AS part of their Equality and Diversity qualification, a group of Year 11 Bryn Hafren pupils and their teacher, Mrs Homer, attended Crossway Methodist Church to meet the Wednesday Club.

The club is a walk in club held every Wednesday and open to all ages for socialising, refreshments and group discussions.

The aim of the visit was for the pupils to ask the members of the Wednesday Club their thoughts on the changes they have seen in Barry over the years and the comparison of teenagers then and now.

The pupils from Bryn Hafren were welcomed by the Wednesday Club leader and secretary, Debbie Carter. The minister of the church, Rev Pete Taylor, also paid a visit to meet the pupils.

Each pupil took it in turns to put a question to the audience. The questions were met with enthusiasm and great discussion, with the emergence of the changing face of Barry being slowly revealed.

A member of the group described how Barry was once a thriving port bringing many jobs to the area and transforming Barry from a village into a town. Others talked about the abundance of cinemas and dance halls in comparison to now. The mention of the cinemas in Barry struck a chord with the pupils and Kim Long, Year 11 pupil, explained to the audience her memories of the Theatre Royal cinema and how much it was missed by all ages in the community.

At the end of the questions and answers, pupils were taken back in time with photographs of some members of the group when they were teenagers. All participants thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon with both pupils and members sharing experiences of past and present times spent in Barry.