The Day Oranges Arrived at Rotherslade by Ralph Wood
In 1941, the Jamaica Planter, a boat with a cargo of oranges, struck a mine in the Bristol Channel and was beached in Watchtower Bay near the Breakwater, Barry (Pictured). She was later towed into Barry Docks. Whilst there, she was bombed, and, after repairs had been completed and she was on her way to Swansea, she was in collision with the American Tanker Wellesley and sank in the Barry Roads.
No loss of life was reported, but following this shipwreck, I remember word getting around that large quantities of oranges were being washed ashore at Rotherslade Bay.
Rotherslade and Langland Bays
When I got there, I could see that the beachwas strewn with oranges, some in crates, but the majority were loose. It was a colourful sight. This was manna from heaven because, due to wartime shortages, we kids had seen precious little fruit, especially of the exotic sort like oranges.
Scores of kids turned up to take advantage of the windfall. However, it turned out to be a bitter disappointment, in more ways than one, because they were Seville oranges used for making marmalade and as such, inedible and the salt water didn’t do much for them either. It did cause a bit of excitement at the time though.
Another article concerning Rotherslade-
Schooldays and Holidays Between the Wars
... for birds’ nests or taking a short cut to 'Little Langland' as we called Rotherslade. When leaving (Big) Langland to go home, one could go up steps to the hilltop ...