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Wales Online
10-08-2025
- Wales Online
Small village surrounded by world class waterfalls has a pub that sells unbelievable scallop sandwiches
Small village surrounded by world class waterfalls has a pub that sells unbelievable scallop sandwiches If you're walking the famous Four Waterfalls walk, this pub should be on your agenda for afterwards Inside the pub is the perfect mix of traditional and cosy (Image: Ruth Mosalski) There are few things greater in life than a walk followed by a pub lunch and a pint of cider. Luckily, Wales has so many incredible walking routes, whether you're in the hills of Bannau Brycheiniog or Yr Wyddfa, climbing The Sugar Loaf, Consti or the Garth, wherever you are, you should never be too far from a great boozer either. Except we know the hospitality industry is struggling, and with the deadly combination of running costs rising and our flexible income shrinking, there is a depressingly high number of good, rural pubs closing. If you've watched the latest series of Clarkson's Farm you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Beautiful stone buildings, with decades, if not centuries of stories, bust ups and boozing, are being lost, left abandoned all over the country because keeping a pub running is seriously hard work. The renovated historic pub from the outside (Image: Ruth Mosalski) So, when you find a good one, well you need to spread the word, so let me share with you the Red Lion in Penderyn. Personally, my demands are simple. Good food, whether pub classics, or something fancy, served with a good drop (in my case, a local cider or good chilled Pinot Grigio, but for my husband, good ales), is all you need and if you've been on a long walk, you've definitely earned those, right? Having spent the morning walking round the Four Waterfalls, and taking a very chilly dip in Sgwd y Eira, my husband's booking of the Red Lion in Penderyn was an excellent shout. View of the Sgwd Yr Eira waterfall in Bannau Brycheiniog (Image: Edd Mitchell/ GettyImages) The 9km walk in the Beacons is legendary, and to our shame despite it being an hour from our home, we'd never done it in full. In fact this part of the world is known as "waterfall country" where there are a host of stunning publicly accessible waterfalls. Setting off early to beat the crowds, and as a bonus bagging one of the handful of free parking spots available, our three hour ramble was complete in time for a lunchtime trip to Penderyn, just a few miles away. Plus, our aching thigh muscles needed a breather. Home of the famous distillery, somewhere we've taken visitors for tours not once, but twice, as we sat looking at the menus we said we couldn't quite believe we'd never heard of this pub. The pub has, in its current form, been here since the 1800s. Its website explains the rest: "By the mid 1970's it was in a very sorry state. Most of the building was derelict with cinder floors and only two rooms still in use; a small bar and damp lounge. "The roof's back was broken and there were over 30 vessels of various types catching the water coming in. "However in 1978 it was sold to Keith & Beryl James and so began a love affair with a building which has continued 7 days a week, 365 days a year to this very day. The bond with the building is so strong that their last holiday was in fact in 1977. "Over the last 40 years a substantial and sympathetic renovation has been undertaken to restore the Red Lion to it's former glory. Every penny of savings, pensions and turnover has been ploughed back in to the building by family to develop the '…little hidden gem….' customers love today." Keith and Beryl's daughter Natalie joined the pub in 2015, and this family's love affair continues. Given we'd travelled to it via a road which would generously be described as single track, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. The walk, the clambering, the swimming, would have seen me happy with a plate of scampi and chips but chef had other ideas. But I can tell you for certain, that as we sat down and opened the menu, I did not expect to see "compressed watermelon" or squid with Thai basil charred lime and pickled cucumber. Nor did I expect a scallop sandwich, or a Barti Ddu Rum chocolate delice. But the dish that makes my mouth water even just thinking back was the scallop sandwich. The scallop and bacon sandwich, served with fries and coleslaw was the star of the show (Image: Ruth Mosalski) Now, a £20.50 price tag for a sandwich may sound a lot, but I love fish, plus the description included a host of my favourite things - bacon, fennel, radish, pea