CARDIFF CELEBRATES CENTENARY OF QUEEN ALEXANDRA DOCK
Associated British Ports’ (ABP) Port of Cardiff today (21 September) celebrates the centenary of Queen Alexandra Dock with an official tree-planting ceremony and the opening of a special photographic exhibition featuring images from the past 100 years of port operations.
King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra originally opened the Dock in 1907, shortly after Cardiff had been granted city status, and when its coal-exporting industry made the port one of the busiest commercial hubs in the world. A century later, the Dock is still integral to the city and the regional economy, supporting local businesses and providing a gateway for millions of tonnes of goods each year.
In the ceremony this morning, Mrs Katie Clark, wife of ABP Chairman Chris Clark, declared the exhibition open and planted a commemorative oak tree by the mouth of Queen Alexandra Dock. This followed a dance by children from Mount Stuart Primary School, who had entered an ABP-sponsored competition to design a poster illustrating how they imagine the port will look in another 100 years.
John Fitzgerald, ABP Port Director, South Wales Ports, said: “Both the City and the Port of Cardiff have changed enormously in the last 100 years, both reinventing themselves to suit a regional economy no longer reliant on coal. Today, the modern port – like the city – is in an excellent position to face the many challenges and seize the exciting opportunities of the next 100 years.”
Tomorrow, as part of the wider centenary celebrations, the port is holding its Dock Centenary Community Day, from 11am until 4pm, featuring dock tours by road-train and boat, as well as stalls, displays, street theatre, live music, children’s entertainment and food.
John Fitzgerald added: “The Dock Centenary Community Day will be a fun way to remind local people of the port’s part in Cardiff’s heritage and its importance in the region’s economy today and in the future, while educating visitors to the city who are as yet unfamiliar with its history.”
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