After two years’ Covid-induced dormancy Tenby Arts Festival returned to the town for three days of fun and enjoyment for everyone, Thursday to Saturday, September 22 to 24.

The absence did not diminish in any way the sparkle and variety of the programme offered by the organisers.

In a talk entitled ‘Post Post-Impressionism and Me’, Tenby artist Guy Manning gave a most informative and entertaining talk on the art of art and some of its celebrated exponents.

We then travelled back in time to hear Susie Brooks, in her talk ‘Oriental Spices and Colonial Empires’, recount the development over many centuries of land and sea routes spanning continents and brought into being for the purpose of transporting spices and other precious commodities from their countries of origin to the more powerful nations with their burgeoning economies. Susie’s vivid and captivating account of the establishment of the colonial empires was certainly a festival highlight.

Tenby Male Choir is a widely and very much appreciated fixture of the festival. The men delighted this year as much as they have done on any previous year. On this occasion they were joined by a highly talented trumpeter, Carys Wood, who captivated the St Mary’s Church audience with her fine playing.

Playwright and actor Alison Neil returned to Tenby with one of her wonderful one-actor plays, “Glowing Bright”. This told the fascinating story of the life of the Polish French scientist Marie Curie who certainly broke through the glass ceiling, becoming Nobel Prize winner twice, Physics 1903, Chemistry 1911.

Hot Club Gallois brought the atmosphere and sounds of 1940s Parisian gypsy jazz to Tenby. A truly happy, foot tapping gig at the Harbwr Brewery. Violinist Xenia Porteous in particular thrilled a capacity audience with her fast and furious improvisations. This brilliant group had the audience begging for more.

Saturday was a day for dodging showers, but the Punch and Judy show brought to Castle Beach by Professor CollyWobbles cast a bright ray of sunshine on the beach and all those grownups and kiddies enjoying the knockabout violence-with-humour that characterises this much loved, traditional seaside entertainment. In between shows, and showers, serious construction projects were underway in the Festival’s regular, ever popular Sandcastle Competition.

Photographer and artist Harry Gardener had the very enjoyable job of judging the contest. Local girl Rebecca was duly presented with the victor’s golden bucket and spade together with a cash prize.

Saturday morning had begun in true carnival spirit with Pembrokeshire’s celebrated Samba Band, Samba Doc, who paraded exuberantly, rumbustiously between St Mary’s Church and the harbour in true Caribbean style. An hour of great fun and enjoyment.

The afternoon got off to a very contrasting start with Poetry Reading in St Julian’s Church. The reader was Brother David of the Cistercian Abbey on Caldey Island. Brother David is a well established poet with several very well received poetry collections to his credit. Whilst his choices for Saturday afternoon were not specifically of a religious nature, he nevertheless read poetry of great spiritual resonance which touched on all aspects of experience, much of it reaching far beyond the bounds of the religious community to which he belongs.

Immediately following Brother David’s readings in the church came the presentation of a dramatic monologue concerning the life of Tenby born artist Gwen John. Gwen John was very probably as gifted an artist as her more famous brother Augustus John. In the portrait of Gwen John’s life, researched and written by Mark Lewis, Sharon Thompson assumed the voice of Gwen John and in doing so very convincingly captured the various facets of the artist’s character as these were revealed in the events of her life.

To bring the festival to its conclusion, Tenby was privileged to welcome international concert pianist Alexander Ullman. This was Alex Ullman’s second visit to the festival. A pianist of dazzling technique and musicianship, he had been winner of the International Franz Liszt Piano Competition in 2017 and has subsequently gone on to establish himself on the international stage as a musician of astonishing range and virtuosity. He played music by Haydn, Beethoven, Ravel, and Franck to rapturous applause from a spellbound audience.

The planning of the 2023 Festival begins now. We need volunteers to join the organising group and share in all the work that has to be done to make such an event possible. If you would like to chat about what that could involve then please give me, Robert Smith, Festival Chairman, a call. My number: 01834 810235.