News

All the world’s a stage for Torch youth director Tim Howe

Published

11 months ago

January 29, 2025

Cast your eye over the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School’s alumni, and the role call is a strong one.

Leading names including Daniel Day-Lewis, Jeremy Irons, Miranda Richardson, Helen Baxendale, Pete Postlethwaite and Stephanie Cole all crossed the threshold with an unblinkered determination to do everything within their grasp to make their belief in the theatre their fundamental purpose in life.

“Being offered a place at the Bristol Old Vic was slightly surreal, to be honest, but I knew I had to accept,” explains Tim Howe, who is the senior manager for youth and community at the Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

“I was offered quite an exclusive directing course, and thinking of all those names that had walked through the doors before me was slightly intimidating. But the time I spent there changed my entire perspective.”

Born and raised in Northamptonshire, Tim knew from a very young age that his life was going to revolve around the theatre.

“I never had that overall defining moment when I knew that this was where I’d end up, but the theatre has always been an important part of my life,” he explains.

“I was lucky in that I had parents who believed that if I wanted to do a particular thing, then I should be allowed to give it a go. And even though they weren’t in the least bit theatrical – mum was a nurse and dad worked in education – they supported me all the way.

“As a result I began to feel the ambition, the hope and the aspiration to make drama work.”

His aspiration was further enhanced by his drama teacher at Bishop Stopford School in Kettering.

“It was just a bog standard secondary school but our drama teacher didn’t just care about teaching but about enabling her students to experience absolutely everything in putting on a production. And this included writing the entire show to answering letters from parents. We were never treated like kids and this went a long way in helping us believe in ourselves.”

Following A levels, Tim received an unconditional offer to study drama at Aberystwyth University.

“I didn’t visit the town until the very first day of term,” he says.

“ I remember travelling down the hill to the college thinking where in the world had I got to? And in many ways, Aberystywth is a bit like being here on Milford Haven. You either love it or you hate it but the surroundings fitted my creativity so well.

“Sometimes I was working on five or six productions so it was pretty intense and sometimes stressful, but the way in which we were taught was exceptional. The tutors were really good at dampening people’s egos without it ever feeling toxic and they never made us fall out of love with drama.”

As a result of his degree course at Aber, Tim applied for a place at the Old Vic.

“It was quite an exclusive course for directing, and I went along to the audition not really thinking that I’d get offered a place.”

But two days later, Tim discovered that he’d been accepted.

“It totally changed the way in which I viewed directing,” he explains. “In a production there are lots of actors but only one director, so it’s very easy to start feeling the pressure of how to make the thing work. I’m telling people all the time, to stop trying to be original, because this sets you up to be disappointed. Just embrace the fact that we’re forever borrowing ideas from other people, myself included, and this is what helps us to enjoy a production and find our own sense of ownership.

“And this is what I’m finding with the young people I’m working with here at the Torch. It’s easy to assume that young people are more self conscious than adults, but if you create the correct space for them to perform in, then they lose all sense of their inhibitions. It’s only embarrassing if you’re embarrassed .”

Following his time at the Old Vic, Tim did some freelance directing in London before being appointed the director in residence at Eton College, Windsor.

“This was another rather surreal experience where I met some wonderful people such as the fantastic Patricia Hodge who I sat next to at dinner and King Charles, who was then the Prince of Wales.

“But being at Eton opened my eyes to how unfair it is that students at schools such as this have so many more opportunities than other children,” he said.

“Surely all children should have the right to study drama as well as all the other arts at their respective schools, but sadly the money just isn’t there.”

From Eton he spent some time at Beijing before returning to the UK and directing in St Ives and the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. In January 2023, he was appointed senior manager for Youth and Community at The Torch.

“It’s a wonderful theatre for children and young people as it’s a producing theatre, which is quite unique for a theatre of this size. We produce around three of our own shows a year which gives the youngsters a wonderful insight into how an entire production is put together. They also get the chance to share the space with professionals…people who were once like them and who had the aspiration to follow their dream.

“In many ways I feel as if I’m opening the door for these children by giving them the space, the guidance and the opportunity to talk about how they want to move forward, just like I was given the opportunity all those years ago.”

The Torch Youth Theatre meets on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and caters for children between the age of 7 and 18. For further information, visit the Torch website.

Farming

Basic Payment Scheme 2025 balance paid to 95% of Welsh farmers

Published

4 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Final year of BPS as transition to Sustainable Farming Scheme begins

The WELSH Government says more than ninety-five per cent of farm businesses have now received their full or balance payment under the final year of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), ahead of the introduction of the new Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) in 2026.

Announcing the update on Friday (Dec 12), Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, confirmed that over 15,400 Welsh farm businesses have been paid £68.7m. This comes on top of the £160m issued in BPS advance payments since 14 October.

Final round of BPS payments

The Basic Payment Scheme, which has been the backbone of farm support in Wales for a decade, provides direct income support to help farmers plan and manage their businesses. BPS 2025 marks the last year in which full BPS payments will be made before the scheme begins to be phased out.

The Cabinet Secretary said officials would “continue to process the outstanding BPS 2025 claims as soon as possible,” adding that all but the most complex cases should be completed by 30 June 2026.

Payments issued today represent the main balance due to farmers following earlier advances, giving many businesses the cash flow they need during the quieter winter period—traditionally a challenging time in the agricultural calendar.

Shift to Sustainable Farming Scheme in 2026

From 1 January 2026, the Welsh Government will begin rolling out the Sustainable Farming Scheme, a major reform to how agricultural support is delivered. The SFS will reward farmers for environmental outcomes such as habitat management, carbon reduction and biodiversity improvements, alongside continued food production.