and mint mayo and charred gem - check, check and check. So that was ordered, without a second look and we also added three dishes from the "small plates" menu, which range from £11 to £12.20, but you can get three for £30 at lunchtime. We also added on a side, of what was billed as crispy curry leaves, more of that later. The dishes all came together, and in a good amount of time for us to enjoy the first sips of our drinks but with that anticipation a rumbling tummy can bring. Pork belly small plates with peanuts, spring onion and soy dressing (Image: Ruth Mosalski) While I ate the sandwich last, it was, by far, the standout dish. Seriously well cooked, juicy scallops, were inside a bread roll with a good chew, thick bacon, plus the vegetable garnishes and sauces. The saltiness of bacon and sweetness of scallops is a well tested flavour combination, and adding it in a sandwich with the other ingredients, it was decadent and divine. We both pointed out we'd have wanted more of the pea and mint mayo squished in there, but when you did get a mouthful of that, it was divine. The chips were coated in paprika, and the coleslaw, the last thing I went to eat was left, partly through my overordering, but partly as it was a little too heavy on the onions. The cauliflower (£11) with miso puree, pickled radish, chilli oil, chickpeas and viola flowers was by far the best of the three small plates we picked. Sweet, but with chunks of soft cauliflower and crispy chickpeas, it not only looked beautiful but tasted it too. My second favourite dish of cauliflower with edible flowers and chickpeas (Image: Ruth Mosalski) While they were my standouts, there were a couple of others that didn't quite live up to the billing, but with a few tweaks absolutely could and were still perfectly acceptable pub grub. The crispy pork belly (£11) with toasted peanuts, chilli and soy dressing and spring onions, was the best of the rest. The larger pieces of pork held their succulence and fell apart when cut, but their smaller compatriots were a little on the dry side. That said, the huge peanuts and dressing were delightful. The squid, which was promised with pickled cucumber, thai basil, hazelnuts, charred lime and a lemon and garlic aioli promised big hitting flavours. While the squid itself was prepared and cooked well, I wanted that cheek sucking punch of the double citrus, and I didn't get it. It may be my Polish roots but I love anything pickled. Seriously pickled but this cucumber though had barely seen the vinegar enough to make me as giddy as seeing it on the menu did. There is not a pickled product I wouldn't eat, and yet I did leave some of the cucumber on the plate. Plus, for £12.20, it just felt a little small, even for a small plate. The squid itself was great, but it didn't quite deliver on punch (Image: Ruth Mosalski) Billed as a "bit on the side" I was fascinated by the sound of "crispy curry leaves" served with rocket, seeds and fennel. It sounded amazing. It was, in reality, a salad, and I had to hunt for the curry leaves within the, granted, big pile of leaves and seeds. Double, or triple the quantity of those fragrant leaves, and half the amount of dressing, this dish could be a knockout. As it was, it was a salad, not quite the intriguing proposition on the menu. We shared a pudding - which with a £12 price tag I imagine lots of people do - but the Barti Ddu rum chocolate delice was a great ending to the meal. The richness of the delice was countered by both the rum and the coffee soil. The vanilla ice cream something of a palate cleanser after the chocolate too. The Barti Ddu rum chocolate delice pudding (Image: Ruth Mosalski) All in all, I'm really glad we found this pub. The decor and its staff were great. It was the right mix of a traditional pub but done up with enough modern touches it didn't feel dark, dank or dingy. The staff were lovely, seating us earlier than our booking, and prompt with service and with big smiles, and no judgements at our large lunch order. This place is clearly hugely popular and its location means if you're a return visitor to the waterfalls, or going for the first time, you should absolutely visit. It's got a huge and beautiful beer garden, a pop up pizza spot The Little Lion, and has, I've since learnt, hosted street fooders like The Beefy Boys too. Article continues below It oh so nearly delivered on every count, but I wouldn't mind popping back for that sandwich any time. The Red Lion in Penderyn recommends bookings. Food is served at lunchtime and in evenings between Wednesday and Saturday with a Sunday lunch menu from noon until 4.30pm.
