News

Nothing on the telly

Published

9 years ago

March 5, 2015

badgertelly LAST Saturday evening, Badger was sitting in his sett putting up his paws after a hard day making worm and grub chutney. Badger flicked across the channels looking for something to divert his poor, fatigued brain. There was nothing on Badger’s favourite channels and somewhere along the way he must have got lost in the maze of broadcasters with names like 5+24+1 (yes, Jamie, that makes 30. Have a green star for effort), because all at once he found the Eurovision song contest. Now, Badger hasn’t seen that particular televisual oddity since Ken Rowlands was last a loyal member of the Labour Party.

Yes, readers: THAT long! Hasn’t Eurovision changed? Whatever happened to bell bottoms? Where were the middle-aged men and women shoe-homed into too tight costumes like so many Day-Glo polyester wrapped sausages? Where was the obligatory song that sort of went oom-pah, oom-pah, oom-pah-pah? And where was the country that always used to do quite well, the one called Whyommonnyee deece pwants? It had all become a bit flashy and sparkly. Never has so much confetti been expended, not even at a royal wedding. The light show was dazzling and some of the performances were, frankly, startling. I did not know, for example, that in Ukraine, singers’ backing tracks were powered by men running around in giant hamster wheels. As a commitment to green energy, that takes some beating. And as for Poland: well, Badger will never think of Poland in the same way again and for some reason has a yearning to visit it soon.

So many of the contestants had the good sense to sing in English, too. Tragically for the French, the lingua franca of modern popular music is the language of les Rosbifs who live over what the rest of the world still calls the ENGLISH Channel. No, readers, the French sing in a language that interacts with the modern world in the same tenuous way as How George interacts with science. Tangentially, and with every sign of pronounced confusion. One thing that impressed Badger hugely was the sheer grim-faced detennination of some of the contestants to demonstrate how pleased they were to be flying the flag. These were people not only having fun, but hell bent on showing the viewers at home just how much fun they were having. When singers were performing upbeat numbers, their teeth were blindingly white, eyes sparkly bright, and their demeanours rather like those of children who had been handed the keys to the sweetie shop. It brought to Badger’s mind, nothing more than the delighted expressions there must have been on the faces of Rob Summons and Keith Lewis when Jamie made room for them at the IPPG Cabinet trough.

Then there were the more serious numbers, sung by balladeers wearing expressions that recalled the agonised, constipated uselessness more usually associated with passing a particularly large kidney stone. The last time Badger saw that expression on a face it was on Sue Perkins’ face when well, when hmmm Ah! Okay, readers: the same sort of expression Sue Perkins always uses; the one that so successfully masks her happy-go-lucky charm and lack of self-righteousness. A bit like Reverend Lovejoy’s wife in The Simpsons. Then it came to Badger: our IPPG Councillors have much in common with Eurovision contestants.

So many of them deliver material that have as much in common with their average constituent as the average Eurovision contestant has to do with popular music in their respective homelands. The Netherlands as the home of Country music, compared to John Allen-Mirehouse (family crest a peasant possibly a pheasant, probably both – crushed under a wind turbine) representing well anyone really. There is an identikit sameness to the words uttered by IPPG Councillors in the same way as there is to the lyrical sensibilities of the average Eurovision song.

There’s a certain sameness to the insincere cant that !PPG cabinet members use to justify slashing services to the bone while making room for more trotters round their swill as there is to the constant burning, yearning and gaming of a Eurovision contestant. How many times can those charged with looking after the services delivered to the most vulnerable sit in the Council Chamber or Cabinet room lying to each other, themselves and the Pembrokeshire people that “times are hard” while they carry on defending favouring well-paid officers and divvying up the proceeds of their racket between themselves and their faithful acolytes? Holy-roller Simon Hancock struck a particularly pious note in the last Full Council meeting. Too much Methodism in his madness for Badger’s taste.

Yes, Simon it is better one sinner repenteth. Pity Keith didn’t and doesn’t. Let us all pray while Simon keeps watch over a series of disastrous cuts to adult social services provision. Perhaps Simon the Saint is just too busy with his other interests and responsibilities to notice what has happened to the adult social care budget on his watch. Up with charges; down with services; shut this; slash that; give Bryn a break; find money to let your chums round the Cabinet table; serve yourselves, not your fellow man; cut the wages of the lowest paid; preside over a pay system that penalises part time workers. Simon is to equality what Herod was to child care. Yes, readers, at the end of the day Simon’s transformation from Labour Party idealist to IPPG stooge is even more complete than the transformative experience undergone by the winner of this year’s Eurovision.

Community

Anzac Day commemoration service held in Milford Haven

Published

18 hours ago

April 28, 2024

Tom Sinclair

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.

***ANZAC service: Remembering soldiers who fought bravely (Pic: MHTC)***

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.

**Sea Cadets and member of the public at the service (Pic: MH Sea Cadets)**

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

Published

19 hours ago

April 28, 2024

Tom Sinclair

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

Published

19 hours ago

April 28, 2024

Tom Sinclair

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.