IN the 1970s a row blew up in Penarth over Saturday night teenage dances at the Paget Rooms.

Cllr Harold Green described the event as 'one of the horror scenes of Penarth' and blamed the dance nights for the overall takings of the Paget Rooms dropping that year. He said teenagers outside the venue waiting to go in looked like 'refugees'. Clerk Percy Metcalf described them as a 'collection of ragamuffins' and added 'they smell'. However, Cllr Harold Toye described the criticism as unfair, adding "In the circumstances young people today have a lot to put up with.". Cllr Arthur Sanders said these young people were well behaved.

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Meanwhile there was great excitement in the summer of 1971 for the Penarth Holiday Festival. The fun included marching bands, regattas by sea and road races, a fair on the pier, fete and donkey derby.

Members of the Penarth Darby and Joan Club were trialling a personal alarm for emergencies. The small electrical appliance was about the size of a prayer book with a string which, after pulling, emits a 'startling, strident sound' which could not fail to be noticed in the event of an emergency.

Jane Eyre was showing in the cinema while on TV viewers could enjoy The Two Ronnies, Tom Brown's School Days or ....And Mother Makes Three.