A REMARKABLE set of coincidences led to long-lost family connections to be re-established after a visit to the Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre.

Jeanine Belbin and her husband, John, who live in Victoria, Australia, were following the family trail of Jeanine’s parents.

“My mother was Sheila Frances Callender, who lived at 26 Clarence Street,” recalled Jeanine. “She married a Royal New Zealand Air Force airman, Sergeant Charles Henry Massey, in 1955. My dad flew in Sunderland flying boats.

“Mum went out to New Zealand to join my father and I was born in Fiji in November 1956.”

Tragically, Jeanine’s mother died two days after her daughter was born. Jeanine’s father re-married and had two more children.

Jeanine knew very little about her Pembroke Dock family except for the home address on Clarence Street, her grandmother’s name - Violet Meta Callender - and the name of a young relative, Eileen.

When the couple booked into Lovesgrove Guest House and told the owner, John Kilcoyne of the local connection, he immediately contacted the Heritage Centre to arrange a visit.

There they met trustees Martin Cavaney and John Evans. Martin used to live in Clarence Street and within a short time, he was able to track down Eileen.

Martin said to a surprised Eileen: “If you were formerly Eileen Callender your first cousin, whom you have never met, is over in the Heritage Centre waiting to meet you!”

Soon after, Jeanine and John were meeting up with Eileen - now Mrs Hulbert and still living in Clarence Street - and the two cousins began catching up on 60 years of family history. And among family photographs Eileen produced was one of Eileen herself with Jeanine’s parents on their wedding day.

Mr Evans found more family information – a newspaper report of the Jeanine’s parent’s marriage from just two days before he left for New Zealand.

Jeanine added: “To make contact with my cousin Eileen and her family was amazing and delightful. I am so thrilled and cannot thank Martin and John enough.”

“I am planning a return visit to the UK, with my daughter, next spring and Pembroke Dock is firmly on the schedule. In the meantime, I shall keep in contact with Eileen and my now newly found family.