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Butcher is cut above rest

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Winner: Ken davies Butchers: Crymych

Winner: Ken davies Butchers: Crymych

A CRYMYCH butcher will aim to be a cut above the competition in the Welsh heat of a national skills testing event.
21-year-old Dafydd Jenkins, who works for Ken Davies Butchers in Crymych, will be showing off his skills at the Wales-wide heat of the Butchery Workskills National Competition in Llandiloes on Sunday (May 17). Five other butchers from across the country will be competing against him for a place in the final, which is to be held at Birmingham’s NEC in November.
The Herald spoke to Dafydd, who started out working for Ken Davies five years ago as an apprentice, about the competition: “I’ts a preliminary heat, we’ve got to bone a half-side of beef and do some barbecue in this round,” he told us. When asked if he fancied his chances, he was confident. “I should manage,” he said.
Ken Davies said that it was something Dafydd had wanted to do. “It’s nice to see youngsters wanting to get involved in these things, I wish him all the best and hope he does well,” he said.
The competition is being organized by Welshpool-based training provider Cambrian Training Company on behalf of WorldSkills UK. The company says they are ‘delighted’ with the number and quality of entries from butchers across Wales, England and Northern Ireland.
Three regional heats have been organised, starting with the Wales heat at Randall Parker Foods, Dolwen, Llanidloes on Sunday, May 17. The Northern Ireland heat will be held at Southern Regional College, Newry on June 18 and the England heat at Leeds City College on July 9.
The heats are being sponsored by The National Federation of Meat and Food Traders, Institute of Meat, PBEX and Randall Parker Foods.
The six top scoring butchers from the combined three heats will qualify for the final to be held at The Skills Show, to be held at the NEC Birmingham from November 19 – 21.The Skills Show is the nation’s largest skills and careers event and helps to shape the future of the next generation.
WorldSkills UK National Skills Competitions are designed to enhance apprenticeship and training programmes and improve and drive skills in the industry. Butchery is one of more than 60 skills to feature in this year’s competitions.
The line-up for the Wales heat is: Tomi Jones, 24, of Jones Brothers, Wrexham, Daniel John Allen-Raftery, 31, of Randall Parker, Llanidloes, Matthew Edwards, 23, of Vaughan’s Family Butchers, Penyffordd, Peter Rushforth, 19, of Swans Farm Shop, Mold, Dafydd Jenkings, 21, of Ken Davies Butchers, Crymych and Clinton Roberts, 58, of Ponty Butchers, Pontardawe.
It promises to be a closely contested heat as Rushforth is defending champion of the Welsh Young Butcher Competition, a title that both Jones and Edwards have won in the past. Last year, Edwards represented Great Britain in a European butchery competition and Rushforth will follow in his footsteps later this year.
Having taken butchery apprentices to demonstrate their skills at the Skills Show every year since 2011, Cambrian Training Company was keen to add the vocation to the skills competition to raise the profile of skilful butchers across the UK.
“We are delighted that so many talented butchers from across the United Kingdom have entered this new competition, which will showcase the wealth of butchery skills that we possess on these islands,” said Chris Jones, Cambrian Training Company’s head of curriculum for food manufacture. It’s a major step forward for butchery to be represented as a skill at WorldSkills UK, as we believe the craft needs to be benchmarked and promoted. Its inclusion for the first time is a great tool to further raise the industry’s standards and profile.”

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Community

Mayor of Bergen visits Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre

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IT was a Mayoral gathering when the Burgermeisterin of Bergen, in Germany, paid a visit to Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre in the company of Councillor Aden Brinn, the Mayor of Bergen’s twin town, Pembroke.

There to meet Burgermeisterin Claudia Dettmar-Muller and her colleague Silvia Bothe were two former Mayors of Pembroke Dock, Councillors Pam George and Maureen Colgan, and trustees and volunteers who run the Centre. Joining them was Pembroke’s Deputy Mayor, Councillor Ann Mortenson.

Trustee Peter Mitchell and colleagues gave a guided town of the Centre which has extensive displays on Pembroke Dock’s rich maritime and military history spanning just over two centuries, and its connections with RAF flying boats.

Pic By Martin Cavaney.

