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Pembrokeshire County Council appoints Major General as new Chief Executive

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PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL appointed a military man as Authority’s the new Chief Executive on Wednesday (Mar 31).

After the Senior Staff Committee interviewed the final shortlist of candidates for the position, it took the unusual decision to recommend only one of them for the permanent post at the local authority’s head.

The candidate put forward to councillors has a distinguished record of service both at the sharp end of action and in administering a large organisation.

Major General Will Bramble CBE’s appointment was approved by 48 votes for, to one against (Cllr Stephen Joseph).

After attending the Royal Military academy Sandhurst Will Bramble commissioned into the Royal Regiment of Artillery in 1987.

As a Troop Commander, he saw operational service in Belize, Northern Ireland and in Iraq in 1991 during the liberation of Kuwait.

Further service as a junior officer included operations with the UN, 5th Airborne Brigade and the Air Mobile Brigade.

He attended the Joint Staff College 1997-1999, after which he was Chief of Staff of 4th Armoured Brigade in Kosovo and Germany.

After commanding his Battery, he became Military Assistant to the Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Mike Jackson, 2003-2005. This included a period of significant reorganisation of the Army and increased overseas operations.

He commanded the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Task Force in Kosovo in 2005 and 19th Regiment between 2006-2008, leading them in Afghanistan in 2007.

As a Brigadier, he commanded the Royal Artillery in the 3rd Division and then the current operations division at the UK’s Permanent Joint Headquarters 2012 – 2014, overseeing the day to day running of the UK’s worldwide operations, including the withdrawal of the UK’s 10,000 troops from Southern Afghanistan.

He attended the Royal College of Defence Studies 2014-2015 before being promoted to Major General and deploying again to Kabul 2015-2016 as the senior NATO advisor to the Ministry of Interior and Police.

He was Chief of Staff and Chief Executive Officer of the UK’s NATO Corps between 2016-2019 and is currently the Senior British Officer in Italy and Deputy Commander of the NATO Corps in Italy.

Having represented the Army and UK Armed Forces at Rugby, he was Chairman of the Army Rugby Union 2014-2019.

He is married to Sophie and they have three children.

He is passionate about the outdoors, sustainability, the sea and sailing, remote islands, and sport. He is also an active artist and conservationist.

In terms of his interests outside work, Major-General Bramble looks a close fit for Pembrokeshire. His organisational experience and background are also impressive.

At an Extraordinary Meeting of the Council, that candidate was presented to the members to face their questions. Key topics raised included identifying the new Chief Executive’s priorities in the role and what they could bring to the County to improve services and drive forward the sort of change the Council must make in the years ahead.

A few councillors expressed disquiet about being presented with only one candidate, however, members of the Senior Staff Committee defended the move, saying where a plainly outstanding candidate was ready, willing, and available, there was little point in potentially wasting another candidate’s time by putting them forward to make up the numbers.

Councillors voted overwhelmingly in favour of Major General Bramble’s appointment by 48 votes to 1. Councillor Stephen Joseph opposed the appointment.

As the Cabinet look to build a resilient team for the years ahead, interim Chief Executive Richard Brown – whose performance in the temporary role has attracted praise for his straight-talking – is likely to have a leading role.

The Council appointed business process advisors earlier this year to assess how it can best deliver key services in a shrinking budget. The Council’s services in Legal, Property, Planning, and Leisure are all being examined, as the Cabinet seek to drive through its transformation and improvement agenda

A keen sailor with a passion for the environment and the outdoors, Mr Bramble is looking forward to making the move to Pembrokeshire.

He said: “I am extremely honoured and excited about joining the team and working for the people and communities of Pembrokeshire.

“I’d like to thank the Council for placing their trust in me to deliver their vision and I’d also like to publically thank and praise Richard Brown who has not only headed up the response to the pandemic but has also stepped up and led the team as Interim Chief Executive during this particularly challenging time.”

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SpaceX rocket launch spotted in skies above Pembrokeshire

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The people of Pembrokeshire were left scratching their heads last night (Monday, March 24), when an unexplained orb appeared in the skies at around 8pm.

The glow was captured by reader Ioan Ward in the skies above Rosemarket, however the spectre was widely visible in other parts of Wales and the UK.

The light, which appeared to be spiralling, prompted a flurry of speculation on social media with suggestions that it could have been urban fuel ejected from the SpaceX rocket launch in the US.

The Falcon 9 rocket from Elon Musk’s space company lifted off around 13:50 local time in Florida (17:50 GMT) on a classified US government mission.

After launching into space, it releases what is called its payload – whatever it is carrying, such as a satellite, to complete its mission – which continues its journey into space.

The rocket then turns back around towards Earth. As it does, it ejects any leftover fuel, which freezes instantly due to the altitude in a spiral pattern caused by the rocket’s movement.

Light is then reflected off the frozen fuel, making it visible on Earth.

SpaceX said on X that the launch was carried out on behalf of the US government National Reconnaissance Office mission. The Kennedy Space Center also said on X the launch was a classified mission for that office.

