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.

A WORKMAN has been injured following an incident involving a road roller in Pembroke on Wednesday morning (March 26).

Emergency services were called to Station Road at around 11:30am after reports of a single-vehicle collision involving the machinery.

The road was closed at 11:50am and reopened just before 1:00pm, with slow traffic reported in the surrounding area.

A spokesperson for Dyfed-Powys Police said: “Dyfed-Powys Police received a report of a single-vehicle road traffic collision, involving a workman and a road roller, on the A4139, Station Road, Pembroke, at approximately 11:30am on Wednesday, March 26.

“The road was closed at 11:50am and reopened just before 1:00pm. A man was taken to hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening.”

The Wales Air Ambulance was also dispatched, with a crew from its Dafen base arriving in the area.

However, a spokesperson for WAA confirmed: “On discussion with the other services present, we were advised that we were not required. We were cleared from the scene at 11:50am without landing or having any patient contact.”

Trussell Trust warns of rising hunger as 3.2 million face benefit losses

DISABLED people across Wales are facing what campaigners have called “brutal” and “terrifying” cuts to their benefits after the Chancellor’s Spring Statement revealed sweeping welfare changes that will leave millions worse off.

Rachel Reeves, delivering her first Spring Statement as Chancellor, claimed that the changes would help restore a £9.9bn surplus by 2029-30. However, the Department for Work and Pensions quietly published figures showing that 3.2 million families – both current and future claimants – will lose an average of £1,720 a year.

While Reeves defended the changes as part of a plan to grow the economy, critics say the cost is being passed to the most vulnerable – particularly disabled people who are already struggling to afford basic necessities.

In a statement to The Herald, Jo Harry, network lead for the Trussell Trust in Wales, said the cuts would push more people into poverty and hunger.

“These brutal cuts to already precarious incomes won’t help more disabled people find work, but they will risk forcing more people to skip meals and turn to food banks to get by,” she said.

“Disabled people are already three times more likely to face hunger, and over three quarters of people in receipt of Universal Credit and disability benefits are already struggling to afford the essentials like food. This will only get worse.”

‘Terrified’ by cuts

David, 46, who lives in Wales and has a painful bone disease, said he now relies on a Trussell Trust food bank and fears for his future.

“I am terrified now that the Chancellor has confirmed that my disability benefits will be cut,” he said.

“The bone tumours in my hips cause me pain every day and force me to use crutches. In cold weather, my symptoms worsen – but I already can’t afford to put the heating on.”

“Life costs more if you’re disabled. Things like specialist equipment and travel to healthcare appointments all add up. PIP – which the government is brutally cutting – is there to account for these extra costs. It is not a luxury.”

Warnings from experts

The British Medical Journal this week published a warning that cuts to disability benefits could lead to an increase in mental health problems, NHS pressures, and even deaths. In a previous wave of cuts between 2010 and 2013, over one million people had their benefits reassessed – resulting in an estimated 600 suicides.

Meanwhile, the Office for Budget Responsibility warned of a slowdown in living standards growth. Real household disposable income is forecast to grow by just 0.5% in 2027, with inflation expected to rebound to 3.7% in mid-2025.

Campaigners say the Chancellor could have chosen to tax extreme wealth instead of cutting benefits.

Caitlin Boswell from Tax Justice UK said: “Inequality is soaring and people are being left behind, struggling to make ends meet, while the very richest get richer. Choosing to make cut after cut to the poorest and most marginalised, while leaving the vast resource of the super rich untouched, is immoral and harmful.”