93-year-old keen gardener and local to the area of Tretower, Reginald ‘Noel’ Williams planted a crab apple tree in the grounds of Tretower Village Hall on March 3, commemorating the coronation of King Charles III.

Tretower’s most senior resident, Reginald, who likes to go by the name of Noel, planted the tree that was donated by The Crickhowell & Distric Civic Council and Tretower Village Hall.

On May 6 2023, King Charles III and his wife, Camilla, were coronated in Westminster Abbey in London.

Noel was born in 1930 in Llangattock and has lived in Tretower since 1939. With his extensive knowledge of gardening and his expertise, he was able to advise the most effective way to plant the tree.

He recalls growing up in the area during the war and spoke of how the village hall was used by the Home Guard during WWII, and how his mother used to cook for them. As a young boy growing up in the area with his brothers, they would scour the area for cast-off metal to be sent to the factories making the warplanes.

He recalls how he used to walk to school in Cwmdu, carrying his lunch and gas mask. The valley escaped bombing but they used to hear the German bombers on their way to target Liverpool and Swansea.