Penarth town, pier, promenade and more - photos & chat

[editor]

I'm researching a feature about Penarth now and came across this. I never knew that Penarth had been such a hotspot for bovver!

Between 1964 and 1968 Penarth gained infamy across Wales as the scene of riots on the beach and seafront, between rival gangs of "Mods" and "Rockers", that took place annually on 5 November (Bonfire Night). Following the much publicised similar riots at south coast seaside resorts like Brighton, Margate, Bournemouth, Clacton and Hastings during the summer of 1964 the culture spread to Penarth during the autumn. The youth of the town were polarised between the two lifestyles.

The event in 1964 was sparsely attended with only a few hundred mostly local participants and the general mood was almost light hearted. However, by 1965 motorcycle and scooter gangs arrived from all over Wales and the West Country, some even travelling from the West Midlands to take part. The rioters were matched by ever increasing numbers of police, who had been caught unawares the previous year, many now being bussed in from police forces all over the Principality, equipped with protective helmets and early riot shields.

Homes and restaurants in the town centre and along the beach front boarded up their windows in preparation and the fire brigade located their appliances in standby positions. The town started filling with gangs from the early afternoon and the riots kicked off soon after dusk with swirling charges, skirmishes and fights all over the beach and esplanade.
Hand-launched bangers, roman candles and even small rockets were used as makeshift artillery in addition to the many fist fights. Dozens of rioters were injured and many others arrested for public order offences before the hostilities petered out around 10pm. Newspaper and TV media turned up in force to report on the proceedings.

The Penarth riots peaked in 1967 when over a thousand rioters turned up for the 5 November event but the following year numbers dropped off noticeably, aided by atrocious squally weather. In 1969 the police contingent remained on their coaches when it was obvious that there would be no riot that year. The short lived 'Mod and Rocker' lifestyles and fashions were coming to an end all over the country.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penarth

 

[editor]

It looks like they're spending a few quid on the pier now - it looked in good shape when we were there recently - although the big plans for a cinema and multi-use community centre seem to be faltering.

I like Penarth pier.

http://www.urban75.org/photos/wales/penarth-pier-cardiff.html

 

[Voley]

I like piers, too. That looks like a particularly nice one. They've got a bygone age sort of feel to them that appeals to me for some reason.

 

[Voley]

That car park's awesome, btw. Who the hell builds one of them on a beach!

 

[Endeavour]

What a glorious deco building.


(suddenly I'm off digging out old Man albums)

 

[Endeavour]

That car park's awesome, btw. Who the hell builds one of them on a beach!

tres bizzaro

 

[Voley]

We've got a few beauties like that down here in lovely scenic Cornwall, too. 60's planners were a rare breed.

 

[editor]

That car park's awesome, btw. Who the hell builds one of them on a beach!

Thank fuck it's gone. No one liked it and it never even made much money.

 

[editor]

This is great news. I've had some right tidy times in Penarth.

http://www.urban75.org/blog/penarth-pier-gets-thumping-big-grant-from-heritage-lottery-fund/

 

[poisondwarf]

Fantastic news.

 

[wayward bob]

 

[davesgcr]

As featured in Gavin and Stacey - Penarth used to have the tale that the seagulls used to fly upside down, as not to shit on the "superior" natives.

Been there , nice feature , good its getting a boost

 

[editor]

It's reopening next month and looking very nice indeed.

http://www.urban75.org/blog/penarth-pier-and-the-restored-pavilion-in-pictures-south-wales/

 

[William of Walworth]

We always seem to stick around Cardiff when we head in this direction. But those pix make me want to make my first ever trip to Penarth ...

 

[rhod]

Arrive early if you want to find somewhere to park nearby! The Fig Tree does some nice nosh at a reasonable price, too.

Try to ignore the building site that blights the whole seafront. To the eternal shame of the local council, it's been like that for YEARS, and will probably remain so for YEARS to come, as they've just extended the planning application until 2018!

Such a shame, as the pier looks like it will be top-notch.

 

[davesgcr]

Now I detest "Wales on line" , but for once they have done something right. See below Splendid shots of East Moors and other Welsh locations. A visit is being planned. Great that this mans work is saved.

The golden age of steam: A train obsessive's collection of photos

 

[editor]

Just added a new photo feature on Penarth. They've doe a great job on the pier and pavilion.

Penarth promenade, pier and railway station in photos, south Wales

 

[Nanker Phelge]

The logo I created for The Penarth Soul Club

 

[shambler]

Non vegetarian P-town visitors might be interested in a baguette from David Lush butchers... Stuff of legend

 

[JuanTwoThree]

Semantics.

I love Cardiff and Penarth but wonder about all this talk of 'seafront'. It's all a bit rivery by there.

Where do you draw the line?

 

[shambler]

Semantics.

I love Cardiff and Penarth but wonder about all this talk of 'seafront'. It's all a bit rivery by there.

Where do you draw the line?

Salt water innit. And way more seasidey than Bristol, which is miles from the stuff. Need to rename to the Cardiff channel, IMO

 

[JuanTwoThree]

Salt water innit. And way more seasidey than Bristol, which is miles from the stuff. Need to rename to the Cardiff channel, IMO

The Thames is salty up to Teddington. It's not that clear cut.

 

[editor]

The Thames is salty up to Teddington. It's not that clear cut.

Have you been to Penarth? If it feels and looks like a seaside town, then that's what it is.

 

[JuanTwoThree]

Have you been to Penarth? If it feels and looks like a seaside town, then that's what it is.

That's probably the best way to look at it.

 

[pseudonarcissus]

The Thames is salty up to Teddington. It's not that clear cut.

The Thames is tidal to Teddington, not salt water though

 

[JuanTwoThree]

tidal to Teddington, not salt water

You're right, but it's 'brackish' a far way up, though not nearly as far as I exaggerated:

Wiki "The River Thames flowing through London is a classic river estuary. The town of Teddington a few miles west of London marks the boundary between the tidal and non-tidal parts of the Thames, although it is still considered a freshwater river about as far east as Battersea insofar as the average salinity is very low and the fish fauna consists predominantly of freshwater species such as roach, dace, carp, perch, and pike. The Thames Estuary becomes brackish between Battersea and Gravesend, and the diversity of freshwater fish species present is smaller, primarily roach and dace; euryhaline marine species such as flounder, European seabass, mullet, and smelt become much more common. Further east, the salinity increases and the freshwater fish species are completely replaced by euryhaline marine ones, until the river reaches Gravesend, at which point conditions become fully marine and the fish fauna resembles that of the adjacent North Sea"

But editor is basically right about Penarth. You're on the coast there and not on a river-bank. Though I do think it's getting a bit river-like by then and across at Weston. The old Severn Bridge definitely crosses an estuary, not sure what the new one does. There must be somewhere where it stops feeling like an arm of the sea, but I couldn't say where.