MILFORD WATERFRONT has announced a packed summer programme of free activities, family entertainment, outdoor cinema, live music and waterfront attractions.

The summer season will begin with the free annual Milford Haven Carnival on Saturday, July 4, before more festival-style entertainment arrives at the Milford Waterfront Weekender from August 14 to 16.

Other highlights include outdoor cinema screenings on Mackerel Quay, free Under the Bridge evening activities for young people aged 11 to 17, exhibitions at the Waterfront Gallery, and a range of family attractions across the marina.

Throughout the school holidays, visitors can also explore Milford Haven Museum and learn more about the town’s maritime heritage. Entry costs £4.50 for adults, £3.50 for children, while under-fives go free.

For those looking to get out on the water, Milford Beach Activity Centre will offer SUP and kayak hire, as well as guided tours of the waterway, with prices starting from £15.

Indoor activities include ten-pin bowling, indoor play and themed events at Phoenix Bowl, with prices from £7 per person.

Families looking to stay locally can also take advantage of a summer offer at Tŷ Hotel Milford Waterfront, where children stay for free when sharing a family room with their parents. The hotel, which overlooks the marina, is offering rooms from £74 per night for stays between July 13 and September 1, 2026.

Milford Haven Carnival

Milford Haven Carnival, hosted by Milford Haven Round Table, takes place on Saturday, July 4.

The colourful parade will begin at Waterloo Square before travelling along Hakin Bridge, Hamilton Terrace and Charles Street, finishing at Milford Waterfront.

From 1pm to 5pm, visitors can enjoy live music, food and drink, pop-up stalls, a funfair and family entertainment.

The celebrations will continue into the evening with a free Carnival afterparty at the Lord Nelson Hotel, hosted with Westpresents. Running from 3pm to 11pm, the event will feature live performances on a main stage, an outdoor bar, face painting and a large LED screen provided by TCW Productions.

Milford Waterfront Weekender

From August 14 to 16, Milford Waterfront Weekender will bring three days of food, music and entertainment to Mackerel Quay.

Running from midday into the evening, the event will feature street food from Pembrokeshire and south-west Wales, along with live music in a waterfront setting.

Outdoor cinema

Milford Waterfront will also host three outdoor cinema screenings in association with the Torch Theatre.

Finding Nemo will be shown on Friday, July 17, with arrival from 1.30pm, followed by Back to the Future later the same day, with arrival from 6pm.

The Greatest Showman will be screened on Friday, August 21, with arrival from 6pm.

All screenings will take place on Mackerel Quay. Tickets cost from £12 per person, or £44 for a group of four.

Free youth activities

Free Under the Bridge activities for young people aged 11 to 17 will take place every Tuesday and Friday from July 21 to August 28.

Running from 6pm to 8pm, the sessions will include arts, music, sports activities and inflatable games.

More information is available from Milford Youth Matters on Facebook.

Full details of the summer programme can be found at milfordwaterfront.co.uk/whats-on.

FAMILIES are being invited to the Torch Theatre this July for a lively bilingual production that uses music, storytelling and interactive performance to explore the importance of bees and other pollinators.

We Need Bees, an original production from Theatr na nÓg, has been created by award-winning Welsh playwright Katherine Chandler and introduces important environmental themes to young audiences in an engaging and accessible way.

The show will visit the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven on Saturday, July 11, with performances in both Welsh and English, thanks to support from the ScottishPower Foundation’s Art for Climate Fund.

Fun, energetic and thought-provoking, We Need Bees explores biodiversity loss, climate displacement and environmental responsibility through the fascinating world of insects. By focusing on the lives of bees and other pollinators, the production encourages children to think about empathy, resilience and the real-world impact of climate change.

Featuring striking oversized bee costumes and original songs, the show promises a memorable experience for school and community audiences alike.

Director Phylip Harries said: “It’s a privilege to be part of a production that shares such important messages with young audiences. Theatre is a brilliant way to entertain children while encouraging them to think about the world around them, and We Need Bees does exactly that.

“At Theatr na nÓg, we create productions that leave audiences smiling but also talking and thinking afterwards. Morgan, Catrin and Aled are fantastic storytellers who bring so much energy to the show. We’re delighted that the school tour has sold out, and I’d encourage families to come along to one of the public performances and enjoy it together.”

The production features original music by Barnaby Southgate and will be performed in both English and Welsh at selected venues.

We Need Bees first toured schools in 2012 before later being adapted as an online podcast during the Covid pandemic. It returned as an outdoor theatre production at Theatr Brycheiniog in 2021 as part of a Welsh Government pilot scheme encouraging audiences back to theatres.

Thanks to ScottishPower’s Art for Climate Fund, the show will tour schools across Wales, reaching more than 1,200 children, ahead of the arrival of its brand-new companion production, Bug Hotel, in 2027.

Melanie Hill, Executive Officer and Trustee of the ScottishPower Foundation, said: “The climate crisis is the defining challenge of our time, and we know the arts have a unique power to make complex ideas accessible, emotional and impossible to ignore.

“Through our new Art for Climate Fund, we’re backing bold, imaginative projects that give young people hope, confidence and a real sense of agency. Theatr na nÓg, a worthy beneficiary of this new fund, shows how creativity can spark climate action in classrooms and communities across the UK, and we’re incredibly proud to support them as one of the first recipients of this new fund.”

The cast includes Morgan Llewelyn-Jones, whose theatre credits include The Trial of Elgan Jones for Theatr na nÓg and The Snow Queen at Sherman Theatre; recent musical theatre graduate Catrin Lewis; and Aled Herbert, who returns for his twelfth production with Theatr na nÓg. On screen, Aled was most recently seen in the popular television series Rownd a Rownd.

We Need Bees is suitable for families and children aged four and over.

The show can be seen at the Torch Theatre on Saturday, July 11, at 11:00am in Welsh and 2:00pm in English. Tickets are £10 and can be booked at torchtheatre.co.uk or through the Box Office on 01646 695267.

A BOOK signed by Sir Paul McCartney has raised almost £1,000 for charity after being donated to an Oxfam shop in Ceredigion.

The copy of Paul McCartney In His Own Words, a collection of interviews with the former Beatle, was handed in to the Oxfam shop in Aberystwyth as part of a wider collection of 1970s memorabilia.

It remained on a shelf for several months before shop manager Joan Randle discovered the inscription while sorting through the items.

The book was later sold at auction through Bonhams, raising £950 for Oxfam.

Ms Randle said the discovery was one of the highlights of her decade working at the shop.

She said: “The book had actually been sitting on a shelf for a few months alongside lots of other 1970s memorabilia.

“I’d been planning to use some of the items in a fun window display, so it wasn’t something we’d paid particular attention to at first.

“One afternoon I found myself with a bit of spare time and decided to work my way through the pile. It was one of the very last things I looked at.

“When I opened the book and saw Paul McCartney’s signature, I could hardly believe it. It was one of the best moments of my 10 years working in the shop.”

The book is signed on the inside front cover in black ballpoint pen with the message: “All the best! to ye!”

Oxfam staff have so far been unable to trace the person who donated the book.

An Oxfam spokesperson said the sale showed how valuable donations to charity shops can be.

They said: “This is a fantastic example of how a single donation can make a real difference.

“We’ve just launched an emergency appeal following the devastating earthquake in Venezuela and every donation to our shops helps ensure Oxfam can respond when communities are hit by disasters around the world.

“We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who donates to Oxfam.

“Whether it’s a signed collectible, a well-loved book or an everyday item, every donation and every sale helps us stand with people when they need it most.”