Archive
-
Date
Councillor says no to challenge
THE Free Press challenged Cllr Peter Fox, cabinet member for lifelong learning, to walk the route with parents and children. The challenge was to include the councillor carrying the equivalent weight in books, musical instruments, cookery items and PE
-
Date
It's 102 happy returns to Nellie
A FORMER Raglan resident, now living at Ty Cerilos Nursing Home in Pontypool, celebrated her 102nd birthday yesterday. Nellie Jenkins was born on Valentines day in 1904, in Monmouth, and celebrated her birthday surrounded by friends and family, who came
-
Date
Upbeat Aber want revenge
Abergavenny 38 Risca 11 COACH Gary Lawrence is confident his all-conquering Abergavenny side could hold their own in Division Two, having lost just one of their first 15 games this season. That single defeat came at the hands of this Saturday's opponents
-
Date
Nightclub go-ahead- despite objections
THE controversial nightclub plans for the centre of Abergavenny have been given the green light. DT Civils, who plan to build a cabaret and restaurant facility on waste land adjacent to the Hen and Chickens Hotel, appealed to the National Assembly after
-
Date
United in next round
Bartestree Res 1 Skenfrith United 2 SKENFRITH'S up and down season continued at the weekend with a 2-1 Burghill Cup quarter final win at Bartestree. Defending cup-holders Skenfrith, who took home three trophies last season, are struggling in the league
-
Date
Janey writes a design for life
A MONNOW Street shop welcomed Radio personality and former pop sensation Janey Lee Grace yesterday, for a special Valentine's Day afternoon book signing. Janey, a former member of charter-toppers Wham! as well as a UK top-ten solo artist, now has own
-
Date
Alex angry at Done deal
AN ENGINEER from Chepstow is furious that his new £130,000 luxury apartment on Chepstow High Street will be directly above a new branch of Done bookmakers. When Alex Rippon, 28, recently bought his new pad, he was told by his estate agency that he would
-
Date
Funding move 'flaw'
A decision to change the funding formula for schools in Monmouthshire has been called in for further discussion. Govilon Primary School governor Cllr Verona Nelmes called in the decision to adopt a new schools funding formula after the county council's
-
Date
People power wins the day in Square dispute
THE controversial plans to alter the layout of Agincourt Square have been abandoned, writes Andy Sherwill. After the vociferous opposition to the extensions to the pavement at the en-trance to Church Street, and the problems experienced during the brief
-
Date
Mardy Tigers take league title
THE GIRLS of Mardy Tigers have secured the league title in the South Wales Girls League North Division. Last weekend, the under-13s needed just a point against Abertysswg to win the league outright, but came through the fixture 3-1 winners thanks to goals
-
Date
College's £110m makeover plan
COLEG Gwent has announced a multi-million pound scheme that will see an transformation of its six campuses over the next 10 years. The college's Estates Strategy will invest a total of around £110 million in its buildings between now and 2015, meaning
-
Date
Train service is off the rails!
CHEPSTOW train station lost out on some badly needed cash after it failed to employ a ticket officer on Sunday. An Arriva train leaving from Chepstow at 11.15am to go Cardiff was packed with people travelling to the Six Nations match between Wales and
-
Date
No Town rollover after early long-range strike
MONMOUTH Town scored three times on Saturday at Rogerstone AFC to secure their third win on the bounce. But in tricky conditions, the Kingfishers found themselves 1-0 down after 25 minutes through a great 30-yard shot into the top corner. Player boss
-
Date
Oh yes, what a win-derful day!
MONMOUTH recorded a crucial confidence- boosting win on Saturday over fellow-strugglers Oakdale, to offer renewed hope of avoiding relegation from Division Four East. Helped by a weak Oakdale side arriving late without a full complement of replacements
-
Date
Goytre miss the bus
Ystradgynlais 3 Goytre 1 TEAM manager Steve Morgan was left with a lack of options on Saturday, after several of his players missed the team bus for the away trip to Valleys outfit Ystradgynlais. Goytre travelled with just a bare starting 11 for the Welsh
-
Date
First glance at new cattle market
THERE has been a lot of interest shown in the plans for the redevelopment of the Abergavenny Cattle Market site. Hundreds of people have visited the one-stop shop where the full plans are available, and George Ashworth, head of planning for Monmouthshire
-
Date
Social club and council face off over car park
SEVERN Bridge social club, in Bulwark, is battling to convince Monmouthshire county council to renew a £7,000 lease on their car park. Monmouthshire County Council currently rent the space next to the Severn Bridge Social Club, which is used as a free
-
Date
Jobs to go in 'secretive' budget
SEVENTY jobs are to go as Monmouthshire County Council budget to keep their council tax rise down to 3.4 percent. The shock news was revealed by Cllr Graham Down, deputy leader of the council as he defended claims that he was secretive about the report
-
Date
Two-hour wait for ambulance
A FOOTBALLER had to wait nearly two hours for an ambulance to arrive after he was injured in a game against Chepstow Town F.C on Saturday. A Cwmamman United player was left screaming in agony after an innocuous challenge gave him a serious knee injury
-
Date
Tennis club with fine reputation
Blaenavon Table Tennis Club was formed in July 1985 with seven members (two adults and five beginners). Over the years the membership has varied, dropping to three at one time, rising to its present total of over 20. Since its early beginnings, the club
-
Date
Pontypool show off their fighting spirit
Bridgend 15 Pontypool 12 POOLER showed character and spirit in a late fightback against high-flying Bridgend, with a late brace of Mike Poole tries almost enough to earn David Gray's side a share of the spoils. While Pontypool have drawn twice already
-
Date
The meal's on us...
