22 Rhodewood, Saundersfoot

Updated - 17 January 2012

FBM Holidays have joined 22 Rhodewood to provide a unique holiday for news paper journalist and his family. The lovely modern end of terrace townhouse is set within a small complex of recently built luxury apartments and townhouses. It offers good quality fittings, furnishings, a fully integrated kitchen with all mod cons and also benefits from a large decked area at the side of the property with garden seating, as well as a patio at the front. There is a glimpse of the sea from the lounge window and access to the Glen Beach is a short walk away. It is situated approximately half a mile down St Brides Hill into the centre of the village.

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Fish Week 2012

Updated - 17 January 2012

Pembrokeshire Fish week 23 June 2012

Pembrokeshires Fish week will be held on Saturday 23rd June to Sunday 1st July 2012, a seriously fishy event !

For more information tel: 01437 776168 or visit http://www.pembrokeshirefishweek.co.uk/

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Tenby Boxingday Swim.

Updated - 12 January 2012

Tenby Boxing Day Swim started in 1970 and has snowballed into Tenby's main Christmas attraction. With around 600 swimmers and thousands of onlookers each year, this fantastic spectacle is not to be missed. With everyone swimming for charity, and the majority in fancy dress, Boxing Day in Tenby is a surefire way to carry on the fun at Christmas. A roaring bonfire greets the emerging swimmers and everyone of them receives a medal for their bravery. Started by the Tenby Sea Swimming Association, (TSSA), the Osborne family has been associated with the spectacle from the beginning and Chris Osborne, chairman of TSSA has seen the event take place in every weather condition, from brilliant sunshine to freezing wind-chill. And he said that each year, the organisers never fail to be amazed by its growing success and popularity. As the swim goes from strength to strength each year, the event grows with canoes, raft racing and much more before the great immersion at 11.30am . Come and meet your friends on the North Beach this Boxing Day, give generously to the local charities and enjoy all the fun of the beach.

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Saundersfoot New Years Day Swim.

Updated - 12 January 2012

In it’s 28th year the hundreds of swimmers pulled out all the stops embracing the event in Olympic-themed fancy dress. Fancy dress highlights included a group of Team GB Athletes who arrived in style in their very own London Double Decker Bus, Eddie the Eagle and the Team GB Equestrian team complete with their steeds.

In celebration of the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Saundersfoot New Year’s Day Swim was started with the lighting of an ‘Olympic Swim’ flame with a specially commissioned NYDS torch.  The NYDS torch started its official journey in London five weeks ago in the hands of Olympic Gold Medallist Darren Campbell.  Since then it has travelled to and toured Pembrokeshire, visiting towns such as Haverfordwest, Narberth, and Tenby.  The torch-bearer for the Olympic Swim was local Tri-athlete and Ironman Oliver Simon.  The torch was transported by jetski to the harbour’s lighthouse where it was used to ignite the ‘Olympic Swim’ flame.  A barrage of fireworks followed marking the start of the 2012 ‘Olympic’ New Year’s Day Swim and the mad dash into the icy-cold waters of Saundersfoot.

Onlookers were also treated to a visit from the Tenby’s RNLI Lifeboat - ‘Haydn Miller’. 

The NYDS was held in Saundersfoot village, Pembrokeshire, at 12:30pm.

Why not relive the fun and watch the event here

Images provided by Gareth Davies Photography.

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Tenby Fire Station Thank you - 15 Aug 11

On behalf of all the boys at Tenby Fire Station I would like to thank you for your kind donation for our Annual Summer Carnival, proceeds of which go towards the Fire fighters National Benevolent Fund. Once again I would like to thank you for this kind and generous gesture.

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PEMBROKESHIRE FISH WEEK THANK YOU - 13 Jul 11

I would like to say a very big thank you to FBM Holidays for supporting Pembrokeshire Fish Week 2011. Your continued support is a great help in raising the profile of the event with FBM Holidays on board. Thank you for your sponsorship for the Coarse Fishing Event, the new format of the competition was a real success, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable day for all those involved.

