Barry man who chronicled the town’s history
Obituary: Tom Clemett (1932 – 2021)
⁘ | By MARCUS STEAD – reporter
Tributes have been paid to Barry historian and author Tom Clemett, who has died at the age of 89 following a battle with Covid-19.
Tom was a widely-respected authority on the history of Barry, and his enthusiasm, combined with a natural storytelling ability and a sharp sense of humour, made him a well-known character in the town.
Tom’s parents lived in Grangetown, Cardiff, but the family moved to Southampton where his father, Thomas John Clemett was given a military posting, and he also went on to play for the city’s football team.
Born in 1932, Tom was forced to leave Southampton during World War II as a child evacuee, but he ran away from his wartime family several times. The experience left him with unhappy memories which he seldom talked about in adulthood.
Sensing the need to give their son and other two children a stable home, Tom’s family moved to Barry, where his father continued his footballing career with Barry Town, but within a few years tragedy struck when Tom’s seven-year-old sister died when she was hit by a lorry while chasing him across Cardiff Road.
Fitness played a big part in Tom’s life from childhood right up until the first Covid lockdown, which marked a sharp deterioration in his health.
A clean-living man, Tom never smoked and drank virtually no alcohol, aside from an occasional glass of cider after working a long day in the fields in his early adulthood, though he was never much of a pub-goer.
During his early life, Tom was a skilled gymnast, and for many years he was an active bodybuilder and instructor at venues across Barry.
For much of the 1950s, Tom spent every summer weekend and most evenings swimming in Knap Lido after which he would heat a tin of soup using a Calor Gas cooker.
Tom owned a chalet at the Knap for 30 years and would recount stories from the resort’s golden era, when it was commonplace to see 3,500 visitors per day during the summer.
Cold water swimming was another of Tom’s passions, and he was a familiar sight in the old harbour as he would brave all weathers for much of the year.
In 1958, Tom married Jill, who survives him, and they lived for many years until the end of his life near Victoria Park, where he was a popular local character who would chat happily to everyone while out walking his dog.
Tom and Jill had seven children of their own, several of whom were adopted (they didn’t differentiate between their natural and adopted children), Jane, Gail, Tracey, Keith, Carol, Timothy and Natalie, and fostered more than 50 children over many decades.
Paying tribute on the Barry Island Historical Group Facebook page, Christine Crompton said: “Such a lovely gentle man. I always saw him walking his dog with a smile on his face. He will live on in the history of Barry that he loved so much. Condolences to his family and RIP Tom.”
Jacqueline Fyfe wrote: “I’ve had the pleasure of being one of Tom’s neighbours for many years. I saw Tom most days and he was always a little cheeky towards me. Great man, great sense of humour. I will miss our chats.”
Tom had a lengthy career in the printing industry, much of it spent at Barry Advertiser Ltd on Watson Street, where he is fondly remembered by former colleagues.
But it was as a leading authority on the history of Barry that Tom was best-known, especially in later life.
Since the late 1970s, Tom had collected postcards, photographs and other memorabilia associated with Barry, and in 1999, these were published in his book, Barry in Old Picture Postcards.
This was followed in 2002 by Tom’s next book, Pictures from the Past: Barry, and two years later by Pictures from the Past II: Barry and Vale.
In February 2009, Tom hosted his first exhibition at The Room in the Park, Victoria Park, featuring a selection of postcards and photographs chronicling the history of Barry Island.
The six-week exhibition included images of Barry Island sunbathers in their Sunday best, the 1902 Coronation Bonfire and the arrival of the fairground’s Figure Eight.
In subsequent years, further exhibitions followed which focussed on the history of The Knap, Barry Docks and Cadoxton.
Tom’s enthusiasm, outgoing personality and sense of fun made him a popular go-to man for anyone wanting to learn more about the history of Barry, and he was a familiar presence in libraries, community groups and the media. He was a regular contributor to the Glamorgan GEM.
During the final year of his life, Tom worked with fellow volunteers Paul Ogden and Brian Luxton, in conjunction with the walking charity Valeways, to create The Hidden History of Cadoxton, a new walk showcasing the rich history of the area, explaining how it went from being a small seaside village to one of the biggest coal exporters in the world.
An accompanying video was created to mark its launch, and a children’s resource pack was sent to all local primary schools.
Tom’s daughter Gail Portlock said her father would be remembered as: “A larger-than-life character who loved chatting to everybody.
“My father was a devoted family man, and that’s first and foremost how I’ll remember him, but he touched the lives of so many people in Barry and beyond. He loved the town and the people who helped make it such a wonderful place to live.”
“I was blessed to have shared my 58 years with him in my life.”
Tom sustained lung damage caused by working with asbestos and suffered bad side-effects from a winter flu vaccine several years ago, which put him off having the Covid vaccine when it was offered to him last year.
He died from Covid on 29th December at Llandough Hospital.
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Thank you Marcus for the lovely tribute to our Dad
Tom was a fine man. Clever, caring and generous with his time. Fond memories of St Aidans gym and occasional meetings in the reading room. A great teacher and role model. We mourn his loss.