Archive
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Juniors cancel weekend fixtures as tribute to Sue
MARDY Juniors football club cancelled their full programme of fixtures last weekend as a mark of respect to one of their most-loved officers, who died on Friday morning. Sue Turner, 45, passed away after suffering from terminal cancer for two years. Throughout
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Family able to grieve now that body has been found
THE family of missing man Derek Upton say their painful wait is over after a body found in the River Severn was identified as his. Mr Upton, 64, a retired steelworker from Caldicot, went missing with a rifle on Sunday, September 25. His car was found
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Feel-good show ideal for family
EAST met west as the cast of The King and I took to the stage for the opening night of the world-famous musical at the Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. An outstanding cast, made up of the junior section of Abergavenny amateur dramatics society, gave a strong
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OAPs fall victim to con tricksters
FRAUDSTERS targeted two vulnerable Mon-mouth pensioners last week in two separate distraction burglaries in the town. The elderly residents become the unwitting victims of this disturbing type of burglary, which are not believed to be linked, but significant
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Council to back free parking bid
ABERGAVENNY town councillors have finally made up their minds to back the campaign to save free car parks in Monmouthshire. The council have agreed to support the bid to seek a judicial review over the ending of free car parking. At a meeting of the town
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Community fights to protect school fields
OPPONENTS to the potential sale of playing fields at Pembroke Primary School are mounting pressure on Monmouthshire County Council to retain the land for the local community. Councillors and governors outlined the developments at the school at a special
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Crest will carry tribute to Dan
CHEPSTOW Rugby Club's team crest will in future have 'DT9' written underneath it, as a lasting tribute to scrum-half Daniel Thorne, who died in a road accident in Cardiff on Friday night. The club's Division Five East game with Monmouth RFC was cancelled
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Meals on Wheels team joins forces with Gwent Police
THE manager of the Community Meals Service in Monmouthshire has come up with an idea to keep their customers safe as well as fed. Pauline Batty had the brainwave of joining forces with Gwent Police, crime prevention and the Bobby Van scheme to make people
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Elvis devotees to visit Graceland
ABERGAVENNY'S own Elvis Presley and his Memphis Mafia are flying to Memphis next week to stay next door to Graceland. In the last two years Keith Davies of Abergavenny Electrics has raised around £35,000 for charity with his gigs, when he performs without
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Horror show by Skennie
Dr Jekyll returned for the second time this season, as Skenfrith United were out-played, outfought and every other out you can think of! Chasing the game from 2-0 down within 15 minutes, for the fourth time this season, the young Wellington side showed
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Last orders - pub opinions near closing time
LOCAL traders and residents have just one week to make their views on the arrival of a JD Wetherspoon's pub in Chepstow town centre known to the town council before a crucial planning debate next Wednesday. The popular chain of pubs has submitted an application
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Gymnasts bring home four golds
At the Welsh Masters Championships held at Sofia Gardens in Cardiff last weekend, four adult members of Kestrel Gymnastics Club, based in Chepstow, won gold medals in their respective age groups. In the 40+ Men's section, Jon Hancock, of Shirenewton,
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Tenders invited to fell tree
THE LOCAL authority has invited tenders for the felling of the Catalpa Tree in St James' Square despite fierce local opposition. Monmouthshire County Council has decided to fell the tree, pictured, on grounds of safety, but conservationists are angry
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Lady luck fails to smile on Aber
Abergavenny resumed their league campaign on Saturday with an away fixture against Whitchurch. Following a three week lay-off Abergavenny began the game slowly, lacking shape in midfield and defence. Whitchurch quickly exploited this lack of confidence
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Nelson are sunk at Abergavenny
A DOMINANT first-half display helped Abergavenny RFC to a 29-22 home win over Nelson on Saturday to take them one step closer to the Division Three East title. Abergavenny got off to a great start with centre Gareth Hughes-Jones completing an excellent
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From Spice Girls to Take Tat!
