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Pembroke Dock celebrates the building of iconic Star Wars starship in 1979

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Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre

A MILLENNIUM FALCON exhibition is opening to the public in the Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre in West Wales on Monday, May 23 thanks to £8,000 funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The permanent installation tells the story of the building of a life-sized model of the iconic Star Wars starship in the town in 1979 for the Oscar-winning film The Empire Strikes Back.

“The worst kept secret in Pembroke Dock”

Craftsmen from a local engineering firm built the model – the first of its type ever constructed, in the Western Hangar – a former RAF aircraft hangar in the town’s dockyard.

“It was the worst kept secret in Pembroke Dock – everybody in the town knew they were building a UFO in the hangar and that period of time and that story is an important part of the town’s living memory” remembers Gareth Mills, a trustee of the Pembroke Dock Heritage Trust.

“Thanks to National Lottery players, we are now able to tell the story of the building of the Millennium Falcon in Pembroke Dock – an iconic event to fans across the globe, in a new and permanent exhibition. The exhibition will provide a significant boost for Pembroke Dock with increased visitor numbers helping with the economic regeneration of our town and will also have major benefits for Pembrokeshire.”

“One of the most iconic starships in science fiction history”

Work on the Millennium Falcon exhibition at the Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre has been going on for some time under the watchful eye of local Star Wars expert and enthusiast Mark Williams.

“George Lucas set a new standard in both storytelling and filmmaking with Star Wars and the story of the Millennium Falcon being built in Pembroke Dock was big news at the time. The whole world knew about it, then the story faded into legend.”

“The idea of a town in West Wales making a significant contribution to this incredible story by being the place where one of the most iconic starships in science fiction history was built, creates a mixture of disbelief, awe and pride.”

Millennium Falcon

National Lottery funding

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded towards creating a permanent display in the Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre about the building of the Millennium Falcon model. A walk-through display will tell the story with photographs, film, models and costumes.

“Pembroke Dock – the birthplace of the first-ever life-sized model of the Millennium Falcon – now has a permanent exhibition for an often overlooked and largely unknown but major Welsh contribution to film and cinema history and popular culture,” said Andrew White,  Director of the National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales.

“The funding for the Pembroke Dock Heritage Trust has been made possible by National Lottery players who raise more than £30 million every week for good causes in the UK. It is just one of the more than 635,000 good causes in the UK that has received a share of over £41 billion raised by National Lottery players since 1994.”

The Millennium Falcon isn’t Pembrokeshire’s only connection to Star Wars. Lynwen Brennan, Lucasfilm EVP and General Manager, is a Pembrokeshire native. “I am so delighted that this wonderful moment and place in Star Wars history will be preserved,” said Lynwen Brennan. “I love that such an iconic, beloved ship was built in the town where my Mum was born and in the county where I grew up, and I’m hopeful this exhibit will become a new destination for fans around the world.”

Andrew White, Director of the National Lottery heritage Fund in Wales said “Wales has a proud tradition of myths and legends to which we can now add the little-know story of Wales’ contribution to the Star Wars films.This new exhibition showcases Pembroke Dock as the birthplace of the first life-sized model of the Millenium Falcon. It’s a great example of one of our small grants going a long way, in this case to a galaxy, far away and back again”.

The funding for the Pembroke Dock Heritage Trust has been made possible by National Lottery players who raise more than £30 million every week for good causes in the UK. It is just one of the more 635,000 good causes in the UK that has received a share of over £41 billion raised by National Lottery players since 1984.

Entertainment

What are the best Welsh versions of Monopoly?

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Monopoly board game, laid out on a table.

Monopoly is one of the most beloved board games in history, enjoyed and argued over by groups of players since the 1930s. The original board was named after streets in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and the London version of the game is iconic, but now fans can find editions of just about any locale, from Hong Kong to Preston. 

There are no fewer than six Welsh Monopoly games to choose from, including a Welsh-language version, and the newest, set in the mountainous locale of Snowdonia, which launched in Portmeirion earlier this year. Let’s check it out.

Rhifyn Eryri/Snowdonia edition

There’s no doubt that Monopoly is a phenomenon — it’s a sprawling empire of a franchise, with video games and theme parks, as well as a Monopoly casino site. A review describing this particular platform explains that it gets its name because it devotes an entire section to “custom Monopoly games”, giving players a hybrid board-game/casino experience. With the Monopoly name so widespread across game types and genres, it’s unsurprising to see the game take on not only the world’s great cities but also the wonders of the natural world. Released in March this year, the Snowdonia edition was launched with a special event at Portmeirion and Porthmadog.

The public was invited to suggest landmarks, towns, and organisations when the game was announced, and Yr Wyddfa took the prestigious “Mayfair” square on the board. The highest mountain in Wales is a national symbol and a major tourist attraction year-round – so arguably has the prestige to be able to take the place of one of London’s most affluent streets. At the other end on “Old Kent Road” is Ty Hyll (‘ugly house’ in English), the mysterious 15th century house in Betws y Coed. Legend tells that it was built overnight to pass a law that such rapid construction on common land meant the house could stay. In between are all manner of other iconic landmarks from the region. 

Other Welsh Monopoly editions

But the Rhifyn Eryri/Snowdonia edition isn’t the only Welsh version of the classic game — there are actually five others. 2000 saw the release of the first Wales edition, featuring Brecon Beacons, Holyhead, and Caernarfon Castle, amongst plenty of other locations which reflect Welsh history, identity, and natural beauty. Although the rules for that edition came in Welsh and English, a Welsh language (Yn Cymraeg) version also hit the market in 2007, with a distinct board layout — players pass Ewch, rather than Go. 

