Archive
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Lions Club's festive appeal
EVERY year, the Chepstow Lions Club encourage shoppers to make a small donation towards their Christmas appeal. And last week members of the club were outside the town's Tesco store, where locals generously dug into their trollies and baskets and gave
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Appeal as car is stolen
POLICE in Abergavenny are appealing for information after a car, containing adrenaline, was stolen. The silver Renault Espace belonged to a medical worker and contained a mobile phone, blood pressure machines, dressings and, most importantly, five ampoules
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Driver's speed led to death
A MAN who died after his car smashed into a house in a Gwent village was "entirely the author of his own misfortune", according to Gwent coroner David Bowen. John Edwards' Peugeot car skidded across the A48 at Pwllmeyric, near Chepstow, smashed through
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Monmouth back on form with goal rush
MONMOUTH Town cruised into the last 16 of the Gwent Amateur Cup with a convincing 4-0 win at home against Crusaders at the weekend. After two disappointing results, the Kingfishers secured a much needed morale booster as they continue to push for promotion
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Tough time for Aber
Following a long layoff due to bad weather Abergavenny's 2nd XI were back in action against Cardiff Medics. The first half was very evenly contested, with neither side being able to break the deadlock with Martin Brown in goal for Abergavenny making some
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Pupils take the council to task
GILWERN pupils put councillors on the spot last week when they sat in on a council meeting and asked pertinent questions. The school council members at Gilwern Primary School were accompanied by head teacher Roger Guy and members of staff. Cllr Andrew
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Season of fun Christmas events
A whole host of events are planned by various organisations in Usk to ensure that the Christmas season really is a festive one: Saturday, December 10, sees the annual Christmas Draw held by St Mary's Guild, where a number of beautiful hampers are raffled
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Bat theory could save the day for tree
MONMOUTH Action Group believes that bats could be roosting in the boughs of the Catalpa Tree. The group claims that bats have been seen flying around the tree at dusk and speculate that they have made it their home. The group's chairman Stephen Clarke
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Frustrating time for the rugby
Last Saturday Mon-mouth Rugby Club's Team Manager tried all means to find a game for the 1st XV, when Crumlin called off their league away fixture, because their pitch was apparently unfit. First up, Cheltenham Second XV agreed to play, but then had to
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Village hall trashed as thieves steal money and charity items
THIEVES have broken into Portskewett and Sudbrook Village Hall, stealing equipment worth £1,500 and causing more than £1,000 worth of damage. Also stolen was £350 worth of prizes which were to be used in the annual military whist drive night this evening
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Santa's helpers' gift to the less well off
EAST is set to meet west this Christmas after children at one Monmouthshire school gave Santa a helping hand. Youngsters from Llanover Primary School have spent the past few weeks decorating and filling special parcels for less fortunate children in Eastern
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Sweet idea takes off as pud lovers sign up for new club
A TINTERN hotel has discovered a sweet way to boost their trade. The village's Wye Valley Hotel is run by Sue and Barry Cooke, who only formed their popular Pudding Club in November, which has since grown rapidly by word of mouth. The Pudding Club offers
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Dog owners fined for noise
A Chepstow couple whose dogs were left to bark for hours on end, creating a public noise nuisance, have been found guilty by magistrates in Abergavenny. Monmouthshire County Council took out a prosecution against the dog owners in the Bulwark area of
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Rowing duo are definitely in it to win it
OCEAN oarsman Andrew Barnett ended the first week of his Atlantic row battered and bruised, but firmly on course to complete his epic 2,950-mile epic voyage. Speaking by satellite phone from his 21-foot long ocean boat, the Monmouth Rowing Club father
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Tale behind Twelve Days
ALTHOUGH many Christians appreciate the true meaning of the Twelve Days of Christmas, its origin is not so widely known. The song actually originates from the 16th century when Catholics were persecuted for their faith, and contains a secret code used
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Pupils ship Aquaboxes to earthquake victims
GENEROUS pupils at Trellech Primary School have clubbed together to donate three Aquaboxes to the victims of the Pakistan earthquake - a feat made even more remarkable when calculated as 30 percent of Monmouth's total. The Aquabox initiative is a nationwide
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Ice 'n' easy does it!
