News

Badger and the little Red Book

Published

11 years ago

March 5, 2015

badger84image BEFORE Badger begins, he would like to correct an impression that could have been given by his column last week that Cllr Keith Lewis had not repented of any sins. Keith repenteth plenty. Or at least he will soon. It was a case of too many Lewises spoiling the joke. Saint Simon of Neyland will forgive Badger. Saint Simon knows that one word, “Plus” (or minus), can make or ruin a joke however bad. It is Rob Lewis who repenteth not, Saint Simon. Pray for his immortal soul, pray. And after that, on with the motley and back to the fray. A long time ago, when the world was green, adherents to extremist ideology clustered around one or two publications like moths drawn to a flame.

Badger remembers the strident cries of “Socialist Worker!” delivered in a mockney dahn serf accent by Repton old boys whose daddies were something big in the FO; Badger remembers Militant, a newspaper printed and circulated by those who thought everyone had sold out Marxist-Leninism, including —rather surprisingly — the pre-Glasnost Soviet Union. Badger remembers when jokes like this were rather more common: Q: How many Marxists does it take to screw in a light bulb? A: None: The light bulb contains the seeds of its own revolution! But the touchstone of many a member of the lunatic fringe of British left wing politics was a selection of extracts from speeches and aphorisms delivered by the biggest dingbat in the Comtnunist belfry.

Badger refers of course to “Quotations of Chairman Mao Tse-Tung”; otherwise, universally known in the West as “The Little Red Book”. Now, the glorious dawn of a new Cultural Revolution is upon us with the ascent to the giddy heights, Chair of Pembrokeshire County Council, of Chairman Tom Richards. Tom, often to be seen sashaying around Quay Street in a quite fetching scarf, hat and coat combination of a style befitting a gentleman farmer, has ascended to this seat of power not because of his keen insight, still less in recognition of his administrative skill or prowess with a well-timed gavel. No: readers Chairman Tom has been promoted to glory because of the old rule of “Buggin’s ibm”. This is not so much a job for the boys, as a job for one of the “good old boys”. But here is his chance to make a mark. To exchange notoriety for fame. Perhaps, readers, Chairman Tom’s thoughts might give us an insight into the future.

His investigative instincts piqued, Badger tunnelled to the Chairman Welsh Hook fastness to try and get a peep at what makes Tom tick and to discover how the Chairman’s thought processes work. After taking a wrong turn in Cockshoot Wood, Badger espied the tower of St Lawrence’s Church and regained his bearings: guided by the clink of glass on glass to the window of Chairman Torn’s parlour. There, wearing naught but his hat, chain of office, and an enigmatic smile was Chairman Tom. Perched on a stool and illuminated by a flickering oil lamp, Tom sat ploughing through Das Kapital and nodding eagerly.

Strewn around him on the floor were copies of “The Communist Manifesto” and Lenin’s “What is to be Done?” Through his spyglass, Badger spotted one phrase of Lenin’s, heavily underlined “The fear of criticism displayed by the advocates of freedom of criticism cannot be attributed solely to craftiness. No, the majority look with sincere resentment upon all theoretical controversies, factional disagreements, broad political questions.” Chuckling softly to himself, Chairman Tom continued to peruse selections of the literature of the left, scribbling the occasional note in its margins with a quill charged with green ink. Badger had not expected this: the complete works of Jancis Robinson, possibly; The Farmer’s Guardian, probably; The Beano, certainly. But not Chairman Tom showing every researching his own Little Red Book.

Badger had formerly always subscribed to the cock up theory of history and discounted conspiracy theorists as crackpots, like Oliver Stone or Gordon Brown. Now, however, recent events in Pembrokeshire suddenly became clear. Badger’s head swam in a way usually attributable only to over-imbibing on fermented fox. The collapse of the Communist Party after the 1996 Russian election: the re-establishment of Pembrokeshire County Council, the same year. Frustrated in their eastern European homeland, the pinkos had found a new crucible in which to carry out their unholy social experiments: County Hall, Haverfordwest.

