Our sad loss (From Penarth Times)

Our sad loss

THE PEOPLE of Barry and Penarth are mourning the recent sudden and sad death of Irving Davies. He was our illustrious local boy, so very loved by his family and friends.

His regular and frequent trips from London home to Barry just "to breathe the air," he said were "essential."

Recently he purchased a beautiful Glyn Pooley print of Watchtower Bay, for his Belgravia flat.

Mementos of his home town proliferated also of Penarth, the birthplace of his dearly loved mother.

Professionally, Irving Davies was one of Britain's foremost dancer choreographers, who worked on some of the most prestigious television and stage shows of the last half century.

Irving's most recent collaboration with the stars of stage and screen has been on the Laurence Olivier award winning Morecambe and Wise tribute The Play What I Wrote, directed by Kenneth Branagh.

Bringing his show to Cardiff just three weeks ago was a personal thrill for him, he felt the New Theatre represented home. Poignantly, his final television appearance proved to be from the stage of the New Theatre, a personal interview for BBC "Wales Today." In the world of television, it was considered elite to be an Irving Davies dancer.

We young local dancers back home, sat around out TV sets in awe and admiration, as the famous Irving Davies from our own home town dazzled and delighted the nation.

He once told me in typically charming and modest fashion that everything he knew he'd learnt from Mae Richards and Hilda Gill, his fondly remembered Barry dancing teachers.

His celebrated career took him all over the world, Europe, India, Canada, the USA and yet his heart remained always in Wales.

In 1997 I am proud and honoured to say that he accepted the invitation to become patron of my theatre school, Penarth's Batho-Davies Theatre Arts.

His warmth, encouragement and genuine enthusiasm for our young local dance and drama students has been an inspiration, a life-enhancing privilege for us all.

Born in Barry on April 26, 1926, died in London, October 14, 2002. Irving Davies lives always in our minds and hearts.

Patricia Batho-Davies St Mary's Avenue Barry