AROUND 4,000 people enjoyed the thrills and spills of the fourth annual Christmas Ice Show in Abergavenny Market Hall. Families had a fun day out with a range of free activities, with the synthetic ice rink the most popular as youngsters (and their parents
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Festival closer for Absinthe
WELSH rockers Absinthe are preparing to cap off a tumultuous 2005 headlining at the Raglan Festival Christmas Concert this weekend. The Brecon-based three piece, formed 18 months ago, have enjoyed critical acclaim for their debut album On Tap, receiving
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Short mat bowls
GWENT Short Mat Bowls Association have held their Red Card Championships in Llangynidr Village Hall over the last two weekends to select those members of the Gwent Association to represent the region in the Welsh Short Mat Bowls Championships. Entries
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Athletic stay head of Castle
After three fairly easy games, leage leaders Chepstow went to the second-placed Castle expecting a hard game. They came up against a very good Castle side with a good referee in charge. The game started fast and furious, both sides challenging for the
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Public memorial service for Eileen held on day of MBE
A PUBLIC memorial service to honour the life of Eileen Goodrich who died last week will take place at St Mary's Priory Church in Monmouth on January 10 - the day that she was due to receive her MBE. A small, private funeral for Eileen's family and closest
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Olivia to reach 100
CHEPSTOW'S Olivia Orchart is on the fringe of breaking into the top 100 women foil fencers in the UK after finishing 27th in last weekend's Hereford and Worcester Open competition. Last weekend's result plus 64th place in last month's Welsh Open tournament
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High Court judge will rule on challenge to car park charges
THE controversial car park charges set to be introduced in Monmouth in the New Year could still be axed, according to the barrister acting for the three local towns seeking a judicial review against the county council. The barrister representing Abergavenny
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Murder on the farm
THE small village of Shirenewton is still in shock following the deaths of a local man and woman at the weekend. Police were called to Lower Pink Farm, Bully Hole Bottom, at 9.15am last Saturday morning, by cattle breeder Richard Parker-Morgan, 63. His
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Jodie's Indian chance
JODIE Scarr, a pupil at Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls, has been selected to fence epee for Wales in the inaugural Junior Commonwealth Championships, to be held in Chennai, India, from January 24-29. The 15-year-old, pictured above, has been
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Concern grows as fixtures postponed
For the second weekend running, both the region's Welsh League football teams had their games postponed. In Division Two, high-flying Caldicot Town''s home fixture against Porthcawl was washed out, while one tier lower, Chepstow's match at near neighbours
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Pony owner touched by offer of new rug
ONE miniature pony's cold night after thieves stole his rug, has stirred the Christmas spirit and restored an owner's faith in human nature. An article in last week's Free Press told the story of callous thieves, who targeted a field in Trevethin stole
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Disappointing result for centenary match
Spirit Race Display Cwmffrwdoer Sports 3 Race Second XI 0 On this important day for Race Football Club, 100 years since the first team stepped out onto a football pitch, the Second XI tried to put behind them some poor recent form behind them and started
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Using his head this Christmas
A Pontypool bus driver has spruced himself up for Christmas by having a mini-fir tree woven into his hair. Now he's attracting the attention of television channels as GMTV contacted the Free Press to try and get in touch with him to make an appearance
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Schoolkids hold history in their hands
SCHOOLCHILDREN had a very special delivery - it arrived amid high security and came from light years away. Pupils at George Street Primary School, Wainfelin got to grips with a stella slice of history when lunar samples collected by NASA made their way
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Residents buy back hall brick by brick
CWMAVON residents have bought a piece of history to invest in the future of their community and help fund a new £325,000 community centre. New disability access laws meant the current two-storey community centre was no longer fit for purpose and the community
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Garn clinch narrow win
This was a thrilling Anglo-Welsh encounter where both teams were prepared to run the ball at every opportunity. Two of the tries however were scored as a result of some excellent rolling maul work by each side. It was the visitors who scored first against
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Hard-fought game ends in narrow loss
Pontypool were narrowly beaten at home by Llanharan on Saturday, but their was no shame in narrowly losing to a side that play their rugby in Division one, two tiers higher than United. A hard-fought game finished 10-12 in the visitors favour after United
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Thieves steal Vilma's precious memories
