Volume Twelve - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - further aspects - A History of Penarth Dock by Roy Thorne . . .

Before 1914 the prosperity of South Wales attracted people, but between 1921 and 1931 there was a decline of 242,000 in the population of Glamorgan, Monmouthshire, Carmarthen and Brecon. That was 12.5% of the people.

The basic industries, coal iron and steel were badly affected and by 1930 31.8% of the working population of South Wales was unemployed.

The Cardiff, Barry and Penarth area was not so badly affected because the centre of government, education, commerce and distribution was in this area, but there was a decrease in employment here of 15% between 1923 and 1930.

It was a common sight in the 1920's and 1930's to see hundreds of men standing in humiliating fashion near the town centre waiting to "sign on" for unemployment benefit. There was much poverty and concomitant malnutrition amongst the people of the northern part of the town and in Cogan. Children were fed in soup kitchens provided by charitable people. There were no school meals at that time.

The town's population declined from 18,920 in 1924, 17,710 in 1931, and 16,080 in 1938 because so many people moved to England or to "the Empire" - New Zealand, Australia and Canada.

In the late 1920's the sound of coal being tipped from the wagons into ships' holds ; the sight of trimmers with their large shovels ; the shops in Glebe Street supplying food and clothing to ships' crews, and foreign seamen walking the streets of the town was still part of Penarth's life.

The unique "whoop" of the "Sainte Adresse" which would come into the dock shepherded by the tug "Klondyke", seemed to be a greeting to Penarthians. The ship had a funnel at the stern which was unusual in those days. It was owned by the Plisson Steam Company. Mr. Ernest Plisson, a Frenchman, lived at Northcliffe House, and he had the stone wall built at the cliff face on Penarth Head, which still remains. [c.1984]

There was a rise in exports at Penarth Dock until 1923, and then there was a steady decline at both dock and harbour.