character, and the series addresses dwarf erasure from the big to small screen.

The new direction Time Bandits finds in its second half isn’t ambitious or inspired, but it’s fun and something I’d happily watch more of.

Deadpoll and Wolverine

The highly-anticipated action bromance breaks the fourth wall with a flurry of jokes and references, ensuring a high-energy experience.

Can the struggling Marvel Cinematic Universe be revitalised with a heavy dose of self-aware comedy? With interest waning, can this summer blockbuster rekindle the audience’s affection for the superhero genre? Ryan Reynolds’ wisecracking Deadpool teams up with Hugh Jackman’s grizzled Wolverine in an odd-couple dynamic, blending humour with a touch of seriousness.

The answer is: sort of. Deadpool has always been the franchise’s satirical voice, and this film essentially commands viewers to not take anything seriously. The fourth wall is shattered with jokes about nerd culture and the infamous “special sock” saved for particular fight scenes. The film pokes fun at the MCU’s convoluted timelines, which allow characters to return from the dead, and includes numerous corporate in-jokes about Disney’s acquisition of Fox, assuming the audience cares as much as industry insiders. Reynolds

is often hilarious, sometimes excessively so, and occasionally a peculiar mix of both.

In this instalment, Deadpool, now simply Wade Wilson, is a despondent car dealer who fails in his attempts to join the Avengers. However, he is secretly approached by Paradox, a sinister Briton played by Matthew Macfadyen, who enlists him to lead a covert mission to mercifully end this particular fading universe within the multiverse. Deadpool, despite the allure of being the sacrificial “Marvel Jesus,” angrily refuses and instead resurrects the cantankerous Wolverine to thwart the plan.

Their rebellion lands them in the Void, a place with a striking resemblance to the Mad Max movies, acknowledged with preemptive jokes. Here, they face the formidable villain Cassandra Nova, the bald twin sister of Charles Xavier, portrayed by Emma Corrin. Deadpool might have called her something like Mean Lady Di, given her resemblance to Tilda Swinton’s character in Dr. Strange. Despite their bickering and occasional fistfights, Deadpool and Wolverine form a solid team. Rob Delaney’s portrayal of Wilson’s best friend Peter

adds a likeable touch.

The film is packed with laughs and energetic musical interludes, maintaining high spirits. However, the comedic tone is abruptly overshadowed at the end with a serious montage over the final credits, sentimentally celebrating Hugh Jackman’s iconic moments in the X-Men series.

Ultimately, Deadpool is right – he embodies the “Marvel Jesus,” a quirky saviour who redefines the MCU as a source of humour, keeping it alive until its original serious nature potentially returns to popularity. The film is both amusing and exhausting.

Deadpool & Wolverine is released on 25 July.

Flamingo Bingo returns to the Hangar

PREPARE for an unforgettable night as Flamingo Bingo takes over The Hangar in Milford Haven once again on August 24th. Gone are the days when bingo was just for grandmas in quiet social clubs –this event promises an electrifying experience with smoke machines, music, and confetti cannons.

As the attendees arrive at The Hangar, the atmosphere will be buzzing with anticipation. The venue is filled with a diverse crowd, ready to dive into the night’s festivities. Books in hand, attendees grab reasonably priced drinks and head to their tables, creating an energetic and lively scene.

The games feature the classic bingo format, with five rounds offering two chances to win – a full line and the first full house. The fast-paced nature of the game requires focus, but with intermittent dance breaks, the entertainment never falters.

Equipped with dabbers, attendees are ready for a night of fun. The fastpaced game becomes a whirlwind of excitement, made even more memorable by the confetti that falls from the ceiling. Despite the challenge of keeping track after a few drinks, the exhilarating experience is well worth it.

Unlike the stereotypical image of silent bingo halls, this event infuses music into the game. Classic songs like Mousse T’s “Horny” blast through the venue, creating a vibrant atmosphere. Every time the number 69 is called, the crowd erupts into dance, making the entire Hangar come alive with smiles and positive energy.

Throughout the night, false calls and unexpected moments add an element of unpredictability to the

game. Attendees have the chance to win wacky prizes including a Henry Hoover. The marathon-like bingo experience becomes a night to remember, filled with laughter, dancing, and the anticipation of quirky prizes – who wouldn’t want to take home a Henry Hoover late at night? The Hangar in Milford Haven is set to host a Flamingo Bingo event that promises an electrifying and entertaining twist on the traditional game. Get ready for an evening of music, dancing, and the chance to win some truly unique prizes.

ALRIGHT, folks, gather ‘round for a tale of pixelated nostalgia and button-mashing bravado! In 1999, SNK blessed us with SNK Vs. Capcom: Match of The Millennium on the NEOGEO Pocket. Then Capcom hit back with Capcom Vs. SNK in 2000, followed by Capcom Vs. SNK 2 in 2001. Now, in 2003, SNK returns with SNK Vs. Capcom Chaos, or SVC Chaos for short.

SVC Chaos boasts a roster of 24 characters, plus 12 secret fighters, making a total of 36 combatants! The game uses SNK’s classic “King of Fighters” style, sure to delight old-school 2D fighting fans. However, many character sprites are borrowed from previous KOF games, though new ones like Shiki and Earthquake are a treat. Capcom characters are redrawn in KOF style for the first time, blending beautifully with SNK icons.

But let’s be honest—the graphics look rather ancient, with many characters sporting

rehashed sprites from as far back as King of Fighters ‘95. Compared to other 2003 fighting games, SVC Chaos falls short visually. The backgrounds lack color and excitement, and no classic battlegrounds from Capcom or SNK are included, which is disappointing.

Fans of KOF gameplay will feel right at home, as SVC Chaos mimics the mechanics of KOF 2002, with a 4-button layout and classic 1-on-1 format. Capcom veterans will find their moves easy to execute, though the gameplay feels slightly stiffer and faster than typical Street Fighter games.

SVC Chaos introduces the “Capcom style” 3-tier Super Gauge, filling up with attacks and guards, allowing for Super Moves and other techniques. Each character has a unique “Exceed” move, usable once when health is low, and a new Front Grand Step maneuver adds strategic depth.

For die-hard 2D fighting fans, SVC Chaos offers a fun experience. One standout feature

is the personalized dialogue between characters, a delight for long-time Capcom and SNK fans, even with SNK’s quirky translations.

SVC Chaos delivers a solid roster, a badass intro, and loads of fan service, though the overall package feels rushed. While the game’s visuals and standard gameplay might not impress everyone, the character dialogues and artwork add charm. Using the Garou: Mark of the Wolves engine could have elevated the game, but fans still appreciate what SVC Chaos offers.

At its core, SNK Vs. Capcom Chaos is an average 2D fighter, but the fan service and unique art direction make it worth playing. Competing in arcades with characters like Genjuro and Earthquake, along with the beautifully redrawn Capcom crew, was a blast. The official artwork by Nona is top-notch. Dive in and enjoy the nostalgic brawl, my friends!

HOROSCOPES

ARIES Someone close to you may try to manipulate you, but that doesn’t mean they’ll get away with it or that you’ll even let them get close. Once they start their pitch, in fact, your best bet may be to excuse yourself just after you announce that you’re wise to their game. That is, of course, provided you don’t lose it when you hear the whine in their voice. Try to remain calm. Saying no before they finish is enough to let you know you’ve won, isn’t it?

TAURUS

With any luck, you haven’t committed all your free time to one particular person, because more interesting, exciting, and exotic admirers are en route, one of whom might disrupt the routine of your day in a wonderful way. Of course, if you’re attached, your best bet will be to smile, say thank you to the fans, and move along. Stay focused on that one quality person you so wisely chose who’ll be delighted to let you know just how much you’re adored.

GEMINI

There’s nothing but fire in the air. Well, that and a little bit of intrigue, which makes quite the exciting combination for someone as curious as you are. Needless to say, you’re going to love every minute of this day, especially if you have a partner in crime in tow. And when have you ever had a problem finding someone who fits that description? Just be sure to keep things calm. As calm as possible, anyway.

CANCER

Here we go with the “if you loved me, you would...” thing. You hate it, and you’ve tried to make it clear that you’re not going to fall for it ever again. But for some reason every time you hear it, it works. Those words seem to bring back all the old-school guilt you were sure you’d sworn off for good. This time, do yourself a favor and as soon as you hear the words, excuse yourself. If they follow you out, tell them you’re allergic to guilt.

LEO Be careful who you flirt with today, because it will be all too easy to capture someone’s heart without even trying. Does that mean you can’t talk to anyone at all? Of course not, but confine yourself to your very own sweetie as much as you possibly can. It would probably be best for all parties concerned. Especially since getting rid of any new admirers won’t be easy.

VIRGO

For the next 24 hours, each and every syllable you utter will be meaningful, accurate, and to the point, so whoever asks for your opinion will absolutely hear it. Warn them in advance, but don’t hold back. You can temper your rhetoric with a touch of tact and manage to tell the truth in such a way that they’ll not only take it well, they may actually learn something from it.

LIBRA

Finally, at long last, you’re ready to come out of your cocoon. And not a moment too soon, in the opinion of your sweetheart and your friends, all of whom have probably been pouting since you decided to hide out a few days ago. Well go ahead and call them now, or see them tonight if you feel like it. And before they have a chance to give you a hard time, explain that absence really does make the heart grow fonder.

SCORPIO

It’s easy for you to become rather focused on (okay, even obsessed with) a tiny thing. So if you’re worried about something and you don’t see any end in sight, talk to someone about it. Why live with the worry when you don’t have to? Wouldn’t it be better to set your mind at ease once and for all? At the very least, spend some time relaxing with a friend you’ve known forever.

SAGITTARIUS

Who’s jealous? You? Believe it or not, you just might be. And if you feel guilty about working so much and taking time away from your loved ones, the attention that someone else shows them could be enough to stretch even the most open-minded, freedom-loving person past the breaking point. That’s if you’re not careful. But you’ll be careful. And more attentive?