THE success story of Monmouth's tattoo and piercing emporium continues as they further expand their operation - and were rewarded with a visit from a celebrity who extols the virtues of tattoos. Inky Fingers opened for business in May this year from its
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Young and old will never forget
YOUNG and old from Abergavenny and Usk areas remembered those who fought and died for their country in ceremonies on Remembrance Day and in parades and church services on Sunday. On Friday staff and pupils from King Henry VIII Comprehensive School, Abergavenny
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Goals galore as pressure builds to fine finale
Mens Hockey: South Wales Division 2 Abergavenny 10 Swansea Bay 2 Abergavenny fielded an unchanged side from the previous week and consequently recorded another huge win. The scoreline was not unexpected however, as Abergavenny were 2-0 within the first
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He's resolving to go one better
THEY'LL be coming from all points of the compass for the Coral Welsh National at Chepstow Racecourse two days after Christmas. And that's just the horses . . .! Scottish trainer Lucinda Russell, whose stables near Perth are more than 400 miles from the
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Town's valleys trip turns into a points earner
Monmouth Town AFC, jumped to fourth in Gwent County Second Division with a thrilling 4-2 away win at Abertillery Bluebirds. In wet, sticky conditions, the Kingfishers, sponsored by Mandarinstone, started slowly and struggled to maintain any long spells
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It's a heartache for returning rally stars
Clutch problems cost Colin McRae and Monmouthshire's Nicky Grist an almost certain podium finish on The FIA Telstar Rally Australia at the weekend. Driving the Skoda Fabia WRC for the second time this year, Colin and Nicky had everything to go for and
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Heather follows in family footsteps
SHE'S in the Army now! Young Heather Cam-eron is keeping it in the family when it comes to choice of careers. The 17-year-old from Bulwark is following in the footsteps of her grandfather and father as she embarks on a life in the Army. October saw the
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Community's pledge to keep churchyard safe
THE local community are getting together to rid the abuse being levied on St Mary's churchyard The recent dismay by the public over the condition of the churchyard is having an affect, prompting the local community safety action team to meet with Reverend
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Council tax is 'deeply flawed' claims MP
MONMOUTH'S member of parliament has called for a re-think over the future of council tax. David Davies said he was not in favour of scrapping the system, but believed the time had come to consider replacing it with an alternative and fairer way of funding
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Young team shove their brave spirit
Under 11 Tournament - King George V Fields Swansea Following their recent success in Abergavenny the Under 11 squad headed with confidence to Swansea on Sunday. In their group they were to play Cardiff, Whitchurch, Llanishen/Caerphilly and a strong Penarth
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All eyes on Aly for Olympic spot
AFTER winning the Individual Prize at the National Championships at Sansaw this year, local rider Aly Rowell now has aspirations of making the GB Olympic squad for the 2008 summer games in Beijing. The Oxford graduate, who is now training full-time at
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Lecture called off as speaker falls ill
THE Friends of Usk Rural Life Museum were forced to cancel the first of their planned winter lectures, when flu struck down the speaker Leslie Thomas. "We were really sorry to lose this opportunity to hear Leslie Thomas speak about 'managing small rural
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Nursing a desire to meet up
A former nurse is hoping to track down a colleague from Pontypool who she trained with over 50 years ago. Jacqueline Webb from Garden Village, Porth went to collage with Shirley Powell when the pair were both student nurses at Crossways Hospital, Cowbridge
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The Blues are back on top
Blaenavon needed to win against Govilon a win to put them back at the top of Division One. Govilon started the stronger, but without creating any clear chances. The Blues first opportunity came after ten minutes, only for Karl Hooper to shoot wide. Minutes
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Double delight for Cwmffrwdoer
The 'Doer entertained Gilwern in this return fixture and enjoyed the lion's share of the first half, creating numerous scoring opportunities from Jamie Roch, Ross Peake and Kyle Palfrey. However, they lacked the finishing touch to trouble Kurt Jones in
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Cwmbran gain vital away point
CWMBRAN Town took the lead after just 63 seconds at Carmarthen on Saturday, and then battled on for 89 minutes to finally earn a crucial draw in the Welsh Primer League. Kristian Hanbury slotted in Jamie Edwards' cross to give the visiting Crows the perfect
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Beeches 'unsafe' - nursing home faces closure after official report
A nursing home for the elderly could face closure after health and safety breaches were highlighted in an official report. The Beeches Nursing Home, on Church Road, Blaenavon, received a notice of closure from the Care Standards Inspectorate Wales after
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Kids' clubs get Co-op donations
