Sir, The board of trustees of the De Valence Arts Centre, Tenby, would like to address some of the points raised by Michael Williams. It's unfortunate that Michael Williams did not visit the event or meet with the trustees before sending his letter. He would have discovered a lively, enjoyable event that attracted over 300 people from Tenby and the surrounding area. They were from all ages and backgrounds and had a really enjoyable evening. Not a porn or pawn image in sight! What a pity that he seems inclined to rubbish the work of the board and our new director Darren when we have put so much energy and effort into putting the De Valence back on the map - the publicity was a real talking point leading up to the launch and generated a lot of publicity and interest. For a long time Tenby Council has had to struggle to keep the De Valence open. Thanks to the tremendous work of Mike Thorne and the trustees, the De Valence has received Objective 1 funding for three years and financial support from the council. We hope to build on the launch, become a regular spot in the social calendar of Pembrokeshire and build a reputation for a venue that everyone will be proud of. Our director, Darren has only been in post for two months and has already secured some exciting events and generated interest in the local community. There are plans for tea dances, cultural events, an art gallery, a regular kids zone day, as well as a real increase in bookings for weddings and enquiries from the Rotary Club, the Lions and the Round Table. The Welsh Assembly are interested in holding a conference at the De Valence, as are Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations, plus many other social events. Does this sound like we intend to 'drive a stake through the heart of traditional family holidays', or want to 'attract the worst clientele from a wide area'? What could Michael Williams possibly find to complain about? Does he want us to fail and see the De Valence go dark for ever, or become yet another building converted into apartments? We are all giving our time to build up this venue and have ambitious plans for events and activities that will make this a centre for everybody in the community to enjoy, including Mr. Williams. Why not give us the opportunity to succeed? We would be delighted to welcome Michael Williams to one of our meetings to give us the opportunity to outline many of the exciting plans we have for the future. We hope he will accept this invitation and become an enthusiastic supporter.
Board of Trustees, De Valence Arts Centre, Tenby.