YOU’VE heard of the Wags – but what about the Pags? There have been scores of pictures of the wives and girlfriends of footballers – but none have ever been photographed going as far as the Pantmawr Action Group.
The band of ladies, aged between 45 and 65, stripped off in a bid to boost support over the potential closure of their beloved pub.
The Pantmawr Inn, in Tyla Teg, is under threat of being concreted over with 36 apartments. But the group’s members went the Full Monty in a bid to make sure that won’t happen.
Sue Rawlinson, 54, a company director, said: “We feel very strongly about this because the pub has been at the heart of our community for so long.“It’s a meeting place for young and old where christenings, weddings and funerals have been held. We can’t allow that connection to be lost. A planning committee is due to be held on October 10 and we’ll do everything we can to make them aware of our feelings.”
Chairman of the Pantmawr Action Group, Hugh Payne, of Caer Wenallt, said: “The inn is a former farmhouse that certainly dates to before 1875. “It was converted into a public house in 1961 when the surrounding land was built upon to create the Pantmawr estate.
“The estate is now bounded to the north by the M4, to the west by the Pantmawr Cemetery and A470 trunk road, to the south by the Whitchurch golf course, and to the east by the Twmpath ancient monument and its surrounding fields.
“It’s quite an isolated and individual community. The inn is our heart. “There have been problems over the past few years including reports of its closure but we don’t see why it cannot once again thrive as it has done in the past.
Gill Irwin, secretary of PAG, said: “I moved to Pantmawr two years ago because it has a wonderful community feel.
“We’re appalled by the prospect of losing our last amenity to developers who want to build four blocks of flats.
“Some ladies from the group felt so strongly about the need to bring this protest to the public eye we bared all (discreetly) with our banner in front of the pub. “We hope that anyone who has enjoyed visits to the pub over the years or who deplores over-development within communities, will support our fight.” gavin.o’connor@wme.co.uk The ECHO
YOU’VE heard of the Wags – but what about the Pags? 
