Penarth, The Pier c.1955
Photo ref: P24144
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More about this scene

The 600-capacity New Pavilion opened in May 1929 with attendant shops, tea lounges and terrace. It was built by E J Smith of Cardiff in a vaguely eastern Art Deco style, and the building material was (the then) ultra modern ferro-concrete. Many mourned the loss of the pointed roof frontage of the old café and shops, but a link with the past was maintained by the redeployment of the original main gate as a side entrance (left, behind the van). By the time of this photograph, the Pavilion had metamorphosed into the Marina Ballroom, having spent a short period as a cinema.

An extract from Around Penarth Photographic Memories.

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Around Penarth Photographic Memories

Around Penarth Photographic Memories

The photo 'Penarth, the Pier c1955' appears in this book.

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A Selection of Memories from Penarth

For many years now, we've been inviting visitors to our website to add their own memories to share their experiences of life as it was, prompted by the photographs in our archive. Here are some from Penarth

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If this has sparked a memory, why not share it here?

When I was 9 we lived in a new block of flats (at that time) opposite the Pier and just across the road from the baths. I used to walk to Stanwell Rd School through the Park which was always beautiful. I actually never ever paid to go onto the pier or baths as the people who ran these places knew I only lived across the road. I must have gone to the pier nearly every day and I remember making friends ...see more
My husband was born in Albert Road, Penarth 1943 and used to speak of loads of old tanks left to rot away in fields. Also some sort of tunnel that was later blocked off. He would have walked to the beach down this road. He used to talk of his dog Peter and how he would throw a ball into the sea no matter how high the waves and Peter would dive in and get it back. My husband left there for the Midlands when he was ...see more
My husband was born in Albert Road, Penarth 1943 and used to speak of loads of old tanks left to rot away in fields. Also some sort of tunnel that was later blocked off. He left there for the Midlands when he was 7 years old and had learned to count to 10 in Welsh. He came to the Black Country and could hardly understand a word of what people said.
I was there that day, standing with the crowd at the pier end. Quite right, the pebbles flew around when I think back on that day..it was quite dangerous, but fun. Always remember that day.