Colder days and other places

New Zealand air.

Over the past few weeks we seem to have been unpacking box after box of ski clothing and accessories which means that all three of our shops are ready for action. Bolle helmets and goggles are already selling well as folk gather odds and ends together as ski Christmas presents. We've always, well almost always, kept clear of skis and boots but have loads of socks, gloves, creams, sunglasses, hats, caps, jackets etc. The photograph above is of one of our globe trotting team who is getting a little air in New Zealand.

The other thing that is worth mentioning is the new winter range of Tucagua clothing. This very warm rough looking clothing is made in Nepal and is so different from anything else around. Once you've worn one you will always been a Tucagua fan.

South Devon, like the rest of the country, has taken a battering today from the strong Atlantic winds and many ships are 'hiding' in Plymouth Sound and Torbay. The Channel is not a nice place to be and someone said that most of the ferries have remained in harbour rather than subjecting their passengers to a hammering from huge seas.

Oh well, that's enough. Off to light a fire and snuggle down for the evening.........

Cold clear days......

I guess that today has been the first really cool day since the summer with a crystal clear blue sky and little or no wind. It's a time to keep warm as Esme demonstrates in the photograph! Of course as our new government reduces spending, cuts jobs and generally sucks the joy out of life it really is a time to keep warm and guard against the utility folk getting ready to yet again lift the cost of fuel. So keep the heating down and the personal insulation up with kit that doesn't just look the part but actually does the job. frank.

Guy Shepherd and paddle friends...

This message arrived from Adele Matthews of the Lymphoma Association......"On behalf of the Lymphoma Association I would like to thank you for the help you gave to Guy Shepherd, Ian Travis and Dave Roberts by lending a paddle to Dave to enable him to complete his kayak challenge. The guys did brilliantly and have raised over £1000 for the Lymphoma Association which will enable us to further extend the services by those affected by Lymphoma cancer."

Guy Shepherd worked at Harbour Sports Paignton a little while ago before heading off to pastures new, which seems to include regular surf trips to foreign parts. Well done for doing this event Guy!


For more information ring Freephone 0808 808 5555 http://www.lymphomas.org.uk/

Foghorns in the mist.........

It's hot today and they say that the high may reach 30! Looking at the picture taken just after 11.00hrs on Sunday 27th June, you would expect the harbour at Paignton to be packed. But it's not! Where is the long queue of boats waiting to launch on the high tide, where are the family groups heading out to sea? It's quiet. Too quiet and the only sound is the deep thundering foghorns from the many tankers at anchor and now hidden from view by a sea mist that is so typical of these sunny days where the sun beats down on cool water.

This of course is a Sunday like no other as in far away South Africa the England Soccer team ready themselves to face Germany in the World Cup! Everyone appears to be captivated by the occasion and you can taste the excitement in the air.

Needless to say all our shops will be open but all our folk will be tuned in!

Now, about those foghorns! Have you ever been in sea mist? It is the most gripping experience as the world disappears,the cold imposes a very special loneliness and a feeling of vulnerability. The sound of a big foghorn blasting not far from your position is a fantastic cure for constipation! Enjoy the sun. frank sobey

HARBOUR SPORTS AND THE KUCCIA CATWALK

As part of the GREAT OUTDOORS EXHIBITION at the RIVIERA CENTRE on May 30th and 31st we will be joining forces with KUCCIA to show some of the stunning designs that make Soraya styles so very different from anything else out there! We love this stuff and it is fast becoming one of the most successful things that we play with. The energy in every garment will lift you to another place, a better place, a lovely place - where the sun shines and people smile with joy. Come and join us 'Live the Life'!!!!
frank sobey

Harbour Sports is the headline sponsor!

The Great Outdoors Exhibition

Start Time:
Sunday, 30 May 2010 at 10:00
End Time:
Monday, 31 May 2010 at 17:00
Location:




Riviera International Conference Centre, Chestnut Avenue, Torquay, United Kingdom

The Great Outdoors Exhibition is a brand new interactive outdoor pursuits exhibition bringing together the very best of Devon's outdoor pursuits all under one roof! Go expo will be held from Sunday 30th May to Monday the 31st May and will feature four fantastic zones; Adrenaline, Urban, Country and Ocean activities. The exhibition promises a fantastic day out for all the family, including exhibitions, demonstrations, challenges and workshops. You will also have the opportunity to buy the latest gear and accessories and take advantage of some great discounts.The Expo will feature Andrei Burton Events will showcase a combination of displays, demonstrations and workshops that will even inspire grandparents. Demonstrations include the top Trail Bikers, professional Free-runners, Free-riders and BMX Flatland among others.Andrei Burton is one of the top elite trials riders from the UK. He is the Guinness world record holder for the most 180˚ jumps in one minute, and is spearheading the bid to make Trials riding an Olympic demonstration sport for the 2012 Olympic Games in London!

Spring.....we think!

After three damp summers (the last really sunny hot period was April 2007!) this little bit of Easter sunshine has been a real joy. It's funny how we all get beaten down by grey damp weather and the effort of smiling on the world is hard work. But smile we must whether we feel battered or not!

It's been a curious Easter weekend around the shops. I did the rounds on Easter Sunday, starting after lunch at Harbour Sports Paignton where we still have a running battle with the harbour master over the use of our 'customer parking sign'. Despite the proliferation of yellow lines, no parking signs and other 'welcome to Paignton signs' YOU CAN PARK OUTSIDE THE SHOP whilst shopping!

