Representatives of community groups, organisations and businesses from all around the Milford Haven waterway were at the Ferry House Inn in Hazelbeach, on Saturday, to hear BBC presenter Jamie Owen launch the new Cleddau Waterway Festival initiative. This initiative aims to celebrate and promote the enjoyment of the Milford Haven waterway, its towns and villages, and its history and heritage. The project will promote events that take place throughout the year on the water, with the water as a backdrop, or with a water theme. Jamie advised event organisers to learn from mistakes made by other festival and event organisers. In particular, he suggested that there should be back-up plans in case of bad weather, and that event organisers should carry out research with people attending their events to make sure that they give them good customer service. As well as hearing from Jamie, those present enjoyed performances of sea shanties by Fishguard Folk and an inspirational story with a water theme from Pembrokeshire-based storyteller Atinuke. Helen Thomas, Cleddau Waterway Festival development officer, explained the type of support that PLANED can offer to local organisations and community groups to plan new events or to improve their existing events. To move the project forward, Helen Thomas will be holding meetings in the waterway towns and communities to see what events are already planned and what additional events groups would like to plan. A training course for festival and event organisers starts in Neyland on February 23, and a Cleddau Waterway Festival 2005 brochure will be published in May. Jamie has promised to come back to help to develop the opportunity with the organising group. The project is funded though PLANED's EU LEADER+ project which is part-funded by WDA and Welsh Assembly Government, with support from Milford Haven Port Authority, Pembrokeshire Tourism, South West Wales Tourism Partnership, and Texaco Ltd.