THE FUNERAL arrangements have been announced for Matt Baker, affectionately known as ‘Mr Good Times’ of Haverfordwest.

Matt passed away on March 15 aged 49. He was the much-loved son of Phyllis and stepson to Aad, and son to the late Paul. He was a devoted brother to Reuben, his wife Cath, and Simeon, and a beloved uncle to Aston, Dylan and Axel.

Matt was well known in the local community for his cheerful nature, positive outlook and ability to bring people together. His presence will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

His funeral service will take place on Saturday, April 12 at 11:00am at Pembrokeshire College Theatre. This will be followed by interment at Freystrop Cemetery.

Family flowers only. Donations in memory of Matt, in aid of mental health causes, can be made via a donation box at the wake following the interment.

All enquiries should be directed to Roy Folland & Son Funeral Directors on (01437) 763821.

TENBY was transformed into a spectacle of steam-powered imagination and Victorian flair over the weekend, as the much-anticipated Tenby Steampunk Festival returned for its second year.

Running from Thursday to Saturday (March 28–30), the festival brought a colourful wave of eccentric costumes, quirky contraptions and community spirit to the seaside town, drawing visitors from across the UK – and even further afield.

Following its hugely successful debut in 2024, this year’s festival was bigger, bolder and even more inventive. Organisers say the event is quickly becoming a staple in the town’s cultural calendar, with national recognition already flowing in. Travel publisher Rough Guides previously hailed it as “a fabulous new festival that offers a window into British eccentricity in one of the UK’s best seaside towns.”

Crowds gathered across Tenby to take part in a host of whimsical and imaginative events, from the ever-popular teapot racing to the fiercely contested Tea Duelling championships – where biscuits met their doom in dramatic dunk-offs.

One of the weekend’s standout experiences was Tea with the Time Traveller, a theatrical nod to H.G. Wells’ classic The Time Machine, which blended storytelling with a touch of the surreal. Meanwhile, new attractions such as airship racing from the dramatic St Catherine’s Island captivated audiences with their creativity and spectacle.

The festival’s beating heart was the De Valence Pavilion, which housed a bustling Steampunk Emporium, a community art exhibition, and a packed programme of stage entertainment. A special screening of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea added a cinematic flourish, complete with a steampunk-themed introduction to transport viewers beneath the waves.

Two spectacular Peacock Parades drew hundreds to the streets on Saturday and Sunday at 2:00pm, weaving their way through Upper Frog Street, Tudor Square, the Harbour, and Crackwell Street in a celebration of colour, costume and community spirit.

Festival-goers also flocked to Church House to enjoy live performances, including the much-loved steampunk cabaret artist Madam Misfit. For those with a taste for the macabre, Victorian ghost walks, Scary Games and a Paranormal Experiment offered something a little darker.

The Victorian photographic parlour proved a hit across the weekend, allowing visitors to capture themselves in timeless, sepia-toned style.

Anne Draper, Tenby’s community engagement officer and the driving force behind the festival, said the energy in the town was “electric.”

“We’ve been blown away once again,” she said. “People came from all over – and the streets really came alive. Steampunk folk don’t just attend the event, they are the event.”

Organised entirely by volunteers, the festival celebrates not just steampunk culture, but the creativity and inclusiveness of Tenby’s community.

Plans are already in motion for next year’s festival, with organisers promising even more magic in 2026.

A SENEDD Member criticised Natural Resources Wales for showing “very little empathy and understanding” about people’s concerns on the future of visitor centres.

Labour’s Carolyn Thomas voiced concerns about Natural Resources Wales’ (NRW) handling of plans for its Nant yr Arian, Coed y Brenin and Ynyslas visitor centres.

Ms Thomas said: “I feel like it’s not been handled very well, there was very little communication and empathy with people, the communities involved.”

Calling for better engagement, she pressed Huw Irranca-Davies as the Deputy First Minister appeared before the Senedd’s climate committee for scrutiny on March 27.

Ms Thomas chairs the Senedd’s petitions committee which received more than one petition on the topic – with the most popular signed by more than 13,000 people.

The north Walian said: “I was concerned as well about the understanding of Ynyslas … they were saying they are closing … the food and retail offer but it is actually a nature reserve.”

“They felt they struggled to get that across to NRW and when we questioned them, it felt like there was very little empathy and understanding it in that.”

Mr Irranca-Davies replied: “I’m sure NRW will be hearing this as well. I do, just to give you that reassurance, have regular discussions with NRW and we’ve raised this matter of effective communication on what is, and what is not, happening.

“In terms of Ynyslas … I think there is an understanding that the staff within Ynyslas have probably gone above and beyond actually what they are contracted to do, so they’ve also offered advice, signposting, nature advice and so on.

“But there is no intention whatsoever to withdraw from the nature conservancy aspects, the biodiversity aspects – the role that they’re doing out there in the landscape.”

Mr Irranca-Davies, a former MP who served in Gordon Brown’s government, said NRW has decided to step back from the food, catering and retail side to focus on core responsibilities.

“But I think your point is well made,” he said. “The communication and the openness with local people who are really concerned about … the future of nature sites and … staff.”

Labour’s Julie Morgan, herself a former minister, was similarly concerned.

She said: “I’d like to support what Carolyn has said … I’ve been approached from Ynyslas and there was a … feeling of no recognition of the actual work that they were doing….

“It just does seem an unsatisfactory situation.”

Mr Irranca-Davies replied: “It is the catering and retail side that they’re stepping back from and I have to say, in the financial constraints they’re under, that’s probably the right thing to do: to focus on NRW’s core roles.

“But in doing so, the sensitivity of dealing with local communities and … existing staff members is what they have to navigate.

“I don’t envy the role that they’ve gone through, neither do I envy staff who have been in the midst of this, but I would just encourage … as I’ve said to NRW directly: to keep engaging with local communities and staff as they transition here.”

Wales’ environment secretary told the committee he was hopeful about the opportunity for others to step in and provide catering and retail.

“I know that’s one of the added-value pieces for visitors and local people,” he said. “But their focus on conservation, biodiversity and natural processes will continue regardless.”