All Good things................



I like the songs of Carly Simon and in particular the haunting lines "I know nothing stays the same" have always made me reflect. The Harbour Sports shop on Paignton's quaint little harbour has become over the past thirty-five years part of the community fabric. But all that is about to slip into history as a new tenant prepares to take on the lease. Indeed nothing does the same!

It's been quite a journey with so many twists and turns. Hundreds of people have worked with us over those years and most remain friends. Add to that the tens of thousands that have been part of our offering then you really do get a feeling of a vibrant community. We've travelled a landscape that has included teaching sailing and windsurfing. We were the first windsurfing school in the West Country! Speed boat rides, Aqua sausage, yacht charter, snow ski road shows, retail sales, mail order and so much more. Our little strap line 'live the life' seemed to say it all.

As I say in a few weeks all that slips into history. BUT we still have a chunk of lovely kit including stunning leisure clothing, wetsuits, skateboards and so much more. ALL REDUCED TO HALF PRICE. Cash sales at the shop only of course.

Christmas shopping starts here.

Keep the faith and the smile!

frank

No Diving or Jumping!

For over thirty years we've been messing around on Paignton's quaint little harbour. It's much changed over that time and I guess that it is a little like a John Steinbeck story where the fabric stays much the same but the folk get older!

One thing that I've noticed over the past four or five years has been the proliferation of warning and prohibition signs, the numerous metal rails and wires that serve a questionable purpose and a reduction in footfall.

Perhaps this is all part of our claim culture where frivolous litigation seems to have thrust fear into the soul of Torbay Council. I don't know. What I do know is that the end of the harbour wall that used to provide an excellent launching pad into the sea on a warm summer day now has a warning sign and a notice that says 'no diving or jumping from this quay'. We used to wait for a big sea and then run to the end of the wall before jumping high in the air and splashing into the churning sea. Years ago there was a ladder at the end of the quay and we would time to waves to grab a rung near the top! This was living the life and sent a tingle through your whole body. Loved it.

If you take a look at the photograph you will notice a pole with steel wires. This device is to stop folk fishing from the harbour wall! What? Yes it is true, there is no fishing from the harbour wall out to sea. To quote Mike Cornish (a harbour resident) "My grandfather taught me to fish off the harbour, my father fished there also and I taught my kids to fish there too!" Note also the lifebuoy to the right. Quite how you throw that through the wire is a mystery!

We have, as you can see, found another use for the wire!



Perhaps in the hope of encouraging footfall we can have a harbour wall jumping festival where folk head into the salty sea dressed as cartoon characters. Hmm.

Yer Boy - Never seen it so busy!

I don't know whether you noticed Santa belting over Paignton's Redcliffe Hotel yesterday, but if you did I can tell you that he had just been collecting from Harbour Sports on Paignton's picturesque harbour.

He didn't stay long in Torbay because he was worried about picking up a parking ticket given that Torbay Council now have the hunting of hapless motorists as a new sport.

Harbour Sports was crowded whilst Santa was packing the sleigh and I was quietly feeding Rudolph carrots (he seems to like them). Santa turned to me and said "Yer Boy I've never seen it so busy!"

Sharp bloke is Santa and I guess that is why he's been picking up presents in the MASSIVE CLEAR OUT SALE where most of the wonderful stock is HALF PRICE.





Of course we have the stock from all three of the Harbour Sports Limited shops on the harbour!

So, before you flash your cash in other places I suggest you nip down to the harbour and snap up a deal.

We're open during the week from 11.30 - 5.30, on Saturdays from 930 - 5.30 and Sunday from 10 - 4! Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

Ho Ho Ho.....

Massive snow and massive sale!

One glance and the snow chart will tell you that things look good this season. Facebook comments already say that the going is good. This recent picture from Helen Walker (a former Plymouth Harbour Sporter) says it all!

Helen Walker France 2012

We've always had loads and loads of ski / snowboard clothing in stock. All the stock from all three shops is now being sold at half the original price at Harbour Sports Paignton. What a great way to keep warm in the UK also. Don't wait for the first serious blast by the beast from the east!

Helmets, beanie hats, flap hats, sunglasses, face cream, sweaters, shirts, jackets, snow pants, socks, moon boots, sleds and all sorts of other stuff!



If you are passing do drop in and say hello. We're open during the week from 1130 until 530, Saturday 930 until 530 and on Sunday from 1000 to 4pm. Paignton Harbour is a great place to visit in winter.....

Chris Beardsmore, Jess Renshaw and friend!





KAYAKS TO GO plus ONE SUP!

 EX HIRE BIC TOBAGO BLUE or YELLOW 2 MAN £350

EX HIRE BIC OUASSOU BLUE £199

EXHIRE 10.10 JUNGLE SUP&PADD £329

EX HIRE BIC BILBAO BLUE £299

EXHIRE BIC TRINIDAD YELL 2 MAN £375

Despite the cold the MASSIVE CLEAROUT SALE continues!

