greeted by sunny weather and a warm welcome from the Brecon Committee
the group spent the afternoon exploring Brecon Cathedral and y Gaer
before being escorted to their hosts for evening meals and rest
the fine weather continued as the group took a scenic boat trip on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal
traveling through Brynich Lock and across the River Usk viaduct
the group visited Pwllyrhwyaid Farm in Talybont
taking tractor rides to explore the farm and discover stonewalling
all while soaking in the stunning views of the surrounding countryside
the group visited St Fagans National Museum of History
where they spent the day exploring the various historic buildings on the site
including the recently rebuilt Vulcan Pub from Cardiff
Saturday was a day for guests to spend with their hosts
and enjoying more of what Brecon has to offer
a meal for all visitors and their Brecon hosts was held at Henderson Hall in Talybont
followed by a lively Twmpath singing and dance evening organised by Mrs Andy Black
Sunday marked the end of the visit as the group said their goodbyes and set off for the ferry in Plymouth
The trip was a wonderful opportunity to strengthen existing friendships and create new ones
with the Brecon-Gouesnou Association continuing to thrive after 36 years
If you are interested in more information, please email [email protected]. The next visit to Gouesnou will be in May 2026, and everyone is welcome!
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23 people enjoyed a recent visit to our twin town of Gouesnou, Brittany, writes Margaret Edwards of Brecon - Gouesnou Twinning Association
After an easy ferry crossing from Plymouth we were welcomed at Roscoff by our friends and transported to Gouesnou (45 mins) where coffee and croissants were waiting
The following days saw visits to the coast at Portsall and Brest and the ‘pink’ chateau of Tregarez and its parkland
A walk in Portsall took us to the cross which overlooks the village
Further along the coast we came across the anchor of the Amoco Cadiz oil tanker which sank in 1978
leaving a huge oil slick which damaged the marine life
Whilst in Brest we were guided around the Chateau
explored the Garden of Explorers and had time to shop
Another day without rain followed on Friday
With our friends we were ably guided around the ‘pink’ Chateau of Trevarez and park and after a picnic lunch travelled to explore the lovely town of Landerneau
That evening we gathered with members of the Gouesnou Committee and friends to enjoy a delicious meal prepared for us by local caterers
Entertainment was provided by a Breton choral group singing traditional sea shanties
Thanks were expressed by our Chairperson Lyn Thomas who presented sets of sports bibs suitably adorned with the twinning logos
The following day was a day with hosts when our group was entertained individually by the people who had been looking after them during the week
One group was taken to Les Abers on the north-west coast where they enjoyed the delights of a local crêperie
A walk along the coast followed to walk off the calories
Our journey home the following day was easy
-the ferry crossing very calm and our Williams driver was waiting for us in Plymouth port
We cannot thank the Gouesnou Committee and friends enough for their help
kindness and friendship throughout the week
If you are interested in more information please contact [email protected]
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it is a right - the phrase “Everybody has the right to privacy" is enshrined in Article 9 of the French Civil Code and the courts’ definition of what constitutes a private life has been pretty broad including love life
religious or political opinions and state of health
And this affects many aspects of life in France - from press reporting on politicians' sex lives to whether you can fly a drone in public or install CCTV at your French property
Video surveillance systems are legal in France
but privacy rules mean that they are tightly regulated
France's capital is home to about 4,055 surveillance cameras, totalling not even one percent of the total CCTV cameras in place in London which had over 600,000 CCTV cameras as of 2020 (although it is a larger city)
In December, local authorities announced that Paris would have at least 320 new CCTV cameras put in place by 2026, which still pales in comparison to the less populous American capital, Washington DC, home to at least 17,000 CCTV cameras, according to WAMU
State-operated CCTV - public authorities can only film the public space for specific reasons, such as "safeguarding installations necessary for national defence, regulating transport flows, recording traffic violations, preventing acts of terrorism", and more
These cameras are not authorised to film the entrances or interiors of any nearby residential buildings
French public authorities are required to indicate the presence of a video protection system with a sign that includes information on how people can get in contact with the data protection officer in charge of the footage collected from that CCTV camera
who under certain circumstances can also use surveillance cameras)
Private CCTV - If you want to set up a camera on your personal property
then you must also follow privacy rules - for example
you cannot film public spaces or your neighbours' homes
then you are legally obliged to inform them of the presence of a camera and you cannot film them "permanently"
you may also be required to conduct a "data protection impact analysis (DPA)" before setting up surveillance cameras
Drones - French courts have been battling over which government authorities should be able to use surveillance drones - and for what purposes
