Last week it was with mixed emotions that we celebrated the Archive’s 10th birthday and on the same day bade farewell to our dear old boss, Iestyn, whose final task was to cut the birthday cake.

After that we settled down to watch a short film by Anwen and Mark, who’d recorded a few farewell messages for him from members of staff at the National Library, and a special screening of Sara Sugarman’s 2001 comedy,Very Annie Mary.  Being the same age as the Archive, the film also resembles our collection in that it presents a portrait of life in Wales – although rather a quirky one – and its wonderful sense of humour, touching but unsentimental, was perfect for the occasion.

Afterwards we presented Iestyn with a farewell gift of a photograph of Venice by David Gepp, one of his favourite photographers. This was but a small token of our regard for him as a person and our appreciation of all that he achieved during his long career at the National Library and especially as the first head of the National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales.

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