Burglar targeted store twice within three days
A COIN to celebrate 200 years of the National Gallery has been released by the Royal Mint.
The £2 coin, designed by Edwina Ellis, has been launched to mark the Gallery’s bicentenary celebrations and it portrays the gallery in its home in London’s Trafalgar Square.
Edged around the skilful numismatic depiction of the building’s famous Corinthian columns is an inscription that reads “Maiorvm Gloria Posteris Lvmen Est”, meaning “the glory of our ancestors is a light to our descendants”.
The phrase is inscribed on the ceiling in the Wilkins Building of the Gallery, conveying the notion that the great artists of the past inspire those of the future.
Rebecca Morgan, director of commemorative coin at the Llantrisant-based Royal Mint, said: “We are delighted to join the National Gallery in celebrating its bicentenary.
“This coin is a fitting tribute to a legacy of world-class paintings and the gallery’s unwavering dedication to preserving artistic brilliance. We hope that collectors enjoy this miniature piece of art for years to come.”
Later this spring, the coin will be included in a time capsule organised by the National
Gallery as part of its NG200 celebrations.
The collectable £2 coin is being made available in various versions, including gold, silver and brilliant uncirculated, to buy from the
Royal Mint website. Prices start at £13.
The coin was previously released as part of the Royal
Mint’s 2024 annual sets and is now available to purchase individually.
A CHARITY with historic roots going back to medieval times is trying to give £40,000 to young people from Wales.
It has an impressive title and track record, but those who might benefit may not have heard of the Worshipful Livery Company of
Wales (WLCoW).
The Livery Company is a registered charity and professional association which wants to “nurture Welsh talent”.
It has quietly given individuals £750,000 in the past three decades.
But it doesn’t always have enough applications for its £40,000 annual awards because not enough young people know the company is there.
That’s something new Livery Master Agnes Xavier-Phillips wants to change.
Agnes, who lives in Caerphilly with her husband and is Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Gwent, is a former lawyer who trained in Wales after a career in senior nursing. She says members raise money to help young people develop their talents.
People who could apply may not know about the awards and she wants to raise awareness, especially with money so tight for so many.
In recent years awards have been
A SERIAL burglar stole more than £6,000 after breaking into a Co-op store by smashing a window with a crowbar.
He returned three days later to the same store and stole a further £700.
Carl Hill, 37, targeted the Co-op shop in Machen, in Caerphilly, on two occasions, on September 7 and 10, 2022.
The thief was caught on CCTV, but was wearing dark clothing and covered his head.
A sentencing hearing at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on April 18 heard Hill first broke into the Co-op on September 7, when he gained access by smashing a window with a crowbar and removing items from behind the till.
He took £5,400 from a cash unit under the till, £192 worth of stamps and a further £800 in cash.
CCTV played to the court by prosecutor Sol Hartley showed Hill breaking into the store, with a smoke deterrent given to help young people with dyslexia and to travel across Wales and the world for their personal, professional or academic development.
Funds are given for arts, science, technology and learning as well as to allow young people to develop their careers. There are specific awards for academic and vocational studies.
Although the Livery Company has a tradition going back centuries and an element of pageantry – members wear robes at functions – it is very much part of the 21st century and focused on young people, Agnes said.
“I want to raise the profile and awareness so people get to know about us. We concentrate on the young because they are the future of Wales.
“The sole purpose of the livery is to help and nurture Welsh talent in science and the arts. We are dedicated to helping the young people of Wales.
“If we want to make Wales a better place we have to start with the young, so we give £40,000 of awards every year. But sometimes we struggle with getting enough applications.”
A livery company is a type of guild or professional association going off, covering the store in smoke.
He managed to flee the scene before returning three days later.
On September 10, he again used a crowbar to break away the wooden covering of the smashed window and removed items from behind the till.
This included £660 from the till itself and £40 from a charity box.
A representative of the Co-op said the total loss to the store came to £7,676 and the cost of the damage came to £1,848.
The defendant was identified from DNA taken from a bloodstain at the store, and he was stopped on September 11 and found to be in possession of a crowbar and similar clothing to that seen on the CCTV.
Hill, of HMP Parc, pleaded guilty to two counts of commercial burglary. that originated in medieval times in London.
As part of their membership, members raise money for good works. In the early 1990s, representatives of 22 London livery companies met in Cardiff and resurrected a longstanding tradition with the formation of the Welsh Livery Guild.
The first meeting was at City Hall in Cardiff and in 2013 the guild was granted a royal charter to become the Worshipful Livery Company of Wales, the only one outside the London Livery Companies to be granted the honorific of “Worshipful”.
But unlike other livery companies, the WLCoW says it’s concerned with “the whole spectrum of human endeavour” rather than being associated with one particular craft, trade or profession.
One of its aims is “the promotion of education, arts, science and technology in Wales” through its awards.
Last year’s award-winners included Shannon Hawkins, from Coleg y Cymoedd, who struggled with literacy due to undiagnosed dyslexia.
Money from the livery meant Shannon could buy equipment to
The court heard he has 44 previous convictions including 25 convictions for theft, wounding with intent, driving offences, burglary and attempted burglary.
Defence barrister Harry Baker said his client fell into drug problems after witnessing a murder in 2018, for which he was required to attend court as a witness.
The father-of-four also lost his sister to a drug overdose and had a difficult upbringing at the hands of a violent parent.
Sentencing, Judge Simon Mills said he was more concerned about an attack on a “valuable local shop” rather than the financial amount involved. He told the defendant he was mindful of his efforts in prison to become drug-free.
Hill was sentenced to 72 weeks’ imprisonment. He will serve half of the sentence in custody before he is released to serve the remainder on licence. help her write and also dictate applications. She has since completed an access course and got a place at university to study midwifery.
Phoebe Williams got a £1,000 award to go to France to report on the effect of climate change on the vineyard industry and visit newer vineyards here.
Newtown College apprentice Mustafa Wetti won the WLCoW Apprenticeship Award and young Swansea University researchers have received awards to help their work, among others.
Awards have also been made to schools across Wales and the University Royal Naval Unit
Wales.
Community awards are also made to young people who have made a recognisable contribution to their community or demonstrated excellence in their achievements in Wales.
There is one caveat to applying: all applicants should have Welsh credentials by birth, education, residence or work location.
Agnes said she knows how tough it can be for young people to make their way and wants the livery to help.
You can find out more at www.liverycompanywales.cymru