Edwardian Days at the Seaside

People arrived in great numbers on the Mumbles Train, which on the fine day of August Bank Holiday Monday 1913, carried 48,000 passengers! The large double‑decked first and second class carriages and additional, uncovered single‑decked third‑class coaches, which became known as cattle trucks, could carry over 1000 passengers at a time.

‘No matter the number, the guards ne'er refrain

from finding 'em room‑ on the old Mumbles Train.’

The six‑mile journey took an hour at an average speed of 7‑8 m.p.h. and the passengers sitting outside on the top, would be surrounded by smoke and cinders and covered in smuts, thrown up by the steam engine. As it travelled along, children would turn cartwheels or somersaults alongside the track, calling ‘a ha'penny or a penny‑O’, hoping to be thrown some coins in reward.

At Mumbles Station was Station Master, Bob Millard, dressed in a frock- coat and a peak cap, who would ring a huge handbell to signal the train to leave the Pier. The other staff included two porters, Jim and Fred Martin and a van driver, Reg Hoyle. The premises themselves consisted of a ticket‑office and a waiting‑room, where, in winter, a roaring fire burned in the grate.

Some of the other employees on the railway included Firemen, Georgie White, Jack Winston, Will Veal and Raymond Loaring; some went on to be Drivers, e.g. Gordon Davies, Frank Dunkin, Ernie Phillips, Bill Phillips and Alf Williams. Harry Bailey, Owen Davies, who went on to be an Inspector in 1912 and Fred Williams were some of the Conductors; W. J. Shellock was the Senior Guard; Joseph Bailey, a Guard and an Auxiliary Guard was W. Gibson.

Mrs. Hilary Lewis, née Dunkin tells proudly, of her father, Frank's career, ‘He was born in 1888 at Blackpill, in one of a row of cottages alongside the track. As soon as he was old enough, he started work as a Bell‑boy, whose job it was to ring a bell or blow his whistle and keep an eye out for horses on the track. He soon became a fireman and on 9 January 1903, a Driver, which he would continue to be for a record 57 years!’ She went on to reminisce about the smell of the acetylene, burnt in the steam‑train lamps, which she says can still evoke for her, the spirit of adventure of a journey in those days.

If people were to choose another form of transport to finish the journey, then Mabel Higgs and her donkeys, waiting at Dunns Field, at the bottom of Newton Road (on land now occupied by Victoria Wine and Judith Roberts, the Optician), would be pleased to convey them to the beach. Visitors could come, alternatively, by bicycle, with the inevitable punctures attended to by Maslen of West Cross, or by road, riding in horse‑drawn carriages, or, for a very few, by the motor‑car.

Later in 1908, the Cambrian News carried an item, stating that ‘Mr. Hubert Monger, son of one of the Departmental Managers of Hafod Copper Works, proposes to operate six motor‑cars for party return journeys from Swansea to Mumbles, Bishopston and Parkmill. If, after a trial period, it proves a success, it will be offered to a local syndicate at an agreed price.’

In August 1914, the South Wales Transport Co. Ltd., commenced a ‘Motor Coach Service’ from Swansea to Southend. There were 19 buses on weekdays and 20 on Sundays. The fares were 6d return all the way or 5d from Brynmill, 4d from Blackpill and 2d from West Cross. There were others who came from further away and stayed for a week or more. The local newspaper, carried lists of those staying in the various hotels and the places whence they came.

For example, in July 1903, Colonel James Thompson and his daughter, stayed at Southend Villas, the Proprietor of which was Mrs. Libby;

In July 1905, Mr. and Mrs. Landon, Family and Servants, of Strasburg‑on‑ Hudson and the United States' Embassy, stayed at The Mermaid Hotel, Southend,

In July 1908, Mr. Macdonald from South Africa, holidayed at the Sea View and Mr. and Mrs. Camp from South America, lodged at 25, Victoria Avenue. There were many families from England and Scotland, as well as those from other parts of Wales.

Among the other Hotels and Boarding Houses in the village were:‑

Bay View (Mrs. Sanders), Bournmouth Villa (Mrs. Davie), Dorset House (Mrs. Hunt), Harborne House and the Temperance Hotel. Proprietor: H.A. Lockband of The Gladstone Oyster and Refreshment House, Patronized by Royalty, offered ‘Comfortable Lodgings, well-aired beds and good stabling.’

It is reported that the visitors' book in one local hotel held this little ditty:‑

I came down by the Mumbles Train,

It nearly made me shiver

To cross the giddy viaduct,

That spans the Blackpill River.

Other holidaymakers, such as Mrs. ‘Kitty’ Horsley, came to stay with relatives. Her cousin Valerie, who was the same age, was the daughter of William Williams, whose home was ‘The Cliff’, a house overlooking what is now part of Underhill Park, but which at that time, was a portion of their garden. There, Kitty fondly recalls she and Valerie picking bluebells and primroses and taking them back up the hill to the house. They regularly enjoyed the game of ‘ping pong’, a new sport created in 1901, by Mr. James Gibbs, or, a particular favourite of Kitty's—a family picnic at Caswell. She also reminisces about the elegant houseparties, where the damask tablecloths were sometimes decorated with the trailing plant, ‘Smilax’ and where she joined in the games of Charades or listened to recitations, songs and music, performed by each of the guests including, Aunt Polly playing the harp.

When the holidaymakers ventured out to explore the area, what would they find?

In the ‘Swansea Bay Sailing Club 11 mile race’, the prize was £8 and the winner was the Star (W. A. Birchall) in 3hr 39m 57s on time allowance. Other yachts which took part were the Kelpie (S. Sanders), the Violet (H. Davies), the Cariad (S. Burgess) and the Lilian (A. Morgan).

