"Whilst looking through old minute books I came across a bequest from Mrs Muriel Phillips who left five hundred pounds to the League to help with expenses for competing teams in the One-Act competition in 1979. She talks about the friendships and pleasure she has had since joining the League as founder member in 1946.

Minute books that have been handed down to us only go back to 1957. Amazingly, in the accounts for that year there is recorded no less than 88 paid up groups affiliated to the GDL with over 30 individual members!

So, just after the Second World War, a group of amateur theatre enthusiasts got together to form an organisation that would bring together Am Dram groups working within the borders of the Glamorgan County Council area which stretched from Cardiff in the east, Merthyr to the north and Swansea and the Gower to the west. Their purpose was to organise competitions, social and training events and to bring together groups to share their experiences and expertise.

In 59 years nothing much has changed except that an important aim, now, must be to raise the profile of amateur theatre (or, as we prefer to call it, 'Local Theatre') with the general public. This was not necessary back in 1946, as every village and indeed a lot of workplaces had their own group and were an integral part of the community.