The public showed their support and came in their thousands on the Opening day and the weather just held off for us all day which always helps an event of this scale.

We have so far received excellent feedback from the attending public for the events programme put on throughout the week. The enthusiasm shown by so many of the participants involved makes all the hard work so worth while.

Pembrokeshire Fish Week is gaining momentum every year and is now fully established on the national festival calendar. We have recorded that there has been a further increase this year in enquiries from visitors out of county who are planning Pembrokeshire Fish Week either as their main or as part of their holiday itineraries. This is of tremendous benefit to the county on the shoulder season weeks. This years footfall counts revealed that just over 12,000 people attended the opening day alone which is an excellent achievement.

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PEMBROKESHIRE FISH WEEK IS RECIPE FOR SUCCESS!

Published - 13 December 2011.

Fantastic fish and shellfish, wonderful coastal activities, and plenty of family fun - it’s a recipe for success for Pembrokeshire Fish Week 2012.

The annual West Wales festival will be held from June 23rd to July 1st, with some 250 events throughout the county.

Enjoy the breathtaking Pembrokeshire coast in guided beach walks, boat trips, island rambles, and snorkel safaris.

Sample fabulous seafood at local restaurants, join a cookery workshop, or be inspired by celebrity chefs Bryn Williams and Mitch Tonks, as they demonstrate delicious fish and shellfish recipes.

Or why not enjoy learning some new outdoor skills – try surfing, kayaking, coasteering and coastal foraging with the experts.

Children can choose from lots of different events, including crab-catching, beach explorer sessions, river walks, seaside-inspired craft, and much more.

There are also great coarse and sea angling competitions for anglers of all abilities, plus learn-to-fish sessions and family fishing days.

“Pembrokeshire Fish Week is an example of how food festivals can achieve something dynamic that adds richness and character to the culture of an area,” said Simon Wright, broadcaster, restaurateur, and

True Taste ambassador for Wales.

“What impresses me is the sheer breadth of activities and the extent of community involvement. “Above all it highlights the rich harvest available off the Welsh coast - something that is sorely needed.”

The award-winning Pembrokeshire Fish Week, now in its 13th year, is organised by Pembrokeshire County Council.

For more information, view www.pembrokeshirefishweek.co.uk

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Wales Coast Path Discover the Shape of a Nation

 

Wales’s newest attraction will be open in Spring 2012

Fancy an 870 mile stroll?

The Wales Coast Path is your answer, stretching continuously from near Chester in the north to Chepstow in the south. The Path is for everyone and gives you a chance to explore any part of coastal Wales, to meet the locals and enjoy the fresh air and scenery. Consider this your invitation to step out and enjoy our new national endeavour, even if you don’t walk the whole thing! Work to create the Wales Coast Path is co-ordinated by the Countryside Council for Wales and delivered on the ground by local authorities. It is funded by the Welsh Government, the European Regional Development Fund and the coastal local authorities.

For further information: www.ccw.gov.uk

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FBM Holidays Proud Sponsors of Tenby Blues Festival

Published - 1st November 2011

The 6th Tenby Blues Festival explodes around the seaside town over the weekend of 11th to 13th November, bringing blues from Louisiana and London, via Iceland, to Tenby. Featuring some of the leading British and Welsh blues bands with a sprinkling of world wide stars, the festival aims to bring together some of the many strands of Blues, both traditional and modern, Rock’n’Roll and Rhythm and Blues, in venues large and small. Some of the local and national bands appearing will be Last Chance Saloon, Hokie Joint, Whiskey Business and Skip ‘Little Axe’ McDonald. There will be chances to learn some killer licks from experts, watch a new film celebrating Robert Johnson, one of the legendary figures in early blues, and see one of the most loved British bands on their very last tour. The terrific trio ‘The Hamsters’ will play at the De Valence on Saturday 12th. for the very last time in Wales as they conclude 25 years of touring. Friday is a unique date and the festival is teamed with the 11Eleven project (11elevenproject.com) and we will film and record around Tenby all day for inclusion in the feature film of the day to be shown around the world next year.

