Community

Welsh writers excel in competitions

Published

11 years ago

October 31, 2014

Short story competition winner: Diana Powell receives her cheque from PENfro deputy chair Jackie Biggs

WRITERS from west Wales have excelled themselves in this year’s Poetry and Short Story Competitions run by PENfro Book Festival. Against strong contenders from across the UK writers from the area won both contests.

And others from all over Wales have distinguished themselves by making the shortlists too. “We are delighted that so many fabulous writers from all over Wales, and some from our own area too, have proved themselves so strongly in these two competitions. We are especially pleased for them as they were judged completely anonymously against competition from all over the UK. It’s a great achievement and shows there is some fantastic creative talent in this area,” said competition organiser Jackie Biggs. Winner of the poetry competition is Katherine Stansfield, from Aberystwyth; and the short story competition winner is Diana Powell, from Mathry, Pembrokeshire.

They each win £250. Poetry results: Top prize (£250): Katherine Stansfield, from Aberystwyth, for her poem ‘The woman on my National Library of Wales library card’. Judge Dr Alan Kellermann said: “The winning poem strikes a difficult chord: it’s playful without sacrificing intellect. I was further impressed by the author’s ability to sustain a conceit and to achieve such crisp imagery while resisting the urge to embellish the poem’s diction. It was not only an enjoyable poem, but skilful.” Second prize (£100): ‘Postcard from the Ferris Wheel’, by Rachel Plummer, from Edinburgh. Dr Kellermann said: “It’s refreshing to see an author use form as a way of liberating language, rather than as a road map to the end of a poem.

It’s well-paced and the poem’s sense of longing—which can so easily be wound too tightly—was tuned just right.” Third prize (£75): ‘Divining Her Firstborn’, by Elizabeth Sennitt Clough, from Stretham, Cambridgeshire. Dr Kellermann’s comment: “This was quite a dense poem, but I don’t mind being asked to roll up my sleeves and feel around in a poem’s guts, especially when the effort is rewarded. And if the reader is willing to enter the space between the language and the visual, the reader is suitably rewarded.

A vivid, haunting poem.” A total of eleven poets made the shortlist, one with two poems. The others were: Angela Rigby, Conwy. – ‘Lotus’ Tom Gatehouse, Brecon. – ‘In Bloom’ Maria Isakova Bennett, Liverpool. – ‘Eight Day Chimer’ and ‘i hope you are well’ Natalie Ann Holborow, Swansea. – ‘Victoria Terrace’ Ian Humphreys, Hebden Bridge, West Yorks. – ‘Cruel moon’ Ken Sullivan, Reading – ‘ ‘79’ Stephen Giles, Lutterworth, Leicestershire. – ‘Your Tongue Stud’ Catherine Edmunds, Bishop Auckland, Durham. — ‘a warning’ Short story results First Prize (£250): Diana Powell, from Mathry, Pembrokeshire, for her story, ‘Ingrid Audrey and Jean’. Judge Maria Donovan said: “This is a short story perfectly in tune with itself. From its enigmatic title and first arresting image to the underlying themes of escape and belonging, it always keeps ahead of expectations. Calm, confident and disturbing: a treat to read and re-read.” Second Prize (£100): Shirley Golden, from Ringwood, Hampshire, for ‘The Parapet’ Maria Donovan said: “The subject of the First World War is very much in our minds this year, but it’s difficult to do it justice in a story written so long after the events.

‘The Parapet’ succeeds in making a soldier’s experiences so present and affecting that it brings an uncanny sense of what it might have felt like to be there.” Third Prize (£75): Jo Mazelis for ‘Marco’s Eyes’ Maria Donovan commented: “This is a consistently-voiced firstperson narrative – witty, observant, spiky and spiteful with the spite of hurt. The slowly percolating sense of the character’s pain made this story in the end more poignant than at first seemed possible.” The four others on the shortlist were: ‘Buttercup and Daisy’, by Wendy Smit-Taylor, Moylegrove, Pembrokeshire ‘The Eighth’, Tony Curtis, Barry ‘Oddly Sensitive Human Atoms’, James Doster, Pontyclun ‘Bristol Cream’, Janet Norton, Nottingham

Community

PCSO clocks in after villagers raise speeding fears

Published

6 hours ago

April 9, 2026

Tom Sinclair

HERBRANDSTON residents flagged fast-moving traffic as a key concern, prompting police to carry out speed checks in the village.

