News

Pembroke: Henry VII statue arrives in town

Published

9 years ago

June 8, 2017

Tom Sinclair

Statue: Erected ahead of its official unveiling (pic. Mike Hillen)

WORK to erect a statue of Henry VII in Pembroke has started this afternoon (Jun 8), prior to its official unveiling on Saturday (Jun 10).

The much–anticipated ceremony will take place at 2pm on Mill Bridge, where the statue will stand against the picturesque background of Pembroke Castle, Henry’s birthplace.

Mill Bridge has also been enhanced to make the area an attractive public space with improved seating and flowers.

Project Leader Linda Asman said: “It is marvellous that this project has generated huge public interest, but we could not have got to the place we are now without the combined support of town and county councils.

“It was Pembrokeshire County Council’s Town Centre Support Programme which started it all. This programme offered grants to help fund schemes to enhance our towns, as a result of which Pembroke Town Council formed a Regeneration Committee, chaired by Cllr Dennis Evans, to develop projects.

“The statue was one of the projects put forward for consideration and we were successful in our bid for funding; we were promised £20k provided we could match fund it; £40k being the total amount needed for an 8 foot high bronze statue.”

Pembroke Town Council commissioned local sculptor Harriet Addyman to make the statue. A director of the model making company, Autodromo Ltd of Narberth, Harriet is a model maker and sculptor, having trained in sculpture restoration at CCTA in Carmarthen, followed by a degree in sculpting in Bristol.

Ready for reveal: Workman surround the statue (pic. Mike Hillen)

A short distance away in Clunderwen, the statue was cast in bronze by Martin Bellwood of MB Fine Arts.

In January last year, at a meeting organised by Pembroke & Monkton Local History Society, Harriet’s maquette (miniature) of the statue was displayed for public inspection and the fund raising campaign was launched.

It was greeted with great enthusiasm and generosity from both individuals and local organisations, although the task of raising so much was greatly facilitated by donations from Valero and Mr Richard Evans.

The unveiling will be followed by a community party on the South Quay. The event will feature a marquee, as well as a programme of entertainment, music and games to run through the afternoon and evening.

This will include a performance by Pembroke Male Voice Choir at 2.30pm; Welsh Dancing on the Quay with Dawnsyr Tawerin at 3pm; ‘The Mummer’s Play’ by the East End Flyover Company at 3.30pm; Medieval Music by La Volta at 4pm; and a series of bands performing in the marquee from 5pm–10.30pm.

There will also be an exhibition entitled ‘The Making of Henry’ by the History Society close by in St Mary’s Church. Henry was baptised in St Mary’s, which is also the home of a Thomas Kempe stained glass window of the prestigious, Pembrokeshire-born monarch.

The event is open to everyone. For more information, contact Pembroke Town Hall by calling 01646 683092, or email [email protected].com.

Education

School issues safeguarding alert over children’s use of Roblox

Published

3 minutes ago

December 15, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Ysgol Penrhyn Dewi warns parents about addictive gameplay, unsafe chat functions and scammers

YSGOL PENRHYN DEWI in St Davids has issued a safeguarding warning to parents after concerns were raised about children’s use of the popular online gaming platform Roblox.

In a letter sent to families today (Dec 15), Assistant Headteacher Louise Gray said the school had been made aware of a series of risks linked to the platform, which is widely used by children aged 8–13 – and in some cases younger.

Roblox allows users to create and play games developed by other players. However, the school says this user-generated model can expose children to inappropriate or harmful content depending on which games they access.

Range of risks highlighted

The letter sets out several specific safeguarding concerns, including:

Inappropriate content in user-created games
Highly addictive gameplay, with daily quests and reward systems designed to increase screen time
Easily changed parental controls, allowing children to adjust settings without verification
Chat features that expose younger players to inappropriate messages
Peer pressure from in-game ‘connections’, with children believing they know other users
Emotional dysregulation linked to heavy use of the platform
Scams, including fake offers of free Robux or cosmetic items

Parents are being urged to closely monitor how their children use the platform, who they interact with, and what content they can access.

Guidance available

The school has directed families to the Welsh Government’s Hwb website for further advice on parental controls and safe use of Roblox.

Community

Festive creativity shines as Kurtz MS meets card competition winner

Published

53 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.