Racecourse general manager Kevin Hire says this weekend’s Family Fun Day has taken on a much deeper meaning following his major operation and recovery

FFOS LAS RACECOURSE general manager Kevin Hire has paid an emotional tribute to his family as he prepares for this weekend’s Family Fun Day.

Hundreds are expected to attend the popular event on Sunday (Apr 12), but for Mr Hire, 62, this year’s occasion is about far more than racing and entertainment.

Just six months ago, he was preparing to undergo life-saving open-heart surgery. Now, after a long recovery, he is back leading preparations for a raceday centred on the thing he says mattered most during his darkest hours — family.

He said: “It hasn’t just changed how I look at my work. It’s changed how I look at everything.”

The alarm was first raised last spring when a routine walk across the racecourse left him suddenly struggling for breath.

Mr Hire said: “I walked about 150 yards and suddenly I was severely out of breath. I’d never experienced anything like it. I knew something was wrong.”

Initial tests suggested only a minor issue, but further examinations revealed severe aortic stenosis and the need for a double heart bypass.

He said: “I was told my heart was working at 61 per cent capacity and would drop to 40 per cent within a year, then to 20 per cent. There was a serious risk of loss of life.”

For Mr Hire and his wife Nicola, the diagnosis came as a major shock.

He said: “That moment, getting back into the car and going home, we just didn’t know what was ahead.”

In October, he underwent a six-hour operation at Morriston Hospital, where surgeons replaced his aortic valve and carried out the bypass procedure.

After spending a week in hospital, he returned home to begin a lengthy recovery.

The physical toll was considerable. An 18-inch incision to his leg and major chest surgery left him with limited mobility and an ongoing healing process.

Mr Hire said: “You go from being independent to needing help with everything.”

He said the experience made him appreciate more than ever the support of those closest to him.

“Family is special,” he said. “It made me realise the pain they went through. I was going through it, but they were going through it ten times worse because there was nothing they could do.”

His daughters, Mali and Nia, were a constant source of strength, even giving him a Ted Lasso-inspired toy soldier as a good luck charm.

He reserved special praise for his wife Nicola, who took time off work to care for him full-time.

Mr Hire said: “I can’t thank her enough. She stayed with me constantly. We went into the unknown together, but we came out the other side.”

He said the ordeal has changed the way he sees the role of the racecourse in the community.

“That’s why these race days are so very, very important to me,” he said. “It’s tough out there. The cost of living is going up and every penny counts. We want families to come here and have a fantastic day without worrying about the cost.”

Sunday’s Family Fun Day has been designed to make the event as affordable as possible.

Children can attend free with a paying adult, meaning a family of six can get in for the price of just two adult tickets. A range of activities is also included at no extra charge.

Entertainment on the day will include live spring jump racing, as well as an appearance by the K-Pop Superstars, who will perform, meet fans and pose for photographs.

Away from the track, children will be able to enjoy go-karting, face painting, funfair rides and outdoor activities. Ffos Las says rides will cost just £1, well below the usual price at travelling fairs.

Families are also being encouraged to bring their own picnics to help keep costs down, while a wet weather guarantee means that if rain falls during the event, racegoers will be invited back to another fixture free of charge.

For Mr Hire, the day is ultimately about creating happy memories.

He said: “To see the kids smiling and enjoying themselves, that’s what it’s all about. If families can come here, spend time together and make memories, then we’ve done our job.”

After months of recovery, Mr Hire said he knows better than most the value of time spent with loved ones — and this Sunday that message will be at the heart of everything at Ffos Las.

FORMER Labour leader brands party a “posh boys’ club”, accuses Nigel Farage of offering fantasy politics, and warns deep-rooted discontent is fuelling protest support across Welsh communities.

Lord Neil Kinnock has launched a blistering attack on Reform UK, accusing the party of feeding off frustration in Welsh communities while offering little in the way of substance.

The former Labour leader said Reform’s appeal was rooted in grievance rather than genuine answers, and dismissed the idea that the party speaks for working-class voters who feel ignored by mainstream politics.

Speaking about the rise of Reform in Wales, Lord Kinnock said the party was built on resentment and slogans rather than practical policies.

He said: “The only argument going for them is grievance and resentment. You can’t represent people on that basis.”

He reserved some of his strongest criticism for the party’s image and leadership, describing Reform as “a posh boys’ club” with no real concern for the lives of ordinary people in Wales.

“They don’t give a damn about the real wellbeing of the communities of Wales,” he said.

Lord Kinnock said Reform had been able to tap into genuine public anger, but argued it had done so without presenting any serious programme for change.

According to him, the party’s message was heavy on noise and light on detail, with promises that fell apart under scrutiny. He cited Brexit as an example, saying the economic rewards once held out to voters had failed to materialise.

He also took aim at Nigel Farage, accusing him of making grand claims about restoring industry in Wales without regard for economic reality.

