Hollywood Stars in Pembroke

Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor may have portrayed a piece of history together in the epic 1963 film Cleopatra but they probably didn’t ever envision that more than fifty years later they would be portraying Tudors in Pembroke, the birthplace of Henry VII and the Tudor dynasty.

A refurbished Pembrokeshire eatery has made exactly that happen.  The Dial Inn Hotel and Restaurant in Lamphey has incorporated these two truly iconic stars, as well as Britain’s own blonde  bombshell Diana Dors, into their new  bar area but yet still managed to ensure that the  Tudor heritage of Pembroke is fully reflected in these new works of art.

Manager and art lover, George Hill (35), commissioned local artist Lee ‘Trashcan’ Minton (49), to paint portraits of the stars for three bar panels at the Inn, a quirky place renowned for its good food, character and beautiful décor..  The bar area already has three magnificent portraits of  Henry VII,  his wife Elizabeth of York, and the mother of Henry VII Margaret Beaufort, hanging proudly on the main wall.  These are an immediate and striking feature for visitors entering the pub.

It was these three grand portraits that Pembroke based artist and tattoo artist Lee drew on for inspiration for his new portraits which he painted in acrylic on canvas. Lee has recreated his own version of the original Tudor portraits but has given them an intriguing twist by giving them with the faces of Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor and Diana Dors.  The transformation of the famous trio, who all have links to Wales, into  Tudors, was unveiled this week and has already become a real talking point for customers of the Dial Inn.

George said, “The Dial Inn is proud to own these unique and cleverly constructed works of art.   I commissioned Lee for the work because of his excellent reputation, but the portraits have completely exceeded my expectations.  The response from our customers has been wonderful and I think they have encouraged everyone to want to learn more about the Tudors and their links to Pembroke”

Artist Lee, who also runs a tattoo studio on Main Street in Pembroke, is also delighted by the response so far.  He said, “I really enjoyed the challenge of incorporating Hollywood icons into the theme of the pub and I am thrilled that George and his customers appreciate the twist I have given to the original Tudor portraits.”

The portraits are now on permanent display in the bar of The Dial Inn and somehow it seems fitting that the legendary stars are now permanently reunited in a way that is meaningful for Pembroke.

Information on Photographs:

Margaret Beaufort and Elizabeth Taylor.

Elizabeth of York and Diana Dors

Richard Burton and Henry VII

Dial Inn Bar – Lee Trashcan Minton (left) and George Hill (right)