Having to pull the plug on Harbour Sports Limited was a painful experience and yet the support from so many with the MASSIVE CLEAROUT SALE has been fantastic. As you will know most of the lovely stock is being sold at HALF THE RETAIL price. Whilst most people were aware of the watersports kit perhaps not so many will know that we also have loads and loads of cold weather kit including snow jackets, gloves, moon boots and lots of other keep warm stuff.

Curious isn't it that this cool kit keeps you warm! But having said that these boots have also been seen as part of the bikini beach world! We have stacks of 'moon boots' which make ideal Christmas presents and all at half price. Did Santa know about this stuff when he dropped in? Perhaps not, but he is on the mailing list and so we can expect that huge sled outside the door over the weekend.

Gosh, it is cold today and perhaps we should stick a couple of our own sleds outside the door. They are ideal for Dartmoor snowy days..................



HALF PRICE REEF SLAPS AND SHOES.....

At last. Having the clearance stock for three shops all in one place is mind bending.

But now we've got around to the boxes of REEF SHOES AND SLAPS.

The MASSIVE CLEAR-OUT SALE continues with all REEF SANDALS and SHOES at half the original retail price. That's 50% off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How good is that!



MORE MASSIVE SALE STOCK UNPACKED

The response to the MASSIVE CLEAR OUT SALE continues to be....well, MASSIVE!

The stock from all three shops has ended up back in sunny Paignton and is being unpacked on a daily basis. The Paignton shop is open every day from 11.30 to 5.30 (Monday to Friday), 0930 - 5.30 on Saturday and 10.00 to 4pm pm Sunday.

In order to help with quantitative easing (not really) this is a CASH ONLY sale. We keep banging on about Santa shopping here (ho ho ho) and many people have done most of their Christmas shopping already. Most of the stock is being sold at 50% off the original retail price. The only exceptions are surfboards and skateboards which sell at 30% off the original retail price. All the kayaks have been sold!

The Transit with the 8 x 4 MASSIVE CLEAROUT SALE sign on the roof is, as I write, parked outside South Devon College on Long Road and is attracting attention!

Harbour Sports     The Harbour     Paignton     TQ4 6DT  01803 550180  www.harbour.co.uk

THE MASSIVE CLEAROUT SALE

News Update:


HARBOUR SPORTS IS OPEN AGAIN !!

Now on - a HUGE CLEAROUT SALE at the Paignton shop.

30% off original prices all surfboards, kayaks & skateboards.

Everything else is HALF ORIGINAL PRICE – yes, 50% off

Cash only, sorry.

Opening hours weekdays 11.30 - 5.30 Saturdays 09.30 – 5.30 Sundays 10 – 4

See you soon – it’s selling out fast

Tel 01803 550180
info@harbour.co.uk


Harbour Sports is now a firm owned by JR & SM Smith and FJ & LM Sobey

For any enquiries about the old company please contact:

Harbour Sports Limited has ceased trading.

All enquiries to: MB Insolvency, Wessex House, Teign Road, Newton Abbot

TQ12 4AA. T: 01803 220 366 F: 01803 231 167

www.mb-i.co.uk
information@mb-i.co.uk

Harbour Sports - the end of an era....

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.”

 

 

The Old Sea Dog Goes Kayaking

It’s a bit like rubbing salt in the wound today. After a summer that left us all soggy, going rusty and warping up pops a gloriously sunny day. Of course when you think about it the past five summers have been too dismally soggy which when you are a child of the sun tends to leave the psyche in tatters.

But today is wall to wall sunshine and ideal for bobbing about on a kayak to which Harbour Sports quickly respond by offering a juicy 30% discount for aspirant kayakers. But that isn’t enough and so if you really want to walk the walk then pick up a pair of trendy shorts and stylish flip-flops at a whopping 50% off!

The thing is that too often we find reasons for not going out to play and on a day like today you really need the zing factor. Or in the case of one Harbour Sports kayaker, the Ziggy factor!

Tempted? Of course you are. Come on, live the life……..

Nappy Man Makes a Splash!

What a stunning warm summer evening for The annual Paignton Regatta Round the Pier Swim which really is an all singing and dancing community event. Thirty-five intrepid swimmers including the return of ‘Mankini Man’ Ali Sular, who this year was dressed as a nappy clad baby complete with dummy. He even brought a little friend with him also in a loose fitting nappy! There were super fit competition swimmers, recreational swimmers, swimmers in rubber rings and I think that one even had a rubber duck! What is also brilliant is the age range which spanned over sixty years! How good is that!