Time of India
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Calcutta HC halts West Bengal's new OBC list notification until July 31
A division bench of the Calcutta High Court , on Tuesday has given an interim stay on issuance of the notification for fresh Other Backward Class (OBC) list by West Bengal government in connection with 140 fresh new sub-classification of OBC. The stay order will be valid until July 31. The division bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Rajasekhar Mantha heard the matter today. The interim order was passed by High Court's Division Bench following a petition, seeking intervention of the High Court. Lawyer Bikram Bandopadhyay, who was one of the petitioner, said, 'The survey was done in haste within one month without following SC directives. We requested the Calcutta High Court to quickly do the hearing as the survey did not follow the Supreme Court guidelines. After two-day long hearing, the court has granted interim stay on notification.' 'Sub-classification related notification has been stayed. The stay order will be still July 31. We had asked to prepone the hearing. Justice Raja Sekhar Mantha questioned about new sub-classification,' the advocate added. Live Events A fresh survey was started by the state government on OBC classification . On March 18, the state government had informed the apex court to complete the process of the fresh survey within the next three months. In May 2024, the Calcutta High Court had rejected all OBC certificates issued in West Bengal since 2010. The fresh OBC list reportedly included 140 sub-sections of OBC, with 80 minority and 60 non-Muslims, as pointed out by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the assembly. The stay order will be valid until July 31. Meanwhile, BJP leadership in Bengal has welcomed the court's order. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari welcoming the verdict, 'This is a victory of the judiciary against an arrogant state government. The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government's blatant appeasement politics, as evident from the disproportionate inclusion of almost 90% new Muslim Classes in the OBC list, has been directly affront to the principles of equality and fairness.' Union MoS for Education and BJP State President Sukanta Majumdar said, 'The verdict shows Mamata Banerjee is anti-court and anti Consti. It is like giving reservation in the name of religion is being done. Under the name of OBC-A and B. There is an attempt to give 97% reservation to the Muslims from backdoor.' "Gratitude to Calcutta High Court for striking down Mamata Banerjee's attempt to stuff the OBC list with 76 Muslim groups—nearly 90% of new entries. This wasn't social justice. It was blatant, communal appeasement—a cynical move to hijack reservations for vote-bank politics,' Majumdar said in his X Handle. 'We are not above court. Let us see the verdict. OBC related survey has been done following court order. It is a false campaign.,' Trinamool leader Arup Chakraborty said. Admission stalemate With the High Court stay, uncertainty related to the entire admission procedure for colleges looms large. Ahead of the HC order, State Education Minister Bratya Basu said, 'If there is any order comes, we will take emergency actions. Our work will be done and we will act accordingly.'
Scoop
07-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
HKH Constituency Submits 2024 CDF Expenditure Report, Reinforces Accountability & Compliance With CDF Act 2023
The Hograno-Kia-Havulei Constituency (HKHC) on Monday this week submitted its 2024 CDF Expenditure Report to the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), reinforcing accountability and compliance with the reporting obligation under Section 29 of the CDF Act 2023. The report submitted comprised of the records of the total CDF allocation of about 3.88m disbursed to each constituency at the end of the Financial Year 2024. The presentation was done by the Constituency Development Officer for HKH Constituency, Mr Apollos Manegere on behalf of the Member of Parliament for the Constituency, Honourable Jeremiah Manele. Receiving the report on behalf of the Ministry of Rural Development, PS John Misite'e, said that this is a reassuring pace, as the Ministry continues to implement the CDF legislation and bringing guidance in the administration of the constituency program under this legal framework. PS Misite'e emphasised that Annual Reports inclusive of the financial expenditures' reports are important processes and documents within any organisation and more so when public resources are being utilised in service delivery. These reports re-enforce transparency and demonstrated accountability in the use of public resources and funds. PS Misite'e thanked the HKH constituency for its diligent efforts in complying with the reporting obligations and also thanked other constituencies that already made their submissions on this 2024 CDF disbursement. PS Misitee reiterated calls on other constituencies who are yet to submit their reports to do so as soon as possible. By law all constituency annual reports and expenditure reports should be submitted by February each year and to be compiled by MRD by March of any financial year. 