FRIENDS of a big Swansea City fan who died at the age of 20 last year will remember him at a special music gig at his local later this month.

Jack Clarke, from Treboeth, was also a supporter of military charity Soldiers off the Streets.

The gig at The Railway in Landore on July 19, featuring Stone Roses and Oasis tribute bands, will raise money for it.

And two of the organisers, Jordan McGuire and Ryan Draisey, will also bring more cash in for the cause with a sponsored sleep on the streets of Bristol the following weekend.

"Early last year my best friend Jack passed away at the age of 20," said Jordan.

"Since he passed away me and my friends have been thinking of ways to raise money for charities in the name of Jack.

"So last year we held an event at The Railway, on what would have been Jack's 21st birthday, called Clarke In The Park.

"We had live bands playing along with fundraising for local homeless charities.

"It was so popular that we have decided to do it again on July 19 with Oasis tribute band Oasis Experience and Stone Roses tribute band The Civvies, some of whom were friends of Jack.

"But we thought to ourselves, why stop there raising money in the name and memory of Jack?

"So Ryan and myself have decided to sleep rough in Bristol for a weekend to raise awareness for Soldiers off the Streets.

"We decided to do it in Bristol to be more isolated.

"We wanted to get away from Swansea. The charity's objective is to help homeless ex-service personnel. This is a great charity and it is all in the memory of a great friend to many people in Swansea. Jack had some friends in the Army and supported the charity."

The former Bishop Vaughan School pupil worked in the warehouse at Swansea-based express delivery firm TNT.

And Jordan said all his friends were determined to keep his memory alive.

"He was a great personality, and a major Swans fan," he said. "There were 1,200 people at his funeral. Sometimes when someone dies they are remembered for a while and then their names fades out. We want to make sure that doesn't happen."

Clarke in the Park 2014 takes place at The Railway Inn in Landore on July 19 from 5pm.

HAVING spent several blissful years living beside their own fishery, Terry and Hazel Davies were looking for somewhere small and cosy when they came across Bronwydd in Pontlliw. As soon as they saw this beautiful home the plan to downsize was soon forgotten and they immediately agreed to buy it.

The new-build house was almost complete when the bid was accepted and Terry and Hazel were able to liaise with the builder on certain design aspects regarding fixtures, fittings and finishing touches. The 12 weeks they had to spend in rented accommodation awaiting completion seemed a lot longer, but I'm sure that was just a small sacrifice to make.

As I drive down the country lane that leads to Bronwydd and turn into the private cul-de-sac it shares with two other homes, I can see why Terry and Hazel scrapped their idea of looking for a smaller property and fell in love with this dream home.

The first room to view is the beautiful and spacious lounge that has a white marble fireplace as the main focal point on one wall with an unusual clock resting on its mantelpiece and an ornate mirror hanging above.

Beautiful furniture graces this stylish room and inviting sofas in a bronze and gold colour scheme look far too elegant to lounge upon.The bronze coloured curtains with matching pelmets are almost regal in design and frame the double doors that open out on to the patio area.

There are two sparkling chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling and paintings adorn the walls, whilst in one corner, adding to the sense of luxury, is a grand piano.

Across the hallway is the majestic dining room with mahogany flooring and dark oak dining table surrounded by eight elegant chairs. This room looks as pristine as a show home and it soon becomes apparent why.

"We don't use this room as often as we should do. We just keep it for special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas," explains Terry.

At the end of the hall is a small and cosy sitting room that Terry and Hazel refer to as the 'Cwtch', and with a television and a sofa it is perfect for just the two of them.

A door then opens into a truly impressive kitchen. This was one room that Terry and Hazel were able to design from scratch, before they moved in.

"The fact that we could choose what we wanted in the kitchen before the house was finished meant we could stamp our own identity on the house and it immediately felt like our home," recalls Terry.

This luxurious, bespoke kitchen has a granite island taking centre stage and is surrounded by classic, cream coloured units. The black range cooker, dish washer and fridge blend in perfectly and the matching dining table is the one that is used on a daily basis.

Moving into the expansive conservatory next door you feel a refreshing breeze blowing in from the open doors. With a panoramic view of the picturesque woodland behind the house, this is where Terry relaxes during the summer while enjoying the flora and fauna.

"We get a variety of wildlife in the garden and the woods behind. Squirrels are common place and there is a vast array of birds including woodpeckers and jays," says Terry.

