Community
Pembrokeshire and unanticipated cards

BRITISH etiquette is getting the better of Pembrokeshire according to a recent survey, which revealed a third of residents in Pembrokeshire keep a secret stash of Christmas cards to return gestures of unexpected goodwill. Hallmark Cards, unwrapped that a third of Pembrokeshire have a secret stash of cards to avoid being caught out by a stray sender. 18 per cent admits to rushing home to write one to return the next day, while one in seven (14 per cent) will lie and say they’ve not written theirs yet, when they have and you were not on their list! One in six (16 per cent) have a secret Christmas card list they work from each year in Pembrokeshire.
A third won’t include colleagues on it though (39 per cent) yet will include their dog (11 per cent) and children’s’ teacher (12 per cent). They have their pets covered, but the relative they are most likely to forget to send a card to are their cousins. Pembrokeshire feels the greetings guilt, with a quarter running home to write you a card immediately or will add you to their list for next year. 5 per cent feel no shame however, saying it’s the season of giving so you shouldn’t feel bad if you don’t return the favour.
Brits are most confused about sending cards to colleagues, and it differs by region as to who we address it to. Wales knows their colleagues best; addressing them to colleague and their partner’s name. North West address them just to their colleague, North East will make each card bespoke depending on their relationship with colleague and Londoners will hazard a guess at marital status and partner’s names for holiday humour.
The nations also differ with how to sign off a card. Scotland and England will write ‘Best Wishes’ or just write their name, whereas Wales prefer love, luv or lv followed by their name. Tamsyn Johnston-Hughes, Communications Manager at Hallmark Cards, said: “89 per cent of Pembrokeshire send cards to keep the tradition alive, saying it is the easiest way of spreading Christmas cheer.
“79 per cent also told us it allows them to keep in touch with distance family and friends around the world, so they feel they are spending Christmas Day with more than just their immediate family. With this in mind, we want to encourage people to share a simple Merry Christmas with friends, family and colleagues this year. Received a card you hadn’t expected? Be honest. Don’t know who to address it to? Keep it generic.
But above all; remember to check your card list and check it twice!” Pembrokeshire is also hoping for a secret card from The Queen (14 per cent), closely followed by Father Christmas, his reindeer and elves (13 per cent), who came out as the top celebrity figures the Pembrokeshire hoped to receive a card from. The nation as a whole wants to receive cards, even the next generation. 18 per cent of 16-24 year only send cards to receive them in return; 10 per cent want to decorate their home with them.
Community
West Wales activist recalls fear and resolve after Gaza march derailed in Egypt

Jim Scott from Mathry describes stressful journey, adapted plans, and Egyptian fears over diplomatic fallout
A PEMBROKESHIRE campaigner who travelled to Egypt this month to join the Global March to Gaza has shared his personal account of a fraught and ultimately curtailed international effort to demonstrate solidarity with Palestinians trapped under siege.

Jim Scott, from Mathry near St Davids, was among a small group of UK and Welsh activists who travelled to Cairo with the hope of reaching the Rafah crossing—via Ismailia and the Sinai desert—to hold a peaceful humanitarian presence near Gaza’s border.
The march, which attracted thousands of participants from more than 54 countries, was intended as a symbolic act calling for the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza. But on the ground, Scott says, the effort quickly became complicated by shifting instructions, heavy surveillance, and growing pressure from Egyptian authorities.
“A moral imperative”

“I spent a week wrestling with the decision,” Scott told The Herald. “It felt like a moral imperative. I didn’t know if I was going or not—then I started planning, and the act of planning became part of the commitment.”
He flew to Cairo in early June and connected with other participants via local and international chat groups. At least eight to ten people from Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion, including members of CND Cymru, had joined the international delegation.
Scott said that the original plan—to take organised buses from Cairo to Al Arish and walk approximately 30 miles through the Sinai desert to Rafah—began to shift around June 13 as questions emerged about whether the Egyptian government would permit the action to proceed.
“The bus plan hadn’t disintegrated exactly—it had adapted,” he said. “There was a lot of uncertainty about whether we would be allowed to reach Rafah, so the guidance started to change.”
Changing plans and regional detours

On June 14, Scott and his travelling companion Jo Barrow—who works as a teacher in Iraq—opted to take an alternate route to Ismailia by heading north from Cairo via Zagazig, avoiding heavily monitored roads.
“We realised that taking the main highway would likely bring us into contact with checkpoints,” he said. “Our route wasn’t risk-free, but it was more discreet.”
As they travelled, group chats lit up with reports of growing interference. “From the 13th and 14th onwards, we started hearing that people were being stopped, some had their passports taken, and the situation was getting more difficult. There was fragmentation. People were getting stuck, some were being turned back.”
“No tourists permitted to remain”

After arriving in Ismailia, the pair received location instructions for a tourist resort rumoured to be able to accommodate 4,000 marchers. But confusion and logistical disarray followed.
“We reached Ismailia after dark and ended up being redirected from our accommodation,” Scott said. “We were getting two to three hours of sleep a night. The sense of being watched hadn’t stopped.”
The next day, while near the resort, Scott and Barrow were approached by police. Initially, the officers were courteous, but then one delivered a translated message using a phone:
“I am the Egyptian police. No tourists are permitted to remain in this area. You have to go back to Cairo immediately or you will be arrested.”
They complied and were instructed to book a hotel in Cairo to confirm their travel. The pair left Ismailia and returned to the capital, where the atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense.
“By that point, UK organisers were reportedly being detained in cafés, and it was clear downtown Cairo was no longer safe,” Scott recalled. “We relocated south of the city. It was stressful—people felt they could be arrested at any moment. The surveillance was constant, and hotels were passing information to authorities.”
Egyptian fears over diplomatic fallout

