Community

My remembrance

Published

11 years ago

December 2, 2014

FOR many , Remembrance Day is more than a commemoration of the thousands of men who gave their lives for our freedom. Men whose stories we hear but will never get to meet. For many of us, it marks a personal tribute to the men of our own families whose lives and innocence was lost and whose bravery must never be forgotten. This year marks the centenary of the First World War and the strength and courage of those men is more poignant than ever. This is my remembrance for the three generations of my family who fought in the First and Second World Wars. My Great Grandfather, George, was a Dockyard worker who spent his spare time repairing clocks. Like many of the young men he was called up with, he had no idea of what War would be like, of the conditions he would live in and the terrible things he would see. He was proud to be fighting for his country, so he left his home in Devon to become a soldier in WW1.

He was part of the machine gun co, spending most of his service in the trenches. He was also involved in the Battle of Somme in 1916 which is most likely where he sustained his injuries. He was lucky not to be one of 58,000 troops killed during the battle. I don’t remember much about Great Granddad, except that he was very quiet and watchful. He never talked about the war or its effects on him. My Granddad, Robert, was a bricklayer and keen motorcyclist from Devon. When he was enlisted, he offered his services as a bricklayer.

There wasn’t any need for builders so he began infantry training in 1942. He later became a motorcycle Dispatch Rider (military messenger), serving for 5 years in North Africa, Italy and Palestine in several antitank regiments. Granddad kept a diary, a very frank account of what he saw and felt during the War. He was badly injured when a passing shell hit a farm house on the road he was walking down. Throwing himself to the ground, he remembers being littered with debris and a sharp pain in his back. It was later found that shrapnel from the shell had gone into his back, leg and shoulder.

This was removed in an operation but years later he could still feel small pieces of shrapnel in his knee and finger. Like many soldiers, Granddad wrote home to his family during the War. We discovered these letters after he’d passed away. There was also a prayer book, with an inscription inside by my Great Grandfather. This little book came safely through World War 1… Darling Bob, hoping you will come safely back to us.

The letters are heartfelt exchanges between a worried mother and a brave son. My Great Gran talks of my Great Grandfather ‘fire watching’ and the ‘Yanks’ nearly running her over in their Jeeps. Also the terrible silence as my Great Granddad works on his clocks and she sits with nothing to do but wait and worry. My Grandfather reassures her that he is well, requesting small items of comfort and to pass on his good wishes to friends at home. On leaving the War, Granddad wrote his diary entries into a book which I typed up for him and he had printed in 2008. Sadly he passed away in 2011, but I will never forget the tall man, who talked modestly about the war, cracked jokes at his own expense and loudly banged the side of the chair in time to the band on the Festival of Remembrance.

My Dad’s Great Uncle John Harris, affectionately known as Jack, left his family in LLanfrynach, Brecon in 1914. He joined the machine gun co and was heavily involved in front line battle. He died in a POW camp in Belgium in Sep 1918 just weeks before the Armistice. My Dad’s Uncle still has the letter from the British Red Cross announcing his death. In 2010 my family travelled out to France, to find the War Grave of Jack. They talk about the rows of grave stones, looking out over the Channel and the way they are beautifully kept by the locals. I think this was a cold realisation of all the lives lost, the Sons, Brothers, Fathers and Grandfathers who will never come home.

I am proud of my family’s military history and of the men and women who continue to fight for us. November 11 is a day to remember these people and the way they suffered to give us the freedom we enjoy today. We should never lose sight of that, of what it means to be alive, to share compassion. It’s the only way we can ever truly be thankful.

Community

National Gallery ‘art on your doorstep’ scheme withdrawn

Published

3 hours ago

February 15, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

PLANS for life-size artwork reproductions of many National Gallery masterpieces, including works by Turner, Constable and Cezanne, at locations throughout Pembrokeshire’s national park have been withdrawn.

In a Pembrokeshire Coast National Park application to the park’s own planners, permission was sought for the installation of 12 life-size National Gallery artwork prints on various locations in the national park, between June and November of this year.

Of the 12 locations for the ‘Art on your doorstep’ project, 11 would be on existing structures, the last on a self-standing structure at Oriel y Parc, St Davids.

Carew would see four artworks: Constable’s The Hay Wain, at the tidal Mill Bridge; Koninck’s ‘An extensive landscape by a road, with a river,’ in the car park opposite Carew River which overlooks the castle; Hans Holbein the Younger’s ‘The Ambassadors,’ in the national park workshop; and Turner’s The Fighting Temaraire, by the village’s war memorial.

