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Wales Online
24-05-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
The small coastal village that became one of UK's most popular seaside resorts
It draws visitors from far and wide to its beaches and is known globally for its Elvis Festival and this year Porthcawl marks its 200th anniversary. Here we take a look back at the town in pictures since it gained Royal Assent in 1885. Over two centuries the town has survived two world wars and recession as well as doubling its population for two weeks each year for the Miner's Fortnight. It's hosted political conferences as well as being a seaside and surfing destination with its fairgrounds, caravan parks and ice cream shops. Porthcawl has transformed since George IV gave Royal Assent for a tramroad to be built from 'Duffryn Llynfi, in the Parish of Llangonoyd, to or near a certain Bay called Pwll Cawl , otherwise Porth Cawl in the Parish of Newton Nottage' on June 10 1895. Two buildings were built on the dock, one for storing coal brought to the area that would become the town and one for administration. One of those buildings, known locally as the Jennings building, still stands today. By the late 1840's the iron industry was in recession and John Brogden and Sons Company of Sale, Manchester brought out the debts of Tondu Ironworks and with it a piece of land around Porthcawl harbour called Pickets Lease. It was this land, developed by James and Mary Brogden that became the town of Porthcawl we know today. The first vessel to enter the new Porthcawl dock was the steamer SS John Brogden and by 1880 James and Mary Brogden had moved into Seabank House and involved themselves in the town including overseeing building the sea wall which was the precursor of the Esplanade there today. It was this new sea walkway, and the national growing attraction of the seaside in Victorian times, which first drew visitors to Porthcawl. This in turn led to hotels, initially the Esplanade, being built. But by 1891 the Brogden fortune had gone and the dock and train line became the property of the Great Western Railway. That was followed by the closure of Porthcawl Dock in 1902 as trade moved to the new docks at Barry and Port Talbot which were purpose built and not tidal. Luckily the town continued to be developed for tourism and by 1914 Porthcawl had a population of 5,500 but was about to change with the outbreak of War One declared. During the war Porthcawl became a recruiting and training centre with six new battalions formed, a rifle range established in nearby Newton and the Rest Home converted into St John's Auxiliary Hospital. Soon Belgium refugees were welcomed into town life. The end of the war and the 1920s brought tourists back and In 1932 the Grand Pavilion was built followed by and Griffin Park in 1935. Porthcawl grew as a seaside destination in the years before Word War Two with 70,000 visitors arriving each season by train. Hotels and Boarding houses were often full and the town was buzzing. World War Two brought new people to the town with Dutch, Americans and some British service people arriving. The 49th Reconnaissance Regiment 'C' Squadron was formed in Porthcawl in September 1942, RAF Stormy Down was established, and the Jennings building was commandeered as Marine Air Sea Rescue No 46. Soldiers were soon camped around the town and Americans who arrived in 1943 were often seen training on Coney Beach in preparation for D Day. After the war peace brought holidaymakers back and Porthcawl's attraction as a seaside town continued to grow. Trecco Bay became a popular tourist resort with caravans and tents as an alternative to boarding houses and hotels. Soon the Miners' fortnight in Porthcawl was an established event in late July and early August earning the town the title of Wales' mini Blackpool. The town also has political history. On October 5 1957 Paul Robeson sang across the Atlantic to fans in the town. Unable to leave the USA after his passport was confiscated, owing to the government believing he had Communist sympathies, Paul Robeson sang down the telephone line to a packed house of 5,000 people in the Porthcawl Grand Pavilion for the 19th Miners' Eisteddfod. Some events were more rowdy. Between 1945 and 1968 the 12,000 seater Coney Beach Arena, hosted many boxing contests with the most infamous being on August 29 1960 when spectators swarmed into the ring resulting in a riot that took 20 Porthcawl policemen to control. Five years later the Beeching cuts saw Porthcawl Railway closed in 1965 bringing cars and car parks to the town instead. Meanwhile Porthcawl's popularity as a seaside resort continued to grow with the creation of Cosy Corner's paddling pool and Stan Stennett's Summer Shows, pantomimes, and the development of Trecco Bay Caravan Park into one of the largest in Europe. Fast forward to the 21st century and in 2004 Porthcawl staged its first Elvis Festival in 2004. The hugely popular festival is now internationally famed and one of the largest Elvis events in the world. For many the iconic lighthouse at the harbour is a symbol of the town with photographs of waves lashing the wall becoming a well known image of winter storms. The seas around the town can be perilous and Porthcawl RNLI is one of the busiest stations in Wales. But for most visitors to the town Porthcawl is a place to visit on sunny days for the beach or a stroll along the seafront with an ice cream in hand.
India.com
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
This 2-hour 34-minute action thriller was shot in 7 countries and 15 cities, earned Rs 450 crore, lead actors are…, the film is…
There is a craze among the fans about Bollywood's handsome actor Hrithik Roshan's upcoming film War 2. The teaser of the film is going to be released soon and it is reported that the film is going to be released soon. Let us tell you that Hrithik Roshan's film War is the sequel of Hrithik and Tiger Shroff's action thriller film released in the year 2019. War One achieved tremendous success at the box office. War had tremendous action scenes and this film was shot in 7 countries. The Hrithik Roshan became a secret agent in War, directed by Bollywood director Siddhant Anand. Tiger Shroff also had a great role in the film. Apart from this, actors like Vaani Kapoor, Anupriya Goenka and Ashutosh Rana were also in the film. People liked the action scenes in the film so much that this film made in Rs 160 crores, brought a tsunami of money at the box office by earning more than 450 crores in a few days. This film made under Yash Raj banner became the highest grossing film of that year. To bring reality in this film based on a secret agent, scenes were shot in about seven countries. The film was shot in countries like India as well as Italy, Finland, Sweden, Georgia, Portugal and Australia. Talking about India, the team went to many cities of Delhi, Kerala and Uttarakhand to shoot its scenes. Due to its amazing location, people liked this film a lot. Let us tell you that the car race between Hrithik and Tiger was shot in the Arctic Circle of Finland where everything is frozen.
BBC News
27-04-2025
- BBC News
Sheffield gang victim remembered 100 years after death
The family of a man who was murdered 100 years ago have travelled from Canada to South Yorkshire to honour his War One veteran William Plommer was killed on 27 April 1925 during Sheffield's gang wars when a group of men attacked him outside him and sculptor Sam Sherbourne created a plaque remembering Mr Plommer including the words Brave WP Fought Here, which is on the street where he Plommer's grandson Alex Plommer said it was an "emotional" experience to see where his grandfather had passed away. "I'm amazed at how many people have done so much to revive the history of what happened."It's amazing that someone took the effort to make the sculpture and revive what happened here," he said. The event on Saturday had been co-organised by Mr Sherbourne, who said he was inspired by the story of Mr Plommer standing up to said: "It's a story of one man standing up for the people of Sheffield and because of him the gangs were brought to an end earlier than they would have been because he set the ball rolling. His demise brought on the demise of the gangs."Mr Plommer, a former Army PE teacher and boxer, was stabbed outside his home on Princess Street, Attercliffe, aged Lawrence Fowler and Wilfred Fowler were executed for their part in the incident led to the launch of the Sheffield Flying Squad, and the crushing of gang rule in the city. Thousands attended his funeral. Alex Plommer said he knew nothing about his grandfather's death until he read about it in a Sunday newspaper aged 15."When I looked at it I couldn't believe what I was reading because I hadn't heard of it."I was seeing my dad's name and my uncle's name and all the family names. So I went to speak to my dad about it, and he wasn't too keen on telling me what happened," he said."He pretty much just said 'forget it' because it must have been a sad memory and he didn't want his kids to know what he went through, because it must have been dramatic for him to see his dad getting killed."He said hearing the story and walking the streets of Sheffield made him feel proud of his forebear."It was terrific to see my grandfather had done something, and out of something bad came something good. "Somebody came in and cleaned up the gangs and made life easier for the people who lived here. It was a sacrifice that turned out for the good." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
104-year-old WWII veteran recalls combat, Winston Churchill, and life surprises
The Brief On March 6, St. Paul native Don Kostohr turned 104 years old. Don has a remarkable memory, recalling details of World War II in vivid detail. Late in life, when Don was 102, he learned of a son he never knew existed. He calls this one of his life's greatest gifts. (FOX 9) - A birthday party for a 104-year-old St. Paul native with a Hawaiian theme is perfectly appropriate the more you get to know him. Don Kostohr is witty, loving, and his memory almost seems too good to be true. "He surprises me all the time. We sit and talk a lot," says Don's son, Peter Kostohr. The backstory Don was born on March 6, 1921, on St. Paul's west side. After six years attending Saint James, and telling his parents he was scared of the nuns, he enlisted in December 1939, thanks to advice from a friend. "He talked me into joining this Marine Reserve Battalion," says Don. "This is like a club, and we meet at Saint Thomas and we have a good time. So it was pretty good." From there, Don graduated from high school and started at the University of Minnesota, until suddenly life drastically changed. "I told the person calling – an officer complaining that I hadn't been to the drills for a couple of weeks – 'I'm dropping out. I'm too busy now in school,'" says Don. "He laughed at me. He said, 'We're activated!' Now you got to remember, this is a year before the war started.'" A vivid realization of World War II came as Don was aboard a troop carrier, cutting through the Panama Canal. "They dropped us off to start loading the darn ship with ammunition and foodstuffs, and a lot of it was from World War I," says Don. "I mean, our backpack for a year was from War One, rifles were from WWI, machine guns were from WWI, but they worked." From there, Don's machine gun battalion traveled through the Panama Canal and was eventually sent to Iceland, where he saw none other than Prime Minister Winston Churchill. "I think he was meeting with Roosevelt someplace at the time. So he stopped, and I sat. And so they made us put on our uniform and march in front of them. But the old guy was smiling. And here is this big cigar, and he's standing there waving. So, well, that was pretty good," says Don. "Later we found out it was to just show the Germans… don't get any ideas, the Americans are here, and there'll be more if you start coming. We were only there, I think, about nine months, and then the war starts." "There was not too much longer, we're in New Zealand, and so who do you think this is? Mrs. Roosevelt. Oh, yeah! So we marched for her too. That was a great one. I said, 'What the hell was she doing here, you know?'" His unit moved on to Guadalcanal, helping secure the Solomon Islands. Tarawa is where Don saw day after day of combat, which he didn't start speaking about until recent years. "Some guys were dumber than hell, and how they stood there. One friend of mine was standing next to me, and I'm scared, and I know anything can happen," says Don. "Sure enough, an explosion. He's got shrapnel in his arm, and so they sent him back." Eventually, Don was sent to Hawaii, where he was named a platoon sergeant in what he calls not the "real Marines." "One of my parties was such a success. I furnished the beer, I recall, and a local guy – he did the pig – and there was a girl," says Don. "And I'm afraid there was some 'aloha.'" Yes, you read that right. Fast-forward nearly eight decades: Don's granddaughter Liz submits her DNA to 23andMe, while Brittany does the same in Hawaii. Suddenly, strangers separated by the Pacific realize they're cousins. "I was really shocked. I was like, 'Oh no, what did I just do?'" says Brittany Kawakami. "I'm really, really happy that we were able to make that connection." It turns out Brittany's dad, Jimmy, is the 77-year-old son Don never knew existed. "I called grandpa," says Liz Parker, granddaughter in Minnesota. "And I was like, 'Do you know about the birds and the bees and what happens? Did that happen in Hawaii?' He says, 'Of course, yes, yes, yes. Much aloha.'" Over the past two years, this branch of the family tree has been traveling regularly from Hawaii to make up for lost time and listen to all Don's stories of love and war. "It's just a true blessing that we feel like we've known each other for years," says Parker. Just before blowing out the birthday candles, and surrounded by all his family, Don makes one wish. "Why don't I wish we get together again next year?" Watch more To watch the full extended version of Don's interview, and many more stories of WWII, hit play below:
