News
Nolton Haven Lifeguards team up with Little Haven and St Davids RNLI
ON SATURDAY (Jul 8) shortly after launching, a speedboat that had departed from Nolton Haven Bay suffered engine issues in large swell.
Nolton Haven Lifeguards alongside crews from Little Haven and St Davids RNLI worked together in challenging conditions to save three casualties.
Three people arrived at Nolton Haven Beach with the intention of launching their speedboat, fortunately it was the first of day of patrols at Nolton Haven. The lifeguards on duty advised the boat users against launching as the conditions were dangerous and were forecast to worsen throughout the day. The people proceeded to launch their boat, with some difficulty, but eventually made their way out of the bay.
Shortly after leaving the bay, Lifeguard Tom Rogers noticed that the vessel didn’t seem to be making any progress out to sea. They were roughly 50m outside of the bay. The lifeguards observed the boat and noticed they had started rowing with oars suggesting engine failure. All passengers onboard the boat then began waving in the direction of the beach.
Lifeguard Supervisor Noah Harvatt immediately contacted Milford Haven Coastguard and emphasised the situation was time critical due to the eight-foot waves that were growing larger by the minute. Fortunately, the driver of the speedboat was carrying a phone who also called 999 and ask for the assistance of the Coastguard. The Coastguard immediately tasked Little Haven’s inshore lifeboat.
Knowing that the lifeboat had been tasked, Senior Lifeguard Matthew Brown paddled out on a rescue board to assess the situation. Using his radio, Matthew could then act as the communicator between the passengers aboard the boat, Nolton Beach Lifeguard Unit and the Coastguard. Little Haven crew launched immediately and made their way to the scene.
Matthew told The Pembrokeshire Herald: “The conditions were really dangerous and the paddle out to the boat was tough. The waves are always bigger than they look from the beach!”
Matthew encouraged the passengers to drop their anchor and face the boat into the conditions to try and prevent being blown further towards the cliffs. Once the lifeboat arrived, the passengers were clearly distressed as the vessel was being swept closer to the cliffs due to the strength of the large swell and strong winds despite dropping the anchor. The lifeboat crew wasted no time and set up for a tow operation. A crew member climbed aboard the speedboat with the tow rope, so they could pull vessel away from the cliffs and back to safety as soon as possible. The crew began towing the boat away and Lifeguard Matthew was free to return to shore to debrief with the Coastguard.
By this point the surf had picked up even more due to the outgoing tide, but Matthew’s strong board handling skills and experience in big swell meant he could skilfully assess the conditions and catch a wave back to the beach on his rescue board.
The speedboat had begun to take on water and the tow was becoming more difficult for the inshore lifeboat. The coastguard requested the launch of St David’s all-weather lifeboat to assist. Once it arrived, St Davids’ Tamar the Norah Wortley took over the towing whilst the inshore lifeboat took the passengers back to shore. All three casualties were suffering with severe sea sickness due to the rough conditions.
The casualties were brought back to safety on Broad Haven Beach as the conditions elsewhere were too dangerous and were safely handed over to the Coastguard team.
St Davids all-weather lifeboat towed the speedboat to a sheltered mooring in Gould Troop – just off Little Haven, where the crew from Little Haven’s inshore lifeboat secured the vessel until safe to recover. Both St Davids and Little Haven crews were then stood down and returned to station.
Senior Lifeguard Matthew Brown said: “I’m very relieved that our lifeguard service at Nolton Haven went live on that day. If we hadn’t been there to spot the vessel in difficulty and to call the coastguard, the end result could’ve been very different.
‘It’s always a pleasure working alongside the lifeboat crews. Little Haven’s response time was impressive, the casualties are lucky the station is nearby.”
One of the casualties said: “The RNLI were tremendous during our rescue. The lifeguard from the beach paddled out through big swell very quickly to assist us and was calm and very professional throughout the rescue.
We’re aware that the inshore lifeboat from Little Haven launched unbelievably quickly and were with us in minutes. The lifeboat crew were also very professional.
In very tricky conditions without the quick, confident intervention of all the RNLI teams on scene, the outcome of our situation could’ve been very different.
We are enormously grateful to the whole team for their outstanding efforts in challenging circumstances. I intend on donating to the charity following the incident to show my deep appreciation for the crew’s amazing work. Thank you RNLI.”
This incident was a true display of RNLI teamwork across lifeboat crews and lifeguards working together as one crew.
Entertainment
St Davids Cathedral Music Festival representatives attend Royal Garden Party
SIMON PEARCE, the esteemed Organist and Master of the Choristers at St Davids Cathedral, was honoured to attend a royal garden party at Buckingham Palace, hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
The event, celebrating the UK’s Creative and Cultural Industries, featured an array of celebrities, stunning displays of spring gardens, and performances by the Band of The Marines.
