Pembroke Castle Christmas Market

Great weekend at Pembroke Castle's Christmas Market! As always thousands descended on Pembroke for the event and lovely to meet so many at our stall. We were able to raise funds for our museum with the sale of books and merchandise - the star attraction was our magnificent Christmas hamper for which we sold many tickets. The raffle took place in Pembroke Town Hall on the Monday morning and was drawn by our Town Crier, Cllr Gareth Jones. The winning ticket was 251 on the green and the lucky winner was Mrs Elizabeth Hurley of East Williamston. Congratulations!

Saturday November 2nd - Nathen Amin talk on his latest book 'Son of Prophecy: the Rise of Henry Tudor'

Saturday’s talk by Tudor author Nathen Amin attracted a very large audience of around 120 people. Nathen gave an impressive talk in which he introduced his latest book: ‘Son of Prophecy: the Rise of Henry Tudor’ and many queued up afterwards for the book signing. Nathen has been a friend of our Society since meeting him all that time ago in October 2015 when we, as part of Pembroke Town Council’s Regeneration Committee, launched the Henry VII statue campaign – I have included the photo below. It was the time when the late Pauline Waters was our Mayor and George Lewis our President: both sadly missed by us all. Also in the picture with Nathen (right hand side of the photo) are authors Tony Riches and Terry Breverton who, on that occasion gave the talk and introduced his own latest book ‘Jasper Tudor’ together with Society Trustees Linda Asman and Rose Blackburn. Nathen had campaigned for many years for a statue of Henry VII and had petitioned the Welsh government in vain, but with a start up grant of £20,000 from PCC we raised the necessary funding with exceedingly generous donations from the community and Valero. Our sculptor Harriet Addyman was also responsible for our stunning William Marshal statue.

So, a really successful and enjoyable event but the last one this year. We meet again on Saturday January 11th (we usually meet on the first Saturday of the month but in January that is always booked for the panto) when Stephen Scale will be joining us to talk on ‘Carew Castle; its Owners and Builders’.

Saturday October 5th - we begin our 2024/25 Programme of Talks

On Saturday 5th October, we welcomed back Gareth Mills to open the first meeting of our 2024/25 programme of talks. And what a great response! Gareth is a popular speaker but I think this was the largest gathering yet with well over 100 attending. The title of Gareth’s talk was 'A History of the Stackpole Estate'- a place of great local interest, much loved by us all. In brief - The estate centred on Stackpole Court, a stately home which stood just outside Stackpole village. The Court was owned by the Lort family, but in 1698 passed by marriage to the Campbells, Thanes of Cawdor in Scotland. In the 18th century the original Court was rebuilt in Georgian style, surrounded by a walled garden and greenhouses. The Campbell- Cawdors became one of the most important and wealthiest families in Great Britain during the 19th Century. After the family's decline in the early 20th Century the estate was used during WWII as a military training area. After the war the Campbell's returned to their Scottish estates, and the mansion was tragically torn down in 1963, leaving the estate's beaches, parkland, and outbuildings, however, to be administered by the National Trust for public enjoyment.

LANDSKER LEGENDS: Pembrokeshire Museums' Festival

We are participating in a week of Museum activities beginning Monday September 30th and ending Saturday October 5th when we will be meeting in Pembroke Town Hall for our monthly Talk and Coffee Morning. We open at 10am for coffee and an opportunity to visit the Museum and Council Chamber; then assemble in the George Lewis Room for the talk at 11am. We welcome back popular speaker Gareth Mills for this, our first meeting of our 2024/25 programme, and the title of his talk is 'A History of the Stackpole Estate'.

Quiz Night September 13th

We began our 2024/25 Programme of Events with a Quiz Night in Pembroke Town Hall on Friday September 13th - unlucky for some! But successful for others! Congratulations to our winning team as competition was fierce with 50 competing. Many thanks to June Wilcocks and Mary Willington for organising a very enjoyable evening complete with a lovely buffet. Thanks also to our Quizmaster Rose Blackburn.

Our Autumn Programme starts on September 13th

Pembroke & Monkton Local History Society’s Autumn programme begins with a Quiz Night and Buffet next Friday evening September 13th in Pembroke Town Hall at 7pm. Doors open at 6.30pm and entry is £5 payable at the door. The ticket price includes a buffet - coffee and tea are provided but you may bring your own bottle if you wish.

Pembroke River Rally - Saturday August 17th

Pembroke's River Rally was a great success with around 70 craft taking part to sail up the Pembroke River to the Castle Pond led by the WWMHS boat 'Heritage'. On the South Quay a large crowd greeted the boats, attended by Pembroke's Mayor (Cllr Ann Mortenson} and Town Crier (Cllr Gareth Jones). Pembroke has a great maritime heritage and, although the days of the Coastal trade are a distant memory, the annual River Rally is there to remind us. The construction of the barrage across the Pembroke river blocked the way to shipping and the River Rally came about to establish the right to navigate the Pembroke River. The West Wales Maritime Heritage Society was asked by the Mayor of Pembroke to organise the very first Pembroke River Rally in 1995. The Society calculates when the tide will allow the event to take place, arranges a flagship for the Mayors of Pembroke and Pembroke Dock and a flotilla of boats to provide a spectacle and mark Pembroke's maritime History. This is done once a year to keep the rights of navigation alive for those who sail the Pembroke River and who wish to enter the Castle Pond.