'I am now calling on these constituencies to come forward with their reports soon'. PS Misite'e reiterated. The HKH Constituency Development Officer (CDO), Manegere on behalf of the Honourable Member of Parliament, Jeremiah Manele and its Constituency Officers was very delighted with its office for submitting their report and pledge to support MRD in the process annually to satisfy the legal requirements for reporting. The CDF Act 2023 was passed by Parliament on 22nd December 2023 and came into commencement/enforcement on the 5th of January 2024. This means that whatever offence (s) committed by a recipient (s) of the CDF program after the commencement date of the new Act will be subject to penalties. Penalties apply to constituents, Members of Parliament (MPs), and Public Officers if they commit an offence (s). A Member of Parliament (MP), or a Public officer or a fund (CDF) recipient commits an offence if he or she: Misappropriates any funds or assets from the fund; or Advances materials and cash from a supplier without prior approval from the responsible ministry; or Fraudulently converts project assets or materials to his own use or to the use of some other person; or Deliberately victimises non-voters by excluding them from receiving Constituency Development Funds projects and funds without justifiable grounds; or Assists or causes a person to misappropriate or apply the funds otherwise than in the manner provided in this Act and Regulations. Now that we have a new CDF Act, the responsibility is on all of us to take responsibility and comply with the new CDF law to avoid legal penalties. We (constituents) should not be fearful of this legislation as it is there to act as a guide to our conduct in working with and applying the CDF in our development processes. The purposes of the new CDF Act 2023 are;
USA Today
30-04-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Daily Briefing: 'We're just getting started'
Daily Briefing: 'We're just getting started' 👋🏾 Good morning! I'm Jane, Daily Briefing author. Passersby nabbed $300,000 after a security truck accidentally spilled cash in Illinois. Quick look at Wednesday's news: President Donald Trump said his agenda is going according to plan. Employees at the FDA and NIH have been banned from using chosen names. Harvard University has found evidence of Islamophobia and antisemitism on its campus. Trump claims success at Michigan rally President Donald Trump's first 100 days in office have turned the federal government upside-down, denting his poll numbers. On April 29 during a rally in Michigan, Trump claimed it's all going according to plan. "We're just getting started," he said. His second administration has opened with a furious blitz of conservative policy focused around deportations, deep cuts to federal agencies and tariffs. Polls show most Americans think he has gone too far on all of those issues. Key stock market indexes are down significantly, and economic forecasters say the likelihood of a recession has increased amid looming trade wars sparked by tariffs. significantly, and economic forecasters say the likelihood of a recession has increased amid looming trade wars sparked by tariffs. Elon Musk's DOGE has fired tens of thousands of federal workers and dismantled whole agencies in a quest to reduce spending and improve efficiency. tens of thousands of federal workers and dismantled whole agencies in a quest to reduce spending and improve efficiency. Trump promised mass deportations during the campaign and is following through. But his tactics have sparked outrage. Federal health agencies banned chosen names under new gender policy Employees of the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health are being told to use their legal names in official systems, a move the agencies say is in response to President Trump's executive order that reversed protections for transgender people. The policies affect transgender employees who use a name that aligns with their gender identity rather than the sex they were assigned at birth. These policies can also affect married women who choose to go by their maiden name at work, and people who go by middle names, initials or shorten their first names. Read more More news to know now What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here. Supreme Court to weigh nation's first religious charter school The Supreme Court on Wednesday will consider whether the Catholic Church in Oklahoma can run the nation's first religious charter school. The court's decision is expected to turn on whether charter schools – which are publicly funded but have private operators – are public schools under the law. If they are, religious charter schools could violate the Constitution's prohibition on the government backing a religion. If they're not, prohibiting the church from participating in the state's charter school program could be discrimination under the Constitution's promise that Americans can practice religion freely. Read more T.D. Jakes' retirement marks end of era for presidential counselor After roughly three decades as one of most prominent faces of American faith, Bishop T.D. Jakes is leaving his leadership position months after a health scare and amid larger legal battles. The 67-year-old megachurch pastor announced Sunday he was retiring as senior pastor of Potter's House, a non-denominational Pentecostal megachurch in Dallas, Texas. Jakes has advised many high-profile individuals and has had close relationships with presidents. When Bill Clinton admitted to having "sinned" with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, Jakes was among the clergy the then-president called upon when seeking the nation's forgiveness. Read more Today's talkers Harvard finds evidence of antisemitism, Islamophobia on campus As the federal government's scrutiny of Harvard University intensifies, internal reviews released April 29 by the Ivy League school found evidence of Islamophobia and antisemitism on its campus. One report revealed that nearly half of Muslim students and staff have felt unsafe on campus since the