The revolution having failed in the former Soviet Union, did the reds go from Moscow to Martletwy? Is it really so far-fetched to suspect that they might have? And if they did that would make the lPPG a Communist front. Not so much a sleeper cell, but a sleep-walking one. Let’s look at the facts, readers. Cadres formed; covert recruitment practices; literature produced secretively; slavish devotion to the party line: a bureaucracy that is only too eager to help rewrite history; the systematic harassment and bullying of refuseniks. CCCP = County Council Communist Party! Badger’s beguiling theory explains so much about the Kremlin on the Cleddau!

The mind-set is the same. The methods are identical. And Chairman Tom’s disdain for democracy and determination to stamp it out at all costs remarkably familiar. The glorious day has finally arrived for the !PPG fellow-travellers. The hammer and sickle replaced with the proud banner of the golden trough triumphant. Readers! Never mind the age old question of whether Bryn is a shape-shifting lizard who needs to travel by private lift twice a day to regenerate into (approximately) human form. The evidence suggests that the commies are already running Pembrokeshire. Altogether, comrades, before the secret police arrive! `Parry Jones’ flag’s a golden trough. Gouge the poor, enrich the toffs”.

News

St Davids lifeboats launched twice in one day after yacht damaged and kayaker rescued

Published

25 minutes ago

May 30, 2026

Tom Sinclair

BOTH St Davids RNLI lifeboats were launched on Wednesday (May 27) after separate incidents involving a damaged yacht in St Brides Bay and a kayaker who had become separated from his craft in Ramsey Sound.

The all-weather lifeboat Norah Wortley was first tasked at 3:12pm to assist a yacht in St Brides Bay after its mast snapped and its sails were lost during gusts in a thunderstorm.

The lifeboat launched at 3:27pm and made its way to the scene, encountering patches of fog and thundery showers en route. Conditions were otherwise described as smooth to slight, with good visibility and winds of between three and five knots.

The volunteer crew arrived at 4:00pm and found the yacht had also lost engine propulsion. A tow was established and the vessel was taken safely to a mooring in Dale.

The yacht was secured to a buoy before the lifeboat departed at 7:00pm. The crew returned to station at 8:00pm and the boat was back on service by 8:15pm.

While the all-weather lifeboat was still at sea, St Davids’ inshore lifeboat was tasked at 5:18pm to a kayaker who had become separated from his kayak.

The crew launched at 5:35pm and headed to the south end of Ramsey Sound, off Treginnis Head. The casualty was located on Shoe Rock, where crew members helped him aboard and carried out a medical assessment.

The kayaker had been wearing a buoyancy aid and had a means of calling for help, allowing him to dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard after becoming separated from his kayak.

He and his craft were safely returned to Porthclais Harbour, and the inshore lifeboat returned to station, where it was back on service at 8:00pm.

RNLI inshore lifeboat helm Chris Limbert said: “This rescue was a brilliant example of why it’s so important to always wear a buoyancy aid and carry a means of contact.

“If the kayaker had been without a buoyancy aid, he may have struggled to stay afloat and get himself safely onto the rock.

“He was also carrying a mobile phone which allowed him to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

“Our crew of volunteers are on call 24/7 to go to people’s aid. Never be afraid to call for help.”

Pic: RNLI/Rosie Rees

Crime

Haverfordwest sex offender jailed over child abuse material

Published

4 hours ago

May 30, 2026

Court Reporter

Registered offender used library computers to hide social media accounts

A HAVERFORDWEST sex offender who used public library computers to exchange child abuse material and discuss the sexual abuse of minors has been jailed for 20 months.

Euwyn Draper, aged 22, of Hill Street, Haverfordwest, appeared at Swansea Crown Court after admitting four breaches of a sexual harm prevention order.

Recorder Greg Bull KC told him the courts had “bent over backwards” to assist him in the past, but said those efforts had failed.

