Mal's Memories (From Penarth Times)

Mal's Memories

DO YOU remember the Kymin war?

Kymin House was once the home of the Clerk to Penarth Urban District Council, Mr Percy Metcalf, who leased it from the authority.

The very thought of it sent Cllr Glyn Salmon into apoplexy, and he waged a long campaign to oust Mr Metcalf from the imposing building, claiming that it should be used for the benefit of townspeople - as indeed it now is.

Cllr Salmon, who was what could be described as "a character", never missed an opportunity to put over his views and this led to numerous blazing rows and amazing scenes in the council chamber, providing the Penarth Times with a series of front page stories that kept readers absorbed.

The irony was that the Chairman of the Housing Committee was also a Labour member, the well-respected Cllr Mrs Kathleen Evans, who taught at Penarth Grammar School.

At one infamous meeting of the committee, when Cllr Salmon got carried away more than usual, Cllr Mrs Evans eventually ordered him to be silent. With uproar all around, Cllr Salmon refused to sit down and Mrs Evans threatened to take the rare step of suspending the meeting.

"You can't shut me up. We're not in school now", retorted Cllr Salmon. "Meeting suspended", said Mrs Evans.

There were to be many other battles in the Kymin war.

But I suppose that ultimately Cllr Salmon could claim victory, because the Kymin is now a valuable resource, widely used by the public at large. The fact is that people like a rebel.

And at election times Cllr Salmon probably collected as many votes from normally true-blue Tories as he did from his natural Labour supporters.

by Malcolm Davies

Malcolm Davies is a former editor of the Penarth Times. Email: penarthtimes@gwent-wales.co.uk