Community

Independent journeys course praised

Published

11 years ago

May 13, 2015

independentjourney A NEW road safety course has been introduced teaching Year 7 pupils in Pembrokeshire how to be careful when travelling locally by themselves.

The programme – entitled ‘Independent Journeys’ – has been written specifically for local children by Pembrokeshire County Council’s road safety team.

To date, it has been delivered in three secondary schools – Tasker Milward, Sir Thomas Picton, and Pembroke – and it will be run at Milford Haven School in May.

Sally Jones, Child Pedestrian Coordinator, delivers the course. “The aim is to increase awareness and understanding of road safety among children aged 11 and 12,” she said.

“In many cases, these children are starting to make independent journeys for the first time. We look at lots of different scenarios like going to school, into town, or out with friends, and how they can plan a safe journey – whether it’s by bus, car, bike or by foot.”

The children discuss ways to improve their safety like planning their route, knowing their timings, and being aware of where pedestrian crossings are.

They talk about factors which could be helpful, like taking their phone with them, telling people where they are, and wearing suitable gear if visibility is an issue.

Sally said they also discuss potential dangers and risky behaviour like listening to music on headphones, being on the mobile, or playing by the road.

“We also talk about peer pressure – what it is, how someone can facilitate this, how to resist it, and giving children ways to deal with it,” she said.

“It’s about considering all these different factors before they set off on a journey by themselves.”

Lauren Davies, Head of Year 7 at Tasker Milward School, said the course had some very valuable messages for pupils.

“The safety of our pupils travelling to and from school is of paramount importance to us, and we welcomed this opportunity to provide them with some road safety advice specific to their age group,” she said.

“As well as taking on board the advice given, we hope these pupils will also provide role models to younger pupils starting in September.”

Isabel Winstone, a pupil at Tasker Milward, said: “It made us think about the dangers on busy roads and how we need to try and be safe when we’re near them.”

Fellow pupil Amber McFadden added that the course had made them think about many different issues to do with road safety.

“It teaches you a lot about the world around you, and how you need to keep your eyes open and be looking around for anything that might be a problem,” she said.

Cllr Rob Lewis, Cabinet Member for Transportation, said he was pleased that the new course had been introduced. “We have a range of different road safety interventions, including Kerbcraft – which is taught to all primary school children from the age of five – and Crucial Crew, which delivers safety messages to all pupils in Year 6,” he said. “The new ‘Independent Journeys’ programme is an important addition.”

Community

Lauren Clewes begins trainee solicitor role at Eaton-Evans and Morris

Published

17 hours ago

April 12, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Pembrokeshire law firm confirms internal promotion after Lauren joined the business as a paralegal in 2024

LAUREN CLEWES has been promoted to trainee solicitor at Eaton-Evans and Morris Solicitors.

Lauren joined the firm in 2024 as a paralegal, working first with Helen Hodges and later with Pauline Mainwaring. Over the coming months, she will work alongside the firm’s fee earners across all departments as part of her training.

Sean Dyer, one of the firm’s directors (pictured), offered his congratulations on her promotion.

Community

Comedy in the Pavilion: Elis James at Eisteddfod y Garreg Las

Published

2 days ago

April 11, 2026

Richard Lewis

COMEDIAN Elis James will take to the Pavilion stage at the National Eisteddfod for the first time this year, performing on Wednesday, August 5 as part of the festival programme. Entry to the gig is included in the Maes day ticket, and with strong roots in the area, his return promises an evening of laughter and a warm homecoming atmosphere.

Famous for making quick connections with people from across Wales on his podcast ‘Elis & John’ on BBC Sounds, Elis will no doubt receive a warm welcome at the National Eisteddfod, arguably one of the best places in the world to connect with fellow Welsh people. With his observational comedy, often inspired by his upbringing in west Wales, this is expected to be an evening full of humour, marking the halfway point of the Eisteddfod week.

Elis said: “I’m very excited. I’ve never done stand-up in the Pavilion before. Mam will be there, I’m sure other members of the family will be there too, but don’t worry, I’m one of those people who is funny under pressure!”

Betsan Moses, the Eisteddfod’s Chief Executive, added: “It’s a pleasure to welcome Elis back home to the Garreg Las area.

“As a Welsh comedy giant, we’re looking forward to a night of humour in his company, reflecting the true spirit of the Eisteddfod.”

Elis was born in Haverfordwest and raised in Carmarthen. He’s a comedian, podcast presenter, actor and broadcaster. Since 2014, he’s presented a radio show with his friend and fellow comedian, John Robins, originally on Radio X before moving to BBC 5 Live in 2019.

Among the UK’s most popular comedians, Elis toured Wales with his show Derwydd in 2024, recording a performance at Carmarthen’s Lyric Theatre. He has since returned to English‑language stand‑up after a ten‑year break.

Day Maes tickets, which include admission to the gig, are available on the Eisteddfod website.

Eisteddfod Genedlaethol y Garreg Las will be held in Llantwd, north Pembrokeshire between August 1 and August 8.

Community

Letterston nursery cemetery container storage plans refused

Published

2 days ago

April 11, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL for a storage container for a “well-established and valued” Pembrokeshire children’s nursery in a nearby cemetery has been refused by county planners.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Diane Evans of Meithrinfa Do Re Mi Nursery sought permission for the installation of a storage container, partially in retrospect, at Horeb Cemetery, Station Road, Letterston.

A supporting statement said: “The container is required to provide essential ancillary storage to support the lawful and established nursery use within the [nearby] chapel building.

“The site forms part of an active cemetery, owned and managed by a group of trustees. The applicant is one of the trustees and has obtained formal permission from the trustees for the container to be sited on this land.”

It added: “The container will be used solely for storage of nursery equipment and materials, including outdoor learning resources, maintenance equipment, and items required to manage both the nursery grounds and the cemetery land. No additional operational activity will take place within or around the container.”

It said the nursery, which provides childcare for approximately 83 children from the local community, “operates with a strong community focus and promotes sustainability and environmental awareness,” with plans to soften the container appearance through the planting of trees, shrubs and flowers.

An officer report recommending refusal said: “Whilst the container itself is modest in size and of a simple rectangular form, the proposal does introduce a rudimentary and visually incongruous structure. Its appearance is out of scale with its surroundings and detracts from the polite architectural character of Horeb Chapel.

“Consideration has been made with regards to alternative locations within the site, however, due to site constraints, the applicant has stated that there is no other feasible position for the container. Given the restrictive nature of the site, combined with its use as a cemetery, raises concerns as to whether a shipping container by its form and design can be considered an appropriate or complementary addition.

“Although the applicant has provided justification regarding the operational need for the additional storage, and while the local planning authority recognises and supports the functional requirements of the nursery, consideration must also be given to more sympathetic design solution.”

One letter of objection raised concerns including the container design, scale, inappropriate siting, visual impact and concerns about its deterioration, along with a potential impact on property values.

The application was refused on the grounds it would be “an overbearing and visually intrusive feature,” having “a detrimental impact on the character and appearance of the site and surrounding area,” and it “fails to identify the green infrastructure baseline of the site and follow a stepwise approach to provide sufficient and accurate mitigation and compensation measures”.