My opening sentence, however, may be a misrepresentation as much activity has indeed taken place at Richmond Park during the summer as you can see before your very eyes today. A new TV Studio is in place which will also ideally house our sponsors on LoW matchdays, as well as the TV Gantry and 250 extra seats. I hope the regulars who watch the game at the Club end of the stand will enjoy themselves in the lap of luxury from the new seating which has been installed. Of course, all these developments have meant that it has been a summer of high activity for many in the Club, not only in helping out with more than menial tasks but also in raising money to fund these projects.

As soon as the season finished our Chairman set the ball rolling by arranging a very successful Sportsman's Dinner, supplemented by an equally successful Millennium Raffle and the fund-raising process was continued in June with the annual Fete & Gala spearheaded by our Operations Manager, Malcolm Williams, with much assistance by his namesake Malcolm Llwyd who played no small part in co-ordinating the sale of programmes. The Club is also grateful for the intermittent assistance given to Malcolm No. 1 from a great bunch of volunteers, not least of all our good friend Willy Thomas for helping to upgrade our ground during the summer.

I hope you will enjoy and regularly purchase our match programmes this season. As you are aware, our programme was the best of any club in the Welsh Pyramid last season and I'm sure we will all look forward to the regular contributions from Llþr Hughes Griffiths and G O Jones, as well as the excellent guest contributions we receive, Our indefatigable programme dual editors will no doubt ensure that the high standard of last season will be maintained.

IF I CAN NOW END MY FIRST CONTRIBUTION this season on a personal note. It would be an understatement If I said it has not been a very good summer in my household after my slight accident in the Leisure Centre. I spend most of the summer attending physiotherapy sessions but all this pales into insignificance as I refer to some major surgery undergone by my better half. And I refer to this because in this much maligned game of ours a marvellous fraternity still exists. Carol received many best wishes from those associated with the Club and none more so than our Ladies Committee who have been a source of inspiration. Yes, the beautiful game has much to commend it!