AIMS

Pembroke and Monkton Local History Society  was founded in October 2009 with the following aims:

• To raise public awareness of the heritage of our communities

• To research, record and disseminate the history of Pembroke and Monkton

• To encourage community participation

• To support Pembroke Museum

To achieve these aims we have a programme of speakers, events and exhibitions. We organise visits and carry out research, scan photographs and record memories. We are now a registered charity.

ANNUAL REPORT

Presented at the AGM on March 15th 2024

It seems that for the past few years I have had to begin my report on a sad note and so it is this year in paying tribute to Keith Blackburn who passed away last June.  Keith became involved in the Society in 2009, at the start of our digital history project ‘Through My Eyes: a community history of Pembroke and Monkton’ when he took part in our first workshop. Later, he was a stalwart volunteer for the museum until ill health forced him to finish.  He is greatly missed.

Pembroke Museum

The number of visitors to the museum increased this year to 5,115, which was an increase on last year’s 3,400 visits. Visitors have come from various parts of the country and abroad: South England 29%; N. England 28%; Wales 17%; Local 8%; Europe 6%; rest of world 12%. The first to sign the visitors book in the current year was a visitor from the Philippines; the last from Pembroke Dock.  We have received many compliments about the museum and I am pleased to report that we have been awarded the accreditation of ‘Quality Assured Visitor Attraction’ by Visit Wales.  Information about the museum has been uploaded to their website.

The Museum sub-committee takes care of the running of the museum on the Society's behalf under the chairmanship of Ron Rees. We are fortunate to have such dedicated volunteers who have achieved much in developing the museum – Ron Rees, George Palmer and Roy Smith, in particular, have given so much of their time and expertise to this. Also to be commended is Rose Blackburn who, with her Miniaturist group, has introduced a popular addition to the collection. Volunteers are vital to the running of the museum and a big thank you to all concerned in giving up their time to man the museum throughout the year; a big commitment.

Last year we decided on a change in governance, which took place from April 1st 2023.  The Museum is a purely voluntary venture run entirely by volunteers and dependent on the good will of Pembroke Town Council, which accommodates the museum in the old Courtroom. In view of this, a decision was reached to put the museum on a more formal footing by giving over ownership to PTC while the History Society, a registered charity, runs the museum on its behalf: an arrangement which both relieves the Society of any financial burden and ensures continuity.

There remains a great deal to be done – we are still aiming for accreditation and are well on our way with this. However, we are hindered in our work by the lack of a mentor, a professional museums officer to give the necessary guidance and enable the completion of the scheme. Last year we had a visit from Sarah Paul, Welsh Government, and she has undertaken to find us a mentor. I do thank Trevor Clerk, Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre and Lois Barlow, WWMHS for their advice and assistance.

OUTREACH

1: Programme of Talks

The Society has seen increasing interest in its annual programme of events, which on 2 occasions have seen audiences exceed 110 people. The events are held in Pembroke Town Hall on the first Saturday morning of the month between October and May.  On each occasion we have a coffee morning and raffle for the first hour during which we open up the museum and Council Chamber. This is followed by a talk and we thank the following participants: Gareth Mills (Lady Margaret Beaufort), Andrew Shobbrook (The Excavation of the medieval burial site in Haverfordwest), Dr Robert Davies (Fifty Shades of Pembrokeshire), Phil Carradice (Witchcraft and Witch Trials) and Linda Asman (In the Footsteps of Giraldus Cambrensis). The programme will be completed in May with talks by Phil Lloyd in April and Terry John in May. All are welcome to this popular event and there is no entrance fee as overheads are funded by the raffle and coffee morning. A big thank you to all our volunteers who provide the refreshments, organise the raffle and greet visitors to the Museum.

2: Exhibitions and displays

The Society reaches out to the community in other ways.

• By kind permission of Mrs Glenys Brown, we put up displays in the shop window of Brown’s café to advertise the museum, events and projects we are involved in.

• We put up displays in St Mary’s Church.

We began the year with a Coronation theme, the big event of the year, with displays in St Mary’s Church and Brown’s shop window. Other displays were on the themes of St David’s Day; Remembrance (which we always observe by laying a wreath on the Cenotaph), Pembroke’s Art Heritage and Christmas.

3: Stalls at local events

The main ones being: the Pembroke Show, the River Rally and Pembroke Castle’s Christmas Market. This was very successful: June Willcocks and Mary Willington raffled a wonderful hamper which was drawn by Gareth Jones, Town Crier in Pembroke Town Hall.

VISITS

Volunteers were offered a PCNP guided minibus tour of the Castlemartin Range on August 27th . This was a great opportunity to enjoy the amazing coastal scenery of this restricted area as well as to visit the historic, derelict buildings, including Flimston and Pricaston.  It was a most enjoyable tour led by Peter Royle, an excellent, interesting guide.

QUIZ NIGHTS

June Willcocks and Mary Willington have resumed the popular Quiz Nights, which had been held for many years on a regular basis until the Covid restrictions in 2020.  Quiz Nights were held on 20th November and 26th January and proved very successful with all tables taken. Thank you also to Rose Blackburn for taking on the role of Quiz Master and to everyone for supplying the food for the buffet.

PUBLICATIONS

The Society has a proud record in the publishing of books of local interest. Last year saw the publication of a much awaited Monkton History – which proved more popular than expected and sold out.  It is available online however. Our ‘Pembroke Sense of Place’ leaflet, first published some 10 years ago as a Planed project, has now gone into a 3rd reprint. Our thanks go to Kate Lindley for organising the reprint and to Valero funding it.

PROJECTS

We have been working on another addition to the proposed statue trail with a dragon fountain in Pembroke Millpond. However, as reported in last year’s Report, the project had been interrupted by Covid: it had lost momentum and we were having to look at how to proceed. Initially, we had carried out a public consultation, obtained initial funding from LEADER (administered by Planed) for a school’s project and the commission of a maquette from Gideon Peterson. It was an ambitious project and could only be achieved with support from Pembroke Town Council and the wider community. However, the former Regeneration Committee  (PTC led) has been revived under the chairmanship of Cllr Dennis Evans and has put forward plans to PCC for enhancement of the Mill Pond, which would include the dragon. The whole project would be part of a LUF scheme proposed by PCC.  This is not definite at present but there is a glimmer of hope that the dragon may yet rise from the Millpond.

In conclusion, I give a big thank you to a hard working committee for their support, for giving up so much of their time and for their generosity.  If anyone wishes to volunteer to join the team they will be most welcome.

Linda Asman

Chairman, 15th March 2024

  IN REMEMBRANCE

Our much missed Pauline Waters (right), Mayor of Pembroke and former Vice Chairman of the Society. Pictured here outside Pembroke Castle with Rose Blackburn, Town Crier.

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