PEMBROKE FESTIVAL 2009
Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th July 2009
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Our Main sponsor: Chevron Pembroke Refinery & Pembroke Town Council |
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Festival reinvented the wheel
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The wheels kept turning for the seventh annual Pembroke Festival earlier in the month. From the opening procession on the Thursday evening, a shop window competition in which most of the Main Street shops took part, a photography competition, an exhibition on the Wheels of Time and a visit from The 3 Amigos bikers, the innovative theme ran throughout the programme.
The Opening Procession
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The Wheels of Time Exhibition at the Tabernacle - by the Pembroke Story Team
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The Three Amigos Bikers
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Down on Pembroke’s historic South Quay a large marquee kept the worst of the weather out as people flocked to the variety of music events held every evening. Planet Abba entertained a large crowd of Abba fans on the Friday evening and the free Rock Night on Saturday 4th July ended with a spectacular firework display from the ramparts of Pembroke Castle. On Sunday the audience danced the night away with Molara, Raul Speek and his band and the ever popular Johnny Action Finger.
Music Events
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On the Saturday the Festival’s well attended craft fair was enhanced by the annual Pembroke River Rally, organized by Pembroke Town Council. The rain held off while the Sea Scouts sailed around Castle Pond and a flotilla of traditional sailing boats from West Wales Maritime Heritage came in on the high tide.
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With entertainment from Circus Malarkey, Bongo Clive and Pembroke Silver Band the afternoon had something for everyone.
On Sunday afternoon parents and grandparents were able to relax to laid back music while the children took part in a Harry Potter Treasure Hunt and “made things” with help from Festival volunteers.
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Gareth Jones, Chair of Pembroke 21C, who organized the Pembroke Festival with volunteers from their Festival Group, said, “This has been the most successful Festival for some years. Everyone worked especially hard to make it happen this year when funding was reduced because of the recession and it had a real community buzz about it.
We are, as ever, grateful to our main sponsors Chevron Pembroke Refinery, as well as to Pembroke Town Council and the Milford Haven Port Authority who not only make substantial contributions to our funds but also provide practical support.
The marquee meant that we were able to beat the weather and provided a focal point for the main events! We have received lots of positive feedback and are already looking forward to next year.”
Also taking part:
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St Mary's Flower Festival Tenby Male Voice Choir
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The Mummers Play
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Photographs by Gwen Griffiths
Winners of the competitions
Main Street Shop Window Competition:
| Gold - | Beach Hut, Mendus Pharmacy |
| Silver - | Brass Rubbing Centre, Forget Me Not, SPAR , The Card Shop , The Mug Tree, Tourist Information Centre |
| Bronze - | Apropos Hairdresser, Llewelyn Sports , Pretty Woman,
Wisebuys |
Photography Competition:
| Aged 10 and Under - | First: Second: Third: |
Joshua Humphries aged 9 Joshua Rhys Miles aged 6 Bethan Palmer aged 6 |
| Aged 11-16 - | Joint First: | Lauren O’Donnell aged 12 Stephanie Merrison aged 16 |
| Aged 16 – adult - | First Second: Third: |
Ron Rees Laura Kudelska Wendy Morse |
| Festival Quiz: Winner: Mrs M Greaves |
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Our Festival Programme
You can also keep up to date by visiting our blog on MY SPACE www.myspace.com/pembrokefestival09
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And visit the Pembroke Festival dedicated Website by clicking on the image below.
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The Pembroke festival group was established in 2002.The committee is made up of volunteers and has organised an annual festival of music, art, drama and community activities in September each year. 2007 will be the fifth annual festival. Pembroke Festival group is an un-constituted group operating as a sub-group of Pembroke 21C Community Association. The principal objectives for the festival are: To showcase local talent and encourage new talent from all age ranges andabilities, without discrimination To encourage community involvement in developing and managing events To provide good quality events and activities for both local people and visitors to Pembroke that will raise the profile of the town. To provide events and activities to cater for as wide a range of interests and ages as possible To benefit the local economy by providing events to extend the tourist season |
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Committee: Gareth Jones - Chair Elizabeth Gossage - Funding & Administration Members: Nikki Anderson Adrian Collings Vivienne Collins Charlotte Cortazzi Brian and Gwen Griffiths Melissa Howells Jane Jones Keith Maguire Ian Mc Dowall Christelle Medwell Helen Rowe Wendy Whitelock |
IMAGES OF THE 2008 PEMBROKE FESTIVAL
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Our Main sponsors Chevron Pembroke Refinery & Milford Haven Port Authority. |
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This sixth annual festival was held this year to coincide with the Sea Fair Milford Haven 2008. Approriately this gave our festival a maritime theme and our historic South Quay provided the venue for many of the events.
The Festival began at 5.30pm on Thursday 19th June when maroons heralded a spectacular procession led by a huge sculpture of Poseidon made by Sand Palace Arts. Our Mayor and Mayoress, Gareth and Alison Jones led the way followed by local school children.
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The opening procession began its journey at Pembroke Castle and made its way around the town before returning to South Quay, the scene of the arrival of the Classic Bermudan flotilla on the flood tide. This flotilla was due to be the first of three visits to Pembroke of a selection of craft taking place in the Sea Fair Milford Haven celebrations. However the ensuing weather prevented the other flotillas from making the journey into Pembroke on subsequent days.
The nautical theme echoed around the town with many of the high street shops putting on fantastic colourful window displays which both enhanced the party atmosphere and complemented the hand made street banners which have become a feature of the annual Festival whose main sponsor is Chevron Pembroke Refinery. The winner of the best dressed window competition was Llewellyn Sports.
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Other important features of the annual Festival are the music and dance events. This year was no exception. There was live music in some of the town’s pubs, a host of talented bands played on the South Quay stage each day, and there was a welcome return for local musicians The Mezin Quartet. Vibrant dance was provided by India Dance Wales, Carreg Las Welsh Border Morris Dancers, Glan Cleddau Welsh Folk Dancers and workshops with Dansation School of Dance.
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Other popular attractions at this years Festival were the photographic competition which received a large amount of entries. The three category winners will each, courtesy of wriggly-tin.com, have their photos put onto canvas. The pavement artist Phil McFadden who created the Pembroke Serpent added yet another dimension to the event. Other highlights included an atmospheric guided walk around the town with expert raconteur Terry John, a midsummer Steps2Health
walk around the town walls, Millpond and Holyland wood, a performance by the ever popular East End Flyover Company, an evening with Pearl McCabe, story telling with Megan Lloyd and anl exhibition showcasing Pembroke’s rich maritime heritage.
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The Festival ended late on the evening of Sunday 22nd June. Despite bad weather preventing the firework spectacular from the Castle ramparts, the Festival ended on a high note with music from Wonderbrass – the boldest funkiest band in Wales!
Photography by
Gwen Griffiths
Click here for IMAGES OF 2007: |
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