Steffan Rhodri and Mark Lewis Jones lead major Welsh production as cameras roll in the famous seaside town

TENBY is preparing for a spell in the television spotlight after filming got under way on a major new BBC crime drama set in the heart of the resort town.

Old Town Murders, a new six-part series for BBC One, BBC iPlayer and BBC Cymru Wales, stars Steffan Rhodri and Mark Lewis Jones as two detectives drawn together by personal loss and a string of suspicious deaths in a seemingly idyllic seaside community. The production is being made by Quay Street Productions and is being filmed in Tenby, Cardiff and along the South Wales coastline.

For Pembrokeshire, the announcement is more than just another television commission. It places one of Wales’ best-known coastal towns at the centre of a prime-time BBC drama and offers the kind of exposure that local tourism figures, businesses and residents will immediately recognise.

Tenby’s harbour, narrow streets and postcard setting have long made it one of the country’s most recognisable destinations. Now they are set to become the backdrop to murder, mystery and dark humour for audiences across the UK and beyond.

The series pairs two of Wales’ most recognisable acting talents. Rhodri remains best known to many viewers as Dave Coaches from Gavin and Stacey, while Mark Lewis Jones has built a formidable screen career through roles in productions including The Crown, Keeping Faith and Baby Reindeer.

In Old Town Murders they play DS Sion Dearden and DI Glyn Walsh, two detectives who find themselves thrown together while investigating a series of unusual killings in a close-knit seaside town.

Among the cases promised in the series are the mysterious death of a university professor, the poisoning of a head teacher during a wild swim, and a fatal mix-up linked to a triathlon.

The tone, however, is not being pitched as relentlessly bleak. Instead, the show is being described as witty, twisty and full of warmth, with friendship, second chances and reinvention forming the emotional core of the story.

That may prove to be one of the drama’s biggest strengths. Crime series have become one of television’s most dependable genres, but Old Town Murders appears to be aiming for something slightly different — a coastal whodunnit with a strong Welsh identity, recognisable locations and a central partnership built as much on character as on corpses.

The creative team behind it is also distinctly Welsh. The series has been created and written by Matthew Barry, whose recent credits include Men Up and The Guest. Barry has said he wrote the roles specifically for Rhodri and Lewis Jones after working with them before, suggesting the chemistry between the two leads will be central to the series’ success.

Supporting cast members include James Bamford, Bethan Mary-James, Catherine Ayers and Julie Graham, adding further weight to a production that is already shaping up as one of the BBC’s most notable new Welsh commissions.

There is also an economic angle. The production has support from Creative Wales, meaning the series is not only showcasing West Wales on screen but contributing to the wider Welsh creative economy through jobs and production spend.

No transmission date has yet been announced, but with filming now under way, excitement is likely to build as more residents spot cameras, cast and crew around the town.

For local people, that is part of the appeal. This is not a drama merely inspired by the Welsh coast. It is being made in Wales, by Welsh talent, with Tenby right at the centre of it.

For Pembrokeshire audiences, that alone makes Old Town Murders one to watch.

FROM dawn vigil to choral evensong, the cathedral welcomed worshippers for one of the most important days in the Christian calendar

ST DAVIDS Cathedral marked Easter Sunday (Apr 5) with a full programme of worship, music and celebration.

The day began at 6:00am with the Easter Vigil at the West Front and Nave, sung by the Vicars Choral and Choral Scholars. The service included the lighting of the Easter candle, readings and the first Eucharist of Easter morning.

Worship continued later in the morning with Holy Eucharist at the High Altar at 8:00am, followed by Cymun y Plwyf in the Lady Chapel at 9:30am.

The main Easter Day service took place at 11:00am in the Nave with a Choral Eucharist sung by the Cathedral Choir. The service featured Easter hymns and music, with the Bishop presiding and preaching.

The cathedral’s Easter Sunday celebrations concluded at 4:00pm with Choral Evensong in the Nave, again sung by the Cathedral Choir.

The programme formed part of St Davids Cathedral’s observance of Holy Week and the First Week of Easter, with worshippers and visitors gathering for one of the most significant days in the Church calendar.

Community rallies around grieving family as club honours much-loved player at weekend fixture

JOHNSTON FC paid an emotional tribute at the weekend to Rhyan Nolan after his sudden death at the age of 27.

The club marked the occasion with a flawlessly observed minute’s silence before kick-off, as both teams, officials and supporters came together in his memory.

A signed match ball and Rhyan’s much-worn number ten shirt, covered in messages from team-mates and friends, were also prepared to be handed to his family, who were present for the tribute.

The death of Rhyan has sent shockwaves through the local community, with many gathering around his loved ones in the days since the devastating news emerged.

A fundraiser set up on GoFundMe says his family received the heartbreaking news on Monday that they had lost their “precious, loving son and brother” suddenly at such a young age.

The appeal names his close family as Nichola, Shamus, Brandon, Callum and Lilly, and says relatives are hoping to ease the financial burden while giving Rhyan the send-off he deserves.

It states: “Rhyan deserves a celebration of his short life.”

Johnston FC said it had been a difficult week for all those who knew and loved him, but said it had also been heartwarming to see such an outpouring of love at the match.

The club thanked everyone who helped make the tribute possible, along with those who had sent messages of support and donated towards helping the family.

Photographs shared after the game showed the scale of the moment, with both sides lined up in silence and the orange number ten shirt left covered in handwritten tributes.

For many in attendance, it was a powerful and deeply personal farewell to a young man clearly held in enormous affection.

A GoFundMe appeal has now been launched to support the Nolan family.