Madam,

Re New Quay Music Festival.

With the loss of the ‘Miners’ Fortnight’, which benefitted the businesses of New Quay greatly, I wondered what could be done to offset that loss in some way.

It was late 1998 and the government of the day announced funding would be available through the Arts Council of Wales for local projects that would both benefit communities and help celebrate the coming of the new millennium.

So it was in November of that year I proposed to the town council of New Quay that an annual music festival be set up and that I was willing and prepared, upon approval from all sections of the community, to move that project forward.

A committee of volunteers was formed and, with dedication and hard work, a successful first event in early August 1999 was achieved.

It is amazing and very pleasing to myself (having retired from it in 2006) that it has just passed its 21st annual appearance and is becoming more popular by the year. That fact is currently down to the excellent stewardship of Ian Richardson and his crew.

Thanks and congratulations are due to them and, of course, to all those who helped and supported in the years past.

Yours etc, Richard Smith, Pen Parc, New Quay.

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