News

Is the Holy Grail in Pembrokeshire?

Published

5 years ago

April 1, 2021

FEW items in human history have captured as much attention and imagination as ‘The Holy Grail’, maybe that weird colour-changing dress from 2017 but that’s it!

Whether you believe it’s the cup used by Jesus at The Last Supper that then caught his blood during his crucifixion or if you think that it might be the bloodline of Christ, the search for the Holy Grail is a story of intrigue, mystery, regular toilet-breaks and bloodshed.

Our crusade, our last crusade if you will, to find the truth about this holy relic is based around legend, myth and tales hundreds of years old (we also got told lots by a guy in a pub who claimed to have been there) so it’s only right to take a pinch of salt so big that it could be used to defrost a driveway.

But let’s get started: After the death of Jesus, the cup was reported to be in the possession of one of Jesus’ disciples, Joseph of Arimathea who, legend says, brought the cup at the worlds first Ikea built on the Gethesmane Trading Estate.

Joseph, it’s believed, was so unpopular in the early church that he was sent to Britain in the years following Jesus’ death to help spread the word of Chris, according to legend he took his pilgrim’s staff and the Grail to Glastonbury in South-West England and, on land given to him by an English King, founded the Abbey.

To mark the site of the Abbey, Joseph stuck his staff into the ground and from it ‘The Glastonbury Thorn’ is alleged to have bloomed. The Thorn, which Homebase plants section experts have proven originated in the Middle-East, flowers twice a year, at Christmas and again at Easter.

Fast-forward about 1500 years to Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries, the Church of England began ‘reclaiming’ the wealth hoarded by religious institutions that were under the control of the Roman Catholic Church.

Shortly before the sacking of Glastonbury Abbey National, a Monk was sent off in possession of an important treasure which, among other things, could be The Holy Grail or a Sony Playstation 5.

When the Abbey was stripped of its riches, no sign of The Grail could be found, just lots of scrunched up sweet wrappers and old Argos catalogues which are probably worth money now, people pay money for any old rubbish; look at eBay.

Shortly after that a Monk, exhausted and close to death began, according to local legend, hammering on the door of the monastery on Caldey Island, Pembrokeshire, demanding sanctuary.

After being granted entry, he couldn’t find any takeaways on his JustEat app so he demanded the Friar wall him and his ‘Glastonbury Treasure’ up so the Monk could fulfill his vow of protecting the treasure with his life.

Over the next 400 years, the Grail becomes little more than a story, various ‘Grails’ have been found around the world with none standing up to serious scientific scrutiny. One we saw was just a heavily painted Sprite can.

But there’s a twist in our last crusade that, some say, could point to the very spot that ‘The Glastonbury Treasure’ is hidden.

In the 1970’s, builders were brought in on Caldey Island to help improve the garden area of the monastery as part of a pilot episode for ‘Changing Rooms’, it was during these building works that Arthur Gay, the gardener, reported witnessing the ghostly spectre of a Monk who walked through the gardens and disappeared through a wall.

Could Caldey Island hold the key to unlocking one of the oldest and most controversial mysteries that christianity has left us with?

Even if it doesn’t, imagine the episode of ‘Cash in the Attic’ we’d get….

Crime

Castlemartin man back before magistrates over multiple alleged assaults

Published

19 seconds ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded on conditional bail ahead of further hearing

A CASTLEMARTIN man has appeared repeatedly before magistrates this month over a string of alleged offences including assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), non-fatal strangulation, common assault, and criminal damage.

Anthony Alcock, 40, of Pwll Street, Castlemartin, faces six linked charges arising from incidents reported to have taken place earlier this year. Alcock, who did not enter pleas during the administrative hearings, appeared on several occasions as the court dealt with bail issues and case management.

Multiple assault allegations
The charges listed before magistrates include:
Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
Intentional strangulation
Common assault of a woman
Criminal damage relating to a domestic incident
Further assault allegations linked to the same complainant
A breach of bail conditions

The court heard that Alcock had previously been granted conditional bail. However, he was brought back before magistrates twice during the same reporting period for alleged breaches of those conditions, resulting in updated bail decisions.

Bail breached — defendant remanded

On two separate entries in the court register, Alcock was listed as having breached his bail, leading magistrates to remand him into custody pending the next hearing. On other dates within the same week, he was again re-released on conditional bail, with strict terms imposed, including restrictions on contact with the complainant and exclusions from certain locations.

He is now remanded on conditional bail with his next appearance set for Swansea Crown Court, where the more serious matters — including the alleged non-fatal strangulation — will be dealt with.

Case sent to Crown Court

Magistrates directed that the case is too serious to be heard locally and must proceed to the Crown Court for trial or sentence.

The Herald understands that all listed charges fall under the same prosecution reference, indicating they form part of a single ongoing domestic abuse prosecution. No further details were opened in court at this stage.

Crime

Rogue roofer conned homeowner out of thousands

Published

17 minutes ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Caerphilly investigation leads to court conviction

A ROGUE trader from Pembroke has been ordered to pay more than £6,000 after duping a homeowner into handing over thousands for unnecessary roofing work.

Douggie Whitbread, aged twenty-five and living at Coldwell Terrace, Pembroke, persuaded his victim that he “probably needed a new roof” before charging £4,350 for work that was either unnecessary or not carried out properly.

Whitbread admitted two counts of fraud relating to a property on Griffiths Street, Ystrad Mynach, with the offences taking place between August 12 and October 16, 2023.

He appeared before Cwmbran Magistrates’ Court, where he was ordered to pay a total of £6,130. That includes £4,350 in compensation, £1,500 in prosecution costs, a £200 fine, and an £80 victim surcharge.

The case was brought following an investigation by Caerphilly Trading Standards, who urged residents to be cautious of unsolicited offers of home maintenance work.

News

South Pembrokeshire Short Mat Bowls Association – Week Twelve results

Published

34 minutes ago

December 14, 2025

Herald Sport

A PACKET week of fixtures in the South Pembrokeshire Short Mat Bowls Association’s Friendly League saw key wins at both ends of the table as teams continue to jostle for position going into the second half of the season.

Match results (Week 12):

Hundleton 10–0 Lamphey
Badgers 2–8 St Johns
Reynalton 0–10 Carew
Kilgetty 8–2 East Williamston
Cosheston v Llanteg – postponed
St Twynnells – bye week

A previously postponed fixture was also completed, with St Twynnells drawing 5–5 with Reynaltón.

League table (after Week 12):
East Williamston remain top, having played 10 and won eight, with a strong shots difference of +125. Reynaltón sit second after 11 games with 58 points, while St Johns and Hundleton follow closely behind on 54 points each.

At the mid-table mark, Carew (49 points), St Twynnells (48) and Kilgetty (46) remain tightly grouped. Badgers, Lamphey, Llanteg and Cosheston make up the lower order, though the number of games played varies, leaving room for movement in the coming weeks.

Full standings:

Team	P	W	D	L	S/D	Points
East Williamston	10	8	0	2	+125	72
Reynaltón	11	5	2	4	+35	58
St Johns	10	5	1	4	+32	54
Hundleton	10	5	1	4	-2	54
Carew	9	5	0	4	-25	49
St Twynnells	10	4	2	4	-34	48
Kilgetty	11	5	0	6	-44	46
Badgers	11	3	1	7	-59	45
Lamphey	11	5	0	6	-10	44
Llanteg	8	4	0	4	-5	41
Cosheston	9	3	1	5	-13	40