The scene outside HARBOUR SPORTS PLYMOUTH was unbelievable! Devon and Cornwall Constabulary have closed the road around the shop on Bank Holiday Sundays, which isn't as bad as it sounds. The whole of the Barbican becomes a giant party and as I arrived Harbour Sporter Barney Davies was eating a large hog roast roll from Barney's Hog Roast (no relation it seems - the roaster that is rather than the roasting hog). Of course I had to join in!

HARBOUR SPORTS EXETER was buzzing when I arrived. Marc Wood was on duty and assisted by Charley Fawkes who is home for Easter (she is now an undergraduate at University College Falmouth) and new girl Kate Watson. Both girls have tremendous energy and keep the soon to be a dad Marc on his toes!

Do have a look at the blog on the Harbour Sports website also, which this week is written by Chris Beardsmore (www.harbour.co.uk).

Happy Easter!

frank sobey

G-SAC and the Big Sandal

Tourism is of huge importance but is of course at the mercy of the weather when you live on on rocky peninsula sticking out into the Northern Atlantic Ocean. The past three summers have been damp, which is the last thing we need as the economic buffeting continues. Added to that the winters have been less than sympathetic and so we should be looking grim. BUT WE DON'T DO GRIM and so we battle on toward the summer of 2010. One good thing is that we have the ideal summer wear for a sasquatch on holiday. Harbour Sports Paignton staffer Grant Clarey (16) who knows a thing or two about watersports (we call him G-SAC because of his initials "GSAC") stands proud in his new DC tee shirt clutching a size 30 flipflop.................................

Today the sun is beaming down on South Devon and I've just been chatting to Matt Cole who is a Harbour Sports Plymouth staff member and an undergraduate at Plymouth University. He says that the historic Barbican is simply gleaming this morning and they have been outside the shop soaking up some of that spring sunshine. Do you know you can almost taste the spring air today - I love this time of year.........

Frank Sobey

A breath of fresh air!

Sometimes people arrive in your life and the world is a lighter brighter place. Last summer Jess Renshaw came to work at Harbour Sports Paignton after a year in New Zealand travelling with her surfing boyfriend. Last Friday she moved on to another job and my life was immediately the poorer. Jess has tremendous zest and is much loved our customers.....and on the day she left we had a phone call from a lady in Bristol who said that because of Jess' customer service she would now become a regular Harbour Sporter! But it isn't just the customers, Viv from O'Neill Wetsuits phoned to say that he speaks to so many shops but has never had such a cheerful greeting on the phone. The Reef folk from the USA whilst visiting the shop took time to say how good the shop displays were; again all Jess' work.



So where am I going with this other than to wax lyrical about Jess? Well, the world is such a hard place just now and it's all too easy to walk about with a face like a slapped kipper which doesn't help to lift the gloom. The slapped kipper brigade simply make the day grey. People like Jess bring sunshine into the day and you if we all try a little harder then we can do the same! So the next time you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror just take note of whether you are in the Jess camp or the Slapped Kipper camp. Go on, give it a try and let your smile light up the world!!!!!

Frank Sobey

Fair wind from France

"Fair Stood The Wind From France" - (with apologies to H E Bates!) and so we welcome Shirley Morgenroth from France who will be working at Harbour Sports Paignton for the next five weeks. I've asked Shirley to say a little about herself in English and French..............." Hello, my name is Shirley Morgenroth and I am French. My school is Carrel (a business school in Lyon) and I am here with the Training Partnership (Torquay). I had one week of English lessons and now I am working at Harbour Sports Paignton on Paignton Harbour for the next five weeks. Bonjour, je m'appel Shirley Morgenroth jes suis francaise, je vis a Lyon. Jes suis en angeleterre pour 6 semaines pour ameleiorer mois anlais. Mon ecole est Carrel (ecole de commerce a Lyon) je suis venu ici avec le Training Partnership de Torquay. J'ai eu une de cours d'anglais et maitenant je travail dans le magasin harbour sports de paignton pour le cinq semaines prochaines. J'aime skier, faire du wakeboard et j'aimerais apprendre le surf mais l'eau est vraiment trop froide pour moi!"

SNOW IN SOUTH DEVON

This made me smile! Chris Beardsmore and Jess Renshaw took this clever photograph on the day we had harbour snow in Paignton for the first time in twenty odd years. The photograph was then 'tagged' on Face book with the snowman tagged as 'Frank Sobey'. You have to laugh. Please note the rather nice customer parking sign outside Harbour Sports Paignton.

We've always had lots of snow kit in all three of our shops and sales as you might imagine have been very good with this icy blast. Of course some snow kit also works in the summer. How can that be you ask? It's those 'sheepskin' style boots which work really well in the snow but also good look (Pamela Anderson set the trend) on a sunny day in the summer whilst wandering around in a skimpy bikini......

Noticed this morning that the daylight hours have already started to grow as we once again stagger toward summer. I was at Harbour Sports Plymouth last evening with Andy Partridge and Barny Davies. Andy managed to break a finger whilst sliding down a snowy hill on a bodyboard last Sunday. Bodyboards make great sledges - no sharp edges, plus of course you then have a watercraft for the summer! It's a win win. Barney is just back from a week of skiing in France with the University of Plymouth Snowboarding/ Ski Club. 120 of them on a coach - scary.

Saturday morning I was in the Exeter shop with Marc Wood, Chris Beardsmore (who is half way through his M.Sc at Exeter University), Rachel Harrison and Georgia Gold. Great team and full of energy.

This afternoon it's the Paignton shop with Guy Shepherd, Al Glenning and new man Grant Clarey. Annual floor painting tonight (back of the shop) and next Saturday evening (front of the shop). Another sign that the new season is on the way.....