Community
Charity tour set for Irish visit
CLASSIC Car and motorcycle enthusiasts from all over West Wales and further afield are signing up for this year’s Celtic Charity Classic Tour, following on from last years very succesful tour when not only did everyone have a great four day tour of Ireland but also raised £3,720 for the two nominated charities (Meningitis Now) & CRY (Dean Mason Memorial Fund).
This year ‘ s tour will start from The Snooty Fox Inn, Nr Narberth at 12 noon on Friday April 24 and will see the convoy of classic vehicles travel through the centre of Narberth & Fishguard Towns before making their way onto The Stenna Ferry for the afternoon sailing to Rosslare, after arriving early evening in Ireland the Classic Tour will then head to The Gold Coast Resort, Nr Dungarvan, Co Waterford which will be home for all the entrants for the next 3 nights (all types of accommodation catered for).
After a relaxing night and use of the splendid hotel facilities, the tour will start with a display of vehicles at the complex from 10.30am before the local YesterYear Classic Club will join the Welsh contingent with an organised tour around some of the most scenic roads Dungarvan has to offer, with a coffee / snack stop in the lovely heritage town of Lismore on the way, before finishing back at The Gold Coast Complex where a night of Irish hospitality is promised with many Irish Classic enthusiasts joining their Celtic friends.
On the Sunday morning The Tour will head to Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, home of The West Wicklow Club who enthusiastically wait our first visit to their club, and after a short display the local club takes us on another lovely scenic route to meet our friends from The Kilkenny Motor Club, and we are honoured to say that have arranged for us to display our vehicles in the majestic Castle g rounds.
Kilkenny proved the highlight of the 2014 tour when it certainly lived up to its boast to be ‘Europe’s Friendliest City’, after the Castle display, we then head back to our base in Dungarvan, where we have a presentation dinner arranged for all entrants and hope to be joined by more of our Irish hosts.
Monday is a free day with a couple of suggested options that can be arranged such as a visit to Blarney Castle to kiss the World famous Blarney Stone, or a day shopping or sightseeing in Waterford/Wexford area before we hope to meet up with The Wexford Sports & Classic Car Club at New Ross who will lead us back to The Rosslare Ferry Port when we set sail for Wales to arrive in Fishguard just after midnight with we hope many great memories and new friends will have been made on both sides of The Irish sea as was done in 2014.
It is still not too late if any Classic enthusiasts would like to join us on what is a very affordable trip (great ferry and accomodation deals) which promises to be another fun adventure to visit our Celtic cousins. Any car/ bike over 20 years old, or any unusual vehicle are most welcome to join what is already a lovely variety of fascinating vehicles, and a recovery vehicle (kindly supplied by Mason Bros) will also be on hand for anyone with mechanical problems as well as promised back up from our Irish enthusiasts to ease any mechanical worries some may have.
For further details and information pack please contact Norman (07969 313892) or Gareth (07811 296325) or email: [email protected]
Community
Anzac Day commemoration service held in Milford Haven
IN a service held on Sunday (Apr 28), the Milford Haven Branch of the Royal British Legion led a poignant commemoration service to mark Anzac Day, honouring the valor and sacrifices of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) during the Gallipoli campaign in World War I.
The service, which took place at 11:00am, on Hamilton Terrace, Milford Haven, witnessed a significant turnout.
Attendees included members of the Australian Signals and Signal Company as well as representatives of Milford Haven Town Council and the Milford Haven Sea Cadets.
The service commenced with a welcome and introduction by Lt Col Warren Coetzer, followed by a rendition of the National Anthems of Australia, New Zealand, and Wales, embodying a spirit of unity and remembrance. The anthems were a moving tribute to the camaraderie and international bonds formed in times of conflict.
During the service, the Ode of Remembrance was recited, a profound moment that prompted reflection on the courage and fellowship of the ANZAC forces.
The emblematic Rising Sun Cap Badge and the Union Flag were prominently displayed on the event programme, symbolising the service and sacrifice of those who served under them.
Local dignitaries laid wreaths, and a two-minute silence was observed, offering a chance for personal reflection on the cost of war and the price of peace.
The commemoration concluded with a prayer for peace, leaving the attendees with a message of hope and a renewed commitment to the values for which the ANZAC soldiers bravely fought.
The service was not just a remembrance of past sacrifices but also a reminder of the enduring spirit of the ANZACs, which continues to inspire and guide future generations.
Community
Survey of Picton Castle reveals groundbreaking medieval architecture
THE first ever detailed architectural survey of Picton Castle, Pembrokeshire, has revealed a medieval castle ahead of its time in terms of design and high status living. Much altered in the Georgian period, the castle was surveyed by the author, Neil Ludlow, with Phil Poucher of Heneb – Dyfed Archaeology (formerly Dyfed Archaeological Trust) and funded by the Castle Studies Trust: it reveals a sophisticated building fit for royalty.
