THE 2025 Royal Welsh Spring Festival will be held at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells on May 17 and 18.

A fantastic celebration of rural life, smallholding and countryside traditions, this weekend event offers something for all ages. Whether you’re an animal enthusiast, a food lover or simply looking for a great family day out, the festival promises a wonderful experience for everyone.

At the heart of the festival lies its livestock and equine competitions, with more than 600 classes showcasing sheep, pigs, goats, and cattle, many of which highlight traditional, rare and native breeds.

Entries are now open and competitors can view the schedules and enter online via https://rwas.wales/smallholding-and-countryside-festival/ . Entries close on Wednesday, April 3.

The event will host qualifiers for some of the UK’s most esteemed equestrian competitions, including the British Show Horse Association (BSHA) Royal International Horse Show, Senior Showing and Dressage Ltd (SSADL), British Show Pony Society (BSPS) and British Show Horse Association (BSHA) London International Horse Show.

The Premier Open Dog Show returns, offering competitors the chance to qualify for Crufts 2026. This prestigious event boasts rosettes, prizemoney and high-quality pet food prizes for the top dogs.

Postal entries close on Tuesday, April, 8 and online entries close on Tuesday, April 29. Visit the FDS website for schedules and entry details.

The festival has a diverse line-up of family-friendly attractions. Gain expert insights into the smallholding lifestyle with talks and demonstrations from the Glamorgan Smallholders networking and support group in the Smallholders Centre. Browse the agricultural tradestands to stock up on essentials, from buckets to farm machinery.

The Country Life Area is a hub of activities featuring the Premier Open Dog Show, Panic Family Circus, The Woodville Medieval Re-enactment Group, a petting farm, a donkey encounter, forestry competitions and sporting and countryside activities. They are all set to live music from the bandstand.

The Festival Display Ring will feature Joseph’s Amazing Camels, the Gentle Giants Shire Horse Display Team, Show Jumping and Working Hunter competitions, Scurry Driving and Meirion Owen with his sheepdogs.

Watch wool handling and blade shearing competitions, alongside demonstrations from the Gwent Guild of Spinners and Weavers, a vintage shearing display and wool-related tradestands in the Meirionnydd Shearing Centre. Competition entries open in late March.

No visit to a Royal Welsh event would be complete without indulging in Wales’ finest food and drink. Sample exquisite produce in the renowned Food Hall or enjoy a meal at one of the many food stalls in the Welsh Food Village, Gwledd | Feast.

Shopping enthusiasts can explore a vast array of tradestands, offering everything from rural essentials and artisan produce to handcrafted goods and countryside attire.

Conveniently located where the A470 and A483 meet in Builth Wells, the Royal Welsh Showground is accessible from all major routes. The festival is dog-friendly and offers free onsite parking, ensuring a stress-free experience for visitors.

MILFORD HAVEN LINKS TO LARGE SCALE MARITIME RESCUE OPERATION

A MAJOR maritime disaster unfolded in the North Sea on Monday morning after a collision between an oil tanker and a cargo vessel resulted in multiple casualties and a large-scale emergency response. The incident, which occurred approximately 10 miles off the coast of East Yorkshire, has led to 32 people being brought ashore to Grimsby, with ongoing concerns for the welfare of any unaccounted crew members.

The vessels involved in the collision have been identified as the MV Stena Immaculate, a 183-metre-long oil tanker, and the Solong, a 140-metre-long cargo ship bound for Rotterdam. Tracking data indicates that the Solong struck the Stena Immaculate while it was anchored, leading to a severe impact that reportedly caused a “massive fireball.”

Massive rescue operation underway

Svitzer tugs have been deployed as part of the rescue operation. The company, well known in the Port of Milford Haven, has operated locally for many years. Some of the tug crew involved in the response off Grimsby will have previously worked alongside their counterparts in Milford Haven, strengthening the connection between the two maritime communities.

The tugs Svitzer Harty, Svitzer Josephine, Svitzer Madeline, Svitzer Laura, Svitzer Standford, and Svitzer Castle are all in the area, indicating their involvement in the rescue effort.

The alarm was raised at 9:48am, prompting an immediate response from HM Coastguard. A helicopter, fixed-wing aircraft, lifeboats from multiple locations, and vessels with fire-fighting capabilities were deployed to the scene. Casualties were swiftly transported to shore, with emergency services working to assess their conditions.

