Three-day festival will bring literature, music, art and workshops to the Pembrokeshire village from August 7 to 9

LLANGWM LitFest will return this summer with a varied programme celebrating travel writing, remarkable historical figures and opportunities for people of all abilities to tell their own stories.

The popular literary festival, which has showcased almost 200 writers since it was established in 2016, will take place across Llangwm from Friday, August 7, to Sunday, August 9.

Festival director Michael Pugh will be discussing his own book, Riding Through War and Peace, which recounts his 1,500-mile journey on horseback from Russia through Belarus and Ukraine to Transylvania.

The book has been published during the Chinese Year of the Horse.

Mr Pugh said: “I am thrilled that Riding Through War and Peace was published in the Year of the Horse.

“It is a wonderful way to travel. The horse acts as an excellent way to interact with people, and you see so much more when you travel slowly.”

The journey took three months and was undertaken against the backdrop of Russia’s attacks on Ukraine. Mr Pugh’s work has been compared with that of celebrated travel writers Patrick Leigh Fermor and Colin Thubron.

Russian history has long featured prominently in the festival’s programme, and this year will be no exception.

One of the headline events will focus on Miranda Seymour’s acclaimed biography of Princess Vera Gedroits, a pioneering surgeon, aristocrat and early feminist.

Princess Vera became Russia’s first female surgeon, championed workers’ rights and is said to have personally expelled Rasputin from her hospital ward.

Mr Pugh said: “The book has been praised as a masterpiece and shows Miranda Seymour at the height of her powers.”

Organisers say one of the events they are most proud to host this year is a supportive writing workshop for people with disabilities and different abilities.

The workshop is being heavily subsidised by the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society and is intended to provide a welcoming environment in which participants can develop and share their writing.

Mr Pugh said: “Life can be hard for people with disabilities. We want to support them and hear their voices.

“The festival has been inspiring people to write for the past ten years, and the results have greatly enriched our programme.”

There will also be an opportunity for members of the public to perform their own work during Songs, Poems and Pints at Llangwm Rugby Club on Friday, August 7.

The evening will also feature music from Wrong Direction and the Varifolkals.

Music will continue on Sunday, August 9, when Ensemble Stinan performs at St Jerome’s Church.

Local artwork will be available to buy at Llangwm Village Hall, while a selection of crafts will be displayed at St Jerome’s Church during the first two days of the festival.

Mr Pugh added: “We are fortunate to have such a wealth of high-quality work being produced locally in Llangwm.”

Llangwm LitFest takes place from August 7 to 9, 2026.

Further information is available by emailing [email protected] or visiting www.llangwmlitfest.co.uk. The festival can also be found on Facebook at Llangwmlitfest and on X, formerly Twitter, at @Llangwmlitfest1.

Charity says 31 incidents have already been reported this year, exceeding the total recorded across Wales during the whole of 2025

RSPCA CYMRU has raised “deep concerns” over an increase in deliberate cruelty towards wild birds, with more incidents already reported in Wales this year than during the whole of 2025.

The charity received 29 reports involving cruelty to wild birds across Wales last year, up from 27 in 2024.

However, 31 incidents have already been reported during 2026, with frontline teams preparing for a possible further surge over the summer months, when reports of animal cruelty typically peak.

Caerphilly recorded the highest number of incidents in Wales during 2025, with four reports, followed by Newport with three.

Across England and Wales, 359 incidents involving wild birds were reported during July and August 2025. That was almost double the 179 reports received during the same two-month period in 2024 and represented the highest summer total recorded in five years.

The figures have been released as part of the RSPCA’s Cruelty Hurts, Love Rescues campaign, which highlights the increased pressure placed on the charity’s officers, rescuers and animal centres during warmer weather.

Pigeons, crows, magpies, ravens, gulls, swans and ducks were among the birds most commonly targeted last year.

Many of the incidents involved catapults, air weapons, crossbows or other deliberate acts of violence.

The RSPCA said there was no single explanation for the increase, but possible factors included the deliberate misuse of catapults and airguns, copycat behaviour, exposure to harmful online content and a lack of understanding about animal welfare.