CAPRICORN

When it comes to the world at large, you’ve always been able to smile and have them thinking that you’re on the same page, whether or not that happens to be true. That’s going to be even more the case now. But if you have feelings you really do need to share, don’t stifle them for the sake of being nice. You don’t have to offend anyone. Just excuse yourself and find a loved one you’re sure understands you.

AQUARIUS

You’re feeling benevolent, generous, and extremely charitable toward your fellows. So no matter what anyone needs, you’ll be only too happy to do whatever you can to help. That’s a rare and wonderful gift that will be much appreciated right about now, because there could be a few folks out there who won’t be at all sympathetic to anyone else’s needs. Go ahead. Get out there and spread your good feelings around.

PISCES

If anyone needs a vacation, it’s you. You’ve been working hard nonstop, both physically and emotionally. Now, while you have the chance, it’s time to get away. If you have a travel partner to play hooky with, so much the better. If you don’t, that shouldn’t stop you from going. You can bet that you’ll find one there waiting for you when you arrive.

WITH EDDIE THE gAME guRu

Thank-you readers for your nominations

AT the Pembrokeshire Herald, we’re thrilled to embark on a special mission to support and uplift our local businesses, all thanks to your enthusiastic nominations during our recent Facebook campaign!

Over the next four weeks, we’ll be shining a spotlight on these incredible businesses, celebrating their unique offerings and contributions to our community.

Supporting local businesses is vital for many reasons. When you shop locally, you help to strengthen the local economy by keeping money within our community. This not only supports business owners and their families but also creates job opportunities and encourages entrepreneurship. Local businesses often provide unique products

and services that you won’t find elsewhere, adding character and diversity to our area.

Moreover, local businesses are more likely to give back to the community. They sponsor local events, support local charities, and contribute to the overall well-being of the place we call home. By supporting them, you’re also fostering a sense of community pride and connection.

Every four weeks, we’ll introduce you to a new group of these local stars, giving you an inside look at what makes them exceptional. But that’s not all – after this initial showcase, we’ll continue the excitement by highlighting even more outstanding businesses. Stay tuned and join us in celebrating the heart and soul of Pembrokeshire’s vibrant local economy!

Build your own Badger

GOOD [morning/afternoon/ evening/grief], readers.

There are often times when Badger [tries to offer a realistic insight into politics, local and national/puts his head in his hands and weeps].

Instead, this week, Badger wants to talk about [the disposable nature of individual writing and craft/how news no longer matters/how often he puts his head in his hands and weeps].

However, he mostly wants to talk with you—not at you or to you, but WITH you.

That is not easy in a newspaper column when the writer cannot tell what their readers think as they read the words on an online page.

So, to make things easier for both of us, Badger is giving you the chance to build your own dialogue with him based on the alternatives offered.

In this week’s [offering/column/ festival of fun and frolics], Badger will talk about [how wonderful the world is/how crappy everything is/ who gives a monkey’s].

This week marks [the dawning of an exciting new world/much the same as last week/yet another reboot/a less than thrilling rehash of something old badly rewritten by AI to hide the fact Badger can’t be arsed].

So, please join Badger as he [explores an exciting new frontier/ moans and moans and moans/uses small words to explain big ideas/ allows Chat GPT butcher the English language/puts his head in his hands and weeps].

Let’s start by talking about something that is [in the news/ done to death/of no interest to anybody].

Badger talks, of course, about [Vaughan Gething/how awful the Council is/the sentencing of Just Stop Oil protestors].

Badger has strong views about each of the above. Still, he appreciates that any further exposition might tucker out his readers, and they would much prefer having a nice cup of [tea/coffee/ Ovaltine/scotch] and a [custard

cream/sustainable snack made of wallpaper paste and wood shavings/ pilchard sandwich/ferret run up their trouser leg].

Badger has recently made his views regarding Mr Gething plain.

To reiterate, however, Mr Gething is [jolly unlucky and has done nothing wrong OR is the victim of a witchhunt because he is black OR has shown the sort of judgement that sent the Titanic into an iceberg, killing most of those on board].

On the other hand, it could be said that the First Minister is [an

to the Antarctic].

But let’s consider what Eluned Morgan might bring to the post of First Minister. For example, there’s her track record as [a James Hunt tribute act/her humility and preparedness to work across party boundaries to do what’s best for Wales/she’s next off the bus of a line of Welsh Health Ministers who’ve failed their way to the top/2026’s Liz Truss moment].

But enough of matters national. What about local matters?

Last week, the local authority

intellectually vacuous careerist whose every move has been designed to propel him towards Welsh domestic politics’ top job with the assistance of a Labour Party machine devoid of any interest in tackling Wales’s serious long-term problems or the ability to solve them OR a slimy political operator whose got what he deserves for lying to a statutory inquiry and the Senedd OR a beacon of hope to all mankind].

Last week, Mr Gething announced he was to stand down as First Minister. As expected, the vast majority of the Welsh public reacted with [hilarity/sorrow/indifference/ searching Google to find out who Vaughan Gething is].

If, as expected, Eluned Morgan succeeds Mr Gething as First Minister, the vast majority of the Welsh public will react [with astonishment/with a shrug of the shoulders/with dismay/by emigrating

met in its last meeting before [the summer recess/armageddon/the IPG spontaneously combusted with outrage in a cloud of garbled syntax and half-baked and incomplete thoughts].

The big item on the agenda was [the closure of Day Centres/ something about a bridge/Cllr Alan Dennison’s comedy stylings].

When the Council set its Council Tax for this year, it did so knowing that the percentage increase would [lead to service reductions and closures/ extra holidays in the Maldives for the Council’s Cabinet/plunge us into the misery of socialism with only the IPG to save us from Paul Miller’s Sovietstyle dictatorship].

And, predictable, so it has come to pass.

Not only is it probable [many valuable services will be cut/Paul Miller will send the tanks rolling into Steynton and Camrose/the

new Council Leader will get stung by a Portuguese Man o’ War of Australia’s Gold Coast] but that nothing can be done to prevent that from happening.

It was, therefore [finely judged satire/pig ignorance/a failed attempt at political grandstanding where the mouth engaged before the brain knew what was going on] when [beloved/trenchant/moronic] IPG member challenged Cabinet Member Josh Beynon because the Council Tax was not set high enough to ensure the centres remained open. The councillor in question had, of course, not only voted against the tax rise passed but supported a lower one. The councillor who seemed to have [lost his memory/ lost his marbles/lost all touch with reality and was off freewheeling around the Milky Way in a bubble made of unicorn tears] was none other than [Cllr Alan Dennison].

Sometimes, readers, the laugh lines write themselves.

When it comes to the convictions and sentences of the Just Stop Oil protestors jailed for four to five years, Badger [was aghast and appalled that our fundamental right to protest had been criminalised by the state/was interested enough to ACTUALLY READ the Judge’s sentencing remarks instead of going off the deep end].

After reading HHJ Hehir’s remarks, Badger [prayed to the Great Mother Goddess to visit her wisdom upon mankind/thought the Judge showed admirable restraint in the face of considerable provocation by Defendants who thought they were above the law].

On reflection, he concluded that [regardless of personal belief, it is essential that citizens understand breaking the law comes with consequences/being well-meaning and middle class is no defence if you commit illegal acts/our liberties are under existential threat].

At the end of this column, readers, you will have found a viewpoint that agrees with your prejudices and preferences.

And, yes, readers: sometimes the laugh lines write themselves.

Sanctions are working say eight European finance ministers

GOOD DAY my shipmates, this week I bring you something different! Caw! A letter from eight European Finance Ministers who are saying what I want to say better than this old bird can... Here we go....

President Vladimir Putin and his authoritarian regime are peddling the false narrative that the Russian economy is strong, and that its war machine is unharmed by western sanctions. This is a lie that must be rebutted. In fact, there are many signs that the Russian war economy is deteriorating. The sanctions and other measures to weaken the Russian economy are effective, but even more can be done. We must continue to increase pressure on Putin’s regime and support Ukraine.

During the Nato summit in Washington DC, western leaders reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine’s defence. But Russia’s war against Ukraine is not only being fought by soldiers on the ground. It is also a war of information, on which the Kremlin spends an estimated $1.5bn (£1.2bn) a year, and of economic strength. Putin and his authoritarian regime want us to believe that Russia stands unmoved by sanctions and other efforts made to support Ukraine, freedom and democracy. Thus, it is extremely important that politicians, the media and economic institutions in the west do not take the information coming out of the Kremlin at face value. When taking a closer look at the signals, it becomes clear that everything is not as rosy with the Russian economy as Moscow would have us believe.

While Russian GDP may be growing, the economy is increasingly geared towards the war industry, upheld by large fiscal stimulus. This is not an endless source of growth, nor a sign of a stable economy. The Kremlin’s war factories are already at maximum capacity. Unemployment has fallen to the point that there are reports that Vladimir Putin approved the replacement of imprisonment for forced labour. The tight labour market has put upward pressure on wages, while the weaker ruble increases import prices and is contributing to increasingly high inflation, despite Russian central bank efforts to fight it with high interest rates.

To finance the war, the Russian government has tapped into the liquid assets of Russia’s

national wealth fund. Estimates by Bloomberg suggest it has almost halved in size since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as the country sacrifices its future prosperity to wreak havoc abroad. Moscow has also resorted to several extreme interventions to control the Russian economy. Export bans for petrol and sugar have been introduced to secure domestic supply. Strict capital controls have been put in place to prevent the exodus of private funds from the country and keep the ruble from free falling. Even so, there are still reports of billions of US dollars being transferred out of the country.

For many Russians, the wartime economic policy of the Kremlin must bring about a sense of deja vu. Capital controls, export bans and heavy investments in the war industry are not new policies, but rather a return to the Soviet playbook.

What could be perceived and mistaken as a “boost” to Russian growth is, in fact, the beginning of a re-Sovietisation of the economy.

Many of the hallmarks are there: farreaching market controls, heavy public spending financed by expropriation of private assets, and a reorientation of the economy towards the war industry, with a total disregard for the social and economic wellbeing of the population. History clearly shows that this is not a successful long-term strategy. The shortterm overheating of the economy, fuelled by heavy investments in the war industry and very limited access to technology, will likely hinder productivity gains and result in stagnation of the private sector, even more rampant inflation and increasing pressure on Russian households.

