Further proceedings ordered by magistrates

A CARMARTHEN man has appeared before magistrates charged with a driving-related offence.

Wayne Williams, aged 44, of Ross Avenue, Carmarthen, appeared at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Dec 30).

The court heard that Williams is accused of failing to provide a specimen for analysis in connection with an alleged offence.

Magistrates adjourned the case for further proceedings. Williams was released until his next court appearance.

ONE of Pembrokeshire’s biggest New Year celebrations is set to return as Fishguard prepares to welcome thousands of revellers into the town centre to see in 2026.

Up to 4,000 people are expected to gather in Market Square on New Year’s Eve for the annual Fishguard Street Party, an event that has grown from a small community celebration into one of the most popular New Year destinations in Wales.

First launched to mark the millennium, the event has now been running for twenty-six years and regularly attracts visitors from across the county and beyond.

Live music and midnight fireworks

The evening celebrations will begin at 8:00pm, with local favourites RocCana opening the night. The band will perform a mix of well-known hits from the 1960s onwards, alongside Welsh and Irish songs.

They will be followed by headline act Slipped Disco, a nine-piece Cardiff band known for their high-energy performances, horn section, percussion and disco-funk sound. The band will play through to midnight, before compere Allan Cresswell leads the countdown to the New Year.

As the clock strikes midnight, a fireworks display will light up the sky above Market Square, sponsored by the Royal Oak, Fishguard.

Family activities earlier in the day

Earlier in the day, the street party committee is also laying on entertainment for younger families.

Between 1:00pm and 4:00pm, a dedicated Kids’ Zone will offer face painting, balloon modelling, magic and circus skills workshops with performers Will Hughes and Emma Williams. The area is open to children aged three to 12, who must be accompanied by an adult.

Entry costs £3, or is free with the purchase of a New Year’s Eve Street Party wristband.

Road closures and wristband entry

Roads surrounding Market Square will close from 5:30pm. From 6:30pm onwards, pedestrian access to the square will be restricted to wristband holders only.

Food and drink will be available throughout the evening from local businesses including the Royal Oak, the Farmers Arms, Cove Corner and Fishguard Fish and Chips.

Wristbands cost £6 and are available from a number of local outlets, including Cresswell’s Café, Fishguard and Goodwick Post Offices, West Street Sweets, the Gourmet Pig, Cove Corner, the Royal Oak and the Farmers Arms.

Committee members will also be selling wristbands at Cresswell’s Café from 9:00am to 12:00pm on Monday, December 29.

Fundraising and volunteers

Raffle tickets will also be on sale to raise funds for this year’s chosen charity, the DPJ Foundation. Prizes include a three-night geodome glamping stay at Tregroes, a two-night bed and breakfast stay at the Ivy Bridge Hotel, and a range of other prizes. Tickets cost £1 each.

The street party’s 200 Club will also be open for new members. The annual £10 membership gives one lucky entrant the chance to win up to £1,000 on New Year’s Eve, with proceeds split evenly between the winner and the street party.

Organisers are also appealing for volunteers to help with this year’s event and with planning for future celebrations. Anyone interested is encouraged to contact the Fishguard New Year’s Eve Street Party via Facebook or leave their details at Cresswell’s Café.

Committee co-chair Jo Thompson said the event could not continue without local support.

“We want to thank the many local businesses who have supported us, including GD Harries, Thomas Carroll Insurance, the Ivy Bridge Hotel and the Royal Oak,” she said.

“We are hugely grateful to the local community for continuing to get behind the street party and helping us keep it going year after year.”

THE SECRETARY OF STRATE FOR WALES, Jo Stevens, has said the coming year will bring further jobs, growth and investment to Wales, as she reflected on UK Government spending decisions made during 2025.

Ms Stevens said the past year had seen what she described as “transformative” investment across Wales, aimed at boosting economic growth, supporting public services and helping households with the cost of living.

One of the most significant announcements came in November, when Wylfa on Anglesey was confirmed as the site of the UK’s first small modular nuclear reactors. The project is expected to create thousands of jobs during construction and operation, while contributing to long-term energy security.

That announcement was followed by confirmation of two AI Growth Zones in North and South Wales, forecast to create more than 8,000 jobs over the coming years, alongside £10 million in support for the semiconductor cluster along the M4 corridor in South Wales.

Earlier in the year, the Chancellor’s Spending Review included £445 million for Welsh rail infrastructure, funding which the UK Government says will help modernise services, improve connectivity and support economic growth after what it described as years of underinvestment.

The Welsh Secretary also highlighted cost-of-living measures, including a £150 reduction in the household energy price cap, increases to Universal Credit and the state pension, and a rise in the National Minimum Wage. Around 160,000 of the lowest-paid workers in Wales are expected to benefit.

She said thousands of children would also benefit from the removal of the two-child benefit limit, announced by the Prime Minister in December, with around 69,000 children in Wales affected.

Ms Stevens said public services in Wales had received a record funding settlement in 2025, providing additional resources for the Welsh Government to invest in areas such as the NHS, education, local services and infrastructure.

Support for steelworkers in Port Talbot has also continued throughout the year, with funding for retraining, employment support and new economic opportunities in the area.

Speaking about the year ahead, Ms Stevens said:
“We promised new jobs and economic growth for people across Wales after more than a decade of neglect, and this UK Government has delivered generational investment – from new nuclear to AI and rail.

“The funding for Wales’s semiconductor industry and continued support for the transformation of Port Talbot shows we are investing in Wales’s industrial future and the high-skilled jobs and growth it will bring.”

Looking ahead to 2026, she said two Freeports – in Anglesey and South West Wales – are expected to become operational, offering planning and customs incentives designed to attract new investment.

Further rail improvements are also planned, including work starting on the regeneration of Cardiff Central Station, supported by UK Government funding, alongside new stations, safer level crossings and line upgrades.

As construction continues on Tata Steel’s new electric arc furnace in Port Talbot, the UK Government has confirmed that support for workers and the local community will continue. Just before Christmas, a further £22 million was added to the Tata Steel / Port Talbot Transition Board fund, taking the UK Government’s total contribution to £102 million.

Ms Stevens added:
“We are now achieving our ambition to bring positive change to communities across Wales, but we have only just begun. We will move further and faster in 2026.

“The UK Government remains focused on delivering for Welsh communities, creating jobs, driving investment and ensuring the benefits of growth are felt in every part of Wales.”

She also said she hoped to see Wales qualify for another major football tournament, with the men’s team aiming for a place at the World Cup in North America.

“There is a bright 2026 ahead for Wales,” she said.