Christmas in Pembroke

Mayor Pauline and Town Crier Rose with Gracie and the maquette at the Christmas Market

Christmas in Pembroke this year has been a wet and windy affair and it was a great pity that the annual Christmas Market had to be called off after the first day due to stormy weather and exceptionally high winds. The Market was to have been an opportunity to show publicly the maquette of the Henry VII Statue which, although not yet cast, was exhibited on the Pembroke Town Council stand. Luckily, sculptor Harriet Addyman was able to collect him unharmed to take him to the foundry to be cast in bronze ready for his unveiling in January. The statue is part of Pembroke Town Council's regeneration programme and our Society is hosting an event for the occasion. This event will also signal the start of the fundraising campaign for the statue. 

 

The Monkton Priory Church Christmas Tree Festival also took place that weekend, finishing on December 6th. We participated in this as usual but did not win a place (although I thought we made a really good entry this time). The theme was 'I'm Dreaming of ....' Our imaginative tree of fishes and nets was made by Richard Willington and we dreamt of 'feeding the world' by illustrating the parable of the loaves and the fishes. The competition was fierce though so we weren't at all upset at not getting placed!

Our Christmas window this year featured the art work of George Lewis, our Society President. George is a brilliant local artist who has, with wife Jeanne, painted the amazing Pembroke Murals in the Town Hall. Every year also he paints a picture of Pembroke in the snow, usually set in times past, to illustrate the official Christmas card sent out by the Mayor. George has also illustrated our 'Sense of Place' leaflets and recently he and Chairman, Linda, have produced the new Pembroke Town Trail which he illustrated and these too are featured in the display. The window is made available by courtesy of Brown's Fish & Chip Cafe.

November 20th - Winners of the Quiz

November 7th - Those National Service Days

Dennis Williams, Frank Harries, George Lewis, David James, George Palmer and Bill Thomas.

‘Those National Service Days’ was the theme of Pembroke & Monkton Local History Society’s Coffee Morning on Saturday 7th November in Pembroke Town Hall.  Leading the event was George Lewis who described his experiences of National Service along with Frank Harries, David James, George Palmer and Dennis Williams. 

The History Society will be collecting information, photographs and memorabilia for a new exhibition on this subject in the Museum for 2016 and would be pleased to hear from anyone who would like to contribute to this. 

www.pembrokeandmonktonhistory@live.org.uk

October 30th - the Mayor's Bingo

The Consort and Mayor of Neyland, Liz Jenkins, Pembroke Mayor Pauline Waters, Virginia Tabor, Dorothy Lloyd, Margaret Sercombe, Rachel Norman, Muriel Blunsden.

Ever ready to support community events and fundraising, the Committee helped organise the Mayor's Event in Pembroke Town Hall and provide the refreshments.  £422 was raised for the Mayor's Charity.

Tuesday October 13th - Federation of Welsh Museums and Art Galleries AGM

Stuart and I attended the Federation of Welsh Museums and Art Galleries AGM.  Met Hazel of the People's Collection Wales, pictured here.  The Meeting took place at the Powysland Museum, Welshpool - lovely day and good to meet up with others in the field.

Friday October 16th - a History of Orielton

Orielton House by J P Neale c1818

Chris Millican, Head of Orielton Field Centre addressed a well attended meeting of the History Society in Monkton Church Hall.  Chris gave a fascinating talk about the medieval origins of the house and its transformation into the Country seat of the Orielton family.  Since the demise of the Owen family and the sale of the estate, the Orielton House has changed hands several times until acquired by the Field Studies Council and Chris brought us up to date with its restoration and the work of the FSC. 

Ann and Chris at the Talk, Monkton Church Hall

www.pembrokeandmonktonhistory.org.uk

Thursday October 8th - Opening of Pembroke Fair

Pembroke's Mayor Pauline Waters reads the 'Cry of the Fair'

Pembroke Mayor Pauline Waters with the Chairman of the Showman's Guild, Abie Danter

Always ready to join in - Mayor Pauline with consort Sean

At the opening reception in Pembroke Town Hall - Mayor and Chairman Abie Danter with the model of Henry VII, our projected statue

Thursday, October 8th was a major event in Pembroke's calendar - the opening of Pembroke's Michaelmas Fair, an age long tradition dating back to the charter fairs of the Middle Ages.  A tradition Pembroke still holds dear and popular with all.

A statue of Henry VII - the campaign begins!

Cllr Rose Blackburn, Tony Riches, Pembroke Mayor Pauline Waters,
George Lewis, Terry Breverton, Cllr Linda Asman and Nathen Amin.

Saturday October 3rd was an important day for Pembroke: a public meeting was held in Pembroke Town Hall to launch the campaign for a statue of Henry VII.  The event, sponsored by Pembroke Town Council, was intended as a public consultation to invite discussion on the statue project and was organised by Pembroke & Monkton Local History Society which also hosted a Coffee morning for the occasion.Proceedings were opened by Pembroke Mayor, Pauline Waters, who highlighted the importance of a Henry VII statue in promoting Pembroke as the birthplace of the Tudor dynasty.  She thanked all those present for attending and for the support not only of the Town Council which has commissioned the maquette, a miniature of the intended 8 foot high statue,  but also of the County Council which  has agreed to match fund it as part of their Town Centre support programme.  A fundraising campaign is to be launched to raise the rest! 

