NARBERTH CHAMBER OF TRADE
Established 31st May 1922
Committee meeting 20th May 2013 Angel Hotel 5.0 pm.
Present: Andrew Rees (Vice Chair); Gordon Barry (Sec);
Apologies.
John David Norcross (Chair); Williams (Treasurer); Ann Pendleton; David Hartshorne; Sally White; Ian Gravell; Jane Rees; Gary Howell; Ivan Wilson; Lynne Baylis; Andy Adamson; Quita Bull
Minutes of previous full meeting (18th March 2013) were acknowledged as the true record of events.
Matters Arising from Minutes
Treasurers report.
PLANNING Proposals.
Spring Gardens (The old Brains site now CK’s)
ACTION: Await further developments
Noble Court.
Outline application for a 42 bed four star hotel plus modifications to the existing static and tourer caravan layout / positions.
This has now been passed by PCC [planning
Development of the old CP School and Narberth Future Forum
It is understood that there are now three serious contenders and that PCC planning will put proposals to PCC Cabinet in July?
ACTION: Await further developments
Business Rate Revaluations 2010
Once the new CK store is operational thought are to be given to appealing our UBR valuations in line with the VOA advice shown below.
“The clock starts ticking when the work starts but more particularly once these sites have beendeveloped, at which point we can begin to quantify what effect, if any, the new stores might have on the town. We have to consider the effect of the developments on rental values, imagining these circumstances existed at the valuation date -1st April 2008."
The main contact for this should be Bradley Davies at
Carmarthen VOA office,
Government Buildings,
Picton Terrace,
Carmarthen,
SA31 3BT
Phone 01267 322 200
ACTION: Members to progress
Small Business Rate Relief.
Please note that this has been extended until March 2014 by the Welsh Government.
Sunday Times article on Narberth 17/3/13
Correspondence from Andover Town Council to Narberth TC enquiring how we managed to reduce our rates as per the article.
Clarification provided that it was the Foot & Mouth RRR which helped us from 2002-7 and that we are suffering the consequences with a +200% hike since then.
Publicity initiatives
Narberth Vouchers.
The concept idea floated by Plas Hyfred to introduce Narberth Vouchers giving (say) 10% discounts for their patrons who shop in participating businesses in the town was previously circulated to the Members and received a positive response. The practical aspects of the idea are to be looked at in collaboration with Plas Hyfred.
ACTION: Awaiting developments
Cruise Ships.
Information and photos requested by Morrison Tours for inclusion in their publicity for cruise ships trips in Pembrokeshire.
Brochure –Shopping in Narberth
A further print run of 5000 has been completed. Any one wanting more brochures please collect from John at Costcutter.
ACTION: Members
Chamber Website. www.narberthchamber.com
Please where possible PLEASE ask your Web Master to link the Chamber website address to your business website as this will raise its Google ranking for both our and your website’s visability.
ACTION: Members comments and suggestions ARE WELCOMED
Civic Week 22nd to 28th June 2012
Street Trading licences.
Ian Gravell had a very successful meeting with Marc Owen, Street Care Manager where the following was resolved
“Any business displaying their goods on the pavement is fine, even collecting payment on the pavement is fine. However, if you are selling clothing in your shop, you cannot deviate from what you are selling in the shop. Therefore, if you are selling tee shirts and jeans in your shop, you can sell same on the pavement. You cannot sell Ice Cream then on the pavement. If you have an Ice Cream shop, then you cannot sell tee shirts & jeans on the pavement. In a nutshell, if you deviate from what you normally sell, then you need a street traders licence.”
ACTION: Members to take note
Iron Man 15th September 2013
Before next years event more publicity is to be sought / organised to encourage potential audiences / visitors to see the cycling in Narberth, especially from the West and North of the County.
Currently very little preparation work is being sought by the organisers!!
ACTION: Secretary to progress publicity
Food Festival.28/29 September 2012
Sunday opening?
