TENBY was transformed into a spectacle of steam-powered imagination and Victorian flair over the weekend, as the much-anticipated Tenby Steampunk Festival returned for its second year.

Running from Thursday to Saturday (March 28–30), the festival brought a colourful wave of eccentric costumes, quirky contraptions and community spirit to the seaside town, drawing visitors from across the UK – and even further afield.

Following its hugely successful debut in 2024, this year’s festival was bigger, bolder and even more inventive. Organisers say the event is quickly becoming a staple in the town’s cultural calendar, with national recognition already flowing in. Travel publisher Rough Guides previously hailed it as “a fabulous new festival that offers a window into British eccentricity in one of the UK’s best seaside towns.”

Crowds gathered across Tenby to take part in a host of whimsical and imaginative events, from the ever-popular teapot racing to the fiercely contested Tea Duelling championships – where biscuits met their doom in dramatic dunk-offs.

One of the weekend’s standout experiences was Tea with the Time Traveller, a theatrical nod to H.G. Wells’ classic The Time Machine, which blended storytelling with a touch of the surreal. Meanwhile, new attractions such as airship racing from the dramatic St Catherine’s Island captivated audiences with their creativity and spectacle.

The festival’s beating heart was the De Valence Pavilion, which housed a bustling Steampunk Emporium, a community art exhibition, and a packed programme of stage entertainment. A special screening of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea added a cinematic flourish, complete with a steampunk-themed introduction to transport viewers beneath the waves.

Two spectacular Peacock Parades drew hundreds to the streets on Saturday and Sunday at 2:00pm, weaving their way through Upper Frog Street, Tudor Square, the Harbour, and Crackwell Street in a celebration of colour, costume and community spirit.

Festival-goers also flocked to Church House to enjoy live performances, including the much-loved steampunk cabaret artist Madam Misfit. For those with a taste for the macabre, Victorian ghost walks, Scary Games and a Paranormal Experiment offered something a little darker.

The Victorian photographic parlour proved a hit across the weekend, allowing visitors to capture themselves in timeless, sepia-toned style.

Anne Draper, Tenby’s community engagement officer and the driving force behind the festival, said the energy in the town was “electric.”

“We’ve been blown away once again,” she said. “People came from all over – and the streets really came alive. Steampunk folk don’t just attend the event, they are the event.”

Organised entirely by volunteers, the festival celebrates not just steampunk culture, but the creativity and inclusiveness of Tenby’s community.

Plans are already in motion for next year’s festival, with organisers promising even more magic in 2026.

A PEMBROKE DOCK man is due to be sentenced on Monday (Mar 31) after admitting to assaulting three police officers and resisting arrest during incidents earlier this month.

Ashley Rickard, aged 27, of Elizabeth Court, Pembroke Dock, pleaded guilty to four offences when he appeared at court on March 17. Magistrates adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.

The court heard that on March 15, Rickard assaulted PC Morse in Pembroke Dock while the officer was carrying out his duties as an emergency worker. He also assaulted PC Walker and resisted two other officers, PC Cranmer and PC Kendall, during the same incident in Milford Haven.

All of the offences are understood to have taken place on the same day and involved Rickard obstructing and assaulting officers during the course of their work.

Rickard is due to appear at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court at 10:00am on Monday for sentencing. The offences carry a maximum penalty of up to 12 months in prison or an unlimited fine.

The Herald will report the outcome of the case following the hearing.

A MILFORD HAVEN man is due to appear at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday (Mar 31) facing multiple charges, including the assault of three emergency workers and possession of an offensive weapon.

Adam Williams, 37, of Richard John Road, is facing charges relating to an incident on March 16 in which he is accused of possessing a craft knife in a public place without lawful authority, contrary to the Prevention of Crime Act 1953.

Williams is also charged with three counts of assaulting emergency workers—Police Sergeant 408 Benbow, PC 944 Lee, and PC 764 Mycroft—who were reportedly acting in the course of their duties at the time of the incident.

In addition, Williams is facing a charge of using a motor vehicle without third-party insurance, said to have occurred on Richard John Road on the same date.

The case was adjourned earlier this month for a reports to be prepared.

Williams is expected to return to court at 10:00am on Monday.