Community

Welsh Prime Minister’s favourite cakes revived

Published

8 years ago

June 22, 2016

Tom Sinclair

Recipe restored: Rosalind
Raymond of Jordanston Church
with Mandy Stirling of Wolfscastle
Country Hotel

TO MARK the centenary of David Lloyd George becoming the only Welsh Prime Minister, a hotel has revived the original recipes for Welsh cakes he enjoyed and is using them to fund further restoration to his family church in Pembrokeshire.

Wolfscastle C ountry Hotel near Haverfordwest discovered the recipes for Welsh Cakes and Bara Brith which Lloyd George’s wife Dame Margaret, donated to a cookery book originally published in 1919 by the Criccieth Women’s Institute.

Subtitled ‘Recipes for the Favourite Dishes of The Prime Minister’ the book was reprinted in the early 1970s.

The hotel is working with nearby Jordanston Church in Pembrokeshire, which is to hold an exhibition (June 17-19) commemorating the centenary of David Lloyd George taking office as the only Welsh Prime Minister. The exhibition is open to the public at Jordanston Church and Hall between 10.30am-8pm each day.

Lloyd George’s father, grandfather, grandmother, and step grandfather are buried in the church and his family farmed the neighbouring farm of Trecoed.

As a curtain-raiser to the event Wolfscastle Hotel is hosting a fundraising afternoon tea featuring the Lloyd George cakes, on Sunday, June 12, commencing 4.30pm.

Andrew Stirling, proprietor of the four star Wolfscastle Hotel since 1976 said: “We were fascinated to learn about Lloyd George’s family connection with Pembrokeshire and wanted to help by supplementing the great fundraising work of the wardens of Jordanston Church in the best way we can, by baking cakes!

“We hope people will be equally fascinated to try out cakes made to the exact recipe which Lloyd George enjoyed over 100 years ago.”

Speaking on behalf of the Jordanston Church fundraising team, which has so far raised £100,000 to repair and restore the church including a £63,000 Heritage Lottery grant, Rosalind Raymond said: “We are thrilled that Andy and Mandy Stirling have offered to contribute to our exhibition in this way.

The whole purpose is to raise funds specifically to repair windows at this small and much loved church which has so many historic connections and is very much at the heart of our community.”

Of his roots in the county, Lloyd George once said: “I am a Pembrokeshire lad. I come from Pembrokeshire stock and am proud of it.” (David Lloyd George – Crymych, October 30, 1924).

The Welsh Cakes are referred to in the book as ‘Cachen Gri (Dame Margaret’s Way)’ and the ‘Bara Brith’ is also described as Currant Cake in the 1919 recipe.

Mandy Stirling of Wolfscastle Hotel said: “In trialling the recipes, we found the Welsh Cakes were less sweet than is the norm these days; they are almost savoury and you can imagine them being served spread with butter. These days we tend to add zest of fruit to give a little more flavour, mixed spices, again for more flavour.

The Bara Brith was even more of a marked difference than the style people expect these days. The 1919 recipe used lard, lots of eggs and milk, whilst we use warm black tea in the recipe, which is more common.

Whereas people today will be used to a Bara Brith that is moist and quite sticky, the Lloyd George recipe produced a crumbly, drier cake with just currants rather than the mixed fruit we have. But it is nonetheless delicious and we look forward to serving these lovely cakes to our guests.”

Tickets to the Lloyd George Exhibition Charity Afternoon Tea cost £12 per person, with £6.00 going to the Jordanston Church restoration fund.

Tickets are available from www. wolfscastle.com

Community

Pembs Agricultural Society’s Christmas Fair expands to an all-weekend event

Published

8 hours ago

November 15, 2024

Tom Sinclair

PEMBROKESHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY’S Christmas Fair will be an all-weekend event next month. The Christmas shopping extravaganza is all set to take place on Saturday, 14 December as well as Sunday, 15 December.

The Parkhouse building on the Haverfordwest Showground will be transformed into a Christmas paradise. There will be even more stalls this year with a wide variety of quality local businesses exhibiting as well as festive music, Santa in his Grotto and an outdoor food court.

Judith Roach and Emma Thomas, the event organisers, said, “We are excited to be able to announce that our Christmas Fair will be on for two days rather than just one this year. We continue to build on the success of last year’s event with twice the opportunities to attend and even more stallholders. It will be the perfect start to the festive season as the Parkhouse Building will be transformed into a one-stop-shop for those preparing for Christmas.”

