News

Llangwm: Village hosting new Literary Festival this weekend

Published

9 years ago

August 10, 2017

Tom Sinclair

Bob Phillips: Part of the Literary Festival

THE COUNTDOWN is on to Pembrokeshire’s newest literary festival.

From Friday to Sunday (Aug 11-13), Llangwm will present a lively three-day festival of writers’ talks, live music, open art studios, poetry, creative writing sessions, and more.

Writers include bestselling authors Natasha Pulley (The Watchmaker of Filigree Street), Ferdinand Mount (Tears of the Rajas), Brian John (On Angel Mountain), and many others.

For children, there are art and writing workshops, a talk by E.J. Clarke (Rowan Oakwing), bug discovery walks, and family tales from storyteller Peter Chand.

Music includes the Hershel Quartet’s debut performance in Pembrokeshire and a grand festival concert by Llangwm’s community choir ‘Village Voices’.

The festival also includes the premiere on Sunday of a debut film co-produced by local writer and guitarist Bob Phillips and Media to Motion, entitled ‘Gathering the Graves’.

The film focuses on a little-known aspect of the Great War – the task of recovering the fallen from the fields of battle.

Bob’s interest in the topic was kindled by a family remembrance of Uncle Charlie (who never came back from Mametz Wood on the Somme) combined with his involvement with ‘WW1 – A Village Opera’ produced in Llangwm in 2014.

Other events on the Sunday include talks by former BBC Wales broadcaster Mari Griffith, and foraging with Julia Horton-Powdrill.

For full details on all events, and to reserve tickets, please view www.llangwmlitfest.co.uk or the Llangwm Lit Fest pages on Facebook and Twitter.

News

Hakin motorist banned after driving 14 times over drug limit

Published

13 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A HAKIN motorist has been banned from driving for three years after being caught behind the wheel with cocaine and benzoylecgonine in his system.

Mark Briskham, 53, of Waterloo Square, Wellington Road, Hakin, was stopped by police on January 5 as he drove a Ford Kuga along Steynton Road, near Milford Haven.

Blood tests carried out at the police station showed he had 800mcg of benzoylecgonine in his system. The legal limit is 50mcg.

He also had 64mcg of cocaine in his system. The legal limit is 10mcg.

Briskham pleaded guilty to two drug-driving charges when he appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

Magistrates disqualified him from driving for three years, taking into account a previous drug-drive conviction from 2020.

He was also fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 surcharge.cr

Crime

Begelly man remanded over alleged May Day assault

Published

13 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A PEMBROKESHIRE man has been remanded in custody following an alleged May Day assault against a woman in Begelly.

Tomas Baker, 34, of Ty Dee, New Road, Begelly, is accused of assaulting the woman, causing actual bodily harm, at an undisclosed location in Begelly on May 1.

Baker appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week by video link from Swansea Prison.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

His trial will take place at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on June 22.

Crime

Waterston man denies child rape and sexual assault charges

Published

14 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A WATERSTON man has appeared before magistrates charged with 13 sexual offences against children, including three allegations of raping a girl under the age of 13.

Chaisee Price, 25, of Biggins Hill, Waterston, Milford Haven, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

He faces three charges of raping a girl under 13, eight charges of sexually assaulting girls aged between five and eight, and two charges of intentionally inciting girls under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between 2014 and 2019.

Price denied all charges.

Because of the seriousness of the allegations, magistrates declined jurisdiction and the case will now proceed to Swansea Crown Court on July 10.

Price was released on conditional bail.

The conditions include a daily electronically monitored curfew between 6:00pm and 6:00am, no contact with the prosecution witness, no unsupervised contact with children under 18, and a requirement to surrender his passport to police.