Volume Two - The Era of Optimism, Investment & Development - Some reports

A second "Maritime Murmour" from the same issue of the Martime Review [059] continued the humorous badinage:

"In our last week's issue, we alluded to the appointment of Mr. E. S. Johnson (of the Barry Graving Docks and Engineering Company Limited) to the yard of Messrs. Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson, Limited. Mr. Johnson informs us that his new duties will give him the joint managership of the pontoons, dry dock and ship-repairing department of the Wallsend-on-Tyne company. Apropos this change, a little bird whispers to us that our old friend Mr. J.H. Illingworth, of the Penarth Slippingaway – drat it, that was a slip on our part, although there might have been some justification therefore?

Anyhow, we believe that Mr. Illingworth will relieve Mr. Johnson at the Barry Graving Docks, and we are unfeignedly glad in consequence. It is altogether unnecessary for us to go into details as to where Mr. Illingworth comes from, for we have a shrewd idea that the shipping community already knows. Poor old Penarth! Surely hath it fallen on evil days! It possesses but one repairing yard, and a figurative frost seems to have got into its water services pipes! Why is this?”

The Maritime Review [059] of the 11th January 1907, under “Fairy Tales”, continued the derision of Penarth:

“Keeping along with dry-dock theme, was are assured that there is to be built at the top of Penarth Dock a pontoon capable of taking on a 400 ft. steamer. To be built, you understand. Nobody has told us the precise date of construction, but we believe that plans have already been drawn for the purpose indicated; and to have a set of plans all ready is a step in the right direction?

Great Scott! We remember preparing the plans of a beautiful detached house – and the job came off years ago! We still have the plan, The house? Well, it continues to be a fairy tale order. One of these days we are going to have that house.

Indeed, we told the yarn to a rude little boy of our acquaintance, a few days back, and he asked us to show him the plan of the detached house. Seeing that it was Christmastide, we obliged. We are like that at Yuletide. The boy was a knowing lad, for his father was in the dry-dock business.