MAL'S MEMORIES 1
DO YOU remember when Penarth had its own hovercraft service?
I have particular reason to recall the launch of the first scheduled tidal hovercraft passenger service in the world, between Penarth and Weston Super-Mare
Sent one morning as a young reporter to cover the big event involving the Penarth Urban District Council Chairman and officers and their counterparts from Weston making the crossing from Penarth beach, I was thrilled to be invited to join them on the inaugural journey.
It was certainly the quickest trip I ever made between Penarth and Weston, and also the noisiest. The engines were so loud it was impossible to hold a conversation. But it certainly was an experience.
On arrival at a rain-drenched Weston I was entertained to lunch and then left to my own devices for an hour or so while the two Councils held a private meeting.
I decided to spend some time in the warmth and comfort of a cinema and you can imagine my horror on emerging into the daylight to find that the weather had deteriorated and the Penarth delegation, and hovercraft , had departed somewhat hastily, without me, before the sea became too rough for it to make the return crossing.
I had spent all my money and had to beg my passage back to Penarth on a late evening paddle steamer, arriving back in total darkness and having to walk home to Dinas Powys.
Even worse, next day I had to face the wrath of the editor and try to explain how it was that I had disappeared without trace for the whole of press day and had not even managed to submit a few words on the historic event!
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