Aberystwyth those on Victoria Terrace suffered the greatest damage. Work commenced on a protective coffer dam which continued into 1940, with total costs of construction coming to £70,000 (equivalent to £2.5 million today). Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (Welsh language Society) held their historic first protest on Trefechan Bridge in Aberystwyth, on 2 February 1963. The first independent Welsh Evangelical Church was established in Aberystwyth (see Evangelical Movement of Wales). On 1 March 2005, Aberystwyth was granted Fairtrade Town status. In March 2009 mayor Sue Jones-Davies, who had played the role of Judith Iscariot in the film "Monty Python's Life of Brian"
Monty Python's Life of Brian half of the film "cumulatively hilarious," with "a splendidly tasteless finale, which even Mel Brooks might envy." Gary Arnold of "The Washington Post" had a negative opinion of the film, writing that it was "a cruel fiction to foster the delusion that 'Brian' is bristling with blasphemous nifties and throbbing with impious wit. If only it were! One might find it easier to keep from nodding off." "Life of Brian" has regularly been cited as a significant contender for the title "greatest comedy film of all time", and has been named as such in polls conducted by "Total Film" magazine