October 4, 2002
The Express
Day and Night; A Sobering Stance on Dylan Thomas
by Kathryn Spencer, Julie Carpenter, Michael Leventhal and Kate Bohdanowicz

DYLAN THOMAS was as famous for his Oliver Reed-style drinking and hell-raising as he was for his writing. So it comes as a shock that a new tome, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Welsh poet's death next year, claims he was a mild-mannered gentleman and a slow drinker - especially as Thomas died at 39 from drugs to curb his boozing. " Phyllis thought Dylan was a wonderful neighbour and friend, " says Lisbeth David, editor of The Baker's Daughter, the memoirs of the late Phyllis Bowen, a close friend of Thomas and his wife Caitlin. "She said he could make a pint of bitter last two hours and he was well mannered and courteous. It's a far cry from what a lot of people say but she was close to him for years and she was telling things as they were."

This revisionist history of the Under Milk Wood author has been welcomed by fans. "It's good to find someone who will confirm that Dylan Thomas was good company, a great raconteur and a lovely person," says Gilbert Bennett, vice president of the Dylan Thomas Society. Will the forthcoming GBP 10m biopic of Thomas entitled Map of Love, starring Scottish actor Dougray Scott, be changed accordingly? Unlikely.

Copyright 2002 EXPRESS NEWSPAPERS