BRIAN DAVIES has received the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society’s highest honour after dedicating almost six decades to supporting one of the UK’s oldest agricultural shows

Mr Davies, from Garthbrengy in Brecknock, was named the winner of the 2026 Sir Bryner Jones Memorial Award during the Royal Welsh Show awards ceremony on Monday, July 20.

The prestigious annual award recognises individuals who have achieved the highest standards within their chosen area of the agricultural industry.

This year, the award focused on people who have made an outstanding contribution to the success of a local or regional agricultural show in Wales.

Mr Davies has given 59 years of service to the Brecknock Agricultural Society and has played a major role in sustaining and developing the Brecon County Show.

Having served as chairman, vice-chairman and president, he has worked to encourage young people and local families to become involved in the event, helping to secure its future for generations to come.

Judges Harry Fetherstonhaugh OBE and Susan Jones said the decision had been unanimous.

They said: “The winner exemplifies the very highest standards of leadership, commitment and dedication, leaving a lasting legacy that will benefit the show for years to come. A truly deserving recipient of this award.

“Brian’s contribution ensures Brecon County Show remains relevant, inclusive and capable of evolving in a changing world and changing agricultural landscape.

“His understanding of how the event works, together with his unwavering commitment to its volunteers and his ability to inspire the next generation, is most impressive and will help ensure the long-term future of the show.”

Mr Davies received the Sir Bryner Jones Memorial Trophy, medal and certificate from RWAS president Gethin Havard.

Gareth Roberts, a member of the RWAS board of directors, sponsored the winner’s medal.

The other shortlisted finalists were Edward Morris, from Pembrokeshire, and Enid Williams, from Anglesey.

The award commemorates Sir Bryner Jones, one of the most influential figures in the history of Welsh agriculture and the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society.

He helped shape the direction of the society for more than 50 years, serving as honorary show director from 1908 to 1910, chairman of the council from 1944 to 1953 and president during the society’s 50th anniversary year in 1954.

Sir Bryner was head of the Department of Agriculture at Aberystwyth College and became one of Wales’ leading figures in agricultural education.

He later served as commissioner and chairman of the Agricultural Council for Wales before becoming Welsh Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture.

He was knighted in 1947, with the memorial award first presented in 1957.

Picture caption: Brian Davies, second from left, receives the Sir Bryner Jones Memorial Trophy, medal and certificate from RWAS president Gethin Havard, watched by Ann Davies and award sponsor Gareth Roberts.

Only 63% of patients were dealt with within four hours in June, while treatment waiting lists and ambulance response times also worsened

A&E PERFORMANCE in Wales has fallen to its lowest recorded level, prompting renewed political pressure on the Welsh Government over waiting lists, ambulance response times and delays in cancer treatment.

Official figures show that 63% of patients attending emergency departments in June were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.

The figure was the lowest on record and remained well below the Welsh Government’s 95% target.

Performance was worse in major emergency departments, where fewer than half of patients, 49%, completed their visit within four hours.

A total of 11,826 people spent 12 hours or longer in Welsh emergency departments during June. This was the second-highest monthly figure recorded and an increase from 11,066 in May.

June also saw the highest number of emergency department attendances recorded for that month.

Treatment waiting list rises

The number of referral-to-treatment pathways waiting to begin treatment increased from 680,003 in April to 689,721 in May.

A patient may appear on more than one pathway if they are waiting for treatment for separate conditions, meaning the figure does not represent 689,721 individual people.

The estimated number of individual patients waiting nevertheless increased from around 536,500 to 542,600.

The number of pathways waiting longer than two years rose from 3,694 in April to 4,208 in May, an increase of around 14%.

There was also a rise in pathways waiting longer than a year, from 96,409 to 97,590.

Cancer performance remained below the national target. In May, 57.1% of patients started their first definitive treatment within 62 days of cancer being suspected, compared with the Welsh Government target of 75%.

Ambulance response times deteriorate

Ambulance response times for serious calls also worsened during June.

The median response time for red calls, involving immediately life-threatening conditions, increased to nine minutes and 32 seconds. The time in which 90% of red calls received a response was 23 minutes and 15 seconds.

Orange calls, which can include suspected strokes and other serious but not immediately life-threatening conditions, had a median response time of one hour, 29 minutes and ten seconds.

The longest 10% of orange-call waits exceeded six hours and 14 minutes.

Conservatives blame Plaid government

The Welsh Conservatives said the results showed that the pressures facing the NHS were continuing to deepen.

Shadow Cabinet Minister for Health and Social Care Natasha Asghar MS accused Plaid Cymru of attempting to distance itself from problems that developed under previous Welsh Labour governments.

Plaid supported a number of Labour budgets during the previous Senedd and entered a formal co-operation agreement with Labour between 2021 and 2024, although it was not responsible for running the health department during that period.

Ms Asghar said: “A&E performance has fallen to its lowest level on record, while the number of people enduring waits of 12 hours or more has reached the second-highest figure ever recorded.

“Cancer performance remains well below target, waiting lists have significantly increased and ambulance response times for the most serious red calls have once again deteriorated.

