That reminds me

About ten years ago, in a bout of twiddling thumbs, fingers and toes, I began toying with the idea of bringing out a local magazine, which I would've called The Milford and Hakin monthly.

I convinced myself that it would work, not in direct competition with the Merc and Telegraph, but more like an additional, and entirely local, news outlet.

There'd be lots of humour and photos, and it would include full length features and special articles on Milford people, businesses, organisations, schools, sport teams, etc.

Of course, I had absolutely no idea how to go about setting up such a publication, but having had a few of my Gunkle Giggles' tales published by the Stoddarts, when they were at the Merc's helm, my enthusiasm for the written media had sent my adrenaline level into overdrive.

Carole, as always, was well aware of my propensity for new ideas' never progressing further than being well intentioned, multi-sequenced doodles, and said only. Mind your feet, I'm hoovering'!

And, like most of my groundbreaking plans, it did indeed turn out to be yet another pie in the sky' dish-of-the-day from the freezer in my dream world kitchen; one more pipe dream of a non-smoker, with no pipe, no baccy, and no matches.

And this week I've been reminded of that particular doodle dream by one of the old local paper Mellors lent me, called the Haven Reporter, from September 1953. Price 2d.

I must admit that I didn't remember such a local paper existing at all, but then again, in those days, as my regular reading material consisted almost exclusively of comics and the News of the World, it's hardly surprising! And all my spare twopences went on gobstoppers and sherbet dips!

Nevertheless I was intrigued to find out who it was that had brought out the Reporter.

The answer was inside, where it showed the previous week's, first ever, copy being presented by Bert Edwards to Cllr C G Lewis, chairman of Milford Haven UDC.

There were congratulations all round to Mr Edwards and his staff for their splendid new paper and "In the streets of Milford, the response to Milford's own paper was terrific and within 50 minutes the first issue was completely sold out.

"From then on until after six o'clock that evening the Reporter's printing staff worked non-stop to satisfy the demands of the town's newsagents, whose supplies were being sold as soon as they reached the shops. In fact, Milford saw its first shopping queues for a long time... waiting to buy the reporter."

Well, all that seemed to be bright and positive, didn't it? With such a start it must've been a huge success... I wondered what had happened to it so contacted the one man I knew who would be able to tell me more.

Well-known businessman, Glyn Edwards, Bert's son, recalled that although the Haven Reporter, his late dad's paper, had, indeed started off like a train, interest from advertisers had begun to dwindle quite quickly, and the weekly journal became non-profitable.

Then, after only 16 weeks, the paper was sadly, and reluctantly, discontinued.

Glyn lent me this week's snap, from the early 50s of him (as a three-year-old sprog), and his dad, taken at Bosherston.

He knows that at home, somewhere safe, in a neat bundle, are the 16 Reporters that were actually issued.

As I'm swiftly running out of time and space this week, I'll reel off some of the Reporter's interesting little news snippets some other time. Who knows, maybe you, or your family were mentioned!

Before I go, I've got a couple of follow-ups to last week's TRM.

Alison rang to thank me for highlighting the natural, elemental dangers, surrounding our haven, and added that she thought the snap was of Hakin Point.

This was confirmed by the Big Mac, gloating as he took yet another quid off me at snooker.

I'm seriously considering turning my two-piece cue into a pile of sawdust!

Thanks for all the nice comments and correspondence, and thanks also to the sparky (heavy with child), young lady, working in Glyn's, who said .. Aren't you the bloke in the paper who always wants to know Where are they now?

Bless her. Ta ra.