Also at the event were no less than 3 Tudor authors - Tony Riches, Nathen Amin (author of the Henry VII Society website) and Terry Breverton who gave a talk 'Jasper and Henry Tudor in Pembroke - the birth of a dynasty'.

see our website www.pembrokeandmonktonhistory.org.uk

September 28th - 3.15 am. Eclipse of the Moon

Got up in the early hours to see the eclipse of the moon.  During a lunar eclipse the Earth, sun and moon form a line in space.  The Earth's shadow throws falls on the face of the moon and it is supposed to take on a blood red colour - mm not that dramatic from my point of view (above) - was rather better than that but my camera is rather limited!  But still not quite what I expected.

Launch of the new Pembroke Town Trail - Monday September 21st

George Lewis and I undertook to produce a new Town Trail as part of a Town/County Council Town Team project - I acted as project leader and wrote the text of the booklet while George (P&M Local History Society President) did the illustrations and produced the map.  This was a voluntary effort on our part funded by PTC and PCC.  The original Town Trail was produced by Pembroke Civic Trust way back in the 80s I think and needed reworking and updating.  The new Trail begins at Pembroke Town Hall where  the visitor can view George's lovely Murals depicting 10.000 years of Pembroke's history and the Town Museum in the upstairs old courtroom.

www.pembrokeandmonktonhistory.org.uk

September 19th - Family History & Genealogy Fair

We were invited to attend this event run by Dyfed Family History Society in St Peter's Hall, Carmarthen.

Whilst there, took the opportunity to visit the tomb of Sir Rhys ap Thomas in St Peter's Church, allegedly the man who slew Richard III !

Quiz Night September 18th

 This Month's Winners!

Goodbye Jacky

We were really sad to say 'goodbye' to one of our trustees and founder members, Jacky, who is leaving Pembroke.  Jacky is the lovely person who so efficiently organizes our Coffee Mornings - she will be greatly missed by us all.  We took her out for a meal at Neyland Marina, which she loves, and presented her with a lovely painting by George Lewis (who also happens to be President of the Society). 

Happy 95th Birthday

Thursday, August 20th was quite a day: it was the birthday of one of Pembroke's most respected citizens and our most senior Trustee, Dilys Hanmer MBE.  This birthday was particularly special as it was Dilys' 95th and we wanted to give her a really special birthday present - a surprise birthday party!
Greatly liked and esteemed by all who know her, Dilys is a lady who has devoted much of her life to helping others, beginning her career as a nurse in London on the day War broke out. She became Matron in Pembroke Cottage Hospital after the war and, following her marriage, ran her own hotels (she is a marvellous cook!).  Since 1968 she became involved with Macmillan Cancer Support for which she was awarded the MBE by the Queen in 2006.

www.pembrokeandmonktonhistory.org.uk

Out and About in August

Helping out at the opening of  Pembroke Dock Maritime Museum - August 4th 

At the Pembroke Show

Our display in Stackpole Church

At the Pembroke River Rally

Pics of the Mayor's Quiz

Over 70 supported the Quiz Night

Some of our Committee which provided the buffet.

The winners!

The Mayor’s Quiz Night and Buffet was held in Pembroke Town Hall to raise money for the Mayor’s Charity.  All Mayors raise money for a charity of their choice whilst in office.  However, instead of raising money for an established Charity, this year’s Mayor, Pauline Waters has set up a new charity, a charity in aid of community youth, to raise money to improve facilities for young people in Pembroke.

Said Mayor Pauline Waters “I am very pleased at the response from the community: in all, 70 people took part despite the appalling weather that night.  It just goes to show what a strong, supportive community we have in Pembroke and I am grateful also to the Councillors and Mayor and Consort of Neyland for their support. 

I would like to extend a big thank you to Des Sinclair for supplying the questions and to the Committee of the Pembroke & Monkton Local History Society for providing the excellent buffet free of charge – they are always so supportive of community events and pleased to help.

Mayor Pauline Waters with Mayor and Consort of Neyland

 

Next Event - the Mayor's Quiz Night at Pembroke Town Hall July 24th

June 27th - Armed Forces Day

Promoting Pembroke Town Hall's heritage projects at Armed Forces Day  - with the Mayor Cllr Pauline Waters and museum volunteers

The venue was the Garrison Chapel Heritage Centre

15th June - Magna Carta 800 years

On holiday this month and visiting some of the Magna Carta sites.

Me and my hero, William Marshall - he played a major part in the Magna Carta negotiations and was Earl of Pembroke!

The monument at Runneymede

Salisbury Cathedral - which houses one of the four remaining copied of Magna Carta