“Plaid Cymru cannot escape responsibility for this. They supported the previous Welsh Labour Government’s budgets and are now running the health service. Patients need urgent action, not more empty promises.”

The Welsh Conservatives renewed their call for the Government to declare a health emergency, increase hospital capacity and introduce a new NHS workforce strategy.

The party also called for a more detailed plan to reduce treatment waiting lists and relieve pressure on emergency departments.

Government says results are unacceptable

Cabinet Minister for Health and Care Mabon ap Gwynfor acknowledged that the figures were “disappointing and unacceptable”.

He said the Government’s immediate priority was to reduce the backlog inherited from the previous administration and ensure that patients who had waited longest were treated first.

Mr ap Gwynfor said: “Too many people are waiting for treatment, and they are waiting too long.

“We have a plan to tackle this which will deliver the real change the people of Wales need to see and that they rightly deserve.”

The minister said the Government intended to develop clinically led surgical hubs to increase capacity and prevent planned operations being disrupted by emergency pressures.

The new administration has proposed an additional £145 million for NHS Wales during the current financial year. This includes £100 million to increase planned-care activity and £25 million in capital funding for surgical and diagnostic hubs.

However, the supplementary budget containing the additional funding had not been approved by the Senedd when the latest figures were published.

Mr ap Gwynfor also said prolonged hot weather had contributed to increased emergency department attendances in June, adding further pressure to NHS and social care services.

He highlighted improved performance for the most serious purple-category ambulance calls, involving patients experiencing a cardiac or respiratory arrest. The response target for those calls had been met consistently over the previous 12 months.

Surgeons call for cross-party action

The Royal College of Surgeons of England said the figures demonstrated the need for increased surgical capacity and greater certainty over NHS funding.

Professor Jon Barry, the college’s director in Wales, said staff were working tirelessly but warned that lasting improvement would require expanded capacity and reliable resources.

He called on political parties to work together, saying that behind every waiting-list statistic was a patient whose life had been placed on hold.

The college said the principle of creating more surgical hubs had attracted support from parties across the political spectrum during the Senedd election.

Problems pre-date new administration

The latest figures cover the opening months of the new Plaid Cymru administration.

The planned-treatment and cancer figures relate to May, when the new Government had only recently taken office, while the A&E and ambulance figures cover June.

Many of the underlying problems, including lengthy treatment waits, missed A&E targets and pressure on ambulance services, developed over several years under successive Welsh Labour governments.

Plaid Cymru can therefore argue that it inherited a health service already facing serious difficulties. However, as the party now controls the health portfolio, attention will increasingly turn to whether its additional funding, surgical hubs and promised reforms deliver measurable improvements for patients.

Cabinet Minister for Health and Care

Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor said: “My immediate priority is clear – cut the waiting list backlog inherited from the previous Government, help those who have been waiting longest, and build an NHS here in Wales that can stand strong for generations to come.

“Today’s statistics are disappointing and unacceptable. Too many people are waiting for treatment, and they are waiting too long. We have a plan to tackle this which will deliver the real change the people of Wales need to see and that they rightly deserve.

“We’re doing things differently to previous approaches. Through our clinically-led surgical hub programme we will strengthen local capacity, get patients treated quicker and ensure that elective care demand is managed more sustainably within day-to-day NHS activity. We are committed to delivering our investment to support waiting list reductions this year.

“June saw the highest number of emergency department attendances recorded for that month. Prolonged hot weather led to more people turning up with heat-related issues, adding further pressure on health and care services. Sustained year-round preparedness is vital to anticipate seasonal risks such as heatwaves, and this Government will work closely with our partners to deliver it consistently. We have already begun preparations for expected winter pressures.

“Meanwhile, the response time target for the ambulance service to respond to patients in the purple category – those experiencing a cardiac or respiratory arrest who need an ambulance immediately – has been met consistently for the past 12 months which I am pleased about.

“I want to recognise the incredible people working in our NHS and social care. Every single day, they show up and give everything they have – often under enormous pressure. Their dedication and compassion is something we should all be proud of. Thank you for everything you continue to do.”

Council says notices are intended to encourage considerate use of the popular waterfront parking areas

NEW parking signs have been installed at Gelliswick Bay in an effort to encourage motorists to use the area responsibly.

The notices have been placed at the section locally known as “the triangle” and at the nearby boat and car park.

Cllr Vivien Stoddart said the signs were designed to promote considerate parking at both locations.

The new signage confirms that parking remains free, while reminding motorists that vehicles must be left within marked bays where provided.

The displayed rules prohibit overnight sleeping or camping, cooking, vehicle repairs, commercial activity and behaviour likely to disturb nearby residents or other users of the area.

The signs have prompted a mixed response from residents online. Some questioned whether the locations could properly be described as car parks, while others raised concerns about the cost and whether the signs would remain in place following previous reports of signage being removed.

Gelliswick Bay is regularly used by walkers, boat owners, swimmers and visitors, particularly during the summer months, when demand for the limited parking spaces can increase.