Climbing the stairs to the galleried landing you notice the unusual candelabra forged from iron and works of art on the wall re-emphasise the elegance of this family home.

To the left of the landing is the magnificent master bedroom with a super-king sized bed looking as wide as it is long. At the end of the bed is a walnut chest of drawers and a matching dressing table in front of the window contrasts perfectly with fitted mirrored wardrobes along one wall.

There is a walk-in wardrobe that Terry assures me is almost completely filled with Hazel's clothes and hardly any of his. Alongside is the impressive en-suite which is as big as most family bathrooms and taking pride of place is an inviting Jacuzzi bath with a separate shower cubicle in one corner.

A second bedroom also has its own en-suite and looks out over the peaceful woods at the back.

The third bedroom has a double bed and free standing wardrobes while a fourth has a twin bed and fitted furniture.

The family bathroom is only used by guests staying over and just like the others follows a pristine white colour scheme. Alongside the bathroom are stairs that lead up to a fifth bedroom which is currently being used by Terry as his office.

"We definitely need a smaller house for just the two of us, because at the moment this wonderful home is not being used to its full potential. I know we tried to do this eight years ago, but how often do you get the opportunity to purchase a home like Bronwydd? ", asks Terry.

"Hopefully we won't change our minds this time and achieve what we set out to do in 2006."

Property

IT is said that if you play a country song backwards you get your job back, your house back, and your wife back.

What happens if you retrace your steps as a rugby player?

Cai Griffiths is about to find out.

At 30, the North Walian is back at the Ospreys for the third time in his career, joining on a one-year deal after departing London Welsh.

It is fair to say not everyone was convinced by the signing, but, there again, when is there unqualified praise for anything that happens in the world these days? After Costa Rica, a country of barely 4.8 million people, came within an ace of reaching the football World Cup semi-finals, some criticised them for being overly defensive.

Griffiths is only too aware that there are doubters out there — it goes with the territory for anyone who earns a living in the public eye.

But he believes he has returned from his travels a better player and is optimistic he can do a job for the Ospreys.

"The big thing for me was going to London Irish from the Ospreys in 2012," he said.

"I spent only six months there, but when I came back to the region after Christmas that year I think I played the best rugby of my career.

"Working hard at London Welsh helped as well.

"I would not have returned to the Ospreys if I did not believe I had something to offer. I feel I have developed as a person and as a player. I'm more experienced and more mature with it. At this point in my career, I feel I understand what needs to be done on and off the field.

"The important thing is to perform for the team."

The Ospreys of 2014 is very much a different environment from the place Griffiths spent nine years at before heading off to London.

During that period he saw big names like Marty Holah, Justin Marshall, Jerry Collins, Tommy Bowe, Mike Phillips and Filo Tiatia arrive. Now the financial scene has changed and there is more need than ever to develop homegrown players.

What does he make of the re-ordering of priorities at Llandarcy?

"It's where Welsh rugby is at," he said.

"I'd been chatting to Steve Tandy for quite a while before I joined. He told me about where the region were going and how they planned to get there.

"It's like the start of a new era. I came back last week and there's a lot of new faces here, which is always good to see. Tandy has a vision and a direction about where he wants to go. There may be different faces, but I think everything has stepped up a gear and there's more of a professional edge.

"The Ospreys still want to do well and the talk among the boys is of having a real crack at making the play-offs in the coming campaign and doing something special.

"They fell short last year, but it's about trying to get that consistency throughout the season. It's about performing when the internationals are here and when they are not here; it's about making sure the Liberty remains a fortress and it's about going on the road and picking up wins as well.

"We need to pick up points regularly so that it doesn't come down to that last game of the season when you might need a bonus-point try to get into the top four."

Griffiths has featured on both sides of the scrum during his career, but he aims to specialise this year. "I can move across the front-row if need be, but I want to concentrate solely on the tight-head side because that's where I feel I can help the team most."

Having played in four title-winning squads and had a dozen years on the senior scene, Griffiths could be forgiven for feeling a little world-weary.

But he is still up for the challenge.

And enthusiasm is never a bad thing to have in a squad.

PENSIONERS in Swansea are being given healthy home grants under a new scheme.

Swansea Care and Repair is carrying out the service to help make homes easier to live in for the elderly.

Among the work carried out has been new internal and external handrails, along with grab-rails, steps, ramps, key-safes, locks, along with security lamps.

