Latest news with #Carmarthen
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Documentary celebrates success of Welsh cycling hero Emma Finucane
A documentary has been made about the young life and meteoric rise of Welsh cyclist and Olympic hero Emma Finucane. The cycling star, 22, made history in Paris last summer when she became the first British woman in 60 years to win three medals at the same Olympic Games and the first Welsh athlete to ever achieve that feat. The Paris Olympics was not the Carmarthen cyclist's first taste of success by a long shot - in 2022 she came home from the Commonwealth Games having won two bronze medals for Wales, while in 2023 she won a gold medal at the World Championships in Glasgow, a feat she repeated last year at the 2024 championships in Denmark. It's all a far cry from when Finucane used to whizz around the historic velodrome at Carmarthen Park as a young girl with Towy Riders cycle club, a group which is still going strong today. Stay informed on Carms news by signing up to our newsletter here. READ MORE: Man dies in Cardiff city centre READ MORE: Two arrests after fatal quadbike crash on A465 Heads of the Valleys road Now, a Cardiff-based student has made a 'powerful short documentary' capturing Finucane's rise to the top of world cycling. The film - Pedal to Paris: The Emma Finucane Story - has been created by Cameron Hitt, who is studying a sports broadcast masters degree at Cardiff Metropolitan University. It will premiere at Nantgaredig Rugby Club, in partnership with Towy Riders, on Monday (June 2). The film will then be made publicly available the following day, on Tuesday, June 3. We caught up with Finucane at Carmarthen Park last year, just weeks after she returned home from Paris with three Olympic medals around her neck. 'I remember, when I was seven years old, coming here with my brother and sister,' she said. 'We lived just across the road. I would go round and round the track on my little pink bike with tassels on it. That was it - I was hooked.' On her success, she said: 'It has changed my life. I'm still the same old Emma, but you are kind of in a bubble at the Olympics so you don't really see what's going on around you. "But then you come back home and I've been asked for pictures in Tesco a couple of times and people say: 'Ooh, I've seen you on the telly!' 'I love it. I love being home and coming back to see everyone. I'm very honoured to be asked to attend events. I don't come home often and to be recognised for what I've done at the Olympics is amazing. 'As athletes we obviously have our own ambitions in terms of winning but I want people to watch us and get on their bikes. I want to inspire people to get out there and cycle - it's a healthy way of life. "Sport is amazing, it gives you energy, and I want to use my platform to help young girls and boys get into sprint cycling.'
Sky News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Wynne Evans leaves BBC radio show after controversy
Opera singer Wynne Evans has left his BBC radio show, several months after he made "inappropriate and unacceptable" comments at the Strictly Come Dancing live tour launch. The 53-year-old, known for his role in GoCompare insurance adverts, was part of the tour in January, having competed on last year's series. In a video filmed during the launch, reported by the Mail On Sunday,he was heard making the remark, for which he apologised at the time. Since January, a number of guest presenters have filled his programme on BBC Radio Wales during his absence. On Friday, Mr Evans announced that the BBC had "decided not to renew [his] contract". "That show wasn't just work - it was home. It was us," he said. "We laughed, we cried, we sang like nobody was listening. And somehow, through the airwaves, we became a family. "Thank you for welcoming me into your homes. Into your hearts." The singer from Carmarthen, West Wales, announced he would now launch The Wynne Evans Show online between 9am and 12pm every day. During last year's series, Mr Evans and his professional dance partner, Katya Jones, apologised for a "joke" which saw her move his hand from her waist during the show. The 36-year-old dancer also appeared not to want to high-five her celebrity partner, which they called "a running joke" between them. A BBC spokesperson said Mr Evans "is not under contract with the BBC". "He is not returning to the mid-morning show on BBC Radio Wales and there are currently no plans to work with him," they added.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Cardiff Hyrox competition brings extreme fitness craze to Wales
Tens of thousands of people are expected in Cardiff for a gruelling fitness challenge to be held over three days at the Principality is a "fitness racing" event that has become a craze, going viral on social media since the first competition in Germany eight years ago. There are now 200,000 competitors worldwide according to organisers, with the first ever event in Wales starting on Friday. The event is set to include the oldest known participant in the gruelling indoor race of eight 1km (0.62 mile) runs followed by different fitness exercises. "Age doesn't have to be a barrier," said Prof Peter Herbert, 80, from Carmarthen. "Vitality is something we can choose to nurture every day."As the Hyrox craze descends on the capital, roads in the town centre are expected to be busy until after the final on Sunday. Competitors - either professional or everyday fitness enthusiasts - perform eight runs and eight workouts, including 1km on a standing ski machine, 50m sled push and 80m burpee Dylan Jones Evans previously said "tens of thousands" could visit the Welsh capital to take part in the event."What we