Two of the musicians who play Louisiana Cajun music will be at Greenhill School to help the students get to grips with this music on Friday morning.

All weekend The Rugby Club, The De Valence and The Fourcroft and Giltar Hotels, will be jumping to the sound of wailing harmonicas and chiming guitars from the likes of The Blues Stealers and The Gutbucket Band. On Saturday and Sunday there will be live music in venues large and small all around the town, on the Tenby Blues Trail, all completely free. The large concert venue, The De Valence will host the big names drawn to play this fine festival and include, Skip ‘Little Axe’ McDonald, a central figure in the birth of hip hop who has returned to his roots to mainline the Delta blues mixed with electronica. Headlining on Friday is Hokie Joint who are a younger band who are setting the blues world on fire at the moment.

Besides hosting one of the very last gigs by veteran rockers The Hamsters, on Saturday the festival is excited to present Isreali born Terri Shaltiel who has been hailed by her peers as a phenomenal blues singer. The same evening don’t miss 24 Pesos, a very modern blues band with raw passion and southern funk. All this plus the entirely free ‘Blues Trail’ gigs all weekend and late night sessions , make this one of the hottest festival tickets of the winter.

The festival president is the Geordie bluesman Pat Grover who will be playing with his band The Hawks at The Bowling Club on Saturday, and a glance at the festival website, www.tenbyblues.co.uk will show that many younger bands are also featured. The festival aims to cover many flavours of the music and is run by a group of local music enthusiasts with volunteers and generous sponsorship from Valero, FBM and The Fourcroft Hotel. Pembrokeshire College business students help to record and collate information and the organisers are grateful for all the help people put into the festival to make it a brilliant experience for all attendees.

Tenby Blues is a winter festival to lift your spirits and warm your dancing feet, some tickets are still available from the website www.tenbyblues.co.uk.

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Visit FBM Holidays for a spooky treat this Halloween.

Published - 31st October 2011

Spooky, kooky, creepy, and fun! Halloween is the time of Ghosts, Goblins, Gravestones and Graveyards, of Spooks and Spirits and silly-fun tricks. Of Witches and Warlocks and Scary Black Cats, lots of sweets, Jelly Apples, Pumpkins and Bats. Karen and Billy from FBM Holidays have joined in the scary fun this Halloween.

Join in the spooky Halloween fun with the Oakwood Bowls Haunted Horror House from the 26th - 29th October. Or discover the haunting tales of Tenby as you take a chilling guided walk with the Tenby Ghost Walks.

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Billy Connor from FBM Holidays and his Cardiff Half Marathon

I have never ran a half-marathon before, so it was with some trepidation I lined up at the start of the Lloyds TSB Cardiff Half Marathon on Sunday 16^th October 2011. Luckily, the course is mostly flat making it ideal for beginners like myself. The race started at 9.00am in Cardiff Bay running past such landmarks as the new BBC studios in the Bay and continuing through the heart of the city, past the Cardiff City and Athletic Stadiums. Although there were a few minor hills, the roads were wide with quite a few good straight sections and there were plenty of water stations and a lucozade station for me to refuel. I ran the 13.1 mile race in 1hr 58mins which I was pleased with as I had predicted it would probably take me 2hrs 15mins. I thoroughly enjoyed the race and will definitely be entering again next year when I hope to have a faster time than this year.

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Are you watching the new BBC Wales reality series 24/7? It's all about Tenby and will screened on BBC HD soon!! Watch and see why Tenby is the ideal holiday destination. Follow the 24/7 linkfor news and an opportunity to see previous episodes.

Follow Tim O'Donovan and his wife Philomena as they transform Tenby´s old life boat station into their holiday home in the sea on Channel 4's Grand Designs. FBM are proud to declare that we helped with the transaction and advertising of Tenby´s old life boat station and are delighted with its development.