To cover future deficits, Putin will have to use monetary financing, adding more fuel to inflation, and further deplete the Russian cash reserves. If Putin stays on this path, the long-term damage to the Russian economy could be significant and is likely to further erode confidence. However, this also requires patience and resolve from the west. We must maintain and increase pressure, while continuing and strengthening our support to Ukraine. Russian propaganda must not be left unchallenged.

Unlike the story Russia would like to tell, sanctions targeting the Russian war machine are effective and necessary. They have

reshaped the geography of Russia’s foreign trade and limited its access to high-priority battlefield items. Between 2022 and 2023, Russian export revenues had decreased by around a third, based on information from the Russian customs service. Further measures are now being taken to up the pressure even more. In June, the EU adopted its 14th sanctions package, including measures targeting liquefied natural gas and Russia’s shadow fleet, which is carrying sanctioned Russian oil around the world.

Meanwhile, at the G7 summit, leaders took further steps to deter China from aiding in the circumvention of sanctions and agreed to put in place a $50bn loan to Ukraine, which will be serviced and repaid by expected future revenues from Russia’s immobilised central bank assets. These are very welcome and important steps.

Further steps are needed, however, to constrain Russia and support Ukraine. The west should ensure a swift and efficient operationalisation of the G7 agreement on providing loans for Ukraine and explore options for more far-reaching solutions, in accordance with international and EU law. Assets should remain frozen and sanctions should remain in place until Russia has paid for the damage it has caused.

Meanwhile, support for Ukraine needs to be maintained and strengthened, and more weapons and ammunition must be supplied. All our nations have contributed significantly to supporting Ukraine, both financially and militarily, and will continue to do so for as long as it takes.

Sanctions must be strengthened – particularly in strategically important sectors like energy, finance and technology; while the enforcement of existing sanctions must be improved.

Both border and source countries should continue working on closing the loopholes that allow delivery of all goods that feed the Russian war machine, directly or indirectly. In particular, the Russian crude oil price cap must be better enforced as we are still seeing trade above the cap at $60 a barrel. It is also essential to implement mirroring sanctions on Belarus and put more pressure on other major enablers of sanction circumvention in east Asia and the Middle East.

The Ukrainians are fighting an existential battle for freedom and democracy against

oppression and authoritarianism. Supporting Ukraine and undermining Russia’s capacity to wage war at every turn should be the top priority of every democratic country. By re-Sovietising the Russian economy, Putin has put it on a path towards its own decline. Now it is time for the west to up the pressure even more.

Elisabeth Svantesson, minister for finance, Sweden

Stephanie Lose, minister for economic affairs, Denmark

Mart Võrklaev, minister of finance, Estonia

Riikka Purra, minister of finance, Finland

Arvils Ašeradens, minister of finance, Latvia

Gintarė Skaistė, minister of finance, Lithuania

Eelco Heinen, minister of finance, Netherlands

Andrzej Domański, minister of finance, Poland

One in four people in Wales witnessing animal cruelty online

ONE in four people (25%) in Wales have witnessed someone harming an animal online - according to shocking new data from the RSPCA, while reports to the charity about social media animal abuse are on course to hit a four-year high.

The shock new findings come as part of the RSPCA’s landmark Animal Kindness Index, published this week (Jul 22) in partnership with the Scottish SPCA and USPCA.

The Index also reveals that, in Wales:

• 59% of households own a pet - compared to 52% across the UK

• 72% describe themselves as animal loverscompared to 68% across the UK

• 82% believe animal welfare should be protected by governments through legislation - compared to 84% across the UK

• 79% are finding it more expensive to look after their pet - compared to 78% across the UK.

• And 52% are worried about being able to afford vet bills - compared to 49% across the UK.

• 77% have taken action to help animals in the last 12 months - compared to 79% across the UK.

• Actions taken to help animals across Wales include 51% who’ve fed the birds (v. 47% UK), 32% who’ve donated to animal charities (v. 31% UK), or bought a product from an animal charity, and 30% who’ve created a wildlife habitat (v. 28% UK).

But, across Wales and beyond, the animal welfare charity is particularly worried about the impact animal cruelty

on social media is now having on young people - who are disproportionately seeing the content.

According to the Index, across the UK, more than four in ten (43%) 16 and 17-yearolds, and almost one third (32%) of Generation Z (18-24 year-olds), have witnessed cruelty towards animals online.

Since the start of 2020, 2,032 reports have been made to the RSPCA’s emergency line about animal abuse on social media - and the numbers in 2024 are on course to be the highest for four years.

The RSPCA now fears that - without action - widespread exposure on social media to animal abuse risks normalising such behaviour for young people who have grown up spending time online; potentially desensitising them to the horrors of animal cruelty.

But the RSPCA’s efforts to instead inspire young people to support the animal welfare cause have been backed by online influencer Esme Higgs.

(pictured).

More information on the RSPCA’s Animal Kindness Index can be found online.

The animal welfare charity has also published guidance on its own website advising people on what they can if they witness animal abuse.

To tackle the crisis, the RSPCA is urging social media companies to do more to stamp animal abuse content out on their platforms - and to give its users the confidence to easily call out and report the mistreatment of animals online.

RSPCA Chief Executive Chris Sherwood said: “There’s a growing concern that the proliferation of animal abuse content online risks normalising animal harm, pain and suffering.

“Our lives have been transformed by the internet - but it poses some inherent risks too. We’re deeply concerned by the terrifyingly high numbers of young people now being exposed to images and videos of animal abuse.

“Social media companies must do more to protect young people from being exposed to this content - or we risk further fuelling an animal welfare crisis, at a time when the challenges facing animals are already among the greatest in the RSPCA’s 200-year history.

“Social media giants need to make it easy and obvious for people to report this horrible content, and must prioritise protecting its users from images and videos glorifying animal harm.”

Ofcom, regulators of a new Online Safety Act 2023, will soon consult on what social media companies need to do to deal with animal abuse on their channels - under this new legislation.

The new law recognises animal abuse as being harmful to children. It will require platforms to assess the risk of content depicting animal suffering, and to put in place measures to mitigate and manage the risks it can cause - but the RSPCA wants social media companies to go further.

Chris added: “It’s welcome that the new Online Safety Act recognises the dangers animal abuse content online poses to children, and to all people.

“It’s now vital that Ofcom publishes clear guidance for social media companies, meeting the expectations of the public when this Act was passed that it will deal with the risks animal abuse content poses to users.

“But, whatever the legal obligations, we also want to see social media companies going further - committing to stamping out all animal abuse content on their platforms, and empowering users to be able to quickly and easily report content that is gratuitously violent or harmful against animals.”

Welsh food and drink industry grows by 10%

STATISTICS published on Monday (Jul 21) show the food and drink industry in Wales grew by 10% last year.

Businesses in the sector had a total turnover of £24.6bn in 2023, compared to £22.3bn in 2022.

The statistics are for the food and drink supply chain, which contains manufacturing and packaging, agriculture and fishing, retail and wholesale, and non-residential catering.

The number of businesses increased by 1% to 28,768 in 2023. The food and drink supply chain employed 228,500 people in Wales in 2023, equivalent to 17% of Wales’ total workforce.

The Welsh Government set a target to grow the value of the ‘food foundation’ sector to at least £8.5 billion by 2025.

The sector includes businesses that produce, process, manufacture and wholesale food and drink goods, some of which receive direct support from Food and Drink Wales.

The sector had a turnover of £9.3bn in 2023, with the £8.5bn target being reached two years

early.

The statistics were published alongside Food Matters: Wales by the First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change at the Royal Welsh Show.

Food Matters: Wales has been produced to bring together the Welsh Government’s food-related policies into one document. It brings together policies that directly support the agri-food industry and natural resource management, as well as wider food-related policies across health, education, sustainability, communities, and the economy.

First Minister Vaughan Gething said: “Our food industry is at the heart of our lives, our communities and our nation.

“We must support the sector in cultivating a more self-sufficient Wales, where we champion sustainability and foster a robust local element in the food system and supply chains.

“I’m really pleased to see that, thanks to the ambition, innovation and hard work of the Welsh food and drink industry, and despite the challenging macroeconomic climate, the supply chain has

continued to grow. I’m especially pleased to see the growth in our foundation food sector, which is at the grassroots of our burgeoning food and drink economy.”

Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, said:

“Welsh food and drink is a real success story, and its economic contribution to the Welsh Economy is higher than ever.”

Huw Irranca-Davies

Mr rranca-Davies continued: “This success creates the wealth that underpins the development of our vital agri-food industry.

“Food Matters: Wales is the first document of its kind and outlines the range of policies that provide an integrated approach to supporting the industry’s growth. It brings home how food connects so many policy areas—health, the environment, the economy, prosperity, and our sense of place and community here in Wales.

“We have now passed the economic target we set ourselves by 2025 and we can truly say Wales is a Food Nation and this is a real partnership success.”

Minister celebrates and reassures the agriculture sector

AS THE Royal Welsh Show returned for its 120th edition, Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs

Huw Irranca-Davies outlined his vision for creating a sustainable and resilient farming sector. Mr Irranca-Davies also reassured farmers and landowners about the availability of future support.

Speaking ahead of the Show, the Cabinet Secretary said: “Being here, at the jewel in the crown of the agricultural calendar, for the first time this year as Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, is both a privilege and an honour.

“Many of the people I will meet this week are not only responsible for putting high quality, sustainable food on our table – but also for helping us address the nature and climate emergency – which threatens that very food production.

“The impact that severe wet weather is going to have on produce, farmers’ pockets and prices for consumers is going to be felt keenly. Resilient ecosystems are the best defence we have in the adaptation and mitigation of climate change.

“We are here to listen and work in partnership with our farmers, landowners and those working to enhance these vital ecosystems to create a sustainable and resilient farming sector in Wales that’s fit for both the challenges and the opportunities of the future.

“It has been challenging, but I genuinely

feel we are making progress through meaningful engagement.

“I have already announced the new timeframe for the introduction of our Sustainable Farming Scheme. We have always said the Scheme would not be introduced until it is ready, and I stand by that.