saw with Hyrox when they went to Glasgow recently was 40,000 people going to the city who wouldn't have gone to Glasgow," he said. Prof Herbert, from University of Wales Trinity Saint David, is a world-renowned fitness expert, academic, and life-long athlete. Undeterred by a knee replacement, he is aiming to be the oldest known competitor to complete the full event. "If I'm able to complete this challenge, I hope it sends a clear message," he said. "Through a commitment to a healthy lifestyle and staying physically active, it's absolutely possible to have the energy, strength, and resilience to enjoy activities that many believe are out of reach after 50. "Whether it's surfing, mountain biking, rowing, swimming, or anything else that brings you joy, age doesn't have to be a barrier." What is Hyrox? Founded in 2017 as an indoor discipline, athletes take part in eight legs, each a 1km run, followed by a fitness exercises competitors are put through include 1km on a standing ski machine, 50m sled push, 50m sled pull, 80m burpee jumps, 1km indoor rowing, carrying a kettlebell 200m, 100m lunges carrying a sandbag, and finally 100 throws and catches of a medicine ball off a wall. World championships are held every year, with contestants taking part in singles and doubles races. The 2024 world championships in France featured a new relay event by sport is closely related to CrossFit, but has different, simpler exercises and prioritises endurance over raw popularity is primarily put down to two things: accessibility and visibility. Hyrox has been designed with the intention of going viral, whether by giving contestants patches instead of medals to wear on their gym bags, or by pushing "training club Tuesdays", getting people to tag gyms that offer top athletes in the sport are doing the event in under an hour. But Hyrox competitor and former Wales rugby player Laura Payne said the race could be geared to all abilities, with some using lower weights, walking the sprints and taking up to three hours to finish."It's quite open and inclusive," said the co-owner of Penarth gym Arth Strength. "If you've not done much fitness you could get by if you did it with a pair," Ms Payne, who has done Hyrox events in Birmingham and London, added."There is 8km of running but spread out a little bit and some of the stations can be made harder or easier." According to Ms Payne, it is a mass participation event like a half marathon, but "less boring" because running is not the only event. The training is mainly around endurance, with hour-long sessions, she said.
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Llansteffan school with just eight pupils appeals for more children
A school with just eight pupils is hoping to attract more children to help safeguard its at Ysgol Llansteffan in Carmarthen have dropped from just over 30 in 2016 to at the tiny primary school have produced a social media video to try and attract new council said there were a "range of challenges" facing the county's schools. Mared Lenny's four-year-old son attends the 41-year-old from Llansteffan said the video showcased what they do as a school."Llansteffan is a seaside village that has a glorious outdoor environment for children."The school emphasises the need for outdoor learning and the education focuses on nature and environment and we thought 'well the school is not closing, but we do need more children to join'."She added it was an opportunity for anyone who thought "I'd like my child to have the opportunity to have this sort of education"."They're on the beach, they're in the castle, they're in the forest."The video showcases what your child can expect when they come into the school. It's a small thing with trying to help keep this school open." Llansteffan is part of a school federation along with Bancyfelin and Llangain, with the schools sharing one governor Huw Iorwerth said the school had to attract more pupils in order to survive."At the moment there are eight pupils in the school. The school has had over 50 pupils in the past," he said."Eight is a very small number. That's why, as governors, we're looking at ways of making the very best use for the federation of this particular site. Mr Iorwerth said he had lived in the area for about 40 years and had seen "big changes"."I think the population is probably ageing. A lot of the houses are for rent for holidaymakers or are second homes."We are hopeful that there's a new estate being built with 12 new houses. We are hoping there will be children in that development that will come to the school."He added he was appealing for people who have young children to consider very carefully about sending their children there. Carmarthenshire council's cabinet member for education and Welsh language, Glynog Davies, said schools in the county were facing a "range of challenges" including a "reducing population, budget constraints and increasing demand for additional learning needs and other services".He added the cabinet had plans to transform school provision across Carmarthenshire."The aim is to transform the network of nursery, primary and secondary schools into a strategically and operationally effective resource that meets current and future need for a school based and community focused education." The Welsh government said there was a "presumption against the closure of rural schools" but it was up to local authorities to plan school places.A spokesperson said: "When proposing significant changes to schools, local authorities and other proposers must comply with the School Organisation Code."Ms Lenny said it was vital Llansteffan retained the school."I think a school in a village is extremely important. Children are a part of the community."
