News

New S4C documentary focuses on Pembrokeshire company

Published

9 years ago

January 5, 2017

14654295164_a8840a44a0_b MANSEL DAVIES & SON, based in Llanfyrnach near Crymych, is the focus of a brand new S4C documentary which airs later this month.

The new six-part documentary series, Lorïau Mansel Davies a’i Fab, starting on Wednesday, January 18 on S4C (English subtitles available), demonstrates how the company remains very much a family business and the emphasis is on employing local people in the Pembrokeshire area.

The company has kept going in one form or another since 1875 and has been a goods and freight supplier since 1900, initially with horse and cart and then increasingly by lorry. These days, using the latest logistics technology, it has a fleet of over 150 lorries and employs 300 people in its HQ and other locations.

And, as the Tinopolis production team found out, the company is full of colourful characters who combine hard work and utter professionalism with a great deal of humour, leg pulling and the milk of human kindness.

The company is headed by Stephen Davies, although his 80-year-old father Kaye Mansel Davies still has more than a say in the running of the yard!

The family own a number of companies in all, but the freight business is the mainstay, and the lorries are a regular site on Wales’ winding ways.

Stephen Davies says: “We are now into the sixth generation of Davieses involved in the business and we want to keep the business within the family. We employ most of our staff from a 25-mile radius of the village and some of our employees are into the third generation of families working for us.

“This is a 365-day-a-year business, carrying all kinds of freight throughout the UK and Europe, so we all work hard. We carry milk from some 400 farms and take them in articulated lorries to processing plants all over the country.”

In the series, viewers will follow the lorry drivers on their journeys, see how the staff cope on Christmas Day and join in Kaye Mansel’s 80th birthday celebrations.

You will get to know the Davies family, Stephen’s wife, Siân, daughter Sasha and son Scott, who all work for the business. Staff camaraderie is pretty evident too, as we meet colourful lorry drivers such as Alan George and Dai Hands, and a host of staff, from schedulers to welders and technicians.

Lorry driver Alan George says: “My dad was a transport manager with the company for many years and that’s how I got involved. It’s a good company and driving is in my blood. Being a lorry driver can be a lonely life and the worst thing is that I’ve missed out on some parts of my son’s upbringing but once you’re behind the wheel and the adrenaline starts flowing you are hooked to it.”

Community

Festive creativity shines as Kurtz MS meets card competition winner

Published

47 minutes ago

December 15, 2025

Tom Sinclair

SAMUEL KURTZ, Member of the Senedd for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, visited Pembroke Dock Community School on Friday 12th December to present a prize to the winner of this year’s Christmas Card Competition.

The competition invited pupils to design a festive Christmas card, with entries received from schools across the area. The standard of artwork was exceptionally high, showcasing the creativity, imagination and talent of young people in the community.

During the visit, Samuel Kurtz congratulated the winning pupil and thanked all those who took part, as well as the teachers and staff who supported the competition. Each child who entered also received a certificate in recognition of their hard work and effort.

Speaking after the presentation, Samuel said, “It was a real pleasure to visit Pembroke Dock Community School today and announce the winner of my Christmas Card competition. This year the winner is Mair Moseley, aged 10, and she designed a wonderful Santa image that really stood out. She has won a chocolate selection set and a £20 book token to enjoy over Christmas.”

He added, “ The creativity and enthusiasm shown by all the children was fantastic, and it made choosing a winner extremely difficult. I want to congratulate all the entrants and thank the staff for their ongoing support.”

Pembroke Dock Community School Headteacher, Mrs Katie Crockford-Morris, added, “We were delighted to welcome Samuel Kurtz MS to the school to present the prize. The children thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the competition, and they were incredibly proud to receive their certificates.”

The winning design will now be used as Samuel Kurtz’s official Christmas card this year, with one copy already on its way to His Majesty, King Charles.

Charity

Two Welsh families fund Childline across the UK on Christmas Day

Published

1 hour ago

December 15, 2025

Staff Writer

Joint £40,000 gift ensures vital support is available when children need it most

TWO Cardiff families have joined forces to fund the NSPCC’s Childline service across the whole of the UK on Christmas Day, ensuring children have somewhere to turn during one of the toughest times of the year.

The Peterson family and the Bowles family are each donating £20,000 as part of the charity’s One Unforgettable Day project. Their combined £40,000 contribution will cover the entire cost of running Childline for 24 hours on 25 December.

Childline operates 12 bases nationwide and offers a free, confidential service to anyone under 19, available day and night, 365 days a year. The festive period is often one of the most demanding for counsellors and volunteers; between 24 December 2024 and 4 January 2025, Childline delivered 4,261 counselling sessions.

Young people reach out to Childline for a range of reasons at Christmas, including mental health struggles, family tensions, financial worries, loneliness, and increased risks of abuse or domestic violence. With schools closed and regular support networks unavailable, demand for help typically rises.

Childline relies heavily on donations, fundraising and charitable partnerships. The support of Alan, Maggie and Hywel Peterson, and Nathan and Claire Bowles and their four children, will ensure counsellors are available throughout Christmas Day for any young person who needs them.

Hywel Peterson MBE, Chair of the NSPCC Cymru Fundraising Board, said:
“It’s an honour to help fund Childline across the whole of the UK this Christmas. This joint donation will ensure our dedicated staff and volunteers are there to support any child who needs us.”

Cardiff entrepreneur Nathan Bowles added:
“We know that Christmas can be a difficult time for some children, so our family is delighted to be joining forces with the Petersons this year to support this vital service.”

Louise Israel, Childline team manager at NSPCC Cymru’s Cardiff base, said:
“While children and young people need Childline all year round, we speak to many who find this time of year particularly difficult. It is only with the support of such generous people as the Peterson and Bowles families that our staff and volunteers can continue to be here throughout the Christmas holidays. This kindness will genuinely make a difference.”

Children can call Childline free on 0800 11 11 or visit www.childline.org.uk.
Anyone concerned about a child’s welfare can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or visit www.nspcc.org.uk for advice.

Crime

Man charged with strangulation and assault offences after October incident

Published

13 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

A MAN recorded in court as having no fixed abode has appeared before magistrates charged with intentional strangulation and two further assault offences.

Michael Sudbury, 50, whose address was not read out in court, but in Herald records is Glan Hafan, Llangwm, appeared before the bench facing multiple charges.

The charges relate to an incident on 22 October 2025 and include: