ITV Wales blog
Kevin Ashford
Skokholm Island – Beautiful, but unforgiving
Most of us have had those days when ‘giving it all up and living on a desert island’ is an attractive option. The trouble is, being able to survive only on what nature offers you takes a special sort of individual, as I found out when I visited the beautiful island of Skokholm off the … Continue reading
Pembrokeshire Chocolate Farm workers make YouTube plea to save Pemberton’s
Pemberton’s Chocolate Farm at Llanboidy in Pembrokeshire has been up for sale for a year but no buyer has yet been found. Now the workforce there have made a worldwide appeal on the internet for an investor to save their jobs. It’s a thriving business – making more than 200 different types of chocolate and … Continue reading
How to save a fort like Hubberston
How do we preserve our history? That’s the question that’ll be taxing quite a few Pembrokeshire minds over the coming months as they wrestle with the future of one of Milford Haven’s historic landmarks. Hubberston Fort which overlooks Gelliswick bay was one of a number of coastal defences built in the nineteenth century to protect … Continue reading
Royal week: A glimpse
Royal visits are strange events for journalists. I don’t think it’s giving too many secrets away to say that there’s a lot of protocol involved and, dare I say it, a little media management too. For a start, places on them are limited so ITV Wales for example, will take it in turns with the … Continue reading
In praise of eccentrics
There aren’t many genuine eccentrics around these days, are there? I know there are lots of ‘crazy’ people on our television screens and in our newspapers but I can’t be alone in feeling that many of those wacky personas are a little bit manufactured – the result of media manipulation. It’s a sentiment made even … Continue reading
Falklands war – family of Welsh Guard receives Elizabeth Cross
What does the Falklands war mean to you? For many people the answer’s probably ‘not a lot’ as it happened almost 30 years ago. I have slightly odd memories of the conflict as I was living abroad at the time and when I did return to the UK, the fact that almost a thousand British … Continue reading
Sudden Oak Death
You can only be impressed by nature at times, can’t you? Even when it seems to be at its most destructive. I was at the Afan Valley Forest Park this week which is a pleasure in itself – there are moments of breathtaking beauty as you wander among the acres of trees. I wasn’t there for … Continue reading
Rural life; the pros and cons
Living in rural Wales has an awful lot going for it. We enjoy some of the finest scenery going, breathe some of the cleanest air and are relatively unaffected by crime. However there can be a downside. If you’re unfortunate enough to need the services of a hospital, they are not always on your doorstep. … Continue reading
The View from West Wales
Many people of a certain age – like me – have quite an affection for council houses. I was born in one for a start – my mum didn’t make it to hospital in time – and I spent many of my formative years living on a sprawling council estate. It had been built as … Continue reading
Operation Julie
Wales is a country used to incomers. The ones who crossed its borders in the late 1960s and early 1970s made an impact that is still being felt today – especially here in the west. Some of those incomers were hippies following the music festival circuit and who stayed, some were professional people from cities … Continue reading
What’s in a sign? ‘Recorde’-ing the equals sign
It’s a symbol that’s instantly recognisable all over the world – the two lines that make up the equals sign in mathematics. But what is less well known is the name of the man who invented it. A physician to royalty, a mathematical scholar and at one point the man who ran the royal mint … Continue reading
The view from West Wales
ITV Wales‘ Kevin Ashford talks about the regeneration of Llanelli and Llanelly House It’s not often you get to see glimpses of the past and the future all in one day but I did this week. Llanelly House in Llanelli is one of the most historic houses in Wales – there’s been a building here … Continue reading
ITV Wales blog 