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
I went to a museum of possessed dolls and Amityville Horror house relics in an actual haunted chapel
Carmarthen is a town full of history, ancient myths and legends. Home to a castle once captured by Owain Glyndwr, fabled figure Merlin and the famous Black Book, it's fair to say that Wales' oldest town is able to conjure up mystery and historical intrigue in equal measure. Half way along Priory Street near the town centre, set back slightly from the road, I came across Penuel Chapel. From the outside, it looks like just any other former chapel or church, of which there are many in towns up and down the country. However, inside I immediately found more than just a disused chapel. This is a museum full of spooky tales and artefacts - which provided something of a chill as soon as I entered the building. Stay informed on Carms news by signing up to our newsletter here. READ MORE: 'Oakwood wasn't just a theme park — it was a rite of passage and I plan to re-open it' READ MORE: Coastal village in Wales has pint-sized cove, proper seaside pub and next-level seafood This is Rowtons' Museum of the Paranormal and Spirituality, run by married couple Laura and Erik Rowton. The chapel was first built in 1786, rebuilt in 1851 and then renovated in 1909. According to Laura, it was renovated in order to be able to accommodate more people - around 800 - because something special and peculiar was taking place here. 'In the end of the 19th century, in 1897, a new reverend arrived from the States, WC Jones, and en route to Carmarthen, he had what is recorded as a baptism of power,' said Laura.. "So the Holy Spirit is said to have come into him, in this very divine and inspirational thing that actually led to him supposedly receiving a miracle healing for some medical condition he had. 'It's said that lots of miracles and supernatural manifestations took place here. So we don't know exactly what it is that they saw. But by the time Reverend Jones left, it was recorded in the local press that the congregation here didn't bother going to doctors when they were ill. They came here instead.' The first thing I realised when I walked around this former chapel is the scale of it. It doesn't seem like much from the outside, but its sprawling nature makes it the perfect location for a museum which is meant to be a bit of a mystery. The walls, the corridors and the creaky stairs all add to make this place exactly what it needs to be - spooky. As part of the tour I passed dozens of spiritual items, including an unusual figure of Archangel Michael, haunted tarot cards, early exorcism kits, a 'cursed' Ouija board known as the 'Nightmare Board', a Victorian mourning dress, creepy-looking dolls, and even relics from the original house which formed the basis of the novel and film, The Amityville Horror. There's also a dimly lit and spooky 'séance parlour' where people can join in the museum's popular séance evenings, and a 'haunted objects schoolroom' which is home to the museum's most 'paranormally active' objects. As for Laura and Erik, they met each other years ago and started posting videos about paranormal experiences on their YouTube channel - The Paranormal Scholar - which now has an incredible 551,000 subscribers. 'When we met we both had a clear interest in the paranormal,' said Laura. 'One of our first dates was a ghost walk in Prague! So we started doing videos as something of a hobby. We went across Europe interviewing different people from many different backgrounds." She added: "We spoke to people about life after death, and had some profound experiences which changed us from people who were interested to people who really believed. The only way people can come to believe in this kind of thing is through personal experience. "We wanted to create somewhere where people can come and not be judged or told they're crazy, or risk being ridiculed. This is a safe space for people to come and tell us about their personal experiences. We want to look at the paranormal in a serious way.' Laura and Erik jumped at the chance to open their museum at Penuel Chapel because they 'wanted somewhere with its own story'. Since having their official opening in February, the museum has been popular with people enjoying tours of the site, attending talks and taking part in séance evenings. 'We've had a lot of experience with haunted buildings and this building is definitely very active," said Laura. "The corridor out there (on the ground floor behind the main chapel room) is one of the most active parts of the building. Stuff will happen there..... She added: "Very early on, Erik was upstairs, I'd left him up there and walked down the corridor. I looked back and I saw someone reach the bottom of the steps and go back up. He was wearing all black. So I went back up the stairs assuming it was Erik and that he wanted something. But he was where I'd left him. He didn't want anything.' Other sightings in the corridor include a shadowy figure peeking around the corner and a little girl aged around seven or eight who Laura claimed to have seen wandering the halls. "There's an appetite for spirituality across the UK,' added Laura. 'As traditional religion declines people don't just stop believing in things. We see a range of people here, from the curious to people who really believe.' Whether you're a believer or just somewhat curious about what lies behind the doors of Penuel Chapel in Carmarthen, you can find more information on how to book your visit here.