Almost 40 per cent of all reports involving cruelty towards wild birds last year were received during the summer months.

Across England and Wales, the charity has already received 474 reports involving wild birds during 2026. That is more than half of the 876 incidents recorded throughout the whole of 2025.

Mike Scargill, the RSPCA’s wildlife partnerships manager for England and Wales, said: “We are deeply concerned by the number of reports involving deliberate cruelty towards wild birds.

“Day after day, our frontline officers and animal centres see the sickening consequences of weapons being used on animals, causing awful suffering, severe injuries and often leading to death.

“These figures are likely to represent only a fraction of the true scale of the problem because a lot of cruelty goes unseen and unreported.

“Wild birds feel pain, fear and distress, and deserve our care and respect. Deliberately harming them causes immense suffering and can have devastating consequences for both individual animals and local wildlife populations.”

Among the incidents investigated in Wales was the shooting of an adult gull in Merthyr Tydfil.

The bird was found repeatedly collapsing and dragging one of its wings. It was taken into RSPCA care but had to be put to sleep because of the severity of its injuries.

An X-ray later revealed an airgun pellet lodged inside the gull’s body and a fractured wing.

In Powys, a buzzard was found dead in woodland after being tied to a tree root with blue rope secured around one of its wings.

Evidence at the scene suggested the bird had struggled for some time before dying. It had also suffered injuries to one of its wings.

Elsewhere in England, reported incidents have included a swan shot in the leg with an air weapon, 25 dead pigeons abandoned in a crate and geese found with darts embedded in their bodies.

The RSPCA is working with police and conservation organisations through initiatives including Operation Lakeshot, which aims to tackle the illegal use of catapults and other wildlife offences.

The charity said education and early intervention were also essential to reducing deliberate animal cruelty.

Adults concerned about a young person’s behaviour towards animals are being encouraged to seek support through the RSPCA’s early intervention referral service.

All wild birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is illegal to deliberately kill, injure or take a wild bird except in limited circumstances covered by a licence.

Anyone who witnesses deliberate cruelty towards wildlife is urged to report it to the RSPCA or police.

Pembroke Regatta, an international canoe polo tournament and the traditional River Rally will take place beneath Pembroke Castle

CASTLE POND will become the centre of Pembroke’s summer celebrations as three major events bring racing, water sports and family entertainment to the historic town.

The programme begins on Saturday, July 25, with the Pembroke Regatta, when teams will race against one another on the river beneath Pembroke Castle.

Businesses, schools, sports teams, clubs and other community groups are being encouraged to enter, with the event promising competitive racing and an entertaining day beside the water for spectators of all ages.

The action continues over the weekend of August 1 and 2 with the return of the Julie Morris International, also known as the 27th Welsh Open Canoe Polo Competition.

Hosted by Dragon Canoe Club, the tournament is expected to attract teams from across the United Kingdom and Ireland. Organisers are expanding the competition to three playing pitches this year, allowing as many as 30 teams to take part.

Canoe polo combines paddling, ball skills and physical competition, with players attempting to score in goals suspended above the water. The fast-moving matches will be staged in the striking setting of Castle Pond, directly below the walls of Pembroke Castle.

Pembroke’s summer programme will conclude on Saturday, August 8, with the town’s much-loved River Rally.

Boats are expected to begin arriving in Castle Pond from approximately 2:00pm, forming a colourful flotilla on the river.

The event will have a pirate theme, with children invited to take part in a fancy dress competition. Other attractions will include face painting, balloon modelling, a treasure trail and bacon butties.

Neil Thomas will compere the event and play music throughout the afternoon.

The annual rally is more than a community celebration. It provides a rare opportunity for the barrage gate to be lowered so vessels can enter Castle Pond, helping preserve the historic right of navigation along the Pembroke River.

The River Rally is being organised by the West Wales Maritime Heritage Society in partnership with Pembroke Town Council, Pembroke Dock Town Council and Pembrokeshire County Council.

Residents and visitors are being encouraged to support the events and enjoy three weekends showcasing Pembroke’s maritime heritage, sporting community and spectacular waterfront setting.