However, the building was actually built between 1315-20 by a senior royal government official called Sir John Wogan, who held office in Pembrokeshire, Northern England and Ireland and possibly fought on a military campaign in Gascony.
While outwardly it retains much of its medieval flavour, the interiors were extensively made over during the eighteenth century so that it now presents itself first and foremost as a Georgian country seat. But beneath this veneer, much medieval work still survives – though a lot of it is tucked away behind stud-walls, in cupboards, or is otherwise obscured.
Picton’s unique layout makes it a castle of great importance and architecturally ground-breaking for when it was built in the early fourteenth century. Most castles have at least some close parallels, but Picton is effectively one of a kind. Close study shows that it resolves as a central first-floor hall, flanked by services and a chamber-block to form a very early example of the three-unit ‘H-plan’ house.
The gatehouse – unusual in buildings of this kind – led onto an equally unusual ‘grand stairway’ to the hall; a second ground-floor entry probably led to an external kitchen and bakehouse.
The castle’s spatial disposition, access and circulation are meticulously planned, while the domestic appointments show a remarkable level of sophistication for the period, including what appear to be vertical serving-hatches between the ground floor and the service rooms above. At second-floor level, the east towers and gatehouse form two integrated suites of residential apartments either side of a chapel, in a manner firmly rooted within royal planning. The opposite pair of towers, at the west end, seem to have been united internally to form a residential chamber-block, for Wogan’s officials and guests, possibly served by latrines in the former west tower; the present partition walls are later.
Neil Ludlow told The Pembrokeshire Herald: “The enigmatic castle at Picton in Pembrokeshire is best-known for its magnificent Georgian interiors. But beneath this veneer is a medieval castle, from around 1315-20, with a unique layout. A towered hall-block with a pioneering ‘H-plan’, it reveals elements derived from royal planning, and sophisticated domestic arrangements including serving hatches between the floor levels. These innovations show it to have been a castle that was ahead of its time.”
Castle Studies Trust Chair of Trustees Jeremy Cunnington added: “The Castle Studies Trust is delighted to have funded the first ever detailed survey of Picton Castle and to have learned so much more about the medieval form of this unique building.”
Dr Rhiannon Talbot-English, Director at Picton Castle Trust told this newspaper: “Picton Castle has always been something of an enigmatic mystery: hidden gothic alcoves and arches, secret spiral staircases and untouched medieval Undercroft. Picton Castle Charitable Trust is extremely grateful to the Castle Studies Trust for its generous financial support which has enabled this research to be undertaken and we look forward to sharing this new knowledge with the public in a new exhibition about the early castle.”
Community
Solemn tributes at Freshwater West for WWII maritime tragedy
IN an emotional gathering at Freshwater West, Pembrokeshire, the public and veterans convened on April 29, to honour the memory of the 85 souls lost in the tragic sinking of Landing Craft, Gun (LCG) 15 and LCG 16 during a brutal storm in April 1943.
The memorial service took place near the scenic, surf-popular beach, where the community assembled to reflect on the calamity that struck during a perilous wartime operation.
The service highlighted the sacrifices made by those aboard the LCGs, as well as six valiant crew members from the HMS Rosemary, who perished while attempting a daring rescue amidst the tempest.
Originally designed as Landing Craft, Tanks (LCTs), LCG 15 and LCG 16 were converted at Belfast’s Harland & Wolff shipyard to support amphibious operations by equipping them with heavy artillery.
Their redesign included the installation of two 4.7 inch guns intended for use during D-Day, suggesting that, had they survived, these crafts and their crews could have played a pivotal role in the Normandy Landings.
The crafts were en route to Falmouth when they encountered severe weather off the coast of Freshwater West.
Compounded by their flat-bottomed design, which was ill-suited for rough seas, both vessels tragically succumbed to the stormy conditions.
Denied shelter at Fishguard, they were compelled to continue towards Milford Haven, a decision that ultimately led to their sinking.
Today, the wrecks of LCG 15 and LCG 16 lie as protected war graves, and a poignant memorial stands overlooking the beach, a testament to the bravery and enduring legacy of the men lost to the sea.
Visitors to the memorial site at Freshwater West, which also hosts another commemorative marker at Thornton Cemetery in Milford Haven, can reflect upon the harrowing experiences faced by wartime naval personnel and the profound impact of their service.
The event served not only as a remembrance but also as an educational experience, particularly for younger generations unaware of the perils faced by their forebears during such tumultuous times.
The memorial at Freshwater West remains open to the public, offering a place for contemplation and respect, against the backdrop of one of Wales’ most beloved surfing beaches, where the echoes of history resonate with the sounds of the waves.
Pictures by Martin Cavaney
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