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Torch Theatre will re-open next week after 18-month Covid pandemic closure

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MILFORD HAVEN’S Torch Theatre will be re-opening its doors again to its patrons on Wednesday 1 September 2021. After a long 18 months, this is much welcomed news for the theatre, its staff, and volunteers, and most importantly its community who have missed the thrills and enjoyment of on-stage and big screen entertainment. 

The Torch will be offering a full programme of Cinema and Live Broadcasts throughout September. As a special thank you to the Pembrokeshire community for their ongoing support and loyalty, all Cinema tickets will be priced at £5 per ticket and Live Broadcasts will be priced at £10 per ticket for all September screenings. 


The Cinema programme includes a feast of recent releases including Disney’s Cruella, Fast and Furious 9, Peter Rabbit 2, The Suicide Squad, Dream Horse and The Father. Later in September, the Torch will be screening Marvel’s Shang Chi, People Just Do Nothing Big In Japan and Free Guy. The Live Broadcast offering includes Andre Rieu’s Together Again and the National Theatre Live’s Follies and Romeo and Juliet.  Socially distanced seating will remain in place throughout September as the theatre gears up to returning to full capacity from October with the return of its Live Theatre programme. 

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Executive Director of the Torch Theatre, Benjamin Lloyd, on the re-opening said:  “These past months have been incredibly painful and isolating for so many, and this has been made worse by the loss of communal experience and expression throughout lockdown. Whilst the Torch has carried on our support of community groups, classes, and our youth theatre, online and behind closed doors, nothing is the same without our audiences inhabiting the building and so we are beyond thrilled to announce our public reopening with a trademark rich, varied and inclusive programme from Wednesday 1 September.”

For the reassurance of audiences and staff alike, enhanced Covid policies and procedures will be in place for when the doors re-open. In accordance with Welsh Government guidelines, patrons will be asked to wear a facemask at all times (unless eating or drinking), hand sanitiser stations will be located throughout the building, bookings will be limited to group bubbles with socially distanced seating placed across both auditoria, patrons will be encouraged to book online (Box Office support is available) and use print at home/digital tickets where possible, and, entry times will be staggered across the day so that the theatre can be thoroughly cleaned ahead of the next performance.  

There will also be a few changes to how food and drink is offered from within the Torch. A new kiosk has been built in the Box Office offering a range of sweets and snacks, ice creams, hot and cold drinks, and alcoholic beverages. The main bar spaces and Café Torch will remain closed initially but will re-open later in the year as the Torch phases in different parts of its operations coinciding with the lifting of social distance restrictions.  


The much-acclaimed Torch Theatre Company Productions will return to the stage from October starting with Angel, a play inspired by the true story of a female Kurdish freedom fighter who fought against ISIS insurgents in Syria. Also from October, the Torch will welcome two extraordinary exhibitions: One World: An Exhibition from the Penally Camp Artists will feature in the Torch’s Oriel Joanna Field, and, to coincide with the launch of a dedicated website for our artistic engagement project The Pembrokeshire Story, a specially curated exhibition will be held to celebrate the people and places of Pembrokeshire that feature in this innovative project.


For those who have missed their annual festive treat of Pantomime, the Torch can also confirm that Cinderella is scheduled to take place this December with Pembrokeshire’s favourite Dame, Dion Davies, and the much loved Dave Ainsworth so far confirmed to star in the most magical of family Christmas shows. Both Angel and Cinderella will be directed by the Torch Theatre’s Artistic Director, Peter Doran. 


The Torch will also welcome back its local community and creative groups. After a summer of socially distanced Youth Theatre and Joon Dance Workshops, all community groups will be returning to the Torch in person from September, including the Cradle Choir, Mother and Baby Groups and Arts Care disability movement classes. Both the Torch Youth Theatre and the Torch Voices Choir will return later in the Autumn. 

Benjamin Lloyd added:  “We are thrilled to be getting back to what we do best and I want to extend my thanks once again to our staff, volunteer team and to you, our valued patrons, for the backing you have shown the Torch in these past months. The Torch is a precious resource for the Arts in Wales and for our communities alike and whilst we have some tough times ahead as we begin the process of building back brighter, I know that with your continued support, we will continue to create, engage, inspire and entertain for generations to come.”

It is an exciting time ahead for the Torch and most importantly the theatre is ready to welcome you all back once again. Tickets are now on sale for the Torch’s Autumn programme, with more shows to be announced very soon. Tickets are recommended to be purchased in advance from the Torch Theatre’s website www.torchtheatre.co.uk and for extra support with your booking, please call the Box Office on 01646 695267. 

