News

Port Authority ‘very keen’ for vets to stay

Published

11 years ago

November 20, 2014

Part of the plan: All Pets Vets

THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE of Milford Haven Port Authority has said that he is ‘very keen’ for the All Pets Vet Care store to stay in the Milford Haven port family. On Monday Alec Don spoke to members of Milford Haven Town Council to give them an update on the Milford Docks masterplan. He also talked about how the plans will affect the town and buildings such as the Torch Theatre.

He said: “We want to create an overall environment that is attractive, combining both the old and the new. What the consultation told us was that the centre of the site should actually be much more up around the top end of the dock between Havens Head and the station and the centre of the town, Charles Street with routes of walking in and out through the various locations to make the site work for open access and drawing people in and making it a pleasant place to visit.

There was quite a lot of thinking in the consultation that went in to where these different bits essentially go. The point about the whole development is Milford Dock presents an opportunity to create something that’s really got some heavy degree of critical mass. The construction of these buildings won’t be sustained unless they are successful in attracting lots of people to Milford Haven to do their shopping.” The Port Authority’s Estate Director, Jeff Teague, then spoke about the Heritage study they had done and supporting the fishing industry. He said: “Inevitably, sadly, there is going to be a compromise.

We have been asked to provide an improved access into the Docks to cater for the new development and we went through nine or ten different alternatives and the only acceptable alternative to the highways people was one that involved moving the old Docks office, the Vets practice. We are certainly not proud of this and we’re doing everything we can to work with the vet at moment to find alternative premises. The plan is to move that building approximately 50 meters south towards the Quayside and replicate it so we retain all the existing features and put it into another building that will have another use. We need to find reasons why people want to come to Milford Haven, that’s the most important thing.

Most of the surveys we have undertaken so far say the reason why people don’t visit Milford Haven is the lack of offer. We are not going to create something that competes with anything else here in Milford. We don’t want to compete with Haverfordwest. We want to create something different.” He added: “It is optimistic, it’s challenging but without the support of you people it would be nigh-on impossible so our message to you today is please support this project”. Alec Don added: “This scheme will not work without having some revised entrance arrangements and it’s not something just invented by Milford Haven Port. To mitigate the impact we have basically said to the Vets practice: we will help to build, they have aspirations including more training facilities. I recognise they have poured their own money and their heart and soul into it and it seems like a complete tragedy to do anything with it but our mission is to put them into a building that meets their future aspirations.” Alec Don then spoke about the Torch Theatre saying: “Milford Haven has a presence in the world of performing arts. We are a huge supporter of it and we want it to continue to thrive and flourish.

We said to them that cinemas and performing arts are going to be part of what attracts people to Milford Haven and the question for you is not whether there is going to be another cinema in Milford Haven or not in addition to the Torch but whether there is going to be an additional cinema complex in Pembrokeshire. I think the Torch has an incredibly important role to play in terms of doing for Milford Haven what the Haywood festival does for Hay-on- Wye. Every part of Milford Dock is something that really plays to attract people to Milford Haven from further afield. You can see we have aspirations for Milford Dock to deliver something really good for Milford Haven and we very much hope you would support us.”

When questioned by Cllr Rhys Sinnett about the Torch Theatre Alec Don said: “We will be writing to the council to say we do not intend to do anything with the core standings of the Torch. We are a supporter of the Torch but it is a little bit early to come to a conclusion about what the leisure use should be. If the Torch does not want to play ball then we will respect that but that dialogue has got to continue. What we want is as Milford Haven Port is something which draws the Torch’s expertise into projecting Milford Haven way beyond the boundary of Swansea.” Cllr Rickard then asked about the timescale period and public transport facilities.

Jeff Teague responded saying: “A project like this could easily take five years to complete. We’ve looked at all transport links; one of the important things is to bring a new bus route all the way through the Docks and out again adding to the existing services.” Cllr Byrne said: “One of the things I don’t want this to do is take away from Charles Street and I wish you can get together with Charles Street and work something out.” We also asked about the highways issue and Jeff Teague responded: “We had certain requirements placed upon us to create an access with sufficient capacity in terms of the volume of cars travelling per day. This is the only one that actually satisfied the requirements of the highways officer – we’re desperately disappointed by it.” With regards to Charles Street Jeff Teague said: “Charles Street has a problem like other high street in the UK where there has been a migration of retail but inevitably old buildings get left behind and my view is that a lot of new brands won’t go into old premises.

