Volume Four - An Era of Change, Uncertainty, Depression & War - The Penarth Dock Engineering Company Limited . . .

Penarth Pontoon, Slipway & Ship Repairing Co., Limited

The cheque below, with others, came up for sale on a well known auction site recently and I couldn't resist capturing a day in May 1953 when Mr. John Pilcher collected monies from the company bankers to pay the workforce.

Mr. J. Morton and Mr. W. Thomas, signatories, were Directors of the company, although Julie cannot recollect that they were involved when she worked there commencing 1964.

Mr. William Mitchell was the Company Secretary, and always signed himself as Wm. Mitchell. He worked in an adjacent office and Julie recalls that whenever he called her on the telephone, he always enquired "Are you there?" to which Julie muttered under her breath "Where the bloody hell do you think I am?" However, this always somehow translated into "Yes. Mr. Mitchell. How can I help?"