France's Constitutional Council released their final verdict
deciding that national police could use them
The verdict also specified that surveillance drones cannot be equipped with facial recognition
France also has very stringent regulations for their use - including a ban on any kind of filming or photography of a person unless they have given permission
READ MORE: Flying a drone in France: What you need to know
The French droit à l'image - or the right to your own image - states that everybody has a basic right not to have images of themselves published against their will
unless the publication is in the public interest or if the person is pictured as part of a large crowd
taking and publishing photos is subject to strict rules and typically parental authorisation
It's also worth noting that 'publishing' includes putting pictures on social media
READ MORE: EXPLAINED: Just how strict are France’s privacy laws?
The droit à l'image gets a little trickier when it is applied to public figures such as politicians or celebrities – essentially
it is broken down again into this idea of public v private space
When it comes to photos taken in a private space
the photographer usually requires the consent of their subjects when they can be identified
France’s penal code states that taking or publishing a photo of somebody
taken in a private place without their consent
is punishable by up to a year in prison and a €45,000 fine
It is worth noting that a car is considered a private space
which is why a French court ordered Closer magazine to pay damages to actress Julie Gayet
after publishing a photo of her allegedly on her way to meet then-president François Hollande
Journalists and media organisations do have the option to argue that the publication was in the public interest
but the test for this is strict and – as the Gayet case shows – the simple fact of someone having an affair may not meet it
no particular authorisation is needed if – crucially – a public figure is aware that their photo is being taken or if the image illustrates a newsworthy event
So you are also allowed to publish photos of public figures on the campaign trail
but paparazzi shots on the beach would be more difficult to justify
French national identity cards are not obligatory
there are many situations in France where you will need to prove your identity - like opening a bank account
identifying yourself to government agencies
or proving your immigration status - and as a result
daily life in France would be difficult without any form of identification
ID cards in France also have a complex history - they are a relatively modern invention
having come about primarily in the 20th century
though some versions of 'passports' have existed since the Middle Ages
READ MORE: EXPLAINED: How to officially prove your ID and address in France
the Vichy government required that all French people over 16 have a national identity card
and that all French Jewish people have the word "Jew" stamped on the card
which later aided Vichy authorities in deporting thousands of people to concentration camps
and more recently electronic models have been released
France is often touted for having strong data protection regulations - in fact
the country was among the first to create legislation that protects personal data from being collected online in 1978 - yet despite this
internet scams and repeated cold-calling are commonplace
CNIL - France's data protection authority - exists to help protect your personal data that might be leaked for scams and cold-calling protected. CNIL's original role was first defined as "preserving individual freedoms in response to advances in information technology"
and it regulates everything from the collection of private data online to its storage and use
France also abides by the GDPR, the EU's data privacy law which went into effect in 2018. This series of regulations seek to protect users' personal data - things like your name, location, and IP address to your age, sex, or even political beliefs, basically anything that could allow you to be identified. You can learn more about it here
it is common to receive text messages encouraging you to click on fraudulent links
or phone calls from unknown companies seeking to sell you something
READ MORE: Warning: 6 of the most common scams in France to watch out for
France has taken steps in recent months to combat these issues - in September, France’s telecom authority, Arcep, announced that it would begin requiring phone calls from ‘technical platforms’, such as call centres, to call from numbers starting with 09
The French government also said in February that it would start launching an 'anti-scam filter' to inform the public whether they are visiting a website designated as a “scam site”
This right to privacy has been tested in recent years
by the terror attacks in the 2010s and more recently as the country prepares to host the Olympic Games
The draft law on Games security proposes using "algorithmic" (AI) video surveillance
which could detect potentially dangerous situations by identifying suspicious crowd movements
the French government has emphasised that its security proposals should not include the use of facial recognition technologies and that automated video surveillance was an experimental measure for a defined period
The proposed security measures also need to be cleared by both parliaments and the constitutional court
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Despite receiving more objections than support, a street in Brecon will be made one-way for traffic to stop it being used as a shortcut by motorists.
