Things do not always go to plan - and so it was with our meeting on Friday when our speaker, Owen Vaughan, was taken to hospital just hours before the meeting. We had to sort out something pretty quick and a speaker could not be got at such short notice. So we had a miscellany evening with an entertaining tape and slide show borrowed from Frank Harries about his experiences during the war, followed by a showing of that lovely old film, Pembrokeshire My County. The evening ended with a film show of old photographs of Pembroke and Pembroke Dock. We hope to catch up with the advertised talk at a later date and our wishes go out to Owen for a speedy recovery.

Following this, on Saturday, we participated in the Archaeology Day at Pembrokeshire College. It was organised by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and PLANED and we were invited, with other heritage groups, to put on a display showcasing the work we, in the Pembroke and Monkton Local History Society, are doing. The event was a sellout, with 200 people attending. The speakers covered much ground from Paleolithic and Neolithic rock art and stone circles of the Preselis, the excavation of the 12th century castle at Nevern to 20th century military installations in Pembrokeshire.

Of interest to our society was the dig at Nevern, as I intend organising a visit there when Dr. Chris Caple continues his excavations next June. Earlier this year, we visited the dig at St. Brides and this proved a very popular outing.

Last week, the Pembroke and Pembroke Dock Observer carried a report on the Memorial Concert held at Monkton Priory Church. This raised money for the Mayor's charities which included Macmillan Cancer Support. We are very proud to have on our committee, Dilys Hanmer, who has devoted much of her life to raising funds for Macmillan, work recognised nationally with the award of the prestigious MBE.

Dilys began her career as a nurse during WW2 when she was working in London and Sutton, where she nursed soldiers returning from Dunkirk. It was hard, demanding and distressing work, nursing these men with terrible injuries, but this lovely photograph shows her in a lighter mood with recuperating soldiers!

Dilys was later to become matron at Pembroke hospital, then embarked on a career in hotel work, but, her caring side always present, she became involved in Macmillan Cancer Support. She founded the Pembroke committee in 1989 and was chairman for many years.

Now in her 90s, Dilys is a credit to us all. She is hon. president for Pembrokeshire Macmillan Cancer Support and is still actively involved in fundraising. On Friday, December 2, you will see her at a fundraising coffee morning at Pembroke Town Hall!

Macmillan is well supported here. This group photograph dates back to around 2000 and pictures the Macmillan annual fundraising Pancake Day which still continues and is always popular with Pembroke people. The ladies take orders from shops and businesses around the town and deliver them with the aid of a trolley borrowed from Somerfield, now the Co-op. The next Pancake Day is on February 21, so make that a date for your diary!

Front row: Rose Blackburn (town crier) with Kojak, Naomi Butterworth, Anne Morris. Back row: Sylvia Davis, Dilys Hanmer, Ena Chapman, Gary Robinson, Rose Griffiths, Pat Huxter, Joan Bell, Mary Butterworth, Elvira Pryce, Margaret Powell.

Linda Asman