A FREQUENT overseas visitor to the iconic Tafarn Sinc pub hopes it will still be open when he visits again next year.

Computer programmer Danny Heijil, from Belgium, has visited the Preseli pub every summer for the last 15 years and was recently concerned to hear it was for sale and could close if no buyer can be found.

A community campaign has been launched to save the Pembrokeshire watering hole and Danny hopes it succeeds..

“I enjoy coming to the place. I enjoy the atmosphere. I enjoy the walks. And I enjoy the food. And it also gives me the chance to practise my Welsh,” he said.

Danny has taught himself to speak and read Welsh after a chance visit to Fishguard in 2001 when he heard a ‘strange’ language being spoken.

Such has been his interest ever since that he now has a library of well over 400 Welsh books. “I buy many books every visit and I have a lot of reading to do,” he said.

He was heartened to hear that the community effort to buy Tafarn Sinc has already raised £120,000 bought in shares.

However, more than double that amount is required before the end of the month if the community is to place a realistic bid to buy the property.

“We have set ourselves a deadline of 30 September to raise almost £300,000 in order to buy the iconic pub and cover all our costs,” said Cllr Cris Tomos, one of those leading the fund-raising effort.

“To that end we have now entered the second phase of our money raising effort by offering a limited number of ‘Peer to Peer’ lendings of a minimum of £5,000 with a guaranteed four per cent return.

“We are confident that 20 persons will agree to lend £5,000 each and thus raise £100,000,” he added.

The campaign has already been bolstered by the support of Hollywood actor, Rhys Ifans, who has bought shares and delivered an on-line monologue that can be seen on You Tube.

“Similarly we have been overwhelmed by various offers of support such as that of recent film graduate, Aled John, from Tavernspite, who offered to do a promotional video. This again is now on-line and can be accessed through www.tafarnsinc.cymru,” said Hefin Wyn, acting chairman of Cymdeithas Tafarn Sinc.

“Tafarn Sinc is obviously a tourist destination and as well as being a community hub it plays a significant part in the local economy. Local tourist providers will always encourage their guests to visit Tafarn Sinc and rarely will they be disappointed.

“We are confident the local and wider community will support our efforts and the money will be raised in time,” added Hefin.

The sentiment was echoed by Danny Heijl as he pondered over the share application form during his current visit.