Monday, January 23, 2017

Winners of the Quiz - January 20th

Congratulations to this month’s winners of the Quiz – Question Master Rose Blackburn is pictured here with Peter and Amanda and Bob Schopp and Peter and Gaynor Thomas who won the New Years' Quiz against fierce competition.  45 people took part in the Quiz.

Sunday, January 8, 2017

FORTHCOMING EVENTS - January to February 2017





JANUARY 7th - New Year gets off to a Good Start!

Pembroke & Monkton Local History Society’s first meeting of 2017 began with a New Year’s Get-together at Monkton Church Hall.  It was an occasion for reminiscing, looking back on times past with old photos and film clips.  It was also an opportunity to meet Diana Ford of the National Theatre Wales TEAM.  Accompanied by her colleague Wayne Boucher who photographed the event, Diana introduced the Monkton Sound Project which aims to record stories of Monkton people. The TEAM is an outreach branch of the National Theatre Wales, and offers a platform to connect with communities across the country through events and projects.  The Sound Project involves getting people to tell and record their stories and recall stories of local characters, past or present, who have perhaps done something extraordinary or funny and become local legends. 
Following on from this, the TEAM will be holding meetings in Monkton Swifts and offering free script and performance workshops.  Having collected and recorded stories, some will be turned into scripts to be adapted into plays which will be performed.  The History Society is happy to help with this exciting project and was pleased with the good response at Saturday’s meeting.  Thanks to everyone who provided cakes and helped with serving the coffee.
Some of the participants of Saturday's 'memory lane' with Wayne Boucher (left)
 and  Diana Ford (2nd right) of the National Theatre Wales TEAM


December 19th - Coffee and Mince Pie Morning


Museum volunteers got together for a Coffee and mince pies at the Lion.  It has been a busy season at the Museum which will now close until February half term for reorganisation. 

December 2nd - Our Christmas Quiz and Social


Winners of the Christmas Quiz with Quiz master Rose Blackburn

NOVEMBER 25th to 27th - A Very Busy Weekend!

This was a VERY busy weekend, which saw us participating in 3 events!
Cllrs Clive Collins& Dennis Evans, Sue Clague and Stuart Asman
First, one of Pembroke's major annual events, Pembroke Castle's Christmas Market held over 3 days from Friday 25th to Sunday 28th.  We organise this on behalf of Pembroke Town Council and heritage, community groups. As well as promoting the projects of the Council's Regeneration Committee, we had a stall for local books and Tudor memorabilia to help raise funds.  It was another highly successful event. 

Linda Asman, Wyn Jenkins and Stuart Asman
CCllr Daphne Bush with Cllr Linda Asman
On Saturday November 27th Stuart and Linda attended Pembroke Coast National Parks' Annual Archaeology Day at Pembrokeshire College, Haverfordwest.  We had stall to advertise our Society's work along with other local organisations.  The theme of the Archaeology Day this year was the launch of Volume 1 of the Pembrokeshire County History, a long awaited volume to complete the set published in the 1980s. 


Stuart and Linda with our stall at the PCNP's Archaeology Day
Finally, Monkton Priory Church's annual Christmas Tree Festival also began that weekend! Society thanks go to Vicki Haggar, Mary Willington and Sue Clague for assembling the Christmas Tree display for this festival which had as its theme: Christmas Around the World.


NOVEMBER 19th - 2 events

Following on from a busy Friday night (November 18th) when we launched our latest publication: 'From Mummer's Booth to Silver Screen: the Life and Times of the Haggar Family', Society Chairman, Linda Asman was asked to lead a walk along the Town Trail as part of the Hands Around the Town Walls event.  

That evening members of the Society and Museums were invited to attend the Rotary Club Raffle draw, in which we participate. It is a great scheme, the Rotary put up generous money prizes for the community raffle which means that we can sell them to visitors to the museum as well as at events.  In all, we sold & £429 worth of tickets which the Society divided between the Museum and the Henry VII statue appeal. Also at that event, an enjoyable social evening at St John's Community Hall Pembroke Dock, committee members of the Henry VII Statue Appeal were presented with a cheque for £1000 from Rotary Chairman Emyr Williams.
About to embark on the Town Trail
Rotary Club Chairman Emyr William (right) presents the cheque to
members of the Henry VII Statue Committee


OUR HAGGAR BOOK LAUNCH NOVEMBER 18TH - A HUGE SUCCESS


The Book Cover
The Haggar Family  - 4th Generation - Sue, John, Vicki, Dinah and Tony
'Full House' at The Town Hall to watch 'A Penny For Your Dreams' at the Book Launch
Display in the shop window next to Brown's Fish & Chip Cafe - courtesy of the Brown Family
The Book Launch of 'From Mummer's Booth to Silver Screen: a History of the Haggar Family' proved a big success and we sold 70 books on that first night!  This has been a big success too for the Pembroke & Monkton Local History Society which has now set itself up as a book publisher using its own funds for what, we hope, will be a sustainable enterprise to generate income for the publication of books and leaflets of local interest.  The Haggar book, whilst having great local appeal, also has a national appeal forming as it does an important chapter in the history of cinema in this country.  We are having great problems getting this on Amazon but if anyone wishes to buy a copy by post, please make cheques payable to
Pembroke&Monkton Local History Society, 28 Rocky Park, Pembroke SA71 4NY for £12.50 (incl P&P)
It is available locally from Pembroke Town Hall (Museum), Castle shop, Robinsons (Londis),St Govans Bookshop Pembroke Dock.

The National Library Wales has already show an interest and we have visited Aberystwyth to deposit copies of the book which will also be sold in the Library shop.

Hazel Thomas of NLW People's Collection with Vicki Haggar in the NLW's bookshop


                                                                              Vicki outside the NLW