News

Ancient New Year celebrations still ring true in hidden corner of Pembrokeshire

Published

1 month ago

January 12, 2026

WITH New Year celebrations safely packed away with the tinsels and baubles for another 12 months, a quiet corner of Pembrokeshire is once again preparing to herald in the New Year with gusto.

Cwm Gwaun near Newport is one of the few places in Wales that continues to adhere to a centuries’ old tradition by celebrating Hen Galan tomorrow, January 13, in line with the old Julian calendar, which was used since the time of Julius Caesar and the Roman Empire. When the calendar was reformed in 1752 and superseded by the Gregorian calendar, the people of Cwm Gwaun refused to play ball. And 2026 will be no exception.

Once again this year the children of Cwm Gwaun will go from house to house collecting ‘calennig’ – a new year’s gift – from their neighbours. After wishing the householders good fortune for the rest of the year with a new year’s greeting, usually in song and verse, the children are then given a small gift of money or sweets. Originally, this was food to help sustain families through the hard months of winter. Anyone who has the audacity to ignore the children’s good wishes is destined a year of bad luck or, as the Cwm Gwaun community labels it, ‘llond ty o fwg’ (a houseful of smoke).

The Gregorian calendar modified the use of leap years as a means to keep more accurately to the revolution of the Earth around the sun. Catholic countries were more inclined to accept the reform while Protestant Britain clung to its traditions until the middle of the 18th century.

As the Julian calendar gained a day every 128 years, by the mid 18th century Britain found herself 11 days ahead of her continental neighbours which naturally resulted in confusion and complications for trade and diplomacy.

So from 1752 onwards, the Calendar Act resulted in the new year starting on January 1 rather than on March 25, as had previously been the custom. The tax year, incidentally, which begins on April 6, is the old date for the previous new year of March 25, with the missing 11 days added on.

Another ancient Welsh custom to mark the Julian new year is the Mari Lwyd, where a horse’s head is paraded around on a pole decorated with ribbons and bells. In bygone years, this would have been a real horse’s skull, whereas in more recent years it is a wooden effigy covered in white cloth.

‘Mari Lwyd’ is translated as ‘grey mare’, connecting the traditional to the heritage of the pale horses in Celtic and British mythology, many of which crossed over to the underworld.

Main photo: Stuart Ladd/Herald

Local Government

Milford Haven Hakin by-election candidates confirmed

Published

5 minutes ago

February 19, 2026

Tom Sinclair

THE LIST of candidates standing in the upcoming Pembrokeshire County Council by-election for the Milford Haven: Hakin ward has been published.

Nominations have now closed, and the official Statement of Persons Nominated has been released by the local authority.

Eight candidates will contest the seat. They are:

Derrick Abbott – Independent
Sam Booth – Wales Green Party
Lee James Bridges – Independent
Duncan Edwards – Independent
Nicola Catherine Harteveld – Welsh Labour
Brian Taylor – Welsh Conservative Party
Scott Thorley – Reform UK
Sam Warden – Welsh Liberal Democrats

The by-election will take place on Tuesday, March 17.

Residents wishing to vote must ensure they are registered by midnight on Friday, February 27. Applications can be made online via the UK Government website.

Applications for new postal votes, or changes to existing postal voting arrangements, must be received by 5:00pm on Monday, March 2. Applications to vote by proxy must be submitted by 5:00pm on Monday, March 9.

Poll cards will be sent to registered electors ahead of the election. The council has confirmed that registered 16 and 17-year-olds, along with qualifying foreign nationals, are eligible to vote in this election.

Photographic identification will not be required at polling stations.

The full Statement of Persons Nominated, including full party descriptions, is available on the Pembrokeshire County Council website.

Local Government

Independent Group reshuffle as council tax budget battle looms

Published

2 hours ago

February 19, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Leadership change confirmed weeks before key vote amid warning over school cuts

PEMBROKESHIRE County Council’s Independent Group has confirmed a change in its leadership arrangements following a meeting held on Tuesday (Feb 18), with the changes taking effect from March 23, 2026.

Cllr Anji Tinley will become Group Leader, while Cllr Elwyn Morse will serve as Deputy Group Leader and take on the role of Chair of the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Cllr Michael John will remain Chair of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and Cllr Huw Murphy will become Chair of the Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The changes reflect the forthcoming appointment of Cllr Delme Harries as Chair of Council at the Annual Meeting on May 15. Under council rules, the Chair of Council cannot simultaneously hold a scrutiny chair role.

The Independent Group also confirmed it will not support the Cabinet’s proposed budget, which includes a 4.6% council tax rise for 2026/27 and a 2% reduction — approximately £2 million — in individual school budgets.

Group members said they hoped councillors across the chamber could work together to agree a budget that avoids cuts to education, particularly in light of recent Estyn inspections that have placed three schools into special measures with safeguarding concerns identified.

However, the Group warned that if a budget is approved that imposes what it described as substantial school funding reductions, it will consider invoking constitutional powers to bring forward a motion to rescind the decision.

Crime

Man who threw corrosive liquid at guest and fled abroad jailed

Published

16 hours ago

February 18, 2026

Court Reporter

A BUSINESSMAN who threw a corrosive liquid into a guest’s face during a row at a spiritual retreat before fleeing the country has been jailed for 18 months.

Dean Mayze, aged 38, from Abercrave in Powys, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm following the attack at his Hafan-y-Coed retreat in December 2022.

Swansea Crown Court heard the assault happened after an argument with guest Keifer Price, who had complained about the condition of his accommodation, including a lack of heating and washing facilities.

During the confrontation, Mayze produced a blue container and threw its contents upwards into the victim’s face.

The liquid — described as smelling like ammonia — entered Mr Price’s eyes, nose and mouth, leaving him in severe pain and struggling to breathe.

Medical evidence confirmed injuries consistent with a chemical burn to both eyes. He suffered abrasions, a corneal defect and the loss of the outer corneal layer in one eye, requiring significant treatment to prevent permanent sight loss. He has since recovered without lasting injury.

Fled across Europe

Following the attack, Mayze fled the UK, triggering an international search.

The court heard he travelled across several European countries, including Ireland, France, Italy, Croatia and Greece, before eventually being arrested in Romania in 2025.

Despite being on the run, he remained in regular contact with police by text and email, at one point telling officers he would not be returning to Wales.

His partner initially claimed responsibility for the assault and later received a suspended prison sentence after admitting perverting the course of justice.

Previous conviction

The court was told Mayze has a previous conviction for wounding involving a corrosive substance in Kent in 2013.

Defence barrister Andrew Taylor said his client had experienced harsh conditions while detained in Romania, including contracting scabies without treatment, and described him as remorseful.

However, Judge Geraint Walters said it was “pure luck” the victim had not suffered permanent injuries, describing the attack as a “particularly wicked way of inflicting violence”.