Concern over speeding in Herbrandston has prompted a local police response, with PCSO Adam out in the village carrying out speed checks after residents raised the issue through DPP Connect.

Milford Haven and Neyland Police said the concerns emerged after officers signed local people up to the messaging service, which allows residents to share feedback and receive updates from police.

Many of those who responded said speeding through the village was one of their main worries.

In response, PCSO Adam was deployed to monitor traffic and check vehicle speeds.

The move is likely to be welcomed by residents who have grown tired of motorists treating the village like a racetrack.

Community

Walk the Path for Wellbeing to span three counties in 2026

Published

22 hours ago

April 8, 2026

Tom Sinclair

THE PEMBROKESHIRE COAST NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY is inviting communities, workplaces, families and friends to take part in the 2026 Walk the Path for Wellbeing challenge, with this year’s event expanding across three counties for the first time.

Taking place on Sunday, May 10 and Monday, May 11, the challenge will bring people together to celebrate the spectacular West Wales coastline through walking and other forms of active travel, while highlighting the strong links between nature, movement and wellbeing. A reserve weekend of May 17 and 18 has also been set aside in the event of severe weather.

Building on feedback from last year, the event will now take place over two days rather than one, giving more people the opportunity to get involved and creating a longer window for celebration, storytelling and community spirit.

While last year’s challenge focused on the 186-mile Pembrokeshire Coast, this year’s event will also include sections of Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion, bringing even more communities into the shared coastal celebration.

The two-day event will feature self-led sections for group entry. With the focus firmly on enjoyment, there is no pressure to complete every stage, and participants are encouraged to do only as much as they feel comfortable with. Together, those individual efforts will contribute to a shared goal of covering the full 313 miles of coastline.

Angela Robinson, Health and Wellbeing Officer at the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, said: “The coast has an extraordinary ability to lift people, connect communities and create lasting memories. By extending the event across two days and into neighbouring counties, we’re opening the door to even more people to celebrate that connection together and share their experiences on social media.”

Community

Ex-commercial hens need homes in Boncath or face slaughter

Published

2 days ago

April 7, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Spring appeal launched to rehome 180 birds by Friday deadline

AN URGENT appeal has been launched to find homes for 180 ex-commercial laying hens in Boncath before next weekend, with campaigners warning the birds may otherwise face slaughter.

The British Hen Welfare Trust is holding a rehoming event in Boncath on Saturday (Apr 11), but says kind-hearted adopters must register by 2:00pm on Friday (Apr 10) if the hens are to be given a second chance.

The charity says the birds, all around 18 months old, have reached the end of their commercial laying lives, despite still having plenty to offer as pets.

Supporters say hens are friendly, curious and easy to care for, and can continue to provide eggs while enjoying retirement in a garden or smallholding setting.

Andy Hill, of the British Hen Welfare Trust said: “People are often surprised by how much joy hens bring. They’re funny, curious little characters, they love routine, and they’re genuinely a delight to care for. Plus, they’re still more than happy to pop out the occasional egg.

“With spring finally here, this is the ideal time to start. These girls are more than ready for a fresh beginning, and they really do make wonderful pets.”

The trust says anyone willing to adopt must be able to provide food, water, shelter, security and a little care and attention.

The charity, founded in 2005, says it has now found retirement homes for more than one million ex-commercial hens across the UK, all of which would otherwise have been destined for slaughter.

People interested in adopting can visit the British Hen Welfare Trust website and select the Boncath rehoming event, or call the rehoming team on 01884 860084.