Jul 2, 2024 | Pembrokeshire

Why you should read Pembrokeshire Online – and a chance to become a contributor

Pembrokeshire Online is a unique gateway for discovering the very best that Pembrokeshire has to offer. Read on to discover its story – and how you can share yours. If you live in

If you live in Pembrokeshire or simply love visiting the county, then Pembrokeshire Online is for you. The website gives a warm and engrossing overview of the many positive things happening in the county, from charity work to arts events, as well as covering Pembrokeshire’s history, myths and legends, walks, attractions, volunteering opportunities, and much more.

Pembrokeshire Online is run on a voluntary basis by Kitty Parsons and Nigel Summerley, who first got involved as volunteers working for the site’s previous owners. When the founders moved on, Kitty and Nigel took over running the site.

They keep the show on the road with the help of around 50 voluntary contributors, and are currently seeking more people to write articles and reviews or share their artwork.

“Neither Nigel nor I make any money from Pembrokeshire Online — personally, in this capitalist culture I love that,” says Kitty. “Having said that, we are currently considering applying for some modest funding to develop the magazine, to reach more young people, and to encourage more Pembrokeshire people to write for us and read the articles.”

While they do not currently have a budget to pay contributors, they can arrange press passes for reviewers, which presents a great way to access events for free while building your profile as a writer.

Kitty and Nigel are aware that they are advancing in age (they are both in their 70s) so they are eager to find people who could help out if they have to cut down their own hours. Currently, Kitty is the on-the-ground presence in Pembrokeshire, gathering stories from her chalet in Fishguard Bay, while Nigel works from his home in London.

He is a frequent visitor to Pembrokeshire and an experienced journalist who has worked on staff at the London Evening Standard, Daily Telegraph, the Express and Sunday Telegraph.

Nigel has been mainly freelance for the past 25 years, working for The Week, The Times, Sunday Times, Guardian, Independent, i paper and The Oldie, as well as assorted magazines and websites.

These days his main gigs are for the Financial Times, Perspective magazine, The Oldie, and occasionally the Guardian. Apart from that, his time is spent playing music: he is a drummer and becoming increasingly involved in the South London blues and jazz scene.

 

Kitty, meanwhile, has lived in Pembrokeshire for about a decade. Besides running Pembrokeshire Online, she is also an artist who exhibits around Pembrokeshire as Snorkelfish. She loves the county and would not want to be anywhere else – despite the weather.

“I love it here, though the rain as winter starts to fade leaves one with the sense of having been sucking air through a wet sock for months,” she says. “I love to swim, love the wildlife that is all around us and love how much goes on here, from art to drama, to environmental projects. So much is happening. Someone recently said Pembrokeshire was a ‘spiritual’ place and there is definitely something magical about it.”

 

She and Nigel have a system in place whereby she sources most of the articles and posts them on the site, while Nigel deals with the editing and scheduling.

Among the favourite stories they have shared over the years is the tale of Storm, a dog who used to wander down to the beach where he lived and select a family to attach himself to for the day.

“He was written about all over the world,” says Kitty. “Sadly, he died not long ago and unfortunately in one of our tech disasters, we lost that version of the magazine and his story went with it.”

However, there are many wonderful stories currently being shared on the site.

“We follow the amazing Amanda who was setting up her charity Homeless Pembrokeshire when she herself became homeless,” says Kitty. “Her story is truly inspirational. You also don’t have to look far for wonderful projects such as the VC Gallery, Get the Boys A Life or Adam’s Bucketful of Hope.

“Nature is covered by wonderful professional and amateur photographers with their accounts and images of wildlife – from David Gardner who can tell you all you need to know about encountering seals or wild birds, to someone such as John Hodge who makes the most incredible love spoons and who allows us to use images of himself and his wife on walks with the dogs.”

Pembrokeshire Online also plans to follow local yachtswoman Freya Terry as she sails around England and Ireland – and it covers many other fascinating characters too.

“We have a real-life knight, Chris Paling, and a ghost hunter in Steve Parsons,” says Kitty.

There are also countless glorious walks — this is Nigel’s niche, and the reason he originally got involved.

“To begin with, it was an outlet for writing articles about the beauty of Pembrokeshire, particularly its coastal walks,” he says. “But when I was asked to get more involved in the editing side, I thought it was a positive use of my skills — plus it’s a way of being involved with Pembrokeshire on a daily basis, even when I’m not there.”

Asked about their favourite places to visit by train in Pembrokeshire, Kitty says she prefers the north for its rugged natural beauty.

“The sea is always my first love and there are many lovely coves to explore,” she says. “If coming by train, the south is more accessible, but we have electric bikes to hire now from Fishguard and Goodwick and other places.

“The Ocean Lab in Goodwick is a good place to find out about wildlife and it’s just down the hill from the station. We often have seals, dolphins (and recently a whale) to entertain us. And we are fairly fizzing with ancient burial sites, castles and cafes.”

For Nigel, Pembrokeshire itself is the main attraction.

“I love the fact there are endless walks, both around the coast and inland, which take you to places where there is just no one around,” he says. “Like Kitty, I also love swimming in the sea here — something I’ve even done in Pembrokeshire at Christmas time.”

If you would like to get involved – perhaps by writing about the Pembrokeshire places that are special to you – then Kitty would love to hear from you.

“We’re always looking for people who want to tell their story, particularly in the south of Pembrokeshire, and to write reviews and contribute their art,” she says.

If that sounds like you, you can contact Kitty at speaktofish@gmail.com or by calling 07760307880.

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