Monopoly fans can also work their way around the capital city of Cardiff, landing on the Millennium Stadium, the National Museum and Cardiff Castle, amongst many others. There are also editions for Anglesey, Swansea, and Newport. 

Roots of Monopoly

Monopoly originated from “The Landlord’s Game,” created in 1904 by Lizzie Magie, an American game designer, to demonstrate the unfairness of land monopolies. In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, Charles Darrow, an unemployed salesman, played a homemade version of the game with friends and decided to publish it. 

He modified the rules and sold the game to Parker Brothers, who bought the patent from Magie and credited Darrow as the creator, launching it in 1935. Monopoly was a huge success, symbolising both the allure and pitfalls of capitalism, and has been providing rainy-day entertainment ever since. 

The idea of owning an iconic mountain might seem a bit strange, but there’s no doubt that the Rhifyn Eryri/Snowdonia edition of Monopoly is an interesting and fun entry in the franchise. With many instantly recognisable landmarks, the region is well suited to the classic game. 

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Entertainment

Miles Jupp: On I Bang

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SINCE Miles’ last tour finished at The London Palladium in 2017, he’s been in The Full Monty on Disney Plus, The Durrells and Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? on ITV, as well as a heap of episodes of Frankie Boyle’s New World Order and Have I Got News For You. He’s made an award-winning radio series and he’s published a novel. But for Covid, he would have played a lead at the RSC. Hey ho. Nevertheless, he’s done a play in the West End and played the Emperor of Austria and Europe in a Ridley Scott film and now he heads here to the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven!

Yet one sunny day in the middle of all this, he suddenly suffered a brain seizure. This led to the discovery of a tumour the size of a cherry tomato, and a rather pressing need to undergo major neurosurgery. Obviously, one doesn’t wish to make a big deal of it, but the experience has left him with a story to tell and a few things that he’d like to share with the room. So that’s exactly what he’s doing in his new show On I Bang – a tale about surprise, fear, luck, love and qualified medical practitioners. 

Having received rave reviews by The Times, The Guardian and The Telegraph, On I Bang with Miles Jupp is one not to be missed here at the Torch, and tickets are selling like hot cakes. Awarded four stars and described as “Elegantly funny, terrible English account of a tumour” by The Guardian and awarded five stars by The Arts Desk 2024, this a performance that will be talked about for months to come.

Join Miles Jupp: On I Bang when he visits the Torch Theatre on Friday 10 January at 8pm.Ticket price: £25. For tickets phone the Box Office on 01646 695267 or visit torchtheatre.co.uk.

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Entertainment

How to improve your home in a cost of living crisis 

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Welsh households have faced an increase in the cost of living over the last few years. Between 2022 and 2023, nearly half of Welsh residents (43%) reported a worsening of their financial situation

With bills ever on the rise, things like home improvements have taken a back seat in an effort to save money. However, making some improvements to your home can be advantageous and there are plenty of ways to make positive changes without having to break the bank. 

Benefits of home improvements 

Enhanced comfort 

Your home should be a positive and comforting place to be. When there are aspects of your home that you’re not happy with, it can create a negative environment. As the cost of living crisis takes its toll on people’s mental wellbeing, creating a safe and comfortable space is more important than ever.  

Increased house value 

Perhaps the biggest advantage to home improvements – increasing the value of your home. It’s important to make your home as valuable as possible if you’re looking to sell. A few touch ups and improvements here and there can make a significant difference to your home and increase its value substantially. 

Better energy efficiency 

Swapping out older elements, like lightbulbs, for more energy efficient ones is a great way to not only improve aesthetics but also keep costs down in the long run. 

How to improve your home for less 

Get painting 

Painting is one of the easiest and most effective ways to transform a home. A fresh coat of paint on a tired looking wall or a splash of colour in a dull room can make all the difference in a bedroom, living room, or hallway. Professional decorators in Wales cost around £15 to £25 per hour or £150 to £190 per day, but you can save a lot of money by doing it yourself.  

Kitchens and bathrooms can also benefit from a lick of paint. Painting kitchen cabinets is an easy way to modernise the space and bathrooms can be completely revamped with a bit of colour.

Upcycle furniture 

With platforms like Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and Gumtree, it’s easy to find inexpensive furniture that you can transform into great pieces for your home. Instead of spending hundreds of pounds in IKEA, you can spend significantly less purchasing old furniture that with some cleaning, sanding, and painting, can be remoulded into a lavish piece for your home. 

Swap out old lighting

Lighting can make a huge difference to the ambiance of a room. Consider replacing old bulbs with energy efficient warm white LEDs. Not only will the room have a cosier feel, but you’ll also be lowering your energy bills.

Add a touch of nature 

Plants are a great way to make a house feel more like a home, and they have plenty of health benefits. To keep costs down, fake plants are a great alternative. They offer the same aesthetic benefits but are less expensive and require very little maintenance.  

Home improvements worth spending more on

Some aspects of home improvements are better left to the professionals in order to get it right the first time. 

Upholstery cleaning 

Refreshing something you already own is almost always a cheaper and easier alternative to buying brand new. Professional upholstery cleaning services start from £49 per hour which is significantly cheaper than re-carpeting your entire house or purchasing a new sofa which could set you back thousands. By giving dull furniture a good clean, you can give your home a new lease of life.

Electrics and plumbing 

Whilst there is a lot you can do yourself, it’s important to leave things like plumbing or electrical elements to the professionals as it can be difficult, or even dangerous, and getting it wrong could cost you considerably more in repairs. On average, the hourly rate of an electrician is £33 and a plumber is £32 per hour in Wales. 

Small changes can have a big impact 

Improving your home during a cost of living crisis is entirely possible as long as you’re smart about it. By doing things yourself or giving old items a new lease of life, you can massively cut down on costs and give your home the refresh that it needs.

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