Sir, I write to refute 'Sailing Club Member's assertion in last week's Observer that I did not highlight inaccuracies in his/her original letter during the Town Council meeting held on May 26. It is naïve to believe that every word of every council meeting can be reported in the press; the minutes of this particular meeting run to over 14 A4 pages, and obviously have to be summarised by the reporter present. The full content of my comments in the TTC minutes will be open to public scrutiny. I drew attention to inconsistencies as well as inaccuracies. In the third paragraph the writer said that the club was primarily a members' club, and that nothing would change. Towards the end, he/she is talking of opening the doors to the residents of Tenby, and by the last paragraph stating 'we need to diversify' and that TTC is 'anti-business' in opposing the licence application. (Another inconsistency is that the first letter gives the current licensing hours as up to 0000 hours, whereas the second letter refers to their being until '2300 - fact'). TSC is applying for extended hours (1100-0100 hrs) for sale of alcohol when weddings are held in an adjacent marquee, so they are intending to be involved in these events. Together with Bank Holidays, regattas and three weeks during December, extended hours would be possible on 50 or more days per year, plus 0300 hrs on January 1. The writer was wrong in claiming that if the building changed hands a new licence would have to be sought. The licence stays with the premises. The application says that the premises will be open to the public throughout the licensing periods; there is no mention of its reverting to members only after 1900 hrs, as he/she has now averred. Even if this were the intention at present, a change of club policy or committee make-up could overturn it on a whim, were the licence to be granted. I did not claim to speak on behalf of Harriet's House, and so it is groundless to say I took 'their name in vain'. This animadversion could more aptly be applied to one who maintains a cloak of anonymity by claiming to write on behalf of 'the vast majority of the club'; I have spoken to only one member of TSC on this topic, who has not been canvassed, and so it is interesting to speculate upon what this supposed statistic is based.

Trisha Putwain,

Tenby.