Two Children's groups in Pontypool are to benefit from a £700 donation from the Co-op. As part of the company's Community Dividend fund, Kemys Kawr Kids Club will receive £200 and Team Kid will receive £500. Kemys Kawr Kids Club will use the money to
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Boxes ship out to Zambia
GOVILON's Rebecca Pye was just one of the volunteers to help load hundreds of parcels into a lorry to begin a journey thousands of miles across the continent. Hundreds of brightly wrapped boxes were being loaded into the van, donated to the project by
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Sad moments in time to be remembered forever
THE PEOPLE of Mon-mouth fell silent as a mark of respect to those who lost their lives in two world wars and the many conflicts since. The Royal British Legion promoted the two events that were held in memory of the fallen. On Friday, Armistice Day, the
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The model professional - All Jean Pierre needs is a club
SOUTH African-born Jean Pierre Farrugia already has experience of European football - but is now offering his skills to non-league teams in the Chepstow area in the hope he can attract the attention of a big league club. Former male model Farrugia, still
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Writer's meteoric rise to radio star
LOCAL writer and broadcaster Jonathan Powell will feature in a BBC Radio 4 documentary later this year, talking about his collection of meteorites. Jonathan, who lives in Abergavenny said: "There was a request made in the Radio Times in April for people
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Young side regret a sleepy start to game
CALDICOT Town manager Jason Pritchard was rueing two points dropped on Saturday, after a 1-1 draw at Penrhiwceiber saw his side slip off the top to second. Pritchard admitted that he would have settled for a draw at the start of the game, but given the
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Title hopes running high
A DOMINANT first-half display helped Abergavenny RFC to a 29-22 home win on Saturday over Nelson to take them one step closer to the Division Three East title. Abergavenny got off to a great start with centre Gareth Hughes-Jones completing an excellent
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Veggie breakfast creation is a winner
LOCAL chef Andrew Canning, from The Clytha Arms at Raglan, has created a Welsh breakfast that's a winner with vegetarians. In a special breakfast cook off, Andrew used only locally-sourced ingredients to conjure up a veritable feast. The dish was made
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Celebrity chef at Tin Pan Alley
Pictured is county councillor Phil Murphy (chairman of the Lower Wye Area committee) presenting a cheque to Jenny Gough, the owner of Tin Pan Alley. The cheque represents a contribution from the Lower Wye Area committee toward the cost of fees to be paid
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Schoolboy fighting for life
A BOY of 11 was fighting for his life in hospital after an accident with a car near his school bus stop. Neighbours say the boy, Daniel Johnsey, from Llandevaud, had been taken to the bus stop by his grandmother last Wednesday on his way to Chepstow Comprehensive
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'A devoted rugby fan'
DANIEL Thorne, the 25-year-old Chepstow man who was killed in a road accident in Cardiff on Friday night, has been described him as a "devoted rugby fan" by his grieving family, writes Keith Fairbank. Daniel had been in the Walkabout bar with teammates
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Town will be all lit up after event
SATURDAY marks the big switch-on of the Abergavenny Christmas lights, when superstar Elvis will press the button with the mayor, Cllr Raymond Hill, and Father Christmas himself. Prior to the switch-on at 5pm, Elvis will be performing his Christmas songs
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It's deja vu - with more to come
Thornwell's young side battled well in this Benevolent Cup match, but just like last week, they ended up with nothing to show for it. Thornwell have a few outstanding young players who will do much better next season. Play was even in the opening 20 minutes
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Mark of respect for player
MONMOUTH Rugby Club's Division Five East weekend clash with Chepstow RFC was cancelled after a member of the Chepstow squad was tragically knocked down and killed after watching Wales' victory over Fiji on Friday night, writes Keith Fairbank. Daniel Thorne
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Clutch costs pair podium
Clutch problems cost Colin McRae and Abergavenny's Nicky Grist an almost certain podium finish on The FIA Telstar Rally Australia at the weekend. Driving the Skoda Fabia WRC for the second time this year, Colin and Nicky had everything to go for and they
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Utter disgust at uncaring words
IN RECENT weeks, the Free Press has highlighted the case of Elsie Payne following the pensioner's fall at her home in Brookside sheltered accommodation. This week we received a letter from Mrs Payne's daughter, Pamela Caines, which we feel impelled to
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Research backs up radio bid
STEPS to establish a radio station for the Mon-mouthshire community is gathering pace. Research has already proved that local people were fully behind Mon-mouth Local Radio's first trial broadcast during the summer. The reaction to the broadcast has been
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Coach refuses to criticise his side
THOUGH Abergavenny sat back after the break to give Nelson a glimpse of a comeback on Saturday, coach Gary Lawrence refused to criticise his side afterwards for their second half display. He said: "We had a very strong first half and then went off the
