THIS week’s From the Archive features a banquet held in November in 1898.

Contractors Price and Wills, who built Barry Dock No 2, held a banquet at The Royal Hotel, Barry for 200 invited staff, friends and local dignitaries on November 4 that year.

This photograph is of the invite sent to Mr G.F.G Cooper a member of staff in the contracted engineers.

The invite itself was thought so grand it was mentioned in the local press.

It shows black and white portraits of notable people involved in the construction.

Following the nine course banquet speeches were made.

Mr Breverton, a civil engineer, recounted a visit to Barry in 1878 when his carriage driver needed to regularly climb a tree to make sure the way was clear to drive forward and just how much things had changed in Barry since then.

Mr Hollowday told the assembly of guests, it had taken three years 21 weeks to construct Dock No 2 during which time 4,800,000 tons of earth was excavated.

The Alps Quarry, in Wenvoe, had provided 600,000 tons of stone which had been transported and used in construction.

The Barry & District News would like to thank Cllr Shirley Hodges for the photograph and information.

If you have an old Barry photograph you would like to see included, with information about what it depicts, email sha@barryanddistrictnews.co.uk