The very first talk held at the new Neyland Community Hub took place last Friday evening to a very good, socially-distanced audience. The talk was given by Dr Simon Hancock and was entitled ‘Visions of Greatness: The South Wales Hotel, Neyland 1858-1970.’ The presentation covered the whole history of the building and those who owned and stayed there from its opening in July 1858 until it was demolished in May 1970. The hotel was one of the most iconic and important buildings in the history of the town and served the railway terminus and especially the steamers which went to Waterford and Cork from Neyland for exactly fifty years. The loss of the steamers and later closure of the Royal dockyard were terrible economic reverses which left the very large hotel with little business. It was used as hostel accommodation during the oil boom around the Haven in the 1950s but was demolished as a dangerous structure fifteen years later.