Our two lucky Valentine's Day competition winners, Philip George, 23, second left, and Jean Evans, 62, second right, at The Pottery, Llanover Road, Blaenavon, for their evening dinner with local celebrities - former Miss Wales Sophia Cahill, left, and
-
Date
It's a Focus one, two, three
Jon Ingram and Ian Allsop put their names in to the Forest of Dean Motor Club record books when they won The Get Connected Wydean Forest Rally in a Ford Focus RS by three seconds from Steve Perez and Neil Dashfield, in a Ford Focus WRC. Third were Brian
-
Date
Multi-million makeover for college
COLEG Gwent has announced a multi-million pound scheme that will see an transformation of its six campuses over the next ten years. The college's Estates Strategy will invest a total of around £110 million in its buildings between now and 2015, meaning
-
Date
Going for gold at Cheltenham
THERE are still two meetings at Chepstow Race-course before it starts, but the countdown is on in earnest to the Cheltenham National Hunt Festival in the middle of March. Welsh-trained Take The Stand - twice a runner in the Coral Welsh National at Chepstow
-
Date
Too few players
TEAM manager Steve Morgan was left with a lack of options on Saturday, after several of his players missed the team bus for the away trip to Valleys outfit Ystradgynlais. Goytre travelled with just a bare starting 11 for the Welsh League Division Three
-
Date
Sense of dj vu as Caldicot lose again
CALDICOT are in the middle of a confidence-sapping run of defeats, stretching back to the autumn, with a 28-0 thrashing at Ynysddu the latest for coach Kevin Shuck's side, writes Keith Fairbank. Looking for rare positives in a display lacking in quality
-
Date
Last-minute let-down
MANAGER Jason Pritch-ard was left bitterly disappointed when his side's away trip to Gwynfi United on Saturday was called off at the last minute. Caldicot Town are still chasing promotion from the Welsh League Second Division and were favourites for another
-
Date
Care centre move anger
TORFAEN Council has been accused of 'hushing up' its decision to move day centre visitors out of Ty Nant Ddu to other facilities across the borough. Jean Parry, of Garndiffaith, contacted the Free Press after the elderly lady she cares for, who she wished
-
Date
Red and Whites left feeling blue
THORNWELL crashed out of the Gill Cup in the quarter finals on Sunday, losing 5-1 at home to Monmouth Town's third team. The home side got off to an astonishing start, with Kenny Vidler and Tony Reynolds both missing a handful of opportunities kill the
-
Date
No shortage of real drama in thriller
Panteg AFC 4 Undy Athletic 3 GWENT County Division One side Panteg took all three points against strugglers Undy for the second time this season on Saturday - but manager Paul Thomas was made to sweat on the sideline as his side served up a seven goal
-
Date
Council project is slated
TORFAEN council has come in for fresh criticism, concerning the £1 million overspend on the educational resource base - The Powerstation. Plaid Cymru AM for south east Wales Jocelyn Davies said the overspend on the Cwmbran project was "a damning indictment
-
Date
Town step nearer to safety
CARETAKER manager Wayne Samuels has revealed he is still looking to sign a new number one before this weekend's crucial trip to Treowen, as Chepstow Town look to continue their recent run of form. Back-to-back wins against Goytre and Cwmammam since Samuels
-
Date
Top team Tranch pegged by Goytre
All matches played had to endure a dry but bitterly cold afternoon. Both home matches involving Clydach Wasps FC were cancelled due to frozen pitches. The Division One match of the day was third placed side Goytre at home to top team Tranch Utd. The match
-
Date
Neighbours help find runaway horse
A RUNAWAY horse was recaptured and brought to safety after a concerned posse leapt in their cars to search for the missing animal. The horse was startled at being left alone in his field, made a break for freedom and alarmed neighbours and motorists by
-
Date
Tragedy waiting to happen at 'track'
BOY racers tearing through a Gwent town are putting pedestrians' lives at risk, local people say. Broad Street in Blaenavon is being used as a "race track", says councillor Stuart Evans, who is calling for a greater police presence to stamp out the problem
-
Date
Cash for museum
A GRIFFITHSTOWN museum owner has challenged Torfaen council over a £10,000 cheque earmarked for the museum by developers. Persimmon Homes applied to build 149 houses on the Station Road site around the Griffithstown Railway museum and they agreed to pay
-
Date
Family of PI seek justice over murder
A MURDERED Cwmbran man's family met the chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority on Friday to discuss "failures" in the investigation into his death. Daniel Morgan, a private investigator, was found in a south London car park with an axe in his head
-
Date
Busy weekend for Chepstow Rugby Club
THIS weekend sees Chepstow RFC anticipating a big day for the club, with all three sides playing at home and two sponsors' functions organised to thank the club's supporters. Chepstow's game last weekend away at Nantyglo was called off by a local referee
