The Cardiff Book of Days (23 page)

1865:
The official opening ceremony took place at the new Penarth Dock. The
Cardiff Times
described how ‘the streets resounded with the notes of the bugles summoning the Artillery Volunteers by whom four guns and two ammunition wagons of the 1
^st
Glamorganshire Brigade were conveyed to Penarth and placed in position on the hill overlooking the dock.' Crowds occupied every vantage point to watch the first vessel enter the dock. This was the
William Cory
, described by the paper as ‘the largest collier afloat, dressed overall with flags'. The
William Cory
was capable of carrying 1,650 tons of coal. Rowing in the procession that followed was the new Penarth lifeboat which was ‘named by throwing a bottle of wine at her'. (John Richards,
Cardiff: A Maritime History
, The History Press, 2005)

1799:
The Cavalry was called in by the Sheriff of Glamorgan to deal with a hostile crowd opposing an Ejectment Order granted to the Marquis of Bute to remove illegal settlers on the Heath. Demonstrators brandished pitchforks and other weapons. One squatters' cottage was set on fire by the authorities and later the sheriff brought in workmen with horses and equipment to destroy the fences that the settlers had put up. (William Rees,
Cardiff: A History of the City
, Cardiff Corporation, 1969)

1919:
Race riots broke out in Cardiff, following similar disturbances in other ports such as South Shields, Liverpool and Newport. Windows of coloured seamen's lodgings were smashed and Chinese laundries attacked. Furniture was taken from immigrants' homes and set ablaze in the street. According to the subsequent Home Office report, the trouble began when some white women ‘accompanied by men of colour' were subjected to abusive remarks from passers-by. Three people were killed during three days of mayhem in the city and there was much damage to property. (
Western Mail
)

1830:
Walter Coffin ‘of Llandaff Court, Glamorganshire' appeared before the House of Lords Select Committee on the coal trade, in which he had been active for twenty years. He told them that nearly all his coal was sent to Ireland, especially Cork and Waterford: ‘Nearly all from Newport, we send very little from Cardiff now'. His boats also traded with Barnstaple, Bideford and some Cornish ports. (John Richards,
Cardiff: A Maritime History
, The History Press, 2005)

1928:
The Welsh National War Memorial in Alexandra Gardens was unveiled by Edward, Prince of Wales. Its design featured bronze statues of a sailor, a soldier and an airman. Brian Lee in
Memory Lane, Cardiff
(2002) describes how one of the models for these figures was in fact not a Welshman at all but a Londoner, Frederick Baker (born in Brixton in 1898). A.E. Burton, the sculptor responsible, saw Baker by chance at Waterloo station and told him, ‘you have the very face I am looking for,' explaining that although he had found men to pose for the soldier and the airman, he was still lacking a suitable original for the sailor. Some year's after Baker's death in 1962, his daughter, Mrs Priscilla Jeffries, visited Cardiff and saw the statue for the first time.

1865:
News spread that the
William Cory
, the collier that had taken a prominent part in the festivities for the opening of Penarth Dock on June 10th, steaming fully-laden and much too fast, had collided with the dock gates, causing considerable damage. A newspaper account of the mishap added that ‘as if this was not enough ill-luck, a seaman from the ship, being drunk, fell into the basin shortly afterwards and, after being rescued, seeing his cap in the water, was insane enough to jump in after it – but was again got out safely.' Perhaps the festivities on board the
William Cory
to mark the opening of Penarth Dock had been rather too energetic or bibulous! The formal breakfast served to 350 invited guests after the dock's official opening had doubtless been more restrained. There had been fulsome tributes paid to the John Batchelor, vice-chairman of the Penarth Dock Company, at which it had been stated that he ‘had never been absent from any meeting or neglected the slightest opportunity of promoting the interests of the company'. (John Richards,
Cardiff: A Maritime History
, The History Press, 2005)

1911:
The Cardiff Seamen's Strike, led by Captain Edward Tupper of the National Sailors' and Firemens' Union, began. It was called in protest against low wages for British seamen and the employment of cheaper Chinese sailors and other foreign ‘blackleg' non-unionised crewmen. Tupper and the union did not lack support. Hundreds of supporters gathered at the Law Courts to get his release on bail after his activities brought him into conflict with the authorities. Despite strong support from other workers, including firemen, the strike came to an end on June 24th. (John Richards,
Cardiff: A Maritime History
, The History Press, 2005)

