Starmer should take it on by rebuilding towns – and giving people the jobs and homes they crave put there to “inspire people to remember what Pontypool could be like as a thriving community” The victor was a former army major who won 457 votes to Labour’s anaemic 259 that there would now be no Labour councillors who could confidently think they represented safe seats Reform UK is set on banishing the lingering idea of south Wales as a staunch socialist heartland: Nigel Farage intends to make the 2026 devolved Welsh elections “by far our biggest priority” the outgoing international development minister pointedly said that the cut was “already being portrayed as following in President Trump’s slipstream of cuts to USAid.”) who is said to be helping with “a sort of critique of liberal multiculturalism” “were subject to different rules; who joined the city was controlled and the bar was set high for who could become a citizen and vote” and sometimes thrust into the blazing Greek sun.” it would stop them voting Labour next time Labour politicians might try their best to rebuild towns such as Pontypool and help them acquire the things whose scarcity informs all those conversations about outsiders: jobs and homes along with the sense that they are no less valued than people who live in more affluent places They could do that while holding on to what is left of the party’s liberal values and finally coming up with a convincing response to an increasingly urgent question is leaning into their politics really any kind of answer On Sunday 30th March Newport host Pontypool at Rodney Parade in what promises to be a cracking local derby match as part of the Super Rygbi Cymru league Both teams are doing well in the league and are in contention for the playoffs Pontypool beat Newport in the league fixture at Pontypool Park but Newport recently gained revenge with a cup win at Newport Stadium Tickets are now available to purchase on-line here: Click We encourage everyone to purchase tickets in advance to beat the queues on the day Advance tickets are also £2 cheaper than those bought on the day This promises to be a fantastic local derby match and we’d love you to join with us so all tickets and refreshments need to be purchased electronically on the day Hospitality including Sunday Lunch and access to a Box is still available. Contact for details – commercial@newportrfc.co.uk   Designed by  I’ll watch a horror movie every now and then but I see no reason to consign this act to October dress up as a witch once a month every month But there is another reason why I’ve missed out on spooky season 2024 I’ve been to see more plays than you can shake Macbeth’s bloody sceptre at and I’ve had it proven time and time again by phenomenal writers and producers and actors working on every kind of budget imaginable in every space imaginable that my somewhat cynical attitude to Welsh theatre is perhaps unfounded Nowhere proves this more than the mainstay of the art form with its often decades-long commitment to producing shows of the highest quality I dragged my family to watch Michael Sheen in Nye and talked about it for so long afterwards that they purchased for me the signed program that now hangs proudly in my office I went to watch Hefin Robertson’s theatre adaptation of the radio adaptation of the film adaptation of Tony Burgess’s much-lauded horror novel a disillusioned radio host hailing from Northern Ireland who finds himself trapped both physically in a radio booth in a chapel basement in the Valleys While the rest of the world becomes progressive Mazzy has two feet firmly planted in a present that’s quickly becoming the past all carried to the citizens of Pontypool across the airwaves from Beacon Radio are not as hateful as you might first expect his archetypal brashness and wit means the audience falls more in line with Megan (Mali O’Donnell) the young intern who treats Mazzy like a grandpa at Christmas dinner – prejudiced but you just can’t help but love him anyway These character relationships and Mazzy’s aforementioned outspokenness render Pontypool’s first act more a comedy than a horror when the proverbial refuse did start to hit the fan the audience at the showing I attended couldn’t help but let out a titter even in the most serious moments There are supremely creepy government-issued alerts made all the more frightening with lockdown still fresh in our minds gristly practical effects courtesy of Marcus Whitney that require all hands on deck for the post-show reset nail-bitingly tense scenes of complete darkness next to lightning storms of strobes masterminded by Simisola Majekodunmi that any horror worth its living-dead-body-count must provide The total embodiment of their roles on part of the actors steps so gracefully across the line of unsettling realism and mirthful