Barrybados

The blip photo is of Barry Island beach, known locally as Barrybados after the West Indian sunshine Island of Barbados! Quite witty, really.

Barry was really put on the map by the very funny and highly popular tv comedy series of Gavin & Stacey which ran for a total of 20 episodes;  broadcast from 13 May 2007 to 1 January 2010.  The actors James  Corden and Ruth Jones wrote the series and also starred in it. Other prominent actors included Rob Brydon and Larry Lamb.

Barry is named after the 6th century Saint Baruc. Barry's stretch of coast, on the Bristol Channel, has the world's second highest tidal range (49 ft). It got it's name as up until 1880 it was an Island but linked up to the mainland by the opening of Barry Docks. 

The island was occupied in the Bronze age, Iron age, the Romans and then The Vikings about 1087.  By 1934,  the number of visitors to the fairground during the August Bank Holiday week was over 400,000!  Due to the popularity of Barry Beach, Butlins Barry Island was a holiday camp that opened 1966 and closed in 1996,

The ashes of Fred West, British serial killer, were scattered on Barry Island after his body had been cremated on 29 March 1995. British champion rollerblader and Barry native Rich Taylor died after a skating accident in a Barry street on 2 August 2004.