Vessel dedicated at Mackerel Quay as Port marks major investment in safety and resilience

MILFORD HAVEN’S new state-of-the-art pilot vessel Llanion has been formally named and dedicated during a ceremony at Mackerel Quay.

The event marked a major milestone for the Port of Milford Haven, which says the vessel reinforces its commitment to safe, efficient and resilient marine operations on the Waterway.

The ceremony brought together civic dignitaries, port representatives, local pupils and members of the maritime community.

Guests included Chaplain Revd Jonathan Brewer, Chaplain Revd Rufus Noy, His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Dyfed Miss Sara Edwards, Andrew Phillips, High Sheriff of Dyfed, and representatives from the Port’s marine team.

Darcey Trueman, Head Prefect at Milford Haven School, formally named the vessel during the ceremony.

She declared: “I name this pilot launch Llanion. May God bless her and all who sail in her.”

Miss Sara Edwards carried out the bottle ceremony, while the dedication and blessing were led by Revd Jonathan Brewer and Revd Rufus Noy.

The service included performances by Milford Haven School Choir, readings from the Book of Psalms, Psalm 23: The Pilots Version, the Lord’s Prayer, and the British and Welsh national anthems.

Step-change in capability

Mike Ryan, Harbourmaster at the Port of Milford Haven, said Llanion represented a major investment in pilotage resilience and operational safety.

He said: “This vessel represents a significant investment in both our absolute commitments to pilotage service resilience and operational safety.

“She sits at the heart of modern pilot boat evolution — combining speed, manoeuvrability and the latest-generation Camarc hull design.

“For our terminal customers, this means confidence that we can continue to respond quickly to their requirements and deliver a safe, efficient and dependable year-round pilotage service.

“Llanion is not just a new vessel, she’s a step-change in capability for the Port.

“She represents the standards we set for ourselves, our commitment to safety, to professionalism, and to doing the job properly, every single time.

“I look forward to seeing Llanion in action and to the role she will play in supporting the safe movement of vessels on the Milford Haven Waterway for many years to come.”

Energy port role

Rebecca Ahern, Head of Commercial and Legal at Dragon LNG and Dragon Energy, one of the Port’s key terminal customers, said the investment strengthened confidence in Milford Haven’s marine operations.

She said: “The Milford Haven Waterway plays a critical role in the UK’s energy system, and safe, dependable marine operations are fundamental to that role.

“This latest investment by the Port further strengthens operational reliability for all terminal users, reinforcing confidence in safe and efficient year-round vessel movements delivered on time and with consistency.

“It supports the long-term capability of the energy cluster here and reflects the consistently high standards of pilotage and marine service on the Waterway.”

Recognising crews

The ceremony also recognised the dedication and expertise of the Port’s launch crews and pilots, whose work underpins the safe movement of vessels in and out of Milford Haven.

The Port said the new vessel would strengthen operational resilience and support its long-term strategic objectives.

The Port of Milford Haven is the UK’s top energy port and Wales’ busiest port, handling around 20 per cent of Britain’s seaborne trade in oil and gas. It supports more than 4,000 jobs and operates as a trust port, with profits retained within the business to maintain and improve navigation, harbour services and port facilities.

Photo caption:

Naming party: Jamie Furlong, Pilot; Mike Ryan, Harbourmaster; Port Chaplain Revd Jonathan Brewer; His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Dyfed Miss Sara Edwards; Darcey Trueman, Milford Haven School Prefect; Andrew Phillips, High Sheriff of Dyfed; Chris Tambling-Baker, Coxswain; Revd Rufus Noy; and Tom Sawyer, Chief Executive of the Port of Milford Haven, aboard Llanion (Pic: Port of Milford Haven).

Campaigners calling for removal of Dyfed-Powys Police chief constable

A PROTEST calling for the removal of Dyfed-Powys Police Chief Constable Dr Richard Lewis is set to take place outside Llanelli Police Station this weekend amid concerns over child safeguarding.

The demonstration, organised through a public Facebook event by Zackery Lee Griffiths, is due to be held on Saturday (May 23) at 11:00am and is expected to last around three hours.

Promotional material for the event describes it as a “predator awareness” protest and claims the chief constable has “failed to safeguard the children of Carmarthenshire.” Organisers are urging people to gather in Llanelli to demand what they describe as “mass action” to better protect children.

The event page states: “The chief constable has allowed our kids to come under huge harm – we are calling for mass action on Saturday as we protest to remove him and protect our kids.”

The protest appears to centre on wider concerns around child protection and policing, although no specific incident or case is referenced in the publicly available event information.

Dyfed-Powys Police has not publicly responded to the planned demonstration.

The Herald has approached Dyfed-Powys Police for comment regarding the allegations being made by organisers and whether senior officers intend to respond to concerns raised by protesters.

Anyone planning to attend is advised to follow police guidance and ensure any demonstration remains peaceful and lawful.

NEW digital resources aimed at helping pupils explore one of the most significant events in modern Welsh history have been launched by the National Library of Wales.

The Aberystwyth-based library has created a virtual escape room and interactive learning materials focusing on the drowning of the Tryweryn Valley.

The resources, available through the library’s website, are designed to support the Curriculum for Wales and help pupils develop historical knowledge, language skills and literacy.

The first resource, aimed at children aged seven to 11, offers a behind-the-scenes look at the library and its collections through an interactive quiz.

The second, aimed at pupils aged 13 to 15, is a virtual escape room in which learners solve a series of clues linked to the history of Tryweryn.

The project forms part of the National Library’s wider aim to support schools across Wales and comes during the National Year of Reading.

Owain Dafydd, the library’s education and skills manager, said: “It feels very timely during the National Year of Reading to release these new resources that will support language development and literacy skills, as well as sharing the story of one of the most significant events of the 1960s in Wales.

“It demonstrates perfectly how the library’s collections can be used to learn in a creative way and contributes to the aims of the library’s Engagement Strategy — Your Library — to engage with all schools in Wales.”

The virtual escape room was funded by Adnodd and developed with Jengyd, a company specialising in Welsh-language escape rooms. The team includes secondary school teachers, helping to ensure the resource is both educational and engaging.

Items from the National Library’s collections, including photographs, artworks, documents and newspaper reports, feature in the new materials. Creative work by Caryl Lewis and Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch has also been included.

Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch said: “I’m delighted that my poem, which examines in a strict syllable count, the experience of being made homeless, is being used as a literacy resource. I would never have dreamt this 20 years ago when I wrote 71,200 Megalitres about this unforgettable part of our history.

“I am very grateful to the National Library for their time and energy in making this happen.”

Adam Lewis, a teacher at Ysgol Plascrug, Aberystwyth, said the materials would help bring Welsh history into the classroom.

He said: “From a teacher’s point of view, the resources expand and enrich the children’s learning, bringing the subjects to life.

“It offers valuable access to schools, bringing the library’s collections directly to them.”

Caption: Children enjoying the new interactive learning resources at the National Library of Wales.