“We have heard and understood the concerns raised through the consultation process. I have already chaired two Ministerial Roundtable meetings, and a third will be held here at the Royal Welsh Show this week. We want to continue to develop the partnership approach needed to finalise the design and implementation of the Scheme.

“Providing certainty and stability about future support is something I know is at the top of most farmer’s agendas. That’s exactly why, earlier this week, I also confirmed the availability of a number of schemes to support farmers and landowners before the Sustainable Farming Scheme is introduced in 2026.

“In addition to these schemes, we’ve launched the SFS data confirmation exercise and announced our intention for BPS to be available again in 2025

“It is also our intention to continue to support woodland planning and creation through the Woodland Creation Planning Scheme and the Woodland Creation Grant, subject to available budget.

“But I know there are other areas of

Welsh Government policy which need further discussion – such as bovine TB and river water quality. We will be discussing these complex issues this week at the Royal Welsh Show and will continue to work together with the industry in months to come to develop solutions.

“That’s what we are here for – to listen and learn. We aim to work in partnership to create a future where our farmers, who are the backbone of our rural communities, continue to produce the very best of Welsh food to the highest standards while safeguarding our precious environment.

“With veterinarians, they protect the

good health and welfare of their animals – ensuring the safety and quality of food produced in Wales and making our produce some of the finest anywhere in the world. Their role cannot be underestimated.

“What is clear to me from everyone I have met so far is that they are all passionate about the future of Welsh farming. This sense of pride in farming and being a farmer is what makes the Royal Welsh Show such a fantastic event – and I am sure this year will be no different.

“I am really looking forward to it and wish the Royal Welsh and everyone involved all the very best.”

PGI Welsh Lamb campaign launched at the Royal Welsh Show

HYBU CIG CYMRU – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) has announced that the 2024 PGI Welsh Lamb campaign has commenced this week at the Royal Welsh Show.

The Welsh red meat promotion body kickstarted its annual home-market brand advertising campaign on the first day of the Royal Welsh Show.

Under the strapline of ‘Uniquely Welsh: Experts in their Field’, the campaign puts Welsh farmers at the fore, with Dinas Mawddwy sheep farmer Lisa Markham starring in the television advert. Filmed at Lisa’s traditional family farm, Wales’s rugged and dramatic landscape is highlighted in the advert, as well as the natural and sustainable way in which Welsh Lamb is produced. The television advert will feature in prominent time slots ahead of popular programmes such as This Morning and Coronation Street.

In addition to Lisa, Welsh sheep farmers Emily Jones from Tregaron in mid-Wales and brothers Ben and Ethan Williams from Pentyrch in south

Wales also feature in digital and print advertisements.

Promotions will be featured on ITV, Sky, and S4C television channels from July through the end of October. The campaign will also feature out-of-home advertising, print advertisements in Taste Blas magazine and digital advertising across social media platforms. Radio adverts will also be running from July to October on Global Media channels, including Smooth Radio and Classic FM. The campaign will target shoppers in Wales and southeast England and will focus on areas where Welsh Lamb is available in the vicinity to shoppers.

The campaign builds on the successes of the 2023 Welsh Lamb campaign, where brand awareness was increased by 26% and propensity to purchase increased by 7%. The campaign was seen nearly 24 million times last year.

Pip Gill, HCC’s Campaigns Executive, explained: “This year, we will be targeting young foodies, traditionalists, home cooks and ethical eaters, and our messaging will focus on

Fears dairy farm near Kilgetty could increase to 3,000 cattle

PEMBROKESHIRE planners are to visit the site of one of the county’s largest dairy farms after claims were raised a scheme for new calf buildings could lead to animal welfare issues and an increase in the size of the herd to 3,000 cattle.

At the July 23 meeting of the council’s planning committee, an application by Hugh James of Langdon Mill Farms Ltd for a calf building, weaned calf building, and associated yard areas, at Langdon Mill Farm, near Jeffreyston, Kilgetty was recommended for conditional approval.

Local community council Jeffreyston has raised concerns, made by a member of the public, on potential increased noise and odour from the scheme, planners heard.

to accommodate young-stock, following separation from the cows, to two-months, with the 164.8m weaned calf building to be used for calves from two months to seven months.

The application says the proposals would “clearly make the enterprise more financially robust by reducing reliance on third party farms”.

However, concerns were raised at the committee meeting by objector Ian Dennis, a former vet of some four decades’ experience, who described Langdon as occupying 3,000 acres of land with 2,000 cattle currently that “are never allowed to graze,” the proposal, he said, would add another 1,000 cattle to the site.

sustainability, quality, taste, versatility and health. By utilizing this strategic approach, we will be targeting people who are most likely to purchase Welsh Lamb with messaging which will resonate strongly with them whilst ensuring value for money and efficiency for levy-payers.

“Last year’s results delivered positive results for the Welsh Lamb sector, so we are building on that success and elevating the Uniquely Welsh: Experts in their Field messaging for a refreshed 2024 campaign.”

Laura Pickup, HCC’s Head of Strategic Marketing and Connections, added: “We are looking forward to championing our farmers in our Welsh Lamb campaign again this year. Their dedication to producing sustainable and nutritious Welsh Lamb to the highest standards is something we are proud to celebrate through our campaign.

“Please keep your eyes out for advertisements over the coming months and don’t forget to visit www. eatwelshlambandbeef.com for delicious Welsh Lamb recipes and more information.”

A supporting statement, through agent Reading Agricultural Consultants, said: “The holding currently has a milking herd of approximately 2,000 cows, which are housed indoors for the majority of the year, with dry cows [cows that are not lactating, prior to calving] and heifers grazed outdoors when weather and soil conditions permit.

“There has been significant investment in buildings and infrastructure at the farm over the last decade in respect of cattle accommodation, slurry storage, milking facilities, Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plant and feed storage. The unit is efficient, achieving yields of more than 10,000 litres/cow/ year, with cows being milked three times/day in the 60-point rotary parlour.”

Currently, calves are reared at Langdon Mill Farm for two months before being transported off-site to be reared at a number of third-party farms in the area before being return later; the proposed 61.2m long calf building is required

“This is factory farming, an intensive livestock unit, no longer a farm.”

He told planners a “mendacious and incorrect” ammonia emission report submitted by the applicants was “designed to bamboozle,” saying, despite his experience and scientific background, he needed expert support to assess.

He said only average figures were reported, rather than peaks and troughs, adding the “fictitious anaerobic digestion plant” had yet to be built, with planning permission now lapsed.

However, officers told members the applicant’s agent had said works on the digestor had actually started.

On the issue of animal welfare, Mr Dennis said he had “very huge concerns” about the scale of the development, differing from a planning officer report saying the scheme would bring animal welfare benefits.

A suggestion by committee chair Cllr Simon Hancock the application be deferred pending a site visit was unanimously backed by committee members present.

New Enyaq 50 and Enyaq 50 Edition join the all-electric

ŠKODA is making its awardwinning Enyaq electric SUV even more affordable with the introduction of two new entrylevel models. The new Enyaq 50 and Enyaq 50 Edition models are being added to the SUV range with prices starting from just £36,970. Order books for both new models opened on 11 July, 2024.

The new Enyaq 50 and Enyaq 50 Edition are fitted with a new 55kWh battery pack (52kWh net) that delivers up to 234 and 232 miles of range respectively on the WLTP cycle. The rear-mounted electric motor generates 170PS and 310Nm of torque and can accelerate the Enyaq from 0-62mph in just 9.1 seconds. Top speed is 99mph.

In terms of charging, both Enyaq 50 models offer a peak DC charge speed of 145kW and 11kW on an AC connection. A charge to 80% on a suitable DC rapid charger will take around 25 minutes. A full charge on an 11kW AC connection will take around five hours and 30 minutes. As with all other Enyaq models, the new 50 variants come with an eight-year, 100,000 mile battery warranty (minimum 70% remaining).

The new Enyaq 50 models replace the outgoing Enyaq 60 models in the revised line-up and help bring the cost of switching to a new Enyaq ownership down by £2,000. Both come generously

SUV range

equipped with 19-inch Proteus alloy wheels, Loft interior Design Selection, 13-inch touchscreen infotainment display with navigation and a host of safety features.

Edition models add full LED Matrix beam headlights and full LED rear lights, heated front seats and steering wheel and privacy glass.

The Edition model also comes

with Crew protect assist, front and rear side airbags and a central interaction airbag as standard. Tri-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control and cooled wireless charging (15W) are also included in the Edition’s specification.

The revised Enyaq range now starts at £36,970 (Manufacturer Direct Price) for the Enyaq 50,

with the Enyaq 50 Edition priced at £38,585 (Manufacturer Direct Price). Elsewhere, the line-up has been simplified and now features the Enyaq 85 Edition, Enyaq 85x Sportline Plus, Enyaq 85 L&K and the range-topping Enyaq vRS. All Enyaq 85 models are equipped with a larger 82kWh (77kWh net) battery pack.

cSMorgan is Labour’s new leader

ELUNED MORGAN, the Cabinet Secretary for Health, will succeed Vaughan Gething as Labour’s leader in Wales.

On Wednesday, July 24, nominations closed for nominations to succeed Vaughan Gething. The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Eluned Morgan, was the only nominee. Twenty-six of her Senedd colleagues nominated her for the position.

The Welsh Parliament has been recalled during its summer break to nominate a new First Minister of Wales

The Senedd will meet on Tuesday, August 6.

MORGAN EMERGES AFTER GETHING QUITS

Last week, Vaughan Gething announced he would quit as Labour leader and First Minister.

On Saturday, Labour’s Welsh Executive convened and set out the timetable for electing the third

Labour leader in the last seven months.

The timetable suggested an election period ending in September.

Over the weekend, Jeremy Miles, who Vaughan Gething beat by a tiny margin among Labour’s membership, said he would back Eluned Morgan for the top job.

Meanwhile, Huw IrrancaDavies emerged as a “running mate” for the Cabinet Secretary for Health.

As the week began, momentum gathered behind Baroness Morgan’s candidacy until it became clear that no alternative nominee would gain enough nominations to contest a leadership election.