He told Draper: “I’m not going to lecture you because I would be wasting my breath. You knew you had to comply with the order.”

Secret accounts

The court heard that Draper had been made subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order in 2024 after earlier convictions for possessing and distributing indecent images of children.

The order banned him from holding social media accounts in any name other than his own and required him to disclose relationships or friendships to police when asked.

Despite this, Draper secretly maintained accounts on a number of platforms, including X, formerly Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and BlueSky. The BlueSky account had been registered under a false name.

His use of Snapchat was specifically prohibited because of the platform’s auto-delete function.

Library computers

Prosecutor Megan Williams said Draper’s latest offending came to light on May 5 this year during a routine meeting with his offender manager at Haverfordwest police station.

When asked about his internet use, Draper claimed he only went to the library to watch YouTube and listen to Spotify. He denied having any social media accounts or communicating with anyone online.

But as questioning continued, he became “flustered” and admitted he had been chatting to a male online and had an X account which had not been disclosed to police.

Officers attended the library with Draper the following day to examine his digital activity.

After he logged in using his library ID and opened his Google account, police reviewed his X profile and found sexually explicit conversations between Draper and another male in which the pair discussed sexual activity involving children aged five and above.

The court heard that explicit photographs had also been exchanged.

Police also discovered that Draper had reinstalled Instagram after previously deleting the account in front of officers.

Previous offending

Draper has three previous convictions for 14 offences.

In April 2024 he was given a suspended prison sentence and made subject to the sexual harm prevention order for possessing and distributing child sex abuse images.

Within months, he breached the order by maintaining an undisclosed social media account. In September 2024 he was jailed for 16 months for possession of further indecent images.

When interviewed about the latest breaches, Draper answered “no comment” to all questions.

‘Immature young man’

Alex Scott, defending, described Draper as an “immature young man” who lived an isolated life in rented accommodation and acted “impulsively” in relation to social media.

He said Draper had co-operated with police by accompanying officers to the library and recognised the need to address the underlying causes of his behaviour.

Jailed

Draper had previously pleaded guilty to four counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

After giving him a one-third discount for his early guilty pleas, Recorder Bull sentenced him to 20 months in prison.

Draper will serve up to half of the sentence in custody before being released on licence to complete the remainder in the community.

Local Government

Milford Haven school redevelopment moves a major step closer

Published

4 hours ago

May 30, 2026

Tom Sinclair

£141.6m scheme could transform education in the town

A MAJOR step forward has been taken in the long-awaited Milford Haven Schools Redevelopment project after Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet approved the Outline Business Case for the £141.6 million scheme.

The decision, made on Wednesday (May 27), means the business case can now be submitted to the Welsh Government for consideration.

The ambitious project would see a new combined campus built on the current Milford Haven School site, bringing an English-medium primary school together with the secondary school, with some shared facilities.

The plans also include a 40-place Flying Start centre and a specialist Learning Resource Centre for 24 pupils with additional learning needs.

A new Welsh-medium primary school is also planned for Milford Haven, providing Welsh language education in the area.

Alongside the schools redevelopment programme, a new leisure centre will be created. Thornton Sports Hall is set to be demolished as part of the wider changes.

The next stage will be for the council to submit a Full Business Case to the Welsh Government before final approval can be given and construction can begin. Contractors are expected to be on site next year, with the new school buildings due to open in 2030.

The scheme has been discussed for many years, with local families, pupils, staff and the wider community waiting for meaningful progress towards modern education facilities for the town.

There has also been criticism locally over the slow pace of the process, including concerns about Welsh Government bureaucracy and the requirement for repeated business case approvals before funding decisions are finalised.

However, the Cabinet decision marks a significant milestone for one of the largest education projects ever proposed in Pembrokeshire.

If delivered, the redevelopment has the potential to transform education, childcare, Welsh-medium provision, additional learning needs support and leisure facilities for future generations in Milford Haven.