HEARTLESS thieves targeted a 71-year-old widow's new flat in Blaenavon robbing her of precious mementoes. After the death of her husband last December Vilma Skyrme was looking forward to starting a new phase of her life in her own home. The new flat was
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Putting health first on the menu
A DINNER lady has transformed school meals at West Monmouth and the healthy option has been given an image boost. School catering manager Maria Stone became 'head chef' when the school pulled out of the contract catering system. And in a Jamie Oliver-style
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Happy days for married gays
GAY COUPLES are now able to 'marry' and two couples have already booked their ceremonies with three other same sex couples eager to book. The new civil partnership legislation gives them the same rights in law as married couples. But the gay couples will
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'Dangerous' robber jailed for five years
A KNIFE-WIELDING "highly dangerous" armed robber wearing a balaclava who terrified a shop assistant was jailed for five years yesterday. A young woman shop assistant was "scared to death" after David Parry walked into a Pontypool store brandishing a 12in
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'Doer dominate in local derby
Gwent Central Division One Cwmffrwdoer Sports 3 Race Utd 0 This local derby was played in good and competitive spirit by both teams. The visitors 'keeper Scott Jenkins had a busy afternoon making early saves from Kyle Tovey and Ross Peake. With 20 minutes
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Man faces burglary charges
A 25-year-old Cwmbran man appeared at Newport magistrates, last Friday charged with burglary and possession of a weapon. Rick Samual, of 40 The Crescent, Cwmbran, is alleged to have carried a gas blow torch into a jewellers. The incident is said to have
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Goytre finally return - to lose
After a three-week spell without a game, Goytre returned to league action with a disappointing defeat to Lowly Porth on Saturday. Perhaps the spell of inactivity had come at a higher cost than the inconvenience of a fixture backlog as the village side
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Win free meal for two at Fairwater House
A CWMBRAN pub is offering shoppers a treat and a break from the Christmas shopping by offering two meals for the price of one. Fairwater House is promising to relieve some of the hassles by providing a home-cooked meal at great value. Fairwater House
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Pooler over and out
A patched-up Pooler side crashed out of the Konica Minolta Cup in only the third round on Saturday, as the recent mini-revival enjoyed by David Gray's men came to an end with a 28-14 reverse at fellow Welsh Premiership strugglers Carmarthen. Gray rang
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Exciting time for new police inspector
PICTURED is Jeff Smith, the new police inspector at Caldicot station replacing Inspector Marc Budden, who has recently been seconded to Abergavenny. Serving himself in Abergavenny for the past 15 months, Inspector Smith tells the Free Press of his plans
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Parking fight has a case
THE barrister acting for the three Monmouthshire towns seeking a judicial review over car parking charges believes they have a good case. Abergavenny, Usk and Chepstow town councils, backed by all five chambers of trade, are challenging the decision by
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Fighting fund is in place to stop felling
LOCAL estate agent Michael Skidmore has set up a fighting fund, which could pay for a legal injunction being taken out against Monmouthshire County Council to save the Catalpa Tree. Monmouth Archaelo-gical Society and the local Action Group are currently
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Caerwent appeal for badly-needed players
CAERWENT Juniors have launched an emotional appeal for more under-12s to join their footballing ranks, or else the cup semi-finalists may struggle to field a team. Caerwent JFC compete in the East Gwent Junior League but have found themselves short of
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Homes 'need a warden'
DISGRUNTLED residents at The Reddings walked out of a meeting held on site with representatives of Monmouthshire County Council last week, it has been claimed. The meeting at the sheltered complex in Bulwark, Chepstow, was attended by John Keegan, head
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Manager praises players after win
PLAYER manager Andrew Smith was delighted with his side's improved performance. He commented: "I was pleased with the work rate more than anything, which has been well below par in recent weeks, but everyone ran their socks off today. "We are all going
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'Good case' for parking review
THE barrister acting for the three Monmouthshire towns seeking a judicial review over car parking charges believes they have a good case. Abergavenny, Usk and Chepstow town councils, backed by all five chambers of trade, are challenging the decision by
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Aber match postponed
Having been eliminated from the Konica Minolta Cup in the previous round Abergavenny were due to return to Division Three East Rugby on Saturday. But Gary Lawrence's table topping side were denied the opportunity to continue their impressive start to
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'Prison' design for hotel
THE design of the hotel planned for Quay Point, Magor looks like Cardiff Prison, said a leading member of the county planning committee. Cllr Mike Smith said the design was bland, and the Encore hotels already built in Swansea Bay, West London and York
