The Story of Swing will bring the music of Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Michael Bublé and Robbie Williams to Milford Haven next summer

A CELEBRATION of swing and big band music is coming to Milford Haven next summer.

The Story of Swing will be performed at the Torch Theatre on Saturday, August 1, 2026, as part of a UK tour taking in venues across England, Scotland and Wales.

Presented by award-winning vocalist and trumpet player Gareth John, the show takes audiences on a musical journey through decades of swing, from the golden era of The Rat Pack to modern-day crooners.

The programme features songs made famous by Bobby Darin, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr, along with numbers associated with Michael Bublé, Robbie Williams, Matt Goss, Paul Anka and Harry Connick Jr.

Gareth John will be joined on stage by the SOS Big Band, bringing the full sound of brass, rhythm and big band arrangements to the Torch Theatre.

Promoters say Gareth is known for his showmanship, passion for the genre and strong rapport with audiences. He has previously shared the stage with acts including The Beautiful South and The Specials.

The Milford Haven performance will also feature Frankie Mack as a special guest.

The show has received praise from a number of musicians and broadcasters. Jazz FM’s Tony Minvielle described the arrangements, performance and concept as “fantastic”, while Dennis Rollins MBE called it “big band and swing music the right way”.

Other dates on the 2026 tour include Lytham St Annes, Lowestoft, Christchurch, Barry, Edinburgh, Solihull, Rhyl, Newark, Eastbourne, Wirral, Taunton, Clacton-on-Sea and Aberdeen.

Tickets for The Story of Swing at the Torch Theatre are available from storyofswing.com.

Caption: Gareth John and the SOS Big Band will bring The Story of Swing to the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven on Saturday, August 1, 2026.

Phoenix Reisen says MS Amadea was always scheduled for Dublin, not Pembrokeshire

CONFUSION surrounded Fishguard’s cruise schedule this week after some people locally understood that the German cruise ship MS Amadea was due to call at the port.

The vessel, well known in Germany as the setting for ZDF’s long-running television series Das Traumschiff, had been linked with a possible visit to Fishguard on Wednesday, July 8.

However, public cruise schedules showed the ship calling instead at Dún Laoghaire/Dublin.

Phoenix Reisen, the German cruise operator behind the voyage, has now told The Herald that Fishguard was never part of the confirmed itinerary.

The company said cruise AMA 524 with MS Amadea had been advertised “from the beginning” with a stop at Dún Laoghaire/Dublin, and that a visit to Fishguard was not planned for this journey.

Phoenix Reisen also said the same route appeared in its 2026 catalogue, published in December 2024, and that no arrangements had been made with local agencies for shore excursions in Fishguard.

The company said it could only assume there had either been an error locally, or that BSM, the shipping company involved with MS Amadea, may have enquired about a possible Fishguard call in 2024 which was not later implemented.

The response suggests the issue was not poor weather, sea conditions or a last-minute operational problem, but rather confusion over whether the ship had ever been confirmed for Fishguard.

MS Amadea is a mid-sized cruise ship carrying around 500 to 600 passengers, along with approximately 280 crew. She is particularly familiar to German television viewers through Das Traumschiff, often translated as The Dreamship.

Cruise calls are an important part of Fishguard’s summer visitor economy, with passengers often welcomed by local volunteers before visiting shops, cafes, pubs and attractions in Fishguard and Goodwick, or joining excursions elsewhere in Pembrokeshire.

A HAVERFORDWEST machine operator has been disqualified from driving for three years after admitting his third drink-driving offence.

Gareth James, 40, was stopped by officers on June 14 because of the speed at which he was driving his black Hyundai Tucson along Vine Road in Johnston.

“There was a strong smell of intoxicants and the defendant’s face was very red,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

Subsequent breathalyser tests showed James had 53mcg of alcohol in his breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

The court heard that James had two previous drink-driving convictions, imposed in 2009 and 2019.

This week he pleaded guilty to drink-driving and was represented in court by solicitor Michael Kelleher.

Mr Kelleher told the Bench that although James works as a machine operator in Haverfordwest, he lives in Merthyr Tydfil.

“This offence happened soon after he began his new job,” he said.

“He had gone out with his new work colleagues and made the dreadful decision to drive. He thought he was okay, and he co-operated fully with the police.”

Probation officer Julie Norman said James had gone out with work colleagues before making a decision he now clearly regretted.

In addition to the three-year driving ban, James was fined £908 and ordered to pay a £363 court surcharge and £85 costs.