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Po-Palestine protest planned on International Women’s Day in Haverfordwest

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ON International Women’s day (Mar 8) Women from the local Pro-Palestinian Group Solidarity with Palestine Pembrokeshire & Stop the War Pembrokeshire will lead a rally and deliver a petition to Stephen Crabb’s Office aimed to highlight the 12,300 children and babies as well as the 8,400 Women who have so far been slaughtered in Gaza at the hands of Israel’s genocide over the last few months. The rally will assemble at 3pm on Castle square. There will then be a peaceful procession led by women and children to deliver letters and the petition to Stephen Crabb’s office.

Since October 7, local demonstrations have repeatedly marched on Stephen Crabb’s constituency office as well as targeting Marks & Spencer and Barclays bank over their support for Israel’s war and occupation in Palestine, weekly vigils have also been held. Weekly letters including invitations to meet with the group to discuss the situation have also been sent to Stephen Crabb. The group have recently set up a Change.org petition urging Stephen Crabb MP to Condemn Bombings and Support Peace in Palestine.

Organisers of the demonstration issued this plea: “On International Women’s Day, Friday 8th March Please join us on Castle Square, Haverfordwest at 3pm to make a stand for Palestine.” 

“We are asking the women, children and families of West Wales to come together in solidarity with Palestinian women, children and families. We want to draw attention to the genocide that is happening in Gaza and we want to hold the local MP in Haverfordwest, Stephen Crabb, accountable for his continued support of the Israeli Government in all if its genocidal actions. The United Nations has described Gaza as a graveyard for children. Current figures estimate that 12,300 babies and children have been killed but this is rising every day. Please join us with your children and families for a peaceful protest. Bring placards, poems, paintings, banners, letters to read out. But most of all bring yourselves and use International Women’s day to come together and show solidarity with women in Palestine.”

The devastating impact this is having on Women and children makes for “gruelling reading”, one of the organisers said: Since October 7th, over 30,228 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza,12,300 of these were children and 8,400 women. A staggering 71,377 have been injured with over 8,000 more missing & presumed dead. Women & Children are having to have caesareans and limbs amputated with absolutely no anaesthetic whatsoever. 15 children are known to have died from starvation already. There has been a 300% increase in incidents of miscarriages and 19,000 children have been orphaned.

As well as this, 1.7 million Palestinians are now displaced with desperately limited access to food, medicines and water, 1.5 million of them crammed into Rafah because Israel has destroyed over half of all Gaza’s residential homes, that’s over 360,000 homes destroyed and Israel has also destroyed over 280 schools.

Key organiser; Anna Monroe said: “As a new mother myself, it breaks my heart over and over to witness the mass killing of so many people. I especially struggle to cope with the murder of children and babies, nearly 13,000 now!!. I am filled with grief and feel so helpless, so one thing I can do is to go to my MP and ask him how he can support this. Is he ok with killing babies?? If not, why is he not only allowing but actively supporting the violence to continue? Would he support the killing of my baby? If the answer is no, then does he think Palestinian babies are less worthy of life than mine? I hope that us bringing our children to his office might help the gravity of what’s happening sink in.”

As part of delivering weekly open letters to Stephen Crabb on Palestine, This week’s letter focussed on Islamophobia from within the Conservative party itself, pointing to the controversy around racist rhetoric coming from key Tories such as Suella Braverman & Lee Anderson, the letter went on to highlight recent incidents of Islamophobic hate speech and attacks locally in Pembrokeshire and asked Stephen Crabb: “Would you support an independent investigation into racism within the Conservative Party?”. 

Urging mothers and families to attend Friday’s protest, local campaigner Tasmin Nash said: “At the time of writing 17,000 children in Gaza are unaccompanied as their parents have been killed or separated from them due to the continuous Israeli onslaught on Palestinians. As a mother of four, I am appalled at the disregard for the universal rights of children in Gaza. An unprecedented number of babies and children have been injured and murdered over the last 150 days and despite constantly writing to our local MP Steven Crabb to call for a Ceasefire, our pleas are being ignored by Crabb, the Chairman of the Conservative Friends of Israel. We will continue to voice our opposition to genocide and stand for humanity.”

All details of Friday’s demonstration can be found at the group’s Facebook Page.

Community

Lord Nelson Hotel refunds lucky couple the full cost of their wedding day

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WHAT an amazing Christmas present!

