MP hails picturesque Pontypool Park

YOU have to go a long way to match Pontypool Park as a place to spend time in the summer.

I was certainly glad to reach the gates of Pontypool Park when I ran the Mic Morris 10K this year!

Thank you for the encouragement given to runners like me all the way down the valley.

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It was great to see so many people taking part, and even more residents who’d taken the time to come out and cheer us on.

I was even grateful to the person who shouted "Great! Our MP is running… Slowly!"

I struggled on and made it to the end though – well done to all the runners, fast and not so fast!

Thank you to Torfaen Sports Development and to the Mic Morris Trust for a well-organised event.

Pontypool Park itself is certainly a great place to exercise, spend time with the family or walk the dog.

Since I started running to keep fit, one of my favourite places to go to jog has been the park.

It’s amazing how many familiar faces you see along the way, enjoying the views and company.

Hopefully Pontypool RFC can continue their success on the pitch and bring sporting success of a much higher calibre than my efforts to the park again this season.

Pontypool Park

A big thank you to Pontypool Community Council for a fantastic Party in the Park this July.

With austerity making budgets tight, so many events around the country have struggled.

But I thought this year’s Party in the Park was the best yet - full of stalls, performances, activities and people of all generations having fun.

The day after Party in the Park, I was back at the bandstand and Memorial Gates for the ceremony to commemorate the homecoming of the 2nd Battalion, Monmouthshire Regiment in 1919.

It is important to remember the bravery of previous generations of Pontypool soldiers, and we also welcomed the current servicemen who had cycled 100 miles from the barracks in Tidworth to commemorate the 100th anniversary.

After the service, we listened to the Royal Welsh Regimental Band, then went back to listen to the Garndiffaith Gleemen Male Voice Choir and to open the fine exhibition at Torfaen Museum telling the story of the regiment, who had an excellent reputation as a brave and skilled force.

We must always remember them.