News

Local activists will be in London for mass climate demonstration

Published

3 years ago

March 12, 2023

A LARGE group of residents from Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire are preparing to take part in the mass climate demonstration in London on 21st to 24th April, according to organisers.

The demonstration has been nicknamed ‘The Big One’, The Herald has been told.

Sarah Wright, who was previously on the Cardigan Town Council and a teacher at Coleg Ceredigion, is one of those going. She explained, “The Big One is designed to be a non-disruptive, all inclusive, family friendly demonstration of the breadth and depth of concern amongst ordinary people about the climate crisis. There will be tens of thousands of people demonstrating outside the Houses of Parliament on Friday 21st April, with many returning every day until Monday 24th. The police have been consulted in the arrangements from the start. We want to get the Government’s attention, not to disturb the public. I’m a grandmother and I intend to be there to speak up for a better future for my grandchildren. Unless the UK Government takes radical action the future will be very bleak for all of us, and especially for young people.”

Bus transport has been hired to take people to London for the day from Pembrokeshire, south Ceredigion and Carmarthen, and the bookings show that places are going fast. Similarly, rooms at a hostel have been booked for those who can stay for the whole 4 day demonstration, and this has over half the beds booked already.

Jane Mansfield, a retired nurse, is one of the organisers of the transport and the hostel, and she said, “The bookings show that lots of people are coming who have perhaps never been on a demonstration before, but they feel ‘now is the time’ as the effects of climate change become more and more obvious. We hear about it from world scientists, we see its effects on the news from across the world, with wildfires, floods, storms, rising sea levels, and astonishingly high temperatures. And we see it all around us in the changing climate affecting our lives. I am a gardener and see how the normal seasonal patterns to our weather have changed; it is now a lot more unpredictable. This has big consequences for our food production not just in my garden, but around the globe as we have seen in the shops this winter.”

The demonstration will bring together many movements such as The West Wales Climate Coalition, Friends of the Earth, CND, local Resilience groups and Extinction Rebellion, as well as many individuals of all ages and backgrounds who may not belong to any particular organisation. Banners have been seen in Cardigan, Carmarthen, Pembroke, St.Davids, and Fishguard, declaring ‘April 21st – Unite to Survive’ and ‘Yr Hinsawdd – yn ein dwylo’ (The Climate – in our hands). Many feel that the UK Government is leading us in the wrong direction, actively making the climate worse by granting new licences for coal, oil and gas. The Government’s own climate advisors are saying that they’re not on track to reach net zero in time.

“I am a volunteer at the Cardigan Oxfam shop and we are very aware of how it is a question of climate injustice,” explained Philippa Gibson, who will also be going to the demonstration. “Those in the developing world, such as many African countries, are feeling the effects of climate disaster first and most deeply, although they are the ones who have contributed the least to the problem, as their carbon emissions are tiny compared with those of us in developed countries. ”

Anyone interested in joining the bus to the demonstration, or just finding out more, can contact [email protected] 07717 391611

News

150 years of Mothers’ Union marked at St Davids Cathedral

Published

1 hour ago

June 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A SPECIAL service has been held at St Davids Cathedral to celebrate 150 years of the Mothers’ Union.

Members and officials gathered for the anniversary celebration on Sunday (Jun 21), where Bishop Dorrien welcomed those attending and spent time speaking with the Provincial Chaplain.

The occasion had particular significance for Bishop Dorrien, who is the third generation of his family to be a member of the Mothers’ Union.

The organisation, founded in 1876, continues to support families, communities and church life across Wales and around the world.

Those attending said the celebration was a fitting tribute to the work of generations of members, with hopes expressed for the next 150 years.

Caption:

Celebration: Members and officials gathered at St Davids Cathedral to mark 150 years of the Mothers’ Union (Pic: Diocese of St Davids).

Entertainment

Harbour Fest to bring music, food and maritime magic to Milford Waterfront

Published

2 hours ago

June 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Free family festival will celebrate Milford Haven’s seafaring history and coastal community

MILFORD WATERFRONT will burst into life on Saturday, June 27, as the first Harbour Fest sails into town for a day of music, food, family fun and maritime celebration.

The free event will run from 10:00am to 6:00pm at Mackerel Quay and across the waterfront, bringing together local traders, live entertainment, coastal organisations and independent businesses for a packed day beside the water.

Organisers say the festival will celebrate everything that makes Milford Haven special, from its seafaring history and working harbour to its growing reputation as a destination for food, shopping, culture and family days out.

Visitors will be able to browse stalls from local makers and producers, enjoy street food and live performances, and explore a Marine Zone featuring organisations involved in sea safety, marine conservation and coastal life.