Maggie Berry, chief officer of Swansea Care & Repair said: "It is a chance to work more closely with health and social care colleagues to get the right solution for older residents."

GERMANY are beating Brazil 5-0 in their World Cup semi-final - yes, really.

The Brazilian team without stars Neymar and Thiago Silva are being taken apart by the Germans who have scored with Muller, Klose, Kroos (2) and Khedira.

Brazil were booed off the pitch at half-time.

Don't miss our full-time report later.

BRAZIL have been beaten 7-1 in an incredible World Cup semi-final.

Star striker Neymar was missing from the team, along with Thiago Silva, and Brazil looked a completely different team as a result.

Germany opened the game in sensational style, scoring five times in 18 minutes to destroy Brazil's hopes of a World Cup Final appearance on home soil.

Goals from Thomas Muller, Miroslav Klose, two from Toni Kroos and one from Sami Kheidra resulted in Brazil being booed off the pitch by their own fans at half-time.

The host nation returned to the pitch after the break looking sharper and more likely to score, but they were denied by some sensational saves from Manuel Neuer.

Germany still looked dangerous though and ended any Brazilian hopes of a mildly respectable scoreline with a goal from Andre Schurrle in the 69th minute. He followed it with a second strike 10 minutes later, a goal more than worthy of a World Cup semi-final.

It was the 90th minute before Brazil finally did what you would expect a Brazilian team to do, and score - through Oscar.

The final whistle went moments later with boos echoing around the stadium.

Fans in the stadium, and football fans of all nations around the world who were watching could hardly believe what they had seen.

The Brazilian players looked shell-shocked.

As will, perhaps, the Argentinian and Dutch players who meet each other in the second semi-final tomorrow night.

Whoever wins that game will surely be fearful now of a German side who suddenly look unstoppable.

A MAN was found hiding amphetamines in his sock, a court has heard.

Lee Hambury, aged 39, from Sunny Crescent in Cymmer, was searched by police who were attending another incident at Penhydd Road in Cymmer, at around 9.55pm on June 20.

Officers at the scene became concerned Hambury was acting suspiciously after he was seen to lean through a window of a vehicle involved in the incident. He was asked to leave the area by officers and had to be led away.

When he was searched, the wrap of drugs was found in his sock.

He pleaded guilty to possessing amphetamines — a class B drug.

Hambury, represented by Rob Thomas, said he used drugs because it helped with a back injury and that amphetamines helped with his mobility issues.

Mr Thomas said: "He is suffering from a chronic back pain and tells me he finds using the drug assists him with his mobility issues. He doesn't suggest that it gives him a defence, but it is an explanation."

Hambury has 14 previous convictions but Mr Thomas said he had not committed any offences in the last six years.

"He seems to be someone who has got his life together and on the straight and narrow. Hopefully this is a little blip," he said.

Magistrates fined him £55, told him to pay a £20 surcharge and £85 towards prosecution costs.

VOLUNTEERS at a long-standing hospital coffee shop have been told they can remain open for another two months.

Originally staff were told the WRVS coffee shop in Morriston Hospital would close on July 18 to make way for a new outpatients department.

A petition was launched calling for the WRVS to carry on providing the service and not to be replaced by a national chain.

Now more than 16,200 have signed the form and the campaign has also received backing from Sian James, Swansea East MP and Mike Hedges, Swansea East AM.

Volunteers have been told they can remain open in the current location until September, when it will close in readiness for the opening of a new department.

Douglas Thomas, volunteer at the WRVS, said: "Until the outpatients department opens later in the year the WRVS staff and volunteers intend on running a very limited shop service from the main ground floor corridor of the hospital, and we also intend continuing the hospital trolley service twice a day. The WRVS is currently negotiating with the hospital authorities, in the hope that we will be able to secure a unit for our shop in the new outpatients department."

A spokeswoman for the health board in charge of the hospital said a legal tendering process is in place which the board is not involved in and has no control over who is awarded a lease in the new building.

Mr Thomas said: "With the continued support of the wonderful people of Swansea and the surrounding areas — we remain very hopeful that we have a future at this hospital, and will be able to provide a shop service for many more years to come. Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the last four to five months in our campaign, it is very much appreciated."

A spokesman for Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board said: "We are anxious to maintain a service to patients, staff and visitors and are therefore determined to keep the current facilities open as long as possible. We have to start the breakthrough from the new building on September 29 and have asked the WRVS to advise how long they would need before this date to vacate the area.