absurdity that it almost presents an opportunity to choose how terrified you’d like to be I marvelled almost too much at the beautifully developing character arcs and unfolding narrative to remember to be scared a few spine-straightening jump scares brought me right through the fourth wall and into the chapel basement Also working to this end is a set so maximalist yet so accurate that it evoked long-lost memories of being a girl guide who spent a significant amount of time in eerie churches and run-down community centres While there are no scene changes — the audience is trapped alongside the characters — you won’t miss them windows that open to let powdered snow fall in and a whiteboard that just won’t stay attached to the wall Cory Shipp has not simply designed a set but a world that breathes and moves alongside its inhabitants My only gripe is that from my seat in the middle of the row one I rushed to grab as it’s generally considered the best spot I sometimes had my view of the characters blocked by a particularly thick wooden beam that forms the corner of the radio booth I must stress that this happened very rarely but if you don’t want to crick your neck then I’d suggest a seat on either the left or right side of the auditorium Pontypool in all its iterations relies heavily on sonics and sound designer Ben Samuels had his work cut out for him in bringing this to stage – not that you’d guess from the effortlessness with which he’s carried out this duty resulting in projected voices that add to the fraught tone the more the show goes on there are several mics strewn about the set In addition to Mazzy’s broadcast microphone there are two smaller mics for Rhiannon and Meg to relay news to him each that crackles and buzzes and relays the actors’ speech in a different delightful way When the disembodied voices of characters outside the studio most notably Beacon Radio’s eye in the sky Ken Loney (Carwyn Jones) they leap literally from speaker to speaker around the audience to surround us and close in When the characters are overwhelmed or frustrated this overstimulation is amplified by three different mic feeds playing all at once with an added voice from radio commercials or jingles so much is happening on stage that the only way to take in and afford every detail the attention it deserves would be to watch the entire show again That was the feeling I left Pontypool with I would’ve been more than happy to wait around on one of the Millennium Centre’s sprawling seating arrangements all night if it meant that I got to go back into the Weston Studio and witness Pontypool for a second time While the latter half contains all the highbrow subtext any literature student would go feral to sink their teeth into it’s more than possible to watch Pontypool purely as a horror romp that’s just as fun as it is frightening if you’re looking for a show to bridge the wintry no-mans-land between October and December I can happily confirm that this is very much it Pontypool is showing from 30 October to 16 November 2024. For more information about the show and to book tickets, visit the Wales Millennium Centre website.  Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Connect with Nation.Cymru on Facebook and Twitter If you would like to donate to help keep Nation.Cymru running then you just need to click on the box below it will open a pop up window that will allow you to pay using your credit / debit card or paypal Enter your email address to receive instant notifications of new articles All information provided to Nation.Cymru will be handled sensitively and within the boundaries of the Data Protection Act 2018 In 2017 Nation.Cymru was launched after raising £5000 from a crowdfunding campaign Today it is one of the fastest growing news sites in the UK attracting over 1.5 million visitors a month We are not backed by billionaire owners or hidden behind a paywall but we depend on our readers' support to continue our work If everyone who visited the site over the course of a month donated at least £1 we would have enough funding for the next eight years To guarantee our future please consider making a donation today. When Evan Minto celebrated Wales Under-20s incredible win against Ireland at Rodney Parade he was mobbed by a throng of Pontypool United faithful Minto will be hoping to repay the favour when some of his former Pontypool United age-grade teammates take on Llandeilo in the final of the WRU U18 Clubs Cup at the Principality Stadium on Friday night Minto grew up in Pontypool and started at ‘United’ with the under sixes a club which he stayed with until Under-16s and continues to support on his free weekends including watching the senior side take on Monmouth last weekend Minto is ready to support his friends at the national stage “Two of the boys I went to