THE year is 1970, Edward Heath beat Harold Wilson in a shock election result to become Prime Minister, legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix was king of the live festival scene, before his untimely death, and Matt Damon, Maria Carey, Simon Pegg and Melania Trump were born.

The Vietnam War was still raging and Palestinian terrorists were causing havoc around the world, but in the West Wales market town of Cardigan the tail end of the baby boom generation, myself included, were preparing to start our first year in the “County School”.

Ysgol Uwchradd Aberteifi was a school of some 1,200 pupils, with numerous porta-cabins placed on every available hard standing to cope with the numbers.

The headmaster was Enoch Thomas and many legendary teachers were at the school at this time. Every generation believes that theirs was the best time, but I truly believe that growing up in the 1960s and 1970s were some of the best years in living memory – we certainly had the best music.

The Royal Aircraft Establishment at Parcllyn and the associated Royal Air Force base at Aberporth were the major employers in the area along with the Slimma factory and agriculture played a big role in the local economy.

Cardigan was a booming town with hundreds of shops, a busy market and of course the Monday cattle mart. Long hair, huge flares, platform soled shoes and flowery shirts in orange and purple were the new fashion – and that was just the men!

From September 2018 to August 2019 the pupils of the 1970 intake year will have their 60th birthdays and so a celebration and re-union is being arranged, hosted by Gwyneth Jones (nee Mathias) at Cardigan Castle – something we could only have dreamed about at that time.

Everyone from that year is welcome to attend and anyone interested should join the facebook group Class of 1970 -77 reunion - facebook.com/groups/1840983859341790

In 1977, as the last of us were preparing to leave the school, a revolutionary film was about to be released – Star Wars – so it is fitting perhaps that the re-union for the school year 1970-1977 will take place at Cardigan Castle on May 4, 2019. May the fourth be with you