The Fair will be open from 10am until 4pm and admission is free. Visitors will find unique gifts, handmade decorations, art and beautiful homeware. Some of the county’s very best food and drink producers will also have stalls to give visitors the opportunity to stock up on all their festive treats. From decadent chocolate brownies, fudge, festive spirits to Welsh cheeses, there’s something to tantalise everyone’s tastebuds. There will also be a range of outlets for ‘on the go’ eating and drinking.

One special guest at the event will be everyone’s favourite bearded gentleman in red – Santa will be taking time out from his busy schedule to attend the event. There will be a charge of £3 per child to visit Santa and all proceeds will go directly to Sandy Bear charity to support their work. Each child will receive a small gift from Santa as part of their visit. Parents can book in advance via the website: www.sandybear.co.uk/santa

Adam Thorne, Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society’s President is looking forward to the festive event. He said, “The Society would like to thank Judith and Emma for all the hours they have put in, voluntarily, to organise the two-day Christmas event. We’re delighted to be able to offer visitors the opportunity to do all their Christmas shopping whilst enjoying the festive atmosphere.”

Follow Pembrokeshire County Show’s Christmas Fair event page on Facebook for a full list of stallholders in the run up to the event.

Community

Officials announced for 2026 Eisteddfod in Pembrokeshire

Published

19 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE NATIONAL EISTEDDFOD returns to Pembrokeshire in 2026, and organisers have named the officials who will steer this major cultural event over the next year and a half.

With the artistic and local committees already established, meetings to finalise competitions and adjudicators are underway to ensure the List of Competitions is ready by spring. Committee members have also been voting over the past weeks to elect key officials for the Executive Committee.

John Davies, former leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, has been appointed Chair of the Executive Committee. Known for his deep connection to Pembrokeshire and extensive experience with national organisations, Davies aims to make the Eisteddfod a true community event, welcoming involvement from all corners of the region.

Tegryn Jones, Chief Executive of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, takes on the role of Deputy Chair (Strategy). With a strong passion for Welsh culture and language, Jones brings a wealth of experience working with local communities, visitors, and volunteers across three counties.

Deputy Chair (Culture) is Carys Ifan, Director of Canolfan Egin and a seasoned cultural organiser. Based in Llangrannog and originally from Llandudoch, Ifan has led numerous artistic and community projects across the region.

Cris Tomos, a community development veteran with over 30 years of experience, will lead the 2026 Eisteddfod Local Fund. Working with PLANED, a community development charity, Tomos has supported countless community enterprises and co-operatives in Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, and Carmarthenshire.

Non Davies, recently elected as Executive Committee Secretary, brings extensive cultural management expertise as Ceredigion County Council’s Corporate Manager for Culture. Having chaired the Cardigan Local Fund Committee for the 2022 Ceredigion Eisteddfod, Davies is well-versed in managing cultural projects.

National Eisteddfod Chief Executive, Betsan Moses, said: “We’re looking forward to working with John and the team over the next few months as we prepare for the 2026 Eisteddfod.

“There’s almost a quarter of a century since the Eisteddfod was last held in Pembrokeshire, and we’re very much looking forward to returning to the area. 2026 is an important year for us as we celebrate 850 years since the first Eisteddfod was held in Cardigan Castle in 1176.

“We’re looking forward to working in a new way within a catchment area which includes parts of another two counties, which is, of course, a chance to work with local people in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire again.”

Further announcements are expected in the coming weeks, including the sale of competition prizes and opportunities to donate the Crown and the Chair.

The National Eisteddfod will be held in Llantood from August 1–8, 2026.

Charity

Kurtz goes Jurassic as Pantosaurus visits Senedd NSPCC Campaign

Published

1 day ago

November 14, 2024

Richard Lewis

THIS WEEK, the NSPCC’s annual campaign to safeguard children from sexual abuse reached the steps of the Senedd.

Pantosaurus, the friendly mascot of the NSPCC’s PANTS campaign, appeared to raise awareness among Members of the Senedd and the wider public about the vital importance of child safety. The campaign encourages parents and carers to talk openly with young children about risks and protective measures.

The PANTS campaign is built around five key child protection messages:

Privates are private.
Always remember your body belongs to you.
No means no.
Talk about secrets that upset you.
Speak up; someone can help.

After meeting Pantosaurus, Samuel Kurtz MS, Member of the Senedd for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, expressed his support for the campaign

He said: “I wholeheartedly support this important NSPCC initiative. Since its launch in 2013, it has empowered over six million families to discuss this sensitive subject.

“This issue affects communities across Wales, so promoting the five principles of PANTS is essential for everyone in Pembrokeshire and beyond.”