50 years ago

Extracts from the Barry & District News of January 30, 1964:

• Another local sporting organisation has joined in the row which has broken out over the arrangements for the official opening of the Barry Sports Centre by the Duke of Edinburgh. Last week we reported that a letter has been received by the Parks and Open Spaces Committee from the Barry and District Football League complaining that the league was not properly represented at the opening.

• Meters which will be used to keep a check on calls made by members of the Town Hall staff are to be installed by the Corporation at a cost of £16. Members of the Finance and Establishment Committee, at their meeting on Monday decided to agree to a recommendation from Mr C T McLeod, The Borough Treasurer, that the meters should be installed.

• One hundred and twelve members of Barry Swimming Club between the ages of seven and 17 sat down to tea at St Michael’s Hall, Lombard Street, on Saturday, and despite the restraining effects of a short crockery supply and two bottle openers, quickly demonstrated their ability at the tables.

• Graham Gear, a 23-year-old former pupil of Barry Grammar School, is the latest Barry player to be chosen to represent Wales in table tennis. Three weeks ago, he played in an international match between a combined England-Wales side against West Germany and was drawn to play the No 3 seed, Stegmann in the first round. Although Graham lost, it was a very close match, the German winning 2-1.

• Mrs K Steer, secretary of the Barry Ladies’ Lifeboat Guild, has recently received a letter from the secretary of the National body, Stirling Whorlow, congratulating her Guild on the success they have achieved during the last year. In his letter Mr Whorlow states that the demands made on lifeboats during the year had been most exacting, and there was particular reason to remember the men who went out on service during the long bitter winter.