January Events

Remembering those Christmas Pantos

Christmas is traditionally the Panto Season – but, sadly, the days of amateur pantomime in Pembroke are no more.  Their memory takes us back to St Michael’s Church Hall, once the hub of the community hosting the annual Panto, but which has now been sold off for a private residence. In St Mary's Church we have a display of photographs featuring scenes from those Pantos.

At the Christmas Market

Getting ready for Christmas

Christmas beckons and Father Christmas is due in Pembroke today (November 30th) - time to change the shop window display at Brown's Cafe to something more seasonal. The town theme is Christmas Carols and we chose 'The Holly and the Ivy' against the backdrop of George Lewis' Christmas Card designs.  George, greatly missed by us all, designed the Mayors' Christmas Cards for many years - alas no longer.  

At the Archaeology Day Saturday 17th

Once again attended the annual Pembrokeshire Coast National Park's Archaeology Day representing both Pembroke & Monkton Local History Society and West Wales Maritime Heritage Society.

Quiz Night November 16th

The Winning Team. Left to right: Rose Blackburn (Quiz Master) with Pam Evans, Prue Pattison and June Wilcocks

Last Quiz Night of the year and good that so many came to join the fun.  Christmas crackers, decorations, lovely buffet and good company.  Next Quiz Night will by on January 18th.

Pembroke Commemorates the Centenary of the end of WW1

Our Commemoration Event

Back Row: Pauline Le Britton, David James, Stuart & Linda Asman, Vicki Haggar, Sharron Harris

Front Row seated: Marcia James, Maggi Haggar, George Palmer

Great support for our Commemoration Event at Pembroke Town Hall with over 100 attending!

Proceedings began with an introduction by Linda Asman, Chairman, who gave an overview of the Society’s Heritage Lottery funded project: ‘Pembroke Commemorates the Centenary of end of WW1 – in Words, Pictures, Art and Film’.  This is a wide ranging project which began with a desire to research the identities of the Fallen whose names are inscribed on Pembroke Cenotaph and War Memorials. This will result in a Book of Remembrance, copies to be placed in each of our Parish Churches. Another line of research was the effect of WW1 on Pembroke and district to result in another book ‘Pembroke Commemorates’ which will be published next year. An exhibition can be seen in St Mary’s Church.

 Pauline Le Britton then described the school’s project. In order to make the project more accessible to children, she had engaged them in an art work to celebrate the lives of some of the soldiers named on Pembroke Cenotaph. The whole process has been filmed by Sharron Harris and an extract was shown.

 WW1 was effectively brought to our own doorstep with U-boat action off our shores and David James next spoke about his mission to highlight this, describing his campaign to restore the memorial in Angle Churchyard dedicated to the victims of a Japanese merchant ship Hirano Maru..

There followed the highlight of the morning: Sharron Harris presenting the first screening of films she had made with local people talking about their family WW1 memories. Participating in this were Maggie Haggar, Jackie Crossman, Marcia James, Meg Hardy, George Palmer and Dilys Hanmer.

Busy week - 3 displays!

 Getting ready for Commemoration Week - very busy mounting dispalys about our WW1 project.
1 Decorated the shop window next to Brown's Cafe in Pembroke Main Street
2 In Pater Hall, Pembroke Dock put up a display for the Morol Conference
3 In Monkton Church we have a display made by the children as part of our School's Project.

November events

Friday Evening Talk

Chairman Linda Asman with Terry John and Committee member, Graham Phillips

We had a great response to the first meeting of our Autumn talks programme with 48 attending.  The speaker was popular local historian Terry John who spoke on a rather intriguing topic ‘The Tudor Spice Box: an insight into the variety of herbs and spices in a Tudor kitchen and the weird and wonderful ways in which they were used!’ 

Terry traced the history of the lucrative spice trade – a trade which developed throughout South Asia and the Middle East by at earliest 2000 BC. The Egyptians used herbs for mummification and their demand for exotic spices and herbs helped stimulate world trade. Early uses were connected with magic, medicine, religion, tradition, and preservation.  Spices were among the most demanded and expensive products available in Europe in the Middle Ages, the most common being black pepper, cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. In addition to being desired by those using medieval medicine, the European elite also craved spices and herbs for the flavouring of foods. Spices were all imported from plantations in Asia and Africa, which made them expensive. From the 8th until the 15th century, the Republic of Venice had the monopoly on spice trade with the Middle East, but with the voyages of discovery came competition and the discovery of new herbs and spices.  

Field of the Fallen - October 19th

Friday October 19th saw the opening of our Remembrance Art Display - Field of the Fallen.  Invited guests included the Leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, Cllr Aden Brinn and Mayor of Pembroke, Cllr Linda Brown as well as the Vicar of St Mary's, Rev Peter Jones.  

The project was devised by Linda Asman and Rose Blackburn.  The idea being that each candle would represent one of the Fallen and so highlight the large numbers who gave their lives from just one small town during WW1, a terrible war which resulted in deaths and casualties on a massive scale.

'Field of the Fallen' is part of a larger project of the History Society: 'Pembroke Commemorates the end of WW1 in Words, Pictures, Art and Film' funded by Heritage Lottery.  The candles were sponsored by local people to help fund our 'There not not There Tommy' which now stands by the Church gate. Money was also raised through a Local Giving appeal.

Photographed in front of the 'Field of the Fallen' Remembrance display

Standing around the There but not there Tommy

Our display in St Marys

Today we assembled the candles in St Mary's Church - do call in to take a look. 97 candles: each one bearing the name of one of the Fallen and all painted with poppies at the VC Gallery.  Thanks to all who supported our Tommy fundraising appeal - he is now standing to attention by the Church gate. 5 perspex Tommies are sitting in the pews.