Enhance! (From Barry And District News)

Enhance!

I knew it would be there somewhere. But I got to the last paragraph in your front page piece 'Happy Campus' (Thursday, August 8) before I found it... 'Enhance!'. Whenever we are offered something new in Barry it is always going to enhance the town.

Permission for yet another eating establishment in the High St or Broad St is granted, failing all else, because it will 'enhance the street'. I live in the most enhanced street in South Wales.

The proposed campus may enhance Barry Island, but a word about the buildings coming down. Butlins Gaiety theatre has a larger proscenium arch than the palladium and a 35ft revolve. At the back of the stage, it has what was the first 'cyclorama' in Britain. I saw a photo in a German magazine and knowing I would not get formal permission from Billy, persuaded the chippies to build it for me.

The stage manager and myself drove a lorry up to the Theatre Royal, Sunderland, and paid £650 (cash) for all the 'flys' equipment and the old Furze lighting board. Later, now in a tuxedo, I compered the very first show, you earned your money with Sir Billy.

That theatre provided a different show, seven days a week, at £25 for a week's full board, the first two weeks of the season.

In the Playhouse theatre (in the indoor pool building) the Forbes Russell Theatre Company presented four different plays a fortnight.

Billy wasn't much for enhancement - just for providing something worthwhile. Likewise David Davies - no 'building a brighter Barry' - he just built the place. Dug it out of the ground. And no 'planning' departments.

If they want to enhance Barry, could one of the planners nip out of the beautiful old dock- board building, cross the road to 'Dops', and buy a tin of gold paint to finish off the unpainted letters on the simple inscription to the great man.

David Simpson High Street Barry