Latest news with #PortTalbot
The Sun
7 days ago
- Automotive
- The Sun
Shock moment drunk Fiat 500 driver smashes into car and flips over during dangerous overtake on quiet residential street
WATCH the moment a Fiat 500 goes airborne after a drunk driver attempts a "reckless" overtake on a quiet street. The black car dramatically flips on its side after colliding with two vehicles on either side of the road in Port Talbot, south Wales. 7 7 7 The driver was left sandwiched between the cars after attempting to overtake near speed bumps. It stops momentarily before flipping back upright and zooming off down the road. The impact forces a silver Ford heading in the same direction onto the pavement, where it "miraculously" avoids hitting a child. It also caused the vehicle to smash head-on into a garden wall. A taxi driver, who was travelling in a white Skoda towards the Fiat 500, later attended hospital for the injuries he sustained during the crash. Local residents can be seen filming the drunk driver before he speeds off from the scene. Driver Danail Angelov was jailed for 14 months after the horror smash. The 20-year-old, from Swansea, pleaded guilty to a number of driving offences including drink driving. 7 7 7 7 He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle-taking, failing to stop after a road accident, drink driving and driving without a license. Sgt Robert Richards of South Wales Police blasted the youngster for his "dangerous actions". He fumed: 'Danail Angelov could have injured a number of people with his reckless and dangerous actions. "The taxi driver, who was just going about his daily business, had to attend hospital to be inspected for whiplash and concussion. 'There was also a child pedestrian walking on the pavement at the time of the collision, and it is a miracle that one of the three vehicles didn't end up striking them and causing them serious injury. 'The fact that he then drove off from the scene is a sad indictment of his character. 'It is only right that he goes to prison.'
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘Welsh is a living, breathing language': joy as Port Talbot hosts Eisteddfod yr Urdd
One of the poems pupils from the local school performed at this year's Eisteddfod yr Urdd held a particular significance for the Port Talbot audience. Y Ffatri'n Cau, or The Factory Closing, tells the story of the despair engulfing a man who has lost his job, and finds the future is now 'yn rhoi clep yn ei wyneb' – a slap in his face. The south Wales town, one of the most deprived in the UK, is still grappling with the closure of the blast furnaces at Tata Steel, which shut down in September after more than 100 years, costing nearly 3,000 jobs. The sense of injustice was inflamed by the UK government's decision last month to step in to save the Scunthorpe steelworks in Lincolnshire from a similar fate. 'It's been a rough time for the community lately,' said Mark Morgan, a Welsh language teacher at the English-medium Ysgol Bae Baglan, speaking at the Eisteddfod site at Margam country park on Tuesday. 'The steelworks closing came right after Covid, back to back blows. 'That is one of the reasons everyone is delighted the Urdd Eisteddfod came to Port Talbot this year. It's been very fulfilling for the children and everyone else, all the volunteers, to channel their energy into something positive and imaginative that encourages them to be proud of who they are and where they come from.' Eisteddfod yr Urdd is an annual celebration of Welsh language and culture for young people that travels to different locations each year over the spring half-term holiday featuring poetry, singing, dance, instrumental and composition competitions. This year's theme is Dur a Môr, or steel and sea, in a nod to the area's industrial history; the chairing of the bard, the most important event in the week-long event, will involve a new ceremonial chair made from the last virgin steel the town produced. 'People think of Port Talbot as just industry and the M4, but there's lots more Welsh history here. Aberafan was the home of the Lords of Afan,' said Llio Maddocks, the Urdd's artistic director, referring to the medieval Welsh princes. Urdd o Bawb, or Urdd for Everyone, an initiative launched to celebrate the organisation's centenary in 2022, has made entry free for low-income families, cut membership fees from £10 to £1, and involves free shuttle buses from Port Talbot station. Most of the Port Talbot community do not speak Welsh as a first language, but according to Urdd Gobaith Cymru, this year there are more Welsh learners competing than ever before, including 36 English-medium schools taking part for the first time. There was also a record number of entrants overall – 120,000 – before competitors for the final week were whittled down to 15,000. 'One of my favourite parts of the week is seeing parents in the audience just thrilled and proud of their kids speaking Welsh even if they don't,' said Maddocks. 'We are here to show that Welsh is a living, breathing language and provide a space for that to thrive outside the classroom.' Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Tuesday brought relentless wind and rain to Margam park, but thousands of families in waterproofs and wellington boots still braved the elements to watch the performances and mill around in the festival atmosphere. Carys Mugford, a teacher at St David's Catholic primary school in the Gower, who learned to speak Welsh fluently during a sabbatical programme in 2019, said the opportunity to bring a group of six- to 11-year-olds to perform in one of the dancing competitions and get more familiar with the language was welcome. 'About 60% of the kids at our school speak English as a second language, and I've found they're often more enthusiastic about Welsh because they're already familiar with having to get to grips with another language,' she said. 'It's wonderful to show that Welsh language and culture is for everyone.' Harri, 12, a year seven pupil at Ysgol Bae Baglan who performed several poems and made a presentation to a Welsh government delegation with three classmates, said he was glad the Eisteddfod had come to Port Talbot this year. 'It's great to have visitors coming to Port Talbot,' he said. 'It is really exciting to compete and show what we can do.'
