FIFTEEN young chess players put their skills to the test when Pembrokeshire Chess Club welcomed visitors from Castell Nedd to Steynton for their annual summer fixture.

The match, held on Tuesday, July 21, saw players compete across four rounds, with each given 20 minutes on the clock.

Despite the start of the school holidays, the Royal Welsh Show and several late absences, organisers were delighted with the turnout and the high standard of chess on display.

The games were closely contested, particularly on the leading boards, with several decided by only the smallest of margins. Coaches said one of the main lessons from the day was the importance of taking time to consider each move rather than rushing.

Castell Nedd’s Advik Ram produced an impressive unbeaten performance. Pembrokeshire’s Harry Harling held him to a draw in one game before narrowly losing a second encounter during a tightly fought endgame.

Aarush Ram and Jakob Josh-Wright also performed strongly for the visitors.

For Pembrokeshire, Henry Malone and Emily Thomas each secured three points. Jozef Othen and Osian Griffiths collected two-and-a-half points apiece, while Sebastian Kummer finished with two points.

Pembrokeshire Chess Club said it was encouraging to see the standard of play continuing to improve each year and thanked Castell Nedd for making the journey west, with special thanks to Hywel Griffiths for helping to organise the visit.

Home advantage once again proved important, although the club said the greatest benefit was the opportunity for every player to gain experience against new opponents.

Pembrokeshire also recently played a friendly against the newly reformed Narberth Chess Club, giving its adult and junior members an opportunity to compete against different players. A return visit to Steynton is now being planned.

Pembrokeshire Chess Club, which has changed its name during its history, recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of its formation.

The club will resume its regular meetings ahead of the new season in September. It welcomes adults and juniors of all abilities, from complete beginners to players interested in friendly or competitive matches.

Anyone interested in joining can message the Pembrokeshire Chess Club Facebook page or contact Martin Jones on 07884 384131.

Pembrokeshire team: Harry Harling, Jozef Othen, Sebastian Kummer, Osian Griffiths, Emily Thomas and Henry Malone.

Castell Nedd team: Advik Ram, Aarush Ram, Jakob Josh-Wright, Virat Nagari, William O’Connor, Oscar Purcell, Ethan Tirukoti, Misha Nigari and Cae Aubrey.

Residents, businesses and visitors are being urged to provide evidence after two High Street cash machines were removed, leaving the town with just one ATM.

A COMMUNITY campaign has been launched to restore convenient access to cash in Narberth following the removal of both cash machines from the town’s High Street.

Until recently, the busy Pembrokeshire market town had three ATMs. The closures this summer have left just one cash machine, located outside CK’s supermarket on Spring Gardens.

Cash can also be withdrawn over the counter at Narberth Post Office, but that service is limited to branch opening hours and is not the same as having an ATM available throughout the day, at weekends and on Bank Holidays.

Campaigners say the loss of the High Street machines is causing particular difficulties for older residents, people who do not use online banking, visitors and businesses that rely on customers being able to withdraw cash locally.

They have now launched an urgent survey to collect evidence before the limited window to challenge an access-to-cash assessment closes.

Three-hour journey for cash

Among those supporting the campaign is Narberth pensioner Terry Pitts, who is approaching his 90th birthday.

He said: “I prefer paying for things in cash, but the one cash machine we have left is often empty when I try to use it.

“A round trip from Narberth to Kilgetty can take up to three hours by bus, and it really takes it out of you at my age.”

LINK, the organisation responsible for assessing communities’ access to cash, has concluded that the approximately 7,000 adults living in the Narberth area have adequate access to alternative facilities.

These include banks in Haverfordwest, Post Offices in Narberth and surrounding communities, an ATM at the Co-op in Kilgetty and a cash machine at Folly Farm.

Campaigners argue that the assessment does not reflect the practical difficulties faced by residents who do not drive or cannot easily travel outside the town.

Folly Farm cashpoint included

The inclusion of the Folly Farm ATM has attracted particular criticism.

The cash machine is situated by the attraction’s gift shop, and campaigners say it is within the paid visitor area. Standard on-the-day adult admission to Folly Farm is £29.

Henry Tufnell, MP for Mid and South Pembrokeshire, said: “Paying £29 for a ticket to an attraction just to access a cashpoint is absurd.

“Local residents need free-to-use cashpoints restored to Narberth High Street.

“I will continue to engage with constituents, local businesses, the council, LINK and colleagues in Parliament to ensure better access to banking services right across our county.”

Concern for businesses

There are also fears that the loss of convenient cash access could damage Narberth’s independent businesses during the important summer tourism season.

Visitors who cannot withdraw money in the town centre may spend less, avoid businesses that prefer cash or leave Narberth to find another machine.

