Love my tender? (From Western Telegraph)

Love my tender?

With a referendum on whether to adopt the Euro likely to take place this year, the British people will find themselves making one of the most important economic decisions in the country's history.

Western Telegraph reporter, , takes a look at what the Euro would mean for Pembrokeshire and to what extent it has already arrived. As the last outpost on the way to the Euro-using Republic of Ireland, Pembrokeshire is a fine vantage point from which to see the steady effect of the single currency on Britain.

Irish wallets packed with Euro notes come into the county every day at the Fishguard and Pembroke Dock ferryports. Both Irish Ferries and Stena Line accept Euros as payment for tickets, refreshments and gifts on crossings to and from Ireland.

Irish Ferries manager Delfryn Davies said: "We get passengers that use Britain as a land bridge to cross between Ireland and the Continent. Very often these people have very little Sterling."

But how many opportunities do Euro-carrying tourists get to spend their currency while in Pembrokeshire? Oakwood, the county's most high-profile tourist attraction and a popular detination for Irish tourists, does not accept Euros at its tills but does change them into Sterling. Last year, it changed 12,000 Euros (£7,500).

Several of the county's larger retailers, including Argos and McDonalds, accept the Euro while many others, including Tesco, Safeway, Woolworths and WH Smith, do not.

However, acceptance of the Euro is not limited to large companies and national chain stores. Paul Grimwood, who runs the Moathouse Delicatessen, Narberth, takes Euros but his Spanish wife, Maria, who runs the cafe across the road, does not.

He said: "I go abroad a few times a year to Spain and France and it comes in handy to have some Euros. It saves on bank charges."

The stock in the delicatessen is ordered from Spain by Paul's son, who runs a similar shop in Aberystwyth. The invoice comes in Euros but is paid from a Sterling account.

After the summer holidays, with people wanting to get rid of spare Euro coins which cannot be changed in banks, Paul can get 5% of his takings in Euros. At other times of the year, it is more like 1%.

So, why does a man from Slough with a business in Narberth have such a soft spot for the single currency? "It was partly to put people's noses out of joint," said Paul. "There was so much griping about it that I thought 'right, I'll take them'. I've got no problem with it coming to Britain. Money is money."

The 'money is money' atttitude can also be seen in the Heart of Oak pub at Milford Docks, which accepts Euros (mainly from visiting trawlermen) even though landlord, Tim Caddey, is against Britain joining the single currency. A draft action plan produced by the North Pembrokeshire Jobs Forum to regenerate the north of the county proposes turning Fishguard and Goodwick into a 'Euro zone'. The Forum claims having the single currency working alongside Sterling would create a forward-looking and positive message as well as accommodating tourists.

So, while there is certainly more 'Euro-traffic' passing through Pembrokeshire than other parts of Britain, the single currency remains something of a novelty.

The notes and coins are still likely to draw bemused looks from sales staff and a flurry of interest from friends.

The notes themselves are intriguing, brightly coloured and decorated with entirely fictional pieces of architecture so as to avoid offending countries whose national monuments might have ended up on a note of little value.

It seems more work is needed before the people of Pembrokeshire feel comfortable enough with the new money to consider voting for it to replace the pound.

Phil Marchant, of the Pembrokeshire Business Network, said adoption of the Euro would affect local businesses in terms of marketing and cash handling. He said while using the Euro may make companies more attractive to other businesses in the Euro-zone, training staff to deal with unfamiliar notes and calculate exchange rates would be a challenge.