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Prize Draw

FBM Holidays are delighted to report that the 2012 prize draw holiday at 6 Bryn-y-Mor has been won by Victoria Chivers.

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Tenby awarded Silver Gilt in the ‘Coastal up

to 12K’ category awards in this year’s RHS

Britain in Bloom Tourism Awards

Tim Brace of FBM Holidays said of the recent award “I am delighted that Tenby has achieved the Silver accolade in the Britain in Bloom awards. Pembrokeshire County Council has yet again done a superb job in planting approximately 20,000 plants in the gardens of Tenby. All the volunteers have done an excellent job in making Tenby a superb destination for locals and visitors alike.”

Image by http://www.garethdaviesphotographytenby.co.uk/

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FBM Holidays sponsoring New Year’s Day Swim

The launch of the 2012 ‘Olympic’ New Year’s Day Swim recently took place at the St. Brides Spar Hotel.

The ‘Olympic’ swim will be the village’s 28^th and over recent years has gone from strength to strength, raising in the region of £350,000 for charitable causes. FBM are delighted to sponsor the event again this year, in conjunction with many other local businesses.

Swimmers are invited to come dressed as their Olympic heroes or show their support for Team GB in red, white and blue.

The 2012 swim will start at 12.30 prompt (not 11.30am as in previous years).

Saundersfoot Festivities Committee would like to thank the St. Brides Spa Hotel for their generous hospitality.

The 2012 ‘Olympic’ swim sponsors are: Powells Cottage Holidays, ND Toy Independent Financial Advisors, Sunnyvale Holiday Park, The Signbox, Princes Gate Spring Water, Coors Molsten, Folly Farm, Silcox Coaches, FBM Estate Agents, Saundersfoot Pleasure Boats, Silver Strand, Preseli Storage, Wogan Guest House, Tenby Glass and Neil Finlay Cars.

Further information on the New Year’s Day Swim can be found at www.saundersfootnyds.co.uk

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Well Done to St Brides Spa Hotel

A fantastic award for St. Brides Spa Hotel in Saundersfoot, which was named AA Hotel of the Year for Wales at the Hospitality Awards in 2011/2012.

Andrew and Lindsey Evans, owners of the Hotel, recently received the award in front of an audience of 700 member of the hospitality industry.

Tim Brace of FBM Holidays stated that it was a fantastic accolade for St. Brides Spa Hotel, they do Pembrokeshire proud and show what a fantastic product we have within the county. Congratulations to Andrew and Lindsay.

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Oakwood Bowl

Oakwood Theme Park is set to transform the Oakwood Bowl into a terrifying ‘scare attraction’. From Wednesday 26^th to Saturday 29^th October the Oakwood Bowl will be transformed, joining forces with staff from the renowned Dragon Reptiles to create a unique live attraction Horror House walk-through.

Walkthroughs will be held on the above dates between 5.30 – 9pm. Admission is £3 and tickets are available on the door. For more information visit www.oakwoodthemepark.co.uk

Tim Brace of FBM Holidays stated that it was fantastic to see Oakwood putting on additional events out of season in order to keep the visitors coming to the county.

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FBM Holidays booking

FBM Holidays booking boosted by Tenby 24/7. Tim Brace, Partner of FBM, is delighted to see a substantial increase in bookings. The Tenby 24/7 BBC programme has been a tremendous success and has certainly highlighted the number of hits on our website and these have been converted into bookings. It’s great to think that the publicity and all the work which the film crew and locals put in over the summer will be paying dividends in the long-term for Tenby.

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Narberth Food Festival

A fantastic success for Narberth Food Festival. More than 6,500 people enjoyed the feast of food and fun at Narberth Food Festival. With over 60 stalls and live entertainment programme and demonstrations from top chefs there was something to suit all tastes on the menu. Now in its 13^th year, the volunteer run festival, which won best event in the last Pembrokeshire Tourism Awards is going from strength to strength. Don’t miss it for next year.

The Ironman Wales 2012 date has been released! Iron Man Wales is to be held on the 16th September 2012 and will be held in Pembrokeshire South West Wales; for first choice self catering accommodation in and around tenby please click here.

