Thanks, Ron. Lampeter did have a University, or at least a college within the University of Wales. Maybe the young farmers and the students supported the wrestling?

Hack is right about the economics. In 1973 "North Wales Promotions", which I take to be Orig Williams, even did 2 shows at the Village Hall in Penrhyncoch, about 4 miles outside Aberystwyth. They were decent line ups too. On 5th October 1973 the advert (which I didn't take a photo of) gives the bill as Mitzi Mueller & Paula Valdez vs Hellcat Haggerty and Lena Blair, Monty Sann vs Hell's Angel Steve Young Esq.,Max Raeger vs Blackbelt Eddie Hamill and Pedro the Gypsy vs Johnnie Palance. The 27th November 1973 bill at Penrhyncoch was Danny Lynch vs Gordon Corbett, Monty Swann vs Dr Death and Dave Morgan vs Pedro the Gypsy In the previous week, the Cambrian News had an advert for wrestling at Neuadd Idris Dolgellau - which at least is a reasonable sized town rather (for Mid Wales) than a small village.

My love for Aberystwyth originates with a family holiday in 1975 and my time there at University and then living there for several years. We go back most summers, usually driving from Liverpool. It is hard to do it in under 3 1/2 hours. The view when arriving from the north when you come to the top of the hill overlooking the town is amazing. I only attended wrestling there twice, both at the now demolished Kings Hall. The first time was an Orig show in November 1979, the second was a Best/Wryton show during the summer season in 1980. Unfortunately, by the time I was a postgraduate student and then a resident in the town, the summer seasons of Best Wryton shows were no more. Thanks indeed to Ron for stating the thread and to Hack for his encouragement. Am I correct, Hack, that you by train to Aber on a regular basis? Maybe one day we will meet up there as I can do a day trip there from Liverpool by train! A Kodak moment on the site of the Kings Hall would be one for the archives!

I actually managed two visits to the Ceredigion Archive - one while she was having her hair cut and the other on the wet day when she was in the adjacent library keeping her watchful eye on me and the ladies in the archive. It seems that in 1984 Orig was hoping that the Reslo TV show would bring out the crowds to such small places as Aberaeron and Tregaron.

I spent some wet mornings during my late summer holiday in Aberystwyth at the Ceredigion County Archive looking through back copies of the local weekly newspaper, The Cambrian News. I have some more to share but I don't know how so paste several different photos into the same post, hence the series of separate posts (apologies). I was amazed by the welcome and the help of the kind ladies at the archive who kept bringing me large cardboard files with 6 months of newspapers in at a time. I would have spent more time there but my wife would not have been happy! It seems that Orig was happy to put shows on in some of the very small places around West Wales. I can't imagine the crowds were very big so goodness knows how he made a profit when having to pay wrestlers to travel all that way!

1979 Aberystwyth

Here are some more Orig Williams shows from Aberystwyth area in 1983

one from 1983 one from 1983

known as Superslam Wrestling

Thanks as ever, Ron! Your thorough research always throw light on our investigations. It has been an amazing privilege to me to be talking with Johnny Palance each Tuesday evening during August after seeing hom so many times at Liverpool Stadium. Thanks again

Last night at Rhyl, I asked Johnny about his time at Stampede Wrestling in Canada. He said that he went over in 1981 with Eddie Hamill at the invitation of Stu Hart who sent the airplane tickets. Whereas Eddie was planning to stay a few months, Johnny could only stay a month as he was about to begin a new job as an electrician working for a local Health Authority. Johnny had made this clear to Stu but noticed that the airline tickets were only one way. He was worried that Stu Hart would not pay for his return flight if he was only staying from r a month. Johnny said that he was asked to wrestle as Jake Foley, taking the role of John Foley's brother. The storyline went that John Foley had been estranged from their father and had fled to Canada. Their father had written John Foley out of his will. Jake (Johnny Palance) had come to Canada following the "death" of their father to generously give John half of the family estate as a way of bringing about family reconciliation. John Foley was apparently reluctant to accept the money and be reconciled. In real life Johnny Palance got fed up with sustaining the long running story line through endless interviews and questions from members of the public who would approach him in the street. Coming to the end of his month in Stampede, Johnny still didn't know where to find the money for the flight home. However, a friend sent money over so Johnny could come home. He was worried that Stu Hart, annoyed at Johnny's short stay in the territory, would alert the police on some bogus issue and cause Johnny to be stopped going through customs. Johnny had hidden his passport under a carpet in case Hart tried to use that to keep Johnny in Canada. Johnny said that he felt a great sense of relief as the plane took off! Johnny said that he enjoyed his trip to Canada and confirmed that Dynamite Kid was in the Territory at the same time. Johnny said that he only wrestled Eddie Hamill a few times over there and people commented what good matches they were. This was because they had wrestled so often in the UK, whereas most of Johnny's opponents in Canada were new to him and they had to adapt to each others' different styles. Johnny said a few other things about Eddie's involvement with females in Canada, but it is probably best not to share the details!

Johnny seemed to be very popular last night at Rhyl so I didn't get the chance to aski him about his time in Canada. I will try again next week.

If Johnny is there at Rhyl next Tuesday I will try to ask about memories of Canada. I am trying to tread carefully and not be too intrusive.

I remember one TV match in which Crabtree got in the way even more than usual at the end of a round, falling over Marty Jones who was trying to get to his feet and back to his corner.

I was fortunate to meet and chat with Johnny Palance at the Rhyl wrestling show on Tuesday night. He was quite emotional at the passing of his friend Eddie who he had kept in touch with in recent years. Johnny and Eddie both lived in North Wales, although apparently Eddie went back to Ireland for his final days. Johnny mentioned that he had said to Eddie that it was strange how they used to beat the hell (Johnny used a different word) out of each other and now they were the best of friends!

Very, very sad news. I loved his run at Liverpool Stadium for Brian Dixon. I met him at one of the Kent reunions and he was so friendly. He used to come to the summer season wrestling shows at Rhyl Town Hall and it was good to see him looking well and happy