However, Eluned Morgan is not - yet - First Minister. Her election as First Minister must take place in a ballot of all Senedd members.

Andrew RT Davies MS, Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said: “I firstly congratulate Eluned

Morgan on becoming the first female leader of Welsh Labour, and if supported by the Senedd, Wales’s first-ever female First Minister.

“The Baroness has picked up the crown at the coronation, with Prince Charming as her deputy. Eluned Morgan has presided over the worst Welsh NHS waiting lists on record, so the question must be asked, is this really the best that Labour can do?”

“WALES NEEDS STABILITY”

The polls look disastrous for Labour in Wales with under two years until the next Senedd election. With Mr Miles out of the contest and Mr Irranca-Davies on board, it seems that the Senedd’s Labour group has decided to “unite” to try to halt the Party’s dramatic haemorrhage of public support.

However, rather than having Vaughan Gething hang around with a makeshift Cabinet

until September, the Welsh Conservatives have called for a fully functioning government to be in place over the summer.

Describing the process as a “coronation,” Andrew RT Davies said: “Wales has faced political paralysis and Labour infighting for too long. We need certainty, and we need it fast.

“I am grateful to the First Minister for heeding Welsh Conservative calls to recall the Senedd to give Wales some muchneeded stability.

“Considering the chaos that has engulfed the Labour Government in Cardiff Bay, you would have thought they would have brought this decision forward by bringing in an earlier recall to give Wales that stability.

“Given that Eluned Morgan’s delivery as Health Minister was questionable, you would have also thought that she would want to get going straight away by being elected by the Senedd as First Minister.”

MORGAN’S “ABYSMAL RECORD”

Plaid leader Rhun ap Iorwerth picked up on that point: “After weeks of infighting, Labour’s focus is squarely on party management rather than on a change of direction for Wales, making a mockery of Starmer’s country before party pledge.

“Labour leaders in Wales of the recent past and near future have one thing in common – an abysmal record of running the NHS, which has led to record high waiting lists.

“Being in government is now seen as more important to Labour than knowing what to do with the levers at their disposal.

“If Eluned Morgan becomes the leader of Labour in Wales and should she become First Minister, she will prioritise healing Labour’s wounds rather than renewing the government’s sense of purpose.

“The absence of a policy platform can only mean one thing – more of the same tired ideas and outdated thinking which has led to Wales languishing at the bottom of economic, health and educational league tables after 25 years of Labour in power.”

LABOUR VOTE IN TROUBLE

The fact that Labour in Wales thinks it needs a “unity” candidate suggests serious issues within the Party, both inside and outside the Senedd.

Labour’s vote fell at the

General Election and is on a longterm downward spiral in Wales as the reality of devolved government clashes with Welsh voters’ expectations. A declining trajectory existed before Vaughan Gething became First Minister. His troubles accelerated the nosedive.

If the polls don’t improve dramatically, Labour faces losing its century-long grip on the levers of political power in Wales in 2026. That was almost unthinkable in 2016 and 2021, but it was then, and in the decade before, the seeds of decline were sown.

In its South-East Wales and Valleys fortresses, Labour faces a massive insurgent threat from Reform UK - provided Nigel Farage’s limited company can get its act together and organise over the next eighteen months.

When he became Labour leader in Wales, Vaughan Gething used up a considerable amount of goodwill among his colleagues by removing a raft of Special Advisors and replacing them with his own picks. In addition, Mr Gething manoeuvred his supporters into key posts in Labour’s internal hierarchy to cement his grip over the party machine in Wales. Again, that ate up a lot of any goodwill he might have expected after narrowly winning the bitterly contested election against Jeremy Miles.

Should Eluned Morgan continue with Mr Gething’s

appointees and rigging of Labour in Wales’s internal structures, she will be Vaughan Gething Mark II in all but name.

The price of the Senedd group’s loyalty - loyalty, more or less - could be winding back Mr Gething’s troubled inheritance and delivering on the last Senedd manifesto instead of bowing down to the Westminster one.

LABOUR IN WALES OR LABOUR FOR WALES?

Since joining the Senedd, Baroness Morgan has not articulated a clear vision for Wales and its government. There has been no “clear red water and no distinctive message.

In the Senedd, she has not deviated one jot from the direction of the government’s travel. She has not stood up for the Mid & West region or Pembrokeshire over the demands for loyalty to whoever leads the Labour group in the Senedd.

When Carwyn Jones stood down, Eluned Morgan only got on the final ballot as a tokenistic gesture from the outgoing First Minister to ensure a woman would appear on voting papers. She did not stand to replace Mark Drakeford and vocally supported Vaughan Gething’s campaign.

Once Mr Gething ran into trouble, Eluned Morgan was

LIBERAL

Chamberlain, Liberal Democrat Work and Pensions spokesperson and MP for North East Fife, has tabled a Parliamentary motion calling on the Government to remove the two-child limit on social payments in the first Budget since Sir Keir Starmer became Labour Prime Minister on 5th July.

Statistics from the Department of Work and Pensions state that 1.6 million children are affected by the two-child benefit cap. The cap also imposed employment barriers on parents who have less income available for childcare costs as a result.

swift to support her beleaguered colleague, ignoring her own role in concealing government communications from the UK Covid Inquiry. She played a prominent role in sandbagging Hannah Blythyn.

On wider issues, Eluned has parroted UK Labour policy lines even when they make her look ridiculous.

When the Cabinet Secretary for Health appeared in a Labour publicity photo for the General Election asking voters to back Labour to “Modernise the NHS”, it only drew attention to the fact that Labour has run the NHS in Wales for twenty-five years.

Eluned Morgan, Vaughan Gething, and Mark Drakeford have been Health Ministers for half that period between them. Certainly, “Modernising the NHS” was not the most astute platform choice. It didn’t help Labour’s share of the General Election vote in Wales, which fell sharply.

So many questions persist about what Eluned Morgan stands for. Loyalty to Labour and to the Labour brand in Wales has not produced any sign of original thought - or any other thought, for that matter.

If Labour’s apparatchiks think Welsh voters want more of the same, never mind the 2026 election, the next two years could be a rocky ride.

scrapping the cap will be in our King’s Speech amendment.

“Not only is this the most cost-effective way of alleviating poverty, we also have a moral obligation to change this unnecessary policy.”

Responding to the news that the Government has created a ministerial task force to tackle child poverty, Wendy Chamberlain said “It is right that the government is looking at how best to tackle the scourge of child poverty. Hundreds of thousands of children are trapped in poverty after years of chaos and economic damage by the Conservatives.

The Liberal Democrats urge the Government to announce the removal of the cap in the first Budget. Lifting the cap is the most cost-effective way of immediately lifting 300,000 of children out of poverty, while helping to make costs more manageable for parents.

Wendy Chamberlain said:

“The two-child benefit cap creates avoidable poverty for children and families across the country.

“The Liberal Democrats are calling on the new Government to scrap this policy to not only help thousands of children, but to also help parents find better employment opportunities.

“Whilst I acknowledge that Labour have set up a Child Poverty Commission, it doesn’t take a Commission to realise that we need to lift this cap.

“The Liberal Democrats feel strongly that this needs to happen urgently which is why

“Scrapping the two child cap would be the quickest and most costeffective way to lift children out of poverty and bring long-term benefits to our society and economy. We hope that ministers listen to the evidence and the many charities that their task force will meet and act accordingly.”

Here in Wales, The Welsh Liberal Democrats, led by Jane Dodds (Regional MS for MID & West Wales), have been vocal about their opposition to the twochild benefit cap. This policy, introduced in 2017, restricts child tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in most households, which can significantly impact families financially.

Jane Dodds has called for the next UK government to abolish this cap, arguing that it contributes to child poverty and makes families poorer. She highlighted that 29% of children in Wales live in poverty, and removing the cap could help alleviate this issue.

BLUE VIEW

WITH CLLR ALED THOMAS JP

Restoring Trust in Politics: A Welsh Conservative Imperative

In recent years, the Welsh political landscape has been marred by a significant erosion of public trust.

All political parties have suffered from this erosion, but the Conservative party without a doubt has suffered the most. The fact we no longer have any Welsh Conservative MPs after the 2024 general election is testament to that.

During the campaign, I spent time in both the new Mid and South Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion Preseli constituencies campaigning. Rather than talking about all the positives of the last 14 years from legalising same sex marriage, delivering record NHS funding, reducing unemployment, curbing inflation or growing the economy – we spent the whole campaign distancing ourselves from our colleagues stupid mistakes and shortcomings.

From scandal to scandal, the faith that people once placed in their elected representatives and the Conservative party has been severely undermined. Restoring trust in politics is not merely a matter of public relations; it is a foundational necessity for the health and stability of our democracy.

The decline in political trust is multifaceted. It is rooted in perceptions of dishonesty, inefficiency, and disconnect between politicians and the electorate. High-profile instances of scandals, misleading information, and broken promises have contributed to a growing sentiment that politicians are out of touch with the real concerns of everyday people.

To restore trust in the party, we must begin with transparency. Politicians should be accountable for their actions and

decisions. This means more than just media rounds and cucumber sandwiches pretending it’s all ok; it involves a cultural shift towards openness.

The Conservative Party, historically known for its emphasis on tradition and stability, is uniquely positioned to lead this charge. We must champion stability and make the changes within the party that are needed to promote transparency, integrity, and accountability. By doing so, we can restore public confidence and reaffirm the essential bond between the government and the governed.

Nationally, we will have a new leader in a few months’ time, but the focus currently seems to be on who’s on ‘the left’ or ‘the right.’ My take is this; left, right, up, down it doesn’t matter. We are a broad church, and we will always have different views on certain things – that’s life! What I will be looking out for is the candidate who shows a clear path to rebuilding trust and integrity that the party so desperately needs. It requires commitment and a genuine effort to reconnect with the public – Cllr Clements is leading the charge with passion at Pembrokeshire council making sure that us as a team are holding this tax raising administration to account and making sure that every penny of your money spent is spent wisely.

Only then when we restore this trust on a grass roots level can we then credibly ask for it once again at a national level.

