TV star nets coracle lesson
ACTOR and television presenter Robson Green has paid a visit to Carmarthen.
The exact reason for the star’s visit is being kept under wraps until a later date, but he spent time learning all about the ancient craft of coracle fishing from the Carmarthen Coracle and Netsmen’s Association.
No stranger to water, Green has fronted television shows such as Extreme Fishing, Extreme Fishing Challenge and Tales from Northumberland.
He currently plays Detective Inspector Geordie Keating on ITV’S Grantchester and he was one half of the singing duo Robson and Jerome, along with fellow Soldier Soldier actor Jerome Flynn, who had several chart-topping singles in the 1990s.
Carmarthen coracle man Malcolm Rees welcomed him to Towyside, a picturesque area close to the River Towy where his family has made coracles for generations.
Here Green was shown how traditional coracles are constructed and also the painstaking craft of net making.
The presenter was given a miniature replica of a Carmarthen coracle, which had been made especially for the him by Malcolm’s wife Julie, who is secretary of the Carmarthen Coracle and Netsmen’s Association.
She said: “He was delighted with his unique gift as he had been looking for a special reminder of his visit to Carmarthen.
“Having heard so much about the tradition, later the same day the fishing enthusiast was eager to meet up with the Carmarthen coracle men.
“As the night shift workers patiently waited on the quayside for the daylight to dim, he shared many fishing stories and was keen to know more about the heritage of this dying Welsh tradition.”