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Iron Man Wales 2011

Located in Pembrokeshire Wales, one of the most beautiful regions of Great Britain. Ironman Wales takes place on Sunday, September 11th 2011. Pembrokeshire is known for the breathtaking landscape of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, featuring miles of sandy beaches and a spectacular coastline. Ironman Wales is one not to be missed!.

IRON MAN WALES WEEKEND IMPORTANT INFORMATION: - Pembrokeshire District Council have now announced the road closures and restrictions for the weekend of September 9th - 12th 2011. Please view the details here!

Report courtesy of The Tenby Observer.

South Pembrokeshire is to host a brand new triathlon event.

The World Triathlon Corporation announced the addition of Ironman Wales to its calendar of events at a press conference on Friday - the first day of the Long Course Weekend. Scheduled for Sunday, September 11, 2011, Ironman Wales will take place around Tenby, with a 3.8K sea swim, a 112 mile bike ride and full 26.2 mile marathon.

Around 2,000 competitors from around the world are expected to attend.

The official website www.ironmanwales.com is being launched today (Friday), the same day as registration opens. Welsh Assembly Government Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones said: “The Welsh Assembly Government is delighted to support Ironman Wales over a three-year period. This event will raise the profile of Wales and Pembrokeshire as a destination for sport and will encourage visits for both recreational and training purposes.

“With an expectation for the need of approximately 8,000 room nights in Pembrokeshire during the shoulder season, this will also be an added bonus for the area’s tourism industry.

“The Welsh Assembly Government is committed to encouraging people to live a healthier, more active lifestyle through its Change4Life programme, and with the side events offered by the event organisers, such as IronKids and Everyone’s Run, there will be an opportunity for everyone to get involved.”

Matthew Evans, of Activity Wales, local partner of Ironman Wales, said: “Activity Wales is extremely excited to have been able to bring such a high profile world class brand to Pembrokeshire.

“The National Park that is Pembrokeshire will offer athletes a stunning course, whilst the passion of the local villages and towns will really create a European style atmosphere for supporters and athletes. This will be a truly memorable event and with Tenby’s infrastructure, athletes really will just take over the town to create what will be an incredible week.”

Kai Walter, managing director of Ironman European Headquarters, who flew in for the launch, said he was pleased with the location of the first Ironman Wales.

“Tenby and Pembrokeshire Coast National Park have a very special atmosphere. Ironman Wales is sure to attract triathletes from all over the world who wish to experience a challenging race in a unique location.”

The news was also given the thumbs up by Mayor of Tenby, Clr. Mrs. Julie Evans, who said the event was a ‘fantastic coup for Tenby’ and was an event that would be welcomed ‘with open arms’.

FBM Holidays has a wide range of accommodation for the who are planning on taking part or spectating on the day, click here to view a selection of our Iron Man accommodation.

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Marloes Filming

Film crews were back in Pembrokeshire last week for the filming of ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’ on Marloes Sands. News that actors Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth were filming on location quickly became world wide news, with Pembrokeshire being mentioned on Social network sites all week.

With the beautiful weather hitting Pembrokeshire last week the filming provided a new attraction for the county, with visitors and locals taking to Marloes Sands to catch a glimpse of the filming.

James Parking, director of recreation, marketing and communications for Pembrokeshire Coast National Park said “Both filming and the release of the movie itself in due course, will have a very positive impact on Pembrokeshire’s appeal to visitors and should provide a fantastic boost for the tourism industry”

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Ironman Wales 2011

Ironman Wales was held in Pembrokeshire South West Wales; Ironman Wales took place on Sunday, September 11th 2011.

The event attracted competitors from around the globe and started with Iron Kids on South Beach Tenby. Iron Kids began with a swim of 50–100 meters and was then followed by a 450-900 meter run. The distance was dependant on competitor’s age and was cheered on by locals and holiday makers alike.

