Sir, Following the fire and subsequent demolition of the Royal Gate House Hotel, your newspaper has quite correctly provided a forum for opinion and discussion. Some correspondence has been well researched, considerate and even sympathetic, but as one would expect, some has been less well considered and is more strident in its nature. I should therefore be grateful if you would allow me, as owner of the hotel, the courtesy of your pages to make my own observations.
It is important to remind ourselves of the devastating scenes of destruction on Easter Saturday and above all to be grateful that no-one was injured. Numerous firefighters placed themselves at risk in order to control the fire and I take this opportunity to express my gratitude for their skill and courage. I also thank Dyfed Powys Police for their control of events as they unfolded. Subsequently, many organisations have become involved and in no particular order, but with sincere thanks I pay tribute to the following: The people and traders of Tenby for their forbearance and patience; Pembrokeshire County Council and their employees as well as Clrs. Michael Williams and Mike Evans; Tenby Town Council and the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.
It was immediately evident that the only way forward for the town was to demolish the remaining parts of the structure and whilst my own efforts were centred in this aim, I was naturally concerned that those efforts could be misinterpreted as being for selfish reasons. I am therefore grateful for the groundswell of opinion and public meetings that added weight to my own negotiations. For the record, I should be grateful if you would publish in full the enclosed letter that I wrote to the First Minister Rhodri Morgan with copies to the Secretary of State Paul Murphy, Local MP Nick Ainger and AM Angela Burns (see below).
The Royal Gate House Hotel holds many happy memories for my own family and for many others from far and wide, be it for wedding, christenings, holidays, dinners or formal functions.
However, the challenge now is to look to the future and to replace the old hotel with a prestigious development that will be relevant to current needs whilst respecting the history of our town, as all business persons know this must be feasible, viable and sustainable.
Graham T. R. Fry, Tenby