school with their parents decided to start coaching Pontypool Utd at the same age group so I joined at under sixes with all the boys from my primary school,” recalled Minto “The experience of Under-16s was class really good and although I never played youth rugby I still had the social aspect of it and spending time with the boys “We’ve all been together since under 6’s a tight bunch and it’s a great club to be at “I’m really excited for the final They’re the year below and they’re a massive part of the Pontypool Utd family “I’ll be going down with my mum all of my mates play for the seniors now and we’re all going down there’s a big bus being put on for all of us and it’ll definitely be a big crowd going down.” This season Minto has shone for Wales U20s while also making his Dragons debut all whilst studying at Hartpury University Despite that he still appreciates some helpful pointers from the coaches who helped him throughout age-grade level at Pontypool Utd Mark Barwood and Stuart Lawrence were the coaches they kept me grounded and helped me whenever I needed anything,” said Minto “They’re brilliant to still talk to now still keeping in touch and helping me through my rugby journey even though I’m not being coached directly by them now.” Several of the Pontypool United youth side have been involved in this years’ Dragons RAG programme with the club also having played a huge role in developing Dragons centurion Jared Rosser and brother Ewan along with Wales U20s player Ryan Jones “We pride ourselves on being tough valley boys just working hard for each other and together,” said Minto “It’s massive to see how big a part Pontypool Utd has played in the RAG programme and even at U16s now there’s always loads of Pontypool Utd as well “Most of them are home-grown players as well They’re not going out and poaching players from other areas people choose to play for us from a young age “Being able to keep the boys from Pontypool in Pontypool is huge and shows that there’s obviously a lot of rugby talent in the area.” CardiffThe 2008 Canadian film about zombie-like hordes spreading a verbal virus is given a Welsh update with a radio host refusing to rein in his divisive rhetoric to the Welsh town that the Canadian one was named after so that it unfolds against the heightened anxiety of the Covid era The film’s claustrophobic effect was aided by its use of a single location; the play keeps those confines and is staged by Dan Phillips in a studio space But its main flaw is taking the same scattershot approach as the screen version resulting in a grab bag of concerns about dangerous rhetoric misinformation and othering in an age of rage Grant Mazzy (Lloyd Hutchinson) is a boorish shock jock who, after a scandal-hit career in England, is hosting a morning radio show in south Wales His edgelord posturing is reined in by his producer (Victoria John) – “We are not GB News!” she shrieks – but humoured by their technician (Mali O’Donnell) Hutchinson’s Mazzy arrives in full gammon mode: joking about “snowflakes” mocking trigger warnings and ridiculing pronoun badges as he holds court in the recording booth on designer Cory Shipp’s set But in a small town where a missing cat provides a news item as reports come in of babbling zombie-like hordes who have become infected by words in the English language ‘We are not GB News!’ … Victoria John in Pontypool Photograph: Kirsten McternanBruce McDonald’s film never fully elucidates that set-up which even if horror thrives on the inexplicable The play overstates some possible reasons for the virus and half-suggests others “Words have consequences,” warns the producer berating Mazzy for incitement when his recklessness is already clear The film hazily set the danger of speaking English against the security of using French instead Robinson gives deeper consideration to a community with two official languages finding comedy in the characters’ desperate realisation that they’d be safer if they had kept up their Duolingo Welsh course He also neatly develops a series of culture clashes both individual and organisational But the humour often displaces the horror in a script that could be tauter and would benefit from being staged without the interval There is a realistic sense of workplace dynamics and Hutchinson is particularly commanding but the physical and verbal manifestations of the virus are not conveyed with sufficient impact Even with the arrival of a doctor (Ioan Hefin) haunted by what he has seen outside you never sense the characters’ terror nor feel it yourself Sound designer Ben Samuels and composer Nicola T Chang provide a multilayered accompaniment yet do not find one particularly chilling effect to match the film’s unsettling score At Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Newport RFC v Pontypool RFC – 14th March 