Pembroke Regatta, an international canoe polo tournament and the traditional River Rally will take place beneath Pembroke Castle

CASTLE POND will become the centre of Pembroke’s summer celebrations as three major events bring racing, water sports and family entertainment to the historic town.

The programme begins on Saturday, July 25, with the Pembroke Regatta, when teams will race against one another on the river beneath Pembroke Castle.

Businesses, schools, sports teams, clubs and other community groups are being encouraged to enter, with the event promising competitive racing and an entertaining day beside the water for spectators of all ages.

The action continues over the weekend of August 1 and 2 with the return of the Julie Morris International, also known as the 27th Welsh Open Canoe Polo Competition.

Hosted by Dragon Canoe Club, the tournament is expected to attract teams from across the United Kingdom and Ireland. Organisers are expanding the competition to three playing pitches this year, allowing as many as 30 teams to take part.

Canoe polo combines paddling, ball skills and physical competition, with players attempting to score in goals suspended above the water. The fast-moving matches will be staged in the striking setting of Castle Pond, directly below the walls of Pembroke Castle.

Pembroke’s summer programme will conclude on Saturday, August 8, with the town’s much-loved River Rally.

Boats are expected to begin arriving in Castle Pond from approximately 2:00pm, forming a colourful flotilla on the river.

The event will have a pirate theme, with children invited to take part in a fancy dress competition. Other attractions will include face painting, balloon modelling, a treasure trail and bacon butties.

Neil Thomas will compere the event and play music throughout the afternoon.

The annual rally is more than a community celebration. It provides a rare opportunity for the barrage gate to be lowered so vessels can enter Castle Pond, helping preserve the historic right of navigation along the Pembroke River.

The River Rally is being organised by the West Wales Maritime Heritage Society in partnership with Pembroke Town Council, Pembroke Dock Town Council and Pembrokeshire County Council.

Residents and visitors are being encouraged to support the events and enjoy three weekends showcasing Pembroke’s maritime heritage, sporting community and spectacular waterfront setting.

Scunthorpe’s blast furnaces have been protected through public ownership, two years after primary steelmaking ended in South Wales

THE UK GOVERNMENT’S decision to nationalise British Steel has reignited questions over its handling of the steel crisis in Wales, following the closure of Port Talbot’s blast furnaces and the loss of thousands of jobs.

British Steel formally transferred from its Chinese owner, Jingye, into public ownership on Thursday after ministers said negotiations to secure the company’s future had failed.

The takeover is intended to protect approximately 2,700 direct jobs and preserve the Scunthorpe works, the last site in the UK still capable of producing primary steel from iron ore and coking coal.

However, the intervention is likely to cause renewed anger in Welsh steel communities.

Port Talbot’s final blast furnace closed in September 2024 as part of Tata Steel’s move towards electric arc production, bringing an end to traditional primary steelmaking at the South Wales site and contributing to the loss of approximately 2,800 direct jobs.

The UK Government committed £500 million towards Tata’s £1.25 billion transformation programme, with a new electric arc furnace now being built and expected to begin operating in late 2027 or early 2028.

Ministers say the investment secures a long-term future for steel production in Wales and safeguards around 5,000 jobs across Tata Steel’s UK operations.

Critics, however, are likely to question why public ownership was considered necessary to preserve blast-furnace production and skilled employment in Scunthorpe, while calls for similar intervention at Port Talbot were rejected.

Plaid Cymru MPs attempted to strengthen the legislation used to nationalise British Steel by adding protections for steelmaking sites and communities in Wales.

Caerfyrddin MP Ann Davies said during the passage of the legislation that Port Talbot remained a “painful reminder” of what she described as the neglect of Welsh steel communities.

The government previously confirmed that it had no plans to nationalise Tata Steel’s Port Talbot operation, arguing that its future was already underpinned by the electric arc furnace agreement.

The contrasting approaches reflect significant differences between the two companies. Tata Steel remains the owner of Port Talbot and is investing alongside the taxpayer, while ministers said they had been unable to reach a viable agreement with Jingye over British Steel.

Nevertheless, Thursday’s announcement means taxpayers will now own and support Britain’s remaining blast furnaces, while Wales has already lost the same primary steelmaking capability.

That distinction is expected to become central to the renewed political debate over whether Welsh steelworkers and communities were offered the same level of protection.

Current arrangements will remain in place after ministers admitted consultation work failed to properly assess the impact on volunteers and coastal operations

PLANS to move Coastguard Rescue Officers to an expenses-only volunteer system have been abandoned following widespread concern from crews, MPs and trade unions.

The Department for Transport confirmed on Thursday (July 16) that the proposed change, which had been due to take effect in September 2026, will no longer go ahead.

Current payment arrangements for Coastguard Rescue Officers will remain in place while the Maritime and Coastguard Agency carries out further consultation on the future of the service.

The reversal follows warnings that removing modest payments could force experienced officers to leave, placing additional pressure on teams responsible for responding to emergencies around the UK coastline.

Coastguard Rescue Officers are trained volunteers who attend incidents including cliff rescues, searches for missing people, flooding, maritime emergencies and casualties cut off by the tide.

The proposed expenses-only model was announced on June 1 following a Court of Appeal ruling in the case of Maritime and Coastguard Agency v Groom.

The judgment found that the payment of modest remuneration had inadvertently created a worker relationship between the MCA and Coastguard Rescue Officers.

The Government said the ruling meant it would either need to restore a fully voluntary model or formally adopt a worker model to remain legally compliant.

Transport minister Keir Mather said the expenses-only option had initially been considered the most appropriate response, based on advice provided by the MCA.

However, he said further scrutiny had revealed that two surveys used to inform the decision had not been detailed enough to properly assess the consequences for individual officers, their families or the wider service.

Mr Mather said: “I can confirm that plans to move to the expenses-only volunteer model in September will not go ahead and current arrangements will remain in place.”

He said ministers had listened to concerns raised by Coastguard Rescue Officers, MPs and trade unions, including during parliamentary questions, an urgent question and a Westminster Hall debate.

Mr Mather also visited a Coastguard station in Southampton, where he met members of the Hill Head and Portsmouth teams to hear directly how the changes could affect officers and their families.

He added: “Coastguard Rescue Officers must feel that their views have been heard and that they are valued, respected and empowered to carry out their duties.

“I am committed to ensuring that we now take the time to robustly gather the information required to understand the full operational implications of future decisions.”

Over the coming months, the MCA will consult directly with Coastguard Rescue Officers, trade unions and MPs before deciding on the longer-term structure of the service.

The Department for Transport will also examine how officers can continue to be properly recognised and rewarded while retaining the flexibility needed to serve their local communities.

Mr Mather said protecting the public around the coastline and recognising the work of Coastguard Rescue Officers remained his key priorities.