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Celebrity chef draws culinary crowd
MORE than 150 people attended two cookery demonstrations by celebrity chef Brian Turner in the Beaufort Hotel, Chepstow, last week. The charismatic cook, a regular on hit tv programme Ready Steady Cook entertained his audience with his charm and wit,
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Computer vouchers pay off for schools
PUPILS from five local schools were given star treatment by Tesco in Chepstow when they picked up computers for their schools after collecting more than 12,000 vouchers. The schools benefiting the new computers are: Caldicot Comprehensive, Green Lane,
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Under-11s ready to threaten
Abergavenny Under 11 Tournament at Tylorstown A confident Abergavenny Under 11 squad began their indoor hockey in Tylorstown last weekend. The game is very different to playing hockey outside as it is very like five a side football, with quick fire matches
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Shining Knight leads the way for betting
PUNTERS are piling their money on Chepstow Racecourse specialist One Knight to win the showpiece race of the season - the Coral Welsh National. When the entries were revealed for the race, bookmakers were coy about the lightly raced ten-year-old horse
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Hunt is on for two sex fiends
MONMOUTH Police are searching for witnesses, after a local 17-year-old girl was sexually assaulted at the weekend, in the latest in a spate of attacks. The girl was walking from Agincourt Square on the Hereford Road, towards the Osbaston area, when she
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Classic Welsh pair are first in historic rally
The 11th Land's End to John o' Groats Reliability and Touring Trial Le Jog passed through South Wales last Saturday evening. With a new organising team at the helm entries were not as many as in previous years. It was felt that prospective competitors
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It's double glory for juniors
The two junior girls' teams at St John's-on-the-Hill have both enjoyed success at inter-school hockey tournaments recently. The youngest squad of U9 girls travelled to Millfield School, in Somerset, to compete in their first-ever tournament, the prestigious
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Adopted daughter wants world to know she has a 'mum in a million'
AN ABERGAVENNY foster mother has received national recognition for her care of children. Joan Griffiths of Old Barn Way, Abergavenny was nominated by her adopted daughter Sarah, 22, who was fostered by Joan and her husband Brian when she was six months
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Apology for crash
A MOMENTARY lapse of concentration caused an accident on the A465 at Llanfihangel Crucorney which left the other driver with 37 fractures of the femur, a court heard. In a letter to the court the driver said he was deeply sorry for the injuries and stress
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Restaurant roof hole
EMERGENCY repairs were carried out at the Jade restaurant in St Mary Street, Chepstow, this week after a gaping hole was discovered in the roof. The restaurant has undergone extensive refurbishment after the front of the building needed urgent attention
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Van pair out in the cold
A MONMOUTHSHIRE couple are facing Christmas in the back of a van after losing their home. Craig Jones, 24, and his wife Nicola, 21, have been homeless for the last four months. For the last two months, they have been living in a converted Renault Trafic
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Harriers on home turf
Chepstow Harriers hosted the second fixture of the season in the Leisure Centre Cross-Country League at the demanding Piercefield Park. The Harriers women on home soil had to settle for second place in the fixture, four points behind winners Grif-fithstown
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Alice's new year Nepal adventure
ABERGAVENNY physiotherapist Alice Dawson is giving up her job to travel to Nepal in the New Year. Alice, 23, of South Leigh, Llanvetherine graduated from Keele University before getting her firstjob at Nevill Hall Hospital, Abergavenny. Together with
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Paying the price
After a three-week spell without a game, Goytre returned to league action with a disappointing defeat to Lowly Porth on Saturday. Perhaps the spell of inactivity had come at a higher cost than the inconvenience of a fixture backlog as the village side
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New laws for gay couples
GAY couples will be able to 'marry' in Monmouthshire from next Monday - and five of them have already booked their ceremonies. The new civil partnership legislation gives them the same rights in law as married couples, said the county's superintendent
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Kestrels swoop in to win medals
It was a busy weekend for coaches at the Kestrel Gymnastics Club based in Bulwark, Chepstow. On Saturday the club hosted the East Wales Intermediate Competition and on Sunday it was the East Wales Inter Club Assessment for six and seven-year-olds. In
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Lorry proves a real pane for rush hour commuters
REBEL town councillor Gary Witcombe resigned from his position on the council last Wednesday, pledging to continue to serve the town as an outsider. Mr Witcombe had previously been conditionally restricted from entering the council chambers at Shire Hall
