10 Years On: What's Occurring on Barry Island?
A 15-Minute Radio Documentary
A special mini-documentary looking at how the TV show 'Gavin and Stacey' changed the town of Barry and its seaside resort, Barry Island.
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How can the Town and Island continue to progress in a positive way, and what lies in store for the area over the coming years?
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Also, after the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic, life has changed massively, how will it affect trade and tourism on the Island in particular over the coming months?
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Interviews completed and documentary produced and scripted by Dan Moffat as a University Project.
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Clips from Gavin and Stacey thanks to the BBC and Baby Cow Productions.
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Also, thanks to Stephen Fretwell for the use of his song 'Run', which was the theme song to the show.
The Story
One of the most popular BBC sitcoms ever made, just so happens to have been made in the South Wales town of Barry, and the impact it has had on the place and its people is still seen to this day.
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The Town and its Island have seen highs and lows over the past 30 years, with the departure of Butlins in 1996 taking away a huge chunk of the Island’s tourism, but the arrival of BBC shows like Being Human, Doctor Who and most of all, Gavin and Stacey, have triggered a tourism revival on the Island.
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In this 15-minute Radio Documentary, I speak to people whose lives have been changed by the show, including Marco Zeraschi, who – along with his family – have been living and trading on the Island for over 50 years, and have seen the rise and fall of the Island’s tourist trade.
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I also speak to Glenda Kenyon, the owner of Gwen’s house, who talks about her extreme battle with dyslexia and anxiety, and how her relationship with fans of the show - who visit her house from far and wide during Gavin and Stacey tours – has helped her deal with those issues, and turned her life around.
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Then Lis Burnett and Nia Hollins from the Vale of Glamorgan Council, along with Journalist Chris Pyke, give an insight into what the next 10 years could bring to the area, which is aiming to continue to progress in a positive way.
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Also, after the emergence of the Coronavirus Pandemic, life has been changed dramatically.
How will it affect tourism and trade on the Island, especially over the next few months? I catch up with Marco and Lis, who give me an update on how the area has been affected and how it will come back from any economic damage.
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Picture Below: Shutterstock
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