Welsh celebrities to share their memories with broadcasting icon Beti George

A number of Welsh celebrities are to share their broadcasting memories with presenter Beti George in a special event at the National Library of Wales.

The National Library of Wales will hold a special evening at the Wales Broadcast Archive Centre in the Library to celebrate the broadcasting careers of some of Ceredigion’s most influential broadcast figures.

The event will be hosted by broadcasting icon Beti George who will chat with actress Gillian Elisa Thomas and popular broadcasters Ifan Jones Evans and John Meredith. Under the title Beti a Phobol Ceredigion, the event will also pay tribute to the late television designer John Julian Williams, who was originally from Aberystwyth, who made a major contribution to broadcasting in Wales.

Free tickets will be available for this celebratory event, which takes place on the evening of 29 January at the National Library of Wales.

Beti George, famous for her incisive interview style, will present the evening at the Wales Broadcast Archive Centre at the National Library of Wales. Using the Archive’s rich collections, she will guide the audience through a wealth of television and radio footage covering the distinguished careers of her guests. The evening will feature archive clips from the 1970s, including Gillian Elisa Thomas in her early role as Sabrina in Pobol y Cwm, alongside Ifan Jones Evans’s early appearances on Y Sioe Fawr and Cefn Gwlad. Highlights from John Meredith’s extensive broadcast archive will also be showcased, offering memorable moments such as live radio broadcast from Concorde.

Beti George said: “I’m really looking forward to hosting Beti a Phobol Ceredigion and celebrating the incredible talent that has shaped Welsh broadcasting. The Wales Broadcast Archive is a treasure trove of our shared history, from classic television and radio moments to unforgettable performances. I encourage everyone to explore the Archive, it’s a wonderful way to discover, remember, and celebrate the voices and stories that have made Wales’s broadcasting so special.”

In addition to the Wales Broadcast Archive Centre at the National Library of Wales there are 14 Clip Corners throughout Wales where members of the public can access the Wales Broadcast Archive free of charge. These access points allow visitors to explore an extraordinary collection of radio and television history from across the nation.

Dr Rhodri Llwyd Morgan, Chief Executive of the National Library of Wales said: “As the home of the National Library of Wales, Ceredigion holds a unique place in the story of our nation’s cultural life, and it is fitting that we celebrate the county’s outstanding contribution to Welsh broadcasting. We are especially grateful to John Julian Williams for his contributions to the Library, and we’re thrilled to honour him as part of this Ceredigion event. The Wales Broadcast Archive at the Library exists to preserve, protect and share this rich legacy, in partnership with ITV Cymru Wales, BBC Cymru Wales and S4C.

“Thanks to the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Welsh Government and the Library itself, events such as this bring those collections to life, allowing audiences to reconnect with familiar voices, faces and moments from Wales’s broadcast history. Every clip shown on the night can be explored further at any of our 14 Clip Corners across Wales, ensuring that our shared broadcast heritage truly belongs to everyone.”

In response to the event planning Blodwen Jones a close friend of the late John Julian Williams and his family said: “Julian had a deep affection for Aberystwyth and a lifelong belief in the importance of preserving Wales’s cultural memory. He was quietly generous in his support for the National Library of Wales and the Wales Broadcast Archive, institutions he believed belonged to everyone. His family and friends are grateful that his contribution is being remembered in this celebration of Ceredigion’s broadcasting heritage, in a place and community that meant so much to him and his family.”

Andrew White, Director of The National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales said: “The Wales Broadcast Archive captures the rich history of Welsh broadcasting, from the iconic voices of Ceredigion to moments that have shaped our nation’s cultural story. With funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, this Archive, and the 14 Clip Corners across Wales, allows communities to explore and reconnect with this shared heritage. Events like Beti a Phobol Ceredigion bring these collections to life.”

Tickets to “Beti a Phobol Ceredigion” are free, with suggested donations welcomed to the National Library of Wales at www.library.wales/events