A SEAFARING retirement is beckoning for National Park Ranger Neville Hopkins who is handing in his badge after nearly 25 years 'in harness'.

Neville, one of the best known personalities of the National Park staff, retires this month. From a farming background, he has worked in Australia and spent some time there as a 'jackaroo' on a sheep station. His National Park career began in 1977 as Ranger West and he later switched to covering the busy south sector which includes the Tenby and Saundersfoot area. He is currently Senior Ranger in the south.

His first major project was working with the voluntary wardens in repairing the last remaining seaweed hut overlooking Freshwater West. Two years ago he again worked on the complete restoration of the hut which is a listed building and the last link with a once flourishing seaweed drying industry for the Welsh delicacy laver bread.

Over the years Neville has also been heavily involved in dune restoration work at Freshwater East - his biggest project which involved several organisations.

Neville's 'patch' has the largest density of residents and is the busiest holiday area in the county. He also has nearly 20 community councils and 23 schools in his area.

A keen seafarer, Neville sails on the Haven and around the Pembrokeshire islands on his 24-foot Trident yacht, Shambles, and in retirement he plans to spend more time on his boat. Last year he joined fellow Ranger Ian Meopham and his family on the last stages of their sailing adventure from the Caribbean to the USA and fulfilled a long held ambition by sailing up the east coast of the States and into New York Harbour.

Neville is succeeded by Libby Robinson, who joins the National Park from working on an access project with local authorities in Dorset. Originally from the New Forest, Hampshire, she took her degree in biology and geography at Birmingham University and has also worked for several years in South Wales. During that time she was Warden of Flat Holm Island in the Bristol Channel for a couple of years.

Libby, who is 30, is a keen walker and cyclist. She intends to spend some of her spare time in Pembrokeshire in honing her surfing skills and growing vegetables.