News

The Broad Haven Triangle and beyond on ‘Encounters’

Published

8 months ago

September 27, 2023

PEMBROKESHIRE, because of the Broad Haven UFO sightings, has earned an enigmatic title: the “Bermuda Triangle” of the UK. Despite its modest size and population of under 1,000, Broad Haven was the focal point of one of the UK’s most extensive extraterrestrial sighting events back in the 1970’s. The village bore witness to around 450 unexplainable phenomena, from the appearance of a flying saucer near a guest house, a 7ft alien-like entity emerging from a hedge, to the mysterious “cigar-shaped” UFO spotted near a school.

It was 1977, a year overshadowed by the Cold War. However, in the world of entertainment, sci-fi movies like Star Wars and Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind were captivating global audiences. Broad Haven’s peculiar happenings did not go unnoticed and soon became international news when 16 schoolchildren claimed to see a UFO in the Pembrokeshire sky. Their sketches and narratives, consistently similar despite being separated during their recounting, provided eerie credibility to their stories.

Yet, the tales from Broad Haven are just one segment of a wider tapestry. Steven Spielberg’s production company, known for iconic science fiction titles like E.T, Back to the Future, and Jurassic Park, has taken a deep dive into these mysteries with their new Netflix documentary series ‘Encounters’.

Broad Haven’s tales are masterfully presented in one of the episodes. However, ‘Encounters’ spreads its net far and wide, delving into other gripping UFO and extraterrestrial events from around the world. Other episodes in the series explore accounts from a remote Scandinavian village with eerie lights, testimonies from a desert town in the U.S. plagued by abductions, and dark legends from an isolated mountain range in South America.

The Broad Haven episode is particularly close to Spielberg’s heart, given his affinity for extraordinary tales of the unexplained. According to the director of ‘Encounters’, Yon Motskin, the decision to focus on Broad Haven stemmed from the sheer volume of corroborative witness accounts. Over 450 individuals have testified to seeing something bizarre, and these recollections persist, even nearly half a century later.

The ‘Broad Haven Triangle’ remains one of Wales’s most tantalizing enigmas. With the gravitas of Spielberg’s production and the global platform provided by Netflix, the Pembrokeshire mysteries are poised to captivate and bewilder a new generation.

Encounters, offering a journey into the unexplained from Broad Haven to beyond, is available to stream on Netflix from Wednesday.

Crime

Jailed for breaching domestic violence protection order

Published

5 hours ago

May 19, 2024

Court Reporter

AMY Woolston, 20, of Vine Road, Johnston, Pembrokeshire, has been sentenced to six weeks in prison for breaching a domestic violence protection order.

On 15th May 2024, Woolston was found in the company of a man in a flat at The Farmers Arms, Market Street, Whitland, in violation of the order issued by Llanelli Magistrates Court on 10th May 2024.

The court deemed the offence serious due to the proximity to the original order and a previous breach involving the same victim. Woolston was not in custody and appeared unrepresented in court. Her total sentence length is 18 weeks.

The case was dealt with in Haverfordwest court on May 16.

News

Lease of former Newcastle Emlyn Courthouse approved

Published

6 hours ago

May 19, 2024

Tom Sinclair

Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet has this week approved the transfer of the former Newcastle Emlyn Courthouse to Newcastle Emlyn Town Council.

The Cabinet approved a 21-year lease which will facilitate the Town Council’s plan to bring the premises back into use.

The future of the former Courthouse has been considered in detail, with the Town Council carrying out a public consultation on the community’s requirements, and the sites potential contribution to those local needs. The outcome of the consultation suggested that the local community wanted the building to be retained, refurbished and transformed into a multi- use centre.

Newcastle Emlyn Town Council intend to submit an application for funding from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund [UKSPF] in order to pay for the necessary restoration work. The funding is conditional upon the Town Council having a lease of sufficient term on the premises.

Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Resources, Cllr Alun Lenny commented: “The building as it currently stands is not needed for further use by the County Council and has been empty for some time. I welcome the Cabinet’s decision to approve the transfer of this asset to Newcastle Emlyn Town Council. The funding will ensure that the building is being used for the benefit of the town’s residents.

“This decision is in line with Carmarthenshire County Council’s Wellbeing Objectives: Enabling our communities and environment to be healthy, safe, and prosperous (Prosperous Communities).”

Crime

Teenagers fled from Pembroke RFC after setting spectators stand on fire

Published

7 hours ago

May 19, 2024

Tom Sinclair

ON MONDAY (may 16) between the hours of 16:25 and 17:00, the spectators stand of Pembroke Rugby Football Club was deliberately set on fire, police have said.

Two males, aged between 17-19, fled from the club grounds immediately after the smoke plumes were noticed.

Both males were on dark framed push bikes and wearing dark coloured hooded jumpers.

Officers are asking if anyone who has any information or has witnessed anyone acting suspiciously in the area around these times, is asked to contact police either online at: https://bit.ly/DPPContactOnline, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 101. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired text the non-emergency number on 07811 311 908.

Quote reference: 24000446140

Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555111, or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org.