Someone asked me the distance to which I simply had to say “’Tis out to the end and all the way back.” Needless to say that all thirty-five were counted out and all thirty-five were counted back in ably supervised by Harbour Sports Kerrie Waller (aka Sister Agnes).  Kayaks and safety boats from the 6^th Torbay (Britannia) Scout Group kept a watchful eye on the splashing swimmers, Lifeguards Claire Moran and Sophie from the Redcliffe Hotel Spa kept a very sharp eye from the beach. Paignton Sailing Club’s Liz Rayner wrapped shivering swimmers in space blankets before sending them off for a hot drink provided by Deputy Mayor Dave Thomas.

Paignton Regatta is a wonderful event and despite biblical downpours during the week it has brought a smile to many. Regatta committee member, Guy Henderson, presented the Regatta Swim cups to Adam Carter who splashed home in first place and to first lady home Catherine Taylor. The first three men and the first three ladies home also received Paignton Regatta medals plus some rather nice prizes. A medal was also presented to Nappy Man Ali Sular who braved the cold to raise money for the child charity Sparks.

Mankini Man at Paignton Regatta Round the Pier Swim

On Saturday evening (18th August) Ali Sular aka Mankini Man once again takes to the water off Paignton Pier for the annual Paignton Regatta Round the Pier Swim. Many people will remember his spectacular unveiling last summer as hundreds of onlookers gasped when he galloped off into the sea.

Ali very generously offered to do this to help Linda Vaus raise funds for Sparks (www.sparks.org.uk). Linda ran the London Marathon in April this year in 4hrs 34 mins, which was a huge personal achievement. Her target was £2,000, and due to her husband's ill health she has not had much time to fund raise. Go for it Mankini Man!

Paignton Regatta of course raises many thousands of pounds for local charities including the RNLI and committee members will be circulating around the start line at 5.30pm (the start is at 6pm). Swimmers swim out to sea, around the end of Paignton Pier and then back to the beach. 6th Torbay Scout safety boats and kayaks will be keeping a watchful eye of out intrepid swimmers.

It really is great fun and tends to attract a large crowd of enthusiastic supporters. There are still a few places available and entry forms can be collected from Harbour Sports on Paignton Harbour.

Summer fun......

The Olympic two weeks somehow made the sun come out and for a short while summer sunshine  brought a smile to drooping faces. Sunshine is such a tonic for all of us and splashing about on the beach in a pair of surf shorts sends a tingle and tends to reach long dead extremities!

It's August 11th today and the start of the annual PAIGNTON REGATTA which means the annual Harbour Sports Round the Pier swim is only a week away. The start is at 18.00hrs on the 18th August and you can find an entry form on the web cam page of the Harbour Sports website.

Curious how a little sunshine seems to be the starting signal for barbecue action and how popular the OLD GUYS RULE  apron and Smokin tee range is. If you are going to barbecue then look like you mean it! You can be the living legend on your own mind!!

As I writing this on a Saturday afternoon I am also flicking between the various tills and can see that this fine weather has lots of people buying wetsuits which means that the watching is over and action is in the air.

There's a good wave crashing up the beach in Torbay with loads of folk enjoying the thrill of wave hopping, surfing and simply playing. How good is that?

Come and play..................................

Live the life....f

Paola takes the cake!

One of the joys of being part of the Harbour Sports team is meeting new and exciting folk from other countries who come to work here as business interns. They bring a special energy to each day and also enjoy birthday celebrations as the picture shows. Kerrie is sharing her borthday cake with Paola! Happy birthday Kerrie and welcome Paola. Paola's placement has been arranged by The Training Partnership in Torquay. But rather than leave it at that we've asked Paola to say a few words!

"I am Paola Marin; I come from Baone, a little village near Padua, in the North-East of Italy. I like doing sports very much; my favourites are skiing and athletic, which I practice 3 times a week. I also like watching matches, especially basketball, so I often go to the gym to watch my friends playing it. I really love almost every kind of music, so I like going to parties or concerts during the weekend. I also love going out with my friends and travelling.

I am 17 and I am attending the 4th year at scientific high school. Now I am working in Paignton at Harbour Sports for 4 weeks. I came here with a group of friends from Padua and I am staying in a host family. I get on well with them because they are very kind and they really like joking and laughing. I like Paignton, I think it is a wonderful place because of the sea and the beach, so I often walk around it and every morning I go running on the beach.

I am sure that my work placement is the best of all my friends`, because the stuff is very beautiful and there are many young people working here."