We are trying to add to the retail offer in Milford Haven and not compete with it.” Cllr Joseph asked about All Pets Vet Care said to which Alec Don replied: “There is some interest in looking at the plans to see if they can get more of what they want. It’s a fantastic facility inside, it’s clean, and it’s attracting serious people who are committed to the ownership of their animals. It’s exactly the sort of business we want populating Milford Haven so we are very, very keen for the vets to stay in the Milford Haven Port family.” Cllr Eden said: “In relation to the Docks offices – this is a listed building and a part of the town’s heritage. We’ve lost a number of buildings and I can honestly say I don’t agree 100% with the improvements.” Alec Don replied: “That building is the one, the potential entrance is what they have said has to be delivered so I really can’t change that. The building is going to be moved and rebuilt 50 yards across the road and it will have a use as a core part of the marine operation.” He concluded by saying: “It is really important that the scheme does have the support of Milford Haven Town Council.”

Charity

Fishguard RNLI volunteer steps down after more than 50 years of saving lives

Published

9 minutes ago

February 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A DEVOTED volunteer and former employee at Fishguard RNLI has stepped down from his final role after more than five decades of outstanding service to the local community and those in need at sea.

After 50 years of unwavering commitment, Chris Williams has retired from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), bringing to a close a remarkable chapter defined by professionalism, compassion and lifesaving impact.

Chris and his wife Brenda returned to the area in 1974 when he took up the position of second engineer with British Rail Ferries. Shortly afterwards, he was approached by then assistant mechanic Roy Williams, who, anticipating his own retirement, recognised the station would soon need a new mechanic. Chris joined the lifeboat crew and answered his first callout in 1976.

He was already closely connected to the station. His mother had been a founding member of the local Women’s Lifeboat Guild, raising vital funds for the charity, and Chris had often helped with fundraising efforts.

In 1979, when full-time station mechanic Noel Murrow retired, Chris stepped into the role. Having spent five years sailing between Fishguard and Rosslare, he decided to dedicate himself fully to the station — a position he held until 2005.

In 2006, Chris became the station’s Volunteer Water Safety Advisor, leading community engagement initiatives to promote safety around the coast — a role he carried out until 2021. Alongside this, he took on additional responsibility in 2016 as Launch Authority, a crucial volunteer position coordinating communication between the lifeboat station and HM Coastguard.

Following the departure of the previous Lifeboat Operations Manager (LOM) in 2021, Chris stepped in to lead the station on a temporary basis. In 2024, he was formally appointed to the role. As LOM, he served as station manager and the key link between Fishguard RNLI and RNLI headquarters in Poole, a responsibility he fulfilled with diligence and dedication until his retirement this month.

Over the course of his career, Chris served aboard three successive classes of lifeboat as they came into service.

The first was the Watson class lifeboat Howard Marryat. Reflecting on those early days, Chris recalled:
“On a rough night you got wet as you hit the water at the bottom of the slip — and you stayed wet until you got back.”

The Watson was followed by the Arun class lifeboat Marie Winstone. Chris described her as:
“A huge step up in speed — 18 knots — and space; you could almost hold a dance in the wheelhouse. She was highly manoeuvrable, but a very uncomfortable sea boat. She had a vicious roll and could slam so hard in a heavy sea you thought the fillings would come out of your teeth.”

His favourite, however, is the current Trent class lifeboat Blue Peter VII, which arrived on station in 1994.

Among many memorable moments, Chris described his most poignant as being part of the crew tasked with taking a replacement lifeboat to Newlyn the day after the loss of the Penlee lifeboat Solomon Browne in 1981 — the last time an RNLI lifeboat and all her crew were lost at sea. Battling severe conditions, the journey from Fishguard took 25 hours. On arrival, they were met by dozens of local people cheering and waving in support.

While his later years as LOM brought different challenges from those faced at sea, Chris approached each with the experience and professionalism gained from a lifetime of service.

Asked what he is most proud of after more than half a century with the RNLI, Chris answered in characteristically understated fashion:

“Simple. On the certificate of service the Area Operations Manager recently gave me, it says that during the 50 years I was involved with Fishguard Lifeboat in various roles, at least 114 lives were saved. That’s it.”

Reflecting on his career, he added: “Over the years it’s been a real privilege to work with crew members from such diverse backgrounds who are united by one purpose — saving lives at sea.”

Throughout his service, Chris has been supported by his wife Brenda, who was presented with a bouquet of flowers on behalf of the RNLI during the ceremony marking his retirement.

