Patient crowd sings for Liz Taylor

Press, 21 August 1984, Page 19

Patient crowd sings for Liz Taylor

NZPA-PA Pontrhydyfen, South Wales Elizabeth Taylor arrived to a musical welcome last night as she was finally Richard Burton’s family in the tiny village where the late actor was born. A crowd of 150 broke into a chorus of “There’ll be a Welcome in the Hillsides” as the Hollywood star arrived in Pontrhydyfen in a silver Rolls-Royce. •, They had been waiting for hours outside the house of Mrs Hilda Owen, one of Burton’s seven surviving sisters and brothers. Miss Taylor, twice married to Burton, and wearing the enormous diamond ring he had given her, immediately rushed inside to greet the family assembled in the neat threebedroomed terraced home. A few seconds later, surrounded by his relatives and looking radiant in a pink two-piece and matching scarf, she came out to greet the patient onlookers. She looked moved as they surged forward, broke into song and then, smiling, she waved to the crowd. After posing for photographers, she blew a last kiss and went inside for a roast beef meal. “I feel as if I’m home,” she told Burton’s nephew,

Gareth Owen, as she stepped inside. He said she would be staying until this afternoon. One villager said: “It’s been a long wait, but it’s lovely to see her. I hope the family will be left alone now to remember Richard.” Earlier, the 52-year-old actress had been greeted at Swansea Airport by Burton’s brother, Graham Jenkins, aged 56. A crowd of about 150 cheered as she stepped down from the Piper Navajo executive plane in which she. had flown from Scotland where

she had been staying with friends. Mr Jenkins drove her and her male secretary 25km up the valley to the village where Burton, who died a fortnight ago, was born. The family had arranged a special showing of a video of the memorial service held there last week. The Rev. Eric Williams, a friend of the' family, planned to conduct a special service in the house to mark the visit. Miss Taylor was visiting Wales for the first time since her second honeymoon with Burton seven years ago. _____