Murder of Reverend Paul Bennett

I knew Paul Bennett, but not very well. I knew him through my mother, a regular church goer at St Fagan's. I knew him through is visits to my late father following his stroke. I was impressed by his handling of my father's funeral service and by his care and compassion.

"Father Paul Bennett, 59, was killed in the grounds of St Fagan's Church in Trecynon, near Aberdare, on Wednesday. He had been stabbed several times."

That was what the BBC news web site had to say (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6452429.stm).

What they nor, as far as I am aware, any other news station had to say was that St Fagan's Church is directly behind Trecynon Police Station, in fact the churchyard is almost the back garden of the station.

Am I just cynical in thinking it's the police keeping that quiet, so that their claims of an "increased police presence" to reassure the locals don't look quite so foolish?

Eating Out - Bwyty Dylan, Merthyr Tydfil

This is the first in what I hope will become a series of restaurant reviews as the wife and I travel around the eateries of South Wales.

We went here on Friday the 2nd March as Mrs A, declared the domestic kitchen closed! :-)

I've heard about this place from a few people and to be honest the reviews have been mixed. I'd heard that it started life called something else, then became Dylan's, then closed down, but has now opened up again above the Lord Raglan pub in Cefn High Street.

I called around lunchtime and was told that a table for 2 at 7.30pm "shouldn't be a problem", which left me wondering if we would be dining alone. I was also informed that as yet they hadn't got the facility to take plastic sorted so I should bring cash or a cheque. I opted for the former.

One of the things that annoys me about restaurant reviews is that there seems to be a number of critics who review every restaurant with the same criteria they would use to review a Michelin 3 star establishment. So as I add my experiences of eating out, I'm going to try very hard to remember the type and price point of the place as I feel this needs to be taken into account.

Any way lets move on ........

Friday was a miserable night, it was wet and cold when we pulled up outside the Lord Raglan. We parked the car as close as we could and ran into the pub. The first thing that struck me was how friendly the place was. Not just that the staff were friendly, but the customers were too. I'm not a regular pub goer and usually find that when I enter somewhere I haven't been before the "locals" normally ignore you. The Lord Raglan was different, there were a few people at the bar that immediately struck up conversations about the horrendous weather outside.


We stated that we had booked a table and after collecting a drink at the bar, were shown to the upstairs restaurant. This was a fairly large open room, freshly decorated in nice pastels, with about a dozen tables, one of which was already occupied.

The menu was scanned and choices made. Mrs A opted for the garlic mushroom tartlet as her starter and I plumped for the deep fried brie. There was a "special" tonight which was some kind of lamb dish, we thought a rack and I went for this while Mrs A chose the crispy duck.

The starters duly arrived and initially I was a little disappointed to see that the deep fried brie was "bought in" and the mushrooms, in the garlic mushroom tartlet, appeared to be out of a tin. Having said that the presentation was excellent and there was nothing wrong with either dish.

By the time we had finished our starters there were a few more customers and the place was beginning to get busy. There was a little confusion when the main course arrived (ours not theirs) as my lamb did not fit the description of "rack", looking more like a shank and I wondered if they had brought me the lamb dish on the menu and not the special of the day, especially as our waitress hadn't appeared too confident about the menu when we ordered (it turned out to be her first night), but I was assured that I had been brought the correct dish and just accepted that I probably misheard it's description in the first place.

The main courses were all served with a choice of potatoes, being chips, garlic roasted, new and maybe on other I can't remember. There was also a salad garnish. Vegetables, normal or "special" were an additional £1.75 and we opted to take one serving between us of the "special". They weren't.

My lamb however was a revelation, there was plenty of meat and it just fell off the bone, being so tender. It was in a different league to the starter. Mrs A said that her duck was excellent too and the piece that I tried led me to believe that she wasn't lying. We both took the garlic roast potatoes and these came in a separate bowl and were plentiful.

By this time the restaurant had filled up and there was only 1 empty table. I was very pleased to see that the place was already being supported by the locals.

After a few minutes rest we moved on to dessert. I plumped for the chocolate cake and fresh cream while Mrs A took the mousse.

Again I don't think these were home made but they did the job none the less and the chocolate cake was nice and moist and gooey.

I think the kitchen at Dylan's has made a sensible decision. They know that home made starters and desserts would be too much of a stretch for them, so they have decided to use good quality, ready prepared items and concentrate on providing excellent main courses. I think this is the right choice for their market place.

Three courses for the two of us, including drinks, was a shade over £36 and represents excellent value for money in my book. The starters and dessert "did what it says on the tin", but the main courses really stand out, especially the lamb.

The staff are friendly, the service is good, the place is comfortable. They tell me they have only been going a month and are open Tuesdays to Sundays in the evening and for Sunday lunch. Weekday lunches soon.

Would we go back? - definitely!
Recommended? - certainly!

Summary - A cut above your average pub restaurant, offering excellent value for money and good traditional food. Look out for the lamb! 8/10

Total Lunar Eclipse

Last night was a total lunar eclipse I took this photo with my Kodak Z612 mounted on a tripod from my friend Ruth's back garden in Mountain Ash, South Wales.

Considering it's not much more than a "point and shoot" I'm very impressed with the outcome.