The government has argued that the new scheme is essential to meeting Wales’ climate and nature targets while ensuring long-term resilience in the sector. However, the transition has been closely watched by farming unions, who have raised concerns about the administrative burden, income stability, and the speed at which BPS is being phased out.

Mr Irranca-Davies reaffirmed the government’s stance, saying: “This government is steadfastly committed to supporting Welsh farmers to sustainably produce quality food. This is demonstrated today in our payment of the BPS 2025 balance payments and will continue throughout the transition period.”

Sector reaction

Farming unions are expected to scrutinise the detail of today’s announcement, particularly around remaining unpaid cases. Last year, late payments led to frustration in parts of the sector, with unions calling for greater certainty as the industry faces rising input costs, supply chain pressures and continued market volatility.

The move to the SFS remains one of the most significant agricultural policy changes in Wales since devolution. Ministers insist the shift is designed to support both food production and environmental stewardship, while critics warn the transition must not undermine farm viability—especially for family-run livestock farms that dominate rural areas such as Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire.

What happens next

Farmers still awaiting their BPS 2025 balance will continue to be processed “as soon as possible”, the Welsh Government said. Officials will also publish updated guidance on the Sustainable Farming Scheme ahead of its launch.

The coming year will therefore become a pivotal moment for Welsh agriculture, as the long-standing BPS framework—which provided over £200m annually to Welsh farmers—makes way for a new results-based model that will shape the industry for decades to come.

News

Improved train timetable launches across Wales

Published

5 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Extra services, later trains and boosted Sunday routes as £800m rail investment takes effect

An improved train timetable has come into force across Wales today (Sunday, 14 December), with Transport for Wales (TfW) introducing more frequent services, stronger connections and additional late-night trains on key routes.

The winter timetable update brings one of the most substantial uplifts in recent years on the Wales and Borders network, forming part of the Welsh Government’s ongoing £800 million investment in brand-new rolling stock and reliability improvements.

More trains and later journeys

Among the upgrades, passengers will see:

A new hourly additional service between Chester and Wrexham, effectively doubling the frequency on one of the region’s busiest commuter corridors.
An extra train in each direction every day on the Heart of Wales line between Swansea and Shrewsbury.
Three later last trains from Cardiff to Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil, supporting shift workers and the night-time economy.
A new hourly Sunday service on the Coryton line in Cardiff.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates, said improved connectivity was “absolutely vital” for economic growth and passenger confidence.

“These changes will make a real difference to customers, who will benefit from more services and greater connectivity,” he said. “This has been made possible by our £800m investment in brand-new trains for the Wales and Borders network.

“We will see the doubling of trains between Wrexham and Chester and a later service from the capital to valley communities. In South Wales, people will continue to benefit from simpler, fairer fares through TfW’s Pay As You Go service, and its forthcoming introduction in North Wales will help even more passengers access easy, transparent pricing.”

Full details of the updated timetable are available at: tfw.wales/service-status/timetables

News

Wrecked guard boat still under watch off north Pembrokeshire coast

Published

5 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Tidal changes monitored after dramatic early-morning rescue

A GUARD VESSEL that ran aground off the north Pembrokeshire coast in the early hours of Thursday morning (Dec 11) remains under close observation as tides continue to shift.

The Resolute, a 24-metre guard boat understood to be working for an offshore wind project off the Irish coast, had been sheltering in worsening weather when she was pushed onto rocks near Aber Hywel, Dinas, shortly after 3:25am.

Four crew members were onboard when the vessel grounded in rough seas and a strong southerly wind.

Major rescue effort launched

The crew issued an emergency alert, prompting a full multi-agency response.
A coastguard rescue helicopter, both Fishguard RNLI lifeboats, and coastguard teams from Fishguard and St Davids were sent to the scene.

Turbulent air made a winch rescue impossible and Fishguard’s all-weather lifeboat was unable to get close due to cliffs and submerged hazards. The inshore lifeboat was instead deployed to attempt a transfer in extremely challenging conditions.

During the evacuation, the third crew member descending to the vessel’s life raft slipped, fell into the water and was swept away. Speaking afterwards, RNLI crew member Cedwyn Rogers said the team immediately switched into “hyper-focused” mode as training took over.

Despite the casualty drifting, helm Warren Bean — a volunteer with more than 30 years’ RNLI experience — manoeuvred the lifeboat alongside, allowing crew to haul the man to safety. The remaining crew member was then retrieved, and all four were taken aboard the all-weather lifeboat and brought ashore to Fishguard.

All rescue units were later stood down.

Vessel still stranded and taking on water

The Herald understands that the Resolute remained aground on the rocks yesterday and was taking on water. The crew were later assisted back onboard by a local fisherman to assess damage on behalf of the vessel’s operators.

Management representatives from Ireland were due to arrive to draw up a recovery plan, including arrangements to remove fuel to prevent any potential environmental impact.

Further inspections have been taking place today as the team evaluates the next steps.

Coastguard statement

A spokesperson for HM Coastguard said: “At 3.28am on Thursday morning, HM Coastguard was made aware of a vessel with four persons onboard aground on rocks at Fishguard, Pembrokeshire. RNLI lifeboats and coastguard rescue teams from Fishguard and St Davids were sent to the scene. The four people aboard were rescued by lifeboat, and the helicopter was stood down. The vessel, which is still aground, is being monitored as tidal conditions change.”