Annie Powell a CPGB delegate at a major conference of Communist parties in Moscow, where she claimed to have impressed Nikita Khrushchev with her rendition of "Hen Wlad fy Nhadau", the national anthem of Wales. Perhaps as a result of this meeting, she became a supporter of Khrushchev's ideas within the CPGB. In 1955, after thirteen attempts, Powell was elected as a Communist councillor for Penygraig, losing in 1957. In 1961, Powell was re-elected as a councillor in Rhondda. She served on the council for the next twenty years, and in 1979 was appointed mayor. As such, she is often said to
Max Boyce 2003 tour of Australia, coinciding with the Rugby World Cup which was being hosted there at the time. He held concerts in Adelaide and Melbourne, but the highlight was his sold-out performance at the Sydney Opera House, which was later released on DVD as "Max Boyce: Down Under". Boyce continues to make headlines in the British press. On 29 May 2006 Max Boyce headlined at a concert in Pontypridd to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Welsh national anthem, "Hen Wlad fy Nhadau". In August 2006, he hit out against the stereotypical use of the word "boyo" in the media,