Early in 1982 Michael Jones and John King, both Crickhowell residents but members of the Blackwood and Ebbw Vale Rotary Clubs respectively, felt that the time was appropriate to set about forming a Rotary Club in Crickhowell, the nearest Club at that time being in Abergavenny.

In order to pursue this idea they contacted six local men whom they felt would be interested and invited them to attend an “information sharing” meeting at the invitation of Mrs Judy Hindmarsh, the proprietor at The Bear Hotel.

The six men were Malcolm Thomas, Bob Cule, Geoffrey Davies, Wally Elliot, Tony Newman and Graham Price.

The “information” was well received and the six set about increasing the number to nineteen as required by Rotary International to secure the formation of a new Rotary Club.

Mrs Hindmarsh was pleased to offer meeting room facilities at no cost and it was decide to meet weekly for dinner at The Bear. Such was the camaraderie established at that time and our continued welcome at The Bear that we still meet there on Thursday evenings.

Rotary quickly established itself into the fabric of the life of the town and has become one of the principal service organisations through its work locally, nationally and internationally.