Charity

RNLI on the lookout for new beach lifesavers in Pembrokeshire

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LOCALLY, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is seeking budding lifeguards to launch their lifesaving careers on some of Wales’ most popular beaches.

The RNLI are recruiting beach lifesavers ahead of the 2025 season. Recruitment for this season’s lifeguard team has started nationally in preparation for providing local authorities and landowners with the service they request to keep beachgoers safe this summer. Recruitment is still open for positions in North Pembrokeshire.

The charity’s lifeguards not only rescue those in difficulty in the water, they also provide vital beach first-aid and safety advice to ensure visitors can return home safely. In 2023, RNLI lifeguards in West Wales provided patrols and responded to more than 753 incidents, helping more than 1,148 people in need, saving seven lives.

Last summer, lifeguards rescued stricken swimmers from powerful rip currents, saved children being blown offshore in inflatables, came to the aid of paddleboarders and gave lifesaving CPR on beaches among the thousands of incidents they attended.

Successful applicants will receive world-class lifesaving training, enjoy good rates of pay, the possibility of flexible working patterns and develop valuable skills for a future career.

Stuart Penfold Lead Lifeguard Supervisor for North Pembrokeshire said:

‘Being a beach lifeguard is great. Although the job can be very challenging at times, you get the chance to work alongside some incredible people, receive great training, be outdoors and most importantly, make a real difference to people’s lives.

‘The role is well suited to outgoing individuals, confident swimmers and those who are passionate about helping people. This year our lifeguard team will be patrolling Poppit Sands, Newport Sands, Whitesands, Newgale, Nolton Haven and Broad Haven.’

‘To apply to join North Pembrokeshire’s Lifeguard Team visit: Lifeguards: Haverfordwest North – Poppit Sands to Broadhaven

Lee Fisher, Lifeguard Experience Manager said: ‘Beach lifeguarding is a great opportunity and a very rewarding role that changes lives – including your own – all whilst enjoying the beach as your office.

‘Our lifeguards range from teenagers all the way up to lifesavers in their 70s, as long as you meet the fitness requirements and you are over 16 years old, there could be a role for you.

‘The job also has great paths for progression – we have lifeguards who have been working for the RNLI for years, both on the beach and as part of our support teams, and the skills you gain can make an ideal first step towards many careers. It’s a great opportunity whether you want a rewarding summer job or to pursue a career in lifesaving.’

To find lifeguard vacancies in your area visit: Find a job (rnli.org)

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Community

The life of a crime scene cleaner: Ben Giles shares his harrowing experiences

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SOME of the images that Ben Giles has confronted over the past three decades have been stomach-churning.

He’s seen the brutality of murders, corpses left to rot for weeks on end, young children who have been mauled to death by dogs, victims of fatal car crashes, and an ever-increasing number of tragic suicides.

As he tackled each new scene as founder and director of Ultima Cleaning, Ben’s sole focus was on ensuring that the job was executed professionally. But it was only when he began working on his recently published book The Life of a Crime Scene Cleaner, that the true extent of those harrowing experiences began to hit home.

“Arriving at a crime scene, my main drive was to get the job done properly, but this meant not really thinking about what had happened,” Ben told The Pembrokeshire Herald.

“It was only when I began working on the book and started going over some of the scenes I’d confronted that I began to realise what some of those families had gone through.

“Yes, some of the things I’ve seen have been horrific.”

One image that will never leave Ben is that of a middle-aged woman who had been bludgeoned to death by her husband at their home in Birmingham.

“It made me realise that people sometimes die in ways that we don’t think possible,” he said. “I’d recently got married, and I just couldn’t accept how anything like this could happen between a husband and his wife.”

The woman had survived for three days on the kitchen floor but sadly died as she was being taken to hospital by ambulance. The entire room in which she’d been murdered was covered by a fine mist of blood, and bloody handprints and fingerprints were all over the kitchen units. The drawers had blood inside them and their runners, while the washing machine had so much blood on it that it had seeped into the door and into the seal.

“In a few hours, we’d completely cleaned the room and were travelling back home to our own wives and families. But the emotion that we were all feeling as a team will never leave me.”

Dealing with the unimaginable

On another occasion, Ben and his team were asked to attend a property in Penrhiwllan, near Newcastle Emlyn, where a man had lain dead for eight weeks.

