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THE MEMORIAL HALL
The Memorial Hall, which was opened in 1932, has over the years been the venue for many attractions, from stage shows put on by local drama societies to those put on by professionals. It has hosted many famous orchestras and well-known bands and groups. On the 16th November 1932, not long after its opening, one of the first shows held there was a "Flitch Trial", and the Hall was full for this show. September 20th 1933 saw the 20th Century Club present a Pageant entitled "Some Historic Women", and this too was a success, with all profits going to the hall furnishing fund. Over the years very many well-known companies played there. In 1943 one of the best, The Old Vic, with Dame Sybil Thorndyke and Lewis Casson, appeared there in "Macbeth", seen by many as a bad omen for the future of the hall. The last stage show to be held there in that year was entitled "The Sky's the Limit", and was put on by Mr Martin, who had hired the Hall for a number of years. In June 1943 on Whit-Monday a fire started in the building and quickly spread. On the way home from the beach at about 5.30, smoke and flames could be seen rising above the shops in Broad Street and the Savoy Dance Hall. Word quickly spread that the Memorial Hall was on fire, within minutes hundreds of people formed a chain to pass out furniture, chairs, beds and bedding, etc. onto the grounds surrounding it. At the time the Lesser Hall was being used as emergency annexe for the Barry Accident Hospital. The staff and 15 patients were moved to safety in houses nearby. By about 6.30, with a tremendous roar the roof fell in, bringing down the west wall. Both the north and south walls were sagging ominously, and looked liable to collapse. The Hall of Memory was undamaged and Mr F.W. Paul, who executed and presented the panels, was asked to remove and store them for safekeeping. It took nearly 15 years to repair the damage done by the fire. Most of the time it was open to the elements, and was liable to be demolished by a council that didn't have the money or the will to repair it. Eventually the repairs were carried out, and the hall was re-opened by Alderman Rook in May 1957. In 1958 the hall was used as the venue for the British and Commonwealth Games Weightlifting Championships, and over the years has become one of the venues for the Mr and Miss Wales Body Building competitions. In the late 60's the hall gained a reputation for hosting famous and sometime not so famous groups. John Robinson, the Entertainment Officer for Barry Council, organised a series of cabaret nights and concerts, for which he booked many well-known and some not so well-known groups to appear there. Amongst these were the Small Faces, Ginger Baker's Airforce, Cream, The Platters, The Hollies and many others groups of like stature. Local groups such as Chicken Shack, Liquid Umbrella, The Cyclones and others were used to warm up the crowds of youngsters who attended these shows. When John Robinson left Barry these live concerts gradually deteriorated into discos, and attracted a much younger group of person. The annexe built as another entrance and bar opened in 1966, and was used by patrons attending these cabaret nights and concerts. In 1968 the Welsh National Eisteddfod came to Barry and used the hall as a starting point for the procession to Gladstone Gardens for the opening ceremony. Local drama and dance groups have made the hall their venue over the years to put on their shows. It became the home for Barry Arts Centre on its formation, and each year it staged a minimum of two stage shows and a pantomime. The Arts Centre was one of the first local companies to use the Hall on a regular basis. Spotlight, Billboard, and other companies are now the main local users of the hall for their productions. It has been the venue for many TV shows and pantomimes put on by semi-professional and professional companies. Stan Stennett with his "Billy and Bonzo" Pantomimes came to Barry but did not enjoy great success, locals preferring home grown entertainment. In the late 1980's work began on an extension to house Barry Town Council, and in the 1990's they moved from their Woodlands Road /Tynewydd Road offices, and are now established at the hall in a purpose built set of offices. The hall is no stranger to controversy, its concept having been opposed from the start by those who (in the words of Dudley Howe) "...did not want a hall to dance on the graves of dead soldiers". In the 1990's the frequent and popular dog shows that were held in the hall were stopped, as this was felt to be direspectful use. More recently a marketing exercise which featured a gunsight logo and the name "The Memo" prominently displayed also upset a great many people.
© T. CLEMETT 2002
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