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News

Badger and the farewell to arms

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guybadgerHELLO readers! Last week Badger chilled your spines and tickled your funny bones (he hopes) with the tale of the legendary lost testicles of Pembrokeshire County Council. Today is, however, a solemn day. Today, October 31, is the day that the County Council bids a fond ‘adieu” to the much-loved and respected foul-mouthed bully, Bryn Parry-Jones. Badger will miss Bryn, too, readers. As the punchline to the longest running joke in Pembrokeshire, Bryn (or as Badger likes to think of him, ‘The Brynster’) was a major contributor to Badger’s oeuvre over the last sixteen months.

And after this All Hallow’s Eve, Bryn will be no more the gag of last resort. Fear not, however, Badger is not overly concerned: He is sure the activities of the IPPG’s own Secret Squirrel, Rob Summons, will provide him with plenty of material as he scurries around attempting to plug the leaks in the IPPG ship of state. Poor PC Summons, readers! As he desperately prowls the ether, spying on the IPPG’s ‘enemies’, his adventures into Facebook and the blogosphere will reveal that the regard in which he and his fellow IPPG toadies are held is even lower than even he might have suspected. An online poll on Facebook discovered that not a single IPPG member attracted a single public vote to be leader of the Council. East Williamston’s fearless blogonaut, Jacob Williams, came second in the poll. While that evil so and so Mike Stoddart also featured strongly.

One can only hope that the Burton representative’s bearing of bad news to Jamie Adams is met with more understanding than his counterpart’s in V for Vendetta. But how, Badger wonders, how will we commemorate Bryn? In the past, readers, rulers erected massive monuments to themselves to celebrate their lives and triumphs. One only has to look at the city of Rome – choc-a-bloc with monuments to emperors famous, notorious and obscure – for evidence of even the least distinguished leader’s desperate quest for monumentality. Nero built his golden palace, Trajan his column and Augustus (probably the greatest butcher of them all) built a monument to peace.

Now, readers, it is certain that the former Chief Executive of Pembrokeshire County Council exercised more untrammelled power than even the mighty Constantine the Great, but one would hesitate to put the scale of his achievements as on a par with even Otho of the Roman emperors. The giant golden statue astride a marble horse opposite County Hall is surely a non-starter. Still less likely is the eternal flame to be situated atop the homage to the Brandenburg Gate planned for the entrance to Fishguard Harbour. Perhaps even a memorial hot dog stand might be pitching it a little high, readers. Of course, the relevance of even the most splendid work of art fades from the memory.

The Mona Lisa’s position as the wife of a long-forgotten Florentine cloth merchant is not what makes her portrait famous. In a recent visit to mid-Wales, Badger visited the Welsh Museum of Modern Art. There, he realised that content without context can denude even the most striking painting or sculpture of meaning and significance. Just sticking a label on a daub and expecting it to resonate with its viewer is not enough. And so readers, Badger rejects the idea of a monument celebrating the sparse achievements and many flaws and failures of Bryn Parry- Jones.

There is a sense, after all readers that our reluctance to vote in local elections; our reluctance to stand as candidates; our reluctance to hold to account the ‘good old boys’ and ‘good old girls’ who treat their wards as fiefdoms, led to a situation in which Bryn could hold sway over our biddable, obedient and wilfully ignorant representatives. And through them over us. That must not happen again, readers. Badger hopes that there will never again be a situation where almost a quarter of councillors are elected because nobody else wants to get ten signatures and put themselves forward. Badger has an idea, readers. Badger has mentioned the way in which art and monuments change their meanings as time passes. The same applies to festivals. When Badger was younger, it was ‘Guy Fawkes Night’.

Every year, thousands – if not tens of thousands – of effigies are burned on a pyre. Among the general population, who remembers that it is an anti-Catholic festival? We annually incinerate representations of Guy Fawkes – the would be slaughterer of a king, the Lords and Commons assembled and a large number of Londoners – to ensure we never forget the threat to Britain posed by those of a Roman Catholic persuasion. Nobody thinks of anti-Catholic sentiment as they eat their burger and watch several hundred pounds worth of pyrotechnics streak into the night sky, a –fizzing and a-banging. Or if they do, they are a member of one of those little tin tabernacle churches which are the last redoubt of religious bigots.

So, readers: Combining the horror of Halloween and the explosive bangs and whizzes of Bonfire Night, we could have Bryn Night! Across Pembrokeshire, communities would banish the ghastly shades of Parry- Jones and his sinister little h e l p e r s H a l l a n d Lewis, to remind each other never to let such as he happen again. To add a little extra spice to the occasion a model of a Porsche Panamera could be ceremonially burnt atop a pyre made up of the electoral literature of IPPG councillors. Have a happy Bryn Night and remember, r e m e m b e r , readers!

