News
Pembroke to unveil William Marshal statue
PEMBROKE is gearing itself up for the grand unveiling of the much-anticipated statue of William Marshal on Saturday, May 7. The ceremony will take place at 2pm on Monkton Mill Bridge, just beneath the walls of Pembroke, which will form a stunning background for the statue.
Said Pembroke Mayor Linda Asman “It has long been an ambition to erect a statue to William Marshal, one of the great heroes of our history and a man who was Earl of Pembroke. Pembroke has a prestigious history: so many great figures are associated with it, including of course Henry VII, who we have celebrated with the popular statue on the Mill Bridge and look forward to a future Henry Tudor Visitor Centre.
William Marshal was a remarkable man and every bit as great as a king. A minor noble by birth, he rose to prominence from sheer ability, super star of the tournament, mentor to 5 kings, defender of Magna Carta and Regent of England. Known in his own lifetime as the Greatest Knight, this man became Earl of Pembroke and left us a legacy – the castle built of stone. He certainly deserves a statue!
It has once again been my privilege to work with sculptor Harriet Addyman, whose outstanding bronze statue of Henry VII has been such a success. It was in 2019 that Pembroke & Monkton Local History Society, with the support of Pembroke Town Council, commissioned Harriet to make the statue. Following the public consultation in Pembroke Town Hall, Harriet’s maquette (miniature) of the statue was displayed for public inspection and the fund-raising campaign was launched. It was greeted with great enthusiasm and generosity both from individuals and local organisations, although the task of raising such a great sum was greatly facilitated by generous donations from Mr Richard Evans, Valero and a successful application to PCC’s Enhancing Pembrokeshire Fund. “
The statue has been cast in bronze by the Castle Fine Arts Foundry, near Oswestry, where it is awaiting transportation to Pembroke on May 5th when it will be installed on its plinth below the Castle. At the ceremony on May 7th, the statue will be unveiled for all to see by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant Mr. Meurig Raymond CBE DL, – a magnificent, life-sized bronze knight mounted on his horse.
The unveiling will be followed by a community celebration in Pembroke Castle which has been funded by the kind generosity of Pembroke Town Council and Pembroke Castle Trustees who are allowing free entry to the Castle from 2.30-5 for the occasion. In case of bad weather, a marquee will be erected on the Castle grounds in which there will be stalls and a programme of entertainment, music and activities has been planned to run throughout the afternoon, including a concert by Pembroke Male Voice Choir, scheduled for 3pm. For children there will also be a competition for the best dressed knight and princess with prizes for the winners
To add to the occasion, visitors will be able to find out more about William Marshal and his times from the Living History Society, Historia Normannis, whose aim is to allow people to engage with history – seeing, feeling and hearing first-hand aspects of the lives and deaths of 12th century people – Knights, freemen, craftsmen, ladies of the court and Barons of the realm. During this event they will be looking at the arms and armour of medieval knights, such as William Marshal, the tourneys he loved so much and the brutality of medieval combat.
Everyone is welcome to join in to celebrate, with us, our Greatest Knight. Any queries please contact
Pembroke Town Hall, Main Street, Pembroke 01646 683092
Business
Largest Welsh port appoints communications and marketing director
THE Port of Milford Haven has announced that Anna Malloy has been appointed as its first Communications and Marketing Director.
Anna is appointed to the Senior Management Team and this new role will be pivotal to the delivery of the Port’s long-term growth and diversification agenda and in ensuring that its obligations to coastal communities, future generations and to nature are honoured.
Tom Sawyer, CEO of the Port of Milford Haven, congratulated Anna and said: “Anna has a key role to play in our future and it’s doubly lovely to see ‘port-grown-talent’ flourish and for colleagues to progress up through our organisation.”
Anna will lead across the public affairs, marketing, sustainability, media relations, and community relations activities. She will therefore play a central role in the development of new and existing partnerships, including the Celtic Freeport, the Milford Haven Energy Cluster and the Celtic Collection; sitting alongside the delivery of major projects like Milford Waterfront and the Pembroke Dock Renewables Terminal.
“This is such an exciting opportunity. I am proud to be joining the Senior Management Team and look forward to delivering our ambitious strategy,” commented Anna Malloy, Communications and Marketing Director.
She added: “The Port of Milford Haven is playing a key role in the transition of South-West Wales’ economy to a decarbonised future. A beautiful place, with great people, that I am privileged to call my home.”
Community
First deadlines met following enforcement action at landfill site
THE first set of deadlines for the completion of actions to tackle the ongoing odour issues at Withyhedge Landfill in Pembrokeshire have been met, one week on following the issuing of further enforcement action by Natural Resources Wales (NRW).
NRW issued site operator Resources Management UK Ltd (RML) with a further Regulation 36 Enforcement Notice on Thursday 18 April.
This outlined a series of actions to be completed by specified deadlines to address the ongoing odour and landfill gas emission issues at the site.
During the latest site inspection which took place yesterday (Thursday 25 April), NRW was able to confirm that three actions have been completed – two ahead of the imposed deadlines.
