The Cardiff Book of Days (49 page)

1886:
The first passenger trains ran between Bristol and Cardiff through the new Severn Tunnel. There were ten trains on weekdays and three on Sundays. From July 1887 a through train between London and New Milford was introduced. (Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith,
Western Main Lines: Swindon to Newport
, Middleton Press, 2004)

1703:
A great storm, which had wrecked hundreds of ships around the Welsh coast, finally blew itself out. It had started on November 24th and is regarded as the most severe ever recorded in the southern half of the British Isles. In Cardiff, there was structural damage to Llandaff Cathedral. (Wikipedia)

1881:
The death of William Burges (born in 1827), the architect responsible for the restoration of Cardiff Castle for John Ctichton-Stuart, the 3rd Marquis of Bute. His death came as his Gothic Revival style was already waning as an architectural fashion. Within twenty years his style was considered hopelessly old-fashioned. (Wikipedia)

1914:
The
Lady Ismay
, one of the Cardiff paddle-steamers fitted out for wartime service as minesweepers, was lost due to enemy action. (John Richards,
Cardiff: A Maritime History
, The History Press, 2005)

2010:
Campaigners handed in a petition signed by 2,000 people protesting against Viridor's proposed waste incinerator at Splott. (
South Wales Echo
)

1360:
Elizabeth de Burgh, Lady de Clare, bequeathed £6 to the two friaries in Cardiff. (William Rees,
Cardiff: A History of the City
, Cardiff Corporation, 1969)

1969:
Trolley-bus services in Cardiff came to an abrupt end. It had been intended that their last day should be on January 11th 1970 and preparations had been made for farewell events on that date but an industrial dispute involving staff at the Roath depot brought about their premature demise. They never returned to their regular routes but, in view of the national publicity given to the planned closure date, it was decided to go ahead with a ‘wake' for the benefit of transport enthusiasts. A privately-owned trolleybus formerly in the Cardiff fleet ran a special service during the final week. This was augmented by some of the Corporation's own vehicles on the 9th and 10th. Special tours operated on the 11th, after which the system was completely closed and the wires taken down. (Stewart Williams,
Cardiff Yesterday
)

1971:
The first 3 miles of the new A470 Cardiff to Merthyr trunk road opened between Manor Way and Nantgarw. (Stewart Williams,
Cardiff Yesterday
)

1869:
‘A shocking accident happened to a guard on the Penarth Railway on Tuesday. James Long, one of the mineral guards, was engaged in his ordinary occupation, when he had occasion to go to the back of the tender of the engine. The engine at the time was travelling with the tender in the front. By some means, Long lost his footing and was struck by the firebox of the engine and mangled in the most frightful manner. As soon as possible the train was stopped and the body taken to the Penarth Dock Tipping Office but, almost before he reached it, the unfortunate man expired. At the inquest held the same afternoon a verdict of “accidental death” was returned. The deceased had only been married three months and leaves a young widow to lament his passing.' (Report in the
Cardiff Times
, quoted in E. Alwyn Benjamin,
Penarth 1841-71, A Glimpse of the Past
, D. Brown & Sons, 1980)

1960:
Flooding hit the Canton area, much of which was under water for three days. The area around the St David's Hospital was particularly badly hit. Cardiff Council lent its rowing boats from Roath Park to ferry staff to and from the hospital. The Arms Park was under 4ft of water and the Gabalfa estate was also badly affected. (Stewart Williams,
Cardiff Yesterday
)

1951:
The gates of the Sea Lock at the entrance to the Glamorganshire Canal collapsed during the night of the 5/6th, draining the canal and ending its useful life. There had been a swing bridge over the canal at James Street and a tunnel through which the canal ran under Queen Street. The tunnel was 115 yards long and 12ft 9in wide. There was a towpath for part of its length but for the rest the boatmen had to pull the boats through using chains on the tunnel walls. Meanwhile the horses would be led through the streets. The canal was recalled for BBC Wales by Glyn Williams of Perth, Western Australia, in April 2007. ‘We used to swim in it in summer, although it was full of detritus and black with coal dust. We also swam at the timber floats in Upper Bute Street. Sometimes we would lash timber together and go cruising down like latterday Huckleberry Finns,' he said. ‘My cousin used to get pocket money from American servicemen during the war by getting them to throw silver coins from the bridge by the castle which he would retrieve for pocket money.' (
www.coflein.gov.uk
/
www.bbc.co.uk/wales
)

1777:
A young carpenter who had come from twenty miles away to work at Cardiff Castle died of smallpox. The disease was gradually brought under control by the new technique of inoculation but at that time could only be afforded by the well-to-do such as the young wife of the Revd Wyndham Lewis of New House, Cardiff. (William Rees,
Cardiff: A History of the City
, Cardiff Corporation, 1969)

1897:
At a meeting of the Borough Council it was resolved ‘to empower the Corporation to erect and maintain a Town Hall in Cathays Park'. Competing designs were put on display in the Assembly Room of the old town hall, which dated from 1849 and was between St Mary Street and Westgate Street. Between 1747 and 1860, the Town Hall had been in High Street. Fifty-six designs were submitted for the competition which was judged by Mr Alfred Waterhouse RA. The first prize of £500 was awarded to Lanchester, Stewart & Rickards, a London-based architectural partnership. (Stewart Williams,
Cardiff Yesterday
)

2010:
At a ceremony in the City Hall the Elizabeth Cross and Memorial Scroll was presented by the Welsh Lord Lieutenants to the relatives of thirteen servicemen from Wales who had been killed in action between 1951 and 2009. The ceremony was organized by the 160 (Wales) Brigade. Among those present were the parents and twin brother of Richjard Price from Rhiwbina, a trumpeter who had died when a bomb planted by the IRA exploded at the Royal Marines School of Music at Deal in Kent on September 22nd 1989. Richard's parents, John and Maria Price, had set up an annual music award in his memory at the Welsh College of Music and Drama. Other soldiers from Cardiff commemorated at the ceremony were Pte Louis Whitmore of the Royal Leicestershire Regiment who died in Korea on November 17th 1951 and Corporal Robert Miller (Royal Marines) killed in Northern Ireland on August 17th 1978. (
South Wales Echo
)