Scott said conversations with Egyptian locals offered insight into the government’s motivations.
“The word on the street from Egyptian people was that the authorities were genuinely fearful for our safety. They felt that if Israel opened fire and foreign nationals were killed, it would trigger a huge diplomatic crisis—and devastate Egypt’s tourism industry, which is vital for the country.”
He said locals acknowledged that foreign protesters were being treated more gently than Egyptian citizens would have been. “One said to me: ‘They treat you like babies compared to how they treat us.’”
According to Reuters, over 400 activists were deported and dozens more detained. The march was officially cancelled on June 16.
Scott returned to the UK on June 20. Barrow returned to Iraq the next day.
“Far more than a performative action”
Despite the disruption, Scott believes the effort had a lasting impact.
“This was far more than a performative action,” he said. “We had no choice but to act and fill a void. When governments fail to uphold international law, ordinary people have to step in.”
In a letter to Pembrokeshire MP Henry Tufnell and Eluned Morgan MS before departing, Scott wrote: “I feel I must act where you have not acted. The UK Government has failed to stop a genocide and has, in fact, been complicit by continuing to authorise arms sales and military cooperation with Israel.”
He welcomed Morgan’s later remarks acknowledging that Welsh citizens had travelled to Egypt for the march and said it was important to have that public recognition.
“For some people watching back home, it wasn’t just another protest. It was their loved ones out there. That helped build awareness in a new way.”
Community
Five call outs for Angle RNLI in just one week

ANGLE RNLI volunteers have had a busy week, with five shouts in just seven days — including two late-night launches, a drifting boat, and two separate incidents on the Cleddau Bridge.
Late-night lifeboat launch after drifting boat reported
In the early hours of Sunday morning (June 22), the crew were woken at 1:54am to reports of a vessel drifting near Lawrenny Quay. The all-weather lifeboat launched swiftly and began searching the area, deploying the smaller Y boat up the Cresswell River while the main crew combed the Carew River and Lawrenny moorings.
With nothing spotted, they pushed on up the Cleddau as far as Llangwm. Thankfully, no one was found in danger, and the crew were stood down around 4:20am. Tenby and Broad Haven Coastguard teams were also on scene carrying out searches from the shoreline.
False alarm near Wards Pier
On Wednesday evening (June 18), lifeboat crew already training at the station were sent out after reports of two 12-year-olds in the water off Wards Pier. They launched quickly and arrived on scene to find no sign of anyone in difficulty — just a few fishermen who hadn’t seen anything.
After a short coordinated search with Dale Coastguard and police, the call was confirmed as a false alarm. The crew were back at the jetty by 7:30pm.
Yacht breakdown sparks rescue mission
On Monday morning (June 16), at 10:19am, the Angle crew were called out to assist a 37-foot yacht with three people on board, drifting three miles south-west of St Ann’s Head with engine failure.
The yacht was under sail but unable to reach safety. A tow was passed, and the lifeboat took the vessel to Hobbs Point, transferring to an alongside tow for the final stretch. The mission was completed by 1:00pm, and the lifeboat was made ready for its next job.
Two separate shouts to Cleddau Bridge
There were also two call-outs to the Cleddau Bridge — one on Saturday afternoon (June 21) and one this evening (June 22) at 5:23pm — both for incidents where police requested assistance. In both cases, the crew were preparing to launch but were stood down before hitting the water, after officers confirmed the incidents had been safely resolved.
Volunteers always ready
The RNLI crew at Angle remain on call 24/7, ready to respond no matter the time, weather or nature of the call. As this week shows — whether it’s a drifting boat, missing children, or a stricken yacht — they’re always ready to answer the call.
Brave volunteers: Ready at all hours to keep our coastlines safe (Pic: RNLI Angle)
Community
Experience life as a cathedral chorister for a day at St Davids

YOUNG singers across Pembrokeshire are being invited to take part in a unique event at St Davids Cathedral this weekend.
The cathedral’s acclaimed music department is hosting a free “Be a Chorister for a Day” event on Sunday (June 22), offering children aged 7 and above the chance to experience life as a chorister.
Running from 1:00pm to 5:00pm, the afternoon promises a mix of music, fun, and discovery. Participants will sing alongside the full cathedral choir, learn new music, and even take part in a real service—offering a rare glimpse into the life of one of Wales’ most historic and celebrated choirs.
The event is led by Simon Pearce and Laurence John of the cathedral’s music team, and aims to inspire the next generation of singers by giving them hands-on experience in the stunning surroundings of St Davids Cathedral.
There will also be activities and entertainment, tea and cake, and a guided tour of the cathedral for accompanying adults. Each child must be accompanied by a responsible adult for the duration of the afternoon.
Every participant will receive a certificate to mark their contribution to the day.
To register, parents or guardians can scan the QR code on the poster or email [email protected]


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