Tenby is quiet. Unusually so, for the early May bank holiday, which ordinarily brings many visitors to enjoy our beaches, discover our history and rest in Tenby hotels and B&Bs, but it’s all for good reason.
We remain closed temporarily, and since the lockdown started at the end of March, we’ve been disappointed not to welcome our planned guests. However, we’ve also been touched by the community spirit in our neighbourhood, the weekly claps, cheers and bangs of kitchen pots and pans celebrating the NHS and key workers, even by the emptiness of the Tenby streets as we walk our dog, Jack. We are all in this together.
One would-be Tenby visitor, Pete Hall from Cardiff, was due to celebrate his wife’s birthday with a Pembrokeshire vacation. Unable to take their trip and unsure when they’d be able to reschedule, Pete decided to bring Tenby to his home!
Creating Tenby town with what he could find around the house, Pete built the model with bits of wood from old furniture and painted using nearly forgotten test pots. Even the children’s arts and crafts cupboard contributed to the art piece.
Photo: BBC Wales 10 May 2020
Mark, one of our co-owners here at the Hildebrand is a keen DIY craftsman and acknowledges the commitment required for Pete’s project, which has been covered by the BBC. Back in Cardiff, Pete owns Halls in Llandaff. As a fellow business owner, we appreciate that Pete would never usually have had the time to create such a wonderful model.
In this period of uncertainty, which is understandably causing anxiety for many, it’s heartwarming to find pockets of light shining through. Not even lockdown can keep creativity from reaching far and wide.
As we remain at home in Tenby, we send our warmest wishes to future visitors. We can’t wait to welcome you back soon, and see people enjoying our currently empty beaches.