Lib Dems call on Eluned Morgan to ‘restore trust in Welsh Politics’

THE Welsh Liberal Democrats have called on the new leader of Welsh Labour Eluned Morgan to rebuild trust in Welsh politics.

Welsh Lib Dem leader Jane Dodds MS has congratulated Eluned Morgan on becoming Welsh Labour leader, stating that she was “delighted to see another woman leading the way in Welsh politics.”

The Mid and West Wales MS also called on the new Welsh Labour leader to rebuild the trust lost in the party amongst both the Senedd and the Welsh public following recent events.

The Welsh Lib Dems have stated that they will be pushing the new Welsh government to ensure that everyone in Wales can easily access healthcare services when they need it, as well as calling for an expansion of the Welsh child care offer and highlighting issues affecting rural communities.

Commenting, the Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds MS said: “I would first like to congratulate Eluned Morgan on her successful nomination as the leader of Welsh Labour, it would be a fantastic achievement to be the first female First Leader and I am delighted to see another woman leading the way in Welsh politics.

It is now up to both Eluned and Welsh Labour to re-earn the trust

of both the Senedd and, most importantly, the people of Wales.

The last few months of Welsh Labour scandals and in-fighting has been an unhelpful distraction from resolving the challenges facing Wales.

Unfortunately, these recent events have undoubtedly undermined trust in Welsh politics.

Welsh Labour must realise that they can no longer take the Welsh electorate for granted, trust must be earned.

I will be pushing the new

Welsh government to ensure that everyone can get access to an NHS doctor, GP or dentist when and where they need one.

I will also be fighting to expand the Welsh childcare offer to support working parents, tackling child poverty, and addressing the concerns of rural communities.

We as the Welsh Liberal Democrats will also continue to call for a £10,000 cap on individual political donations, an important first step towards cleaning up our politics.”

Plaid Cymru expels Senedd politician following inappropriate conduct

PLAID CYMRU has expelled a Member of the Senedd who was found to have inappropriately touched and sworn at two women while drunk during a party night out.

Rhys ab Owen, who represents South Wales Central, was previously banned from the Welsh Parliament for six weeks –the longest sanction ever handed out in the Senedd.

The party announced that Mr ab Owen’s membership had been terminated following an internal disciplinary process. In response, Mr ab Owen stated he would respect the decision and has previously issued an unreserved apology for his actions.

An investigation conducted by Standards Commissioner Douglas Bain revealed that Mr ab Owen had inappropriately touched the two women during a night out with Plaid Cymru staff and other Members of the Senedd in June 2021. Mr Bain noted that Mr ab Owen showed “no remorse” for the incidents.

Elected in 2021, Mr ab Owen later admitted to the Senedd that he had behaved badly and apologised for his conduct.

In a statement, a Plaid Cymru spokesperson said: “Following the publication of the Senedd standards report, there has been an internal disciplinary process within Plaid Cymru. As a result, his party membership has been terminated, and he will not be eligible to re-apply for a period of at least two years.”

Mr ab Owen had already been suspended from the party’s Senedd group in November 2022, which led to him sitting as an independent. He had also been suspended from the party itself since the findings of Mr Bain’s investigation became known.

Had Mr ab Owen been an MP, his punishment would have triggered a recall petition and potentially a by-election. However, no such system currently exists in the Senedd, though the parliament’s standards committee is

considering introducing one when the institution expands from 60 to 96 politicians in 2026. Mr ab Owen commented: “Today’s decision is the culmination of a long process which I hope will now bring the matter to a close. It is a decision I will respect so that my family and I can look to the future. As I have done throughout, I will continue to work with and for my constituency. I am proud to do so and remain fully committed to serving the people of South Wales Central. My wife and children are my priority above all else and I thank them for their enduring love and support.”

No ‘divestment’ of council pension scheme Israel investments

A CALL for Pembrokeshire County Council to end its involvement in a pension fund that has invested millions with companies connected with Israel, will see engagement rather than “divestment,” councillors heard.

At the July meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, two related, submitted, questions were asked by members of the public.

Both asked for the council to divest its involvement in the local government pension scheme the Dyfed pension fund, which they say has more than £60m invested in companies connected with Israel.

Suzanne Radford-Smith said: “I am writing to draw attention to the fact that Dyfed pension fund has £64m invested in companies that are connected with Israel and to ask that Dyfed pension fund divests from these companies.

“Many of these companies are making arms and weapons being used by the Israeli army in the war on Palestine which makes them complicit in the genocide in Gaza.

“I believe this makes PCC also complicit in that genocide.

“Will Pembrokeshire County Council divest the pension fund from these companies?”

A similar question by Marjorie Hawkins said: “I receive a pension from Dyfed Pension Fund and have recently found out that Dyfed pension fund has £64m invested in companies that are connected with Israel.

“Many of these companies are making arms and weapons

being used by the Israeli army in the war on Palestine which makes them complicit in the genocide in Gaza.

“I am very dismayed to find out this information and feel that this makes PCC (as one of the county councils in Dyfed Pension Fund) also complicit in that genocide.

“I spent over 10 years working as a social worker in Pembrokeshire. 10 years before this I was a social worker in Swansea and also worked for the NHS previously. I chose to work in jobs that were not involved in making profits or exploiting other people. I am very upset and outraged to find that the pension I receive is complicit in a genocide that is ongoing and we witness daily.

“Will Pembrokeshire County Council divest the pension fund from such companies that are complicit in this genocide?”

Responding, Cabinet member for Corporate Finance, Cllr Joshua Beynon said the scheme, not administered by Pembrokeshire, had “a responsible investment policy which sets out its approach to responsible investing, including human rights”.

He added: “The fund believes that engaging with investee companies is likely to be more effective than divestment in improving desired outcomes and the committee encourages fund asset managers to engage with the companies they invest in. In addition, the fund believes

in collective engagement and exercises a voice across a range of environmental, social and governance topics.”

He went on to say the engagement was and dialogue was “a more holistic approach than blanket divestment, particularly where a direct causal relationship may not exist between supply and impact”.

He explained: “For example, a company that supplies components to support renewable-infrastructure projects may also supply components to companies with contracts with law-enforcement agencies.

“It is thus our investment managers who are best placed to understand this nuance, considering all relevant Environmental, Social and Governance factors in their investment-management decisions, as well as their investment stewardship.

“The fund endeavours to identify and engage organisations on human rights issues through various channels including its membership of the local authority pension fund forum, the engagement programme of its investment manager, and via the voting and engagement activity undertaken by the funds voting and engagement provider.”

He concluded: “Engagement will continue on these issues with all its service providers, partners and other stakeholders, evolving its approach as necessary to meet its regulatory and fiduciary requirements.”

THIS week, we continue with YesCymru South Wales Central Director Mike Murphy’s article on wind farms and adding value in the Celtic Sea. why does Wales export its assets and resources, or allow them to be spirited away, when even minor innovations would see us benefit instead?

Last week, I argued that the Welsh Government should approach Tata Steel to develop tower fabrication facilities as part of the transition from primary steelmaking at Port Talbot. Most of the required production facilities, quayside, and support services are already in place, as well as a skilled local workforce. The towers can be supplied from the port directly to their installation site in the Celtic Sea.

The floating structures could also be built in Wales. These are similar to oil and gas platform support structures but are far less complex. They would require a much larger fabrication and assembly yard (and workforce) than the tower sections. But the end of primary steel-making in Port Talbot will release large areas of quayside currently used for coal and iron ore storage.

While the immediate target should be to support offshore wind farms being developed in the Celtic Sea, we can also compete for wind farm work further afield. And while the current focus should be on wind power, the next big development will be tidal power – whether a Severn barrage or tidal lagoons. This will have different requirements, probably including the construction of large precast concrete caissons. We must ensure that as much of this work as possible is supplied from Wales, by insisting that planning conditions include a ‘local content plan’.

All these proposals would benefit the Welsh economy, but are not particularly ambitious goals. We also need to think about what we could do with our surplus power, aside from exporting it. We need to identify energyintensive industries that can

harness our power at source, thereby reducing costs due to transmission losses.

We saw a good example of this with Anglesey Aluminium, which used up to 25% of the output of the nearby Wylfa nuclear power station. (Both are now closed). There is a cluster of advanced optical companies around St Asaph where, at one time, Pilkington smelted its own glass and refractory materials. Such companies, could be encouraged to restart production there, given an abundance of cheap electricity.

Other energy-intensive industries include fertiliser production, paper milling, and ceramics. All could be encouraged to locate or expand in alreadyindustrialised parts of the Welsh coast.

Our wind power and tidal power can also be used as the primary power source in the manufacture of green hydrogen, with our abundant water supply being the other raw material. Building a green hydrogen plant at our energy cluster in Milford Haven – which can export hydrogen to Europe in the form of liquid ammonia –could also provide feedstock for new green industries such as fuel cells.

This is, or should be, the purpose of ‘freeports’. Not to create a deregulation free-for-all but to encourage manufacture-for-export that is sustainable whenever possible. And where any added value stays in Wales.

While our natural resources are valuable, we must not repeat history by extracting them for the benefit of others. We must maximise their value for our own benefit by ensuring they provide sustainable, value-added incountry development.

We have the opportunity to create a new industrial revolution. To create Wales 2.0.

But we must act now – and keep the hand of Westminster as far away as possible.

Bruce Sinclair Local Democracy Reporter

SEND YOUR LETTERS TO: THE EDITOR, 11 HAMILTON TERRACE, MILFORD HAVEN, PEMBROKESHIRE, SA73 3AL

EMAIL US AT: editor@herald.email

& NOTI c ES

DEAR SIR

There is a direct parallel between the policies of Conservative Governments, which historically supported Black Slavery until the Whig Government abolished it, and the recent actions of the Conservative Government under Cameron and Osborne, which deprived nourishment to the third and later babies of British families. Over 200 years, Tory politicians have waged a relentless war on slave babies and the babies of the poor.

