Readers Letter . . . .
November 10th, 2010
‘We the people’ own the The Emlyn Hall
Dear Sir,
I’d like to correct a misunderstanding which has been expressed a couple of times lately. The Emlyn Hall, built by my grandfather Mr JR Parkington, was not “gifted” to the town. It was purchased on behalf of the town in 1960, by the then Hall Committee, from local public donations coupled with a grant from the Ministry of Education, and since then has belonged to the people of Newcastle-Emlyn.
I attach the program from the official opening of the hall in 1961. I am also including an article from the ‘Carmarthen Journal’ from 1992 about the reopening of the hall after its refit.
Incidentally, the ‘Carmarthen Journal’ article is wrong about the origin of the Attic Players. They started in the attic of the then Barclays Bank House, which was in the building on the right of the lane leading to Bethel chapel. The manager was Edwin Stanley James, who was a poet and very much into the arts. He and his wife got some enthusiasts together and rehearsed their plays in the attic. My mother, Beryl Ball, was a keen member for many years.
Clive Ball, Darlington, Western Australia.
