GLANRHYD BAPTIST CHURCH

This Sunday, the anniversary services at 10.30 am and 6.30 pm will be taken by the Rev. John Hayward, of Risca, Newport. A warm welcome to all.

CHURCH services

Sunday: St. Andrew's, Narberth - 10 am Sung Eucharist; Wednesday - 10 am Holy Eucharist.

Christian Community Church

This Sunday's service will be in Bloomfield House Seminar Room at 10 am. The speaker will be Gerald Duffett from Tenby. House groups meet on Tuesday and Thursday at 7.30 pm. A warm welcome to all.

Coffee morning

There will be a coffee morning in aid of Coomb Cheshire Home tomorrow (Saturday) at Plas Hyfryd Hotel, Narberth, from 10.30 to 12 noon. There will be various stalls, cakes, tombola, raffle etc. Admission £1. All are most welcome.

Meat Draw

Winners of the Narberth RFC Supporters' Club meat draw this week are as follows: beef - Penry Harries; lamb - John Morris; pork - Geoff Morgan. The supporters' club raises money each week on behalf of the rugby club through the meat draw. Supporters interested in having a ticket at £1 per ticket with three chances to win a joint of meat for the weekend, should contact the club steward Anne Lonsdale on (01834) 860462 or any member of the supporters' committee. The draw takes place every Friday evening.  

    

Narberth RNLI

The annual summer luncheon organised by the Narberth branch of RNLI at Plas Hyfryd Country Hotel, Narberth, was a great success and raised almost £500 for RNLI funds.

Raffle prize winners were Jane Rees - basket of fruit; Gwyneth Bushell - whisky, Janet Phillips - basket of fruit; Barbara Wilson - azalea; John Morris - bottle of wine; Pat Harbud - bottle of wine; Jan Higgon - bottle of wine.    

The committee would like to thank everyone who attended or supported the event in any way for their generosity. In addition, both the luncheon and the service provided by the hotel staff was excellent and very much appreciated.

NARBERTH BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP

In every nation people look for a 'Messiah' - in political elections for the one who will bring prosperity and justice, in the football league, he who will score goals and win the match. The Jews have constantly looked for The Messiah to save them from their enemies and establish just rule. The early Jewish Christians claimed that Jesus of Nazareth was the expected Messiah. Like most new movements they attracted strong opposition.

In his day, Saul was as famous as David Beckham - a highly public figure with zeal and charisma. He was a deeply religious man who set out to destroy the early church believing them to be Jewish heretics. Systematic persecution arose as he dragged men and women out of their homes and created havoc with murderous threats... even gaining official letters for this religious cleansing to be carried out.

It was only when Saul (later called St. Paul) was struck with physical blindness that he stopped in his tracks, experienced a living encounter with the risen Jesus, turned away from his violent obsessions and started the journey towards spiritual wholeness (Acts 9:1-17).

How sad that we so often only come to our senses when we are 'stilled' through illness or incapacity or even breakdown.

The legacy of St. Paul's conversion is to remind us that even our extreme prejudices or personal compulsions can be changed in the twinkling of an eye. With God, all things are possible.

NBF meets at 6.30 pm Sundays with a buffet meal after the service. All welcome, 'phone 01834 861391 or just turn up.

PROBUS CLUB

A journey into childhood was the pleasurable experience awaiting the members of Narberth and District Probus Club when Frank Harris, of Pembroke, came to talk at the end of May.

Introducing the speaker, the president, Len Jones, said that Frank Harris was a Pembrokeshire lad, born in Pembroke Dock in 1930 to a family of wheelrights. Due to lack of employment in the '30s, Frank's father joined the RAOC and at the age of three Frank moved to Gibraltar.

Probian, Rotarian, in both, serving as president, chairman of the Pembrokeshire Male Voice Choir, keen golfer, cricketer and footballer, Frank had done it all and today he would talk on the war years in Pembroke.

Frank Harris began his talk with a short introduction outlining his childhood in Gibraltar, where he experienced the sight of Seville being blitzed whilst holidaying in Spain and after a quick getaway returned to Gib where he watched the battleship Deutschland come into harbour for repair and to bury its dead. Frank's father, still employed as a wheelwright, helped to make the gun carriages to carry the dead sailors to their interment.

Returning to Pembroke in 1938, Frank said that the whole family were evacuated by 1939 and grandmother came to live with them. During these early war years, children learned to make their own entertainment and one way of keeping their spirits up was to organise concerts in the Roman Catholic schoolroom. These concerts became so popular, with Tom Tucker as compere, that servicemen filled the seats, leaving few places for those arriving after church.

Every Sunday night, the hall was packed to capacity and St. Mary's became famed locally for its concerts. Items like 'Just a song at twilight' on a carpenter's saw, Trevor Owen and Wyn John whistling 'In a monastery garden' and Frank on a ukelele, which his mother bought for him, to impersonate George Formby.

