Community

Fishguard welcomes St Davids day visitors

Published

11 years ago

March 19, 2015

Tom Sinclair

Steph and Steve Button: With
their stall

THE TOURISM industry in North Pembrokeshire received a welcome boost on St David’s Day, as a luxury train carrying 250 passengers visited Fishguard.

The Northern Belle, operated by the Orient Express owners Belmond, arrived in Fishguard Harbour train station at 3pm and stayed for an hour, allowing passengers the chance to relax and view a selection of local craft stalls. The train was on a St David’s Day round-trip from Cardiff, and passengers paid £265 for their tickets, which included a five-course meal.
Mayor of Fishguard and Goodwick Mike Lloyd was among local representatives there to greet the train. He was joined by representatives of the local army and naval cadets, as well as Fishguard heroine Jemima Nicholas (complete with pitchfork).
Goodwick brass band performed for the visitors, and their mixture of classic jazz tunes and re-workings of pop songs set a lot of feet tapping, and encouraged several couples to take an impromptu twirl on the dance floor.
Stalls set up by local art-and craft businesses, including Icatcha Jewellery, Bears by Steph Button, and Abella Art, attracted a lot of interest. Steve Button, who along with his wife dressed in Fishguard-themed costumes, was pleased with the way the day went: “We made a few sales, and everyone – the visitors and the local community – had a really good time.”
The visit was organised by Refreshing North Pembrokeshire, a new tourism initiative started by the Fishguard Chamber of Trade, and backed by the Coastal Communities Fund. Jeremy Martineau, the Head of Refreshing Pembrokeshire, told the Herald that the event was a success: “I was really pleased that the local community turned out,” he said, and went on praise the efforts of the band and the stall holders.
Mr Martineau also said that this was one of the first of many events organised in the north county this year: “There is going to be a really big effort to put Fishguard on the map. Fishguard has a real tendency to underestimate what it has to offer, and we are looking to address that. The Refreshing North Pembrokeshire scheme covers the area between St Davids and St Dogmaels and is active in communities and among businesses. Our aim is to expand and safeguard employment in the tourism industry, and we feel that we can best achieve this by extending both the length of the tourist season and the range of what is on offer.”

Community

Duck race draws crowds to Cresswell Quay

Published

14 hours ago

June 4, 2026

Tom Sinclair

AN ANNUAL Rotary duck race and pig roast brought crowds to Cresswell Quay on Friday (May 29), with organisers hailing the evening a success.

The event, organised by Narberth and Whitland Rotary, saw yellow ducks released onto the water as spectators gathered along the quay to watch the race unfold.

Perfect conditions

ORGANISERS said the tide and weather “could not have been better” for the popular community event.

Families enjoyed a relaxed evening of entertainment, food and fundraising, with Bat-A-Rat proving popular with youngsters while adults enjoyed a pig roast, with pork provided by Tom at Andrew Rees Butchers.

Live music from Jack Castle added to the atmosphere as people gathered at the riverside venue.

***Rotary fun: Crowds gathered at Cresswell Quay for the annual Narberth and Whitland Rotary Duck Race and Pig Roast***

Thanks to supporters

JOHN Sleigh, of Narberth and Whitland Rotary, thanked everyone who attended and helped make the evening such a success.

He said: “What a fantastic evening. The tide and weather could not have been better for the annual Rotary Duck Race and Pig Roast at Cresswell Quay.

“We thank you all for being there and making the event such a success.”

Community

Crisis response dogs launched to support people through trauma and distress

Published

15 hours ago

June 4, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A NEW project using specially trained dogs to support people during moments of trauma, grief and crisis has been launched by Cariad Pet Therapy.

The volunteer-led Crisis Response Dogs project aims to provide comfort, emotional support and compassionate human contact to people experiencing distress, loss or heightened stress.

The dogs and their trained handlers will be able to support people in hospitals, schools, emergency response settings, wellbeing events, relief centres and community support environments.

Cariad Pet Therapy says the project is designed to offer a calm and non-judgmental presence at times when people may be struggling to cope.

Volunteers involved in the scheme have undertaken a bespoke training programme, including accredited Mental Health First Aid, Emotional First Aid, Trauma-Informed Practice, Safeguarding, Professional Boundaries, Dynamic Risk Assessment, Dog Welfare, Crisis Awareness, and training in psychological responses to trauma and distress.

The project is also working with emergency management and resilience partners, including the South Wales Local Resilience Forum, to support communities during emergencies, major incidents and recovery situations.

As part of its development, volunteers have attended specialist seminars on suicide prevention, the human-animal relationship, emergency planning and resilience.

Robert Thomas, Crisis Response Dogs lead for the project, said: “We have already witnessed the incredible impact these dogs can have on people facing difficult moments.

“Sometimes a calm presence, a conversation, or simply the comfort of a dog can make someone feel seen, supported, and less alone.”

The project has received funding from The National Lottery.

For more information about Crisis Response Dogs, or to request a deployment, contact Robert Thomas on 01437 609985 or visit www.crisisresponsedogs.co.uk.

Crisis response dogs: Cariad Pet Therapy has launched a new project to support people during trauma, grief and distress across Wales (Pics: Cariad Pet Therapy).

Community

Youth centre given colourful new look thanks to local firm

Published

1 day ago

June 3, 2026

Tom Sinclair

YOUNG people at a Haverfordwest youth centre have helped transform one of its rooms into a bright and welcoming space.

The Edge Youth Centre, Haverfordwest, has thanked W.B Griffiths & Son Ltd for supporting the painting and decorating project, which saw young people work alongside Chris, a painter and decorator from the company.

The project has given the room a colourful refresh, creating a cheerful space for young people using the centre.

Rabart Decorators Merchants, Pembroke Dock, also supported the work by supplying the colourful paints.

A spokesperson for The Edge Youth Centre said: “We’d like to extend a huge thank you to W.B Griffiths & Son Ltd for supporting us with the painting and decorating of one of the rooms at our Youth Centre.

“The young people were fortunate enough to work alongside Chris, a painter and decorator from W.B Griffiths & Son Ltd, to transform the room.

“Thanks to Chris and the young people’s hard work and enthusiasm, the space is now looking bright, welcoming, and cheerful.

“We’d also like to thank Rabart Decorators Merchants, Pembroke Dock, for generously supplying the colourful paints. Your support has helped create a vibrant room that young people can enjoy for years to come.”

The centre added: “Thank you both for your generosity and for helping us create such a positive space for our young people.”

Photo caption: Bright new look: Young people worked alongside W.B Griffiths & Son Ltd to refresh a room at The Edge Youth Centre, Haverfordwest.