IN a heartfelt plea, Ros, the widow of lifelong motorcycle enthusiast Mark, has reached out to the local biking community to join her in a final ride to honour her late husband, who passed away unexpectedly after a short illness.

Mark, a passionate biker since the age of 16, spent much of his life restoring and riding motorcycles. He and Ros recently returned to their homeland of Wales after living in East Anglia for many years, hoping to enjoy a long and happy retirement together. Sadly, their plans were cut short when Mark became too ill to ride just two weeks after getting his bikes back on the road.

Mark’s love for motorcycles began in his youth, with many fond memories of touring with Ros on their Suzuki Bandit. Recently, his passion turned to restoring Moto Guzzis. “He was an ordinary guy who loved to ride and restore motorcycles,” Ros shared, adding that they had shared countless rides together, braving the elements and learning just how ineffective waterproof leathers could be on long trips.

Mark’s funeral is scheduled for the morning of Saturday, October 19. As a tribute to their shared memories of the Suzuki Bandit days, Ros has hired a Hayabusa hearse to take Mark on his final ride from their home near Cresswell Quay to Narberth Crematorium. Ros will ride pillion on the hearse, accompanying Mark on his last journey.

Ros is asking fellow bikers to join them for Mark’s final ride, creating the roar of motorcycles that Mark loved so much. “Please, if any of you can make it, I would love as many fellow bikers to ride with us on Mark’s final ride – and to make enough noise so he can hear us as he travels on down the road to the next world,” she said.

The cortege will leave their home at around 10:30am., heading first to Cresswell Quay, where the couple shared many happy bike nights with friends. Bikers are encouraged to meet there and join the ride, which will proceed to Narberth Crematorium, where the funeral directors, Rossiters, have requested an arrival by 11:15am.

After the service, Ros plans to return to the Cresselly Arms to celebrate Mark’s life in one of his favourite places. “I will be streaming tears of joy as well as sadness as we see him off on his final journey,” she said.

Ros’s appeal to the biking community is a touching reminder of the strong bond shared by those who ride. It’s clear that Mark’s passion for motorcycles and the camaraderie he found on the road will live on in the memories of those who join him for this final ride.

For those who wish to pay tribute to Mark, your presence on this special day would be greatly appreciated.

CROWDS flocked to Main Street, Pembroke, on a dry and pleasant evening for the annual Michaelmas Fair, an event with origins dating back to a royal charter granted in medieval times. The fair continues to draw both young and old to enjoy a variety of side stalls and traditional attractions.

The festivities began on Thursday night (Oct 10) with the rhythmic beats of Samba Doc, whose vibrant performance energised the crowd as they marched up Main Street towards the iconic Waltzers. The Mayor of Pembroke, Councillor Ann Mortenson, officially opened the fair alongside Mr Henry Studt, Chairman of the Showmen’s Guild, and Town Crier Councillor Gareth Jones, whose lively “Cry of the Fair” captivated the audience.

Following the opening, a reception hosted by the Showmen’s Guild took place at Pembroke Town Hall. Mr Studt expressed his gratitude to the people of Pembroke for their continued warm hospitality, noting how welcome the Showmen’s Guild always feels in the community. He also highlighted the success of the recent Haverfordwest Fair, which has now returned to the Rifleman’s car park after a period of relocation.

At the reception, Councillor Mortenson raffled off a gift won at the fair, raising £176 for her chosen charity, Mind.

The Pembroke Michaelmas Fair remains a cherished tradition in the town, bringing people together in celebration of community spirit and history.

(Images: PTC)

THE Harriet Davis Trust is a charity that provides affordable holidays for severely disabled and terminally ill children and their families at four specially adapted properties (three in Tenby, one in Narberth).

The charity was formed in 1992 and named after Harriet, a little girl with a rare degenerative disease who was unable to speak and had lost her motor abilities. Her parents had brought her to Tenby for seaside holidays but found them extremely challenging due to the lack of suitable accommodation. Harriet had loved these holidays but sadly passed away aged eleven years. Her parents Kit and John Davis formed the charity in honour of their brave little girl. Kit is still a Trustee of the charity.

The properties offer a high level of equipment including therapy pool, mobile hoists, lifts, profile beds, specialist kitchens and bathrooms. In some of the gardens there is a ‘memory meadow’  to remember children that have passed away.

Trust Administrator Susie Shales said “We often welcome families with children that are profoundly disabled or have life-limiting illnesses who have never had a holiday due to their restricted financial circumstances, and others who only have a few weeks or months left with their loved one and are desperate to make their final memories together”.

Like most charities, the Trust had a difficult time during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, and more recently have been faced with costly but essential structural repairs to two of the properties. As there was a desperate need to replace and improve some of their equipment, Susie wrote to Steve Thurgood, who is the Charity Steward for the Mark Masons of Dyfed, to ask if any financial assistance could be offered. The Dyfed Mark Masons belong to an order of Freemasonry and meet in lodges across West Wales.

Almost £6,700 was required to buy specialised profile mattresses for all of the properties to replace the current 10 years old stock, plus two Careflex chairs which allow disabled guests to be hoisted into the chair, giving welcome relief from being constantly in their wheelchair.

As the amount requested was substantial, Steve approached the Charity Manager of the Mark Benevolent Fund (M.B.F.) based in London which is the central UK charitable fund for the Mark Masons.

Steve was advised  to instruct Susie to submit a detailed application to the M.B.F for their consideration, and much to the delight of Steve and the Harriet Davis Trust team, the application was approved within a week of submission!

It was duly arranged for two M.B.F. Trustees to travel to the Ivy Bush hotel in Carmarthen and join the Provincial Grand Master of the Mark Province of Dyfed, Gary Hicks and members of his team in presenting representatives of the Harriet Davis Trust with a  ‘big cheque’.

Trust manager Carol Lincoln and Administrator Susie Shales attended, and Carol gave a slideshow presentation on the work of the Trust and spoke passionately about the difficulties facing parents of disabled and sick children, and the relief and enjoyment the seaside holidays provide. She expressed her deep gratitude to the M.B.F. for their compassion and for the speed of their generous assistance.

Correspondingly, the M.B.F. Trustees Derek Thomas and David Powell eloquently explained the purpose of the M.B.F, the wide range of charities they support, and the criteria for a successful application. Gary Hicks expressed his thanks to Derek and David for making the long drive to Carmarthen, and for adding so much to the presentation. He also thanked the many Dyfed Mark members who had come from various parts of West Wales to support him on this special and rare occasion. Coffee and a light lunch was provided for all and a very pleasant afternoon it was!.

Pictured above : L to R: M.B.F. Trustee Derek Thomas, Trust Manager Carol Lincoln, Dyfed Provincial Grand Charity Steward Steve Thurgood, Dyfed Provincial Grand Master Gary Hicks, Trust Administrator Susie Shales and M.B.F. Trustee David Powell