Obituary: Sidney Wallace Robinson of Penarth (From Penarth Times)

Obituary: Sidney Wallace Robinson of Penarth

12:20pm Monday 30th January 2012 in News

SIDNEY Wallace Robinson of Penarth; born October 16, 1914 at Newport; died January 19, 2012 at UHW, Cardiff.

SADLY, Penarth Past has to announce the death of its Chairman, who took over when Miss Gwyneth White died at the age of 95.

The following extracts are from his interview tape: "I am not a Penarthian, but was born in Newport, Gwent, in 1914.

"I made numerous visits to Penarth over many years from the 1920s to the 1980s. Many visits were made by cycle from Newport, also calling and landing at Penarth and Barry from the P & A Campbell steamers.

"My numerous visits over such a long period led to a liking of the area and the town of Penarth, with a mixture of commercial and maritime activities, and as a pleasure resort.

"Sufficient wealth was generated in the area and ploughed back to develop a town with some charm and dignity.

"It embraced all the best attributes of a much larger resort on a miniature scale - with its pier, esplanade, bandstand, fine parks and gardens, handsome villas, tree-lined roads and generally preserving the better aspects of Victorian and Edwardian planning. This led finally to my wife and I taking up residence in Bridgemen Court, Penarth in 1988.

"On completion of schooling, I entered employment with the Newport Ship-Owners Association, and in 1936 with Cardiff-based company at Mountstuart Dry Docks, working at its Cardiff pierhead channel yard, and also at their Barry, Newport and Avonmouth yards.

"Subsequently, I worked with the Bristol Shipbuilders, Charles Hill and Son Ltd, and then for several years with the Commercial Dry Docks Ltd of Cardiff (as an Accountant).

"I met my wife Audrey in Bristol while I was living there, and married in 1951. My wife passed away on June 9, 2004."

Sidney was very involved with the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society, and was Chair of Newport Transporter Bridge.

He was very active, and never missed a sailing of the pleasure craft from Penarth Pier.

Penarth Past took Sidney on a three-hour trip on Steve Critchley's pleasure craft, Cygnet, to celebrate his 97th birthday in October 2011.

He continued to be active, going out to lunch on Wednesday, January 11, 2012, and passed away in UHW on January 19.