On the Sunday the Iron Man began at 7am with a 2.4 mile swim. The swim course was two laps, clockwise around North Beach Tenby. The swim was originally scheduled to take place on Tenby’s South Beach but due to weather conditions it had to be moved to North Beach. Oliver Simon was the first athlete to complete the first lap of the swim. The sun was shining as they continued their 2^nd lap of the swim. Oliver Simon exited the water first with 3 athletes behind him.

The competitors raced 1000km to their bikes. Oliver Simon was in the lead as he raced passed Manorbier castle then trough Pembroke.

On the grueling 112 mile cycle course across the stunning Pembrokeshire countryside, Edo Van Der Meer took the lead on the bikes, 57 miles into the bike ride Aaron Farlow took the lead followed by Edo Van Der Meer for the men’s race. Anja Ippach took the lead for the female competitors.

Aron Farlow was first to complete the bike and start the 26.2 mile marathon course which took place in and around the picturesque town of Tenby. It started from Trafalgar Road and headed out along the town wall, north towards New Hedges, returning along the same route finally running along Tenby’s iconic Esplanade to reach the finish line.

First to cross the finish line was The 2011 Ironman Wales Champion is Jeremy Jurkiewicz completing the race in 09:04:21 closely followed by Aron Farlow 5 seconds behind him. Kristin Moler was the first female to complete the course. The oldest competitor was Garth Barfoot, who traveled from New Zealand and is 75 years old.

Congratulations to all those who entered Ironman Wales 2011, and a big thank you to all who were involved in the event. Well done to Luke Remington from FBM who helped on the drinks stations he started at 5:45 and finished at midnight. Luke said “A great day was had by all and it was nice to cheer the competitors on.”

FBM Holidays welcomes everyone back next year and wishes you all good luck.

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Billy Connor from FBM Holidays is proud to play five a side football for the Crown public house in Tenby.

He states, “We play at Bloomfield's, in Narberth, every Monday Night and usually have 7 players as it is roll on roll off subs, the game itself lasts for 13 minutes each half. Some rules are as follows, the ball must not be kicked above head height and you are not allowed to shoot inside the goalkeepers box. As a team, we only started playing a year ago and and did not start very well as we did not win a game but the more we played together, the more we complemented each other and we became stronger as a team and eventually went unbeaten in eight games. Our moment of glory came when we beat the champions who had not lost a match in three seasons, it was a huge achievement as no one else had beaten them.”

The next season will be kicking off soon, and we will hopefully start where we finished off last season, unbeaten!

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The Pembrokeshire Coastal path is number 3 in the world according to a new guide to the best walks in the world just published. See the Daily Express article HERE

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Tenby 10k 2011

A record number of 366 competitors took part in this years Tenby 10k run. It all started at 11:00am from The Croft-Norton Junction. The race then continued up through Narberth Road and all the way out to the end of Penally. The competitors then turned back and headed toward the High Street, down to Tudor Square, where they were greeted to the finish by the cheers of the crowds. Dewi Griffiths came home in first place in a record time of 30 minutes and 56 seconds. FBM Holidays proudly sponsored the 10k run and provided a 4 night break in one of our unique cottages. Andrew Howell won the open male event, Anthony Powell the men’s over 40’s and Alan Davies the over 50’s. The first woman home was Alaw Thomas in 38 minutes and 11 seconds, and she won a weekend break at the Fourcroft Hotel. The open female event was won by Clara Evans, with Shan Roberts taking the over 40’s crown and Mary Bowen-Rees the over 45’s Billy and Anne-Marie from FBM entered the event, Anne-Marie that “It was my first time to run the Tenby 10K and even though it was hard work I am glad I did it and would definitely do it next year. It was well organised and a great experience.”

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FBM Holidays are delighted to announce that the prize draw for 2011 is a holiday in 2012 at the the luxurious apartment of 6 Bryn y Mor. The prize draw is available at all the county shows attended by FBM this Summer and the draw will take place at the end of August 2011.

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Tenby 10K Annual Run July 2011.

Proudly sponsored by FBM Holidays