IN the great debate about the future of Barry Island I wonder if I could suggest something not so much original, but nostalgic.

Why do we not spend money on an amusement park.

I as an ex Barry Island resident can remember the great summer days, the wonderful miners fortnights, that filled the beach and surrounding areas. The fairground was a focal point for all this and brought in the punters. I worked as a deckchair attendant and each summer day tens of thousands deckchairs would fill the beach.

Sadly the rise of the cheap foreign holiday and the major theme parks drew people away, but in these times of major austerity, theme parks are very expensive certainly for families striving to make ends meet. The exchange rate is making it more and more expensive to travel abroad. Recent sunny days have seen an increase in visitors to the Island and I am sure a viable fairground with a number of large rides would make these visits more regular through the summer and other periods through the year as there are more cars today making short organised day trips more instant.

The people of Margate have recognised this and have raised a substantial sum from the lottery and the government’s Sea Change Fund to rejuvenate their Dreamland Amusement Park including the refurbishment of the iconic rollercoaster and other rides.

If money is to be tight for a number of years, a thriving Barry Island with a family affordable amusement park would bring in the visitors again and complement the wonderful beach that is Whitmore Bay.

Too often we hear about moving with the times, but change can be cyclical. Gavin and Stacy represented the type of ordinary honest families that we welcome to Barry Island and would welcome back in their droves. The laughter that I remember coming from the old scenic railway, log flume and wacky gold mine could return and would put smiles on the faces of local business people as well. Margate has high hopes for the amusement park regeneration and hope to open by summer 2014. May I suggest that someone from the Barry Regeneration Committee and a councillor or two visit Margate to explore the possibilities?