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Success for karate kids
Members of Kyoshin Shotokan Karate Club, based at Caldicot Leisure Centre, travelled to North Wales last Saturday to take part in the Celyn Shotokan Karate Open Championships and had every reason to be feel very pleased with themselves at the end of the
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Girl, 18, fined for being drunk
A HOMELESS 18-year-old Abergavenny woman has been fined £50 by Abergavenny magistrates after admitting being drunk and disorderly . Amy Lisa Watson, who is currently living in a friend's greenhouse, pleaded guilty to the offence which took place on the
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Away day return for under-10s
What a difference a week can make! Caldicot came out fighting on this their first away game of the season. Monmouth managed to have 30 keen young boys raring to play on Sunday morning against Caldicot's 14, so it was decided that Caldicot would play two
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'We'll be back,' say delighted Hogs
Bridgwater Chapter of The Harley Davidson Owners' Group have presented £11,080 to various groups, following the very successful "Hoggin' The Bridge" event held in Chepstow last month. Funds were raised by the collection of fees from riders taking part
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Green light for development plan
ON MONDAY night, the Governing Body of Monmouth Comprehen-sive School unanimously voted to adopt the Site Development Plan. The plan, jointly produced by the School and officers of the County Council, sets out a four-phase building programme for the campus
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63 criminals arrested in Operation Arrowhead
A THREE-day Police operation targeting known criminals netted over 60 arrests in Cwmbran. The new neighbourhood police team was heralded by Cwmbran Inspector Jim Baker for their achievements in Operation Arrowhead. Just two months after it was set up
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Body blow for Race
This loss on Saturday, in a game the side targeted as a must win and one that they could of got the season back on track with, was a body blow. The absence of key players David Goodchild, David Jenkins and influential striker Martin Bewick, ultimately
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Team Torfaen dominate league
On Saturday the newly-formed competitive swimming unit Team Torfaen, attended the second round of the National Speedo League at Frome. The team consisting of swimmers from Blaenavon Barracudas and Torfaen Swim Squad continued its winning streak emerging
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Pupils aim high during RAF visit
SCIENCE students were given a flying start when the RAF dropped into a Cwmbran school on Monday. Youngsters at Llantarnam Comprehensive school were joined by members of the RAF and asked to put their knowledge to the test. A RAF officer about to set off
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Four pubs face drink sales ban
AS the drinks deadline looms The Up and Under club is among four premises in Torfaen facing a drink sales ban as they haven't applied for a replacement licence. Torfaen County Borough Council's principal licensing officer for the department of the environment
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'Save Ponthir school' - parents deliver their message straight to Assembly members
DEFIANT parents fighting to save a doomed Gwent school have taken their case to every single member of the National Assembly. Ponthir primary school faces the axe following a vote by Torfaen council. It says the school must close as part of its bid to
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School in 'racist' storm
THE Welsh school in Trevethin has this week been forced to defend itself over accusations of racism. Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw, on Folly Road, stood accused of turning down a concert for their children on the grounds that the pop group Five Wheel Drive, pictured
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Model is still in the running
CWMBRAN modelling hopeful Emma Gould had good news after she was unable to make it to the Cardiff heat of the Miss Great Britain competition. Emma thought she may be out of the running before the race had started when she missed the Cardiff heat last
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Look out for fake watches
Rogue traders have been caught trying to sell imitation designer watches to shoppers in Cwmbran, claiming they are worth hundreds of pounds, writes Stephen Ware. Torfaen trading standards are warning consumers to be on the lookout for opportunist traders
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Indiscipline proves costly too Pooler
PONTYPOOL suffered their eighth defeat this season under new coach David Gray, losing 42-16 at high-flying Pontypridd on Saturday. Pontypridd, just three points off the top, raced into an early lead while Pontypool had to wait until the very end of the
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250 Trico workers face redundancy
Almost 250 people will lose their jobs at a Torfaen manufacturing firm after bosses announced plans to cease production earlier this month. As previously reported Pontypool firm Trico Ltd, which manufactures vehicle wiper blades, was set to cut jobs after
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Goytre hold on to win cup clash
GOYTRE'S second string starred in an enthralling 4-3 victory over opponents Race, but chairman Paul Greenhalgh was left reflecting on a series of errors which almost cost the side their place in the second round of the Langdon Cup. Playing at home against
