Upcoming Events Calendar

Art Exhibitions
May
11
to 30 Jun

Art Exhibitions

“Splendour in the Grass” Garden Sculpture exhibition featuring ironwork, carved stone, stone resin, bronze resin, glass, wire, ceramic, stainless steel for outdoor spaces.

“Hay Festival Exhibition” Old Chapel Gallery exhibition featuring art, ceramics, glass, sculpture, and textiles, pencil drawings, oil on canvas, jewellery, from a range of talented artists. www.oldchapelgallery.co.uk

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Bingo Night
May
18

Bingo Night

Bingo at the Parish Hall. £10 per 6-book Jumbo Bingo. £3 per special ticket game. Cash prizes, bar, and raffle. In aid of Parish Hall funds.

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Anne O'Brien Talk
May
25

Anne O'Brien Talk

This is the title of the talk to be given by Anne O’Brien, Sunday Times Best Selling author, in Pembridge Church at 11 am on Saturday 25th May. The venue has special significance. In 1301 Roger Mortimer married the heiress, Joan de Geneville, at this church.

A Court of Betrayal

Anne’s latest book A Court of Betrayal tells Joan’s story. Married at just 15, Joan is swept up in a world of treacherous court politics and dangerous secrets as her husband deposes Edward II and rules England alongside Queen Isabella.

When Roger is accused of treason, she is robbed of her freedom and must survive catastrophic events in her fight for justice- with her family’s lives hanging in the balance.

What the Critics Say

“O’Brien cleverly intertwines the personal and political in this enjoyable, gripping tale.” – The Times

“The characters are larger than life…and the author a compulsive storyteller” - Sunday Express

“O’Brien’s page-turner vividly brings to life the restriction of women, and the compassion and strength of this real-life figure from medieval times.“ - Woman

The Author

This is Anne’s fifteenth novel and her books have sold close to a million globally. Anne read history at Manchester University before studying Education at Hull University. She taught history in East Yorkshire. She now lives in an eighteenth-century timber-framed cottage in the Welsh Marches. Her special interest and subject of her books is the lives of medieval women, often at pivotal moments in our history.

Pembridge Medieval Weekend

Portrait of Pembridge is thrilled to host this event with the kind permission of the church wardens of St Mary’s Church, Pembridge. It will take place during the Leominster Medieval Society’s Medieval Weekend to include a battle re-enactment, displays, and talks all around Pembridge on 25th/26th May. All events are free and are family-friendly.

Read Anne’s blog “Writing About the Medieval Mortimers”.

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80th Anniversary of D-Day
Jun
6

80th Anniversary of D-Day

On 6th June 2024 it’ll be 80 years since Allied troops invaded France and began the liberation of Europe. There will be a whole day of events to celebrate this and remember the sacrifices made by the wartime generation, both in combat, and at home.

The poster below sets out the full day’s programme. It will start with a solemn Remembrance service at the War Memorial, including the pupils of Pembridge CE primary School, and the Royal British Legion. It will culminate with an evening of live music and dancing at the Parish Hall, and the lighting of a beacon forming part of a national chain of celebration.

There’ll also be lots of opportunities to eat and drink with the New Inn serving a special fish and chips lunch; a 40s style afternoon tea organised by St Mary’s Church; and in the evening The Beefy Boys will be on hand. Portrait of Pembridge, in conjunction with the Parish Hall, is staging an exhibition on Wartime Pembridge. While not in the front line of bombing raids, life in Pembridge was far from normal between 1939-45.

Over 145 children made Pembridge their temporary home as evacuees. Farmers were under huge pressure to produce more food and subject to severe penalties if they didn’t. Land girls, POWs, and school children all had a role in the “Dig for Victory” campaign to keep Britain fed. We’ll be telling some of their stories.

We’d also like to hear your stories, the roles your family members played. While those who made the ultimate sacrifice are rightly remembered on our War Memorial, many others also served and survived. As part of our exhibition, we want to commemorate them too. Did you have a parent, grandparent, or uncle who served in World War II? If so, please let us take a copy of any photos and a few lines to remember their sacrifices for us. Please email:

portraitofpembridge@yahoo.co.uk or call 07342 625796.

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