2008:
An unusual sight passing through Cardiff was the World Naked Bike Ride. With the slogan ‘Real Rights for Bikes', riders cycled in the nude to highlight their vulnerability in city streets and to draw attention to ‘the destructive effects of car culture'. The event attracted 2,000 participants in cities across the country protesting against oil dependency and to promote ‘green energy and sustainable transport'. In Cardiff, thirty-seven riders set off from Cathays Park to ride through the city to the Bay and Sophia Gardens. (
www.bikeforall.net
)

1910:
The British Antarctic Expedition, led by Captain Robert Scott, set sail from Cardiff, seen off by cheering crowds and brass bands. Their ship, the
Terra Nova
had left London on June 1st but called at Cardiff to acknowledge the great support given by the citizens of Cardiff, led by the Lord Mayor (Alderman John Chappell) and also the
Western Mail
. Supplies of coal had been donated by the Ynyshir Steam Coal Company, as well as 1,200 bottles of Stone's Ginger Wine. Before the ship set sail, expedition members were royally entertained in Cardiff with various theatre visits, dinners and offers of accommodation. Scott himself was not on board when the
Terra Nova
sailed as he was still involved in fundraising for the expedition but he and his wife sailed for Cape Town on August 2nd. On September 3rd 1912, the Norwegian Roald Amundsen, who had beaten Scott to the Pole, gave a lecture in Cardiff. The
Terra Nova
sailed back into Cardiff on June 14th 1913 to be welcomed by Scott's widow and young son, Peter. Many people travelled to Cardiff by specially-chartered trains to take the opportunity of seeing over this historic vessel. (Stewart Williams,
Cardiff Yesterday
)

1676:
A new ship, belonging to Cardiff owner John Priest, newly-arrived from London, sank in the harbour with the loss of its cargo, valued at £3,000. This included silver plate belonging to Sir Edmund Thomas of Wenvoe and all his servants' clothes, as well as £600 belonging to Priest and his brother Richard. A woman on board was drowned. (William Rees,
Cardiff: A History of the City
, Cardiff Corporation, 1969)

1998:
Seventy-nine-year-old South African President, Nelson Mandela, was in Cardiff to receive the Freedom of the City. The crowds were out in force to greet the highly-respected leader of the struggle against apartheid. He paid tribute to the response by Welsh people to the discrimination against black people that had existed in his country in the past. In a walkabout prior to the ceremony at Cardiff Castle, Mr Mandela stopped to sing with a group of local schoolchildren. (John O'Sullivan & Bryn Jones,
Cardiff: A Centenary Celebration
, The History Press, 2005)

1851:
‘I am informed that a very close canvass is proceeding for the representation of Cardiff. My own feelings are warmly interested for the success of Mr Coffin and I wish you to mention to any tenants or workmen of mine who may have votes that I shall be very glad if it is consistent with their own opinions to support him. I write this because I am informed that much intimidation and undue influence is proceeding on the other side and to prevent misrepresentation of my views. This, I am told, is the case respecting Thomas John who rents of me and on whom I wish you to call without delay upon the subject.' (Letter from Lady Charlotte Guest to J.H. Austin, quoted in Rosemary Jones, ‘The Cardiff Borough Elections', University of Wales MA thesis, 1982 / Trevor Jones & Gareth Elwyn Jones,
People and Protest: Wales 1815-1880
, University of Wales, 1988)

1850:
The South Wales Railway line from Chepstow through Cardiff to Swansea opened. However, through services from London via Gloucester were not possible until Brunel's bridge over the River Wye at Chepstow was completed in July 1852. The low flat land on the north side of the Severn provided an easy route into Cardiff from the east. Beyond Cardiff, the railway followed the Ely Valley towards Bridgend, Port Talbot and Swansea. The SWR was not the first railway in Cardiff – the Taff Vale line from Merthyr had been opened to Cardiff Docks in 1840. The year 1843 saw the opening of the Bristol & South Wales Union Railway which ran from a ferry terminal on the Gloucestershire side of the Severn to Bristol via Patchway (
see
January 1st). The line through the Severn Tunnel opened in 1886. (Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith,
Western Main Lines: Swindon to Newport
, Middleton Press, 2004 /
Gloucester to Cardiff
, Middleton Press, 2005)