News
Pembroke: Construction of new school ‘progressing well’
A SPECIAL ceremony was held last week in Pembroke as work on the new secondary school is progressing well, Pembrokeshire County Council have said.
Known as a ‘topping-out’ ceremony, it is a traditional construction milestone to mark the highest part of the structure being completed.
Guests invited to witness the occasion were asked to sign the one-ton metal beam before it was hoisted by crane and fixed in position.
The ceremony was organised by leading UK construction company Bouygues UK who are the main contractors for the new build – a 1,463 place, 11 to 18 year secondary school and autism centre for 30 learners which is being constructed on the site of the current comprehensive school.
Costing £38.3 million, the flagship project is the largest ever undertaken by Pembrokeshire County Council and is part of the 21st Century Schools investment programme in collaboration with the Welsh Government.
Guests at the ceremony included the County Council Cabinet Member for Education, David Lloyd, Pembroke School headteacher Frank Ciccotti and 16 of his students.
The pupils act as ‘construction ambassadors’, meeting regularly with the construction team so that they can keep their peers informed of the new school’s progress.
Guests were welcomed by Bouygues UK Project Director, Peter Sharpe, while the company’s Operations Director, Justin Moore, spoke of the long history and tradition of ‘topping-out’ ceremonies.
The company’s Chief Operating Officer, Craig Tatton, said the project was already in week 38 of a 169-week long schedule.
He said: “We are very proud to be involved in the delivery of this fantastic new learning campus for the community, with the diverse range of facilities it includes.
“Work is progressing well and we are on track to finish on time for the September 2018 academic year.”
Darren Thomas, the County Council’s Head of Highways and Construction, told guests that some £120 million worth of work was currently being carried out on nine sites around Pembrokeshire as part of the 21st Century Schools programme.
During the ceremony a cheque for £990 was presented by Peter Sharpe to Elly’s flag fund – a charity set up by six-year-old Elly Neville from Pembroke to raise funds for a dedicated cancer ward at Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest.
The money was donated by Bouygues UK and its sub-contractors working on site.
The new school is due to open in September 2018, when work will begin to demolish the current comprehensive school on the site.
All work is due to finish in August, 2019.
Crime
Police arrest suspects following vehicle interferences in Haverfordwest
HAVERFORDWEST police responded swiftly after reports of multiple vehicle interferences in the Tasker Way area on Sunday night/early Monday morning (Nov 4).
Officers from the Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPPT) conducted extensive house-to-house enquiries, gathering evidence and reassuring the community. These efforts led to the identification of two suspects.
Both NPPT and Response teams acted promptly, locating and arresting the suspects, who are now in police custody.
News
Ancient Welsh hymns brought into 21st century with unique collaboration between Lleuwen Steffan and National Eisteddfod
Some of Wales’ long-forgotten hymn tunes are being brought vividly back to life this month, thanks to award-winning singer, songwriter and composer Lleuwen Steffan and her unique collaboration with the National Eisteddfod of Wales.
Performing as ‘Tafod Arian’ (Silver Tongue), the collaboration pays homage to the lost voices of the past, and infuses these timeless melodies with some highly contemporary electronic arrangements.
The project originated in 2012 when Lleuwen was working on a music project at St Fagan’s National History Museum where she came across some long-forgotten recordings of hymns which had been left in the sound archives. None of these hymns could be found in the official hymn books nor the older hymnal editions, possibly as the result of their informal, conversational lyrics, or because they often delved into the world of addiction, mental illness and the darker side of the psyche.
But now these unpublished and unknown hymns will be heard for the first time in over a hundred years when Tabernacl Chapel, Maenclochog, will be one of 50 Welsh chapels to be visited by Tafod Arian.
With translations and insights, the tour breathes new life into archive recordings, ensuring these cherished sacred songs rightfully claim their place in today’s spotlight. Lleuwen masterfully combines electronic and acoustic instrumentation, seamlessly blending the past with the present, and takes the stage alongside a dynamic quintet of international musicians including Sioned Webb and Gethin Elis from Wales, and Nolwenn Korbell and Brieg Guerveno from Brittany.
Despite the hymns’ long-distant past, the music is firmly in the present as Lleuwen uses various instruments to provide angular electronic accompaniment as well as her soulful vocals and guitar. She provides translations and explanations as she proudly puts the archive recordings of the lost |Welsh hymns on centre stage. As a result, these sacred songs are being passed on orally rather than via the hymn book which is precisely how Welsh folk music was conveyed.
The long-forgotten hymns will be heard once again in all their glory at Tabernacle Chapel, Maenclochog on Sunday, November 17 at 6.30pm.
Crime
Suspended sentence for Goodwick man who sent sexual messages to young girl
THE FATHER of a young girl sent sexual messages to an individual he believed to be a 12-year-old girl online, Swansea Crown Court heard this week.
An undercover police officer posed as a 12-year-old girl on the website RandoChat, with the decoy’s profile stating they were 18.
James Roberts messaged the decoy on 9 August, stating he was “looking for a naughty girl”.
The decoy promptly informed him that she was 12 years old; however, the defendant continued to send messages referencing sexual acts and self-gratification.
Roberts added the decoy on Snapchat, claiming to be 19 and living in England.
He again sent sexualised messages and, referring to the decoy’s age, said they were “never too young to start sending pictures”.
The defendant also told the decoy that he was having similar sexual conversations with a 14-year-old, Mr Dickens said.
Police attended Roberts’ home in Goodwick on 17 August, and he was arrested. He denied having a mobile phone, claiming he “had sent it off to Samsung to be fixed” but was “extremely vague” when asked for further details. Mr Dickens said no phone was ever recovered by police.
The 28-year-old Roberts pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child. The court heard that he had no previous convictions.
Hannah George, in mitigation, said the defendant showed “some degree of remorse” and that there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.
“In the 13 months since he was interviewed there have been no further offences,” she said.
Ms George said Roberts had suffered “significant” shame and embarrassment as a result of the offences, and it had led to him losing his job.
He had previously been diagnosed with PTSD and suffered “deep periods of depression”, Ms George said.
She added that his contact with his young daughter “has been diminished” following these offences.
“You were in contact online with who you firmly believed to be a 12-year-old girl,” said Judge Paul Thomas KC, addressing Roberts.
“You have a two-year-old daughter. Just think how you would feel if a man in his thirties tried to have that sort of conversation with her in 10 years’ time.”
Roberts was sentenced to 30 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for two years. He must complete 35 days of an accredited programme and 25 rehabilitation activity requirement programme days.
He must also register as a sex offender for 10 years and was made the subject of a three-year sexual harm prevention order.
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