There will be an extra special person in Pembroke tonight (Friday), December 7, when Father Christmas pays a special visit to join in the town's Yuletide festivities.
He will arrive at Pembroke Castle at 6.30 pm and will travel by sleigh up the Main Street to St. Michael's Square where he will stop and call for the Christmas tree to be illuminated.
A carol service will be held around the tree and the Town Band will be in attendance. Following the service, Father Christmas will depart back to the North Pole on his sleigh to prepare for Christmas Eve.
A warm welcome is extended to all to join in the pre-Christmas celebrations.
A message from the Mayor of Pembroke, Clr. Aden A. Brinn
Christmas and the festive season is almost upon us. This is the time of the year to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and an occasion to enjoy with our families and friends.
Pembroke Town Council and the members of that authority are striving to improve the standards for all members of the community to enjoy. Pembroke is a town which is steeped in history and our greatest assets are the castle and mill pond area which are enjoyed by all the residents living in Pembroke and from visitors near and far, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas who visit our town.
Tourism is so important to Pembroke and throughout the Pembrokeshire peninsula. Recently I led a delegation from Pembroke Town Council to Pembroke, Malta to take the message of goodwill and friendship to promote the town of Pembroke. The visit resulted in a friendship and co-operation agreement being signed to further promote our respective communities, the communities of Pembroke, Wales and Pembroke, Malta to develop our tourism with a view of encouraging links between sports and schools.
Pembroke Chamber of Trade and Commerce in conjunction with Pembroke Town Council produced a town guide which is enjoyed by locals and tourists. In addition to the town guide, the Pembroke Chamber of Trade and Commerce has produced a web page. The web page is http://www.pembroke-wales.uk.com">www.pembroke-wales.uk.com
The Pembroke Chamber of Trade and Commerce are once again this year running their Christmas Window Display Competition. The window arrangements are looking very impressive, so a visit to Pembroke should not be missed. The various retail outlets that are members are also participating in the Christmas Draw Competition. So if you purchase goods to the value of £5 or more you can enter the draw. Their are three prizes comprising of 1. £100; 2. £50; 3. £25. So come today and enter the draw, the lucky winner could be you to win one of the cheques to be presented.
The main street of the town of Pembroke can be proud of the variety and diversity of businesses, ranging from restaurants and public houses to the excellent shops for the customer. In addition to this, a walk around the mill pond area and a visit to the well-preserved Pembroke Castle is not to be missed.
Father Christmas arrives in Pembroke on Friday, December 7, at 6.30 pm, outside the castle, to turn on the Christmas lights, followed by singing carols around the Christmas tree at St. Michael's Square. So Mums and Dads, don't forget to take your children to meet Santa.
This year, Pembroke Town Council has purchased a few extra lights to make the arrangements more colourful. Small Christmas trees, which can be seen from the various businesses in the Main Street of the town, are from shops owners making a contribution of £1,200 to help with the installation. My thanks to those businesses who have made contributions to improve the display for Christmas.
Pembroke Town Council meetings are held each month on a Thursday evening at 6.30 pm. Members of the public are welcome to attend.
As Mayor of Pembroke and on behalf of Pembroke Town Council, I wish you all a very happy and enjoyable Christmas and New Year. I hope 2002 will be a good year for you all. I look forward to serving you, the people of Pembroke, during my last few months until I leave office on May 4, 2002.