In the ‘16 mile race for Mumbles Skiffs’, the Emmeline (Jenkin Evans) came in 1st, for a prize of £5, with Fleetwing, also owned by Jenkin Evans, coming 2nd, followed by Temperance (W. Lloyd) and Pathfinder.

There was also a ‘Ladies' Pair Oared race,’ in which Miss Amy Thomas led the winning team.

The ‘Walking the Greasy Pole’ competition was won by W. Gammon.

Tom Owen regularly drew in the crowds to his shows, where his Pierrots performed twice daily during the season, in his Pavilion on The Parade, which could hold 300 people, with prices for front chairs at 2d and those further back at 1d. However, when the Inmates (so described by the newspaper) of the Swansea Workhouse and the children of the Cottage Homes visited the Mumbles for their annual outing in August 1908, they were entertained, totally free of charge.

Many people just wished to wander and take in the magnificent views and others wanted to try sea‑bathing at the bays at Limeslade, Langland or Bracelet where Bathing Machines were in use.

At Bracelet, the licensed operators were John Ace of Thistleboon, R. Davies, Mr. Kift and James Webborn, who, in July 1905, had 8 machines.

If they happened to choose James Webborn's machines, his clever black retriever dog, named Don would entertain them. James' Grandson, Archie Webborn, aged 93, recalls, ‘It cost 6d to hire a machine, towel and costume and a little ritual was played out for the customers' benefit. My Grandpa, James would whistle to the dog, who would run up to the tea‑rooms at the top of the beach, and return with the correct number of male and female costumes and towels! The holidaymakers were amazed and would compliment him on his very clever dog.’

(Actually, Archie's Grandma in the tearoom, would hear the whistle and look out of the window, count the number of customers and get the bathing apparel ready to give to the dog to carry back down the beach in his mouth!)

One of the visitors to Bracelet Bay, was Mrs. Gwladys Ferris (nee Bowen), now over 90 years of age, who remembers going there with her mother and younger brother, Marchant all the way from her home in Landore. Once there, they played on the beach or rented a Bathing machine. She fondly recalls her favourite swimming costume, which was lavender with black edging, straight knickers and a little frilly skirt. She remembers the exhilarating feeling of the machine being drawn down the beach by a horse and of stepping down the wooden steps into the water. Later they would picnic on the pebbly beach, using the kettle, small paraffin stove and picnic basket, full of cups, saucers, plates and tins of cake and bread etc., which had been carried all the way from home by her mother!

There were pleasure‑boat trips round the coast and at the beginning of July 1905, a petrol launch service was introduced, to take people by sea to Langland, Caswell or any other bays that they wished to visit. As the number of boats, of all sorts and conditions, increased to cater for the demand, an inspector was appointed to oversee the procedure and check the boats for safety. In July 1908, he was issued with his uniform of coat, vest and cap, costing £2..9s..6d.

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For other forms of entertainment, there was the Kursaal, a wooden building which had been in use over in Ilfracombe, but which had been dismantled, transported, reassembled on land now occupied by the Tivoli and opened in August 1906. The premises was used at various times for several types of activity e.g. the Mumbles Baptists made it their temporary home in 1907 and by 1910, it was advertising ‘Skating on its new maple‑wood floor at 6d per session.’ Latterly from 1910, it served as a cinema.

Vying for the patronage of visiting skating enthusiasts, the Pier offered a combined ‘Mumbles Railway /Admission to the Pier /3 hour skating ticket’ on its new Asphalt rink. It cost 1/‑ from Swansea, 9d from Blackpill and 6d from Oystermouth and the Osborne Hotel opened its new Skating Rink in the Scarlet Tea‑rooms. It was a very popular pastime, with around 1000 people arriving to enjoy the sport on Saturdays.

Adjacent to the Kursaal, on what is now the Bowling‑green, there opened on 27 May 1909, a figure‑of‑eight fairground ride, a 2000 yard long American Gravity ride, which would take 1min. 15secs to negotiate its course. Its track was made of hard sugar maple; its wheels were steel‑plated, encased in brass and ran on oil, and therefore would make no noise at all. Soon, ‘men and women of all sorts and sizes’ were patronising it. Mrs. Winifred Mary Ewing, tells me that the Ride Operator was her father, Mr. Thomas Brown, who had come from Whauphill, Scotland via America, where he had worked on a similar ride, to work in the village. Here, he was later to marry a local girl, Mary Elizabeth Latimer. Sadly, he was one of those who died on the battlefield in France in 1918.

There was also a ‘captive aeroplane’ and side‑shows, including coconut shies and ‘penny‑a‑peep’ on the site.

For those who liked the new Cinemaograph Theatres, there were two—The Promenade Picture Hall (later taken over by the Catholic Church), with Proprietor, Tom Owen, and the Mumbles Cinema, where the seats cost 3d, 6d & 1/‑. In 1912, it was showing ‘The Latest and Best Pictures’ amongst them, Dick Tirpin, A Road Agent's Love, Artist Max and A Real Bunny Comedy, followed by afternoon tea which was free.

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For those who were of a mind to enquire into their future prospects, then Madame Zippia Taylor, a Palmist, was the lady to divulge the details for the sum of one shilling, at the Sea Beach cottage, adjoining the Central Cafe on the Parade, where she stayed each summer.

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Souvenirs of their stay in Mumbles were very popular and people could take home crockery or small ornaments, decorated with local scenes, such as the Pier, Castle or Lighthouse

Mumbles was, by now undeniably, an extremely popular and thriving resort and this status has continued ever since to some degree, but the Edwardian Era, was undoubtedly, its heyday.