"Sono paola, vivo a Baone, un paesino vicino a Padova, nel Nord est dell` Italia. Mi piace molto fare sport, soprattutto sci e atletica, che faccio 3 volte a settimana. Mi piace anche guardare gare e partite, soprattutto di basket, quindi vado spesso in palestra per vedere I miei amici. Adoro quasi tutti I tipi di musica, per questo nel weekend vado spesso a feste o concerti. Mi piace uscire con amici e viaggiare. Ho 17 anni e ho finito la Quarta al liceo scientifico. Ora sto lavorando all` Harbour Sport a Paignton per un mese. Sono venuta qui con un gruppo di amici di Padova e vivo in famiglia. Vado veramente d`accordo con la famiglia che mi ospita perche sono persone allegre, a cui piace ridere e scherzare. Mi piace Paignton, soprattutto per il mare e la spiaggia, infatti mi piace passeggiare per la citta eogni mattina vado a correre sulla spiaggia. Sono convinta che il mio posto di lavoro sia il migliore tra quelli dei miei amici, sia perche mi piace la merce che vendiamo e sia perche ci sono molti ragazzi che lavorano con me."

Philipp makes a splash on his first day!

Philipp Stohrer (18) from Ulm near Stuttgart will be spending the next four weeks at Harbour Sports Paignton as a business intern. Philipp’s placement has been arranged by The Training Partnership in Torquay. Needless to say his English is perfect!

Philipp lists his sporting interests as football, knee boarding, personal fitness and, yes you’ve guessed it, kayaking!

Fairy Cove on Good Friday - breathing sea air!

The picture is from an old postcard that shows Paignton’s Fairy Cove at it’s very best! At this time of year parking is a little limited on the harbour (although you can still park for twenty minutes in the marked slots outside our shop) and so I parked the van up on Cliff Road.

My walk to the shop took me down the steps to Fairy Cove and to the sandy beach that had been recently washed by the dropping tide. I love this beach and breathing in the sea air this morning was such a spiritual lift!

Sadly this beach has suffered recently because the Council have allowed the positioning of two ugly containers for the slaughter of crab near the steps from the harbour to Fairy Cove. Family groups last summer were intimidated by the mess and noise. We did have one amusing anecdote to report when the comments made by the factory foreign workers there to a young lady who responded in their own language, knocking them off their lewd pedestal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did have a conversation with Carolyn Custerson (English Riviera Tourism Company's Chief Executive) yesterday about where we were going with tourism in relation to Paignton Harbour and Fairy Cove. The crab killing containers were a temporary measure a year or so ago whilst their fire damaged factory was rebuilt and refitted. But now another planning application has been posted to keep the wretched things here! That can’t be right.

Anyway, enough of all that! We have a new dive school on the harbour and they will be using Fairy Cove for training and filming. How exciting is that? It’s also interesting how many people take our kayaks out and paddle around to Fairy Cove for the first stop on their kayaking journey along the Geo Park coast!

Smell that sea air today! Stunning stuff!

frank

First signs of a warm summer....

Spring flowers, warm winds, the smell of the sea at first light and a delivery of 23 boxes packed full of REEF SANDALS! If you have never had a pair of REEF SANDALS then change your life for the better today........and as I write a truck full of kayaks and body boards is unloading!

Goodness me, what an adventure it all is.

The photograph was not taken this morning on one of the English Riviera beaches!!!......:-)

Live the life with HARBOUR SPORTS!

The end of an era – new Paignton harbour fishing ban

I bumped into a local fisherman at the end of the quay the other day. Mike has been fishing out of Paignton harbour many years and his family have been part of the local community for many generations. He was scratching his head whilst looking at the new high wire fence on both sides of the harbour entrance and said, "Here boy what do they think they're doing? My granddad fished from the end of the quay, as did my dad and my children! How much did that cost and why could the harbour staff just patrol the area?"

We seem to live in a time of not do rather than can do. With one hand we are encouraging folk to use the coastline and with the other we are telling them not to.

Of course the few have once again ruined a good thing for the majority by carelessly flicking fishing weights at passing boats. But did it need this high fence on both sides of the harbour?

The question is whether the English Riviera Tourist Board and Mayor Oliver's Torbay Development Board tourist marketing section will want to use this picture for their new hugely expensive advertising campaigns?

Markus - a man on a chocolate mission!

Bastian Mayer has returned to Germany after two weeks as a business intern at Harbour Sports Paignton. His place has been taken by Markus Bremer (20) from Oschersleben in Germany who will be working on the harbour for the next four weeks. Markus arrived with a big bag of German chocolate which he claims to be perhaps the best in the world. There were no arguments about that from the Harbour Sports staff as they tucked into bars of creamy milk chocolate!

Markus’s placement has been arranged by The Training Partnership in Torquay who constantly seek new employers to offer work experience places to young people from the European Community. It is also possible for young adults from South Devon to be placed on funded work experience programmes in Europe and Ian Smith at The Training Partnership has the information.

This sort of funded programme is a great way of bringing communities together in these troubled times.