It is amazing to look back over the years to see how Pembroke has changed. Born shortly after the war, life was so different and towns so much smaller. Photographs bring back these memories, of green fields and wild places, childhood haunts which are now no more. Until the late 1940s, 'The Green' in Pembroke was just that - mainly green fields. Then much needed social housing (until 1947 there were no council houses here) caused Pembroke to expand rapidly across 'The Green' covering most of it.  Many people, however, remember 'The Green' as it once was.

Reg Williams showed me this picture of 'The Green' taken sometime in the 1940s. Compare it to the modern aerial photograph (taken by Sid Howells) and you can see just how much Pembroke has expanded since then. Along with his neighbour Gary Lewis who happened to call by, he recalled what this area of Pembroke North was like.

"Crossing the Mill Bridge was very different then," said Reg. "The old Victorian Corn mill was still standing five storeys high on the bridge although disused at that time. Later around 1950, it was used for breeding chickens, thousands of them, until the building caught fire and the poor creatures perished in the inferno."

"For days afterwards," Gary added, "the smell of roast chicken lingered on!"

On the north side of the river, where the Green begins, was the Waterman's Arms. It is still a busy pub but much has changed on the opposite side of the road. The Old Corn Store has been restored but an intensive development of modern flats has been built on what was then John Ford's yard.

"Pembroke Transport operated from there," Reg told me, "and in the photograph you can just about see the lorries which would transport the goods unloaded from the sailing ships which would wind their way up the Pembroke River."

The 'Kathleen and May' and 'the Irene' were well remembered.

"I used to dive off the south quay, swim across the Millpond then dive off the Irene," remembered Gary Lewis, adding that the tide (unhindered by the present modern barrage) used to flush the Pond twice a day and the water was clean.

The large house behind was Croft House, then a children's home. It is no longer there having been demolished, the site is now the entrance to Croft Court Residential Homes for the elderly which have been built over its grounds. Across the road behind the Watermans is the entrance to the romantically named Paradise Row.

"Dimond Press used to be there," Reg said, "but they relocated to Well Hill. Then the gardens of the terrace of houses on Paradise Row stretched down to the Millpond and Mr. Wainwright rented out rowing boats. Carrying on up the hill with Springfield Terrace on your left, there was a terrace of houses and a blacksmith's shop opposite, which have all been demolished."

I have a photograph to illustrate this. Flats built as part of the council estate now stand there on the junction leading to Golden Hill Road. On your right is Rock Cottage which was once a shop as seen in this picture belonging to Marcia James whose family have lived there for four generations! Opposite and clearly visible in the top right handside of the picture is a terrace of houses called Court Terrace, again demolished to make way for the estate but the name remains.

"Carry on and you come to Woodbine Terrace at the end of which is Woodbine Hospital or Riverside which was in its early days the Pembroke Union Workhouse - later it became a hospital where many local people were born."

More recently, this was Riverside Old People's home closed a few years ago and is now a hostel.

"There was nothing beyond but Golden Farm and, beyond the railway line, Golden Hall."

Back to the junction and the last row of cottages (top centre) on your left are still standing but now surrounded by housing. Opposite and slightly above is the present enclosed Park.

"This was formerly the cricket club's field and by the entrance the Girl Guides hut," Reg pointed out, adding that he remembers approaching it on a cinder path. This was the Shoulder of Mutton field and that name has been retained. Keith Johnson in his book 'The pubs of Pembroke' suggests that as this was a fairly common pub sign - especially when there was a butcher in charge - there might well have been an early alehouse of this name situated there.

"Go back to the Green and at the end of Springfield Terrace, on the right hand side, was Springfield Cottage, which was demolished to make way for the flats. Then there was the EWS water tank (Emergency Water Service) where Pembroke Fire Service used to practice and gone too is Whitehall Cottage where Jack Hughes the postman lived. Whitehall House, opposite the junction at Castle View survives as does Springfield House which backs on to Rocky Park, another area which has seen intensive development in recent years.

"No, very little remains of the Green I once knew," added Reg.

Mayor Making

Tomorrow (Saturday) is the Mayor Making ceremony and Melanie Phillips is to be our next Mayor of Pembroke. Being of slight stature, Melanie has had to have the mayoral robes shortened for the occasion and she told me this little tale.

"My granddad Tom Phillips was a master tailor in Pembroke, and one of his many duties was to lengthen and shorten the mayoral robe when required. Down for Mr. George Wheeler and up for Mr. Morris the butcher etc.  He was also a chief Racobite and elder of Mount Pleasant Baptist Chapel and would touch no strong drink even on his death bed.

"Imagine his disgust when Mr. Tom Phillips, the publican of the Cross Saws died, and the Western Telegraph published my grandfather's obituary instead of the landlord's!"

She also adds: "Please apologise to one and all for the mistake made on my poster that I circulated around the town regarding the parade on Sunday. It should read Mayor's grand parade not Grand Mayor's parade."

Never mind Mel, am sure it will be a grand affair - the band is called Adamant and is a New Orleans Band which will leave the Town Hall at 10.30 am and will march to St. Michael's Church. Not to be missed!

Next events

Tonight (Friday), join us at 7.30 pm when Ann Lankshear will be presenting 'Castlemartin: life after the military requisition'. Free event/all welcome.

Friday 25th,  at 7.30 pm, we will be holding another of our popular quiz nights. £3.50 entry includes a lovely buffet. Bring a bottle if you wish.

All at Priory Church Hall, Monkton.

Contact

If you have any stories or photographs for this column, please contact me, Linda Asman, on 01646 622428, email [email protected]">[email protected] and visit our website http://www.pembrokeandmonktonhistory.org.uk">www.pembrokeandmonktonhistory.org.uk