A grassroots club brand that changed west Wales — and still echoes 25 years on

FOR many in west Wales, The Evolution Experience is more than just a name. It is a memory — of packed dancefloors, loud music, and the feeling that something different was happening locally.

Launched in 2000 by Tom Sinclair and his friend John Lee, Evolution began modestly but quickly grew into one of the most ambitious nightlife ventures Pembrokeshire had seen.

At a time when serious clubbing meant travelling to Swansea or Cardiff, a group of young people in Milford Haven decided to build something themselves.

What made The Evolution Experience different was not just the scale, but the people behind it. At a time when most 20-year-olds were either at university or in their first jobs, the team behind Evolution were organising large-scale events, managing budgets, dealing with authorities, and taking on responsibilities usually associated with far older operators.

According to the Evolution Experience website in June 2001, the main team members were: Tom Sinclair, John Lee, Denys Bassett-Jones, Gareth Jones, Linda Rouse, Declan Rouse, Dan Mills, Matthew Norman, Luke Sinclair and Mike Knight.

Filling a gap

In the early 2000s, Pembrokeshire’s nightlife was limited. There were pubs, small venues, and occasional events — but nothing on a scale to rival city clubs.

Evolution changed that.

Early nights at the Kings Function Centre in Milford Haven drew hundreds, then close to a thousand people. The venue — a cricket club hall — was transformed with lighting rigs, powerful sound systems, and multiple arenas.

What emerged was not just a DJ night, but a full-scale experience.

As the brand grew, larger venues followed, including the Park House Exhibition Centre in Haverfordwest, where crowds of up to 2,500 attended — an unprecedented scale for the county.

More than a club night

What set Evolution apart was not just its size, but how it was run.

Despite being organised by people in their late teens and early twenties, the operation was structured and professional. There were sponsorship deals, thousands of flyers distributed across the county, branded vehicles, trained security, and medical cover on site.

Promotion was hands-on, with mailing lists built manually and campaigns run across towns and villages.

The aim was clear: to deliver something that could stand alongside events in larger cities.

And it worked.

Big-name DJs and acts were brought to Pembrokeshire, while local talent was given a platform to perform in front of large crowds.

What made The Evolution Experience different was not just the scale, but the people behind it. At a time when most 20-year-olds were either at university or in their first jobs, the team behind Evolution were organising large-scale events, managing budgets, dealing with authorities, and taking on responsibilities usually associated with far older operators.

As the events grew, so did the scale — and visibility — of the operation. Evolution nights were advertised across the county using thousands of flyers, AA-style road signs directing traffic into Haverfordwest, and branded vehicles fitted with tannoys reminding people on the day that something major was happening.

At one event in May 2002, a large police operation involving around 60 officers and a Gold command structure was deployed, with vehicles searched on arrival — but no issues were identified.

The intensity of promotion occasionally brought its own consequences, with Sinclair receiving a small fine for fly-posting and the use of loudspeakers.

Alongside this, the team pushed boundaries creatively, even securing Civil Aviation Authority permission to project the Evolution logo into the night sky using a high-powered searchlight — a reflection of the ambition behind what had, by then, become far more than a typical local night out.

A platform for people

For many involved, Evolution was more than a night out.

It provided early experience in:

• event management
• sound and lighting
• marketing and promotion
• working under pressure

Participants went on to careers in a wide range of fields, including policing, design, IT, and the music industry.

For Sinclair, the experience would prove formative in a different way.

Expansion beyond west Wales

As Evolution grew, it began to move beyond its local roots.

Events were held in London, including a night at The Fridge in Brixton. The brand also reached overseas, with a tour in China and plans — later followed by smaller events — in Tokyo.

For a venture that began in a Milford Haven cricket club, the expansion was significant.

The Chequers turning point

In 2002–2003, plans were put forward to establish a permanent home for Evolution at Chequers nightclub in Penally, near Tenby.

The move represented a major step — from one-off events to a fixed venue.