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Crymych Football Club launches £90,000 fundraising campaign to secure new pitch

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Crymych Football Club – Clwb Pel-droed Crymych – has announced plans for a major new fundraising campaign in a bid to raise £90,000 to fund a new football pitch.

 The ambitious project aims to provide an accessible pitch for the club, which currently boasts two senior teams with 90 signed-up players and a newly formed rapidly growing junior section, attracting over 80 youngsters.

Since its inception just six years ago, Crymych Football Club has gone from strength to strength. In 2023, the club achieved a significant milestone by purchasing its own clubhouse at the Crymych Arms Pub, a hub for players, supporters, and the wider community. Now, the club is turning its attention to securing a dedicated football pitch to further its development and ensure a bright future for football in the Crymych area.

Club Chairman Gary Phillips said: “This is an incredible opportunity for the community to come together and support a project that will benefit generations to come. Our junior section has grown exponentially, and having our own pitch will allow us to nurture local talent and provide an additional focal point for the village. We’re offering a win-win situation – a great return for investors and a lasting legacy for the Crymych area.”

To raise the necessary funds, the club is now inviting individuals to lend £1,000 over three years at an attractive annual interest rate of 4%. This investment opportunity also comes with the added benefit of 30% tax relief under the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), making it a financially rewarding way to support local sports.

With the 4% interest guaranteed, this scheme offers a better return than leaving £1,000 in a traditional savings account. By participating, supporters will not only earn a competitive return on their investment but also play a vital role in securing the future of football in the Crymych Area.

The pitch project is being supported by the community charity PLANED which supports local charities and associations in purchasing and asset transferring property for community benefit. The football club also has support from the Football Association of Wales in developing the new site.

The new pitch will not only serve as a home for the club’s senior and junior teams but will also become a valuable community asset, hosting local events and fostering a sense of pride in the area.

With the support of the community, Crymych Football Club is confident of reaching its £90,000 target and securing a bright future for football in the area.

Those interested in supporting the campaign can find full details of the lending scheme by visiting www.cpdcrymych.cymru. Alternatively, application forms are available at the Crymych Arms Pub or Siop Sian in Crymych.

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Crime

Child seriously injured in dog attack in Pembroke Dock

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A CHILD remains in hospital with serious injuries after being bitten by a dog at a property on Bush Street, Pembroke Dock, on Friday evening (February 22).

Police were called to the scene at around 6:50pm following reports of the attack.

Officers seized one dog, which has since been put down.

A significant police presence remained at the property throughout Saturday and Sunday, with forensic officers seen entering and leaving the house as investigations continued.

A 42-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dangerously out-of-control dog causing injury. She has been released on bail pending further enquiries.

Dyfed-Powys Police have urged the public not to speculate on the circumstances of the incident while their investigation is ongoing.

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News

Waspi campaigners threaten legal action over pension compensation

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Government refuses to pay £10bn to women affected by pension age rise

CAMPAIGNERS fighting for compensation over changes to the state pension age have threatened the government with legal action after ministers ruled out a £10bn payout to those affected.

The Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) group has sent a “letter before action” to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), warning of high court proceedings if the matter is not resolved.

The dispute stems from changes that saw the state pension age for women born in the 1950s gradually raised to match men’s retirement age. The parliamentary and health service ombudsman ruled last March that these changes had not been properly communicated and recommended compensation. However, in December, the government announced that no payments would be made.

Labour leader Keir Starmer previously acknowledged concerns but defended the decision, stating: “Ninety per cent of those impacted did know about the change – and in those circumstances, the taxpayer simply can’t afford the burden of tens of billions of pounds of compensation.”

Angela Madden, chair of the Waspi campaign, accused the DWP of “gaslighting” those affected. She said: “The government has accepted that 1950s-born women are victims of maladministration, but it now says none of us suffered any injustice. We believe this is not only an outrage but legally wrong.

“We have been successful before, and we are confident we will be again. But what would be better for everyone is if the secretary of state now saw sense and came to the table to sort out a compensation package.”

Campaign gathers political backing

The campaign has previously been backed by key Labour figures, including Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, when the party was in opposition.

Around 3.6 million women in the UK were affected by the pension changes, first announced in 1995 and later accelerated in 2011 under the coalition government. Many have claimed they were left in financial hardship, forcing them to rethink their retirement plans.

Labour MP Brian Leishman was among those calling for action, warning that if the party did not deliver “improved living standards,” the next UK government could be a “hardline far-right effort.”

Government stands firm

A government spokesperson said: “We accept the ombudsman’s finding of maladministration and have apologised for the 28-month delay in writing to 1950s-born women.

“However, evidence showed only one in four people remember reading and receiving letters they weren’t expecting, and by 2006, 90% of 1950s-born women knew the state pension age was changing. Earlier letters wouldn’t have affected this. For these and other reasons, the government cannot justify paying for a £10.5bn compensation scheme at the expense of the taxpayer.”

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