Pembrokeshire Fish Week drops anchor

The hugely popular Pembrokeshire Fish Week has sailed in once again, casting off with the open day at Milford Marina.
Despite the weather - and for the first time this year, an entry charge - crowds of visitors sampled what was on offer.
An array of food, arts and crafts and charity stalls, cookery demonstrations, children's activities, street performers, dancers and sea shanty crews guaranteed that locals and tourists alike were left hooked.
For more information about what's on for the rest of the week, visit the Pembrokeshire Fish Week site.
Here are a few of my shots from the opening event...

Preparing for war

Fighting men and officers prepared for deployment to Afghanistan by taking part in live firing exercises at Castlemartin tank range last week. Among them was Corporal Matthew Hartt, from Whitland, who joined the Army at the age of 16. Now 26, he has seen active service in Iraq and this will be his second tour in Afghanistan with the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards. The regiment is due to head to Afghanistan in the autumn and for some of the soldiers this was their first experience of live firing exercises.

Bowled over by England performance

People tend to look at me as if I’m a bit strange when they discover I like cricket. I don’t know why it should be so shocking that a woman can happily sit through a whole Test match – and understand what is going on.

With cricket in my blood, I would spend many a childhood Saturday afternoon walking around the boundary with my pals with our bottles of coke and packets of crisps, climbing onto the rollers and playing in the nets. Admittedly, as we got older our attentions may have veered slightly from the game to the players themselves. And we progressed from coke to cider with varying consequences.

I’m not sure I should reveal this to a worldwide audience, but I will also confess to having a bit of a crush on Shane Warne as a teen – but that was a long time ago. It was when he looked at his best and cricket was what he was best known for. It was a fleeting infatuation and no, he didn’t send me any texts.

Anyway, I digress. Last week we made the long-winded train journey up to Cardiff for a day at the England v Sri Lanka Test. And, unsurprisingly, I took my camera. My kit is slightly limited so I had to make do with my 55-200mm lens. It was day two and England were in the field so I snapped a few close-up shots of the players. I have cropped some of the action shots - I shot in RAW and kept the ISO down, knowing that I’d need to crop them. There are so many things on my kit wish list, but a longer lens is near the top of it. I just need to keep saving the pennies.

Day two was the only day rain didn’t interrupt play and it seemed England were set for a draw at best, so it was a bit of a shock to see them bowl Sri Lanka for just 82 on day five and win the first Test by an innings and 14 runs.


First shot of the day: Stuart Broad in bowling action...

Followed by Chris Tremlett...

A ball whizzes past Alistair Cook...

A bit of batting action...

 

Jimmy Anderson in the field...

Some young fans...

The England players wait for a decision (not given)...

KP...

Chris Tremlett...

Stuart Broad celebrates his 100th Test wicket...

Eoin Morgan...

Andrew Strauss, and Alistair Cook, were at the crease late in the day. Play finished at 7pm...

ASSEMBLY ELECTION: Pembrokeshire is singing the blues

It was a night to remember - for me at least, maybe not so for the Lib Dems - taking my first photos at an election count.
Pembrokeshire really is true blue with both the Carmarthen West & South Pembrokeshire and Preseli Pembrokeshire Welsh Assembly seats retained by Tory AMs Angela Burns and Paul Davies, and both seats being held by the Conservatives at Westminster.
The South Pembs seat was delcared before 5am with the Preseli constituency following swiftly behind. Thankfully there were no recounts, otherwise we may still be there now.
The light was tricky and I had to work hard to avoid making everyone look like they'd lived in a tanning shop for a month. In spite of having to put make-up on at midnight, set off out into the rain and take pictures while trying to be as alert as possible when I'm normally fast asleep, I have to say I had great fun.
For more news and pictures from the 2011 election results see next week's Western Telegraph or go online at westerntelegraph.co.uk.
Here are a few of my shots of Angela and Paul and of the count in progress. And now, even though it's 11am, it's 'good night' from me.

Barley Saturday

Yesterday I trotted along to the Barley Saturday stallion parade in Cardigan.
The annual event is thought to date back to 1871 and is held on the last weekend of April. It was a traditional celebration among the farming community to mark the end of the crop sowing season. It also acted as a hiring fair of farm staff and gave stallion owners the opportunity to display their magnificent animals, advertising them for stud.
There's nothing quite like the spectacle of the flowing manes and flaring nostrils of Welsh cob stallions trotting through the streets, being cheered on by the crowds.
Last year it rained, but this year was hot with the parade held in the direct sunlight of the afternoon - both giving their own photographic challenges!
Thanks to the weather, the pavements were packed with families and I'm glad I bagged my spot early. When two little old ladies stood next to me, I thought I'd have the perfect position to be able to take photos -standing a good two feet taller than them. However, I hadn't counted on their youthful exuberance and ability to lean over the barriers and jump around with excitement! In spite of that I did manage to get quite a few shots - I filled my memory card as the vintage parade was passing so decided to head off before the throngs blocked the roads in the mass exodus.
Here's a selection of shots to tell the story of the day...


Before the parade a show is held on Penrallt-ddu Field. Usually it's the Welsh cobs which attract the biggest crowd to the ringside.

Section D judge Aled Rees, of Ammanford, had some tough decisions to make.

After the show and presentations, the Supreme Champion leads the parade through the high street.

There were ponies and horses of all shapes, colours and sizes for the crowds to cheer.

Some with manes flowing...

...And some with manes plaited.

One of the biggest cheers of the afternoon went to the champion donkey.

As well as the in-hand classes there are also driving classes.

Some of the stallions looked like they were floating on air.

It really is a day for all the family, from the young...

To the not quite so young...

The vintage and classic cars parade saw horsepower of a different kind.



And before we knew it, it was time to make the journey home.