In an extraordinary gesture of generosity, the Lord Nelson Hotel delighted one lucky couple by refunding the full cost of their 2024 wedding. Abby and Simon Hooper, who tied the knot at the historic venue on August 3, were thrilled to learn they were the winners of this year’s giveaway.

The initiative was part of a special promotion open to all couples who celebrated their weddings at the Lord Nelson in 2024. The winners were selected through a random draw using a fair generator system, with the Hoopers emerging as the fortunate recipients.

The hotel has announced plans to continue the tradition in 2025, offering next year’s couples the same opportunity to win their wedding costs back.

A spokesperson for the Lord Nelson Hotel said: “If you’re planning to get married in 2025, it’s not too late to book with us and secure your spot in next year’s draw.

“We are thrilled to celebrate love and create moments to cherish, and this is just one of the ways we give back to our incredible couples.”

Known for its elegant venue spaces and exceptional wedding team, the Lord Nelson Hotel remains a top choice for couples seeking a perfect wedding day. This annual giveaway further cements their commitment to delivering unforgettable experiences.

Abby and Simon Hooper shared their gratitude after their special day: “From start to finish, the team at the Lord Nelson Hotel was incredibly helpful, and nothing was too much to ask.

“The day went smoothly, the food was fantastic, and the staff were polite, hardworking, and attentive. Mia and Jenna, in particular, stood out for their thoughtfulness and attention to detail.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better experience.”

What a pleasant surprise: The fantastic news is delivered (Pic: Lord Nelson Hotel)
The Lord Nelson Hotel in Milford Haven on carnival day
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Business

Derelict Cilgerran house to be transformed into cafe

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PLANS by a village shop owner to convert a house “in a state of disrepair” to a café to “improve the variety of community facilities” locally have been given the go-ahead.

Mrs Morris, through agent Harries Planning Design Management, sought permission from Pembrokeshire County Council to convert The Old Post House, High Street, Cilgerran, currently a four-bed dwelling, to a ground floor café, along with a first-floor flat.

The application received five letters of support, saying it would provide local jobs, support the community, promote Welsh and local food, and provide a local community hub, with three letters of objection, raising concerns about parking and traffic, and potential odours from the premises.

A supporting statement, through the agent, said: “The proposed site is currently a dwellinghouse, in current need of modernisations and renovations throughout. The site is under the same ownership as the neighbouring village stores Siop Y Pentre,” saying the proposal “can be read as an extension to the existing Siop Y Pentre”.

“Siop Y Pentre is a thriving local community village shop which acts as a village hub. The shop provides local residents with day-to-day necessities, with a focus on local, sustainable and minimal waste products,” the statement says, adding the dwelling it seeks to convert “is in disrepair and in need of internal works to make suitable for modern living”.

It went on to say: “The proposed café seeks to retain its focus on local and seasonal produce with minimal waste and would provide a welcomed opportunity for socialising, especially during the daytime. The café will also seek to employ local staff retaining a community feel throughout. As such, the principle of the café adjacent to the existing village store is considered acceptable. The site seeks to encourage a sustainable community, with development of an appropriate scale and nature.

“Further to this, the location of the development is within the settlement boundary and seeks to fulfil a need for day-time socialising environments currently lacking within Cilgerran.”

The application was conditionally approved by county planners.

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Community

Emergency call outage affected Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire

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RESIDENTS in parts of Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire faced difficulties contacting emergency services via the 999 landline number on Sunday (Dec 17) due to a temporary outage.

Dyfed-Powys Police issued alerts on social media, warning residents of potential issues when trying to dial 999 from landlines in affected areas. Locations impacted included Pembroke, Manorbier, Carew, and surrounding areas.

In a statement, police advised: “You may have faced problems calling 999 from a landline in the Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire area. Places likely to have been affected were Pembroke, Manorbier, Carew. Please try calling from a mobile phone as mobile networks may have been working normally. Normal service will be restored as soon as possible. Non-emergencies can be reported online. Please look out for further updates.”

Later in the day, an update confirmed that the 999 landline service had been restored in the Llangrannog and Llanteg areas.

The temporary disruption raised concerns about access to emergency services in rural areas, where mobile coverage can sometimes be unreliable.

Authorities urged residents to remain vigilant and use alternative communication methods in the event of future disruptions. Further updates are expected as investigations into the cause of the outage continue.

For non-emergency issues, residents can continue to report incidents via the Dyfed-Powys Police website or contact their local police station directly.

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