News

Crowds praised for Ironman support

Published

12 years ago

September 13, 2013

THE 2013 Ironman has been described as a wonderful day by the County Council’s cabinet member for culture, sport and leisure, Elwyn Morse.
Councillor Morse was full of praise for the event and said: “The only problem now is we have to wait 12 months for the next one.”
This was the third straight year that Pembrokeshire has hosted the event and although the weather wasn’t great, crowds lined the course to cheer on the athletes.
He went on: “The people of Pembrokeshire have taken Ironman Wales to their heart. They turned out in their legions to support the wonderful competitors.”
The men’s event was won by Scotsman; Scott Neyedli who completed the gruelling course in a time of nine hours, nine minutes and ten seconds completing a 2.5 mile swim, a 112-mile cycle and a full marathon.
The first lady to cross the finish line at Tenby’s Esplanade was Lucy Gossage, who beat last year’s winner Regula Rohrbach of Switzerland by 25 minutes.
This win is Lucy’s second in Ironman competitions after the Brit also won the Ironman UK event in August. The winning lady was gushing in her praise for the spectators. She described it as amazing. She said that she had never seen such wonderful support for an Ironman event before.
Although the event was staged in Tenby, the course was spread across Pembrokeshire and athletes had to navigate their way through Narberth, Saundersfoot and Pembroke.
The athletes set off from the shore at Tenby before making their way through the town to collect their bikes at the Rectory car park.
The ride took them through south Pembrokeshire, including an exhausting climb up Saundersfoot’s St Brides Hill.
Those who managed to survive the opening two stages then had to pick themselves up for four laps around Tenby for the 26-mile run.
Just as the athletes entered the water the rain poured down, it stopped for a brief moment only to start again during the bike race.
Heavy overnight rain made the town’s roads wet and slippery making conditions tough for the cycling leg of the race.
It is one of the toughest events to win and tests the endurance of those involved. Athletes will push themselves to the edge just to get over the finish line.
A 1675 strong field took part in the event, over 40 countries were represented and there were even 90 athletes from Pembrokeshire.
Those who finished the course can take great pride in their efforts having swum, cycled and run for most of the day.
It is estimated that the total spend for Ironman Wales in Pembrokeshire is just over £4 million.
Shops and businesses were booming as crowds flocked from all over the world to cheer on the athletes.
Councillor Morse added: “One hotelier I spoke to was taking bookings three months ahead of the event by competitors coming to train on the course and he could have sold out his establishment three times over during the actual weekend.”
For some, training will have already started for next year and the crowds will once again be looking forward to the event.
With the benefits that Ironman 2013 has brought to the county, it is likely that we will see the event return to Pembrokeshire in 2014.

Business

Unemployment in Wales rises to highest level in a decade

Published

4 minutes ago

December 16, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Welsh jobless rate hits 6.1% as Conservatives blame Labour and Plaid budget deal

UNEMPLOYMENT in Wales has climbed to its highest level in ten years, according to the latest labour market figures.

Statistics covering September and October 2025 show the unemployment rate in Wales now stands at 6.1 per cent — the highest since mid-2015. The figure represents a rise of 1.4 percentage points compared with the previous quarter and remains higher than the UK average.

The increase comes amid continuing pressure on households and businesses, with higher costs, weaker growth and ongoing uncertainty affecting parts of the UK economy.

The figures have prompted criticism from the Welsh Conservatives, who have blamed both the UK Labour Government and the Welsh Government for what they describe as a deepening employment crisis in Wales.

Commenting on the data, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Energy, Samuel Kurtz MS said the Welsh Government needed to take urgent action.

“Labour and Plaid’s unemployment crisis is deepening; the Welsh Government must get a grip,” he said.

“Rachel Reeves’ latest budget has hit business hard, with unemployment rising every month under Labour and yet again higher here in Wales than elsewhere.

“Labour can’t be trusted with the economy. The Welsh Conservatives are offering a bold and costed tax-cutting agenda to kickstart growth, including the abolition of stamp duty and cuts to business rates, but Plaid and Labour’s stitch-up of a budget deal will mean more of the same economic decline.”

The Welsh Government has previously argued that employment figures are influenced by wider global and UK-wide economic challenges, as well as long-standing structural issues within the Welsh economy, including lower average wages and higher levels of economic inactivity.

Ministers have pointed to investment in skills, apprenticeships and infrastructure as part of efforts to support jobs and stimulate growth, while also noting that key economic levers remain reserved to Westminster.

Economists caution that quarterly unemployment figures can fluctuate and should be viewed alongside longer-term trends, including economic inactivity and underemployment.

However, with unemployment now at its highest level for a decade, pressure is increasing on both the UK and Welsh governments to demonstrate how their economic policies will deliver sustained job growth in Wales.

News

Clubs event inspires girls to try new sports

Published

8 minutes ago

December 16, 2025

Tom Sinclair

MORE than 50 young people took part in a multi-sport taster event designed to encourage girls to get involved in new activities.

The Sport Pembrokeshire Community Clubs event was held at Fishguard Leisure Centre on Sunday (Dec 1) for pupils from Ysgol Bro Gwaun and its feeder schools, with sponsorship from Valero.

Local sports clubs and activity providers offered a wide range of sessions, including cricket, self-defence, rowing, dance, hockey, tennis, table tennis, rugby and basketball. Water for participants was kindly provided by Princes Gate.

Young Ambassadors from Ysgol Bro Gwaun also played a key role in helping the event run smoothly.

Dan Bellis, of Sport Pembrokeshire, said: “It was a fantastic evening and it was brilliant to see so many young people and coaches in attendance.

“There was a wide range of activities on offer and everyone clearly enjoyed themselves.

“We hope the girls who took part have discovered a new sport or activity and will continue their involvement with the local clubs and providers who supported the event.”

News

Pembroke Dock man sent to Crown Court over alleged ABH assault

Published

12 hours ago

December 15, 2025

Court Reporter

Charge relates to incident in the town last weekend

A PEMBROKE DOCK man has been sent to the Crown Court for trial after appearing before magistrates accused of assault causing actual bodily harm.

Darren Markes, aged 47, of High Street, Pembroke Dock, appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday (Dec 15).

The court heard that Markes is charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, contrary to the Offences Against the Person Act.

The charge relates to an alleged incident on Friday (Dec 13) in Pembroke Dock, when it is alleged that Markes assaulted a woman, causing her actual bodily harm.

No plea was entered at the hearing.

Due to the seriousness of the allegation, magistrates declined jurisdiction and ordered that the case be sent to the Crown Court for trial under the Crime and Disorder Act.

Markes was remanded on conditional bail. Conditions include:

Not contacting a witness, directly or indirectly
Reporting to Pembroke Dock police station every Wednesday between 12:00pm and 2:00pm
Living and sleeping each night at his home address

He is due to appear at Swansea Crown Court on Thursday (Jan 16) at 9:30am for a plea and trial preparation hearing.