BBC News
27-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Eisteddfod yr Urdd 2025 boosts town hit by mass job losses
The Urdd Eisteddfod is bringing a much-needed boost this year to an area that has been hit hard by job losses at the country's biggest steelworks, organisers have largest youth festival takes place this week in Margam Park near Port Talbot, where the closure of the blast furnaces last year at Tata Steel led to 2,800 redundancies and uncertainty for the local Walker Hunt, a former steel worker who was made redundant along with many of his friends, said the layoffs were "devastating".He switched careers to set up his own business selling coffee and said he was "so proud" of the way he had turned his fortunes around, with a location at this year's Eisteddfod. "A lot of people thought I wouldn't be able to do this," Mr Hunt said."I've got a location in the shopping centre and I'm here as well, my first ever festival," he added, speaking to BBC Radio Wales Breakfast at Eisteddfod yr festival celebrating the Welsh language and Welsh culture is held in a different location every year, allowing it to come to towns which need a positive force to put their energy in, director of the arts for the Urdd Llio Maddocks said."It has been a tough time, hasn't it? Port Talbot has been in the headlines for lots of the wrong reasons," she said. "What we're hearing from our volunteers and young people is that they manage to channel their positive energy now and come together to celebrate the fact that they have a unique history, culture, heritage," Ms Maddocks said."It gives them that platform to show what this area is all about," she added. The Eisteddfod will see 37 new English-medium schools from the Neath Port Talbot area participate this year, showing there is appetite to learn Welsh in an area not traditionally considered Welsh-speaking, Ms Maddocks chief executive Sian Lewis said money should not be a barrier to learning Welsh, and that the organisation was actively reaching out to a new audience of Welsh learners and people in areas of deprivation. Among the Welsh learners who have attended the festival so far is Ruby Davies from Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, who captured hearts last year when she won the individual recitation Welsh learners category for years 5 and 6 in the Tuesday, she told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast the past year had been "so busy" and "excellent"."I got to meet the Prince of Wales in my school and I got to do my poem for him," she said Prince William had told her she was a "one-man band"."Quite a lot of people have recognised me throughout the year," Ruby said she had since learnt the Welsh phrases she did not understand in the viral interview she gave after winning last year. "I know what they mean now!" she said, adding "llongyfarchiadau", Welsh for congratulations, to all the people who had made it to the final this year.
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Can the council make me sell my mother's bungalow to pay for care?
My mother currently is in an elderly mental health ward suffering with depression and anxiety. Her £150,000 bungalow in Port Talbot has been put into a trust since 2015 with myself as the beneficiary and my mother remaining as a tenant. Should the need arise, and she needs to go into something like a sheltered housing complex, could the local authority make me sell her bungalow to cover any care and housing costs? S.M, via email SCROLL DOWN TO ASK YOUR FINANCIAL PLANNING QUESTION Harvey Dorset, of This is Money, replies: Care is something that many of us don't consider earlier in life, meaning that if or when this need arises we may not be ready or able to fund it without making financial life altering decisions. As many as 66 per cent of care seekers are self-funding, according to 2024 data from Just 16 per cent of care seekers were able to access funding from their local authority. For those who live alone, there is a risk that means testing could see their home's value used to pay for care. There has been forethought on your mother's part to place her property into trust. However, depending on the circumstances of this, it could still be deemed that the property can be used to fund any care needed. As discussed below, this largely relates to the decisions made in 2015 and the reasons they were taken. Yours is a complex issue. This is Money spoke to two financial advisers to find out what your mother needing care might mean for her property held in trust. Natalie Donnell, independent financial adviser at Flying Colours, replies: I am sorry to hear about your mother's illness. Having looked at your question, I think the key issue as regards the bungalow is intent. By that, I mean what was the intention from your mother when she placed the property into a trust in 2015? This is because if your mother were eventually to need full-time care, the local authority would conduct a capital assessment to determine who is responsible for funding the care (i.e. self-funding or funded by the local authority). When it comes to long term or full-time care, if the value of your mothers' assets is more than £23,250 (in England – it varies in other parts of the UK), she will be responsible for funding her care needs. This is different from the current situation, where I would think your mother's care, in a mental health ward, is being funded by the NHS. Intent comes into this because if the local authority deems that the property was put into trust in 2015 to reduce assets and avoid the eventuality of paying for full-time care later down the line, they could consider this this to be a case of 'deliberate asset deprivation'. That would mean they could treat your mother as still owning the asset (known as notional capital). They could also refuse to fund care (or assess your mother's situation as though she still owned the asset). In some cases, they could take legal action to challenge the trust. Whether the trust holds under scrutiny depends on several factors such as whether the trust was created at a time when future care needs were foreseeable, and the structure and type of trust (i.e. discretionary, life interest etc.). Trusts are a notoriously complex area so I would advise you to seek specialist independent advice on the likelihood of the current arrangement falling foul of the 