COLLEAGUES and customers at Tenby's T.P. Hughes store bade a fond farewell to two long-serving members of staff last week.

Twins Clem and Owen John retired after 49 years loyal service.

This week, David Hughes, chairman of T.P. Hughes, paid tribute to the brothers.

"When I came home from London to join the family firm in 1961, 'the twins' had already been there for over a year," he said. "Six years into my retirement, it does not surprise me that they are only just finishing - they still look like two cheeky young boys to me.

"Coming from Solva, they worked in our Haverfordwest branch until we transferred all our Pembrokeshire furnishing business to Tenby and we were fortunate that they agreed to stay on in spite of all the travelling involved. They had earned a huge reputation for their carpet-fitting skills and this alone won us many contracts in the north of the county as well as our local work.

"Their first language is Welsh and I believe that they have a private patois between themselves which no one else can understand. One customer phoned me to compliment us on an impressive fitting job and when I asked which fitters to congratulate, they said 'we didn't find out their names, but we think they were Dutch'. They tell me themselves that their most frequent response from customers has been 'Pardon'?

"They look so alike that most people can not tell them apart. Sometimes one of them would enjoy a cup of tea from a hospitable customer when the other one would swap places and surprise the customer by asking for a cup of tea a few minutes later.

"Fortunately for the firm, they have helped to train our younger fitters to continue their good work and I know that all who have worked with Clem and Owen during their long and loyal service want to wish them health and happiness in their well-deserved retirement."