The evening of Thursday, March 22, was grey and drizzly outside, anything but inside the Lawrenny Arms, where there was warmth, light and friendship because the locals and the wider community had come together for ‘Pancake Night’.

It’s one of those quirky things around here where events are held out of season, but always with good reason, this time being to raise money for Cancer Research in memory of the late Brian Jaques, of Cresselly.

Steve and Teresa Adams, landlord and landlady of the Lawrenny Arms (fondly known as ‘The Doghouse’, kindly gave permission for the event to take place; they are always very supportive and we are very grateful to them and their staff for the time and effort that goes into preparing and hosting such an occasion.

As always, Billy James (master ‘pancake’ chef!) was in charge of the endless supply of pancakes, cooked we noticed in new pans and they were cooked to perfection in these. His helpers, Sue and Chris, did a stalwart job of taking orders, collecting donations, topping up the batter (thank you to those who donated the flour, eggs and milk, and to Teresa for making the batter) and, of course, making sure Billy had a drink!

A dazzling array of 21 raffle prizes, including wine, jams, chutneys, chocolates, real ale, cider, Easter eggs and toiletries, all donated, meant that when the eagerly-anticipated raffle was held towards the end of the evening, the lucky winners were able to claim their prizes to take home with them.

That completed a lovely evening that was also a huge success. Many thanks to all of you for your donations, your hard work, your support and your unfailing generosity. Cancer Research is better off by the wonderful sum of £552 and was handled by the local committee of Carew and Cresswell Quay.

I would like to add, if I may, my personal thanks to everyone as it was held in memory of my late husband; your support, your kindness and your friendship has meant a great deal to me and my family, in what has been a bleak time, but we have felt truly inspired and uplifted by this wonderful community.

J.J.