“The smell was horrendous,” recalls Ben. “His face and legs had been eaten by his dog, and the man had begun decomposing through the carpet. His body fat had gone into the concrete. There were swarms of bluebottles everywhere.

“This was one of the very first biohazard cleaning jobs I’d ever done, so obviously the expectations were considerable. And in those days, we didn’t have Google to refer to, so it was a question of using our own knowledge and initiative to ensure the job was done well.”

Building a business from scratch

In many ways, this strong sense of self-belief has been the undercurrent of Ben’s life journey.

He left school at the age of 16 with a handful of GCSEs and no inclination to pursue further education.

“I knew I wanted to carry on living here in west Wales but I also knew that the qualifications I had weren’t going to get me the job or the salary I wanted,” explains Ben.

And so he set up his own window cleaning business.

“I managed to make a success of it,” he explains. “By the time I was 17, I was earning more money than my schoolteachers, and when I was 18, I was able to buy my first house and car.”

That same year, Ben decided to diversify into different methods of cleaning, focusing on offices and schools. By the time he was 23, he had a workforce of 20 people.

His first job came courtesy of a client who worked with the Aberystwyth branch of Age Concern.

“She told me that a warden-assisted flat hadn’t been cleaned for ten years. The bath was full to the brim with human faeces, as was the toilet, and the place was crawling with flies. Both the flats on either side were empty because of the smell.

“We cleaned the property that same day for a fee of £2,000, and I knew that by deodorising it and doing everything possible to clean it, we’d created an opportunity for the other flats to be let out too.”

A business built on expertise

Under Ben’s directorship, Ultima has been split into three categories:

  • Ultima Cleaning, specialising in crime scene and biohazard cleaning;
  • Ultima Academy, which offers specialist biohazard training to organisations such as police and prison officers, British Aerospace, and immigration officers;
  • Ultima’s Environmental Network, facilitated by some 400 operatives throughout the UK.

The company has also worked closely with leading pharmaceutical companies to develop pioneering cleaning materials for severe cleanup operations, while a mental health specialist is always on hand to support any staff members affected by their work.

Ultima remains the sole British company that can offer a two-hour call-out, operating from its centre in Newport, Gwent.

Selling Ultima Cleaning

In 2022, Ben made the difficult decision to sell Ultima Cleaning.

“When COVID hit, I was going to bed at 3am and waking up at 6, when there’d be 20 jobs already in, waiting to be sanitised. We were absolutely everywhere, and it nearly exhausted me and the team.

“So I suppose it was this that made me take stock of where I am today.

“Over the years, it’s become obvious that people love hearing about the work we do as loads of people love crime, and the most popular question I get asked has to be ‘What’s the worst thing you’ve ever had to clean up?’

“But people are also interested in my own personal journey.

“And this is why I decided to write the book. OK, so I’m a much better cleaner than I am a writer, but I’ve always kept a diary of my jobs, and this has helped me to select between 30 and 40 of the most interesting ones for the book.

“At the end of the day, I’m a normal guy from Cardigan who’s worked hard, who’s had a firm belief in everything I’ve done, and who’s succeeded.

“But the business has made me appreciate my life, my family, the wonderful people around me, and my home near Cardigan.

“Ultima has taught me a great deal about life, but perhaps the greatest thing is to forget the word ‘no’. If I’d said no to so many of those jobs over the years, there’s no way I’d be where I am today.”

The Life of a Crime Scene Cleaner is available from Amazon on Kindle (£7.99) and paperback (£15.99).

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Crime

Mother accused of murdering six-year-old son set to appear in court

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A MOTHER accused of murdering her son and attempting to kill her father is set to appear in court next month.

Karolina Zurawska, 41, of Cwm Du Close, Gendros, Swansea, is charged with the murder of her six-year-old son, Alexander Zurawski, whose body was discovered at a property in Swansea in August last year. She is also accused of attempting to murder her father, 67-year-old Krzysztof Siwi, on the same occasion.

Zurawska was due to appear at Swansea Crown Court on Monday but was not produced from custody. A plea hearing has now been scheduled for March 3. She remains in custody.

Following Alexander’s death, his family described him as a “very kind child”. They said: “Alexander was always well-behaved and never naughty. He was very clever and very mature for his age. He had great understanding of facts. Alexander was always helpful, always eager to assist with cooking and cleaning.

“Alexander spoke both English and Polish and would often correct his parents with their English if they got words wrong. He was amazing.”

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