Neuadd Dwyfor, Pwllheli
This building was erected as a town hall (replacing the old town hall nearby) and entertainments venue at the start of the 20th century. The opening ceremony for the new building in May 1902 coincided with a musical eisteddfod in the large auditorium, which seated 3,000. The building cost the town council £12,500.
In 1904 there was a heated debate in the town council after a musical company applied to hold Sunday evening concerts in the hall. Some councillors thought this was inappropriate for the Sabbath because the company’s aim was to make a profit. One councillor said the songs might be acceptable but possibly not the character of the singers. The application was approved by a majority of one.
The hall began to screen films before the First World War. In 1918 local school governors, concerned at the amount of misbehavior by children, asked the town council to ensure nobody aged under 14 was allowed to see the moving pictures. They also asked the council to take more care in choosing which films to show at the town hall.
In September 1914 a meeting was held here to call on local men to join the armed forces. Speakers included Margaret Lloyd George, whose husband David was then the local MP and Chancellor of the Exchequer. Five men enlisted at the meeting.
In October 1919 there was excitement when Margaret Jones – stage name Leila Megáne – sang here. It was her first performance in Pwllheli since her tour of Continental opera houses. She had also sung for troops in France during the war. Born in Bethesda in 1891, she was raised in Pwllheli from the age of three.
Today the hall is known as Neuadd Dwyfor and still provides a variety of entertainment, including modern and classic film screenings, live dramas and music and streamed plays (relayed to the screen live) from the National Theatre Company. In the foyer you can see a one of two British Thompson Houston projectors installed at the hall in 1949. It was replaced in 1990.
Postcode: LL53 5DE View Location Map
Website of Neuadd Dwyfor (Facebook)