Pembrokeshire banner shines at St David's Day parade (From Western Telegraph)

Pembrokeshire banner represents county in Cardiff

12:34pm Tuesday 3rd March 2009 in News

The Pembrokeshire banner took pride of place in last weekend's St David's Day parade in Cardiff.

Thousands of people lined the streets of the capital city to watch the sixth annual parade, an event that is going from strength to strength every year.

Above the dancers, acrobats musicians and singers the Pembrokeshire banner, painstakingly put together by the county's embroiderer's guild, proudly represented the county and people of Pembrokeshire.

Pembrokeshire was also represented by Goodwick Brass Band, Fishguard Choir and local singer/songwriter Gwenno Dafydd, whose piece Cenwch y Clychau i Dewi or Ring out the bells for St Davids, is the parade's official song.

Words and images from the song are incorporated into the banner, which is the first of its kind in Wales. It is hoped that other counties will now follow suit and create their own banners for next year's parade.

"The Pembrokeshire banner has really set the standard," said Gaynor McMorrin, chairman of Fishguard Arts Society, which has been closely involved in the project since its inception.

"It looked fantastic, it was shining, it really stood out.

"I felt very proud of the work of the Pembrokeshire Embroiderers Guild and grateful to all who have come on board to help and put work in.

"It was so well received people kept coming up to us and telling us how wonderful it was and taking photos of it."

The Pembrokeshire banner arrived at City Hall with the St David's Day message and was paraded to the steps of the Senedd, where it took centre stage on the middle of the steps.

Other counties have now expressed an interest in following Pembrokeshire's lead in time for next year's St David's Day parade.

The story of the banner is touring worldwide with a film about its making scheduled to be shown in Japan next month.