Summer 2010

 

The winner of the Pembrokeshire Fish Week FBM Holidays Coarse Fishing Championship has been announced as Chris Kidd from Hook.  

  

Twelve finalists took part in the successful five-hour championship final at Llyn Carfan Coarse Fishery, Tavernspite on 3rd July, following daily heats held the previous week. 

  

Starting on Monday, the first 3 hour heat, Jonathan Davies had a top weight of 28lbs 10oz from peg 11 on the bottom lake. It was no surprise as Jonathan (aka Rimmer) had been out practising and setting up rigs the weekend before! 

  

Tuesday evening fished well with joint winners on pegs 5 and 6. Chris Harrison on peg 5 bagged 23lbs and Dave Allen on 6 equalled his weight exactly.  

  

Friday night`s match, on the top lake, proved far more challenging with some anglers failing to catch anything. This may have been because some persisted for the carp alone hoping that the one large one would give a huge advantage over the silver fish. The night's eventual winner was Chris Kidd with 10.8ozs. 

  

Over the week 13 anglers qualified to battle it out for the Saturday's 5 hour final to win a trophy and £750.00 prize money. 

  

The championship final was held at on Saturday 3rd July. As one of the finalists was unable to make it 12 anglers drew for pegs at 9.30am. This allowed one hour to set up their equipment on their pegs before the 10.30a.m start.  

  

The anglers appreciated that the pegs were deliberately spaced out for this competition. This allowed the anglers a chance to fish for the bigger carp without worrying about the fish running through the next competitors swim.  

  

There was an exciting start with the first carp actually caught within a minute of the whistle. All anglers continued to catch all day using various methods from poles to rods using floats or feeders. It was interesting to watch the anglers change tactics as the hours passed. When fishing for the roach that were further out went quiet, pre-fed margins were tried for that elusive large carp. Jonathan Davies used this to great effect when he took the biggest carp of the day the only double figure fish taken. That fish certainly helped him gain the runners up spot. 

  

Peg 6 took the top prize on Saturday and had also produced the winner on Tuesday evening. Interesting then, that on Monday, it blanked completely! 

  

Complimentary refreshments were provided by Llyn Carfan and that along with the fine weather resulted in a relaxed and enjoyable competition. 

  

The championship was kindly sponsored by FBM Holidays.  

  

The winners were: 

  

1st Prize of £400.00 plus trophy went to Chris Kidd from Hook who drew peg 6. He weighed in 34lbs 13oz, a mixed bag of carp and silver fish.  Chris also won Friday evening match with 10lb 8oz bag from the top lake.  

  

Second place and £200.00 went to Jonathan Davies from Cross Hands on peg 7 with 18lb 6oz he took home £200.00. Jonathan won the Monday night bottom lake match from peg 11. 

  

Third prize £100.00 went to Dave Allen on peg 12 with 18lb 1oz. Dave qualified on Tuesday evening with a joint top weight of 23lbs from Peg 6. 

  

Fourth prize £50.00 went to Mike Hanson from Hinckley. Mike and his son Lee both qualified from the Friday night match. 

  

The competition was held as part of Pembrokeshire Fish Week 2010, which was organised by Pembrokeshire County Council. It is part funded through the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013, which is financed by the EU and the Welsh Assembly Government.    

 

For further information, contact Anna Wilson, Assistant Press and Public Relations Officer, on 01437 775855. The Council's press releases are also available on the Authority's website: www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk  

 

 

Spring 2009

FBM HOLIDAYS are delighted to announce that in their ever-increasing search to make matters easier and more convenient for our customers, Google mapping has been introduced to the FBM Holidays website. Now customers can not only see the area where their holiday accommodation is, but can also find attractions, theme parks, beaches and local sites nearby and also have the facility to map the easiest route from home to the door of their holiday accommodation. This will certainly add to our mutual customers' enjoyment of their holiday. FBM Holidays are always striving to introduce new and innovative ideas to their West Wales web and are constantly upgrading and refining the FBM Holidays website in order to make booking a holiday in Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and The Gower as simple as reading a newspaper.

