HRH The Princess of Wales, Catherine Elizabeth Middleton, visited Melin Tregwynt, a historic family-owned woollen mill, today, highlighting the enduring traditions and skills of the British textile industry.

Nestled in a secluded, wooded valley near Castlemorris, close to Haverfordwest, Melin Tregwynt has been in continuous operation since at least 1841. The mill, which employs over 40 local people, produces blankets, throws, scarves, cushions and clothing, blending traditional patterns with vibrant colours and contemporary design. Its products are admired globally, from Tenby to Tokyo.

During her visit, the Princess met Melin Tregwynt’s director, Louise Clarke, to learn how the mill preserves traditional craft skills. The company draws on generations of expertise among its staff to mentor young apprentices, ensuring the survival of this historic craft.

Her Royal Highness also spent time with weavers at the loom, observing the intricate process of Welsh double cloth weaving for which Melin Tregwynt is renowned. This traditional technique produces thick, reversible blankets with inverted patterns on each side. The Princess followed the journey of a blanket from initial design to the finished product, seeing the weaving loom in action and meeting the teams responsible for cutting, sewing and finishing the textiles.

The Princess, a long-standing advocate of the British textile industry, has personal connections to the trade: her paternal ancestors were owners of the Leeds-based woollen manufacturer and merchant William Lupton & Co. This visit continues a series of engagements celebrating British textiles, including a tartan-weaving studio in Stirling, Scotland, in January, and visits in 2025 to manufacturers in Carmarthenshire, Suffolk, Kent, and County Tyrone.

A spokesperson for Melin Tregwynt said: “We are honoured to welcome The Princess of Wales. Her visit shines a light on the skill, creativity and dedication of our teams and inspires the next generation of makers.”

The visit underlines the Princess’s ongoing commitment to promoting British craftsmanship and preserving the nation’s rich creative heritage.

Independent Haverfordwest store backs lifesaving crews with year of community fundraising

A WEST WALES department store has raised more than thirteen thousand pounds for a lifesaving emergency service after a packed year of community fundraising.

Staff at Vincent Davies Department Store collected £13,682 for the Wales Air Ambulance Charity, after voting the organisation their Charity of the Year for 2025.

The independent retailer organised events throughout the year, including an Easter bingo, bake sales, quizzes, raffles, staff sales, Christmas jumper days and a festive wreath-making workshop. Charity jam jars placed in Café Vincent also helped gather steady donations from customers.

One of the most popular attractions was the store’s charity singing penguin trio, which drew smiles from shoppers of all ages and boosted collections.

Sarah John, Joint Managing Director at Vincent Davies, said: “Raising £13,682 for the Wales Air Ambulance Charity is something we are extremely proud of at Vincent Davies Department Store. As a director, it’s wonderful to see our community come together to support a charity that makes such a lifesaving difference.”

The air ambulance is consultant-led, delivering hospital-level treatment directly at the scene of serious incidents and, when needed, transferring patients straight to the most appropriate specialist hospital.

Working in partnership with the NHS through the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service, crews can provide advanced critical care including anaesthesia, blood transfusions and even minor surgical procedures before reaching hospital.

Operating across the whole of Wales, its teams travel the length and breadth of the country by helicopter and rapid response vehicle to reach patients quickly in both rural and urban areas.

This is not the first time the Haverfordwest store has backed the cause. In 2016, staff previously raised £5,831 when the charity was also chosen as their beneficiary.

Mike May, the charity’s West Wales Regional Fundraising Manager, said: “We are so grateful to Vincent Davies Department Store for raising an incredible amount for our charity. Throughout the year they put on a variety of different events and what a successful fundraising year it was.

“The charity needs to raise £13 million every year to keep our helicopters in the air and our rapid response vehicles on the road. By raising £13,682, the staff and customers have played an important part in saving lives across Wales.”

The store says it will announce its Charity of the Year for 2026 in the coming weeks.

Met says allegations will be reviewed to see if criminal threshold is met following release of US court files

SCOTLAND YARD is reviewing a series of complaints alleging possible misconduct in public office after fresh claims emerged linking former UK ambassador Peter Mandelson to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Metropolitan Police Service confirmed it has received “a number of reports” following the publication of millions of pages of material by the United States Department of Justice, and will now decide whether any alleged conduct reaches the level required for a criminal investigation.

Commander Ella Marriott said the force would assess each report individually, stressing that a review does not automatically lead to formal proceedings.

The documents, widely referred to as the “Epstein files”, appear to show Mandelson corresponding with Epstein while serving as business secretary during the government of Gordon Brown at the height of the global financial crisis.

According to reports, Epstein was allegedly given insight into internal policy discussions, including proposals around banker bonus taxes in 2009 and details of a eurozone bailout package shortly before it was announced publicly.

Payments questioned

Bank records cited in the US disclosure reportedly show payments totalling 75,000 US dollars made to Mandelson between 2003 and 2004. It is also claimed Epstein paid for an osteopathy course for Mandelson’s husband.

Mandelson has denied any wrongdoing and said he has “no record or recollection” of the alleged transfers.

On Sunday he resigned his membership of the Labour Party, saying he did not want his continued association to cause further difficulty for the party.

In interviews, he dismissed suggestions that Epstein influenced his decisions as a minister and said nothing in the released files pointed to criminality or misconduct on his part.

Pressure mounts

The political fallout has intensified, with Downing Street confirming Keir Starmer has asked Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald to carry out an urgent review into Mandelson’s historic contacts with Epstein while in office.

Brown has also called for an examination of whether any confidential or market-sensitive information was improperly shared during the financial crisis.

The case is the latest in a series of controversies linked to Epstein’s long-standing relationships with powerful figures on both sides of the Atlantic.

Police emphasised that no charges have been brought and that Mandelson is not currently under criminal investigation, but said the complaints process would be handled “thoroughly and impartially”.