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Woman found guilty of threatening neighbour on Pembrokeshire housing estate

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A heated row between neighbours has reached the courts this week after a former  Lamphey resident screamed at her neighbour to ‘f*** off back to England’.

“Hearing the foul language that she used towards me – language  that everyone in the street could hear – was very distressing,” said the  70-year-old victim, Linda McCann as she gave  evidence during  the trial of Lisa Thomas.

“Lisa  told me to f*** off back to England and I told her that she was being racist again.  And that’s not nice.”

Matters came to a head at approximately 2 pm on August 2, 2024, after  Mrs Linda McCann and her husband returned from a shopping trip to Iceland, Milford Haven.  As the couple began unloading bags of frozen food into a freezer situated in their garden shed in Honeyhill Grove, Lamphey, they heard  loud  banging noises,  followed by shouting,  coming from Lisa Thomas’ next door property.

“I came outside to find out what it was, and thought my neighbor had possibly  thrown a glass bottle or something at my shed,” Linda McCann told Haverfordwest magistrates during Monday’s trial.

“But then I could see that it was shingle that had been thrown from Lisa’s  landing window.  “Lisa  then opened the window and shouted stuff out at me.”

CCTV footage captured by Mrs McCann’s motion sensored camera  was played to the court, during which Thomas could be heard shouting “You want to stick your fingers up at my 11-year-old daughter, you stupid old c***?  You stupid little nonce.  

“F*** off back to Birmingham and f*** off back to England.”

But  Thomas, 34, claimed it was Mrs McCann who had started the incident.

“I’d lived in that property for ten years and there had never been any issues, until the McCann’s arrived around three years ago,” she said.

“That afternoon I was in the living room and my daughter was upstairs in the landing window. My daughter  was paranoid about the neighbours, and it could have been her that threw the stones or it could have been a bird.  I didn’t see.

But it wasn’ me.”

She denied usually racially aggravated behaviour towards Mrs McCann, stating that her mother was a native of Yorkshire.

“And sometimes I speak myself, with a slight Yorkshire twang,” she said,

Lisa Thomas went on to say that she heard her daughter shouting that Linda McCann was making gestures at her from her garden.

“Then I heard Linda shout ‘When are you lot going to f*** off and move?’

“I’m no angel and I’m not portraying myself to be, but there was something that made me react in this way.  I’m not allowing my daughter to be victimised, but that’s what was happening that day.

“I’ve begged Dyfed-Powys Police to serve notices on everybody, but it’s always just me.  All my life I’ve been autistic and  pushed to one side and it’s always me who’s been left to deal with stuff by myself.”

Thomas, of Plas Peregrine, Steynton, denied causing racially aggravated intentional harassment to Mrs McCann, and of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

She pleaded guilty to a third charge of failing to comply with a community protection notice.

After considering the evidence, Thomas was found guilty of making threatening, abusive or insulting words like to cause harassment or distress.  She was found not guilty of  causing racially aggravated intentional harassment.

Magistrates adjourned sentencing to April 15 for a pre-sentence report to be prepared by the probation service.  An interim restraining order was imposed, preventing Thomas from having any contact with Linda McCann.

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World-class art exhibition opens at Pembrokeshire gallery

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An exciting new art exhibition has opened in a major Pembrokeshire gallery, showcasing the work of some of the most outstanding contemporary Welsh and international artists.

The Wales Contemporary/Cymry Gyfoes exhibition, founded by Milford Haven’s ‘Waterfront Gallery in 2019 and sponsored by the Port of Milford Haven, has become a significant platform for artistic talent, featuring a stunning array of contemporary artworks from across the globe.

Now in its fifth year, Wales Contemporary/Cymru Gyfoes offers artists the opportunity to showcase their work in both central London and Milford Haven, through two and three-dimensional works. And this year, the total prize fund is a hefty £15,000.

After opening last month with a prize giving ceremony at the Garrison Chapel, Chelsea Barracks, London, the exhibition has now transferred to the Waterfront Gallery in Milford Haven, where selection is now open for the Welsh Public Choice Prize, which will be announced at a closing event on May 17. Visitors to the Waterfront Gallery are invited to vote for their favourite piece, and the most popular choice will receive a prize of £1,000.

This year’s competition saw an overwhelming 1,600 entries from over 800 artists, with works spanning painting, sculpture, drawing, print, ceramics, textiles and glass. An accomplished panel of judges, including painter Ian H Watkins, artist Kelvin Okafor and print maker Katherine Jones RA, shortlisted works for the exhibition and selected winners for the Graham Sutherland Prize, two dimensional, three-dimensional, Welsh and Pembrokeshire pieces.

“We’re delighted to sponsor the Wales Contemporary exhibition for the fifth year and celebrate our longstanding support of the Waterfront Gallery, to bring world-class artwork to Milford Haven,” said Lucy Wonnacott, who is head of communications and marketing at Port of Milford Haven.

“This year’s exhibition really is stunning, and we hope the entries continue to inspire local and aspiring artists to immerse themselves in the culture and creativity that is on display.”

The exhibition opened on March 21 and runs until May 17. The Waterfront Gallery is open between 10.30 am and 4 pm, Tuesday to Saturday, and admission is free.

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