In Lord Kinnock’s view, such rhetoric was designed to tell disillusioned voters what they wanted to hear, rather than confront the difficult truths facing post-industrial communities.

He said Reform’s politics were driven by fantasy and performance, not by any serious commitment to the future of Wales.

Lord Kinnock was equally dismissive of claims around immigration, which he said had been wildly distorted in public debate.

He argued that many migrants come to Britain to work, contribute to the economy and pay taxes, and said the suggestion that they are simply a drain on public services was untrue.

At the same time, he acknowledged that immigration had created pressures in some areas, particularly in the aftermath of Brexit, but insisted it had been inflated into a much bigger political issue than the facts justified.

He accused Reform of borrowing from a Trump-style playbook, making exaggerated claims, denying them when challenged, and then repeating them more forcefully when cornered.

He pointed to recent shifts in the party’s position on pensions and benefits as evidence of what he sees as an opportunistic and untrustworthy approach.

Lord Kinnock also criticised the role of the media and social media in Reform’s rise, arguing that views which might once have been dismissed as pub talk are now amplified to a national audience within minutes.

He said Reform had often been treated more generously by sections of the media than it deserved, partly because it provided easy headlines and instant controversy.

But while he was scathing about Reform itself, Lord Kinnock said the anger it is feeding on did not appear overnight.

He argued that discontent in Wales has deep roots, stretching back decades to the collapse of coal, steel and manufacturing communities from the 1980s onwards.

Those changes, he said, tore the economic heart out of many parts of Wales and were carried out without proper planning or meaningful replacement.

The result, in his view, was a lasting sense of abandonment that has never fully gone away.

He said communities hit by pit and factory closures were left feeling deserted by the political and economic system, creating conditions in which protest politics could flourish years later.

That same mood, he argued, also played a major part in Wales voting for Brexit.

Lord Kinnock said many Leave voters were not motivated by racism or ignorance, but by hope — hope that something different might finally improve their lives after years of austerity and neglect.

He said Wales had once enjoyed significant financial benefits from EU membership, and suggested that much of that support had still not been properly replaced.

Turning to Labour’s own position, Lord Kinnock admitted the party faces a difficult battle as the Senedd election approaches.

After nearly three decades in power in Cardiff Bay, he said Labour has the burden of office as well as responsibility for defending its record in a country facing deep structural problems.

He pointed to long-term underfunding, mounting pressure on the NHS, GP shortages, waiting lists, poor health outcomes and low incomes as factors driving dissatisfaction among voters.

He said Wales also faced additional challenges because of its geography, scattered population and limited number of major urban centres.

Taken together, he said, those pressures created a deeply difficult political climate.

Even so, Lord Kinnock insisted Labour still had strengths, praising the leadership of First Minister Eluned Morgan and saying there remained a clear desire within the party to deliver practical fairness.

He also warned that Plaid Cymru was benefiting from disenchantment with the status quo, presenting itself as an alternative for voters who want change but are not drawn to Reform.

Although talk of independence may no longer dominate every debate, he suggested the ambition remained at the heart of Plaid’s politics and said he believed that path would damage Wales rather than strengthen it.

In the end, Lord Kinnock’s argument was that the only lasting answer to Reform’s rise is to deal seriously with the conditions that have made voters so angry and disillusioned.

Unless insecurity, poor public services and economic decline are tackled, he suggested, parties built on protest and discontent will continue to find an audience.

He warned that a Welsh Government led by either Reform or Plaid would hold the country back at a time when stability and serious leadership were badly needed.

Spring appeal launched to rehome 180 birds by Friday deadline

AN URGENT appeal has been launched to find homes for 180 ex-commercial laying hens in Boncath before next weekend, with campaigners warning the birds may otherwise face slaughter.

The British Hen Welfare Trust is holding a rehoming event in Boncath on Saturday (Apr 11), but says kind-hearted adopters must register by 2:00pm on Friday (Apr 10) if the hens are to be given a second chance.

The charity says the birds, all around 18 months old, have reached the end of their commercial laying lives, despite still having plenty to offer as pets.

Supporters say hens are friendly, curious and easy to care for, and can continue to provide eggs while enjoying retirement in a garden or smallholding setting.

Andy Hill, of the British Hen Welfare Trust said: “People are often surprised by how much joy hens bring. They’re funny, curious little characters, they love routine, and they’re genuinely a delight to care for. Plus, they’re still more than happy to pop out the occasional egg.

“With spring finally here, this is the ideal time to start. These girls are more than ready for a fresh beginning, and they really do make wonderful pets.”

The trust says anyone willing to adopt must be able to provide food, water, shelter, security and a little care and attention.

The charity, founded in 2005, says it has now found retirement homes for more than one million ex-commercial hens across the UK, all of which would otherwise have been destined for slaughter.

People interested in adopting can visit the British Hen Welfare Trust website and select the Boncath rehoming event, or call the rehoming team on 01884 860084.