Fishguard Town Hall and market

Image 14

These photographs were all taken on the 19th July 2007 shortly after the Town Hall reopened following its extensive refurbishment. The old town hall building was extended to provide an improved market hall with the town library being relocated from its home on High Street, to the first floor.

Running the full length of the market hall at first floor level was built a gallery, especially created to house the Fishguard Last Invasion Tapestry. When the gallery was opened, it was the first time that the tapestry had been able to be viewed in Fishguard in the way it was intended ie one continuous run – in St Mary’s Church Hall it had to be viewed in a spiral because of lack of room!!!

The photos of the market traders reveal familiar faces, some of whom are still seen regularly on a Thursday.

Image 14 shows the wonderful tiled mosaic of Fishguard life created by local school children. This mosaic was on the wall prior to the refurbishment works and sadly during the works some of the tiles were lost/damaged resulting in the blank spaces visible on the first panel.  A few years following the reopening, an elderly gentleman would often be seen in the market hall (not on market day!) sketching in a notebook and working out which bits were missing from the pattern. A few days later one of the missing tiles would be replaced having been meticulously painted on a piece of plywood in his workshop. Wonder whether these wooden replacements still exist or have they been replaced by ceramic ones?

These photos were taken by Barrie Thomas to whom we are very grateful for permitting them to be shared.