FOLLOWING the success of last summer’s Barry at War organised Wartime Weekend, this year`s event will take place on August 31 to September 1, entirely on Barry Island.

The Barry Tourist Railway station will once again brim with military vehicles and reenactors, with live 1940s entertainment on the station platform, and a steam train running between Barry Island and Hood Road.

Centrepiece of the event will be a life-sized replica Spitfire located inside the Barry Island Pleasure Park, and sponsored by Barry Town Council.

Event organiser Ade Pitman explained: "During the Second World War it was common for towns to buy military equipment to support the war effort. At the height of the Battle of Britain, with the threat of Nazi invasion looming, Barry Council agreed to raise £5,000 for the purchase of a Spitfire.

It took almost three years to raise the money, and on June 7, 1943, the Barry Town Clerk received a letter of thanks from the Minister of Aircraft production, acknowledging a cheque for £5,112.

The ‘Barry Spitfire’ was presented to 611 (West Lancashire) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force. It survived the war, and at the end of hostilities it was scrapped.

Barry at War researchers have compiled a list of all of the people who donated to the fund.

As a link to the town's heritage, Barry Town Council have kindly sponsored the event’s all-metal replica Mk IX Spitfire. Along with military vehicles, this will be located within the Barry Island Pleasure Park."

As with last year, Barry Island Railway Station will echo to the sounds of the 40s, with former Butlins Red Coat, Sandy Sparkle returning to the Island to sing the songs of Vera Lynn and other forties favourites.

Ade continued: "Barry at War Group are keen to ensure that the Wartime Weekend is a free entry community event, where families can learn about their heritage, and through this develop a sense of civic pride. Barry has many disadvantaged families, and we are keen to ensure that income is not a barrier to learning about their town’s rich history.

To help us deliver this, we already have several generous sponsors, including Barry Town Council, Newydd Housing Association, Premier Inn, Barry Island Pleasure Park, Spectrum Displays, Needitcreated Ltd, Modelzone, and John’s Cafe Barry Island.

With last year`s Wartime Weekend being cited as a model event for the town, attracting thousands of visitors, we're keen to ensure that this year`s community event is even more enjoyable and educational. We want to make Wartime Weekend a community event, where people get together to celebrate their own history.

To help us deliver this, we’d like to hear from local groups or businesses that may be able to help with sponsorship or support. It's not just cash we need, but some services too.

We`re also running a military and transport book sale at the Barry Tourist Railway, Barry Island Railway Station on Sunday, June 9, to raise much needed funds for the event.

Local award winning author Eileen Younghusband will be at the event, to talk about, and sign her latest books.

This is the same day as the Barry Festival of Transport, so we hope people visiting the show will pop in to see us. Our wartime museum, the Glamorgan Wartime Heritage Centre will also be open, so people can pop in to learn more about the area`s wartime heritage, and Barry Tourist Railway will once more be operating vintage trains."

You can find out more about this year`s Barry Wartime Weekend at the website www.wartimeweekend.co.uk or by calling Ade on 07930 874161.