Tell me about Cardiff

[cyrano]

Can anybody tell me about the state of immigration in Britain (specifically Wales) in post WWI?
It looks like the Pakistani immigration didn't really get big until the 1950s, but I don't see anything about Caribbean or Indian or African immigration. (Or possibly Irish immigration, I don't know. I'm a bad history major.)

Comments

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

One of the things I'm trying to find out is--what used to be where the Roald Dahl Plass is now? Was it just a working dock, or was it still a plaza and gathering point?

[fayroberts.livejournal.com]

OMG, they renamed the Oval Basin! How did I miss that?!

It's near the Coal Exchange and the old City Hall, isn't it? I'd've thought it was a working dock, but I don't know for sure. I'll go dig out my father's old maps and try looking in the Central Library for older ones next weekend.

You've (inadvertently) set me a research project and that makes me inordinately pleased - thank you! There are maps involved too - yay! XD

[fayroberts.livejournal.com]

Aha! Well, if you trust Wikipedia, this entry says, among other things, that:

"Formerly named the Oval Basin, the area was one of the docks for a thriving coal port during the latter half the 19th century and much of the 20th century. Following World War II, the plaza entered a period of decay and dereliction until the 1980s, when the Cardiff Bay area was regenerated."

So there we have it. There's also a historical bit later. Hope that's a help!

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

Okay, I read that, and that was part of what was confusing me. They say it was a dock for a coal port for much of the 20th century, and then sometime between then and 'following World War II' it became a plaza.
I may be misunderstanding the use of the term 'plaza', of course.

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

Hah. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/2125925.stm
Cardiff's Oval Basin served as a lock at the city's historic docks until it was filled in during the 1960s to stabilise its walls.