ACTION: Chamber members to work with Food festival committee.
Winter carnival. 30th November 2013
Thank you letter from Chair of Winter Carnival for the donation towards the traffic management course.
Please note and understand that the newly resurgent Winter Carnival is thanks to a ‘very’ small band of enthusiasts who are willing to devote time and energy towards making this event a success.
However when it comes to them having to personally pay for the privilege the Town – maybe - has to help support the Winter Carnival rather than individuals. Currently their only fund raising is thanks to Civic Week Pram Push!!!
We need to help and support our Winter Carnival very much more for 2013
BRC-KPMG RETAIL SALES MONITOR APRIL 2013: SLOW START, STRONG FINISH, WHERE NEXT?
UK retail sales values were down 2.2% on a like-for-like basis from April 2012, when they had declined 3.3% on the preceding year. On a total basis, sales were down 0.6%, against a 1.0% decline in April 2012.
Growth was negatively impacted by the timing of Easter, which fell in April last year but in March this year. The 3-month total growth average, which irons out the Easter distortions, was 2.6%. It remained above the long-term 12-month average, which continued on an uptrend to reach 2.5%.
Adjusted for Shop Price Index inflation at 0.4% in April, total retail sales declined 1.0% in real terms while the 3-month average showed growth of 1.6%.
Online sales were up 8.3% compared with April 2012, when they had risen by 9.0%
BRC-NIELSEN SHOP PRICE INDEX APRIL 2013: SHOP PRICE INFLATION AT THREE AND A HALF YEAR LOW
Overall shop price inflation fell to 0.4% in April from 1.4% in March. Food inflation fell to 2.9% in April from 3.5% in March. Non-food returned to deflationary territory, down 1.0% after a 0.2% rise in March.
For further information the BRC – Nielsen index is also included below.
Correspondence
· Reminiscences of Narberth.
Mr Fred Rodgers of London contacted the Chamber to enquire as to where to obtain memorabilia of Narberth for his Mothers 100th birthday.
Prints etc and a ‘local’ food hamper were suggested and actioned by him. Subsequently he sent me his Mother reminiscences of her brief time in Narberth – which you will see as the Appendix at the end of these minutes.
ACTION: See Appendix A
A.O.B.
Narberth Museum
Wonderful news of their nomination for the Museum of the Year prize.
MyHigh.St
Michael Hughes has suggested that the Chamber may be interested in this new concept for online retail. Details have been circulated to you but please see www.myhigh.st for how it works.
It would need a minimum of 10 businesses to make it viable. You will note that the costs are purely on Internet sales
If you are please give Michael or myself a call.
ACTION: members please
Children’s Festival August 2013
This is being reformed after a number of years.
Chamber to support this and to urge members to become involved and support.
Membership Renewals.
Just over half of the Membership have responded so far – please help by returning your subscriptions quickly
Thank you.
Notes for the Diary
NEXT MEETING:
17th June 2013
5:00 o’clock Angel Hotel
Future meeting dates for your diary.
THE THIRD MONDAY OF THE MONTH
15th July
19th August
16th September
Please be there
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Gordon Barry Chamber Secretary. Page 1 21/05/2013
Please remember that the Narberth Chamber of Trade is acting on your behalf and your voice needs to be heard.
APPENDIX A
Memories of Narberth
I was born on March 22nd 1912 in Narberth, Pembrokeshire, South Wales, the third child of Walter and Bessie Edge. I was Christened Leah Myfanwy at St Andrews Church as I had a convulsion when I was five weeks old. Our doctor, Dr Davies who lived in the house at the corner of St. James Street (opposite Halkons the newsagent) called, I think, Cartref, had advised my parents to have me Christened after having made several house visits.
My first name, Leah, was after the doctor's wife, who was my godmother, and my second name, Myfanwy, was because I had been born in Wales. (I do have a quarter Welsh blood since my father's mother was Welsh, being born in Llangedwin, Denbighshire). Ever afterwards I was known as Peggy because my mother said I looked like one! Later Dr and Mrs Davies moved to Nantgeredig, near to Carmarthen.
