This
was the official press release this week that told the world Harbour Sports had
fallen over. It’s all very sad and a reflection, perhaps, of the new order of
things. There is more to say, but now is not the time.
frank
“Press
Information
20.00hrs
11th Sept 2012
For
immediate release
The
directors of Harbour Sports Ltd announce that the company ceased trading on
Monday 10th September 2012 . A statement was issued as follows.
We
very much regret that a combination of adverse factors has led to this outcome.
We would like to thank our customers over the 35 years it has taken to build up
this local family business, and particularly our staff for all their support
and hard work. Our shops in Exeter and the Barbican, Plymouth have closed
permanently. Our base at Paignton Harbour will re-open with some changes in the
future and details of this will be released later.
Harbour
Sports was founded in the 1970s by Julian Smith and Frank Sobey, together with
their wives Sue and Lyndy. As well as retailing watersports clothing and
equipment it ran a popular windsurfing school for 20 years and was well known
in the 1980s for speedboat trips and aquasausage rides in Torbay . These were
featured in a number of national TV programmes.
Expansion
saw surfing, bodyboarding and skateboarding included after the opening of the
Barbican branch. Yacht charter based in Dartmouth and the arrival of the Exeter
shop followed in the 1990s. Lifestyle clothing and accessories were then
included in the product range, with many major brands in stock.”
