PEMBROKESHIRE’S Bluestone National Park Resort is set to make history by becoming the UK’s first fossil fuel free luxury family holiday park in 2025.

The resort, located near Narberth, has unveiled ambitious operational plans to eliminate fossil fuels from all aspects of its operations. Bluestone will purchase only renewable electricity through its partnership with Ecotricity – widely recognised as Britain’s greenest energy provider – while replacing traditional fuels with sustainable alternatives. These include bioLPG in place of mains gas, and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) instead of diesel and kerosene. Solar power generated by the resort’s on-site 3.2MW solar park already meets a third of its annual electricity demand.

Bluestone has long demonstrated a commitment to sustainable practices. In 2008, it became one of the first in the world to heat a water park – the Blue Lagoon – entirely without fossil fuels. Since then, the resort has continued to reduce its carbon footprint, and the completion of the solar park in 2024 marked a major milestone on its journey.

The resort’s approach extends beyond its own operations. Two external grounds maintenance contractors working on-site have also now transitioned to using electric machinery and HVO fuels in support of the wider sustainability mission.

In 2024, both Bluestone and Ecotricity received top-three rankings in their sectors by Which?, with Bluestone recognised as one of the UK’s best holiday resorts, and Ecotricity ranked among the leading eco energy providers.

The partnership supports Bluestone’s efforts to eliminate all fossil fuels across its scope one and two emissions – those generated directly by the resort and through purchased energy. The resort is also aiming to become entirely self-sufficient in renewable electricity generation within the next decade.

Marten Lewis, Bluestone’s Sustainability Director, said:
“Bluestone’s partnership with Ecotricity showcases there is another way forward. There’s a genuine synergy between our two companies, shaped by visionary founders who believed in putting people and the planet at the heart of business. In 2004, Bluestone’s founder, William McNamara, began the regenerative tourism movement here in Wales by transforming a 500-acre dairy farm into a pioneering, sustainable resort – a vision laid out in his original green book the same year the UN coined the term ESG.”

Mr Lewis added that Bluestone’s solar park project includes a long-term partnership with Swansea University to monitor biodiversity at the site, with the goal of producing influential academic research over the coming years.

“Bluestone doesn’t aim to have zero impact – we want to have a positive impact with everything we do,” he said.

Ecotricity founder Dale Vince said:
“Big congrats to Bluestone. From ditching intensive farming in favour of regenerative tourism to building a new solar park – this is a holiday park that fits with our values. I’m pleased Bluestone has chosen Ecotricity to provide the balance of green energy they need to go fossil free. We’re looking forward to helping them bring their green ambitions to life.”

More information about Bluestone’s sustainability journey and bookings can be found at: bluestonewales.com

STARRING Tony-Nominee Jeremy Jordan and Olivier-Nominee Frances Mayli McCann, this award-winning, cult-favourite production Bonnie and Clyde The Musical  (including Best New Musical – What’s On Stage Awards 2023) re-tells the unbelievable true story of America’s most infamous couple, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. Watch the lovers as they go on a crime spree on the Torch Theatre screen this May.

Captured in stunning, world-class quality, the musical follows the most notorious lovers and bank robbers who take the country by storm in a sexy and compelling adventure. Recorded live at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane, discover the electrifying story of love, adventure and crime that captured the attention of an entire nation.

At the height of the Great Depression, Bonnie and Clyde went from being two small-town nobodies in west Texas to America’s most renowned folk heroes who created a serious headache for the law enforcements. From kidnappings to murders in the 1930’s, the lovers robbed gas stations, restaurants, and smalltown stores in the areas of New Mexico, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas and it is believed that they murdered at least nine police officers and four civilians before being shot and killed in an ambush near Sailes, Louisiana.  

Bonnie and Clyde The Musical can be seen on the Torch Theatre screen on Thursday 1 May at 7pm. Tickets: £15.00 | £13.00 Cons | £8.50 Under 26. Visit the website for further details www.torchtheatre.co.uk or phone the Box Office on (01646) 695267.

Visitors and residents reminded to stay at least 100 metres away

VISITORS and residents enjoying the stunning coastline of Cardigan Bay are being urged to keep their distance from marine wildlife as the nesting season gets underway.

Under the North and West Wales Marine Code, people are advised to stay at least 100 metres—the length of a football pitch—away from dolphins, seals, seabirds and other wildlife, whether on the water, cliffs or shoreline.

This is a crucial time for nesting seabirds, and disturbances can have fatal consequences. Chicks or eggs may be knocked from the cliffs into the sea if humans or dogs get too close.

Melanie Heath, Marine Protected Area Officer for Cardigan Bay, said: “If you encounter any sick or injured wildlife, such as a stranded seal or dolphin, do not attempt to intervene.

“Do not try to put the animal back in the water yourself. They have stranded for a reason—because they are unwell or injured and need urgent professional medical assessment. Keep your distance and ensure others, including dogs and gulls, are kept away too.”

Councillor Clive Davies, Ceredigion County Council Cabinet Member, added: “It’s important to follow the Marine Code and stay at least 100 metres away. We are proud to work in partnership with many agencies to protect wildlife along our coastline and inland.”

To report a live stranding, call the RSPCA on 0300 123 4999. For dead strandings, contact the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme on 0800 652 0333. Disturbances can be reported online at: www.cardiganbaysac.org.uk/disturbance/

The North and West Wales Marine Code has been developed by the Wales group of European Marine Site Officers to help protect the region’s unique coastal ecosystems.

Cardigan Bay is cherished both for its rich marine biodiversity and as a popular location for recreational activities on, in, and under the water.

However, past disturbances have included motorboats, kayaks and paddle boarders getting too close to marine mammals, passing through flocks of resting seabirds, and people attempting selfies with seals and pups hauled out on the rocks.