OVER 40 members of Narberth and District Probus Club enjoyed a superb Christmas Lunch along with their partners at the Old Board School Guest House, St Clears at their last meeting. President David Thomas welcomed Gareth Mills who gave an excellent talk about the Stackpole estate.

Gareth, a graduate in history with many years experience of teaching in Secondary schools across South and West Wales, also worked worked in Local Government as a Change Manager for Education and Lifelong Learning. He was an Assistant Director of Education.

A Trustee of the Sunderland Trust and a tour guide at Pembroke Castle, Gareth is the author of two books and regularly gives talks to local organisations.

Gareth outlined the history of Stackpole from the Bronze Age settlement through to its Norman roots. He traced the remarkable history of the Campbell Cawdor family who created the amazing estate in the 18th and 19th centuries together with ownership of property at Gelli Fawr, in Carmarthenshire and the vast Cawdor Estate in Scotland. He detailed the demise of the magnificent mansion during the Second World War, the transfer of most of the estate to the MOD at Castlemartin Range and the rebirth of their estate under the National Trust.

Gareth illustrated his talk with superb slides of rare photos and images .

A vote of thanks was given by Peter Lakey.