Compared to Haverfordwest – which is celebrating its 900th anniversary this year – the city of Pembroke Pines in Florida is still in its infancy.
But the American community – which at 150,000 has a population significantly larger than Haverfordwest’s – is also celebrating a milestone in 2010.
Throughout April, Pembroke Pines is marking its 50th birthday with a series of civic events and a letter of congratulations from Pembrokeshire County Council Chairman, Anne Hughes, is winging its way across the Atlantic.
Said Councillor Hughes: “Historical research has proved that Pembrokeshire, Wales and Pembroke Pines, USA, do share a common link.
“Sir Edward James Reed who was a Member of Parliament for the County of Pembroke between 1874 to 1880 later bought and farmed a large area of land in Florida – the same land on which Pembroke Pines is built. Hence the name.”
Together with Preseli Pembrokeshire MP, Stephen Crabb, Councillor Hughes has selected a number of Pembrokeshire-themed products to send to her American counterpart.
They include the Pembrokeshire flag, a baseball cap marked ‘Pembrokeshire‘ and a DVD collection of the county’s best known views.
Pembroke Pines was recently voted one of the top cities to live in the USA.
