Madam,

I suspect that you will be receiving a large postbag/email response to the devastating news of the closure of Hag’s music shop. It was an icon and “must visit” for music lovers such as myself who holidayed in Ce-redigion and further afield in west Wales. It may not be an exaggeration to say that quite apart from its intrinsic attraction to music lovers it will have contributed in no small way to the tourist industry in the area. In my case I first came across the shop, with its then rather cramped space, while holidaying with my parents, who for some years in the 1970s took a holiday cottage in Ffarmers. The move to Bridge Street was its saving, giving space to browse its substantial stock in reasonable comfort. Its stock down the years certainly matched any equivalent shop in the then mecca of second hand record shops - London’s Soho.

Over the last 40 years or so, the shop’s stock enabled me to build up a music library of recordings by my favourite artistes and it is a great pity that future music lovers will not have the benefit of its vast catalogue.

I would be grateful if you could pass on my best wishes to Hag and, especially to Bob Gilliam, with whom I have had many conversations down the years about artistes, especially in the field of American folk music. Holidays to the Lampeter area with never be quite the same again.

Yours etc

Tony Thomas

London.