Read all about storyteller's life (From Barry And District News)

Read all about storyteller's life

A BARRY storyteller has put together a lifetime of memoirs - just in time for Christmas.

Phyllis Frances Trought, formerly Fowler, was born in 1914. Her rich and varied life has been immortalised in her amusing, touching and very human book The Woman Within.

Phyll, as she prefers to be known, gives an honest account of her experiences, and those of her family as they grew and developed throughout the years.

The baby of her family, Phyll writes about her moves around the country, from Barry to Brecon, from Newport and finally to London after she married her husband Ron. She lived there until 1967, when they moved back to Barry to open a bed and breakfast.

The book holds surprising revelations about the times.

While gun crime is considered a modern problem, there are two accounts that captivate the reader.

The first is a close call Phyll had with a boyfriend who chased her up the street with a gun. The second is an experience with Phyll's sister Clary, who had a possessive fianc who refused to acknowledge the break-up of their relationship and held the two sisters and their friend captive.

The book is told entirely in Phyll's own words, and retains the charm and openness of a first-hand account. The chapters are constructed in a way that makes it very personal. Many older members of the Barry community will recognise the Trought family name from local establishments, such as the Trought Temperance Bar, run by Phyll's father-in-law, which was also known as the Footballers' Rest, as it belonged to the team's headquarters.

The book is not only an important document of social history, but it is also a fascinating and enjoyable read. The Woman Within is on sale at £7.99 at Dolphin Books. The first 20 customers will get a signed copy.