2025 by John Evans After a lacklustre couple of performances against Ebbw Vale it was good to get a win under the belt against a Monmouthshire Presidents XV last weekend in a celebratory friendly it was back to business as “Pooler” came to town for their first visit to Newport Stadium What Newport needed to progress out of the rounds was a convincing victory coupled with a win by Swansea over Ebbw Vale on the following day All Newport could do was to control the things that they could control and hope that the Whites would do them a big favour Newport named an interesting squad; it was good to see former captain Rhys Jenkins get some game time at 7 while Lloyd Lewis has made enough of a recovery from his sickening leg injury at Bridgend It was also good to see Che Hope back at scrumhalf a position he last started in October during the 62-7 demolition of RGC with Newport attacking the cricket club end of Newport Stadium The Black & Ambers had plenty of ‘go forward’ Ben Roach stepped across the back of a poorly defended Pooler ruck to reclaim possession Che Hope boomed out a long pass to Tom Workman Josh Skinner had a drive into the guts of the red but a firm tackle on Jonny Morris dislodged the ball and Pontypool could escape and centre Joel Mahoney lost control of the ball as he was hit firmly but the subsequent offload went to ground and the opportunity evaporated Pooler were careless at the ruck again on 15 minutes as Henry Palmer legally scooped up the ball from the Pontypool side He tapped quickly but was downed just short of the line Second row Buster Bodkin passed wide to wing Matthew Powell but Mr Jones spotted him jumping across the line and awarded a penalty to Newport The Black & Ambers had played their ‘get out of jail free’ card and Jonny Morris’ immaculately timed run combined to burst the Pontypool defence wide open but flanker Adam Stratton overstepped the mark as he played the ball on the floor from the Newport side the less said about the attempted kick at goal things were starting to feel very traditional Black & Amber jerseys running into Red with the scoreboard still reading Newport 0 Pontypool 0 The game desperately needed a spark of inventiveness popping it infield for Jac Lloyd to scurry over the line for a well-worked try Jac Lloyd added the two-pointer to make it Newport 7 Pontypool 0 A cute reverse chip kick by Che Hope placed Newport into the far corner of Pontypool territory Wing Jordan Thomas thought he had evaded Oli Andrew but hadn’t reckoned on the Newport man’s quick recovery Newport gained a penalty as Pontypool struggled to recover Ollie Drake replaced Garin Harris on 40+3 minutes as the prop went off with an injury The next try came in the 6th minute of first half stoppage time as Chay Foster-Smith burst through some half-hearted tackling Carwyn Penny and Josh Skinner both exhibited some fantastic handling to create space as Ben Roach sprinted clear managed to regain his composure and keep the move alive Oli Andrew found himself with huge amounts of room The ball arrived as the big winger barged his way through the cover defence to score Jac Lloyd kicked the conversion to make the halftime score Newport 14 Pontypool 0 Half Time:  Newport RFC 14 Pontypool RFC 00 Kieran Meek restarted the game for Pontypool but the aggressive Newport defence were on top A pass to Pooler centre Marcus Jones was hopelessly high Jac Lloyd added the conversion to make it Newport 21 Pontypool 0 on 41 minutes Pontypool struck back on 44 minutes with a try by Dan Hill Wing Jordan Thomas bustled through the midfield Pontypool tapped and went through their phases and maybe that was what tricked the Newport defence into leaving a gap for Dan Hill to lurch through and touch down Pontypool introduced two of their old stagers straight after; Scott Matthews and Ieuan Jones took to the field signifying that whatever Pontypool had tried to do in the first 45 minutes they were abandoning for an old-fashioned bump-it-up-the-middle style of play and Elliot Frewen were replaced with Josh Reid Pontypool certainly did seem rejuvenated by the introduction of their backrowers but their accuracy levels didn’t join them not until Walker Price made his mark on the game The Pontypool forwards put together a well-worked series of phases before Kieran Meek brought in the Pooler full back at pace He tore through the Newport backline and crossed for an excellent try under the crossbar drawing a roar from the visiting supporters who had little to shout about for best part of an hour Kieran Meek added the conversion to make the score Newport 21 Pontypool 14 on 53 minutes Newport were awarded a 55th minute penalty The Black & Ambers were snatching at things It would take another shaft of inspiration to get the scoreboard moving again A solid 63rd minute scrum and Jac Lloyd