Uncategorized – Page 2 – KarlJones.Photography

Porthcawl & Pyle Puma’s Amateur Boxing Club

February 6, 2025June 2, 2025Posted in Community, UncategorizedTagged boxing, gfx100s, porthcawl, PORTHCAWL & PYLE PUMAS, XT5Leave a comment

It’s been a while since I’ve posted here, but recently I was walking past the old pump house near Newton Primary School and decided to drop the gang at the Porthcawl & Pyle Pumas Boxing Club a message and they were nice enough to allow me to come along and take some snaps. In true TARDIS style the place is much bigger than it looks on the outside, and it was impressive to see how many local children and young adults train there – a bit of background on the club, provided by one of the coaches can be seen here:

Porthcawl & Pyle ABC have a long standing history within the community with a main aim of supporting children and adults lives whether that be to keep out of trouble, keep fit or to Box, obviously the ultimate goal is Boxing which we have a very rich and successful history of success. Each year the club produces many Welsh Champions and currently boasts 5 from the 2024 season along with x2 British Champions also which is a huge feat in boxing for any club to do, not least for a small club by the seaside……currently the club is preparing for the upcoming 2025 welsh Championships. The club is steeped in history from Colin Humphreys wining a senior Welsh Titles before turning professional to Jonny Clatworthy success winning x4 British titles along with multiple welsh titles at all levels up to youth. Then Tia Lynch and Cole Rees winning multiple Welsh titles in recent years. The club is based in “The old pump house” where it moved to when Porthcawl ABC merged with Pyle ABC. In 2012 after the passing of Colin Humphreys the club was in major need of renovation and repair to save the gym from closure. In recent times following a total revamp and fresh guidance the club has now reached and surpassed the historical achievement with x3 senior welsh champions in as many years, Dafydd Jones 63.kg, Carmen Lynch 57kg (First ever female), Cole Harris 80kg . Following Jonny Clatworthy achievement the club currently have Carter Ronan with x2 welsh and x2 British champion. And making history last year was Carmen Lynch the clubs first ever female senior champion and also first ever senior British champion!, Carmen is now also on path to try and secure herself a place at the upcoming commonwealth games which which would be a huge achievement not just for the club but for Porthcawl and Wales.

Charlotte Mari – The Beginning

October 12, 2024June 2, 2025Posted in Business/Event, UncategorizedLeave a comment

After having the opportunity to capture the last day of one local business, it was a great privilege to be able to go along last night to photograph the start of a new one. Charlotte Mari is a new jewellery shop that has opened as part of the Cosy Corner development. I am a Porthcawl newbie, and when I moved here this area was a wreck, so it has been great to see how these areas can be developed to support local people and businesses. Charlotte makes all of the jewellery herself, on site, so it’s a real Porthcawl family business 🙂

Parc Stormy

September 17, 2024June 2, 2025Posted in Community, UncategorizedLeave a comment

While not strictly in Porthcawl, I wanted to have a nose around the renewable energy site just on the outskirts. The most interesting thing I learned there was that 90% of the energy used in Porthcawl comes directly from here! Very cool

The site, uses solar, wind, and the burning of methane from organic waste to create energy, the result of the latter being then used as compost for local farms. Also very cool!

When I was there Clare Brown, the Agriculture and Learning Coordinator also showed me around a very cool Cardiff University where they have a self sustaining 3 bedroom house on site – again, cool! The site also hosts educational sessions for local schools in the area 🙂

Porthcawl Male Voice Choir (Part 2 – The Annual Concert)

September 11, 2024June 2, 2025Posted in Community, Uncategorized3 Comments

Part 2? Already! Following up from my initial visit to their practice session, I had the pleasure of attending the Porthcawl Male Voice Choir’s annual concert at the stunning All Saints Church.

The choir, as always, were amazing, but they were joined this time by the wonderful guest artist Rhiannon Herridge, whose performance was amazing. There’s a video below! Excuse the camera work (again), though—I promise, I have a tripod now!

