An Act of Parliament to treat Wales differently from England was passed in 1881. It required all public houses (‘pubs’) which sold alcoholic drinks to close on Sundays. When this law was repealed in 1961, drinking in Welsh pubs was permitted but local councils had to hold a vote on the issue every seven years if 500 local residents requested a local referendum. Thus, local residents could vote on whether to ban Sunday opening of the pubs (go ‘dry’) or whether to allow them to open (go ‘wet’).

In fact alcoholic drinks were bought and sold in Wales on Sundays but in rugby and other sporting and social clubs (and only to their members) rather than to the general public in pubs. In remote parts of rural Wales where the Welsh language was spoken, there was a strong tradition of temperance particularly centred on the many non-conformist chapels which opposed Sunday opening of pubs. Soon the regular customers of the pubs during other days of the week were organised and financed by the breweries to vote ‘Yes’ for Sunday opening. Tourism, hospitality and entertainment organisations often opposed the ban.

By 1989, places which had voted to close the pubs on Sundays in 1975 – such as Arfon, Carmarthen, Merioneth, Cardigan and Anglesey had all gone ‘wet’. Only Dwyfor remained ‘dry’ on Sundays, though they had a ‘wet’ period between 1982 and 1989 before reimposing the ‘dry’ ban for a further seven years in 1989 on a 9% turnout. By 1996 all Welsh pubs could open on Sundays.