50 YEARS ago

Extracts from the Barry & District News of February 4, 1966:

Tenders for the advance preparation works (roads and sewers) will be received by February 10 in respect of the first phase of the Gibbonsdown development, and at a meeting of the Barry Public Works and Planning Committee last week it was recommended that architects be given instructions prepare plans for 200 dwellings on the site.

Barry Island Men's United Fellowship achieved one of the milestones of its extremely colourful history when on Tuesday evening the fifth annual dinner was held in the Merrie Friars. The presence of a distinguished company of guests and the wit of their after dinner speeches was rounded off by the spine-tingling singing of the Royal Treorchy Welsh Male Voice Choir.

Over 23,000 more books than the previous year were borrowed from the Barry Public Library last year, the Borough Librarian reported to a meeting of the Library Committee on Thursday.

"An excellent and satisfying evening," was the verdict of one member of the audience on Wednesday week, when a concert was given by Barry Ladies' Choir and Barry Junior Choir. The concert was held in Porthkerry Road Methodist Hall, and was in aid of the funds of the 1st Barry Scout Group.

Though Barry Town had little to spare, they brought off another home win against Sittingbourne on Saturday, and thus maintained an improving home victory.

The home team can well claim to have been robbed on Saturday. Seldom can a team have done more to justify a victory than they did in this match and the referee rubbed salt in the wounds when, five minutes from the end, he disallowed what appeared to have been a perfectly fair try.

So Barry still find a home win eluding them, but on this form, should strike lucky in the next few weeks, for there were occasions when they were decidedly the better team in all spheres of the game.