WALES NEEDS A BOLDER HEAT STRATEGY

DEAR SIR

The Welsh Government’s commitment to achieving Net Zero heat by 2050 is commendable. So is the pledge to phase out fossil fuel boilers and lobby the UK Government to rebalance gas and electricity prices. However, the accelerating climate crisis calls for a bolder and faster decarbonisation. Heat pumps are part of the solution, but they are no silver bullet.

Take terraced houses as an example. Thousands of traditional terraced houses, an iconic feature of the Welsh mining heritage, are simply unsuitable for heat pumps due to space constraints. A feasibility study last year found that only 150 homes in Bridgend could be fitted with air source heat pumps. Incentivising a broader range of alternative technologies like heat batteries can help fill this gap.

The latest smart heat batteries are a low-carbon direct replacement for gas boilers and are easy to install — while helping ease pressure on the grid and providing low cost heating. The batteries work by charging during off-peak periods, when

energy is cleaner and demand lower, and releasing heat when it’s needed into radiators or under-floor heating. This smart approach to heating can help Wales reach Net Zero while preventing power outages.

Johan du Plessis, CEO at tepeo TRUE DEMOCRACY

DEAR SIR

Democracy, as a means of establishing just Government, was born in Ancient Greece, and promoted by the Chartists, at the risk of death or transportation in 1839.

It can never be true to say that Conservatives are democrats in 2024, since only the Tory Party has retained the right of 91 hereditary peers to rule us from the House of Lords, as in the 12th century, alone on the planet.

In the last few days, Andrew Neil, a trusted commentator, stated that ‘we’ ended the evil of Black Slavery, 200 years ago. Is it possible that Andrew is honest and mistaken now, or is there another explanation, of absence of any honest principles, in Conservatism, for 200 years?

Only Tory Aristocrats and MPs in both Houses, ever voted for Black Slavery in Britain, and when the Whig Party outlawed

Slavery in 1833, they first used £20 million of public taxes, to bribe Conservatives and Slave Owners, not to oppose it. Not a single penny ever went to a slave. Conservatives are still lying about historical facts, 200 years later, and schools conceal the truth from children.

Only Conservative MPs recently voted that the third child of any family in Britain, should be denied any benefit considered appropriate to feed the first two babies. To many principled British citizens, Conservative voters who wage war on babies now, deliberately, are strikingly similar to those who waged war on slave babies, 200 years ago. Yet millions of UK adults voted Tory in 2019.

Although only self-centred Tories show no shame in defying Diogenes, 2500 years ago, each generation had a moral obligation to the welfare of the next, their children, the dishonest Media who support evil, accuse Labour of refusing to commit to raise taxes, to feed babies.

This is a double level of monstrous, further hypocrisy, to conceal Tory social values, while already knowing that the Labour Party might be denied power to re-establish Justice in our land, by those self-centred, angry, exConservative voters.

C. N. Westerman

These historical facts condemn any Conservative who voted for these policies, yet millions of British adults today choose to uphold these standards. They have shown themselves unfit for the responsibility of parenthood within our society, raising children in a culture that now sees a 30% increase in violence against females.

When women are raped and murdered, perpetrators should be imprisoned for life. However, Conservatives fail to understand that executing the guilty does not prevent future murders. The damage is created in the minds of the young during puberty, influenced by media owners who oppose a just welfare society.

Merely condemning Conservative social policies is not enough. Children need positive ethical beliefs, cultivated through education and inspired by heroes, to become genuine adults. Conservatism, focused on money, scorns these values.

Almost all privately-owned media support right-wing beliefs of their own superiority, lacking any rational understanding of ethics in human life. Now, they attack the Labour Government for not reversing the ‘twochild benefit policy’ which they themselves introduced. This gross hypocrisy highlights the Conservative mindset, accusing virtuous Labour of their own chosen evils.

C. N. Westerman

Johan du Plessis, CEO at tepeo HISTORICAL FACTS

PIc TuRE OF THE WEEK!

Tenby by Welshgirl.capTures

Death Notices

D ENNIS M ORGAN

MORGAN Dennis Pembroke Dock The death occurred on Monday 15th July 2024 at Hollyland Lodge Care Home, Pembroke of Mr. Dennis Morgan, aged 97 years formerly of Essex Road, Pembroke Dock. Devoted Husband of 77 years to Violet. Dearly loved Father, Father-in-law, Grandfather and Great Grandfather. The funeral service will take place on Wednesday 31st July 2024 at Parc Gwyn Crematorium, Narberth at 1:45pm. There will be family flowers only with donations in lieu if desired for The Paul Sartori Foundation c/o E.C. Thomas & Son Funeral Directors, 21, Main Street, Pembroke SA71 4JS (01646) 682680 & Zoar Chapel Funeral Home, Llanteg, Narberth SA67 8QH (01834) 831876 or via www.ecthomasandson.co.uk

J OAN M

ARJORIE

W ILLIAMS

WILLIAMS Joan Marjorie Pembroke Dock The death occurred at home, on Sunday 7th July 2024 of Mrs. Joan Marjorie Williams, aged 90 years of Treowen Road, Pembroke Dock. Dearly loved wife of the late Ken. Much loved Mum. Treasured Nanny and Great-Grandma. Joan was wellknown and respected in the local community, having worked in the Pembroke Dock branch of W.H. Smith for 25 years. The funeral service will be held on Tuesday 30th July at St. John’s Church, Pembroke Dock

at 2.30pm, followed by interment in Llanion Cemetery. There will be family flowers only with donations in memory of Joan for The Leg Ulcer Clinic, South Pembrokeshire Hospital, Pembroke Dock, c/o E.C Thomas and Son Funeral Directors, 21, Main Street, Pembroke, SA71 4JS (01646) 682680 and Zoar Chapel Funeral Home, Llanteg, Narberth SA67 8QH (01834) 831876.

YOLANDA C HANNON

CHANNON Yolanda Lower Town, Fishguard. Peacefully on Thursday 18th July at Langton Hall, Scleddau, Yolanda of Lower Town, Fishguard. Beloved wife of the late Reg, loving mother of Sue and Wynne, Sandie and Mark and a much loved Nan’s of Vinnie. Funeral service on Monday 5th August at Parc Gwyn Crematorium, Narberth at 2:30pm. The cortege will be leaving Lower Town Quay at 1:30pm. Family flowers only. Donations in lieu if desired, made payable to ‘Dementia UK’ c/o Paul Jenkins & Sons Funeral Directors, Feidr Castell, Fishguard, SA65 9BB. Tel: 01348 873250.

C LIVE S AUNDERS

SAUNDERS Clive Fishguard Suddenly at his home on Wednesday 10th July, Clive of Fishguard. Beloved father of Harrison, he will be sadly missed by his family and friends. Funeral service on Tuesday 6th August at Parc Gwyn Crematorium, Narberth at 2:30pm.

No flowers by request. Donations in lieu if desired made payable to ‘Mind’ c/o Paul Jenkins & Sons Funeral Directors, Feidr Castell, Fishguard, SA65 9BB. Tel: 0134 873250.

A NGHARAD R EED

REED Angharad Goodwick (formerly of Trefin) Peacefully on Tuesday 16th July at Withybush Hospital, Angharad of Goodwick (formerly of Trefin). Beloved wife of Alan, loving mother of Richard and a dear sister of Anna and Sharon. Funeral service on Wednesday 31st July at Parc Gwyn Crematorium, Narberth at 3:15pm. Open for flowers or donations made payable to a charity of your own choice. Further enquiries to Paul Jenkins & Sons Funeral Directors, Fishguard. Tel: 01348 873250.

E DNA E DWARDS

EDWARDS Edna Mathri (Gynt o Berea) Yn dawel ar ddydd Sadwrn, 20fed o Orffennaf, bu farw Edna o Fathri (gynt o Berea). Priod hoff y diweddar John, mam gariadus Helen a Michael, a’r diweddar Ruth a Gordon, mamgu annwyl Meredith a Cheryllee, Sara a’r diweddar Alun, hen famgu ac hen hen famgu dyner. Gwasanaeth angladdol ddydd Mawrth, 30ain o Orffennaf yng Nghapel Berea am 2y.p. ac i ddilyn ym mynwent y Capel. Blodau’r teulu yn unig. Rhoddion os dymunir tuag at ‘Berea Congregational Chapel’ trwy law Paul Jenkins a’i feibion trefnwyr angladdau, Feidr Castell, Abergwaun,

SA65 9BB. Ffon: 01348 873250. Peacefully at home on Saturday 20th July, Edna of Mathry (formerly of Berea). Loving wife of the late John, beloved mother of Helen and Michael, and the late Ruth and Gordon, much loved grandmother of Meredith and Cheryllee, Sara and the late Alun, a treasured great grandmother and great great grandmother. Funeral service on Tuesday 30th July at Berea Chapel at 2pm followed by interment in the Chapel cemetery. Family flowers only. Donations in lieu if desired, made payable to ‘Berea Congregational Chapel’ c/o Paul Jenkins & Sons Funeral Directors, Feidr Castell, Fishguard, SA65 9BB. Tel: 01348 873250.

S TEPHEN G RENVILLE HARRIES

HARRIES Stephen Grenville “Steve” of Merlins Bridge. Peacefully on Friday 12 August after a long illness. A dearly loved husband, father, grampy, brother, brother-in-law, uncle, cousin and a good friend who was very well liked and respected by all who knew him. The funeral will take place on Monday 5th August at Parc Gwyn Crematorium, Narberth at 1.00pm. Casual dress code. Family flowers only. Donation in lieu of flowers and in memory of Steve can be sent to Mr. Mike Parry, 7 Walters Avenue, Merlins Bridge, Haverfordwest, SA61 1LL. All enquiries to Roy Folland & Son Funeral Directors (01437) 763821.

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Meet the West Wales Olympians

Jasmine Joyce-Butchers

Rugby Sevens

Age: 28

From: St Davids

Events: Women’s rugby sevens

Jasmine Joyce-Butchers – known as Jaz –will become the first British rugby player to go to three Olympic Games. And she will be hoping to finally come back with a medal. She was part of the GB women’s team to finish fourth in both Rio and Tokyo. With almost 40 caps for Wales, she’s known for her speed on the rugby pitch – something that comes into its own in sevens.

