HAVING recently booked a holiday in warmer climes, the question arose as to what reading material to pack in my suitcase ready for those endless hours of agony on the beach and poolside sunbeds.

Fortunately, the problem was solved just the day before I was due to leave these shores when onto my desk dropped an intriguing new book by a former Tenby man, Anthony H. Galvin (writes N.D.).

Sea of Change takes the reader through the changing maritime scene in and around Tenby and neighbouring Saundersfoot between the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 20th centuries.

It looks at the fishing industry, wreck and rescue, the transport of limestone and coal, the shipment of agricultural produce, and the regular links provided with the rest of the country by Bristol trading smacks, and steamer services.

And my how things have changed since then. While relaxing on my sunbed watching the jet skis and speedboats cutting through the surf, with cruise ships plying their trade in the background, it was hard to imagine those far off days when sloops and brigs were beached at Saundersfoot to load coal from the nearby pits.

Or moored in the bay off Tenby to collect their heavy cargoes from the limestone quarries at Lydstep, Giltar and Caldey - of particular interest to me as my grandfather was at one time employed at the Caldey quarry and my uncle was born on the island in 1900.

Times were tough indeed in those days, and Anthony (Gaffer) Galvin paints a graphic picture of it all, even producing several bills of entry, maps and line drawings of a host of vessels, including the Caldey monks' own small steamer Firefly which was sadly wrecked in a blizzard in 1916.

As the author vividly describes: "She was smashed to pieces in the entrance to Tenby harbour after 21 years service as the island's main passenger and supply vessel. The trawler Gratitude ran into the wreck in the darkness, lost control, and ended up on the Mayor's Slip."

Indeed, 'Gaffer's' extensive research for this enjoyable new book has been meticulous. And that is hardly surprising, as his love of the sea is obvious and shines through in leagues.

Born in Saundersfoot, raised in Penally and Tenby, and educated at Greenhill Grammar School, most of his spare time - whilst not being raised and educated that is - was spent in and around Tenby harbour.

The next 40 years were taken up by being a husband, father engineer and management consultant in the Midlands. He has maintained a keen interest in the sea, sailing and building boats, local and maritime history. He is a member of the West Wales Maritime Society and a lapsed member of the Society for Nautical Research.

And perhaps appropriately - for this holidaying reader at least - the author concludes his fascinating and informative tale by taking a look at the growth of 'tourism - the birth of an industry' in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Before then, the remoteness of the area and the inadequacy of communications limited the numbers of visitors. Mainly it was restricted to the 'well-to-do', who travelled with their entire household by coach and rented houses for the season.

Steamer trips for Tenby visitors were starting to become available, however, and were proving popular for both day trips and channel cruises.

"Before the coming of the railway, the arrival of an excursion steamer was to be remarked upon," points out the author. "It was the town's first taste of the lower orders of society 'en masse' enjoying themselves, and the start of the class distinction between 'day trippers' and legitimate holidaymakers which still underlay 20th century attitudes."

Incidentally, at the time of reading, I was looking forward to my own excursion aboard a pleasure boat later that week. Perhaps things haven't changed that much after all!

Sea of Change is published by Gaffer Books, price £11.95.