Portrait of Pembridge Blog - August 2024
Portrait of Pembridge Blog 11
September 2024
Summer Success
Looking back at our coverage of events in Pembridge, we’ve had a wonderful summer, starting with the unveiling of the Verdun Oak sculpture, Love to Sing Community Choir, the Medieval Weekend, and D-Day 80 through to the Village Show and Strawberry Fayre.
If you have photos or memories of these events you would like to share, please send them to us.
Sad Farewells
Sadly, over the last few weeks, we have said our final goodbyes to several Pembridge residents. The Parish Council paid tribute to Vice Chairman Andrew Pace recognising his many years of service. He was also a key player in raising funds for the Verdun Oak project. A film charting the story of the Verdun Oak has been made in his memory. It tells how a WWI poem inspired tree warden Tony Norman to conceive of a permanent reminder of the devastation of war yet giving hope for the future. You can access it via our Community Groups page.
Pembridge’s last surviving veteran of WWII, Irene Causley, passed away peacefully at the age of 101. Her story as a WAAF is told on our History page. Military history was a keen interest of Rory MacColl, our friend, and writer for Portrait of Pembridge, who passed away after a short illness. Pembridge will forever owe a debt to Rory, who meticulously researched the histories of the men named on our War Memorial. You can access his work on the War Memorial and History pages of our website. We pay tribute to him in our News section.
Season of Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness
While Summer’s ending and the nights drawing in, there’s plenty to look forward to in the coming months. Our Dates for your Diary for September is packed with events including a chance to see the glorious gardens of Broxwood Court while enjoying Pudding and Pimm’s in aid of St Mary’s Church.
Grow Your Own
The Village Show reintroduced after a pre-Covid gap, was a huge success with over 250 entries. We celebrate the winning entries on our Past Events page and list all the winners of each section in our News report. If inspired to start growing your own vegetables, two allotments are now available to rent. The Allotment Society will be hosting September’s Coffee Morning and selling produce.
Health and Fitness
Growing your own vegetables is a great way to stay fit but if gardening is not your thing there are plenty of other opportunities to boost your health and wellbeing. Austen’s Forever Fun Fitness sessions will run on Wednesday mornings and Friday afternoons at the Parish Hall. Cool Moves jive classes continue on Tuesday evenings and Pembridge Runners meet every Sunday morning. Kington Walking Festival will include two walks in and around Pembridge.
Culture
Pembridge Parish Hall Footlights have a packed program of theatre, opera, and ballet. Their season kicks off with “The Marriage of Figaro” and the one-woman play “Prima Facie”. Pembridge Film Nights returns at the New Inn with “My Generation” starring Michael Caine - a nostalgic review of 1960s pop culture. See our Community Groups page link to their websites.
September sees the annual hART festival with exhibitions throughout the county, including The Old Chapel Gallery. If you’ve always wanted to paint or improve your skills Village Art Clubs provide tuition and are returning to Pembridge.
Pembridge Station
Opened in 1857, the station transformed life in Pembridge and served the community for 107 years. Keith Watson, a railway historian based in York, has family connections to Pembridge and regularly visits the parish. He shares with us his in-depth knowledge of the Leominster to Kington Railway and the changes it brought to Pembridge.
Become a Parish Councillor
There are currently two vacancies on the Parish Council. Could you fill one of them? Our News section gives further information.
We Need You
Portrait of Pembridge website is looking for someone to help with website design and maintenance. If you are familiar with this and can spare a couple of hours a week we would love to hear from you. Please email portraitofpembridge@yahoo.co.uk or call Kay 07342 625796 or Barry 07711 406306 for a chat about what’s involved.
We are keen to reach as many parishioners as possible. If you know someone who doesn’t yet receive our blog and “Dates for your Diary” straight to their inbox, please encourage them to sign up for this free service on www.portraitofpembridge.co.uk
For updates follow us on Facebook or log on to our website: www.portraitofpembridge.co.uk
If you’d like to join our team of historians, researchers, writers, photographers, and website designers you would be most welcome. Please email us portraitofpembridge@yahoo.co.uk
Kay Ingram
Anne O’Brien book signing at her talk on Roger Mortimer and Joan de Geneville, Medieval Weekend
Hereford Big Band performing at the D-Day 80 celebrations
