THE FLYING SPANNERS is the intriguing title of the talk to the Pembrokeshire Aviation Group’s April meeting.

The speaker, Trevor Clark, will spotlight the role of Flight Engineer which became established among RAF aircrew during World War II with the arrival of large four engine bombers and maritime aircraft.

A former RAF serviceman, Trevor is the Collections Trustee at Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre, Meyrick Owen Way, The Royal Dockyard, where the meeting takes place on Tuesday April 8^th. It commences at 7.30 pm and non-members are most welcome.

Further details from Chairman Graham Clarkson on 01646 689979.

Flight Engineer at his panel on a Sunderland flying boat (Pic: Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre)

Cover image: Flying Officer J B Burnside, the flight engineer on board an Avro Lancaster B Mark III of No. 619 Squadron RAF based at Coningsby, Lincolnshire, checks settings on the control panel from his seat in the cockpit. February 1944

Emergency services to return Thursday as object now submerged

TRESAITH beach, one mile north of Aberporth, was closed on Wednesday (Mar 26) following the discovery of what is believed to be an unexploded World War Two bomb.

Dyfed-Powys Police said the alarm was raised at around 11:45am by a member of the public walking on the beach. The Herald understands the woman entered the nearby Ship Inn to report her concerns.

A member of staff at the pub said: “She came in greatly concerned. It was a massive object, rather rusted, with a pointed nose and a flat end — about two to three feet long.”

The beach was cordoned off by police, and HM Coastguard attended the scene. Officers confirmed that an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team had been contacted and would assess the device.

However, due to tidal conditions, the object became submerged before it could be fully inspected. The Herald understands that both the coastguard and bomb disposal experts are expected to return to the site on Thursday (Mar 27).

Emergency services left the area shortly before midnight, but the cordon remains in place as a precaution.

Further updates are expected as the situation develops.

(Image: File)

AN EXHIBITION of evocative new paintings by Narberth-based artist Mark Crockett will be on display at the Joanna Field Gallery in the Torch Theatre throughout April.

Titled Rear View Mirror, the exhibition offers a deeply personal reflection on Mark’s life since falling seriously ill in 2021. His work captures the fleeting beauty of early morning and dusk — those quiet, in-between moments when the day begins or ends, and where change is always present.

A graduate of art college in the late 1980s, Mark left painting behind after a disagreement with a tutor. What followed was a colourful and unconventional life spent travelling the world — living in converted buses and caravans, restoring stone houses in the Portuguese mountains, fire-breathing at music events, DJing in clubs, surfing, and working as a wedding photographer.

“I didn’t touch a paintbrush for 35 years,” he said. “Then I became seriously ill with an autoimmune condition. Some days I couldn’t even walk. It was a dark time, and I didn’t know how to deal with losing the life I had. One day, for reasons I can’t explain, I picked up a brush — and the paintings just started to fall out.”

Mark now lives with his Canadian wife in a former Post Office building they are restoring together. Despite his return to painting, he never intended to exhibit his work.

“I wasn’t painting to sell or show them — I just needed to do it. It was for me,” he explained. “I’ve always drawn and painted since I can remember. My dad’s a sculptor and painter, my brother’s a digital artist, and now my daughter has just finished a foundation course at UAL. So we’re three generations of artists.”

Rear View Mirror is Mark’s first solo exhibition. “I’m nervous, but excited too. It’s strange — and lovely — to see all the work together in one space.”

His pieces often suggest untold stories or invite the viewer to consider a new perspective. One of his most recent works, Armistice Day, depicts a single red poppy on the far bank of a river — a quiet reflection on personal and collective loss.

Mark shares more of his work on Instagram @papersurfer and at www.papersurfer.com. All images © papersurfer studio 2025.

Rear View Mirror will be on display throughout April during Box Office opening hours at the Joanna Field Gallery, located within the Torch Theatre. For more information, visit www.torchtheatre.co.uk or call the Box Office on (01646) 695267.