Traders can also face difficulties when paying cash takings into their accounts, particularly when nearby bank branches have closed and alternative services are only available during restricted hours.

A campaign spokesperson said: “We need to show clearly how these closures affect residents, businesses and visitors.

“Whether it means travelling further, struggling to withdraw cash or losing trade, we need to hear people’s experiences.

“The evidence collected through this survey will be used to challenge LINK’s decision. Every response counts.”

Narberth’s urban and rural county councillors, Marc Tierney and Elwyn Morse, are supporting the campaign.

They said: “We need strong evidence from local people and businesses to demonstrate why convenient access to cash still matters in Narberth.

“Every response will help build the case for better local cash services, so please take a few minutes to complete the survey and share it with others.”

Members of the Narberth Civic Week Committee and local businesses are also distributing campaign posters and encouraging people to respond.

The survey is open to residents, visitors, people who work in Narberth and anyone who runs or uses a local business.

It closes on Friday, August 7, and can be completed by scanning the QR code displayed on the campaign poster.

What cash access remains in Narberth?

• One public ATM outside CK’s supermarket, 7 Spring Gardens.
• Over-the-counter cash withdrawals at Narberth Post Office, 19 High Street, subject to opening hours and the customer’s bank.
• No remaining ATM on Narberth High Street.

THE CONTENTIOUS DARC ‘space radar’ scheme in Pembrokeshire is to be decided by Welsh Government rather than county planners, just days before it was to be debated by them.

In an application submitted earlier this year to Pembrokeshire County Council following a public consultation, the Ministry of Defence wants to install 27 radar antenna and a long list of associated works at Cawdor Barracks, Brawdy for a worldwide network of sensors called the Deep Space Advanced Radar Concept (DARC) to track active satellites and other objects which would utilise three sites worldwide, part of the AUKUS trilateral security partnership, in the USA, the UK and Australia “enabling 360-degree coverage of the sky at all times of day and under any weather conditions”.

In late 2023, Cawdor Barracks was identified as the preferred UK site by the-then UK Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps.

A supporting statement says of the DARC scheme: “This capability is critical to protect and defend the services provided by satellites, ensuring continuity and resilience against collisions or debris-related incidents.

“Without DARC, the UK faces a significant risk of losing access to these vital services, which would have severe consequences for national security, economic stability, and public safety.”

St Davids City Council members unanimously opposed the pre-application consultation proposals, and public objectors have raised concerns with protests taking place outside the barracks and County Hall, Haverfordwest earlier this year, and the scheme before county planners attracted more than 1,000 objections.

Pembrokeshire-based Jerome Flynn, famous for his roles in Soldier Soldier, Robson & Jerome and more recently Game of Thrones has described the scheme as “the most unspeakably abominable planning application led by the US military, backed by Donald Trump to place 27 radar dishes right on the edge of our beloved coastal national park”.

Campaign group PARC against DARC, set up in 2024 to oppose the scheme which it has described as the militarisation of space, submitted an official request to ‘call in’ the application for DARC radar to the newly formed Plaid Cymru Welsh Government.

A ‘call-in’ means the application could be decided at Welsh Government level rather than by county planners.

The application was due to go before Pembrokeshire County Council’s next planning committee, on July 28, but has now been ‘called in by Siân Gwenllian MS, Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning.

The Cabinet Minister’s letter to Pembrokeshire County Council calling in the application says: “The proposed development raises national security issues given the strategic defence nature of the proposal and is a novel planning issue.

“The proposal potentially conflicts with national policy in relation to landscape, ecology, sustainability and placemaking.

“A decision on the proposal may be controversial beyond the immediate locality, and there is already considerable public interest in the proposal.

“All these matters lead the Cabinet Minister to conclude the development is of more than local importance and the application should be determined by the Welsh Ministers.”

A PARC against DARC spokesperson, welcoming the ‘call-in,’ said: “As we made in our case to Welsh ministers, the DARC proposal is part of a weapons system designed to track and target satellites belonging to other countries around the world.

“It is being developed for the US Space Force, which was created under Donald Trump, at a time when US military spending has doubled since he took office. That is why DARC has been described as a significant escalation in the militarisation of space.”

A planned demonstration at County Hall, Haverfordwest, due to be held on July 28 when Pembrokeshire planners were to deliberate on DARC, is to go ahead as “a vigil in support of Welsh Government’s call-in decision,” PARC against DARC has said.

A spokesman for Pembrokeshire County Council said the call-in had been received on July 21.

“As such the application is transferred to the Welsh Ministers for a decision and the application will no longer be presented to the council’s planning committee at its meeting scheduled for July 28.

“The council now awaits confirmation from the Welsh Ministers regarding the procedure and timetable that will be adopted for their consideration of the application.

“Further information will be provided once the council has been formally notified of the next steps in the decision-making process.”