SEVENTY-FOUR volunteers from Valero Pembroke Refinery have taken part in one of the company’s biggest-ever community volunteering events.

Members of the workforce were joined by family, friends and residents of Angle village for a day of community work, including tree planting, a beach clean, and improvements to the village hall and local football club.

In total, volunteers gave up 650 hours of their time and used 75 litres of paint during the day.

Valero Pembroke Refinery said it was a “fantastic day of giving back” and praised everyone involved for their efforts.

Photo caption:

Community effort: Valero volunteers were joined by family, friends and Angle residents for one of the refinery’s biggest-ever volunteering events (Pic: Valero Pembroke Refinery/Facebook).

PEMBROKESHIRE councillors have backed the closure of a small rural school which has left campaigners “heartbroken” and “let down by those elected to represent them”.

At its March meeting, Pembrokeshire County Council members backed a recommendation that Director of Education be authorised to publish a Statutory Notice to discontinue Ysgol Clydau, Tegryn.

Councillors had previously heard here has been a significant decline in the school’s pupil population during the period 2015-2025, with no indication that this will be significantly reversed during the next five-six years.

The statutory notice followed a consultation on the proposals, and a hearing of a petition opposing the potential closure, which had generated 648 responses on the council’s own website, with impassioned pleas to keep the school open.

Ysgol Clydau has been described as “more than just a school; it’s a hub for community life, offering a safe and welcoming space for children, families and residents of all ages,” with those opposing closure warning: “Its closure will isolate our community, leading to a decline in population and a weakening of our social fabric.”

At a special extraordinary council meeting held on June 15, members of Pembrokeshire County Council were asked to consider a report on a summary of 126 objections received in respect of the proposal to discontinue Ysgol Clydau, which included an option to halt the closure.

However, it was recommended, in a report present by deputy leader Cllr Paul Miller, who now also has responsibility for education, for the discontinuation be proceeded with.

The decision for Ysgol Clydau followed an earlier agenda item where members backed a recommendation to discontinue Manorbier school in the south of the county.

At the meeting, local member Cllr Iwan Ward – who has championed the fight to keep Ysgol Clydau open – questioned the value of the consultation, saying it was “supposed to be an opportunity to listen and reflect on alternative viewpoints,” adding: “They deserve to know their voices matter.”

He said viable alternatives to closure had “not been fully explored,” adding: “This decision will have consequences that last longer than any council term; today we have an opportunity to send a message that rural communities matter, and that Welsh education matters, and that rural schools matter.”

Cllr Huw Murphy, whose ward is nearby said he would find it difficult to attend this year’s national Eisteddfod which is being held close to Tegryn, knowing a Welsh language school had been closed, before quoting the Manic Street Preachers rock band lyrics: “If you tolerate this then your children will be next.”

Cllr Miller stressed alternative Welsh language provision for the pupils, with the longest any pupil would have to travel was just over three miles.

Members voted by 32 votes to 21, with one abstention, to back the recommendation to discontinue Ysgol Clydau.

Speaking after the meeting, campaign group Save Ysgol Clydau – Cadw Clydau yn Gardarn said: “Many of us feel that those making this decision spoke about budgets, statistics and percentages, but failed to understand what Ysgol Clydau truly is.

“It is not simply a school. It is a community. It is the heart of a Welsh-speaking rural area. It is a place where children felt safe, supported, understood and valued. Today, that has been taken away.”

It added: “What happened today should concern every rural community in Wales. If it can happen here, it can happen elsewhere. This is bigger than Ysgol Clydau. It is about the future of rural schools, rural communities and the Welsh language.”

It ended by saying: “Today we are grieving. Today we are heartbroken. Today many people feel let down by those elected to represent them.

“But history will record that this community fought with dignity, passion and determination for its children. And we will continue to speak up for rural communities and rural schools, because what happened today should never become normal.”

Prestigious prizes celebrate Pembrokeshire’s bluestone heritage as National Eisteddfod marks 850 years

THE Crown and Chair for this year’s National Eisteddfod have been officially unveiled at a special ceremony in St Davids, launching celebrations to mark the festival’s 850th anniversary.

The two prestigious prizes, which will be awarded during Eisteddfod y Garreg Las in August, draw heavily on the landscape, culture and history of west Wales, with Preseli bluestone featuring prominently in both designs.

The Crown, awarded for a free-verse poem or collection of poems on the theme Adnabod (Knowing), was created by husband-and-wife jewellers Elen and Dylan Bowen of Bowen Jewellery, based in Newcastle Emlyn.

Inspired by the traditional farming proverb, “Gold beneath the bracken, silver beneath the gorse, hunger beneath the heather,” the design reflects the varied landscapes of the Eisteddfod catchment area, from the Pembrokeshire coast to the Preseli Hills.

The Crown incorporates pieces of Preseli bluestone in its central emblem, known as the Nod Cyfrin, while a gold line running across the front represents the ancient Golden Road through the Preseli Mountains. Specially woven fabric created in Llandovery forms part of the design, using colours inspired by the local landscape.

Elen Bowen said the couple wanted the Crown to capture the character of the area.

“We have tried to reflect the rolling landscape of the Preseli Hills, where individual stones stand proudly on the skyline. The bluestone sits at the heart of the design and helps tell the story of this remarkable part of Wales,” she said.

This is the first time the couple have designed an Eisteddfod Crown.

Chair rooted in local history

The Eisteddfod Chair, awarded for a poem in strict metre on the theme Llinell | Llinellau (Line | Lines), has been designed and crafted by Tomos Lewis, a Design and Technology teacher at Ysgol Caer Elen in Haverfordwest and owner of woodcraft business Dail Pren.

Commissioned by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, the Chair combines locally sourced oak, Preseli bluestone and fabric produced at Melin Tregwynt.

Its design incorporates references to the historic chair of Lord Rhys at Cardigan Castle, the Preseli Mountains, the Rebecca Riots and the shared heritage of Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire.

Tomos said the Chair was intended to reflect both the landscape and the communities that make up the Eisteddfod catchment area.

“The back of the Chair brings together three pieces of wood to represent the three counties, while other elements draw inspiration from the area’s history, agriculture and landmarks,” he said.

The oak used in its construction came from a tree grown within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and will be finished with beeswax.

Symbol of Welsh culture

Accepting the Crown and Chair on behalf of the local organising committee, executive committee chairman John Davies described the occasion as a proud moment.

“We are launching celebrations marking 850 years since the first Eisteddfod and it is a tremendous honour to receive these beautiful symbols of Welsh culture and creativity,” he said.

“Bluestone lies at the heart of both the Crown and Chair, just as this area has inspired everyone involved in bringing this year’s festival together.”

The Crown and Chair will be displayed at Cardigan Castle until the end of July before being moved to the Eisteddfod Maes.

Eisteddfod y Garreg Las will be held at Llantwd from August 1 to August 8. The Crowning Ceremony will take place on Monday, August 3, at 4:00pm, while the Chairing Ceremony will be held on Friday, August 7, at 4:00pm.

Photo caption:

Preseli pride: The Crown and Chair for Eisteddfod y Garreg Las draw inspiration from Pembrokeshire’s bluestone heritage and local landscape (Pic: National Eisteddfod).