MORE than 200 people turned out to an exhibition marking the start of Penarth History Month last weekend.

Penarth Tourism and Visitor Association (PTVA), and Penarth Civic Society, who organised the event at Turner House Gallery, in Plymouth Road, have thanked those who attended the Penarth Through Time exhibition.

The collection of artefacts and images was displayed to encourage people to be a “tourist in your own town”.

Chris Wyatt, from the civic society, said: “We are pleased to have been part of this first event.

“The enthusiasm and interest from the public, young and old alike, has been heart-warming to see.“

Martin Gossage, member of PTVA, said: “After the opening night I thought I might be listening to the cricket for an hour or two from 11am until the first visitors turned up.

“I opened the doors at 10.40am to get something from the car and when I got back six people were already upstairs looking round.”

The exhibition was not meant to be a date-by-date, event-by-event display of Penarth`s history but more a collection of images and artefacts to stimulate interest.

Mr Gossage said he was taken aback at the verbal history and anecdotes that visitors remembered

These included someone who said they were in the first fire engine to respond to the fire which burned down The Esplanade Hotel.

Another mentioned a photograph their great great grandfather had taken of the Terra Nova ship from the Cardiff Docks side of the estuary including Edgar Evans on the deck.

Another contributor said they had lived in the cottage next to the Baths on the seafront. with another saying they’ve got photos of our house in the 1920s with nothing else around them.

All these contributors were urged bring these stories and photos to a series of verbal history collection events that will be taking place in preparation for next year’s History Month .

2018 is Wales year of the Sea and History Month will showcase the docks, seafront and the history of Glebe Street shops.

PTVA and Civic Society said they don’t want to present a step by step history show but to feature real people’s experiences and memories

One picture was handed in to Oxfam which includes a line saying “Mr Richards Cogan about 1900” and organisers would be keen to find out if anyone knows who he is.