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Community

Wonderful night at Haverfordwest Library for special Poet Laureate event

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HAVERFORDWEST Library was delighted to be part of the prestigious Poet Laureate Library Tour for 2024 with a special event on Friday, March 8.
Pembrokeshire County Council Chairman, Cllr Thomas Tudor extended a special welcome to the guests of honour: Poet Laureate Simon Armitage; his guests Owen Sheers and Bethany Handley; plus the winners of the recent library Poetry Competition.
The poetry began with writer, poet and disabled activist, Bethany Handley. Bethany campaigns for better access to nature for disabled people, and her work explores nature and disability, challenging the barriers that disabled people experience.
Bethany’s first poem was heartfelt and humorous about her experience of visiting a beach in her wheelchair. Her final poem also drew on her experiences, being a compilation poem of many well-intentioned, yet impractical or inappropriate, advice that she has received as a wheelchair user.
Owen Sheers is an award winning Welsh poet, author and playwright. He has twice won the Wales Book of the Year as well as the Hay Festival Poetry Medal.
His film-poem, the Green Hollow, about the Aberfan disaster, was BAFTA and Grierson nominated and won three BAFTA Cymru awards, including best writer.
Owen read an extract from the Green Hollow, bringing the horror of the disaster to life. He also read poems about parenthood and his experiences as a son and as a father.
The Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage, is the recipient of numerous prizes and awards, including the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry.
Simon launched into a poem about humanity, the universe and working as one. He then used his back catalogue of poems written for music. His poems covered some unusually random themes, particularly those he crafted during the Covid pandemic.
He said that he’d even written a poem inspired by a Velux window and read a beautiful poem about laying in a hammock watching a pair of newly-weds sail overhead in a hot air balloon.
His performances were engaging, humorous and moving and he brought the words to life.
Simon also spoke warmly about the importance of libraries as a child but also as an adult travelling about the country, with libraries always offering a warm welcome.
Ashok Ahir, President of the National Library of Wales thanked the three poets and introduced the new exhibition in the gallery, Dylan: The Lyrical Life of Dylan Thomas.
The exhibition is open to the public until 14th September 2024. Further information can be seen online.
The event drew to a close as Cllr Tudor issued the prizes to the winners of the recent poetry eisteddfod competition. The competition celebrated the language, culture, heritage and literature of Wales.
The theme was Dylan Thomas. Entries could draw inspiration from any of his works or seek inspiration from a specific quote: “from where you are, you can hear their dreams”.
Entries received were of a high standard and were judged by Wendy Morse (leader of the Haverfordwest Library Poetry Group, who would welcome new members, contact Haverfordwest Library for more information); representatives from the Library staff and the National Library of Wales staff. The poems will be on display at Haverfordwest Library until the end of the Easter Holidays.

Prizes have been awarded to:
• Sian Davies: Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, adult written poem category
• James Purchase: I Shall go Gentle into that Good Night, adult written poem category
• Philippa Davies: Dylan is in the Library, adult spoken word category
• Tony Potts: Windfall, adult illustrated poem category
• John Matthews: Dylan Cwmdonkin, adult Welsh language category
• Ellie McGrath: It was all a Dream, 11-14 age category
• Skye-Lea Jones: Are you Listening?,11-14 age category
Thanks to the judges of the poetry competition and to Faber & Faber, who donated the book prizes in support of the Poet Laureate’s Library Tour.
Cllr Thomas Tudor said: “The Riverside opened its doors in December 2018 and has enjoyed many fascinating exhibitions since thanks to the continued partnership with the National Library of Wales.
“The Riverside was one of just six libraries to host this Poet Laureate Library Tour for 2024.
“It is a fantastic achievement for Haverfordwest Library to be a part of these significant events, helping to raise the profile and regeneration of the County Town and I thank everyone who has worked hard to make the event a success.”
The event would not have been possible without the continued support from The National Library of Wales and Haverfordwest Town Council. The President of the National Library of Wales and the Mayor, Sheriff and Clerk of Haverfordwest Town Council were all present.

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Charity

Bags of Books returns to Milford Haven and surrounding areas this Easter

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THE INFAMOUS Bags of Books is set to return to Milford Haven and surrounding areas over the Easter holidays.

Milford Haven School who launched the project with Milford Youth Matters over 3 years ago are continuing in their bid to improve literacy skills and encourage a love of reading for pleasure by giving away over 700 books.

Thanks to funding from the South Hook LNG Community grant they have purchased books for young people of all ages and reading abilities and will be hanging them on the fences of the schools in their catchment area.

The community are invited to come and choose a book from the following locations over the Easter holidays:

  • Neyland Community Primary School – Monday 25th March
  • Johnston Community Primary School – Tuesday 26th March
  • Coastlands Primary School – Wednesday 27th March
  • Gelliswick Primary School – Tuesday 2nd April
  • Milford Haven Community Primary – Wednesday 3rd April
  • St Francis Community Primary – Wednesday 3rd April

Milford Haven Secondary School will also hang over 150 books on their fence after the Easter Holidays on Wednesday 10th April for those in our community who cannot attend the other locations.

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