Mr Pearce, who attended with his wife Katherine was appointed in 2022 as the Director of Music at the cathedral—a position he has held since 1998 in an assistant capacity—expressed his delight at the opportunity to represent the festival. “Every single moment was to be savoured,” he remarked, noting the “wonderful music, fantastic host of celebs, a sumptuous tea party, stunning gardens and Palace, and glorious British spring weather.”
The St Davids Cathedral Music Festival 2024 will open with a dazzling performance by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales on May 25. The orchestra will treat audiences to Mathias’s Festival Overture and Brahms’ Second Symphony.
Adding to the splendour, award-winning violinist Inmo Yang will grace the stage with his rendition of Sibelius’ Violin Concerto.
This year’s festival will also introduce several new performers. The Choir of Royal Holloway is set to debut on May 27, enchanting attendees with choral arrangements of orchestral classics. Local talent is also in the spotlight, with Pembrokeshire-born horn player Simon Lewis performing alongside Trio Preseli on May 26, showcasing works by Welsh composer Anthony Randall.
Adding a touch of environmental consciousness to the festival, clarinet virtuoso Emma Johnson returns on May 28 with her Orchestra for the Environment.
Their repertoire will include pieces by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Johnson’s own composition, ‘The Tree of Life’.
The festival will kick off with the 150-strong Children’s Festival Chorus on May 24, captivating audiences with their youthful energy and a live band.
Throughout the week, the cathedral musicians will feature prominently in several concerts, with the highlight being the full Cathedral choir performing Choral Evensong live on BBC Radio 3.
This prestigious invitation to Buckingham Palace came just two years after Mr Pearce’s official appointment as the Master of Choristers, a role in which he has pledged to continue enhancing the cathedral’s distinguished musical tradition.
At the time of his appointment, the Very Revd Dr Sarah Rowland Jones, as Dean of St. Davids, praised Mr Pearce’s exceptional talents, saying, “It has been a pleasure to enjoy the excellence of Simon’s playing and conducting over the years.”
Under his leadership, the Cathedral Choir and Choral Foundation have been furthering their well-deserved reputation for excellence. “St Davids Cathedral is a spiritually inspiring and beautiful place in which to make music,” Mr Pearce said, acknowledging the special connections the cathedral maintains with the local community, school, and the wider Pembrokeshire area.
News
Council works to reduce empty properties in Carmarthenshire
CARMARTHENSHIRE County Council is reducing the number of empty properties within the county through the introduction of the Empty Properties Framework.
Combining enforcement, the implementation of council tax premiums on empty properties and providing support to help owners bring empty properties back into use, the Empty Properties Framework aims to:
• Reduce the number of long-term empty homes across the county
• Increase the supply of affordable housing to meet demand
• Tackle issues relating to property nuisance, blight and the impact on communities
The following case study is an example of how Carmarthenshire County Council is supporting communities and owners to bring empty properties back into use.
An empty property was reported to the Council with loose rendering falling onto a neighbouring driveway and refuse/waste material in the garden. Investigations revealed that the property had been recorded as empty for seven years and was privately owned by a limited company.
The property was visited by the Council’s Empty Homes Officers and scored as high risk (Category A), requiring enforcement. The owners responded positively to the notice served and assisted with the Council’s formal inspection of the property, during which various category 1 (the most serious) hazards were identified.
As a result, statutory notices were served on the property. These notices provided varying timeframes for work to be carried out. In the event of non-compliance, the Council may choose to undertake works, recovering all costs from the owner.
The owner complied with the work which posed an imminent risk and then sold the property at public auction. The Improvement Notices remained with the property when sold. Upon purchase, the new owners immediately began work to improve the property and this is progressing well.
Cllr Linda Evans, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Homes said: “The introduction of the Empty Homes Framework aims to be bold in bringing about the improvement and occupation of empty homes, increasing the supply and use of housing to all.
Carmarthenshire County Council is committed to reducing the number of empty properties in the county, with various methods of support in place to assist owners of these properties to bring them back into use including financial assistance, subject to eligibility.”
From 1st April 2024, council tax premiums were also introduced on properties empty for more than 12 months to encourage owners to reflect on whether they could make better use of their property.
For more information on the support available to owners of empty properties visit the Council’s website – Carmarthenshire.gov.wales/housing
News
Free disability sports event heads to Pembroke Leisure Centre
PEMBROKE Leisure Centre will play host to a free disability sports and physical event later this month with lots of sports and activities to try.
The insport series, in partnership with Disability Sport Wales, Sport Pembrokeshire and Pembrokeshire Leisure is an inclusive sport and physical activity event.
It offers opportunities for disabled young people (ages 5 years+) and adults across Pembrokeshire and friends and family are welcome.
On offer to try are: boxing, boccia, swimming (on a separate first come first serve booking basis), football, wheelchair rugby, target shooting, adaptive bikes, cricket, golf, multisport, and more.
The event takes place Pembroke Leisure Centre, on Wednesday May 29th between 10am-2pm.
Booking for the event and swim places is required.
For more information please contact: Jess West from Sport Pembrokeshire byemail [email protected] or by calling 07795305871.
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