Saturday, May 11, 2024

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.

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 ...

Sunday, May 5, 2024

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.