EXTRACTS from the Barry & District News of February 14, 1963: 

* The managing director of a local engineering firm, who has just returned from the USA, is seeking premises in Barry for the company he proposes to form to export marquetry furniture to the States, as exclusively announced in the News and Herald a fortnight ago. He is Mr Drinan, who came back from America with orders worth 180,000 dollars for the furniture, which will be sold directly to the American public, instead of through mail order firms.

* After three Independent Mayors in a row, the position during the coming year will be filled by a Labour member of Barry Town Council. The Mayor-elect, chosen by the Council sitting in private on Monday evening will be Ald Brinley Williams.

* Having taken most of the prizes in the local Eisteddfodau, the Holton Road Baptist Sunday School Choir decided to put on a pantomime. Aladdin in China was chosen, and true to form, they made a first-class job of it, to the delight of a capacity audience on Tuesday.

EXTRACTS from the Barry & District News of February 11, 1988:

* Labour pleas that ‘needy and impoverished’ Vale council house tenant should be spared from a £1.60 weekly increase in the rents of their homes have been firmly rejected by the borough council. ‘Those tenants who are "needy and impoverished" don’t pay rent in the first place,’ declared Housing Committee chairman Cllr John Flanigan.

* A few eyebrows were raised by Barry shoppers on Friday when a red-nosed clown started doing magic tricks on request in between making professional house calls on elderly residents. But the clown – alias senior social worker Shirley James – had the last and biggest laugh when she added up the proceeds of a day spent ‘clowning-around’. With sponsorship and street collecting Mrs James had a magnificent total of £110 to send off to the Comic Relief appeal.

* Barry teenager Paul Dawkins became the youngest ever Courage Welsh amateur snooker champion this week after beating Ron Jones (Rhymney) in the final.