There will be a number of new faces at County Hall when Pembrokeshire County Council next meet, after last week's local elections produced a ballot box full of shocks and surprises.
Among the 'big name' casualties was council leader Maurice Hughes, himself, whose difficult year in office finally came to an end as he was ousted from his seat in the Merlins Bridge ward by a narrow majority.
Several other stalwart councillors and three more cabinet members were also left licking their wounds as electors turned out in good numbers at the county's polling stations.
One of those to make an exit was Independent candidate, Pat Griffiths, of Manorbier, the authority's member for lifelong learning/culture and arts.
She lost out to fellow community councillor Malcolm Calver, also an Independent, who polled 398 votes to her 314.
In Narberth, Labour's David Watkins, who had held the seat for nine years, was beaten into third place by Civic Week's Wynne Evans, who came top of the poll, and the town's newly-appointed Mayor, Henry Langen, while in Carew, Norman Parry (Independent) finished bottom in a four-way fight, won by David James Neale.
In Tenby north, sitting member Michael Williams (Plaid Cymru) successfully defended his seat against the town's Mayor-elect, Sue Lane, and John Hughes, chairman of the Tenby and District Athletic Association, while in the south, restaurateur and businessman, Mike Evans, was elected to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of county council chairman, Clr. Mickey Folland.
Already a town councillor, the Independent candidate was the popular choice of the electorate, enjoying something of a landslide success as he polled 595 votes more than his opposition, former Mayor, Christine Brown, of the Labour Party.
In Penally, Carol Cavill (Plaid Cymru) achieved the day's largest percentage majority as she retained her seat in the face of competition from local hotelier, Graham Fry (Independent), while county council veteran, Rosemary Hayes, fended off the challenge of Philip Baker (Liberal Democrat) and Arthur Ronald Williams (Independent) to hold onto her Saundersfoot seat.
Also re-elected were John Murphy (Kilgetty/Begelly), Billy Davies (Narberth Rural), Robert Mark Lewis (Martletwy) and Jim Codd (East Williamston).
Liberal Democrat, John Anthony Brinsden took the Amroth ward, while David Simpson (Independent) was elected in Lampeter Velfrey.
As well as Maurice Hughes and Pat Griffiths, other prominent members to lose out were Roy Folland (Haverfordwest Priory), who had responsibility for health and well-being, and Brian Howells (Fishguard North East), the member for small and medium sized enterprises/leisure and sports.
The council vice-chairman, Glyn Rees, also failed to retain his Newport seat.
As a result of the elections, which saw a turnout of 51 per cent of voters across the county and a total of 24 new members elected, the composition of the county council will now be: Independents/others - 40 seats (up two); Labour - 12 (down three); Liberal Democrats - three (down two); Plaid Cymru - five (up three).
In the neighbouring Carmarthenshire County Council election, Independent member, James Morris Morgan, successfully fended off the challenge of Con Harries for the Whitland seat.
ELECTION RESULTS
Local results from around our area were as follows:
Amroth: John Anthony Brinsden (Liberal Democrat) 344; Peter Treharne Waddilove 93; Norman Ronald Spence (Labour Party) 71. Turnout 51.3 per cent.
Carew: David James Neale 200; Derek Hooper Lloyd 181; Michael Thorne (Labour Party) 152; Norman Richard Parry (Independent) 118. Turnout 59.4 per cent
East Williamston: Ernest James Codd (known as Jim) (Independent) 653; Graham Charles Thomas 228. Turnout 41.1 per cent.
Kilgetty/Begelly: John Scott Murphy 395; Michael James Weaver (Liberal Democrat) 294; Howard Geoffrey Horton-Jones (Plaid Cymru) 125. Turnout 49 per cent.
Lampeter Velfrey: David Simpson (Independent) 370; Frederick Gerard George Luckman (Independent) 196. Turnout 49.9 per cent.
Manorbier: Lewis Malcolm Calver (Independent) 398; Patricia Edwina Griffiths (Independent) 314; Anthony Leonard Wales (commonly known as Tony) (Labour Party) 259. Turnout 63.5 per cent.
Martletwy: Robert Mark Lewis 326; John Richard Gossage (Liberal Democrat) 138; Sarah Elizabeth Credland 27. Turnout 47.2 per cent.
Narberth: Wynne Edward Evans 371; William Henry Langen 276; Thomas David Watkins (Labour Party) 235. Turnout 58.2 per cent.
Narberth Rural: William Richard Colin Davies (Independent) 329; Lilian Claire Narbett (Liberal Democrat) 224. Turnout 49.8 per cent.
Penally: Carol Patricia Cavill (Plaid Cymru) 601; Graham Thomas Reginald Fry (Independent) 63. Turnout 52.7 per cent.
Saundersfoot: Rosemary Rebecca Hayes 517; Philip Raymond Baker (Liberal Democrat) 341; Arthur Ronald Williams (Independent) 116. Turnout 44.5 per cent.
Tenby North: Michael Williams (Plaid Cymru) 463; John Iwan Parry Hughes (Independent) 250; Susan Margaret (known as Sue) Lane 187. Turnout 53.7 per cent.
Tenby South: Michael Llewellyn Evans (Independent) 777; Christine Elizabeth Brown (Labour Party) 182. Turnout 48 per cent.
Whitland: William Conwil Harries 271; James Morris Morgan (Independent) 447.
Community Council election results
The community council elections, meanwhile, saw only three contests in our area, with the results being as follows:
Narberth Urban ward: Wynne Edward Evans 672; William Henry Langen 638; John Eric (commonly known as Eric) Feetham 504; Colin David Williams 468; Susan Mary Rees (Independent) 466; Ruth Parry Platt 451; Anthony Byron Richards 377; not elected - Suzanne Kay Radford-Smith 346.
Saundersfoot: Rosemary Rebecca Hayes 606; Donald Ivor Poole 596; Mary Elizabeth Cavell 488; Phillip Raymond Baker 448; Clifton Thomas John 427; William Terence Cleevely 426; Mandy Allsop 414; Ernest Aubrey Lawrence 388; Ronald Sydney Brabon 321; Pamela Winifred Talbot 252; not elected - Arthur Ronald Williams (Independent) 211.
St. Florence ward: Keith Frederick Nixon 197; Allan Keith Hicks 181; Peter John Rice 177; Clarence John Wolverson 176; David William Griffiths 160; Phoebe Jane Delyth Evans 152; Hadyn David Bateman 149; Valerie Flavel Richards 130; not elected - Anthony Peter Quinn 121; Cyril Thomas Evans 108; Nigel Henry Baker 100; Henry Edgar Baker 91; Hywel Smedley Probert 65.
EUROPEAN ELECTIONS
In the European elections, Glenys Elizabeth Kinnock (Labour), Jonathon Peter Evans (Conservative), Jill Evans (Plaid Cymru) and Mair Eluned Morgan (Labour) were elected for the region of Wales.