Sirs,
In reply to the letter of last week from Mr. J. Mills, of Tenby Cycles, I would like to make some helpful comments re. grant money given to the De Valence Pavilion.
Every town and village needs a building with a large space as a meeting place for community activities.
The only large venue in Tenby is the pavilion where a huge variety of events are held throughout the year, from meetings for the Chamber of Commerce to fairs and weddings and children's dancing lessons; from stage shows to parties for pensioners; from Chekov to Max Boyce. I could continue the list until blue-pencilled by this newspaper.
Halls at churches and chapels are almost always too small and they do not carry the event licences required by the county council.
The most relevant point for Mr. Mills is that activities at the De Valence Pavilion actually bring money into Tenby. The Tenby Arts Festival brings people from all over the UK. They stay locally, shop and eat locally. Last year, they packed the pavilion at concerts as varied as gypsy jazz and Handel opera. The fringe events filled the pubs, folk and Blues festivals bring the same benefits.
Yes, the pavilion does need some improvements, better signage and foyer, improved lighting and an entrance through the town wall would be helpful.
But it has a small hard-working dedicated staff who work long anti-social hours constantly improving standards. This now includes an energetic, experienced director, who is developing a programme of even more community activities.
The town council is to be admired for giving a grant to keep this vital facility for the town. I am sure that the concern of the Mayor, Clr. Mrs. Sue Lane, was due, as she said, to 'being careful with the small amount of money' available to the council.
Patricia Price,
Manorbier.