A RETRO festival held in Blaenau Ffestiniog has proved to be a blast from the past.

On Sunday, 31 July the Meirionnydd town rolled back the clocks 70 years to host a 1940s extravaganza which was so well received there are already calls to hold another similar event next year.

More than 1,000 partygoers were in Blaenau for the ’40s day which featured classic cars from the North Wales Automobile Club and a vast array of activities ranging from swing dancing and afternoon tea to period entertainment and school performances.

Gaile Weir, the event’s organiser, was delighted with how the day went.

She said: “What a great day. Everything went as well, if not better, than we hoped and everyone said what a fantastic time they’d had. We are so grateful so many of the townspeople contributed in so many ways.

“The locals and the other hundreds and hundreds of visitors from further afield all helped to make it a great day and one to remember.”

One of the more popular events included a talk by local hero Colour Sgt Dean Hughes of the 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards, who was supporting the SSAFA charity.

There were also talks by local author Lee Darbyshire on his book Our Backyard War: West Merioneth in World War II and by Eddie Doylerush on the Hurricanes and Spitfires which crashed in the mountains surrounding the town during the war.

The atmosphere of the day brought smiles to the faces of the children dressed as evacuees from Ysgol Tanygrisiau, who thoroughly enjoyed the set of the UK’s top-rated 1940s performer Fiona Harrison, and pupils from Ysgol Maenofferen showed off models of air raid shelters they had crafted.

Performances from Kerry-Ann Ellis and Osian Burroughs from Ysgol Moelwyn were also lauded.

Young and old joined in the swing dance classes and live music at the tea dance by ladies of the Canyon was so popular it is to continue on a monthly basis.

Please contact Gaile on [email protected] if interested.