BARNEY JANNER (above) would never forget the sight of the beacons glowing on the hills around Barry to celebrate the Relief of Mafeking in 1900. He was eight at the time. And on Barry Island 10,000 people watched a grand display of fireworks. An ox was roasted, cut up and distributed to the towns poor.

These were Barnett Janner's earliest memories. He was to live another 82 years, enjoy a successful career as a solicitor and MP, a happy home life as husband and father (his son Greville succeeded him as an MP for Leicester) and became a member of the House of Lords.

But Barney, as he was known to everyone, would never forget the land of his birth. His story is told in Barnett Janner, a Personal Portrait, by his widow Elsie Janner (Robson Books, £9.95).

Barney's parents were Jewish immigrants from Lithuania. They owned a furniture shop at Barry. Barney's mother died when he was 10.

It was Barney's luck that he later had a wonderful headmaster, and a happy time at school so that it was not only a historic night in the history of the British Empire that Barney would remember of his Barry youth. He would remain indebted to that distinguished headmaster all his life. His name was Major Edgar Jones who was headmaster of Barry County School from 1899 to 1933. His was one of the most illustrious names in Welsh educational history.

Barney won a scholarship to the county school when he was 13. It was worth sixpence a week but this was enough to cover the costs of his education. Barry County School, which opened on October 10, 1896, with 111 pupils, was an outstanding example of the best in Welsh education.

Its reputation, writes Elsie Tanner, was the work of Edgar Jones who had a tremendous influence on the lives of hundreds of other pupils as well as Barney.

The young Jewish boy was a brilliant student but despite the scholarships he had won his father intended to remove him from school.

"Fortunately Edgar Jones and his wife regarded him practically as a son and the major went to see Joseph (Barney's father) and persuaded him it would be a terrible mistake to take Barney away from school."

Barney was to write years later, "I know none of my contemporaries as students at the school who do not experience a thrill of pleasure when he or she meets Major Edgar Jones.

"Was it not he in the school and his family in the soirees and other functions who were responsible for creating the atmosphere of ease and happiness which prevailed?"

Barney would always remember vividly how Edgar Jones brought his travels to life in talking to pupils.

Barry County School was rich in talented teachers. Mr E P Evans made maths so interesting that every boy in the class took the subject in his higher examinations.

Elsie Janner tells how Barney used to relate stories about this typical "mad professor." Going to school one windy day "E P" turned around to light his pipe and then continued walking until he was back home - to his wife's astonishment!

Politically, Edgar Jones also played a big part in moulding Barney's early views, first as a Liberal, then a Labour MP. The major was an active member of the Liberal Party at a time when the Liberals were in the ascendancy throughout almost the whole of Wales.

In May 1953 Edgar Jones died and Barney paid a moving tribute at the funeral to the man who had been such a formative influence on his life.

Many years later he-again spoke of Edgar Jones's influence, "He was 50 years ahead of his time in the scholastic profession and he had a great effect on me, as he did on the other students at the school."

As Lady Janner writes, "It is remarkable that from a small county school quite a number of Barney's contemporaries went on to become well known figures in politics, business, the professions and academia."

Of course, it was happening all over Wales. Schools throughout the nation have been blessed with gifted teachers to help develop the talents of their pupils.