TV star in county town talk (From Western Telegraph)

Griff Rhys Jones to address Haverfordwest Civic Society

10:10am Friday 27th January 2012 in County News

Griff Rhys Jones will be guest speaker at a Haverfordwest Civic Society talk at St Mary’s Church, Haverfordwest, tomorrow (Saturday).

Last week the comedian and television presenter told the Western Telegraph How he feels the county town is ‘facing a crisis’.

His comments came after the announcement that the former Governor’s House at Haverfordwest castle will join the former prison and be sold to potentially become a boutique hotel, restaurant and gallery.

With the Nash-designed Foley House also for sale and a fight to save the former court room of the Shire Hall, which has had a new lease of life thanks to the inclusion of two restaurants, the town’s Civic Society is concerned at what will become of the historical buildings and the town centre.

Mr Rhys Jones is famous as one half of comedy duo Smith and Jones, and his project to renovate his farm house home at Strumble Head was the subject of a BBC TV series.

A member of the Civic Society and former president of the Civic Trust, he says that Haverfordwest is a town he loves, adding that it “invites you to explore and be in it”.

He added: “Haverfordwest, like so many great market towns across Britain, is facing a crisis in its beautiful centre and elegant high street.

“When the big central cross ways of Quay Street and Market Street evolved their shape they were made for small units run by a lot of dedicated shopkeepers.

“Perhaps these good burghers are on their way out. Perhaps they have been for many years. But there are many that love little shops and many who still want to run them.”

While the push to bring retail back into the town centre continues, Mr Rhys Jones asks, why can’t our historic buildings be used as highly-prized homes, just as they are in London and Edinburgh?

“We need to preserve and recycle, expose fine lines, restore glories, banish hurtful traffic and make a priority the very place itself, and not the businesses in it – let us concentrate what makes our towns valuable, rather than the accretions of so many commercial endeavours and ambitions.

“They will only come to Haverfordwest, if they are attracted by it, and, dare I say it, increasingly the reasons for that attraction may not be commercial,” added Mr Rhys Jones.

Haverfordwest Civic Society is fighting to save the town’s treasure, added Mr Rhys Jones and he hopes more people will come forward to support it.

Tickets for tomorrow’event are available from Victoria Bookshop and Seaways Bookshop, Fishguard.