Entertainment

Festival organiser has personal link to Hollywood’s Moby Dick

Published

2 months ago

May 1, 2026

Bill Hamblett’s father helped write the 1956 film script — and his childhood brought him into the orbit of Gregory Peck

THE MAN helping bring a giant lantern parade to life at Fishguard and Goodwick’s Ar Ymyl y Tir/On Land’s Edge Moby Dick-themed festival in September has a remarkable personal connection to the great white whale itself.

**Three amigos: John Huston, Charlie Hamblett and Gregory Peck pictured during the filming of Moby Dick**

Bill Hamblett, director of Cardigan’s Small World Theatre, was a near-neighbour of Hollywood star Gregory Peck during his childhood in California. Even more unusually, Bill’s father, Charles Hamblett, was one of the screenwriters who helped shape John Huston’s classic 1956 film Moby Dick.

“Basically, dad was one of the guys employed to turn Herman Melville’s prose into screen dialogue,” said Bill, who has run Small World Theatre with his wife Ann since 2008.

“He’d decided to go from being a journalist and poet in the UK to trying to crack Hollywood.”

Bill remembers growing up in Santa Monica during the late 1950s and being aware of famous names passing through his family’s world — even if he didn’t fully understand their importance at the time.

“As a kid in Santa Monica I remember being dropped round at Gregory Peck’s house,” he said.

“And I’m pretty certain that John Huston’s daughter, Anjelica, came round to ours for my sister’s birthday party.

“But I’m afraid I don’t have strong memories of Gregory Peck – I wasn’t a particularly starstruck little boy!”

***Bill Hamblett (wearing hat) pictured with his family as a young boy.***

The experiences Charles Hamblett gained during the 1954 Moby Dick shoot off Fishguard later inspired him to write the surreal fantasy novel The Crazy Kill. In the book, Peck becomes ‘Gregory Pinch’ and Huston is reimagined as ‘John Simpson’, in a story that draws on real events but twists them into fiction.

“The Crazy Kill is essentially a pastiche of Moby Dick written in the slang of the 1950s,” Bill explained.

He added that his father’s life was filled with unusual encounters and unexpected chapters.

“You could say dad had a varied and interesting career – he used to hang out with Dylan Thomas, Brendan Behan and all those guys,” he said.

“He also dropped acid as part of the CIA’s secret experiments and later wrote an article about the experience.”

Charles Hamblett later teamed up with journalist and poet Jane Deverson to publish the influential 1964 book Generation X, exploring the emerging mod and beat youth culture.

For Bill, his father’s work remains a striking behind-the-scenes snapshot of the era — and a rare insight into how a major Hollywood production came to west Wales.

“The Crazy Kill’s insight into Huston and Peck is absolutely spot-on and a remarkable snapshot of how Hollywood came to west Wales to make a film about a whale in the middle of the ocean,” he said.

“Huston got that film completed through sheer grit, guts and tenacity and looking back it was a remarkable cinematic achievement – they lost three of those bloody model whales during the filming!”

Bill says it feels strange that, decades later, the story of Moby Dick has returned to his life through the festival.

“And, as a three-year-old child, I was on the periphery of it all,” he said.

“Now that I’m 73, Moby Dick is once again coming back into my life. I mean, you couldn’t make it up, could you?”

For more information about the Ar Ymyl y Tir/On Land’s Edge festival, visit onlandsedge.co.uk.

Entertainment

Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir to perform at Royal Welsh Show

Published

10 hours ago

June 16, 2026

Tom Sinclair

THE HAWKSTONE FARMERS’ CHOIR, winners of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, will perform at the 2026 Royal Welsh Show.

The choir will sing in the main ring on the afternoon of Monday, July 20, the opening day of the show at Llanelwedd, Builth Wells.

Formed by Jeremy Clarkson as part of an advertising campaign for his Cotswolds-based brewing business, the choir has since grown into a national success story, using its platform to raise awareness of mental health within the farming community.

