50 years ago

Extracts from the Barry & District

News of February 18, 1965:

Efforts to recapture the wily Barbary ram, on the run in Porthkerry Park since it escaped from Barry Zoo three months ago, failed at the weekend.

A group of 40 hunters, led by the co-owner of the zoo, just failed to outwit the ram with a "hypodermic" arrow containing a tranquilliser drug.

Despite a very appreciable drop in exports from Barry Docks for the four weeks ended January 24, an increase in imports of some 2,430 tons somewhat offsets the decrease and gives rise to some encouragement at a period when trade figures at the port are anything but bright.

A complete success! That was the verdict of officials, athletes and spectators following Saturday's first-ever triple Welsh championships at Pencoedtre. The best entries for some years in all events, a fine crowd of spectators and that rarest of occurrences in Welsh cross-country - financially a complete sell-out!

From a Barry point of view there was only one thing lacking - a local victory in any of the events.

Barry Town, winning their third home game in a row, are now engaged in a strong bid to avoid having to seek re-election to the Southern League, and on their present form must stand a good chance of succeeding.

After missing numerous chances in the first half, Barry snatched their victory over Gravesend with a goal 12 minutes from the end.

St Athan has been without a chemist shop for years but now residents of a new housing estate and members of the St John View Tenants' Association are tackling the problem, the clerk reported at a St Athan Parish Council meeting on Tuesday week.

A quarists from Barry, Llantwit Major and Bridgend joined together at the fourth annual dinner of the Barry Society which took place at the Ship Hotel, Barry, on Saturday week.

A start in the comprehensive programme of education for boys in the town will be made when the new boys' secondary school building, now under construction at the Port Road, Barry, is completed in September.