The operator has installed 24 pin wells, which have been driven into the waste in the lower section of the cell identified as causing the odour issues (Cell 8). These have also been connected to the landfill gas extraction system.
Capping material has been placed over the same area of the cell and welded to the basal liner to encapsulate gas in this area, allowing for extraction by the pin wells and four horizontal gas wells, which were previously installed.
While progress is being made, NRW officers detected strong landfill gas odours during an offsite assessment on Wednesday (24 April) in Poyston Cross and Crundale. Weather conditions this week appear to have led to a wider spread of landfill gas to surrounding areas, not solely linked to wind direction.
NRW odour assessments follow a set route around the landfill, with designated survey spots, identified to enable consistency of assessment and reporting. This is essential to ensure the regulatory and enforcement responses where there is offsite odour attributed to the landfill is robust.
The remaining Regulation 36 Notice actions will require significant effort by RML to ensure they are completed on time and NRW continues to closely monitor progress.
Clare Pillman, Chief Executive of NRW, met with representatives from NRW’s South West Industry Regulation Team and Pembrokeshire County Council during a visit to Pembrokeshire on Thursday 25 April.
Clare Pillman, Chief Executive, Natural Resources Wales, said: “While visiting the area surrounding Withyhedge Landfill with our regulatory team and partners from Pembrokeshire County Council this week, I was able to see and hear for myself just what people living and working in these communities have had to endure as a result of the odour issues from the site.
“What they have been experiencing is unacceptable and our officers have been working tirelessly alongside colleagues at Pembrokeshire County Council to ensure the operator gets this under control as quickly as possible. While it was clear that a lot of work has been done on site, there is still more to do to ensure they address all the actions set out in the enforcement notice.
“We want to make sure that happens, and are exploring every option together with Pembrokeshire County Council to ensure the operator works quickly to resolve the issues which are clearly affecting the quality of life of people in these communities.”
Huwel Manley, Head of South West Operations, said: “While we are reassured that action is being carried out by the operators at Withyhedge Landfill with a sense of urgency, we are continuing our regulatory presence on site to ensure the operator’s focus remains on tackling the issues that will address the continuing odour issues being experienced by surrounding communities.
“We will be closely monitoring progress over the coming days and weeks to ensure the operator complies with all the actions set out in Notice by 14 May. If they are not met, we will pursue additional enforcement action where appropriate.”
NRW requests that instances of odour from the landfill continue to be reported via this dedicated form: https://bit.ly/reportasmellwithyhedge or by calling 0300 065 3000.
Please report odours at the time of them being experienced, rather than historically. Reporting odours in a timely manner will help guide the work of partners more effectively, particularly in the further development of air quality monitoring.
Community
Milford Haven’s war memorial is 100 years old today
THE Milford Haven War Memorial, a significant landmark commemorating the fallen heroes of World Wars and subsequent conflicts, marks its 100th anniversary today.
The memorial, which was inaugurated on April 26, 1924 by the Venerable the Archdeacon of St Davids, remains a poignant symbol of sacrifice and hope for peace.
Constructed from 1923 to 1924, the memorial consists of a striking assembly of pink granite and white marble statues that were sculpted in Italy.
Representing the Army, Navy, and Air Force, these life-size statues stand on an unpolished three-step plinth below a main pedestal. A soldier faces west and a sailor east, with an airman atop the central column, surveying the skies.
The names and inscriptions of the fallen are carved into the polished granite shaft, meticulously supervised by surveyor J.P. Morgan with contractor E. Jones of Llanybydder.
Located on Hamolton Terrace with views over the Milford Haven waterway, the memorial is a freestanding structure in an external, roadside setting. It features a serviceman/woman sculpture in marble and Portland stone, set on a concrete base surrounded by railings. Inscribed plaques honour those who served in the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, and the conflict in Iraq from 2003 to 2009.
The memorial lists the names of 239 men who perished in the First World War on its polished grey granite faces. The Second World War claimed 157 lives from this community, whose names are recorded on bronze plaques around the base. Notably, the memorial also honours one serviceman who fell during the Korean War and another who was killed in Iraq in 2007.
The Milford Haven War Memorial stands not only as a historical monument but also as an enduring reminder of the costs of war and the community’s ongoing commitment to peace.
As the town reflects on a century of remembrance, the hope remains that future generations will continue to cherish and learn from the lessons of the past.
-
News2 days ago
Police and air ambulances at ‘serious incident’ at West Wales school
-
News6 days ago
20mph U-turn: Some roads will return to 30mph following public outcry
-
Community6 days ago
Miracle pup finds her forever home after heart-wrenching journey
-
Crime2 days ago
Pembrokeshire pensioner accused of 17 sexual offences against children
-
Crime1 day ago
All three school stabbing victims discharged from hospital, police confirm
-
Community3 days ago
County Hall to offer space for community banking
-
Crime4 days ago
Brian Davis: Wanted on suspicion of commercial burglary
-
Education6 days ago
Target of 1m Welsh speakers by 2050 is “almost impossible”