News
King’s statue a step closer
A MINIATURE statue of King Henry VII was unveiled in Pembroke on Saturday, January 16.
There has been a long standing quest for a statue of the king who was born in Pembroke Castle in 1457. Progress is at last being made in the quest as Saturday’s event saw the unveiling of the Henry VII maquette (miniature of the statue).
The event was organised for Pembroke Town Council by the Pembroke & Monkton Local History Society and the large numbers attending gave evidence of the great public interest in this project.
Proceedings were opened by the Mayor of Pembroke, Cllr Pauline Waters who thanked all those present for attending and these included the deputy Chair of Pembrokeshire County Council, Cllr Keith Lewis, Cllrs Arwyn Williams and Daphne Bush, Pembroke Dock Mayor Cllr Peter Kraus, Neyland Mayor Cllr Margaret Brace and Consort Terry plus Pembroke Town Councillors.
The statue project is a partnership between Pembroke Town Council and PCC which has undertaken to match fund the £20,000 that has to be raised through its Town Centre Support Programme.
She then introduced sculptor Harriet Addyman, of Autodromo Narberth, who had been commissioned by Pembroke Town Council to produce the maquette.
Harriet told the audience she had been delighted to receive the commission as it was high time that Henry was celebrated in the place of his birth.
She added that the research phase of developing the maquette had been an amazing journey, and she had been fascinated to learn so much more about the life of Henry VII.
Linda Asman, Project Leader and Chair of the History Society, then gave an illustrated talk on the early life of Henry and traced his march to Bosworth which began at Mill Bay, near Dale, on August 7, 1485.
She and her husband Stuart had followed the route last year (albeit in a vehicle) and photographed the towns and villages where Henry’s army had camped during the progress to Bosworth.
That journey ended with the defeat of Richard III and the birth of a new Royal dynasty – a dynasty born in Pembroke.
A statue of Henry is long overdue but Linda stressed that we should be campaigning for a national visitor centre dedicated to Henry VII here in Pembroke to equal that of Richard III in Leicester: the Ricardians have had much publicity and we need to tell the other side of the story.
A home video followed which was taken in 1985 of the celebrations in Pembroke Castle to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Henry’s accession to the throne – many local people could be could be recognised participating.
The event officially marked the launch of the fundraising campaign to raise the money for the statue. The History Society has made a good start by raising £314 on the day with a coffee morning, raffle and book stall.
Anyone wishing to make a donation can do so to The Henry VII Statue fund c/o Pembroke Town Clerk, Pembroke Town Hall, Main Street, Pembroke SA71 4JS, Tel: 01646 683092. Email: [email protected]
Business
Ferry Terminal ‘extremely busy’ due to ongoing Holyhead closure
PEMBROKE DOCK Ferry Terminal has been experiencing significant congestion today as ferry services remain under immense pressure following the closure of Holyhead Port earlier this month.
The disruption, caused by storm damage, has rerouted ferry traffic through Pembrokeshire, leading to long queues and crowded facilities at the terminal.
The Herald can confirm that it has been very busy today with cars, lorries, and foot passengers queuing in large numbers. Staff are working tirelessly to manage the influx, directing vehicles and assisting passengers as they prepare to board the heavily booked ferries.
A spokesperson for the Port of Milford Haven said: “We are working closely with ferry operators and local authorities to ensure traffic flows as smoothly as possible, but the sheer volume of vehicles is causing unavoidable delays.”
Travelers are being urged to arrive early for their sailings and to remain patient as the terminal operates at full capacity.
Both Stena Line and Irish Ferries have increased capacity on their Pembrokeshire routes, deploying larger vessels, including the Stena Adventurer and the MV James Joyce, to handle the surge in demand.
From our position at the terminal, our photographer has captured photos showing long lines of vehicles, groups of foot passengers carrying luggage, and port staff coordinating efforts to ease congestion.
Authorities are advising non-essential travelers to consider rescheduling their journeys where possible and to monitor updates from ferry operators closely.
(Photos: Martin Cavaney/Herald)
Community
Festive celebrations at St Davids Cathedral this weekend
ST DAVIDS Cathedral is set to host two special events on Sunday (Dec 22), offering a blend of joyful participation and traditional carol singing to mark the Christmas season.
In the morning, families are invited to the Scratch Nativity at 11:00am. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as wise men, angels, sheep, or shepherds and take part in an unrehearsed retelling of the Christmas story. Canon Leigh described the event as: “Complete, wonderful chaos for an hour… but with some poignant, thought-provoking moments to centre ourselves on the real meaning of Christmas.”
Later in the evening, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols by Candlelight will take place at 7:00pm, featuring the Cathedral Choir. The event, steeped in tradition, will see the cathedral bathed in candlelight as carols and scripture readings fill the historic space.
Doors will open at 5:45pm for those seeking unreserved seating, and a large turnout is expected for this beloved Christmas celebration.
Crime
Three men from London admit their guilt over illegal cannabis farm
THREE men admit their guilt after police discover over 700 cannabis plants during a raid on a former school building in Llandysul.
Officers from Dyfed-Powys Police executed a warrant at the former Ysgol Gynradd Llandysul on Heol Llyn Y Fran on November 15. Inside, they found 737 cannabis plants spread across multiple rooms.
Armeld Troksi, 29, and Njazi Gjana, 27, both from Empire Avenue in Edmonton, London, along with Ervin Gjana, 24, from Durham Avenue in Romford, were arrested at the scene and later charged with producing cannabis.
The three men appeared before Swansea Crown Court, where they admitted their involvement in the illegal operation. Defence solicitor Joshua Scouller requested a pre-sentence report for Ervin Gjana, which was granted by Judge Geraint Walters.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 20.
A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson said: “Following a warrant executed at the former school on Heol Llyn Y Fran, officers discovered a significant cannabis grow containing 737 plants.
“We are grateful to the local community for their continued support and cooperation. Officers will remain in the area while the site is secured.
“Our commitment remains firm in disrupting drug production and supply networks across our force area.
“We encourage residents to report any suspicious activity, no matter how small it may seem. Every piece of information can make a difference, and reports can easily be submitted through our website.”
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