FADING SHORES
I was struck by the melancholy of Milford Haven as I explored its almost deserted streets These images portray some of what this town is like from an outsider point of view. The people I met were lovely but there was a sense of loss and decline that lurked everywhere. Gentrification and a budding “tourist” industry has ripped some of the soul out of the town. I doubt the tourists are going to venture to the tiny hairdresser in the back street or chat to the people who told me a bit about this town.
Milford Haven (Aberdaugleddau in Welsh)has been a port since the Middle Ages.By 1906, Milford was one of the largest fishing port in the UK In the 60s, the oil companies moved in and by the early 1980s, the Esso refinery was the second largest in the UK. In November 2014 it was announced that Milford Haven Refinery, a major employer in the area, would be converted into a ‘storage and distribution facility’ with a loss of over 300 jobs. Currently Milford is looking away from heavy industry towards tourism. We have yet to see what benefits this will bring to the people who live there