My two older brothers Walter John George (Jack) born on April 25th 1906, and Frederick Richard Gerald (Dick) born on March 11th 1909 were both born in Evesham, Worcestershire, where my parents had their first home. My father worked in Customs and Excise and he was moved about quite a bit while in the Civil Service. His base in Narberth was the bonded stores, which belonged to Jimmie Williams who also had the bottling and brewing business in Market Square (I can remember the office with long stools at the desk - probably my father worked there to test the specific gravity of the beer). My father also had to take pension books to people who lived in the country. He rode on a bike to deliver them
The convulsion apart, my early childhood was uneventful. I used to go to church every Sunday with my mother, where my brothers were in the choir. My father was also in the choir and sometimes played the organ when the usual organist was not available. One of the events in the church calendar was Mothering Sunday. In those days children would go up to the altar to receive a bunch of primroses which they would give to their mothers.
My maternal grandmother lived in Bury and she always sent a Simnel cake at this time. Bury Simnel cake was quite famous in the north of England, as were Bury black puddings. Simnel cake was part of the Mothering Sunday tradition. Servants were allowed to visit their mothers on this day and were given such a cake to take home with them.
Having no hot water in the house my mother used to get it from the boiler attached to the kitchen range. The bath was placed in front of the fire - it was lovely in the cold weather to have the heat from the range warming you. If you were a baby or toddler the bath would be lifted onto the table. All the drinking water had to be fetched from a tap in the road and this was quite a distance away.
The house we lived in was called Bank House because it was next door to a bank. It had a dining room, a large kitchen, a scullery, a coalhouse and a lavatory down the yard. In the yard was a big tank in which rainwater collected. We used this water to flush the toilet. There was no toilet paper in those days; we used squares of newspaper which were hung on a nail. My mother would also save the paper from oranges to use in the toilet. Upstairs were three big bedrooms and in the attic two more rooms. There was no electricity upstairs, so when I was little we had candles to take to bed. Later we did have electricity installed. In one of the bedrooms there was a bath, but as all the water had to be carried upstairs we didn't use it very much. Each bedroom had a washstand and a bowl and jug for water, a soap dish and a vase for toothbrushes. Of course there was a chamber pot too. All the slops were put into a slop pail and carried downstairs to the lavatory. When I was little I remember being washed in a bowl in the kitchen.
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Gordon Barry Chamber Secretary. Page 1 21/05/2013
We had a maid at one time called Lizzie who lived in. I suppose my mother was quite busy with four children. My youngest brother, Michael, had arrived in 1918. Before that we had a woman called Rachel who lived quite a way out of Narbeth who used to come to help. She spoke Welsh but could also speak English, so she taught me a few Welsh words. She never wore her false teeth. She said she kept them in a drawer.
Our garden, quite a big one, was a little distance from the house. You approached it up some steps. On the right-hand side was a big Bay tree and on the left a greenhouse where grapes grew. There was a lovely white rose too. It might have been a Marshall Neal. On the other side of a big wall lived the James family. Mr James the solicitor, whose office was next door to his house, had three sons -Eddie, John and Hughie. They used to play with my brothers and me; a hole had been made so that you could get into James' garden.
I also had a girl friend, Biddy, but as she was at boarding school I didn't see her a lot. Her brother, John, however, was a playmate of mine. Their name was Lee Davies and their mother was housekeeper to Jimmy Williams (her cousin). His house was next door to the bonded stores He was always trying to get hold of me to kiss me (quite a ladies' man) and owned a bungalow in Swallowtree woods in Saundersfoot. After we had left Narberth for quite a few years we spent our summer holidays in Saundersfoot, renting the bungalow. Jimmie died whilst swimming in the sea. I believe he committed suicide.