News
Letterston man helps Hamilton win Grand Prix
A LETTERSTON man took to the podium with Singapore Grand Prix winner, Lewis Hamilton, last Sunday, as the British racer notched up his 7th win of the season. Owen Jones has been an integral part of the Mercedes F1 team and picked up the winning manufacturer’s trophy after the win. The 47 year old engineer is originally from Pembrokeshire and attended Fishguard Secondary School, now known as Ysgol Bro Gwaun, before going on to do a masters degree in mechanical engineering at Imperial College, London.
From qualifying as an engineer he went on to join the highly successful C o s w o r t h racing team as a senior engineer and in no time at all was headhunted by Mercedes. He is now based in their engine factory in Brixworth, Northamptonshire where he is the Head of Performance Engineering for the Formula One Mercedes racing team. He has played a huge part in the engine design of both Hamilton’s 2008 Formula one championship victory, when he was racing for McLaren, and a year later for Brawn, as fellow Brit Jenson Button picked up the title in another Mercedes engine driven car.
The win in Asia marked Hamilton’s 29th career Grand Prix victory and now sees him edge three points ahead of team mate Nico Rosberg with just five races to go, in a season that has seen its fair share of controversy, not least the incident in the Belgian Grand Prix that saw a collision between the two Mercedes drivers, and for which Hamilton blamed Rosberg of deliberately causing the crash. Jones has been instrumental in the redesign of the Mercedes engine for the 2014 F1 season. The new ‘W05’ engine moved the gearbox to the front of the engine, improving the centre of gravity and has led to much better handling of the car. The design came too late for other F1 teams to react in time for the new season, handing Mercedes a huge advantage which will see them win the constructor’s championship as well as boasting the winner and runner-up in the driver’s championship, in whatever order that may be.
Business
Ferry Terminal ‘extremely busy’ due to ongoing Holyhead closure
PEMBROKE DOCK Ferry Terminal has been experiencing significant congestion today as ferry services remain under immense pressure following the closure of Holyhead Port earlier this month.
The disruption, caused by storm damage, has rerouted ferry traffic through Pembrokeshire, leading to long queues and crowded facilities at the terminal.
The Herald can confirm that it has been very busy today with cars, lorries, and foot passengers queuing in large numbers. Staff are working tirelessly to manage the influx, directing vehicles and assisting passengers as they prepare to board the heavily booked ferries.
A spokesperson for the Port of Milford Haven said: “We are working closely with ferry operators and local authorities to ensure traffic flows as smoothly as possible, but the sheer volume of vehicles is causing unavoidable delays.”
Travelers are being urged to arrive early for their sailings and to remain patient as the terminal operates at full capacity.
Both Stena Line and Irish Ferries have increased capacity on their Pembrokeshire routes, deploying larger vessels, including the Stena Adventurer and the MV James Joyce, to handle the surge in demand.
From our position at the terminal, our photographer has captured photos showing long lines of vehicles, groups of foot passengers carrying luggage, and port staff coordinating efforts to ease congestion.
Authorities are advising non-essential travelers to consider rescheduling their journeys where possible and to monitor updates from ferry operators closely.
(Photos: Martin Cavaney/Herald)
Community
Festive celebrations at St Davids Cathedral this weekend
ST DAVIDS Cathedral is set to host two special events on Sunday (Dec 22), offering a blend of joyful participation and traditional carol singing to mark the Christmas season.
In the morning, families are invited to the Scratch Nativity at 11:00am. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as wise men, angels, sheep, or shepherds and take part in an unrehearsed retelling of the Christmas story. Canon Leigh described the event as: “Complete, wonderful chaos for an hour… but with some poignant, thought-provoking moments to centre ourselves on the real meaning of Christmas.”
Later in the evening, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols by Candlelight will take place at 7:00pm, featuring the Cathedral Choir. The event, steeped in tradition, will see the cathedral bathed in candlelight as carols and scripture readings fill the historic space.
Doors will open at 5:45pm for those seeking unreserved seating, and a large turnout is expected for this beloved Christmas celebration.
Crime
Three men from London admit their guilt over illegal cannabis farm
THREE men admit their guilt after police discover over 700 cannabis plants during a raid on a former school building in Llandysul.
Officers from Dyfed-Powys Police executed a warrant at the former Ysgol Gynradd Llandysul on Heol Llyn Y Fran on November 15. Inside, they found 737 cannabis plants spread across multiple rooms.
Armeld Troksi, 29, and Njazi Gjana, 27, both from Empire Avenue in Edmonton, London, along with Ervin Gjana, 24, from Durham Avenue in Romford, were arrested at the scene and later charged with producing cannabis.
The three men appeared before Swansea Crown Court, where they admitted their involvement in the illegal operation. Defence solicitor Joshua Scouller requested a pre-sentence report for Ervin Gjana, which was granted by Judge Geraint Walters.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 20.
A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson said: “Following a warrant executed at the former school on Heol Llyn Y Fran, officers discovered a significant cannabis grow containing 737 plants.
“We are grateful to the local community for their continued support and cooperation. Officers will remain in the area while the site is secured.
“Our commitment remains firm in disrupting drug production and supply networks across our force area.
“We encourage residents to report any suspicious activity, no matter how small it may seem. Every piece of information can make a difference, and reports can easily be submitted through our website.”
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