Israel-Hamas war broke out. The other described instances of Jewish students hiding their identities or taking leaves of absence to avoid harassment. Both reviews offered comprehensive, sometimes contradictory, recommendations, which Harvard's president, Alan Garber, who is Jewish, said he was committed to taking seriously. "Harvard cannot – and will not – abide bigotry," Garber said. Read more Photo of the day: Blue Ivy did not come to play during Beyoncé's concert Beyoncé wasn't the only superstar to own the stage on opening night of her "Cowboy Carter" tour; her 13-year-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter blew fans away with her fierce performances and stellar moves throughout the show at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 28. The next day, fans were still talking on social media about Blue Ivy's jaw-dropping performances.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion - Moving fast and breaking things doesn't work in government
This month, the Trump administration reversed the termination of 300 of the 350 employees fired from the National Nuclear Security Administration. They were, like many other federal civil servants, terminated in the recent culling of the federal workforce at the behest of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, in line with the stereotypical argument that government is inefficient and outdated, not stable and secure. DOGE has brought the Silicon Valley ethos of 'move fast and break things' to the federal government in a blindingly fast and indiscriminately reactionary fashion. DOGE is reconstructing the reality of federal work based on Elon Musk's management style, most recently on display during his path of destruction through X. But social media companies are nothing like one of the largest and most powerful countries in the world. As researchers of misinformation governance and information science experts, we understand the combination of social and technical factors at play when engineers take over new sectors. Engineers are good at optimization and efficiency; they are not good at long-term stability or understanding the impact of the things they build. For example, Open AI was shocked by ChatGPT's popularity because their engineers did not understand the power and applicability of their tool. To be sure, engineers can solve important design problems, but technology is not neutral and in optimizing for one variable, engineers make potentially harmful tradeoffs with others. Reducing moderation on a social media site can increase harassment and decrease users and advertisers. Every effort to eliminate bias and increase efficiency inherently reflects a set of beliefs that are technocratic and ignores decades of research and evidence of the social impact of values on design. For most Americans, the federal government is a stable, secure and safe entity that provides services for those who need them most. We look to the government during times of personal tragedy and global calamity. We trust that experts are overseeing nuclear safety and researching avian flu. The math can be right, but the reality of the math can be very wrong. Creating a lean and efficient Department of Energy should not come at the expense of nuclear safety. You may only need a few people to do a task, but what happens when they all get the flu? One billionaire's inefficiency is one public servant's safeguard. Tech companies may value efficiency; we need the government to value safety. DOGE is reconstructing the reality of government institutions based on values that do not represent the best interests of most Americans. Narratives of waste, fraud and abuse paint a deceptive picture of fat cat bureaucrats, not career experts who have years of experience learning what works and what matters to their sector. Congress and courts need to enforce checks and balances and force DOGE to go through all of the normal procedures from Article 2 Section 2 Clause 2 of the Constitution like all other federal departments. Require all employees to adhere to background checks and financial disclosures to limit conflicts of interest. Force the Trump administration to comply with constitutional restrictions on federal appointments. Highlight the real and important bipartisan work of the federal workforce for the millions of Americans who rely on their work, but do not know who to thank. For example, The General Services Administration manages and maintains federal buildings that house courts, Food and Drug Administration laboratories and border cross stations. All necessary elements of a functional U.S. government. Finally, do not be complicit in the reconstruction of reality. The federal government provides lifesaving, and life-sustaining work for millions of Americans every day. The federal workforce is made up of individuals who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. They do not make the kind of money that allows Silicon Valley to treat most tech workers as expendable. The damage DOGE is causing is already harming individuals around the world and reshaping our understanding of government work. The impacts will be felt for years to come. Stopping the misinformation and destruction is the only way to regain the fundamental narrative at the heart of our country. Melissa Ocepek is an assistant professor at the School of Information Sciences University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Madelyn Sanfilippo is an assistant professor in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a Public Voices fellow and a member of the 24-25 OpEd Alumni Project sponsored by the University of Illinois. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