boomed a pass out to Carwyn Penny using Lloyd Lewis as a decoy as he showed the ball before rounding the defence to squeeze in at the corner Jac Lloyd’s trickiest conversion of the evening proved no problem while Che Hope stood down for Dafydd Buckland It was interesting to watch the dynamic between Scott Matthews and our own Josh Skinner Both men played together at Cross Keys and are cut from similar cloth but Mr Jones was sensible enough to not micro-manage A chip and chase by Oli Andrew on 75 minutes looked promising and a pass out of contact from Roach to Lloyd Lewis but it was Newport who seemed most likely to score again and Pontypool provided that during the first minute of stoppage time A huge forward pass was spotted by Mr Jones Newport were awarded a penalty prompting Jac Lloyd to gesture at the sticks He slotted the kick to make it Newport 31 Pontypool 14 Pooler tried in vain for a consolation score getting close on the left wing as a grubber kick had Matthew Powell chasing hard but it was well marshalled by Carwyn Penny who was certainly in the conversation for Man of the Match and he casually tapped the ball into touch with his boot to bring the game to a close Full Time: Newport RFC 31 Pontypool RFC 14 Our next home game will be a Super Rygbi Cymru league fixture against Pontypool at Rodney Parade on Sunday 30 March Please note that there will be different ticketing arrangements for this game Season tickets will be valid for this game but season ticket holders will need to collect a ground ticket from our sales booth on the way into the ground They will not be able to gain entry just by presenting their season ticket The tickets that will be issued will be for numbered seats so if you want to sit with somebody else then it would be best to arrive together will need to purchase their tickets from the Dragons RFC ticket office They can do this in advance of the game via the Dragons RFC website and supporters are encouraged to buy in advance to avoid queues on the day To encourage this the price for advance sales will be lower than on matchday If you do decide to purchase your ticket on match day you will need to do so from the Dragons RFC ticket office under the stand and not from our usual ticket kiosk on the way down to the stand Final Score – Newport RFC 31 Pontypool RFC 14 Wales Community and Business News from Need To See it will be closed in both directions from Monday 10th February for eight weeks The road is being temporarily closed between the Clarence Corner roundabout and Glantorvaen Road to enable Dwr Cymru Welsh Water to carry out improvements to the sewerage network Access will be maintained for residents living on Hanbury Road and in streets off Hanbury Road businesses and emergency services vehicles Businesses are asked to direct customers to nearby public car park to reduce traffic through the closure zone Hanbury Road toilets and the town hall bus stops will also be closed during the work customer care and Pontypool library will remain open A council spokesman explained in a statement: “We understand the temporary closure will cause disruption for pupils but we were unable to delay it until the summer holidays We have had to work with Dwr Cymru Welsh Water’s work programme and the UK Shared Prosperity Funding being used for the project won’t be available after March “A diversion will be in place via the A4043. See the traffic management plan delays are expected so plan your journey in advance Pedestrian access will be maintained via a footpath behind Civic Centre and the Italian Gardens The routes are not suitable for people in wheelchairs patients with mobility issues will still be able to access the nearby doctors and dentists by car and taxi Our school transport team is liasing with schools expected to be affected by the road closure All town centre car parks will remain open, including the Glantorvaen Road multi-storey, Trosnant Street, Clarence Road, Old Mill and Riverside car parks. For more information, visit www.torfaen.gov.uk/ParkingInPontypool The Hanbury Road public toilets will be closed during the work. Alternative toilet facilities are available at Pontypool Indoor Market, Pontypool Park and Pontypool Leisure Centre. For more information click publicly accessible toilets in Torfaen we do not ‘recommend’ or endorse any business or products shown on this site We would like to thank our image providers: Canva Storyblocks Deposit Photos Freepik Pixabay Pexels Unsplash As well as the many talented photographers whose work is shared by storytellers and credited in the story Want us to cover your news?  We ask for a small admin fee to cover our costs.  