AN INDEPENDENT Barry business is celebrating 125 years of trading in the town, having survived both the depression and recession.

The family owners, brothers David and Terry Sylvester - of the Silver Star DIY home improvement store - marked the historic milestone this week.

The business, established by their granddad John Sylvester in 1890, is believed to be one of the oldest businesses in the Vale of Glamorgan.

The first shop opened in High Street, Barry, in 1904, before re-locating to Cross Street and later Station Street, in Barry Dock, where business continued through three generations of the family until Violet Sylvester sold the property in the 1980s.

The firm, now based on Subway Road, bills itself as “Barry’s wallpaper specialists” with 600 patterns of paper available to suit all generations in need of DIY inspiration.

And this, said Mr Terry Sylvester, is one reason for its continued success – the ability to provide choices not available elsewhere.

He said: “It’s a great privilege to be still running the business. It’s great to welcome customers whose families came to Barry when the town was built. We have customers from several generations.”

The firm, which started out in painting and decorating, is said to have worked on houses on every street in Barry, as well as churches, steam traction engines, and Barry Island fairground rides.

Shops, early Barry buses and Barry lifeboat all also received licks of paint from the Silver Star brush.

But, Mr Sylvester said, the business has also kept pace with the times.

“We are up against companies with low overheads, but we’ve got the contacts,” he said.

“The small business has the advantage to obtain bargain products that the big operations don’t have. The newest development in wallpaper is glitter.

"We can also talk to the customers about colour and design, as we have done all our lives.”

All are invited to discover Silver Star’s long history in an exhibition, at its Subway Road store, from Monday to Saturday, 8.30am to 5pm, and Sunday, from 10am to 1pm.

Call 01446 734762 for more information.