Recruitment for the role of Lifeboat Operations Manager has now been completed, and the new post holder will be announced shortly.

Caption: The crew of Fishguard RNLI in 1980 lined up in front of the lifeboat Howard Marryat. Pictured left to right are = Chris Williams, Huw Evans, Roger Strawbridge, Brian Hughes (cox), John Knight (nav), John Monk (head launcher), Keith Bean.

Cover photo: The crew of Fishguard RNLI in 1980 lined up in front of the lifeboat Howard Marryat. Pictured left to right are: Chris Williams, Huw Evans, Roger Strawbridge, Brian Hughes (cox), John Knight (nav), John Monk (head launcher), Keith Bean.

Community

Tudor women’s lives explored in upcoming Pembroke history talk

Published

4 hours ago

February 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

PEMBROKE & MONKTON Local History Society will welcome a leading Tudor historian to its next meeting on Saturday, March 7, promising a fascinating insight into the lives of women in the sixteenth century.

Guest speaker Melita Thomas will present a talk titled The Life and Times of Tudor Women, drawing on research from her acclaimed book 1000 Tudor People. The talk will explore the social, legal, political and economic challenges faced by women during the Tudor period, while also examining how some were able to carve out their own paths in areas such as trade, literature and even warfare.

Organisers say the event will offer a fresh perspective on whether Tudor women’s lives were as restricted as often portrayed, highlighting both the hardships and opportunities of the era.

Melita is the founder of the popular Tudor Times website and a member of the Tudor Players performance group. Alongside researching and writing books, she is currently undertaking a PhD at University College London.

Doors open at 10:00am for coffee, with the talk beginning at 11:00am. The event takes place at Pembroke Town Hall, where the Pembroke Museum and Council Chamber — located on the first floor — will also be open to visitors. A lift is available for disabled access.

The society has also announced that Pembroke Museum has reopened following its winter closure. The museum is open from 10:00am to 12:30pm Monday to Friday, with hours extended until 3:00pm from Easter. Entry is free.

For more information, visit www.pembrokeandmonktonhistory.org.uk or follow the society on Facebook. Enquiries can be sent to [email protected].

Local Government

Candidate who withdrew from Hakin race will still appear on ballot paper

Published

4 hours ago

February 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Election law means Labour hopeful’s name cannot be removed after nominations close

THE LABOUR candidate who withdrew from the Hakin county council by-election yesterday will still appear on ballot papers when voters go to the polls next month.

Nicola Harteveld announced she was stepping back from the race after nominations had already closed, meaning election officials are legally unable to remove her name from the ballot or allow Welsh Labour to nominate a replacement candidate.

***The First Minister, Eluned Morgan MS, with labour supporters out campaigning for Nicola Harteveld on Saturday (Feb 21)***

Under UK election rules, once the deadline for nominations passes and candidates are formally confirmed, the ballot paper is fixed except in very limited circumstances, such as the death of a candidate. Withdrawal after that point does not change the ballot.

As a result, Harteveld will remain listed as the Welsh Labour candidate for the Hakin ward when voting takes place on Tuesday, March 17, even though she is no longer campaigning.

***The First Minister gave Nicola Harteveld her endorsement earlier this week in a social media video***

Potential confusion for voters

One elector in the ward told The Herald the situation could lead to uncertainty at the polling station.

“This will cause confusion, and technically means she could still be elected, when in reality she doesn’t want to be,” the resident said.

Any votes cast for Harteveld will still be counted in the election result, as there is no mechanism to invalidate votes for a candidate who has voluntarily withdrawn after the close of nominations.

If a withdrawn candidate were to receive the most votes, further procedural steps could be required, potentially including a fresh election depending on the circumstances at that stage.

Background to withdrawal

Harteveld stepped back from the contest after reporting verbal abuse directed towards her son, in a development that also led to political controversy after the First Minister visited the ward to support her campaign on the same day she did not attend and later confirmed her withdrawal.

Because nominations had already closed by that point, Labour was unable to field another candidate, leaving the party without an active campaign presence in the contest.

Election context

The Hakin by-election was called following the death of long-serving Independent councillor Mike Stoddart.

The remaining active candidates are:

Derrick Abbott (Independent)
Sam Booth (Wales Green Party)
Lee James Bridges (Independent)
Duncan Edwards (Independent)
Brian Taylor (Welsh Conservative)
Scott Thorley (Reform UK)
Sam Warden (Welsh Liberal Democrats)

Polling stations across the ward will be open from 7:00am to 10:00pm on March 17.