A Saundersfoot man, whose Scottish born mother's occupation was a 'herring girl' in her homeland, is keen to try and trace any possible local links she may have had.

Bill Veal, of Hunters Cottage, St. Bride's Hill, explained that his late mother, Jeanna Thom Bell, born in Peterhead, near Aberdeen, worked as a 'herring girl' on the quaysides of the Scottish harbours, gutting and packing the fish as soon as they were landed, and following the herring fleet around the country.

"She was involved in making a living on an annual basis following the Scottish herring drifter fishing boats, which each year proceeded down the North Sea coast of Scotland and England, fishing as they sailed and calling into various coastal fishing ports to dispose of their catch," said Bill.

"The team of ladies would, at the same time, follow by road or rail this yearly event, which continued along the south coast all the way to Newlyn (Penzance) in Cornwall, around Land's End to St. Ives, then northerly to Milford Haven, Fleetwood - and back via the Caledonian Canal, to the east coast of Scotland and then north to her home base of Peterhead," he continued.

Bill admits that this all rather vague, attributable to the fact that his mother passed away on February 8, 1939, at their home in St. Ives, Cornwall, when he was just 10 years old, with two younger brothers, aged eight and six.

"We were the result of the fact that, during one of many trips that my mother undertook each year, she obviously met my father, got married in 1925 and never again visited her homeland. My father was Cornish and from St. Ives, and died in 1957.

"In passing, I could mention two other ports of call - Padstow in Cornwall and Fleetwood in Lancashire; it is doubtful that Tenby was one, but could have been," explained Bill, who has lived in Saundersfoot since 1961.

"I cannot remember any of my mother's features, hair colour or any details whatsoever, and it is highly improbable that I will achieve any information of this, because her date of birth was 1899, and mine is October 3, 1927, but I would love to collect more than I already know, which is absolutely minimal," he added.

Anyone who thinks that they could have any historical information on links to his mother can contact him on 07780 603888.