Please email: laura.lewis@newsfromwales.com For advertorial or guest post services, please contact: guestpostservices@newsfromwales.com You are welcome to send news releases to news@newsfromwales.com If you need to contact our admin/management team about something other than news, please email premium@newsfromwales.com The information provided by this news site is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for appropriate professional or legal advice All information on the Site is provided in good faith however we make no representation or warranty of any kind availability or completeness of any information on the Site Following the warm-up game at Newport Stadium when the Black & Ambers came out on top in a close contest in the SRC Cup the two sides face each other again in a very meaningful league encounter at Rodney Parade Both sides have played 14 matches and have 4 to play with Newport 4th in the league with 50 points and Pontypool 5th with 45 points It’s almost certain that these two teams will play each other in the SRC League play-offs but whoever finishes in 4th position will have the home advantage Pontypool had a good win last weekend against Carmarthen They always raise their game against Newport and will enjoy the experience of playing at our spiritual home PLEASE NOTE:  All supporters are strongly advised to buy their match tickets on-line to avoid queueing before the game Season ticket holders will need to collect a match ticket from the ticket booth (black cabin) Pontypool will be hoping to repeat their home win over Gwent rivals Ebbw Vale in the regular Super Rygbi Cymru league season when they host them again in Pool B of the SRC Cup Pooler are top of the table after back-to-back wins over and Swansea and Carmarthen Quins and have two games to go to try to stay ahead of Newport and The Steelmen in a bid to reach the final To do that they will know they must beat Ebbw who have only played one game to date – a 24-7 win over Carmarthen Quins host the Quins at Newport Stadium in another key battle to see who reaches the final There are five teams in each pool and each club plays the others once Pooler finish with a trip to Newport on 14 March while the Black & Ambers also face Ebbw Vale at Eugene Cross Park on St David’s Day Ty Morris’ Newport side got their cup campaign off to a flying start with a big win over Swansea at St Helen’s where they picked up the full six points from a 52-24 triumph while Dragons’ stalwart Ashton Hewitt continues his comeback with another outing on the wing RGC face an acid test at home against last season’s WRU Premiership Cup winners Llandovery With two big wins under their belt already the Gogs will know that a win against the Drovers could take them to within touching distance of another cup final appearance They famously came to the Principality Stadium in 2017 and beat six-time champions Pontypridd 15-11 to enjoy the greatest day in their history Having already beaten Llandovery once this season in the league They have had to battle for both wins to date in the cup beating Aberavon 54-42 in a game of 13 tries and Cardiff 34-31 at the Arms Park They beat the Drovers 28-23 in September in the league Llandovery got their revenge in the return fixture at Church Bank but Euros Evans won’t be taking anything for granted when he leads his team on their long trek north Cardiff have lost twice already and will need to play catch up over their last two fixtures to stand any chance of qualifying They head to the Brewery Field in Bridgend for what will be the 199th game between the two clubs dating all the way back to 1881 Welsh international Mackenzie Martin will start at No 8 for Cardiff who have Ysgol Glantaf outside half Lloyd Lucas stepping up to start Bridgend will be seeking their first home win over Cardiff in eight years Email: info@wru.wales Telephone: 02920 822 000 There’s always something special about Newport-Pontypool games and tomorrow’s game promises to be no exception The SRC Cup does not have the high profile that previous cup competitions had but supporters of both teams will say this game is very important It might also have a bearing on the SRC League game scheduled to be played between these teams in a fortnight when it could be the decider on which team gets the home advantage in the league play-offs The weather forecast is good and the Newport players will be looking forward to playing on the flat The matchday squad features several players coming back from injury PLEASE NOTE: We have made a standing area available on the ‘far side’ of the ground but it is limited to 200 supporters If you wish to use this area then please collect an armband in the foyer To continue reading this article you must be logged in Register or login below to unlock 3 free articles every month Or subscribe from just £7.99 and get unlimited access to thestage.co.uk Invest in The Stage today with a subscription starting at just £7.99 © Copyright The Stage Media Company Limited 2025