Dylan Thomas arrived at his new address in New Quay on September 4th 1944. Married to Caitlin for 7 years, they had 2 children at the time, Aeronwy aged 2 who moved in with her parents, and Llewellyn aged 5 who was then living with Caitlin's family. Thirty year old Dylan, a published poet and short story writer, broadcaster on the BBC, was writing film scripts for the Ministry of Information throughout the Second World War years, but was well known only in the circle of friends and aquaintances which made up the "literati" of their time.  Hardly any of the town's folk would have known who Dylan was, or what he did for a living.  As was often the case throughout his life Dylan was struggling to make ends meet.  "Majoda" the asbestos shack they lived in on the cliff edge approx half a mile outside New Quay, was by today's standard, the type pf property that squatters might turn thier noses up at.

And that's where this story begins:
Not at the beginning (sorry Dylan), but in the middle of Dylan's creative life.

During Dylan's 10 month stay at New Quay (he left in July 1945) he wrote not only film scripts, but also several major poems, and also the radio broadcast production "Quite Early One Morning", now universally accepted as the forerunner of Under MIlk Wood. The next poetry book he published in 1946, "Deaths and Entrances", was to see Dylan's fame grow internationally. The rest, as they say, is History.

Oh yes, and New Quay, in my opinion, is "Llaruggub" the small seaside town of Under Milk Wood.This is one of the hottest potatos in the Dylan world. If you want to join in the debate start by reading David N Thomas' book "A Farm, Two Mansions, and a Bungalow". Better still, read it and then visit New Quay.This unspoilt Town still exudes the atmosphere that so inspired Dylan. And we know that he was happy during his stay. It seems to me that Dylan always produced his best works when close to the sea.

I first came to New Quay on a family holiday in 2000. As a lifelong fan of Dylan's work I was at the same time both charmed and exasperated by the Town's apparent determination not to want to mention the "Dylan connection". Now I am more than happy to congratulate Cei Dev for setting up this website in order to celebrate that connection.Gone are the days when mumurs were heard about how he still owed local people money, (he's been dead 57 years!), and how he was a drunken bohemian womaniser, who smelt bad and wore scruffy clothes (can anyone think of any other artistic genius who might possibly have suffered such a similar description? Yes, thats right,all of them!). Time passes.

This latest development is part of a process that began back in 2003 when New Quay opened the Dylan Thomas Trail (also another excellent book by David N THomas) a self guided walk of the area, highlighting the places associated with Dylan.Time, as Dylan would put it, passes.

Gone are the days when on holiday I would hear stories of how Dylan was supposed to have "slighted" local people by drawing on them for his characterisations in Under Milk Wood. Lets take a dispassionate look at these "slightings". Under Milk Wood is a funny, sensitive and loving depiction of certain characters (in all senses) in a small Welsh seaside Town.The play (the first "soap opera") has never been out of print since it was first published in 1953, and has been translated into over 100 languages.As Dylan said, he left out all hatred, greed etc. to which we are all susceptible.Local people are now celebrating the Town's connection with the man from Swansea (what about it New Quay? Where's the Dylan statue going then?).Time passes.

In all seriousness, in my opinion you will not get a better sense of closeness with Dylan than sitting on the quayside at New Quay looking at the beauty of Cardigan Bay. From where you are (sorry Dylan) you can hear the "big seas" of the towns folks dreams. The only other places that I have visited in honour of the man that come close are Cwmdonkin Park and 5 Cwmdonkin Drive in Swansea, and Browns Hotel and the Boat House in Laugharne.

You can walk in Dylan's footsteps, walk the same beaches, drink in his favourite pubs, sleep in the rooms he would have known, and if the fancy takes you, chase your partner down Goosegog Lane to cries of "Ach y fi"!  

If you love Dylan, you will love New Quay.

Find out for yourselves.I quarantee that you will never, never, want to leave the Town.


Alan I Bloomfield (2011)


                                                          
                                                           NEW QUAY TOWN
                                                               (for Sian)
                                                                                                           
                                                New Quay Town sea dolphin blue,
                                                Walking sands, shells, rocks, and you,
                                                The bays curve bends the sky above,
                                                Birds share their songs of seaside love,
                                                Small boats that sail all weathers through
                                                We walk through tides, as lovers do.
                                              
                                                                 Alan I Bloomfield (2011)