Community

How Y Gegin is blazing a fantastic food trail for the county

Published

7 years ago

June 28, 2019

PEMBROKESHIRE has long been synonymous with outstanding food and home-grown produce. The County boasts an extensive dairy farming sector and miles of coastline providing restaurants and families with the freshest fish, together with a wealth of local independent creatives who continue to transform Pembrokeshire’s quality ingredients into stylish, exciting dishes.
Pembrokeshire knows its food.

However, one woman’s determination to make a long-held dream come true and a phone call to Pembrokeshire County Council has provided the County with a something of a game-changer: Y Gegin has arrived.

Co-creator, Michelle Evans takes up the story: ‘I used to be a divorce lawyer but I dreamt of having my own business and creating good food from locally-reared and sourced ingredients.

Once I took the plunge, bought a smallholding, launched Paternoster Farm and opened my beach hut, the idea of a food hall came quite quickly. I wanted a ‘bricks and mortar’ setting to
showcase what Pembrokeshire has to offer.’

Together with friends, Jody Bell and Rhiannon Morgan-Bell, owners of local street food purveyors, Cwlbox, the newly formed team looked for somewhere they could bring their proposal. ‘In short, Michelle says, ‘we wanted to create somewhere that I would want to visit, an attractive space where people of all ages would come together and explore tastes and dishes from around our County.’

Identifying the old Market Hall in Pembroke Dock, Michelle called Pembrokeshire County Council more in hope than anything else; ‘We had spoken to private landlords and hadn’t had much success in finding a suitable location. While the Market Hall was the perfect space, we were unsure of the reception we’d get from the Authority.’ Instead, PCC were receptive and equally excited about the idea. ‘Y Gegin have been the driving force for this project but as a Council, we saw this prospect as a chance to support local businesses being brave and trying something different, says Rachel Moxey, Head of Regeneration. ‘From the beginning this has been a superb example of what can be achieved in Pembrokeshire and we have been delighted by how things have progressed, particularly with the public’s response since Y Gegin opened in early June.’

What has been created is a triumph: Y Gegin comprises 6,000 square feet of historical Market Hall – where Buffalo Bill himself stabled his horses in 1904 – transformed into a cool, contemporary, and stylishly shabby-chic eatery that is delighting its increasing wave of customers, be they tourists or locals. ‘The response was incredible, says Michelle, ‘on our first weekend, we sold out of fresh produce! We couldn’t believe it’.

Joining Cwlbox and Paternoster Farm at the Market are Bubbling Cauldrons, Conti’s Ice Cream and Tenby Brewing Co., together with Rocky Bees, a pastry chef from Tenby creating a dream team of specialists and flavours – and a wondrous scent drifting out into the courtyard – drawing the curious and the hungry to sample the local eats prepared and cooked on site. Not only has Y Gegin provided wonderful food, it have created jobs and specialist training. ‘We’ve got some brilliant young people who’ve joined us on this journey, ‘states Michelle with justifiable pride, ‘and we are really keen for them to continue with us, offering full time positions together with barista and food prep training.’

‘We’ve trialled this in June but we’re very keen to continue,’ says Michelle. ‘The Council were open-minded and forward thinking and let us take a chance. It has been a great partnership so far!’ Y Gegin will be wowing its customers again this weekend once more on Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday with even more locals and tourists set to spend a little time with Pembrokeshire’s ‘Cooks of Cool.’

Why don’t you join them?

Community

Artist explores memory, community and changing rural life in new Cardigan exhibition

Published

2 hours ago

June 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A NEW exhibition exploring memory, belonging and the changing face of rural life is opening in Cardigan.

West Wales artist Sue Dewhurst will present From the Outside Looking In at Oriel Cardi Bach, with the exhibition running from June 27 to July 30.

The collection brings together several new series of work reflecting on the people, places and traditions that shaped Dewhurst’s childhood in the 1970s.

At the heart of the exhibition are the Chapel Girls, a group of paintings focusing on women who might once have filled the chapels that dominated Welsh village life. In Dewhurst’s work, they are now seen finding new forms of belonging through shopping trips, bingo halls, dating apps, bottomless brunches and everyday rituals, while redundant chapels stand silent around them.

The exhibition also includes A Bit of a Do, a series inspired by weddings, family parties and village hall celebrations.

Among the familiar characters are the mysterious woman in her best hat who appears at every gathering, the accountant calculating buffet logistics, the retired nurse dancing barefoot long after everyone else has gone home, and Harry, a grumpy gent with a mysteriously missing fingertip that nobody dares ask about.

Dewhurst’s Ghost Town series will also feature, exploring the changing landscapes of northern mill towns and communities transformed beyond recognition. These works sit alongside expressive coastal paintings inspired by New Quay and the Ceredigion coast.

A further installation of miniature “party paintings” will be presented like treasured relics rescued from a forgotten village hall or working men’s club. Wrapped with handwritten stories and nostalgic memorabilia, the pieces invite visitors to remember people and moments that might otherwise disappear.

Sue said music also plays an important role in the exhibition.

