Community
Angling club’s prize evening
NEYLAND and District Sea Angling Club held their annual prize presentation evening at the Neyland Yacht Club last Saturday. Rob, the chef laid a lovely meal on for members their wives partners and friends. The fur and feather winners were presented with their prizes; Keith Williams won the seniors trophy for first place with the heaviest bag, with Mathew Mason taking the junior prize for the heaviest bag. With the cups and trophies laid out in pristine condition, courtesy of the clubs cup and trophy custodian officer Steve Tate, Steve had organised all the engraving and cleaning of them.
Before presentation got under way, Mavis Davies and Linda Hawkridge went round with tickets for the raffle, to which the tables were straining with the weight of the prizes. Ladies Champion 2014 was Claire Hall; Claire is a regular in the club, who mixes with the lads and can show them a clean pair of ‘Eels’. Junior Champion Angler 2014, Connor Williams was new to the club this year, and knows where he is heading next year. It was brother, Shaun who did exceptionally well, considering he had juggled University and work, and still had time to fish with Connor and Dad Keith.
Shaun was the highest prize winner with the top weight overall, and it was Dad Keith who is this year’s Champion Angler with 104 points, and whose achievements were warmly received by the other members. Other trophy winners were, Thomas Mason, Lorna Bevan,(Top weight Junior) Bob South and Tom O’Brian (For the pairs cup) Darren Bevan (Heaviest dog fish) Niki Mason (Heaviest dog fish Neyland) Peris Tate and Mathew Mason (Heaviest fish by a junior) Steve Tate (The Bernie Cup) Brandon Hall (Bull Huss Trophy) Alan James (Heaviest Flounder) and Bernie Davies (“The President’s Trophy”) for all his hard work in the club over the years.
The evening concluded with a presentation to Secretary Pat, and his wife Chris. Chris was given a bouquet of flowers. Pat is standing down as Secretary at the AGM on December 18 after nine years in the post. He will still be involved with the club, but in the background. Members presented Pat with a generous voucher to show their appreciation, to which he thanked them all for their support over the years.
Community
Wonderful night at Haverfordwest Library for special Poet Laureate event
HAVERFORDWEST Library was delighted to be part of the prestigious Poet Laureate Library Tour for 2024 with a special event on Friday, March 8.
Pembrokeshire County Council Chairman, Cllr Thomas Tudor extended a special welcome to the guests of honour: Poet Laureate Simon Armitage; his guests Owen Sheers and Bethany Handley; plus the winners of the recent library Poetry Competition.
The poetry began with writer, poet and disabled activist, Bethany Handley. Bethany campaigns for better access to nature for disabled people, and her work explores nature and disability, challenging the barriers that disabled people experience.
Bethany’s first poem was heartfelt and humorous about her experience of visiting a beach in her wheelchair. Her final poem also drew on her experiences, being a compilation poem of many well-intentioned, yet impractical or inappropriate, advice that she has received as a wheelchair user.
Owen Sheers is an award winning Welsh poet, author and playwright. He has twice won the Wales Book of the Year as well as the Hay Festival Poetry Medal.
His film-poem, the Green Hollow, about the Aberfan disaster, was BAFTA and Grierson nominated and won three BAFTA Cymru awards, including best writer.
Owen read an extract from the Green Hollow, bringing the horror of the disaster to life. He also read poems about parenthood and his experiences as a son and as a father.
The Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage, is the recipient of numerous prizes and awards, including the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry.
Simon launched into a poem about humanity, the universe and working as one. He then used his back catalogue of poems written for music. His poems covered some unusually random themes, particularly those he crafted during the Covid pandemic.
He said that he’d even written a poem inspired by a Velux window and read a beautiful poem about laying in a hammock watching a pair of newly-weds sail overhead in a hot air balloon.
His performances were engaging, humorous and moving and he brought the words to life.
Simon also spoke warmly about the importance of libraries as a child but also as an adult travelling about the country, with libraries always offering a warm welcome.
Ashok Ahir, President of the National Library of Wales thanked the three poets and introduced the new exhibition in the gallery, Dylan: The Lyrical Life of Dylan Thomas.
The exhibition is open to the public until 14th September 2024. Further information can be seen online.
The event drew to a close as Cllr Tudor issued the prizes to the winners of the recent poetry eisteddfod competition. The competition celebrated the language, culture, heritage and literature of Wales.
The theme was Dylan Thomas. Entries could draw inspiration from any of his works or seek inspiration from a specific quote: “from where you are, you can hear their dreams”.
Entries received were of a high standard and were judged by Wendy Morse (leader of the Haverfordwest Library Poetry Group, who would welcome new members, contact Haverfordwest Library for more information); representatives from the Library staff and the National Library of Wales staff. The poems will be on display at Haverfordwest Library until the end of the Easter Holidays.
