My Town / Montgomery / Dr Rhian Davies

1. Tell us about yourself

I was born in Newtown and began my career as a singer, gaining wide experience in opera and recitals, broadcasts and recordings.

As a music historian, I've also worked behind the camera as a researcher, scriptwriter and producer of television documentaries for the BBC, HTV and S4C and as a commentator on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM.

Much of my work has focused on Welsh musicians, notably Morfydd Owen, and I've been fortunate to travel the world in pursuit of manuscript sources, including visiting fellowships at Indiana University at Bloomington in the USA and the National Library of Australia in Canberra.

Since 2006, I have been Artistic Director of the Gregynog Festival, the famous classical music event which is held in the historic Music Room at Gregynog Hall, near Newtown, and which celebrated its 75th anniversary in June 2008.

2. How long have you lived in Montgomery?

We moved in just before Easter 2003, so six years ago this year.

3. What attracted you to live in the area?

I had been hankering after a return to Montgomeryshire for some time - my parents still live in Newtown and, after many years of travelling, I missed the turn of the seasons, especially the spring blossom and the autumn colours.

I founded the triennial Peter Warlock Festival in Mid Wales in May 2002 (Warlock is another research interest of mine because he wrote so much of his best music at the family home near Abermule) and the countryside just looked so beautiful that year.

Although we have no family connection with Montgomery, I have always loved the town, and the idea of looking for a house there gathered momentum from that time.

4. What is special about your home and why did you decide to buy it?

The house formed part of the first County Gaol for Montgomeryshire between 1735 and 1832. We have enjoyed learning more about its history through sources at the Powys Archives in Llandrindod Wells, Shropshire Archives in Shrewsbury and National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth.

Because of its original public function, many documents survive which give fascinating details about the people who lived their lives in the building in former times and the uses to which some of the rooms were put. The front room was the prison brewery and the master bedroom was built as an extension above it on the recommendation of John Howard, the penal reformer, to serve as a chapel for the inmates.

When we started looking seriously to buy a house in Montgomery in January 2003, we had already made appointments to view two or three other properties before an extra leaflet arrived in the post just before we drove up from Cardiff that Saturday morning.

We liked the look of it, managed to arrange a viewing at the very end of the afternoon and immediately fell in love with it - the position, the aspect and the original features including the Montgomeryshire oak floorboards and staircases.

But beyond all this, there was just something very special about the atmosphere of the house. Between us, we had looked at an awful lot of properties to rent or to buy over the years and we both just sensed this immediately. All our visitors also comment spontaneously upon it.

5. Apart from your house are there any other buildings or houses in the town that you like?

There's such a wonderful concentration of interesting buildings in Montgomery - the Castle, the Church and the handsome Town Hall and Georgian houses - that it feels rather like a film set. Indeed, several television programmes and films have been shot on location here, including Dylan Thomas' A Child's Christmas in Wales.

Sites in the surrounding area such as Hen Domen, Ffridd Faldwyn and Rhydchwima remind us that we live in an ancient and historically significant Border landscape where more Welsh would have been spoken in times gone by.

But actually, the local building which interests me most -- a wonderful, typically Montgomeryshire half-timbered black and white property called Lymore no longer stands. Although before its demolition, it would have dominated our forward view. I've recently come across a great old photograph of Lymore that looks back toward our house and includes us on the edge of frame, so I'm just about to order a copy print of that.

6. Is there a strong sense of community in the town?

There is a very strong sense of community in Montgomery -- an interesting mix of established local families plus people who have chosen to retire here following fascinating careers in diverse walks of life.

People still have time to talk, and Saturday morning at the Town Hall is a great time to catch up when everyone shops at the vegetable market or supports the weekly coffee morning in aid of local charities.

7. Are there any traditions that appertain to the town?

For such a small place, Montgomery is teeming with societies and you could pursue a different hobby every night of the week if you wanted to -- from flower arranging to bell ringing, Scrabble and weaving!

Several Street fairs, the Annual Show in August and the switching-on of the Christmas lights in November are all major dates in the local calendar.

A high proportion of residents belong to the Civic Society which ensures that development plans are in keeping and is also responsible for running the excellent, award-winning Old Bell Museum.

8. How do you relax in Montgomery?

The sun terrace outside the house is our favourite place to be when we are in Montgomery - it was one of the main reasons why we bought the house because we could see the potential for using it as an extra room.

The ever-changing view toward the Stiperstones, Corndon and the Long Mynd is spectacular in all weathers.

We also have a really rich birdlife in the garden, including nuthatches and woodpeckers, and it's really relaxing to read a book while watching them.