An idyllic little church tucked away in a pocket of rural Pembrokeshire will be celebrating some of the key moments in its social history next weekend when St Ishmaels Church, Rosemarket, hosts an exhibition of ‘Life Events’.

Western Telegraph:

The two-day exhibition will trace some of the church’s most important social events including births, marriages, confirmations as well as a host of beautiful memories from congregation members past and present.

“This is a wonderful way of re-connecting the community with its church,” explained Nicola Davies, who is helping to organise the event.

“The church here in Rosemarket has played a pivotal role in community life for so many hundreds of years, so this is a beautiful way of celebrating its very strong connection with the village.”

Nicola is now asking for items which can be exhibited at the event such as wedding dresses, bridal accessories including veils and shoes, ‘Order of Service’ leaflets, christening gowns and items associated with confirmationsuch as inscribed prayer books and bibles. She is also eager to exhibit photographs of church weddings, Christmas celebrations, Sunday School outings, summer fetes and any other social events that relate to Rosemarket Church.

Visitors will have the opportunity to write their memories of church life in the ‘Memory Book’ which will be displayed throughout the exhibition, or alternatively people can write up their memories in advance and add them to the collection.

Also included in the exhibition will be the parish records.

“Our aim is to get as many items as possible which will give people a beautiful insight into the way in which the church has helped people celebrate all those important events in their lives,” continued Nicola.

“And however old or tattered that wedding dress or veil may be, we’d love to exhibit it here at St Ishmaels.”

Nicola helped organise a similar event last year at Hubberston Church which attracted over 200 visitors throughout the two days.

All items will be displayed sensitively, and lenders can remain anonymous if they so wish.

“It’s amazing what people store in their attics or their wardrobes, and the memories people have are often priceless gems which should be shared with others,” added Nicola.

“This is the perfect opportunity to dig those items out and share them with the community of Rosemarket.”

The ‘Life Events’ exhibition takes place on September 23 and 24 between 10am and 4pm. Admission is free and refreshments will be served throughout the two days.

There will also be craft activities available for the children.

The church will be open from mid-day, Friday, September 22 to receive items for the exhibition. If anyone is unable to personally deliver their exhibits, transport can be arranged via Nicola (Tel. 07508 915 432) or Tracy (Tel 07494 617171).