50 YEARS ago

Extracts from the Barry & District News of January 7, 1966:

At midnight on December 31 the Adastral Club and Institute officially "wound up" under its former name and has now taken on the title of Royal Air Forces Association, Barry Branch Club.

On Saturday morning the mayor cut a tape and thus formally inaugurated the first commercial venture on the Ty Verlons industrial estate.

The mayor is to perform the formal opening on Monday, January 8, of the new offices of Hawkins and Holmes Limited which have been established on the site of the old rope works at Lower Holmes Street, Barry. In the evening there will be an invitation buffet dance at Bindles to celebrate the firm's 25th anniversary.

To the casual passer-by in Park Lane on Boxing Day, time might have seemed to roll back several centuries, for from the headquarters of the 1st Barry Scout Group there issued the sounds of swordplay, swashbuckling and dark, piratical oaths. Through the windows could be glimpsed swarthy, dark-bearded figures, gold earrings and flying defiantly from the masthead, the dreaded skull-and-cross-bones.

There was a large and appreciative audience at the West End Labour Club on Sunday week for the final of the talent competition held at the West End Labour Club.

After their fine win over Merthyr Tydfil, it was a big blow to Barry's new-found prestige when they went down so heavily at Stevenage on Saturday. Stevenage, who thus recorded three victories in a week, were far too strong and were well worth their win.

In water-polo conditions on Saturday the United fell victims to the "double" put over them by a useful, but on occasions, lucky Croes side.

Barry Rugby Club's first tour abroad became a real prospect with the announcement that two matches will be played in France over the Easter holidays. The team, with supporters, is to stay in the town of Fecamp with which Barry has civic ties.