The concerts proved a great morale booster at a time when the docks were being bombed and in 1941, during a big raid, Frank's family were made homeless. So father, having a PSV licence, hired a bus which for a while they lived in, away from the bombing on Kilgetty common. In fact, said Frank, buses were used to ferry people out to sleep in village schoolrooms, before returning in the early morning for the workers to resume their duties at the docks.

Frank Harris was able to bring his talk to life with a wonderful BBC recording of a concert, with much of the above entertainment on it.

Amongst all the fun and laughter evoking childhood memories for the members, Frank added a touch of pathos when he described how all the youngsters envied the 16-year-old boys who acted as messengers and runners for the anti-aircraft emplacements balloon barrage etc. All the boys wanted to be messengers and wear steel helmets and arm bands, that is until one night, two boys were killed, after which no one was quite so keen.

Frank's BBC recording ended with the all clear, the siren once again reviving memories of war for many of the members and bringing to a fitting end the afternoon's talk.

Mike Garner, in offering a vote of thanks on behalf of the members, said just how much he had enjoyed Frank's journey into childhood and reviving many memories of that time for one and all; a splendid talk, well illustrated by the nostalgic BBC recording, for which all were grateful.

The secretary, John Mathias, told of the bi-annual visit to Ludlow by 14 members of the club, cementing the ties of the two clubs, which will be further enhanced by Ludlow's Colin Kelcey, a retired brain surgeon, who will come to talk to the Narberth club on July 30.

The president, Len Jones, reminded members of the forthcoming visit to the Botanic Gardens on June 17 and the next meeting on Thursday, June 24, when the deputy harbourmaster of Milford Haven will be the speaker.

Narberth U3A

Learning is central to the University of the Third Age with members being students in some groups and teachers in others (writes Dave Dando). Each of us has a large fund of knowledge which can be shared, and Information Technology is a vital tool in assisting this process.

This week, the computer group looked at Power Point as a means to enhance the quality of presentation in a variety of topics. The classical music group were the first beneficiaries and put together a programme about baroque music which was enjoyed by all.

A large group of members will be visiting a more traditional site of learning at the Welsh National Museum this week to see a variety of exhibitions. The main event is the Albert Sisley Exhibition featuring the English Impressionist who lived his life in France yet married his Breton partner of many years in Cardiff. There is also the bicentenary exhibition for Charles Darwin and the geology exhibition on the Evolution of Wales.

The discussion group on Friday will address the question of whether we need more or less government in our lives. In the current climate, there may be considerable unanimity.

The Narberth U3A will be holding its next general meeting tomorrow (Saturday) at 10 am in the lounge of Williams Court, Northfield Road, Narberth (with parking in the Bloomfield Centre). There will be a talk about Carew Castle by Peter Hughes.

If you are retired from full-time employment, and now have time to take an interest in any of the following: art (appreciation and painting), music (general appreciation and classical), playing bridge, history, poetry, reading group, tai chi, walking (both gentle and not so), natural history, gardening, geology, lunch club, mah-jong, or discussing various topical subjects, then come along to this general meeting and meet others with similar interests. 

Telephone 862964 or 861019 for more information.

Cricket Club

Winners of the National Lottery bonus ball draw organised by the ladies committee of Narberth Cricket Club this week were: Group A - Ian Evans; Group B - Rowland Hughes.

Main sponsor is Young Brothers, Llandissilio, while junior sponsor is Wood Office Caravan and Tent Park, Cold Blow, and maintenance sponsors are Mark and Wendy Wood, Angel Inn, Narberth.

Tomorrow (Saturday), the 1sts are away to Whitland and the match ball sponsor is the Narberth, Whitland and Tenby Observer, the 2nds are home to Camrose, and the 3rds are home to Burton 3rds.

On Monday, the U13s play home to Burton, while on Tuesday, Narberth play away to Llangwm in the Alec Colley Cup. Also on Tuesday, the Under 11s are home to St. Clears, while Wednesday sees the Under 15s entertain Whitland, and on Thursday, the Under 13s are in action again at home against Neyland in the Welsh Cup.

Coffee Morning

A coffee morning in aid of Coomb Cheshire Home will take place at Plas Hyfryd Hotel in Narberth tomorrow (Saturday).

Admission is £1, with various stalls, cakes, tombola and raffle all set to feature between 10.30 am and 12 noon.

Templeton and Reynalton United Reformed Churches

The united service on Sunday will be held at Templeton United Reformed Church at 6.30 pm when the church will celebrate the junior church anniversary. A warm welcome to all visitors.

Narberth AFC

Bingo was once again held on Monday night, with grateful thanks to the rugby club.

The envelope lotto was drawn at half-time, with numbers 2, 17 and 21 being drawn. There was no winner.

The prize was £1,450, which now becomes a rollover for Monday, June 22.

Thanks to all who supported the event.