The visit to South Wales started with a fine meal at Swansea Citadel on our arrival on Saturday afternoon. Despite the delay on our travels due to the roadworks on the M5 that caused us to be over half an hour late getting to Swansea the seemingly unfazed band of helpers served us all with a roast dinner to be proud of.

The Saturday evening concert took place at the Waterfront Community Church in the middle of the development area along the seafront. Our late arrival meant that we didn't get the usual opportunity to test the acoustic before the concert and so we launched into the opening march having had the briefest of warm ups.

Howard quickly established a good rapport with the audience in his native land and one young man became the proud owner of a Boscombe Band CD when he volunteered the information that, at six years old, this was his first brass band concert! The first half of the concert also included some fine singing from the audience of Soldiers of Christ Arise and concluded with the band playing Leslie Condon's The Present Age.

There was a bit of a Celtic theme in the second half of the programme - with John Starkes playing 'neath the Dublin Skies and the band playing Ken Downie's arrangement of Myfanwy.

On the Sunday morning the band divided into two, nearly equal, halves to conduct the holiness meetings at both Swansea Citadel and Morriston Citadel Corps. This was much appreciated by both Corps, with the band's contribution including Dorothy Gates' Breathe which, certainly at Swansea where I attended, provided a beautiful time of contemplation in the meeting. At both Corps the band were ably supported by the local Singing Company.

The final meeting of the weekend was slightly delayed due to the soprano cornet being 'mislaid'! Soon however, and following an excellent contribution from the Swansea Songsters, we were back up to full strength and launched into what is now the usual format for our ministry on such weekends taking the theme I tell you a mystery. It was heart warming to see, during the singing of the final song, a line of youngsters at the back of the hall holding aloft banners which expressed their appreciation of the band's visit.

Soon the visit was complete and we were once more on our coach heading for home - and the preparations for our next engagement! We sincerely hope that our visit has brought much to the folk in Swansea. We know that it is not necessarily what happens during the weekend itself that is most important - but rather the seeds that are planted and grow into something special in the weeks and months to come.

Thank you Swansea and Morriston for being such wonderful hosts.