'deliberate asset deprivation' category, and if so, to see whether there is any action you could take to mitigate against this. Get your financial planning question answered Financial planning can help you grow your wealth and ensure your finances are as tax efficient as possible. A key driver for many people is investing for or in retirement, tax planning and inheritance. If you have a financial planning or advice question, our experts can help answer it. Email: financialplanning@ Please include as many details as possible in your question in order for us to respond in-depth. We will do our best to reply to your message in a forthcoming column, but we won't be able to answer everyone or correspond privately with readers. Nothing in the replies constitutes regulated financial advice. Published questions are sometimes edited for brevity or other reasons. Adam Johnson, director at SJP partner practice New Forest Wealth Management, replies: The first consideration is whether your mother's care will be funded by the NHS (such as through NHS Continuing Healthcare) or subject to means-testing by the local authority. If her needs are deemed primarily health-related — for example, if she is sectioned under the Mental Health Act or qualifies for NHS Continuing Healthcare — the value of her property will be disregarded entirely, as the NHS covers all associated costs. If, however, the care is means-tested, the local authority will assess your mother's income, savings, and assets. If her savings exceed £23,250 and her income is insufficient to cover care costs, her home could be included in the financial assessment, depending on her living arrangements. Property use and living arrangements If your mother continues to live in the property or moves into another owned property (such as sheltered accommodation) and receives domiciliary care, the value of her home is typically ignored. However, if she moves into residential care and no longer lives in the property, the local authority may then consider the value of the home — unless it is exempt for another reason, such as a dependent still living there. Trust ownership and deprivation of assets As the home has been placed in trust, the key issue becomes whether your mother has any rights to the capital value. If the trust structure means she has no such rights — and only a right to reside, with the capital ultimately passing to you — she may no longer be considered to "own" the property for assessment purposes and therefore cannot be made to sell it. However, this leads to the question of deliberate deprivation of assets. If the local authority believes the home was placed in trust to avoid future care fees, they could treat her as though she still owns it. Their judgment will centre on why the transfer was made in 2015. Since the arrangement did not benefit inheritance tax planning (due to her continued occupation), they may question what financial objective was being addressed, and whether placing the property in trust was a proportionate response. There is no statutory time limit on how far back local authorities can look for evidence of deprivation. Although a transfer made 10 years ago may be less likely to be challenged, it cannot be ruled out. The outcome will ultimately depend on the local authority's interpretation of the facts and the strength of the explanation for the trust. I recommend reviewing the trust documents in detail.
The Sun
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Watch the sweet moment Ruth Jones reunites with Neil the Baby after Gavin and Stacey finale
GAVIN and Stacey fans were given a surprise treat across the weekend with a sweet mother-son reunion live on stage. At In It Together Festival in Port Talbot, Ruth Jones made an appearance on stage much to the delight of the bank holiday revellers. 6 6 Coming on stage to introduce a mystery guest, Ruth – famed for playing Nessa Shanessa Jenkins on the BBC favourite – managed to get an extra surprise in herself. Walking on to the Gavin and Stacey theme song Run by Stephen Fretwell, Ruth beamed as the crowd screamed for her after a countdown. She blew kisses to the audience before the Porthcawl native switched into Nessa mode, belting out her iconic 'Ohhhh, what's occurrin'?' Ruth then joked 'I don't really speak like that you know', putting on a mock posh voice. But the best was yet to come when she brought out on stage Neil The Baby – reuniting with her on-screen son (played by Oscar Hartland). The young musician was already performing at the festival with his band Redwood City, but swung by the main stage in order to give fans a treat alongside his fake mum. The pair shared an adorable hug on stage as he ran at her with his arms wife open, swooping her in for a cuddle. 'My son!' she beamed. 'Are you singing? Isn't he amazing! He takes after his mother, he does.' Oscar egged on the crowd, saying hello to them and encouraging them to cheer. She ended her stint on stage by answering a question about the infamous and mysterious events of the Gavin and Stacey fishing trip, joking: 'I don't know, I wasn't there!' The quick stint on stage ended with the introduction of The Greatest Showman star Keala Settle. In It Together Festival is a family event in Port Talbot, with Kaiser Chiefs, Becky Hill and Ronan Keating coming on stage as this year's headliners. The sweet moment comes just five months after the official end of Gavin and Stacey, which ended the tale of the Billericay and Barry collective. 6 6 In the final episode - which was watched by 19million people - fans finally saw Neil the Baby's parents, Nessa and Smithy (played by James Corden) tie the knot, with the family all getting their happy ending on Christmas Day. She later picked up a Bafta for the finale episode for her portrayal of the bolshy truck driver and arcade manager. After the win, Ruth teased that she and James Corden - who co-created and wrote Gavin and Stacey with her - could be set for something new. She said: 'I love working with James Corden, I really do, and I hope that we will carry on working together. 'I think we will. We will, because we just both, like, sort of sitting in a room together. We do a lot of napping, but we do write as well when we get going and, yeah, I just love working with him.' In the meantime, she's set to star in new Netflix drama, Run Away, which is currently being filmed. 6 6