However, the application faced strong opposition from residents, authorities, and other stakeholders, particularly around concerns over noise and location.

Following a lengthy licensing hearing, the application was refused.

Sinclair disputed aspects of the decision, but the project did not proceed.

That pressure brought its own rewards. At just 22 years old, Sinclair found himself standing alone in a packed licensing hearing, representing his case for over six hours without legal support.

It was an experience that would shape everything that followed. “After that,” he has said, “nothing ever really felt that daunting again.”

A short-lived attempt to operate the venue as a private members’ club followed, but this also faced enforcement action and was ultimately discontinued.

Lessons learned

The refusal of the Chequers application marked more than just the loss of a venue. It was a moment where ambition collided with the limits of what was possible at the time — in terms of regulation, location, and local sensitivities.

For those involved, it was a harsh but valuable lesson. It exposed the realities of navigating systems that were still evolving themselves, and forced a deeper understanding of how decisions were made — and how they could be challenged.

The episode marked a turning point.

For those involved, it provided first-hand experience of the complexities of licensing, regulation, and public scrutiny.

Sinclair has since reflected that the experience influenced his decision to study law — and later to establish The Pembrokeshire Herald, where scrutiny of authority and public accountability became central themes.

That experience would have lasting consequences. For Sinclair, it sparked a deeper interest in law, leading him to study the subject and later apply that knowledge in a different arena — journalism.

The confidence built through Evolution, and the lessons learned during its most difficult moments, would go on to shape the approach behind The Pembrokeshire Herald.

A return — and a legacy

Although Evolution’s early peak passed, it did not disappear.

The brand returned in later years with events including:

• “No Place Like Home” nights in 2008
• smaller club events in 2009
• a full-house event in Tenby featuring SASH!
• sell-out shows at the De Valence Pavilion, including Judge Jules

Each time, the response showed that the name still carried weight.

A shared cultural moment

Today, The Evolution Experience occupies a rare place in local memory.

For those who were there in the early 2000s, it represents:

• first nights out
• a sense of something new
• proof that large-scale events could happen locally

For younger audiences, it remains a recognised and credible brand.

Few nightlife ventures bridge generations in this way.

Perhaps the most enduring impact of The Evolution Experience is not found in the events themselves, but in what came after.

Those involved did not simply move on — they carried the experience with them. Skills learned under pressure translated into careers across a range of professions, from public service to technology and the creative industries.

In that sense, Evolution was not just a series of nights, but a starting point.

Should it return?

With renewed interest and upcoming anniversary events, the question arises: should The Evolution Experience return in a larger way?

There is no simple answer.

The demand appears to be there, and the brand still resonates. However, the landscape has changed — with stricter regulation, different audience expectations, and a very different nightlife culture.

What is clear is that the original conditions that created Evolution cannot be replicated exactly.

More than nostalgia

Perhaps the question is not whether Evolution should return as it was, but whether the spirit behind it can be carried forward.

Because what Evolution demonstrated — 25 years ago — still matters:

That it is possible to build something significant from nothing, even in a rural area.

That young people, given the opportunity, can create, organise, and deliver at scale.

And that sometimes, what begins as a small idea can leave a lasting impact.

Today, the name still carries weight. For one generation, it represents a time when something genuinely new arrived in west Wales. For another, it is a brand associated with more recent events and headline DJs.

Few local ventures manage to bridge that gap — to be remembered by those who were there at the start, while still recognised by those discovering it for the first time.

A lasting impression

What started as a birthday party in Milford Haven became something far bigger — not just a club night, but a moment where a group of young people proved they could build something of scale, ambition and lasting impact.

Twenty-five years on, The Evolution Experience is no longer just about what happened on those nights. It is about what grew out of them — the confidence, the careers, and the belief that, even in a rural corner of west Wales, you didn’t have to wait for opportunity.

You could create it.

Free family event planned at Rwts on Easter Sunday

A FREE Easter egg hunt is set to take place in Broad Haven this weekend, with families invited to join in the fun on Easter Sunday.