-
Date
Cricketer branches out into business
A professional cricketer from India is hoping to hit the business world for six after studying for an MBA at the University of Wales, Newport. Anand Tummala from New Delhi has already made his mark in cricket - he recently signed to coach and play for
-
Date
Jobs to go in tax hike measures
SEVENTY jobs are to go as Monmouthshire County Council budget to keep their council tax rise down to 3.4 per-cent. The shock news was revealed by Cllr Graham Down, deputy leader of the council as he defended claims that he was secretive about the report
-
Date
Ex-Wales star praises school's commitment
SIX years after joining Monmouth School as Head of Rugby, former Wales international John Bevan has revealed he is still impressed with the levels of commitment from staff and pupils alike. Bevan took up his post in 2000, having been the WFU's director
-
Date
Caught on camera
POLICE in Chepstow will be candid with their camera when they launch a new campaign to tackle anti-social behaviour. The new campaign which is named Operation Exodus will involve specially trained officers using a hand-held camera to patrol the streets
-
Date
All Dolled Up and ready to go
PLAYING to a full house every night, this performance of Guys and Dolls was one of the most remarkable of Monmouth Comprehen-sive School's productions. Every aspect showed incredibly thorough preparation and attention to detail. From the very first song
-
Date
Leisure centres provide little pleasure for council budget
LEISURE centres in Monmouthshire could be run by trusts in the future because they are losing a lot of money. This is one of the avenues being explored by the lifelong learning and leisure department as a possible solution to the problem which has led
-
Date
Hundreds march to save school buses
SCHOOL CHILDREN, parents and councillors came together on Monday, to protest about the school bus service from Bulwark closing down. Around 200 people gathered outside Bulwark shops and then marched along the new proposed 'walking route', up to the school
-
Date
Disbelief as Drill Hall set to close
STARTLING news of the proposed closure of a popular Chepstow building has caused outrage in the town. The news on the expected demise of Drill Hall comes ahead of a cabinet meeting to be held today, which will also see Monmouthshire council propose 70
-
Date
BT in a hole as firms lose trade
MORE THAN 500 people across Monmouth were affected by a major disruption to local telephone services last week, costing businesses thousands of pounds in lost trade. Around 250 lines first went dead without warning last Tuesday night, with many town centre
-
Date
Give us a sign, say villagers
FRUSTRATED villagers have criticised a decision to refuse calls for a village hall sign to be installed on a busy trunk road in Llanover. Members of the Sir John Herbert Memorial Hall Committee have been campaigning for a sign for almost two years. The
-
Date
Thrilling cup clash
Mardy 6 Cwmffwrwdoer 5 (After Extra Time) MARDY progressed to the semi finals of the Gwent County Amateur Cup in dramatic fashion on Saturday - winning by the odd goal in 11 after drawing 4-4 with Cwmffwrwdoer Sports after 90 minutes. After catching his
-
Date
Folk music is a family affair
A FAMILY of Bulgarian musicians, named after the Breton village 'Nezehr', will be taking to the stage at Monmouth's Blake Theatre, on Thursday, February 16 from 7.30pm. The vibrant quartet features Dylan Fowler on guitars, clarinet and drums, Oliver and
-
Date
Flats plan is rejected
OBJECTORS to a scheme to convert an Edwardian house in Abergavenny into five flats are delighted it has been thrown out by planners. Several of them were at the meeting of the county planning committee last week to hear members unanimously reject the
-
Date
Council meeting times spark debate
MEMBERS of the lower Wye Area Committee have refused to support a councillor's request to change meeting times because of his poor attendance. The committee currently meet during the day throughout the winter months and evenings in the summer. Liberal
-
Date
A40 protesters call on AMs to back campaign
MONMOUTH'S Drop It To 40! Campaign goes to the Senedd - The Welsh Assembly's new debating chamber. Campaigners trying to get the speed limit on the A40 reduced through Monmouth presented a petition of hundreds of names to politicians in Cardiff. Conny
-
Date
Sex attacks may be linked
MONMOUTH Police believe a pair of pre-Christmas sex attacks on local teenagers were linked, and are appealing for more information regarding the incidents. The first occurred on a Friday evening in late November or early December at approximately 9.45pm
-
Date
It must have been a dirty game...
... the ref spent 30 mins in the shower! USK Town's league match with Lower New Inn on Saturday ended in controversy when the referee was locked in his changing room - because the players had all left to go to the pub. Match referee David Norman had come