"This will then set the new lease termination date. We are also discussing with the WRVS how they can continue to provide a limited service between the closure of the existing shop and the opening of the new retail units."

WHEN Ruth Jones was inspecting care homes, she followed her eyes, ears and nose. She says: "I want to know why something does not smell nice."

She adds: "A lift might be making a dreadful noise.

"I'll look at the level of furnishing, and maybe the curtains are a bit tired."

Ruth, who retired last month, was a care home inspector employed by the Care and Social Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW).

She would turn up unannounced in council and privately-run homes in Neath Port Talbot.

"We have got a right of entry," she says. "Nobody can say, 'Today is not a good day'. I have never ever been turned away."

The CSSIW, an independent body which also acts on behalf of ministers, has been keen to shift its inspection emphasis from checking minimum standards to putting the experience of the residents at its core.

Ruth was usually on her own during an inspection, but might have a social or health worker in tow.

She said she would sit where residents congregated, observe and talk to them, or walk around.

She would judge a resident's mood after a member of staff had spoken to them, note whether they had been treated with respect, and assess whether they were generally stimulated.

"It is a case of acting on what you find," says Ruth, 61, of Alltwen, near Pontardawe. "Mostly I have seen kindness."

Ruth would also look at residents' care plans, their medical care, potential weight loss, and medication administration.

"People's care plans are very important," she says. "Are they given an involvement? Or is a relative, or a social worker or good friend?"

CSSIW inspectors focus on four themes: quality of life, staff, leadership and management, and environment.

Ruth says care workers must provide references and declare where they have worked previously and why they left.

"We also look at training — it must be carried out on a regular basis," she says.

Care home managers must have a particular leadership and management in care qualification and employ enough staff to meet residents' needs. But Ruth says there is not a minimum employee to resident ratio.

"If staff say they don't feel supported, we tell the manager," she adds. "If staff are happy it's going to be a happy home."

So what makes a good care home manager?

"A good listener, but someone who can say, 'We need to do it like this', and give evidence why," she says.

"And also those who try new things out."

On the environment theme Ruth would look to see if residents' rooms were homely, with photos and other personal items.

As well as these so-called baseline inspections, Ruth also undertook focused ones which home in on one particular theme — for example quality of staff if there had been a lot of falls.

At the end of an inspection Ruth would give feedback to the manager and then submit a written report.

"We don't score in Wales, we write what we think," she says.

Ruth's own father is in a care home.

"He can invite us into his room, and he is very much master of all he surveys!" she says.

Ruth has seen more care homes than any of us will.

"It will never be home, but they are the best thing people can have to remain independent," she says.

Tomorrow, health board work and the elderly.

CARE homes are regularly in the news, and rarely make for good reading.

Last week the doors were shut at Amber House in Abergele, North Wales, after managers were severely criticised by Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW) inspectors for neglect, unsafe practices and poor conditions.

Care homes and homecare companies in Wales are inspected annually. This may prompt follow-up visits, explains CSSIW chief inspector Imelda Richardson, if a series of concerns are raised.

She has been overseeing a shift to focusing on residents' experiences and outcomes rather than checking minimum standards, which might not equate to good care.

Action against a care provider includes non-compliance notices, up to what is deemed a "service of concern". This in turn can lead to civil or criminal proceedings.

"We are not complacent," says Mrs Richardson.

"This is not an area of work where you can sit back and say, 'Everything is fine'. Because you can't."

In Wales there are some 680 care homes, and 400 homecare companies.

The CSSIW is facing a budget squeeze but is, says Mrs Richardson, doing "more with less".

It has set up a national advisory board, comprising care home users and representatives from the sector, to help set the agenda. Three regional boards are in the pipeline, while pilot schemes have involved inspections by charities. The CSSIW cannot be everywhere at once — the more ears and eyes the better. In addition, its inspection reports are published online.

Mrs Richardson says: "There are some very good care homes, and a few that need to improve."

If you have concerns about care, phone the CSSIW on 0300 790126.

A NOVEL new council approach to leave 32 areas of Swansea parkland untended to encourage more wildlife and insects to return to urban settings is dividing opinion.

Some like Katherine Taylor, of Brynmill, love it.

"Nature does not need too much interference. Leaving the verges as they are is great for the bees, butterflies and insects."

On the other side of the coin, a Friends of Ravenhill Park group is being formed to safeguard the local park, with people like Gendros resident Marianne Guppy calling for a designated meadow area there instead of random untended areas.

