HER Majesty's former High Commissioner for Canada, Roy McLaren, is just one of the many celebrities who will be travelling to Pembrokeshire for the Texaco Charity Weekend of family entertainment at Tenby Leisure Centre this weekend, but he will be on foot!
The guest of honour at the Sights and Sounds of Wales Concert on Saturday night, although now based in Toronto, was determined to be in the UK during the Golden Jubilee celebrations. Combining business with pleasure, his walk does not, of course, begin over the Atlantic, but is still nonetheless something not many would undertake.
"We've known for a couple of weeks that our vice-president was attending the 'Good Lord!' gala dinner on Sunday in aid of the Noah's Ark Appeal," said Cor Meibion De Cymru chairman Philip Howells. "However, I was delighted to learn from our president, Lord Gordon Parry, that Roy was to be in attendance on Saturday as well and then amazed to learn only yesterday by 'phone that Roy was walking from Llandovery to get here!"
An avid walker, Roy MacLaren was last in Pembrokeshire back in 2000 when he attended the choir's annual St. Davids Cathedral Summer Concert prior to their Millennium Canadian Tour.
"I have to admit I love the West Wales countryside and the Pembrokeshire coastline is amongst the finest in the world," he said. "Having represented Canada at the Court of St. James in London for so many years, I felt I had to be in the UK at this special time. London is going to be pretty hectic, so I really had no choice but to spend time in the company of my many Welsh friends down in Wales."
When asked if he foresaw any problems foot-slogging the highways and by-ways of Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, he replied:
"We gunners (MacLaren served in the Royal Canadian Artillery) are well used to what the Brits now call 'yomping'. I'm sure at some stage, though, I will regret not having my wife's company and I'll certainly miss having Fergus our Jack Russell alongside. Mind you, I've got a good target in sight, so the miles will fly by!