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Barry Herald and Vale of Glamorgan District Times

December 20th  1946

 

A Barry Jubilee

*****

SCHOOL THE COUNTY DID NOT THINK NECESSARY

 

Had it not been for the persistent efforts of a band of enthusiasts, Barry might never have had a secondary school.

Major Edgar Jones, MA., who was headmaster at Barry County School from 1899 to 1933, states in a souvenir brochure which has been published to mark the, golden jubilee of the school’s foundation. that when the Glamorgan County Scheme was first introduced it was discovered that Barry had been left out. Despite strong ‘protests by a number of people, it was claimed by the framers of the scheme that the school at Penarth would amply suffice for Barry’s needs.

There was, however, in Barry a group of well-known people who refused to accept the. County’s opinion. Conspicuous among them were Mr. John Lowden, Dr. Lloyd Edwards, Dr. P. J. O’Donnell, Mr. J. C. Meggitt, Col. J. Arthur Hughes, and Captain R. Davies, Dock-master.

Through their tireless efforts, a mixed school was finally established. Although the Barry representatives maintained that accommodation for at least 200 pupils was necessary to meet the needs of the town at that time, there were only places for 100.

Barry County School opened its doors on October 1st, 1896. A little over 100 pupils joined in the first term. Now the numbers attending the two secondary schools of Barry exceed1,000.

The first headmaster was the late Mr. H. R. Norris, M.A., Ll.B., B.Sc, who was succeeded three years later by Major Edgar Jones.

When, a year following Major Jones’ appointment, the Glamorgan County Governing Body de­cided to enlarge and rebuild part of the pupils and staff were compelled  to seek temporary accommodation in two empty un­licensed hotels in Woodlands Road., Barry Dock, now occupied by the Y.M.C.A., and the Borough Health Department clinic.

In 1901, the first additional block, consisting of a gymnasium, woodwork room, two’ small draw­ing rooms, and the care-taker’s house, was formally opened by Sir George Kekewith, Secretary to the Board of Education. From that day to this, hundreds of pupils have passed through the school and have become famous In the ranks of their own particular profession.

 

The year 1913 marked an important date in the history of the school, for the Glamorgan Education Committee, influenced by Dr.E.P. Hughes, M.A., first principal of the Cambridge Secondary Training College for Women, decided to divide the school and establish separate schools for boys and girls. So, On the last day of the Summer in 1913 the pupils – boys and girls – gathered in the old school an for the last time. It was not the usual hearty singing, for they felt the sadness of the occasion. Happy years had been spent by the pupils and teachers, and this was to be the end.

 

Fifty years have passed since the ‘’pionéer” days, and the schools are now two of the best secondary schools in the country. Their reputation regarding suc­cesses in sport, modern language, medicine, engineering, economics, law, archaeology and philosophy is magnificent.

The souvenir brochure contains greetings and reminiscences by several Old Barrians, and is a very interesting publication.

Most of last week was given over by the pupils and staff to the building of Jubilee celebrations.

 

THE CELEBRATIONS

 

On Monday and Tuesday, a musical concert and play was pre­sented in the Girls’ School to the pupils.

On Wednesday and Thursday they were repeated for the benefit of the public.

The concert, which was enthusiastically received by large audiences, opened with an overture for two pianos, “The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba,” by Handel, played by Margaret High and Audrey Phillips. Following this, the Boys’ School Choir, conducted by Mr. A. L. Tusler, sang four items, one of which, “The Witches Sabbath,” was composed by Miss Grace Williams, Mus. Bac., herself an Old Barrian. Miss Williams attended the school from 1917 to 1923. John Davies accompanied the choir. Schubert’s “The Fisherman,” was then sung by Euros Edwards, after which Miss Merfina Evans conducted the Girls’ School Choir for four songs. Mr. W. M. Williams, father of Miss Grace Williams, wrote the duet arrangement of “Y Deryn Pur,” which was rendered by Euros Edwards and Alun Martin.

After singing Elgar’s “Like To The Damask Rose,” Joan Parr was the soloist In the combined schools choir rendering of “Y Bore Glas.”

 For their musical interlude, Margaret High and Audrey Phillips chose Grieg’s “Holberg Suite.”

The main Item of the evening’s programme was John Galsworthy’s play, “The Little Man.”

The first scene takes place In a restaurant on the departure platform of an Austrian railway station in 1936.

Seated at the various tables are a German colonel (John Lear) an Englishman (Bryan Wynn), and his wife (Joan Morgan), an American (Phillip Davies), and a somewhat vacant-looking Dutch peasant (Clifford Scudamore.

Whilst the American is busy telling all and sundry just what democracy really is, a little man, with a small bowler perched perilously on his head, tiptoes si1ently into the restaurant and seats himself opposite the American. The little man, played by Edwin Brooks, orders himself a beer and is served at once. by the waiter (Paul Scudamore). Just then, the train arrives and everyone makes his way to the platform that is, except the little man, who finds himself helping an Austrian mother (Margaret. Gwynne), who had been sitting unseen by the restaurant lire during the proceedings.

 

The second scene sees all the passengers in a second-class com­partment of a corridor carriage. There is no sign of the Austrian mother. The little man is nursing a baby and explains that the mother was left behind. The American is still talking but the only one who appears to take the slightest notice is the German, who nods his head if in agreement and barks in typical Prussian manner if in disagreement. Very little is said by the Englishman and his wife, and the Dutchman spends most of his time laughing at the poor little man with the baby.

In a quiet, inoffensive voice, the little man remarks that there are spots on the baby’s face.

“Typhoid,” shouts the German, whereupon there is a general exodus from the carriage.

 

The little man is left with the baby, and as he remarks to the empty carriage, “I’ve never had a baby before.”

 

      The final scene is the arrival platform, where the little man, who is given a wide berth by his fellow passengers, is, informed by the station official (John Righton) and a policeman (William Webber), that he is to be arrested for stealing the baby.

 

While the argument is going on, the American is busily engaged viewing the baby’s face through a pair of binoculars, making quite sure that he is a safe distance away. Suddenly he discovers that the spots are not typhoid but just a few dirty marks on the baby’s face.            1

The scene closes with the mother clutching the baby—the cause of all the trouble—and the American taking photos, of the little man who, by now is  a nervous wreck. The whole play was well acted and the characters are to be con­gratulated on putting on such a fine performance.

The producers were Miss Doreen Phillips and Mrs. T. Phillips. Mr. H. L. Davies was the stage manager.

Interlude music was played by Margaret High, Audrey Phillips, and Eleanor Griffiths.

 

 

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