Prizes have been awarded to:
• Sian Davies: Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, adult written poem category
• James Purchase: I Shall go Gentle into that Good Night, adult written poem category
• Philippa Davies: Dylan is in the Library, adult spoken word category
• Tony Potts: Windfall, adult illustrated poem category
• John Matthews: Dylan Cwmdonkin, adult Welsh language category
• Ellie McGrath: It was all a Dream, 11-14 age category
• Skye-Lea Jones: Are you Listening?,11-14 age category
Thanks to the judges of the poetry competition and to Faber & Faber, who donated the book prizes in support of the Poet Laureate’s Library Tour.
Cllr Thomas Tudor said: “The Riverside opened its doors in December 2018 and has enjoyed many fascinating exhibitions since thanks to the continued partnership with the National Library of Wales.
“The Riverside was one of just six libraries to host this Poet Laureate Library Tour for 2024.
“It is a fantastic achievement for Haverfordwest Library to be a part of these significant events, helping to raise the profile and regeneration of the County Town and I thank everyone who has worked hard to make the event a success.”
The event would not have been possible without the continued support from The National Library of Wales and Haverfordwest Town Council. The President of the National Library of Wales and the Mayor, Sheriff and Clerk of Haverfordwest Town Council were all present.
Charity
Bags of Books returns to Milford Haven and surrounding areas this Easter
THE INFAMOUS Bags of Books is set to return to Milford Haven and surrounding areas over the Easter holidays.
Milford Haven School who launched the project with Milford Youth Matters over 3 years ago are continuing in their bid to improve literacy skills and encourage a love of reading for pleasure by giving away over 700 books.
Thanks to funding from the South Hook LNG Community grant they have purchased books for young people of all ages and reading abilities and will be hanging them on the fences of the schools in their catchment area.
The community are invited to come and choose a book from the following locations over the Easter holidays:
- Neyland Community Primary School – Monday 25th March
- Johnston Community Primary School – Tuesday 26th March
- Coastlands Primary School – Wednesday 27th March
- Gelliswick Primary School – Tuesday 2nd April
- Milford Haven Community Primary – Wednesday 3rd April
- St Francis Community Primary – Wednesday 3rd April
Milford Haven Secondary School will also hang over 150 books on their fence after the Easter Holidays on Wednesday 10th April for those in our community who cannot attend the other locations.
Community
Community-powered conservation projects flourish with Force for Nature grants
NINE local projects that were given a helping hand by the Force for Nature grants are now thriving and providing a much-needed boost to biodiversity and conservation, the fight against climate change and the availability of green spaces throughout the county.
Successful applicants in the last round of funding included: Pembrokeshire College, Stepaside CP School, Llawhaden Community Council, Dinas Wellbeing Hub, Simpson Cross Activities Group, Tabernacle United Reformed Church in Pembroke, and Warren-based Esteam.
Several months on, the groups have provided project updates, showcasing their remarkable progress – from the transformation of an old church garden into a diverse habitat, to the creation of a Welsh heritage orchard and the rewilding of unused land on education campuses.
Tabernacle URC’s “Garden through Time” was put to good use in the run-up to Christmas as the venue for a Community Nativity Trail, enabling local families to enjoy the festive sights and sounds, while appreciating the biodiversity improvements that have taken place.
The installation of oak signposts in December marked the completion of a rewilding project at Ysgol Harri Tudur, where pupils from Years 7 and 8 have since taken part in curriculum-linked outdoor activities. Remaining funds will be spent on seeds and native plantings to further enhance the newly restored areas.
Pembrokeshire College’s campus improvements were timed to coincide with the recent COP28 summit, where a day was dedicated to biodiversity. All animal habitats and lodgings, including swift boxes, have now been installed, and wildflower seeds have been sown on prepared ground.
Director of the Pembrokeshire Coast Charitable Trust, Katie Macro, said: “The Force for Nature grants not only provide financial support, but are also effective in fostering a sense of collective responsibility and stewardship among local communities.
“Over 600 volunteer hours have been accrued across the nine projects, with 15.95 acres of land enhanced.
“It has been an absolute delight to watch these projects grow and come to fruition and shows how small actions on a grassroots level can lead to significant change for the better.”
Set up in 2021, the Force for Nature mini grants scheme is funded by the Welsh Government and run by the Pembrokeshire Coast Charitable Trust. It offers grants of up to £4,000 to local projects within the local community that either support biodiversity, create new green spaces, or deliver on conservation or climate change.
Further information about the scheme is available at www.pembrokeshirecoasttrust.org.uk.
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