Key dates: The women’s rugby sevens event is held over three days from Sunday, 28, until Tuesday, 30 July at the Stade de France.

Joyce says: “Fourth place is almost the worst position you can come. You’d rather come last. The last two Olympics we’ve expected to medal but now we’re coming in under the radar. There’s a different fight about us.”

Micky Beckett

Sailing

Age: 29

From: Solva

Event: Men’s Dinghy (ILCA 7)

During the last Olympics, Micky Beckett was involved in TV production for the Games, advising directors on race narratives. Since then, he has proven his ability to compete at the highest level. The West Walian has earned European

Anna Hursey Table Tennis

Age: 18

From: Carmarthen

Events: Women’s singles; mixed doubles

You may have been aware of Anna Hursey for some time. Back in 2018 she made headlines around the world when she was selected by Team Wales for the Commonwealth Games at just 11 years

gold, world silver and bronze, as well as silver at the Paris 2024 test event. He has also won the ILCA 7 dinghy class at the prestigious Princess Sofia Trophy regatta in Mallorca each year since 2022.

Key Dates: The men’s dinghy event takes place at Marseille Marina from Thursday, 1 August, with two races a day until the top 10 boats advance to the medal races on Tuesday, 6 August, where double points are on offer.

Beckett comments: “The pressure’s there. But I thought, do I want to be an outsider, an underdog – or do I want to go in as the favourite? If you go in as the favourite, it means you’ve had that winning experience. By winning those medals, that’s given me the experience which hopefully will stand me in good stead.”

old. She went to the next Commonwealths in Birmingham as a 16-year-old and won an historic bronze medal alongside Charlotte Carey in the women’s doubles. Still only 18, Hursey is used to rewriting the history books and she will do so again this summer as she becomes the first Welsh table tennis player to go to an Olympics.

Key dates: The table tennis competition begins on day one, Saturday, 27 July, when Wales will have an Olympic table tennis player for the first time.

Hursey says: “I’m really excited. I feel this is just the beginning of my career and hopefully I can go to many more Olympics. My target [for Paris] is to be the best I can be.”

Emma Finucane Cycling

Age: 21

From: Carmarthen

Events: Women’s sprint, Women’s team sprint, Women’s keirin

It is rare for a 21-year-old to be making their Olympic debut with this much expectation on their shoulders. But Emma Finucane is not an ordinary 21-year-old.

The sprint cyclist from Carmarthen is already a world champion (she won Britain’s first individual female

Jess Roberts

Age: 25

From: Carmarthen

Event: Women’s team pursuit

Jess Roberts was always considered a hugely talented young rider but everything went on hold for her in 2021 as she was forced to take time away from the sport to recover from a long-standing back injury.

sprint world gold in a decade) and European champion (the first British female sprinter to do so). On her day she is the undisputed best and she is in contention to challenge for three golds in Paris. But a lot can happen in track sprinting. Either way it should be box office.

Key dates: The women’s team sprint kicks off the track cycling programme on Monday, 5 August, with the finals taking place from 18:46 BST. If everything goes to plan, Finucane will then hope to have the keirin final on Thursday, 8 August at 18:01 BST before rounding off the Games on the final day with the women’s individual sprint final at 10:22 BST.

Finucane says: “I’ve been training really hard for this. After all the hard work I’ve put in, I want success out of that. I’m driven by being successful and winning Olympic gold medals.”

That issue is long behind her now and, after already going to two Commonwealth Games for Wales, she now gets the chance to race at her first Olympics.

Key dates: Roberts takes to the track on Tuesday, 6 and Wednesday, 7 August in the women’s team pursuit.

Roberts says: “We’re a select number of people who get to do this. It’s pretty surreal. I’m really grateful for this opportunity and excited to get on the start line.”

Fastest Welshman ever

JEREMIAH AZU, the fastest Welshman on the planet, has qualified for the Paris Olympics this summer. The sprinter secured his place in the 100 metres by finishing second at the UK Athletics Championships, which also served as Team GB trials, over the weekend.

Azu’s time of 10.25 seconds was narrowly beaten by Louie Hinchliffe, but both athletes will now head to the Paris Olympics, which begin on 26 July. Earlier this year, Azu made history as the first Welshman to break the 10-second mark in wind-legal conditions. He will now aim for a spot in the 100-metre final at the Olympics and will also compete in the 4x100 metre relay team.

While Azu had much to celebrate, there was disappointment for other Welsh athletes at the Championships in Manchester. Melissa Courtney-Bryant finished a heartbreaking fourth in the 1,500 metres, missing the quali-

fying spots by less than a second. The 30-year-old had previously missed the Tokyo Games due to injury.

In the men’s 1,500 metres, Piers Copeland, who had high hopes of qualifying, finished in ninth place. Similarly, Joe Brier faced disappointment in the men’s 400 metres, failing to qualify for the final despite having raced for Team GB’s 4x400 metre relay team at the last Olympics. Brier was also part of the team that secured qualification for this year’s Games at the World Relay Championships earlier this year.

There was some Welsh success on Sunday, as 17-year-old Gracie Griffiths from Pembrokeshire won the 5,000 metre race walk to become the British champion. Additionally, Freya Jones won a silver medal in the women’s javelin, and Patrick Swan took silver in the men’s shot put, though neither achieved the Olympic qualifying standard.

Cycling

Haverfordwest County launch 2024-25 away-kit

Haverfordwest County AFC have said this week that they are delighted to launch our away kit for the 2024-25 season

Inspired by the history and heritage of Pembrokeshire, the shirt features the colours of the flag of St David, which is universally recognised and proudly flown at the Ogi Bridge Meadow. The flag itself is featured across the back of the collar.

The unique design will ensure that they represent the county on our travels around Wales throughout the season, while also enabling

us to stand out on the field.

The shorts will be all-black, while the socks will be all-black with two yellow stripes at the top and a yellow Bluebird in the middle.

As is the case with the home shirt, the Haverfordwest County AFC and Tor Sports logos are printed in the top left and top right of the shirt respectively, while our ‘Playing For Pembrokeshire’ logo is featured in the bottom left corner.

You can purchase the new away shirt by visiting their club shop.

Friendlies set to satisfy football fans

CAN’T wait for the football season to kick off? Fear not, as these summer friendlies are here to keep your football cravings satisfied!

With a lineup of exciting fixtures announced including the prestigious Joe Lennon and Eddie Merry Tournaments, there’s plenty of action to look forward to. Here’s a rundown of the approved friendly fixtures for Summer 2024:

July 23rd, 2024

Goodwick Unitedvs Letterston

July 25th, 2024

St Clears vs Prendergast Villa

Camrose vs Clarbeston Road

July 26th, 2024

Pennar Robins vs Haverfordwest U19s

July 27th, 2024

Newport Tigers vs Narberth

Goodwick United vs St Josephs

St Clears vs Trostre

Fishguard Sports vs Herbrandston

July 29-30th & August 2nd, 2024

Weaver Callan Cup hosted by Monkton Swifts

August 2nd, 2024

Cardigan Town vs Fishguard Sports

Pendine vs Kidwelly

Goodwick United vs Ffostrasol Reserves

August 3rd, 2024

Pennar Robins vs Crymych

Pennar Robins vs Milford Athletic

August 5-6th & 9th, 2024

Joe Lennon Tournament at Milford

United – hosted by Hakin United Eddie Merry Tournament hosted by Fishguard Sports

August 6th, 2024

Camrose vs Llanboidy

Pennar Robins vs Pembroke Boro

August 7th, 2024

Pennar Robins vs Narberth

August 12th, 2024

Pennar Robins vs Lawrenny

August 16th, 2024

Pendine vs Bancoffosfelen

Pennar Robins vs Carew (2 matches)

Thomas carroll Pembrokeshire league Table

RESULTS 20/07/2024

Cresselly (0) ab v St Ishmaels (0)

Haverfordwest (0) ab v Carew (0)

Narberth (0) ab v Lawrenny (0)

Neyland (0) ab v Llangwm (0)

Saundersfoot (0) ab v Whitland (0)

Burton (0) ab v Llechryd (0)

Carew II (0) ab v Johnston (0)

Llanrhian (0) ab v Hook (0)

Pembroke (0) ab v Herbrandston (0)

Pembroke Dock (0) ab v Lamphey (0)

Fishguard (0) ab v Neyland II (0)

Hook II (0) ab v Cresselly II (0)

Kilgetty (0) ab v Narberth II (0)

St Ishmaels II (0) ab v Haverfordwest II (0)

Stackpole (0) ab v Burton II (0)

Hundleton (0) ab v Llanrhian II (0)

Laugharne (0) ab v Pembroke Dock II (0)

Lawrenny II (0) ab v Pembroke II (0)

Llangwm II (0) ab v Saundersfoot II (0)

Llechryd II (0) ab v Carew III (0)

Cresselly III (0) ab v Stackpole II (0)

Herbrandston II (0) ab v Haverfordwest III (0)

Neyland III (0) ab v Crymych (0)

Whitland II (0) ab v Laugharne II (0)

Haverfordwest IV (0) ab v Kilgetty II (0)

Lamphey II (0) ab v Whitland III (0)

Llechryd III (0) ab v Pembroke III (0)

FIXTURES

27/07/2024

Carew v Narberth

Cresselly v Neyland

Lawrenny v Saundersfoot

St Ishmaels v Haverfordwest

Whitland v Llangwm

Herbrandston v Burton

Hook v Pembroke

Lamphey v Llanrhian

Llechryd v Johnston

Pembroke Dock v Carew II

Burton II v Fishguard

Haverfordwest II v Cresselly II

Narberth II v St Ishmaels II

Neyland II v Kilgetty

Stackpole v Hook II

Carew III v Lawrenny II

Llangwm II v Laugharne

Llanrhian II v Pembroke Dock II

Pembroke II v Hundleton

Saundersfoot II v Llechryd II

Crymych v Stackpole II

Laugharne II v Herbrandston II

Neyland III v Cresselly III

Hundleton II v Llechryd III

Kilgetty II v Lamphey II

Whitland III v zPembroke III

MEET THE WEST WALES OLYMPIANS