The event, organised by Havens Events Crew, will be held at Rwts, Broad Haven, on Sunday, April 5 at 2:00pm.

Organisers say all children are welcome, with free entry for those taking part.

As well as the egg hunt itself, there will also be an Easter egg prize for the best Easter dress-up, adding to what is expected to be a fun-filled afternoon for local youngsters.

The event is likely to attract families from across the Havens area as children celebrate Easter with games, treats and fancy dress.

Havens Events Crew, which was established in 2023, has been building a reputation for putting on community events in the area.

The Easter egg hunt is expected to be a popular addition to the holiday weekend calendar.

Photo caption: Easter fun: Havens Events Crew is holding a free Easter egg hunt at Rwts, Broad Haven, on Sunday, April 5 at 2:00pm.

New crime series Old Town Murders and supernatural thriller The Witch Farm will both be filmed and set in Wales as BBC Cymru Wales backs a fresh wave of homegrown storytelling

THE BBC has announced two major new Welsh drama commissions, with Tenby set to take centre stage in a new prime-time crime series.

Old Town Murders and The Witch Farm will both air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One, in a move the broadcaster says reflects its commitment to telling more stories from across the devolved nations.

For Pembrokeshire audiences, the biggest local interest will be Old Town Murders, a six-part crime drama set in Tenby and filmed in Tenby, Cardiff and along the South Wales coastline.

The new series stars Mark Lewis Jones and Steffan Rhodri as DI Glyn Walsh and DS Sion Dearden, two detectives and old friends brought together by personal hardship as they investigate a string of disturbing murders in the seaside town.

The BBC said the drama would be witty and twist-filled, combining dark crime stories with humour, friendship and second chances. The opening investigation centres on the murder of a respected university professor, before the detectives are drawn into further baffling cases, including the poisoning of a head teacher and a mysterious death linked to a triathlon.

The series has been written, created and executive produced by Welsh writer Matthew Barry, whose recent credits include Men Up and The Guest. It will also feature James Bamford, Bethan Mary-James, Catherine Ayers and Julie Graham.

The second commission, The Witch Farm, is a four-part ghost story and mystery based on Danny Robins’ successful podcast of the same name.

Set in South Wales in 1989, it follows Bill and Liz Rich, played by Gabrielle Creevy and Michael Socha, as they leave London for a remote farmhouse in the foothills of the Brecon Beacons in search of a fresh start. But after Liz believes she has seen a ghostly figure during a traumatic home birth, the couple find themselves drawn into a chilling sequence of unexplained events.

The BBC said the series is inspired by real events, theories and first-hand accounts explored in the original podcast, although some characters and elements have been changed for dramatic purposes.

Danny Robins, who has built a strong following through paranormal hits including Uncanny and The Battersea Poltergeist, has written and created the television adaptation. The Witch Farm will be directed by Stacey Gregg and produced by Mammoth Screen.

Nick Andrews, Head of Commissioning for BBC Cymru Wales, said the two dramas formed part of a rich season of content for viewers in Wales.

He said: “We’re heading into such a rich season of content for audiences in Wales – stories which resonate deeply here but will ricochet across the UK and beyond.”

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, said the BBC was delighted to announce two productions that would both be filmed and set in Wales.

She said: “With fabulous writers Matthew Barry and Danny Robins, we’re extremely proud to have these two fantastic series coming to BBC iPlayer and BBC One, as part of our commitment to produce distinctive, must-see dramas across the UK.”

The announcement will be seen as another boost for Wales’ growing television industry, with both productions adding to a run of high-profile dramas made in the country.

For Pembrokeshire, however, the spotlight will fall most sharply on Old Town Murders, with Tenby’s streets, seafront and scenery expected to reach a UK-wide audience when the series airs.

With murder mysteries unfolding in one of Wales’ best-known seaside towns and a haunting tale set deep in the Welsh countryside, the BBC is making clear that Welsh stories are moving firmly into the mainstream.