A Tribute to Peter Lloyd Harvey

01/03/1949 – 03/09/2023

We were all saddened to hear of the passing of Peter Lloyd Harvey, a former Director of MWT Cymru, founding member of Pentir Pumlumon, and a real pioneer in the early days of Welsh tourism when Peter and his father opened one of the first attractions in Mid Wales, the ‘Silver Lead Mine’, now known as The Silver Mountain Experience.

Thank you to Richard Smith from Cambrian Safaris, who worked with Peter for many years, and has shared his personal memories, with comment also from Ashford Price and support from Ionett Lloyd Harvey.

In Richard's words:

"I worked with Peter for 16 years at Llywernog Mine between 1996 and 2012. Lots of stories, lots of laughs, lots of happy visitors and so much work (mostly before I was there) to restore an old mine and tell the story of the area. Every day I am there now, I think of things we worked on together, the things we talked about and the plans we had. We talked a lot about what we'd like to do there. I remember him as always being softly spoken, with a methodical approach to the day's tasks, always a fresh hand written list of jobs on the reception desk. He was a very accomplished carpenter, as was his father, I learnt a fair bit from him over the years. Cambrian Safaris derives from an idea which was first his. 
 
Peter was born and grew up in Leicester where his father, Dr Stephen Henry Harvey, was a lecturer in organic chemistry at Leicester University. Next door neighbours were a certain family of Attenboroughs. Peter's mother, Lorna Lloyd, was born and grew up in Aberaeron. Her father, George Herbert Lloyd, was headmaster at the local school. Peter’s parents bought their house in Market St Aberaeron to retire to. 

Peter and his father loved sailing and spent every possible moment down here and were both trustees, commodore and founding members of the Aberaeron Yacht Club. 
 
Peter studied law in London for 1 year, I seem to remember him talking about driving back and forth to Aberaeron in an old London Taxi. I believe he dropped out after a year to start work at Llywernog mine with his Father and others. 
 
The ruinous site of Llywernog Mine was acquired in 1973, until then the open mine workings were used as a rubbish dump. It opened to the public a year later in the spring of '74. The project started as a museum to display artefacts found when a group explored old mines in North Ceredigion. 
 
The site was gradually transformed and in the early 90's a huge effort went into the clearing out and capping of the top level of the mine workings. Much of that work was done by 4 people: Peter, Peter Jones, Simon Hughes and Colin Broadbent, who is the only survivor. 
 
Several people have reminded me of how he would look over his reading glasses at you as you came into the shop at the mine, saying "Ah! Richard" or whoever - always pleased to see you. 
 
He was always trying to work to promote Mid Wales for tourism and to have more recognition of the importance of the mining history in north Ceredigion. 
 
He also once jointly owned the Cliff Railway in Aberystwyth, had plans for a chairlift down the waterfalls at Devils Bridge (but didn't win the closed bid when the hotel sold the falls). The Count House in Pontrhydygroes was once his family home, with a very long mine tunnel in the garden, which he told me is aligned to sunset on midsummer's day. 
With his father he ran the "Liverpool to Birkenhead" Gondola across the harbour in Aberaeron - which carried a small number of passengers hanging from a cable.
 
Few people realise that Peter and his father were amongst the first to get an attraction operational in Mid Wales. The ‘Silver Lead Mine’ as it was then called was a real pioneer in the early days of Welsh tourism.

Ashford Price, Dan yr Ogof National Showcaves of Wales, said "Peter also had a tremendous knowledge about Mines and minerals, and during his time at the ‘Silver Mine’ was a driving force for attractions in Mid Wales". 
 
Val  [Hawkins, MWT Cymru/Mid Wales Tourism} will remember his contributions at MWT meetings, I believe he was a force to be reckoned with, bringing a dose of reality no doubt! I remember similar at Pentir Pumlumon meetings.
 
I'm sorry that I never managed to get to go sailing with him - even though he more than once told the story of becoming shipwrecked on the beach at Aberaeron having missed the harbour entrance in a storm! "