There was plenty of festive fun in Tenby on Saturday as the town’s Christmas Festivities committee and Tenby RNLI joined forces to ‘launch’ the start of the Yuletide season in the seaside resort.

The day began with the Salvation Army band and the Tenby Friendship Group leading community carol singing in Tudor Square, before local DJ Steve Briers took over to keep the Christmas atmosphere swinging with plenty of festive favourites

At 4.30 pm, Mayor of Tenby, Clr. Laurence Blackhall, Mayoress Sam Skyrme and their Mace Bearers John Morgan and Clr. Trevor Hallett set off down to Tenby Lifeboat Station to join the crew of the Haydn Miller as they launched to head out towards Caldey to meet Father Christmas.

While the boat made the three-mile trip, 13-year-old Connor Murphy, a very talented young singer/guitarist from Pembroke Dock, entertained the gathering crowd.

Crowds also gathered at the lifeboat station to watch the Haydn Miller bring Father Christmas and the Mayor back on shore and then board the inshore lifeboat to be towed into the Square through a festive flurry of snow from the roof of Tenby House Hotel.

After handing out sweets - kindly supplied by Lollies, West Wales Sweets and Treats and Serendipity - to the large group of children gathered, Father Christmas then turned on the lights of the town Christmas tree in the grounds of St. Mary’s Church, before boarding a magnificently fairy light bedecked Tenby Carriage Rides carriage for a horse drawn trip up to the De Valence, where Father Christmas welcomed children into his grotto.

The evening rounded off with a Christmas Family Fun Night.

The Christmas festivities committee would like to thank everyone who helped with the event, particularly Tenby RNLI, The Salvation Army, Tenby Friendship Group, Steve Briers, Connor Murphy, Tenby House Hotel, Tenby Carriage Rides, Logan Cardy, and the Tenby DVP Trust. Thanks also go to Tenby Lions and Pembrokeshire County Council for assisting with the closure of Tudor Square to ensure everyone enjoyed the fun in a safe environment.

The Christmas merriment in the town continued this week with Tenby Round Table hosting their ever popular Senior Citizen’s Christmas dinner in the De Valence on Wednesday, before the Tablers turn their attention to the organisation of the Tenby Santa Run through the streets of the town this Sunday.

Of course, the festive fun does not stop on December 25 either, as it wouldn’t be the Christmas season without the annual braving of the briny at the Boxing Day Swim from the North Beach on the 26th.

The De Valence Trust will also be hosting a professional touring pantomime company’s production of the classic family favourite Cinderella in the De Valence on January 2 to round off the season in style.