NEW APPPOINTMENT - 1st September 2008

FBM Holidays are very pleased to welcome new member of staff, Steve Maytum to the department. Steve joined the department on the 1st September to take up his new position of Property Consultant. Steve will join Hazel Garrod, also a Property Consultant, to assist in further promoting the already very successful FBM Holidays. Steve is no stranger to FBM having joined the Estates office in 2005 and has worked as a Sales Negotiator in our Pembroke office, many may also remember him from the days when he was running the Castle Inn in Manorbier. We all wish Steve every success in his new job role. Hazel and Steve are currently looking for new holiday letting properties in Pembrokeshire to join our expanding portfolio. Contact Hazel on 01834849278 or Steve on 01834849280.

Pictured are: Tim Brace (Partner), Hazel Garrod & Steve Maytum.

Tenby resists the property bust

The Welsh coastal town is riding high and property prices are buoyant

Norman Miller

It's hard to say what makes the biggest impression as you arrive in Tenby: the dazzling sweep of the town's North Beach curving round to a little picture-book harbour by South Beach, the high medieval walls encircling the old town lanes or simply the variety of colour on the buildings.

Tenby's multicoloured façades - yellows, pinks, blues and reds - lend this Pembrokeshire resort a lively air. This is one of the hotspots riding high on Wales's cultural renaissance, epitomised by Duffy's storming of the charts and the TV awards and audiences being hoovered up by Gavin and Stacey, Torchwood and Doctor Who. Here, I spot posters for various festivals: folk last weekend, an arts festival next month (headed this year by Julian Lloyd Webber), and blues in November. A winter carnival livens up December, while the De Valence Pavilion will shortly offer work by Ibsen, Shakespeare and Dylan Thomas, who lived near by in Laugharne.

Style-conscious buyers are flocking to Wales's seaside resorts, and the influx of money is helping to restrict falls in property values - prices are down just 6 per cent across the Principality, compared with 10 per cent for the rest of the UK, according to the agent Knight Frank. Already, signs abound that there is plenty of money as well as culture in these parts - if the number of £20 dishes on local menus are anything to go by.

I get a deeper insight into Tenby's heritage at the museum perched among ruined fortifications overlooking Castle Beach, which chronicles strong links forged with the West Country ports just across the Bristol Channel - reason perhaps why Pembrokeshire remains arguably the most "English" of Welsh counties.

Background
A Regency Gothic pile in Wales for £3.25m
The house where Dylan Thomas stayed
Cardiff gets some city living
Focus on property in Wrexham
Related Links
Property market report: Wales
The parallels I'm drawing, though, are to the West Country - only with fewer Home Counties types and lower prices for equally desirable houses. Pastel-hued Georgian townhouses perch around the harbour, including one whose view inspired the young George Eliot. Colourful cottages line the lanes around Tudor Square, while Edwardian semis sit behind the Esplanade, five minutes' walk from the golf course, the breathtaking South Beach and a railway station that links the town to Swansea and Cardiff.

FBM on the high street is both Tenby's leading holiday rentals agency and one of its principal estate agents. Its head, Tim Brace, says that buyers often fall for the place on holiday then move there. Tenby remains relatively affordable: the average selling price rose from £215,000 to £237,000 in the year to June, a rise of 10 per cent, Land Registry figures show, although the number of sales has levelled out. Brace says that prices are holding steady: "Houses tend to be immaculate - a lot of money has been spent on property in Tenby." Prices start as low as £75,000 for a one-bedroom flat, although £120,000 is typical for larger one-bedroom flats in the old town. Two-bedroom flats on the edge of town start at £130,000, although more central ones range from £150,000 to £230,000.

At the top end, FBM has a sixbedroom period house overlooking South Beach on the market for £895,000. Brace says: "But a lot of people come with a budget of £250,000 and find what they want."

As well as people taking early retirement, there is a growing number of younger buyers who are attracted by good schools, such as Greenhill (junior and primary), decent facilities (leisure centre with pool, health centre) and the town's relaxed atmosphere. Brace says: "Fifteen years ago Tenby hotels shut in winter. Now they're busy year-round with weekenders and walkers. And it's not just tourism: conferences are also providing continuity of employment." Large oil/gas engineering projects at nearby Milford Haven have also brought workers and wealth pouring in.

There's also a pleasing compactness to Tenby, with almost everything concentrated within or just beyond the medieval walls. Tenby's rise as a resort as well as working port came in Victorian times, when the town's waters and beautiful natural setting became a watchword as balms for both body and soul.