"There are many hazards in the way of elderly or visually impaired people, like potholed pathways, overhanging foliage and badly fitted or blocked drains," she said. "There is a persistent fire hazard/rat risk in the unsecured park dump area. It needs to be cleared of old debris and secured to prevent further fly tipping and discourage youngsters from entering this space."

She added: "We will make every effort to get Ravenhill Park back to a safe and pleasant place to spend time."

Some grass verges across the city and county are also being left to grow as part of the council-run trial. It follows the successful wildflower planting scheme — which was a big hit with residents and visitors.

And the hope is that it could help create havens for bees and other pollinators too.

The pilot project aims to create meadowland in urban areas.

The move comes in response to a Welsh Government call to promote biodiversity.

But it also means the council's parks budget, which has seen a reduction in the amount of money available for grass cutting, is less stretched.

A spokesman for Swansea Council said comments and feedback would be recorded and used when deciding whether to repeat the scheme in future years.

No one saw it coming – that is, except for the four UK betters who correctly predicted Germany's 7-1 defeat of World Cup host country Brazil.

According to Irish bookmaker Paddy Power, four gamblers won off the 500-1 odds, including someone from Essex who won £2,505 after a £5 bet.

Another gambler bet £20 on Toni Kroos scoring two or more goals, and netted £1,620.

The UK's largest bookmaker William Hill has revealed that none of 120,000 bets it took on the match got the final score right – although one Altrincham student won an 80 pence bet on the halftime score at odds of 300-1.

Meanwhile in Brazil, a woman miraculously won her office sweepstake – after her sleepwalking husband predicted the 7-1 score.

44-year-old artist Anna Guerra asked her husband for his prediction while he was taking a night-time wander, and managed to scoop 200 Brazilian Real from her colleagues.

In the aftermath of Brazil's World Cup humiliation we take a look back at some monumental thumpings in sport history.

The stadium of yellow shirts, arguably the beating heart of the Brazilian football nation, abandoned ship and took to booing after Phil Scolari's team were battered.

But what list of unfortunate sporting humiliations have Brazil just topped?

1988 French Open final: Steffi Graf vs. Natasha Zvereva

German tennis star Graf stamped her dominance over Zvereva with an astounding 6-0 6-0 victory to defend her 1987 Open title. The match lasted only 32 minutes - the shortest ever final in the French Open.

July, 1991: New South Wales 71 Wales 8

The 1991 Wales tour of Australia was one that most Welsh fans will have pushed indefinitely into a corner. The tour started positively with a 22-6 win over Western Australia and a close 7-3 victory over ACT.

No-one would have expected the crushing defeat to come. New South Wales delivered a storming performance, defeating Wales 71-8, with David Campese scoring 5 tries.

Confidence hit rock bottom and Alan Davies' team went on to suffer an equally embarrassing 63-6 loss in the Test match against Australia.

November 1996: Holland 7 Wales 1

Bobby Gould's appointment as Welsh manager did little to lift the country's performances - but nothing would cast a deeper shade than the 7-1 thrashing by the Netherlands in 1996.

Twenty minutes in, Holland breached the Welsh defence with Dennis Bergkamp scoring the first goal. This breakthrough squashed Welsh spirits and a second goal ripped through less than 60 seconds later.

Bergkamp went on to score a hat-trick, with Wales's only consolation goal coming from Dean Saunders.

June 1998: South Africa 96 Wales 13

Yet another dismal summer tour for the Welsh rugby squad sees them once again on this list of sporting humiliations.

An inexperienced Welsh team came head-to-head with a deadly Springbok outfit who shared out their 15 tries.

Arwel Thomas scored all of Wales's 13 points with a try, conversion and two penalties. However, South Africa came dangerously close to the 100-point mark with only a late knock-on saving Wales from that final destructive blow.

2013-14 Ashes: Australia 5 England 0

Arguably the worst tour England cricket has ever undertaken, the series favourites were sneered upon by the Aussie opposition and returned home in a dejected state after a whitewash series.

A strong Australian side proved it was a conquest of men v boys, annihilating their opponents by 381 runs, 218 runs, 150 runs, eight wickets and 281 runs. England never stood a chance.

To add insult to injury, Australia took the fifth Test within three days, teaching the deflated England side a thing or two about tactics and Aussie aggression.

INVESTORS have been found to take over the running of a cemetery in Swansea.