Powys County Council’s portfolio holder for highways, Liberal Democrat Cllr Jackie Charlton has received the results of a consultation held between May 30 and June 23.
This was on the proposed Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) to make Free Street one-way in a southerly direction.
The report explained that during the consultation the council received 32 responses, 21 being objections, eight supporting the proposal and three providing suggestions.
Traffic and travel manager Tony Caine said: “A number of the objectors referenced Free Street as the direct route and has been so for many years.
“Whilst Free Street is the direct route and was the only route for centuries prior to the construction of the inner relief road (Heol Gouesnou) in 2006, when this new road was opened the status of Free Street was transferred.
“The later construction of the section from the Struet to Ship Street formed a complete inner relief road to take traffic away from the town centre.
“Thus, even though Free Street is in theory the most direct route it is not the official through route.”
He added that a number of the objections were also to do with the decision causing extra congestion either at the Watton and Heol Gouesnou junction, the Free Street and Heol Gouesnou junction where there are signals or along the inner relief road from the Struet to Watergate Street.
“It is not expected that any additional traffic migrating along other routes will have a significant impact on traffic flows resulting in increased congestion.
“The inner relief road was constructed to take traffic away from the town and is the most appropriate route for people to use.”
Mr Caine continued: “Improvements to the junctions at Free Street and Heol Gouesnou, and Free Street and Watton Mount will be incorporated into the proposals, with new modern signals with a higher level of control and modified layout to improve visibility.”
Due to this Mr Caine advises Cllr Charlton to “note but overrule” all the objections and to make the TRO.
Mr Caine adds that that this will also allow the traffic signals replacement scheme to progress at the Free Street and Heol Gouesnou junction “which has been waiting the outcome of this consultation.”
Local county councillors, Liz Rijnenberg and Chris Walsh said: “We have reviewed the responses that have been received and the comments from officer and remain supportive of the proposal to make Free Street one-way.”
The delegated decision by Cllr Charlton was taken on Tuesday (October 1) and five days will be allowed to pass just in case the decision is “called-in” by councillors for scrutiny.
This means the decision will come into force on Wednesday, October 9.
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The Chief Constable of Dyfed-Powys Police, Dr Richard Lewis, presented members of Brecon Mountain Rescue Team with 2023 King Charles III Coronation Medals at their new HQ in Brecon on Wednesday, 26 June.
Medals are issued to mark the occasion of a new monarch’s accession to the throne and are awarded to everyone involved with the Coronation ceremony; but also to serving members of the Armed Forces, and Frontline Emergency Services staff, including Mountain Rescue, who have completed at least five years of service. The tradition dates back to 1603 and the Coronation of King James I.
Brecon Mountain Rescue Team Chair of Trustees, Ashley Stamford-Plows said: “We were honoured to receive our Coronation Medals from the Chief Constable. We work very closely with colleagues from Dyfed-Powys Police, and so it was very fitting that he was the one to present these special medals.”
Brecon Mountain Rescue Team is an emergency service staffed by 60 volunteers and funded entirely by donations. Mountain rescue services are free to those in need because the teams are staffed by volunteers.
However, equipment, vehicles and maintaining a headquarters all cost money, and the team volunteers must raise sufficient funds to maintain the service. It costs approximately £55,000 each year to keep Brecon Mountain Rescue Team operational.
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