The Milford Haven Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) is not typically be directly involved in the coordination of a major incident in the North Sea, as it primarily covers emergencies in its designated area along the Welsh coastline and surrounding waters. However, as part of the UK-wide Coastguard National Network, it will be providing support if and when additional resources or coordination assistance were required.

The UK Coastguard operates a centralized system where all MRCCs, including Milford Haven, are interconnected. This allows them to share information and resources during large-scale incidents. Milford Haven could contribute by handling overflow communications or deploying additional resources from its region.

Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, described the unfolding emergency, saying: “We were put on standby at around 11:00am to receive casualties. The first group of 13 were rescued by a crew transfer vessel, followed by another 10 on a harbour pilot boat. A further nine arrived soon after, bringing the total to 32. Ambulances were waiting at the port to take them to Princess Diana Hospital, and the area remains secured by police.”

Weather and visibility factors

While the sea conditions were described as “reasonable,” with wave heights of around two metres, heavy fog and haze throughout the morning may have contributed to the collision. Despite the advanced navigation and radar technology on board modern vessels, visibility issues are being investigated as a potential factor in the incident.

Boyers added: “It’s very unusual for such a serious accident to happen given the technology these ships have. The fog this morning never lifted, so visibility may have been an issue.”

Crew safety and ongoing investigations

The BBC has confirmed that all crew members on board the Stena Immaculate are accounted for and safe. However, reports indicate that some crew members from the Solong may still be unaccounted for, and search operations continue.

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander expressed her concern, stating: “I’m concerned to hear of the collision between two vessels in the North Sea this morning and am liaising with officials and HM Coastguard as the situation develops. I want to thank all emergency service workers involved for their continued efforts in responding to the incident.”

Video footage circulating online appears to show thick black smoke rising from the vessels, reinforcing earlier reports that a fire broke out following the impact. Maritime safety investigators are working to determine the exact cause of the collision, and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has been informed.

Impact beyond the North Sea

While the collision occurred off the East Yorkshire coast, the implications stretch far beyond. Milford Haven, one of the UK’s busiest ports, will be monitoring developments closely. As a major hub for energy shipments, including oil and gas, any disruption in maritime traffic has the potential to impact operations along the Welsh coast.

Marine expert Captain Glyn Garland from Sardis, Pembrokeshire, former Supertanker Captain and recently retired Marine Superintendent at Dragon LNG said that it was too early to speculate on the causes of the incident but would keep in touch with this newspaper more information becomes available.

Authorities are urging caution for vessels in the region as investigations continue.

The Pembrokeshire Herald will provide further updates as more details emerge.

A MILFORD HAVEN man has been jailed for six years after attempting to hide nearly 50 grams of cocaine under the seat of a police car after he was arrested.

Shaun Clawson, age 39, had been travelling as a passenger in a Seat Leon car on February 1, when officers stopped the vehicle on the A40 near St Clears.

Clawson was found with a phone, a cling film wrap and spoon containing traces of white powder in the footwell where he had been sitting.

After being arrested, police in-car camera footage showed Clawson removing a cling-film wrap from the back of his trousers and dropping it on the floor of the car while being conveyed to custody.

The wrap contained an approximate 48.5g of crack cocaine worth an estimated £4,850.

Clawson pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine at Swansea Crown Court on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. He was sentenced to six years imprisonment.

Three other suspects were also arrested at the scene for possession with intent to supply a class A drug and have been bailed pending further enquiries. 

Detective Sergeant Vinny Barrett, of Dyfed-Powys Police, said: “This sentence should serve as a warning to anybody considering engaging in the supply of illegal drugs that Dyfed-Powys Police will not tolerate the supply of class A drugs into our communities. We will seek to relentlessly target those who engage in the supply of illegal substances.”

To report anything suspicious or concerns about the selling and taking of drugs in the community contact Dyfed-Powys Police either online at: https://bit.ly/DPPContactOnline, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 101.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired text the non-emergency number on 07811 311 908101.

Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555111, or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org.

To seek advice and support, visit https://barod.cymru/where-to-get-help/west-wales-services/ddas-dyfed-drug-and-alcohol-service/