Originally members of Gorseinon Town Council were asked to look into taking on the responsibility by the agents Rowland Jones, who were acting on behalf of the trustees of Brynteg Chapel.

But members of the organisation have since been told following the tender processes the trustees had found an organisation to take the scheme on.

Clerk John Millard, of Gorseinon Town Council, during the meeting at The Institute in Lime Street, said an offer had been put forward.

Mr Millard said: "We said we didn't want to take over the cemetery.

"We asked how we could help looking at costs and asked for a breakdown from Rowland Jones. We had a long discussion.

"At the time they were waiting receipt of tenders, they made the point they wanted tenderers to take on board all the assets of the church, the plot and the cemetery.

"The highest offer has been accepted to maintain the cemetery appropriately."

He added: "We are reasonably confident the graveyard will be preserved in the community."

Mr Millard said the town council was concerned about issues of liability and perpetuity.

A decision was taken by the trustees to close the chapel because of the age and size of the congregation.

Mr Millard added: "They have accepted the tender which takes on board the church, the plot and maintenance of the cemetery."

Welsh MP David Rhys Grenfell is buried in the graveyard of the chapel.

It was suggested at another meeting of Gorseinon Town Council that Swansea Council could be offered the opportunity to take on the cemetery and also that it could go out to public contract.

Councillor Elwyn Davies said previously it would cost thousands of pounds to carry out maintenance work at the church site.

He added he understood the chapel would also be investing cash into the cemetery.

"The proceeds of the chapel were going to be invested and put towards the graveyard," he previously said.

But he added: "Cutting the grass costs £3,000."

A LEAGUE table of who is good and who is bad when it comes to recycling in Neath Port Talbot has been drawn up.

Residents in Neath East and Briton Ferry East and are the worst, council figures show.

For 2013/2014 Neath Port Talbot Council reached a recycling and composting performance of 54.04 per cent.

This was just above the 52 per cent target set by Welsh Government.

A 58 per cent recycling rate has to be achieved by 2016.

Neighbouring Swansea does not keep a league table but officers have been going to areas where they have noticed people are putting out too much black bag rubbish.

Over the last year or so they've been out and about in areas like St Thomas, Clydach, Penllergaer and Gendros, encouraging individual households to take up the recycling challenge.

A spokeswoman for Swansea's recycling team said: "When we went into Manselton people really stepped up to the plate and raised their local recycling rate from 48.5 per cent to almost 53 per cent in the first three months.

"A near five per cent jump makes a big difference over time and it's great to see people playing their part in recycling for Swansea."

Figures from December for Neath Port Talbot show which residents recycle more than others.

The best performing areas are Cimla, Rhos and Bryncoch North where 87 per cent of householders recycle.

The worst wards are Briton Ferry East which has a 57 per cent recycling rate and Neath East at 58 per cent.

The council is working with homes in badly performing areas to try and increase recycling rates.

The council's head of streetcare, Mike Roberts, said they were getting six specialised vehicles to start kerbside sort collections.

He said: "Households on these kerb sort collection rounds will receive a weekly collection of paper, card, cardboard, cans, glass, textiles, food waste, batteries and plastic, as well as a fortnightly collection of residual and garden waste."

Mr Roberts said all wheeled bins bought are now 140 litre capacity for domestic properties.

"When smaller bins were introduced to the pilot area, recycling participation quickly increased from 29 per cent to 46 per cent in the first four weeks with further gains thereafter," he said.

The report, which will be discussed by councillors on Friday states £150,000 has been spent on new bins over and above normal replacement costs which was funded under a Welsh Government programme.

STEEL from Port Talbot's Tata plant is now part of the UK's latest aircraft carrier, christened the HMS Queen Elizabeth on Friday.

The company, which last week announced 400 job losses, has been involved in the project to build the mighty carrier for the past 12 years — and will continue to work with the Royal Navy on future projects.

In those 12 years, the company has supplied 40,000 tonnes of steel to the warship, with much of that coming from the South Wales plant.

It has also developed three entirely new grades of lighter and stronger steel specifically for the future flagship of the Royal Navy.

Tata Steel will also supply steel for the second carrier, HMS Prince of Wales.

The naming ceremony on Friday came five years after the first steel was manufactured at Tata Steel's UK plants for HMS Queen Elizabeth and 33 months after the first section of the 280 metre-long vessel entered the dry dock at Rosyth, Scotland to start construction.