She said: “Music is so evocative for me and can instantly transport me back to a certain point in time.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the lives we don’t usually celebrate – the women who held communities together, the odd characters who turned up at every family occasion, the places that shaped us and the memories that linger long after buildings and traditions have changed.

“This exhibition is really about looking back with affection and humour, while recognising that we are all, in one way or another, trying to find where we belong.”

Originally from Lancashire and now based near Llandysul, Dewhurst has spent more than thirty years working in the arts. She previously ran Oriel Haywire in Llandysul before its closure around eighteen months ago.

From the Outside Looking In opens at Oriel Cardi Bach, Cardigan, on June 27 and runs until July 30.

Visitors are invited to rediscover familiar faces, forgotten stories and the beauty found in ordinary lives.

Community

Bongo Clive brings rhythm and smiles to VC Gallery celebration

Published

23 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

LEARNING DISABILITY WEEK MARKED WITH MUSIC, LAUGHTER AND INCLUSION IN PEMBROKE DOCK

THE VC GALLERY in Pembroke Dock was filled with music, laughter and energy as visitors came together to celebrate Learning Disability Week.

The event saw popular entertainer Bongo Clive lead a lively session of singing, drumming and participation, with those attending joining in throughout the day.

The gallery said the session had created a joyful atmosphere, with music helping to bring people together and celebrate inclusion, creativity and wellbeing.

A spokesperson for The VC Gallery said: “The smiles said it all. A huge thank you to Bongo Clive for bringing your incredible energy, enthusiasm and positivity to The VC today. You certainly had everyone moving to the beat.”

Learning Disability Week celebrates inclusion and the abilities, creativity and individuality of people with learning disabilities.

The Pembroke Dock event highlighted the role of community spaces such as The VC Gallery in supporting wellbeing, friendship and confidence through shared creative activities.

Community

Sir Karl Jenkins named Eisteddfod President for 2026

Published

1 day ago

June 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

SIR KARL JENKINS has been named President of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod for 2026.

The internationally acclaimed Welsh composer, one of the world’s most performed living composers, will take on the role as the festival prepares to welcome performers, competitors and visitors from across the globe.

Sir Karl is best known for works including The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, Adiemus and Requiem.

His appointment comes in a landmark year after The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace was voted the most popular work in the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2026.

Opening night return

Sir Karl’s presidential year will begin with the opening night concert, Uniting Nations: One World, on Tuesday, July 7.

The concert had been due to take place in 2025 but was postponed, causing disappointment for volunteers, performers and audience members who had travelled from across the UK and overseas.

The Eisteddfod has now brought the event back with support from the Arts Council of Wales.

Sir Karl said: “I’m delighted to be returning to the Llangollen Festival this year and especially honoured to do so in the role of President.

“Llangollen is always a very special place to be, with its unique sense of community and international spirit.

“I’m greatly looking forward to conducting my most recent choral work, One World, particularly following the postponement of last year’s performance.

“It’s a piece that I feel reflects the very essence of the festival, bringing together outstanding musicians from across the globe to form one powerful collective voice.”

Global chorus

The evening will feature a full performance of One World, conducted by Sir Karl and performed by an international massed chorus made up of WorldChoir and NEW Voices, accompanied by the Llangollen International Orchestra.

The work blends Jenkins’ distinctive musical style with themes of humanity, compassion and environmental stewardship.

The concert will also include a complete staging of Peace Child: The Musical, which places young people at the heart of its message of peace and global citizenship.

Opening the evening will be the world premiere of Greeting the Dawn, a newly commissioned bilingual work by emerging Welsh composer Sam Buttler.

The piece was written for the 2026 Eisteddfod through the Harmony Without Borders initiative, continuing Llangollen’s tradition of supporting new talent and giving Welsh composers an international platform.

‘Great cultural ambassador’

John Gambles, Chair of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Sir Karl Jenkins has agreed to serve as President of the Eisteddfod for 2026.

“Few musicians have done more to promote the values of peace, friendship and international understanding that lie at the heart of our festival.

“Sir Karl is one of Wales’s greatest cultural ambassadors and his music has inspired audiences across every continent.

“The fact that The Armed Man has just been voted the nation’s favourite classical work is a testament not only to his extraordinary talent, but also to the universal appeal of the messages of peace, hope and humanity that run through so much of his music.”

Mr Gambles added: “The postponement of One World last year was heartbreaking for everyone involved.

“We knew how much the concert meant to audiences, performers and volunteers alike, and we were determined to find a way to bring it back.

“Thanks to the support of the Arts Council of Wales, we can now finally give this extraordinary concert the audience it deserves.

“With Sir Karl as our President, the return of One World, the world premiere of a major new Welsh composition and the powerful message of Peace Child, this promises to be one of the most memorable and significant opening nights in the Eisteddfod’s history.”

Festival programme

The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod returns for its 79th year on Tuesday, July 7.

This year’s programme includes performances from Michael Ball, Emeli Sandé with the Absolute Orchestra, Uniting Nations: One World featuring Sir Karl Jenkins, and the Choir of the World competition.

Thousands of competitors from around the world will also take part in the daytime programme, with the Parade of Nations returning on Friday, July 10.

Tickets are on sale now, with prices starting from £33.

Further information is available at llangollen.net.