We were also treated to a beautiful piano performance by this year’s Dilwyn Evans award winner, Poppy Shingler.

It was a fantastic evening, filled with music and a real sense of community. It was a real privilege to attend and I can’t wait to share more from future events with the choir!

this year’s Dilwyn Evans award winner, Poppy Shingler

Porthcawl Coast Watch

September 7, 2024June 2, 2025Posted in Community, UncategorizedTagged Coastal Patrol, Coastal Safety, Community Volunteers, Lifeguard Services, Local Heroes, National Coastwatch Institution, NCI Porthcawl, porthcawl, Porthcawl Coast Watch, RNLI, Volunteer Work, Watchtower PhotographyLeave a comment

I recently visited the Porthcawl Coast Watch and was surprised to learn that the dedicated volunteers who work there aren’t part of the RNLI, as I had assumed. Instead, they’re part of the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI), keeping a vigilant eye on the waters to keep us all safe! The photos I took capture both the iconic watchtower and some of the incredible people who dedicate their time to this essential service. It’s amazing to see their commitment firsthand and learn about the crucial role they play in coastal safety.

Porthcawl Male Voice Choir (Part 1)

August 23, 2024June 2, 2025Posted in Community, UncategorizedTagged choir, porthcawl2 Comments

Part 1? I know! My original plan was to go along to meet the Porthcawl Male Voice Choir at a practice session to meet the members and get some pictures. After making initial contact, Ian Williams (PR for the choir) gave me a list of opportunities I could use to take some photos. Initially tempted to roll a few events into one post, I felt it would better do the group justice to post different events as separate posts – so expect to see parts 2 on after I attend their annual concert and catch them at other events too 🙂

A bit of background on the group – they currently practice in the “Our Lady Star of The Sea Catholic Church” on New Road, Porthcawl, but were established in January of 1980 when they (then 14 members) started to practice at St. John’s Church Hall in Newton. The group expanded quickly, so quickly that after 6 months St. John’s booted them out! Their history and successes since then are numerous, both of which are detailed on their website. The group were incredibly welcoming and I encourage anyone who has even a slight interest in joining to make contact. As well as the social aspect, many of the group advocated for how having to learn lyrics and songs kept them mentally active.

Though the plan for these posts was to document and move on, I thoroughly enjoyed attending their practice session at the church, and am looking forward to posting more from them over the next few months.

This is the first post where I have included videos – if the camera work is too bad just close your eyes and listen!

Musical Director Alec Brooks takes no prisoners if you miss your mark

Two of the original founding members of the choir –
Stuart Phillips and Roy Bowen.

Dippers of Porthcawl – The Hightiders

August 18, 2024June 2, 2025Posted in Community, Uncategorized3 Comments

One of the great things about living in Porthcawl is that there is always someone in the sea! I wanted to get some snaps of these groups and the first group of local dippers that I was able to infiltrate with a camera was the ‘Porthcawl Hightiders Swimming Club’

Almost exclusively made up of female dippers (though not by design, Phil, the only male dipper assures me), the group have been together for around 18 months. They were incredibly welcoming and I encourage anyone local considering joining a dipping group to visit their Facebook page.

I was able to catch them today on one of their monthly themed days (no prizes for guessing the theme!) for their upcoming calendar 🙂

I found taking the pictures of them in the water particularly difficult as they kept making me laugh. Clearly a group brought together by their love of the sea but held together as a great group of friends.

Fulgoni’s – the last day

August 9, 2024June 2, 2025Posted in Business/Event, Community, Uncategorized2 Comments

The Fulgoni family have been a deep-rooted part of the fabric of Porthcawl for generations. After moving to the area in 1926, they initially sold ice cream from a horse-drawn cart on Coney Beach, and then after several shops and kiosks settled into their cafe premises FULGONI’S. After almost a century, the family made the decision to close their doors for the last time on 09/08/2024. They were kind enough to allow me to come in and capture a part of this (emotional) final morning for both the family and their customers.