Aled Rhys Jones, chief executive of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome the Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir to the Royal Welsh Show.

“Their performance on the Monday in the main ring, in front of thousands of visitors, will be a truly special occasion.”

He added that it would be the choir’s first official performance in Wales since winning Britain’s Got Talent, and said many choir members had strong links with the Royal Welsh.

Lead soloist Rosie Jones, a beef and sheep farmer from Mid Wales, said: “What an honour to be invited to sing at the Royal Welsh Show 2026.

“This fairytale journey just keeps growing, but the greatest thing to come from it is the community we’ve built within the choir and beyond.”

The Royal Welsh Show is one of Europe’s leading agricultural events, celebrating Welsh farming, food and rural life.

Picture caption:

The Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir (Pic: Britain’s Got Talent / ITV).

Entertainment

Safe Online Gambling: Tips for Staying in Control

Published

1 day ago

June 16, 2026

Staff Writer

In many cases, online gambling is a harmless hobby. However, for others, gambling can become problematic without the right considerations. Thankfully, there are many ways to keep gambling habits restrained to prevent addiction. With that in mind, here are some safe online gambling tips to help you stay in control and keep gambling fun.

Set Financial Limits

Licensed operators must offer tools that allow people to set personal budgets. And from 30 June, they must also provide customers with an opportunity to set deposit limits, which refers to the amount a customer pays into their account over a set duration. These kinds of tools can be invaluable for people who struggle knowing when to stop or have a habit of chasing losses.

Similarly, most reputable casinos also have time limits, to ensure you aren’t spending too much time gambling. Additionally, if you feel you’ve lost control entirely, you can also self-exclude yourself from all sites by registering for an account with Gamstop Online.

Avoid Gambling Under the Influence

Gambling under the influence, after consuming alcohol for instance, can impair your judgement and lead to impulsive decisions. It’s essential that you only gamble while sober and when you’re not experiencing any particularly strong emotions, so you can make more informed, level-headed decisions.

This is especially true when using the fastest payout casinos or high intensity games, as it can be easy to get caught up in the fun, lose money fast, or make more impulsive decisions.

Know the Signs of Problem Gambling

When you gamble, you are taking a risk. Not just financially, but emotionally too. It’s important that you recognise the signs of problem gambling, so you can address any problems early to prevent further harm.

Some of the common signs of problem gambling include:

Frequently chasing losses
Using money intended for savings or essential expenses for gambling
Borrowing money from friends or relatives to gamble
Feeling agitated, angry, or anxious when not gambling
Having a preoccupation with gambling
Feeling out of control or impulsive when gambling
Not engaging in other hobbies or withdrawing from social activities
Concealing or lying to loved ones about gambling habits

Maintain Gambling Best Practices

To prevent your gambling habits from becoming a problem. Be sure to set yourself financial and time limits, avoid gambling when under the influence or when experiencing strong emotions, and get to know the early warning signs of problematic behaviour so you can address any issues quickly.

Entertainment

Waverley marks 79th anniversary with Pembrokeshire sailings

Published

1 day ago

June 15, 2026

Tom Sinclair

THE WORLD’S last seagoing paddle steamer will return to Pembrokeshire this week as Waverley marks the 79th anniversary of her maiden voyage.

The historic vessel will sail from Milford Haven and Tenby on Tuesday (Jun 16), with trips including a daytime cruise around Skokholm, Skomer, St Brides Bay and Ramsey Island from 11:30am to 4:30pm.

There will also be an evening sailing from Milford Haven at 5:00pm, travelling to St Govan’s Head, Caldey Island and along the Pembrokeshire coast, returning at 9:50pm.

Passengers can also join Waverley at Tenby, with sailings to Milford Haven and an evening cruise around Caldey Island and the coast.

On Wednesday (Jun 17), Waverley will make her only Fishguard visit of 2026, with an evening cruise to St David’s Head, passing Strumble Head Lighthouse, from 6:15pm to 9:15pm.

Tickets are available through Waverley Excursions.