Tenby Civic Society is urging the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority to recognise the value of preserving an 'iconic piece of world-famous Welsh culture and history'. The society has written to the authority calling for the town's Ocean Haze Café to be kept in any development proposals that follow the sale of the Tenby court site. "Apart from its lighter, quite attractive '30s design (contrasting with the rather unadorned buildings either side), it was the location for what is thought to be the first reading in this country by Dylan Thomas of the completed script of 'Under Milk Wood'," explained society chairman, Harry Gardiner, in a letter to the authority. "He had been invited to give a reading to Tenby Arts Club and chose to read from the newly-completed script," he continued. "Given Dylan Thomas's and Under Milk Wood's status in Welsh culture and tourism, this building would be a valuable link for Tenby to preserve and celebrate. It could form a valuable theme for a development to utilise," he suggested. "The building forms an attractive link between the two more plain and higher elevations either side," he continued. "It could be a valuable foyer/functional link between them and could also serve as a foyer front to a new several storey link building filling in between the larger buildings either side," he suggested. "Its conservatory look adds an attractively different note to The Croft, links to the Tourist Information Centre frontage and the rear elevation to The Norton is made particularly attractive by the design of the railings and globe lamp pillars that must be preserved or used elsewhere within a new scheme, say on the frontage on The Croft. "Dylan Thomas's reading is an important link for the building with an iconic piece of world-famous Welsh culture and history. It would not be appropriate, given the importance of history to Tenby and its buildings, to lose this building in the redevelopment scheme for the Tenby court complex," he added. When a copy of Mr. Gardiner's letter to the authority came before members of Tenby Town Council this week, councillors noted it and agreed to keep it on file.