The Marine Zone will include Seagrass Network Cymru / Project Seagrass, Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Dyfed-Powys Police, NCI Wooltack Point, Rudders Marine Training, RNLI Milford Haven and RNLI Angle Lifeboat.

RNLI Angle Lifeboat is expected to be based on the Mackerel Stage, while the Sea Cadets will be giving rope-tying displays at Milford Haven Museum, where craft activities will also be taking place.

Live entertainment will run throughout the day, with performances from Tom & Abz, Will Scott, Ryan Bristow, Milford Haven Town Band, Kyle Kirkhouse and ShantyJacs Sea Shanties.

Businesses across the waterfront are also joining in. All Pets Vet Care will hold a family-friendly open day with a bouncy castle, treasure hunts, quizzes, craft activities and behind-the-scenes tours. Aurora Artisan Crafts will host vocal performances, Biffy’s Bar & Restaurant will feature solo acoustic music from Laurence Lewis, and Martha’s Vineyard will offer seafood street food with live music from Ryan Bristow and Steve Bartram.

At Tŷ Milford Waterfront’s outdoor plaza there will be face painting, children’s activities, pop-up artists and an afternoon DJ set, while Phoenix Bowl and Pirate Pete’s Adventure Play will have inflatables and glitter tattoos outside.

The Waterfront Gallery will host introduction to felt-making workshops with textile artist Carole Fletcher, giving participants the chance to create a woollen felt flower pin brooch or phone/glasses case. The workshops start at 10:30am, 1:00pm and 3:30pm and cost £5 per person.

A wide range of traders will also be attending, including 5th Flock Spirits Co, Cinnamon Grove Distillery, Cwm Deri Wines & Liqueurs, Ferncraft, Get Loaded, J.J. Pottery, Major Nuts, Orange Garden Design, Pembrokeshire Chilli Farm, Pembrokeshire Gold, Pembrokeshire Lottery, Plumstone Welshcakes and SlateArtSJ.

With music drifting across the marina, food stalls lining the waterfront and lifeboats, sea safety teams and coastal groups adding a strong maritime flavour, Harbour Fest is expected to bring a lively summer atmosphere to one of Pembrokeshire’s best-known waterside destinations.

Organisers say the event is suitable for families, friends and visitors of all ages, with plenty to see and do throughout the day.

Photo caption: Harbour Fest will take place at Milford Waterfront on Saturday, June 27 (Pic: Milford Waterfront).

Community

Artist explores memory, community and changing rural life in new Cardigan exhibition

Published

2 hours ago

June 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A NEW exhibition exploring memory, belonging and the changing face of rural life is opening in Cardigan.

West Wales artist Sue Dewhurst will present From the Outside Looking In at Oriel Cardi Bach, with the exhibition running from June 27 to July 30.

The collection brings together several new series of work reflecting on the people, places and traditions that shaped Dewhurst’s childhood in the 1970s.

At the heart of the exhibition are the Chapel Girls, a group of paintings focusing on women who might once have filled the chapels that dominated Welsh village life. In Dewhurst’s work, they are now seen finding new forms of belonging through shopping trips, bingo halls, dating apps, bottomless brunches and everyday rituals, while redundant chapels stand silent around them.

The exhibition also includes A Bit of a Do, a series inspired by weddings, family parties and village hall celebrations.

Among the familiar characters are the mysterious woman in her best hat who appears at every gathering, the accountant calculating buffet logistics, the retired nurse dancing barefoot long after everyone else has gone home, and Harry, a grumpy gent with a mysteriously missing fingertip that nobody dares ask about.

Dewhurst’s Ghost Town series will also feature, exploring the changing landscapes of northern mill towns and communities transformed beyond recognition. These works sit alongside expressive coastal paintings inspired by New Quay and the Ceredigion coast.

A further installation of miniature “party paintings” will be presented like treasured relics rescued from a forgotten village hall or working men’s club. Wrapped with handwritten stories and nostalgic memorabilia, the pieces invite visitors to remember people and moments that might otherwise disappear.

Sue said music also plays an important role in the exhibition.

She said: “Music is so evocative for me and can instantly transport me back to a certain point in time.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the lives we don’t usually celebrate – the women who held communities together, the odd characters who turned up at every family occasion, the places that shaped us and the memories that linger long after buildings and traditions have changed.

“This exhibition is really about looking back with affection and humour, while recognising that we are all, in one way or another, trying to find where we belong.”

Originally from Lancashire and now based near Llandysul, Dewhurst has spent more than thirty years working in the arts. She previously ran Oriel Haywire in Llandysul before its closure around eighteen months ago.

From the Outside Looking In opens at Oriel Cardi Bach, Cardigan, on June 27 and runs until July 30.

Visitors are invited to rediscover familiar faces, forgotten stories and the beauty found in ordinary lives.