Castell Henllys would feature two works: Cezanne’s Bathers, and Titian’s Baccus and Ariadne.

St Davids’ Oriel y Parc will feature Van Gough’s Wheatfield of Cypresses, and Canaletto’s The Stonemason’s Yard.

Porthclais would host Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, with Claude-Joseph Vernet’s A shipwreck in Stormy seas at Strumble Head.

Rosebush’s Tafarn Sinc would display Turner’s Rain, Steam, Speed, and a site at the skate park overlooking Tenby’s South Beach was planned to host Monet’s Bathers at La Grenoville.

National Park Building Conservation Officer Rob Scourfield made no adverse comments on the proposals, conditional on their removal in November 2026, but added: “Shame the famous Turner painting of Carew Castle isn’t included – not many locals know that he painted the castle.”

However, concerns about the scheme in its current form were raised by historic environment conservation service Cadw, saying the application “is inadequately documented and we recommend that additional information is required to enable a balanced decision to be taken [against planning guidance].”

It added: “It is unlikely that the proposed artwork will have any significant impact on the settings of the above scheduled monuments and any effect will be short-term. However, it should be noted that the location selected at Carew to display the Fighting Temeraire is inside the boundary of scheduled monument PE001 [Carew Castle].

“As such, the applicant should be informed that they need to contact Cadw, giving the precise location and how the picture will be mounted, to determine if scheduled monument consent is required before the artwork can be displayed.”

The application has since been withdrawn.

Community

Local faces appear on BBC Countryfile marking Sea Empress anniversary

Published

4 hours ago

February 15, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Programme revisits Milford Haven 30 years after oil spill disaster

TWO well-known Pembrokeshire figures appeared on BBC television on Sunday (Feb 15) as Countryfile marked the 30th anniversary of the Sea Empress oil spill.

Phil Thompson, former public relations manager at the Texaco refinery, and Martin Cavaney, a freelance photographer who regularly works with The Herald, were among those featured during the programme, which looked back at the disaster and its lasting impact on the county.

Presenters Datshiane Navanayagam and Hamza Yassin visited Milford Haven to explore how the area has recovered three decades after the tanker ran aground at the entrance to the waterway while carrying crude oil to the refinery.

The grounding of the Sea Empress on February 15, 1996 resulted in tens of thousands of tonnes of oil being spilled into the sea, contaminating large sections of the Pembrokeshire coastline and becoming one of Britain’s worst environmental disasters.

The programme also featured Mike Ryan, Harbourmaster at the Port of Milford Haven, who explained how the incident led to significant improvements in marine safety.

Ryan, who served for around 30 years in the Royal Navy before joining the port, said the disaster remains part of the waterway’s history and helped focus attention on the need for stronger procedures. This ultimately contributed to the development of modern safety systems, including the Port Marine Safety Code introduced in 2000.

Countryfile also examined the environmental recovery that has taken place since the spill, including work by scientists and conservationists to protect wildlife across Pembrokeshire’s coastline.

The Sea Empress disaster prompted one of the largest clean-up operations ever seen in Wales, involving salvage crews, emergency responders, volunteers and environmental organisations.

The anniversary remains a significant milestone for communities around Milford Haven, where memories of oil-covered beaches and wildlife continue to resonate 30 years on.

The programme is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Community

New corporate member joins Narberth & Whitland Rotary

Published

1 day ago

February 14, 2026

Tom Sinclair

NARBERTH & Whitland Rotary has welcomed its first Corporate Member.

On Wednesday (Feb 11), Stephen Vale, Insurance Broker Manager with Lloyd & Whyte in St Clears, was formally inducted at the club.

The induction ceremony was carried out by South Wales District Governor Ian Hughes, following an introduction by Narberth & Whitland Rotary President Robin Bradbury.

Corporate Membership recognises the increasing emphasis businesses place on corporate social responsibility, enabling companies to give back to their local communities through Rotary’s established structures and projects.

Rotary says corporate membership also offers opportunities for staff development, leadership experience, and involvement in fundraising and volunteering activities that deliver tangible benefits to the community.

Pictured (left to right): South Wales District Governor Ian Hughes, Corporate Member Stephen Vale, and Narberth & Whitland President Robin Bradbury.