Phil Knowles, commercial manager at Tata Steel, said: "It has been fascinating to be part of such an exciting and high-profile project.

"HMS Queen Elizabeth is the largest warship ever built for the Royal Navy.

"Our teams have had to continually innovate throughout the process as technology and certain requirements have naturally developed since we became involved 12 years ago.

"The naming ceremony is a huge milestone and we are extremely proud of what we have managed to achieve so far."

The steel supplied was used in everything from the hull of the ship to the 130-tonne ski-jump section of the flight deck, designed to allow aircraft to take off with larger payloads than ever before.

In 2007, Tata Steel metallurgists developed three new steel grades, FH36, EH46 and Install Plus welded tube.

The new grades are lighter and stronger than previous innovations, allowing the Queen Elizabeth class to be more agile and use less fuel.

But the 65,000-tonne carrier will not have any aircraft on board until 2018, when the first flight trials will take place.

Around 400 jobs are set to go at the Port Talbot plant, in a restructuring move announced last week to help the company remain competitive.

It is hoped most of the losses will be through voluntary redundancy.

SWANSEA'S old Iceland food store on High Street is to get a new lease of life after years of laying idle.

Its ground floor is going to be used for small scale events, exhibitions and classes.

Part of the space will also be designated for an indoor market aimed at small businesses and new start-ups.

The Iceland store has been empty for a number of years and was recently purchased by Coastal Housing Group as part of its strategy for the regeneration of High Street.

It stands on what was once the site of the landmark Lewis Lewis department store which closed in the late 1960s.

Helen Jones, Coastal Housing's commercial co-ordinator said: "We hope by opening up the building for community use we will breathe some new life back into the building and High Street itself.

"We're looking to engage with all types of community and arts groups and envisage the space being used in a number of varied and interesting ways.

"The indoor market will give new start-ups and small 'arts and craft' type businesses, which may not have the facilities, space in the city centre which they can utilise to showcase what they have to offer."

The community space is being made available right away with the indoor market due to open in the autumn.

The building will also feature a rehearsal and events space that will be home to the Volcano Theatre Company.

Claudine Conway, marketing and communications manager for Volcano Theatre Company, said: "We hope to use the space to attract major national and international artists and arts companies to the city.

"There will also be a theatre space that will host a programme of touring companies as well as in-house productions and films."

Coastal's community space scheme is the latest step in attempts to regenerate and reinvigorate the High Street.

Shoppers yesterday welcomed the move.

Paula Hughes, aged 53, from Dyfatty said: "High Street is a shadow of what it once was so it is great to see something new coming in again.

"I can actually just about remember the old Lewis Lewis store on the site. Of course it will never be like that again.

"But just having something in such a large empty building is a good move."

Swansea News

CHINESE whispers that a Swansea rugby club is looking to buy an under-threat school field have been scotched.

Members of Pontarddulais Town Council have moved to dispel the myth and are battling on to keep the parcel of land in James Street for children to play sport on.

Swansea Council is looking to raise £73 million to invest into a new generation of buildings and upgrades for some schools over the coming years, with land in Blaenymaes, Tre Uchaf and YGG Gellionnen, Penyrheol, also under threat of being sold off.

But Pontarddulais mayor Kevin Griffiths made clear during a meeting of the town council at The Institute in St Teilo Street that there were no plans for Pontarddulais Rugby Club to snap up the field.

Mr Griffiths said: "It's all Chinese whispers about the rugby club."

Pontarddulais county councillor Philip Downing, also during the meeting, said a series of letters had been written to raise concerns about the situation.

Mr Downing said: "If the governors agree to something like that, the field would be surplus to requirements. We have written three letters over where we feel that the land is not surplus to requirements."

During the meeting, a resident said the whole community was behind the campaign to safeguard the school land.

They added: "Everyone in the village is singing from the same hymn sheet."

A protest has already been staged by mums, dads and children who have united in opposition against the scheme, which saw some brandishing placards bearing the words "Hands off our Field" and "Children Need Sports."

Mr Downing said if anyone had any concerns they would flag them up on their behalf.

"If you have any objections to the plan we will say," he added. "There's more people to support the matter if it's in the hands of the school rather than the rugby club."

Welsh Secretary David Jones is among those supporting the campaign to safeguard the land for the youngsters. He visited the town to meet parents and governors of the town's primary school.

Swansea Council has repeatedly stressed no decision has been made about surplus land at Pontarddulais Primary and that no school that currently has a playing field will be left without one.