THE NIECE of a member of the crack stunt team who worked on the 1956 production of Moby Dick says she is thrilled that the movie is being celebrated by Fishguard’s Ar Ymyl y Tir/On Land’s Edge Festival in September – 70 years after its cinematic release.

Francesca Bosenius, of Llangwm, fondly recalls some of the escapades of her late “Uncle Ted” – Eduardo (‘Ted’) Palmieri – an accomplished horse rider and stuntman who worked on several top films.

He was immortalised in a famous scene from John Huston’s classic movie for his portrayal of the doomed lookout who loses his footing and plunges into the ocean from the Pequod’s top mast, never to re-surface.

Speaking after witnessing the scene for the first time, Francesca laughed as she said: “That was some drop! But then that’s just the sort of thing uncle Ted would do!

“The story that has been passed down through all of us all is that he apparently had to fall out of the crow’s nest, yet I’ve never found any mention of him in the film credits.

“My uncle was of Italian heritage. My grandparents came over to the UK around the time of the First World War and settled in the south London areas of Mitcham, Tooting and Balham. Uncle Ted was big into racing cars and he had an F M Car Sales showroom in Beckenham, Kent, at one time.One of his party tricks was driving down Streatham Hill in the 1960s in a sports car sat on the back of the driver’s seat steering with his feet!”

She continued: “He and my dad, one of his older brothers, knew the ‘Acid Bath Killer’, John Haig. We lived in Crawley at the time and, don’t ask me how they knew him, but they did. Uncle Ted was born in 1921 and sadly died in 2017. We all knew him as ‘Uncle Ted’ or ‘Uncle Teddy’.”

Another stuntman on Moby Dick was John Sullivan, who would go on to have a small, but memorable speaking role in the 1964 classic movie Zulu as the commander of a cavalry troop desperately fleeing the disaster at Isandhlwana.

During several months of filming in dangerous sea conditions off Fishguard, Sullivan worked alongside other uncredited stuntmen including Joe Powell, who would also appear in Zulu as Sgt Windridge.

According to local legend it was Sullivan who dived head-first from the top mast of the Pequod into the waters of Fishguard Bay in order to win a bet struck with director Huston on the last day of filming.

Other sources claim a local man named ‘Texas’ Jones also made the leap! 

Visit On Land’s Edge for further information.

HEALTH BOARD members are to be quizzed by Pembrokeshire councillors next month over changes to services at Withybush Hospital.

At the March meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, an emergency notice of motion by the council’s 11-strong Conservative Party group demanded that the Welsh Government immediately reverses the decision to cease emergency general surgery at Withybush Hospital.

Last year, Hywel Dda University Health Board consulted with its communities on options for change in critical care, dermatology, emergency general surgery, endoscopy, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, stroke, radiology and urology.

At a two-day meeting earlier this year, the board, amongst its many other decisions, backed changes into emergency general surgery which will see no emergency general surgery operations taking place at Withybush, but a strengthening of the same-day emergency care (SDEC).

At the March council meeting, the Conservative council group, led by Cllr Di Clements, proposed a motion which read: “This council requests that the Labour Welsh Government intervenes in Hywel Dda University Health Board’s recent decision to cease emergency general surgery at Withybush hospital and immediately reverses their decision.

“We believe removing this service critically undermines the sustainability of Withybush hospital’s A&E department.

“Also, the decision by the Health Board does not take into account the impact and potential serious risks it will have on Pembrokeshire residents.”

Cllr Clements’ supporting statement, which included a call for the-then Leader Cllr Jon Harvery to write to the First Minister and Welsh Government, said Pembrokeshire residents “have seen continual downgrading of services over the years, and this has been detrimental to all residents,” adding: “We believe this recent decision is life threatening to those who need emergency surgery and a matter of resident’s safety.”

At the meeting, Cllr Michael John said “there had been an erosion of services for many years,” supporting Cllr Clements’ call, but proposing the addition of calling on the health board to meet with councillors.

Following the request by Cllr Clements, Leader Cllr Jon Harvey agreed to any letter writing, saying he had “fought long and hard to return services to Withybush”.

Members backed Cllr Clements’ call, with Cllr John’s amendment added.

Since then an update was received at the May 14 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council.

A report for members said, following the March meeting, Cllr Harvey, wrote to the-then First Minister Eluned Morgan on March 10, with Chief Executive Will Bramble also writing to the chief executive of  Hywel Dda University Health Board advising him of council’s decision on the same date, requesting his and the Board chair’s attendance at the May council meeting.

It said, since then, Health Board Chair Dr Neil Wooding and Chief Executive Professor Phil Kloer have agreed to attend an Extraordinary Meeting of the council on June 15 to brief the council on service changes and specifically the issue of emergency general surgery, with members having the opportunity to ask questions on the presentation.

Members agreed to note the report ahead of the special June meeting.

HAVERHUB has been accepted onto a one-year Cwmpas Growth Programme as it looks to strengthen its long-term future.

The community venue, based at the former Post Office site in Haverfordwest, said it will receive specialist support from Huw and Cathy at Cwmpas, an organisation which works with social enterprises and community groups across Wales.

The announcement comes after a difficult period for many community venues, with rising costs, financial pressures and the challenge of keeping spaces open, affordable and accessible.

HaverHub said the programme would help it build stability, support its team and volunteers, strengthen the business side of the organisation and protect what the community has already created.

A spokesperson said: “From a derelict old Post Office site to a busy and much-loved community hub, HaverHub has been built through volunteer effort, local talent, creativity and community belief.

“It truly belongs to the community that made it happen.”

The venue has hosted local groups, businesses, performers and events over the years, becoming a place where people can meet, celebrate and connect.

HaverHub said public consultation carried out two years ago had helped secure planning consent for the next stages of development.

The team also said it was looking forward to welcoming new members this year, alongside the return of some familiar faces.

The spokesperson added: “Thank you to everyone who has contributed ideas, skills, encouragement or simply used the space over the years. HaverHub would not exist without you.”