An aerial view of the Penarth Dock and the Ely Tidal Harbour. Penarth Head may be viewed in the background. With the tall ships in dock i.e. 'Passat' and 'Pamir', moored at the quayside at the seaward end of the dock, the image may be accurately dated to 1949 or 1950. [001]

Penarth Pontoon and Slipway Company Limited soon to become the Penarth Dock Engineering Company Limited is in the vee created by the old railways. The building indicated by an arrow on the River Ely was converted to the new drawing office on the first floor; it was cantilevered out over the river estuary mud. Looking out of the windows next to my drawing board, especially at high tide, I felt like I was the Captain standing at the wheel on the bridge of my ship!

On the ground floor at the far end are the only workers conveniences on the site. The W.C’s discharged their contents directly to the mud below at low tide and into the water at high tide. I found that it was always best to avoid using the toilets at the highest spring tides especially if there was a bit of swell since you almost certainly “got your own back” so as to speak! [001]