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Rest Bay

Bays of WalesBlue Flag beachesCoast of Bridgend County BoroughPorthcawlWales geography stubs
Surfing at the Rest geograph.org.uk 376274
Surfing at the Rest geograph.org.uk 376274

Rest Bay is a bay and beach near Porthcawl on the coast of Bridgend County Borough, Wales. The long sandy beach is west facing and is popular with surfers, though facilities have been basic. There is a pay and display carpark. A cafe, Malc's, was located nearby.Plans were approved in August 2017 to create a new watersports hub, which would include a new cafe, public toilets, changing rooms, a function room and a covered area for walkers. Part of the funding for the improvements came from £1.5 million of European Union funding.Rest Bay is designated a Blue Flag beach based on the cleanliness of the water and the availability of local community educational activities.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Rest Bay (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Rest Bay
Wales Coast Path,

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address Nearby Places
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Wikipedia: Rest BayContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 51.489 ° E -3.728 °
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Address

Llwybr Arfordirol Cymru

Wales Coast Path
CF36 3UW , Porthcawl
Wales, United Kingdom
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Surfing at the Rest geograph.org.uk 376274
Surfing at the Rest geograph.org.uk 376274
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SS Samtampa
SS Samtampa

SS Samtampa was a 7,219 ton steamship wrecked on Sker Point, off Porthcawl and Kenfig, Wales, in the Bristol Channel on 23 April 1947. At the time of the shipwreck, the Samtampa was operated by the Houlder Line.There were 47 fatalities in the incident, 39 from the ship and 8 volunteer crew of the lifeboat RNLB Edward, Prince of Wales (ON 678) from The Mumbles Lifeboat Station who died attempting to save the crew of the Samtampa. The lifeboat had returned to base, but had been sent out a second time. An oil spill from the tanks of the wrecked ship created an area of calm water, which the lifeboat coxswain, William Gammon (previously a winner of the RNLI Gold Medal), attempted to use to their advantage to enable them to pull alongside, and those who died were choked by the oil rather than drowning. The ship had sailed from Middlesbrough and most of the 39 crew hailed from the Teesside area. A memorial to the victims of the Samtampa tragedy is in Porthcawl Cemetery and a commemorative plaque can be found marking the "final resting place of The Mumbles lifeboat" at Sker Point. The location of the wreck was 51°30′01″N 03°44′26″W In recognition of the sixtieth anniversary, a church service took place in Porthcawl on Saturday 21 April followed by a smaller service at Sker Point. On Sunday 23rd April 2022, Porthcawl Runners hosted a 75th anniversary fun run on Mumbles Seafront. A year later, they held a similar run at Porthcawl Promenade, slightly longer in length, but with twice as many entrants. So, far the events have raised over £3000 for the RNLI and it is hoped that with its growing popularity, the event will take place every year. The Samtampa had been launched as the SS Peleg Wadsworth, a liberty ship built by the New England Shipbuilding Corporation at South Portland, Maine, and launched on 12 December 1943. Sent to Britain under the Lend-Lease program, the ship was renamed, and managed by the Houlder Line on behalf of the Ministry of War Transport.

Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl
Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl

The Grand Pavilion is an entertainment venue in Porthcawl, Bridgend County Borough, Wales, opened in 1932. It has an octagonal dome and extensive frontage, and was originally intended as a Palm Court for hosting tea dances, balls and civic functions. Construction of the Grand Pavilion commenced in the summer of 1931. The use of ferrocrete throughout - then a relatively new technology - meant that the construction was relatively quick and was complete by August 1932. The Grand Pavilion hosts a variety of events throughout the year including live theatre, concerts, ballroom dancing, conferences, dances, and culminating in the ever-popular Christmas pantomime. Recently, names such as Rob Brydon, Eddie Izzard, Elkie Brooks, Cerys Matthews, Hayley Westenra, Katherine Jenkins, Suzi Quatro, Ralph McTell, Joe Pasquale, and Gerry & The Pacemakers have all appeared on the Pavilion's stage. In 1957 a US Government travel ban prevented Paul Robeson from appearing in person at the Miners' Eisteddfod, however he still performed live via a secretly arranged transatlantic telephone link up. Fifty years on, in 2007, the Grand Pavilion celebrated this event with a concert featuring Sir Willard White. The Grand Pavilion is also a conference venue, and hosts civil wedding ceremonies, receptions and parties. The main hall features a fully equipped stage, and has a theatre seating capacity of 643. The hall also boasts one of the finest sprung dance floors anywhere in South Wales. The octagonal floor is regularly used for ballroom dancing classes and tea dances. Originally named the "lesser hall" (and subsequently the "Jubilee Room") the basement of the Pavilion houses a refurbished performance space now named "The Stage Door", which plays host to regular Comedy nights, folk and jazz nights, dance classes, theatre workshops, conferences and meetings. The Cafe Bar hosts its own series of events, such as Jazz, Chill-out sessions, Literary speaking and an Art Forum. Several metres to the west is the Seabank Hotel.