New book charts history of organisation

The Montgomeryshire County Recreation Association was formed in July 1919 at a public meeting held in Newtown. It changed its name 10 years ago to the Montgomeryshire Community Regeneration Association.

The history of the organisation is contained in a book about to be published, called “The Most Fruitful Experiment” written by a retired Aberystwyth academic, Jenny Lane, with the support and help of the Aberystwyth Professor of Modern History, Paul O’Leary.

When formed, the organisation received the active patronage of the then MP for the County, Major David Davies (later the first Lord Davies) and his two sisters Gwendoline and Margaret.

The continuing patronage of the Davies family made it possible in the 1960s to build the present Oriel Davies gallery in Newtown as a memorial to Gwendoline and Margaret Davies, who, the assocation says, were great public benefactors.

The Association promoted and revived a whole range of sporting activities and also providing playing fields, promoting interest in the arts, particularly music, which resulted in the building of the County Pavilion on the Llanidloes Road in Newtown.

It encouraged youth activities, operatied a mobile cinema and assisting with the building of village halls often then called village institutes.

At least eighteen such halls were believed to have been built as a result of this programme most built by buying and erecting army surplus buildings, made surplus by the end of the war.

Today the MCRA is responsible for Plas Dolerw, the voluntary sector centre for Montgomeryshire, located in Newtown, the Newtown Textile Museum and also owns the Davies Memorial Gallery. It also runs periodically county wide activities.

The Most Fruitful Experiment is 165 page publication and contains pictures and maps. It can be purchased and copies can be obtained from Plas Dolerw or the shop at the Oriel Davies Gallery.