August 7th - at the Pembroke Show

We had a stall at the Pembroke Town and Country Show - great show, so much to see and do and so well attended! Established in 1817, the Farmers Club has held the annual Pembroke and Country show for over 200 years.

At the going down of the sun ... Pembroke commemorates D_Day

Many Pembroke people assembled in Pembroke Castle to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of D-Day to watch the lighting of the Beacon by the Mayor of Pembroke, Cllr Ann Mortenson. Across the nation, beacons were lit at 9.15pm, at sunset, at the 'going down of the sun, and in the morning, we remember them'. The occasion was all the more moving, taking place against the backdrop of a beautiful sunset seen vividly from the Castle.

Saturday June 1st - at Carew Castle

Enjoyable day at Carew Castle where we took part in the 'Unearthing History' event yesterday, joining other Pembrokeshire heritage groups. Lovely in the sun!

Northern Lights over Pembrokeshire!

The Northern Lights' spectacle - caused when charged particles from the sun collide with gases in the Earth's atmosphere to create vibrant displays of colour-gave rise to much excitement nationwide. These photographs were taken in nearby Carew.

Friday 10th May - at Lamphey Palace

With Pembroke Civic Trust at Lamphey Palace for a guided talk with Terry John. A lovely afternoon in glorious sunshine and a very interesting talk. Once the retreat of the Bishop of St Davids, this building claims connection with two very prominent Tudor people - Margaret Beaufort and the Earl of Essex. Tradition has it too that Henry Tudor was conceived here when Edmund Tudor brought his 13 year old bride, Margaret Beaufort to live at the palace. But before Henry was born, Edmund died fighting for the King and she gave birth at nearby Pembroke Castle under the protection of her brother in law, Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke. The Earl of Essex's family owned Lamphey Hall and he was brought up there before his rise to fame as Queen Elizabeth's favourite - only to perish in the end on the scaffold in the Tower of London. His ghost however, is said to haunt the Palace - and apparently there are many ghosts, black monks, white ladies and the like. Some people do claim to have seen them ...

Saturday May 4th - Coffee Morning and Talk

Saturday’s talk was the last in our 2023/24 programme and proved popular with an entertaining talk by Terry John who told us ‘How to Speak Tudor’: informing us how words have changed meaning since Tudor times (with some very peculiar and humerous expressions) and how the English language had since developed. A look too at the Elizabethan costume and what it symbolised. As usual we began the morning with coffee and cake and opened up the Museum and Council Chamber. The Museum will also open next Saturday May 11th, as there will be a Craft Fair in the Town Hall as part of the Pembroke Festival. Looking to the future, our next talk will take place on the first Saturday of October when Gareth Mills will be back to give a talk on the Stackpole Estate.

Our next event Saturday May 4th in Pembroke Town Hall

Quiz Night and Buffet April 12th

Our Quiz Night and buffet again attracted many participants with 9 tables taking part. An enjoyable evening with a tasty buffet and good company. A big thank you to organisers June Willcocks and Mary Willington, to the ladies of the History Society for preparing the buffet and to Abi Marriot of the Co-op for the donation of the raffle prize. And not forgetting our Quiz Master Rose Blackburn, pictured here with the winning team.

Saturday April 6th Coffee Morning and Talk

Saturday's Coffee Morning and Talk was again a popular event with Phil Lloyd giving us an entertaining talk on his experiences as a Police Officer with Dyfed Powys Police, a career which spanned some 30 years. Phil is also well known to us in Pembroke where he served as Town Clerk for 11 years after retiring from the Police and 47 years with the Pembroke Male Voice Choir. Visitors were also able to enjoy coffee and home made cakes as well as a visit to the Museum which is situated in the old Courtroom on the first floor of the Town Hall. The Museum is now open in the afternoons - Monday to Thursday 10am - 3pm. Fridays we close at 1pm.

April Events

Pembroke & Monkton Local History Society has two events in April. Following the Easter Holiday, we meet next on Saturday morning, April 6th for a Coffee Morning and Talk in Pembroke Town Hall. Doors open at 10am. for coffee and an opportunity to visit the Museum and Council Chamber, which are situated on the first floor of the Town Hall – a lift is available for disabled access. Following this, at 11am, we assemble in the George Lewis Room for the talk. This month’s talk, by popular Pembroke personality Phil Lloyd, is mysteriously called 'Things you didn't know about Pembrokeshire !' Phil served in the police force for some 30 years - first in the Pembrokeshire Police and then in the Dyfed Powis Police which replaced it. He will be recounting some of the strange and unusual experiences he encountered during of the course of his career. Everyone is welcome to attend – you do not have to be a member - and entry is free.

Secondly, on Friday evening April 12th, there will be another of our popular Quiz Nights in Pembroke Town Hall 7pm. Doors open at 6.30pm and entry is £5 payable at the door. The ticket price includes a buffet - coffee and tea provided but you may bring your own bottle if you wish.

Saturday March 2nd - St David's Talk and Coffee Morning

Saturday was a busy morning as we met again for our monthly Coffee Morning and Talk. The talk was given by Society Chairman Linda Asman who gave a new presentation on the subject of Gerald of Wales' Journey Around Wales in 1188, a route she and husband Stuart had followed last year, photographing the medieval sites which Gerald described so famously in his journal. Last year marked the 800th anniversary of Gerald's death and we needed to commemorate that as he was a Pembrokeshire man, born in Manorbier. He is celebrated in wonderful stained glass windows in the churches of both Manorbier and St Mary's as well as a statue in St David's Cathedral.