You can seek deeper spiritual solace at the Cistercian monastery on Caldey Island, just offshore. Most, however, come to see the building, buy some of the monastery-made chocolate and perfume, then explore the island from its wood-backed beach by the landing quay to the sea cliff paths along the southern side.

Walkers are frequent sights in Tenby too, pausing on sojourns through the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. One of the best places to relax is Caffe Vista at the top of Crackwell Street. Opened last year, this conversion of a rundown Georgian house exemplifies Tenby's appeal: stylish modern updating of a generous 19th-century space, fine Greek dishes alongside fabulous cakes, plus the friendly cosmopolitan young owners,Yanni and Claudia, and a view from the balcony that perks you up as much as the top-notch coffee.

There's a poem in the Tenby Museum, dating to the 9th century, that sings the praises of the town, from its fine fortifications to the way "hoarse seabirds haunt the crest of the crag". The fortifications are still fine, as are Tenby's prospects.

FBM: 01834 842207, frankmason.co.uk

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1st August 2008.

FBM Holidays are pleased to announce that following the retirement of David Sangster, David Harris, (pictured right) has been appointed Customer Services Manager. David has over 4 years experience with the company and FBM Holidays are delighted that the same enthusiastic commitment to both owners and customers will continue unabated.

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FBM Holidays were short-listed as 1 of 3 finalists for the Western Mail Business Awards for Wales 2008, in the category, 'Excellence in e-commerce' Reproduced below is the Western Mail Interview

Company: FBM Holidays. 

May 7 2008 by Sion Barry, Western Mail

Location: Tenby, Pembrokeshire.

Turnover/profits: £3m turnover. £651k gross profit.

What does your company do? Self-catering holidays letting agent.

Percentage of business conducted online? 50% of holiday bookings.

Percentage of staff with access to the Internet and e-mail? 100%

Do you have broadband? Yes

Do you have a website? Yes - www.fbmholidays.co.uk

Percentage of turnover invested in IT: 1.33%, or £40,000.

What investment will you be making in technology over the next year£60,000.

Do you believe businesses in Wales are generally below, on par, or ahead of competitors in other western countries in embracing IT? In general the quality of IT and in particular website design and marketing in Wales compares favourably with that of other European countries on a like-for-like basis.

However 32% of the population of Wales are employed in micro-businesses ranging from sole traders to those employing fewer than 10 staff. These businesses are typically located in rural areas and due to their geographic isolation, mountainous terrain and low population density, suffer from poor Broadband deployment when compared with the rest of the UK.

It has been our experience that to compete with the larger holiday market that exists in the UK and Europe, then a high degree of specialised knowledge is required to achieve a fully integrated website. 

Given the capital investment that has been required to integrate our website with our reservation and property management software and the specialised knowledge needed to achieve a high search engine ranking, then it is difficult for the smaller businesses to compete with organisations that are able to employ their own in house IT experts.

Small businesses will continue to struggle in Wales where lack of broadband availability prevents them from competing in the e-commerce world.

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2008 Blues Festival Launch Event

April 4, 2008

 

The Tenby Blues Festival sponsored by FBM Holidays is holding the launch gig for the third festival at 7.30pm on WEDNESDAY 23^rd APRIL at TENBY RUGBY CLUB. Headlining will be young Welsh blues band BULLITT who play Southern Blues Boogie at its finest. Think Allman Brothers or North Mississippi Allstars and then some! Supporting them will be THE BAND WITH NO NAME, another cutting edge young Welsh band  - they are fronted by Ollie Brindley, formerly of Pembrokeshire's much loved Bush Street Blues Band and Animal Jack Junior.

Tickets, priced at only £5, are available from the De Valence Box Office, telephone 01834 843568, or on the door on the night (if not sold out in advance).

Festival Director Declan Connolly said "This is the first of several events to be held in Tenby leading up to what promises to be the best festival so far - ticket prices have been held at an affordable level, the successful pub blues trail and late night sessions look like being an exciting feature once again, and we have some spectacular headliners lined up for the keynote gigs in the De Valence and the FBM stage at Tenby Rugby Club.

Tenby Blues Festival, with the FBM stage at the Tenby Rugby Club, now in its third year and already established on the UK festival scene, will take place over the weekend of 14^th-16^th NOVEMBER 2008. Full details, including artists booked so far, can be accessed at www.tenbyblues.co.uk.

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