Being a former dairy farmer himself, Rowland Evans, of Tenby-based Glyn Coch Designs has had every sympathy for the farming community during the Foot and Mouth crisis.

However, little did he realise that the outbreak of the disease would give him the impetus he needed to take his exclusive fine bone china designs into cyberspace.

Rowland, who runs Glyn Coch Designs with his wife Lou, thought he had seen the end to farming problems threatening his livelihood when he sold his agricultural interests in St. Clears to concentrate on producing some of Wales' finest bone china collectables 21 years ago.

Then he noticed that orders from outlets stocking some off Glyn Coch' extensive range in mid and north Wales were tailing off as the Foot and Mouth crisis deepened.

"There were no tourists about in those areas, so the outlets selling Glyn Coch designs didn't need any new stock," Rowland told the Observer this week.

Ever resourceful however, Rowland and Lou decided to look to the Internet to fill the gap and take Glyn Coch to a wider audience.

"We'd been toying with the idea of setting up a website for about three years, but never got around to it," explained Rowland. "However, the problems we were starting to experience in orders due to the foot and mouth crisis gave us the impetus we needed to knuckle down and do something about it."

Rowland had a purpose built computer system delivered by Infotech, in Neyland, and then family friend Katy Steed set to work on the software and teaching Lou and Rowland how it all worked.

"I was a complete technophobe," admitted Rowland.

"I was scared stiff that if I touched the computer it would burst into flames or something," he smiled.

Through Katy's guiding hand however, Rowland now knows no such fears, and even makes up designs on screen from his own digital photography.

"I have always had a one to one approach to business this modern technology offers up tremendous opportunities," said Rowland.

"It enables us to respond quickly to customer inquiries and , in the case of commemorative ware in particular, present the client with proofs of exactly what we envisage very quickly."

Katy also designed the new Glyn Coch website where customers can browse through some of the firm's extensive range of fine bone china and even order on line.

"We've already had two orders from America, and the site's only been on-line since the start of the week, " smiled Rowland.

The site is very much still a work in progress, with Katy adding hyperlinks to other sites and increasing the number of webpages.

"Although we've gone'hi-tech', we still want to keep the personal touch, and this will make it easier for people to get hold of us," said Rowland.

"Glyn Coch has been around since 1979, this is another very interesting and exciting step on the road for us. It's opening up a whole new field."

Among the first Glyn Coch designs to be developed 'on screen' is a 180th anniversary plate for Pisgah Baptist Chapel.

They have also just completed a commission, for the Order des Chevaliers Bretvins Bailliage Du Pays De Galles for their international convention in Cardiff next week.

In addition to 200 commemorative coasters, Lou has also designed a special commemorative plate for guest of honour, Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas.

Glyn Coch Designs have outlets locally at Simply the Best in Tenby's Upper Frog Street and at Stepaside Craft Village.

The new Glyn Coch website can be found at http://www.china-wales.co.uk">www.china-wales.co.uk while Rowland and Lou can be e.mailed at [email protected]">[email protected]

Alternatively they can be contacted be telephone on (01834) 842863; (01834) 844979 or (01834) 811104.