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100 days in Cardiff – Mansion House

May 26, 2014 admin 1 Comment

We Are Cardiff contributor Jeremy Rees is recording his days in and around Cardiff with 100 photographs of local points of interest. We’ll be publishing some of them here on We Are Cardiff – and make sure you tune in to Jeremy as he presents the Saturday Soulful Breakfast on Radio Cardiff!

Mansion House

“Near the VCS office there is an advert board which says ‘Starbucks now open in Mansion House’. Well, as I have an early meeting in Roath this morning I thought I’d pay them a visit. The Mansion House is the ceremonial home of The Lord Mayor of Cardiff and is where the great and the good are entertained Downton-style (I’ve only ever been invited there twice in seven years, once for an India Day flag raising ceremony, and the other time for a press reception when the Bluebirds won the FA Cup. But then I’m neither great or good!). Anyway, I thought it was a bit odd that Starbucks were opening there – another case of the Council trying to make a buck to offset the cuts perhaps? The answer I found was no. Not a hint of a coffee to be had, the doors firmly closed. Further investigation revealed that the ‘Mansion House’ referred to in Starbucks’ poster is in fact what is now called ‘Shand House Student Mansion’ on Newport Road – which is nowhere near as classy but at least does serve Americano.”

Thanks Jeremy! And make sure you all tune into Radio Cardiff, online or 98.7FM. Catch you next time…

The City

100 days in Cardiff – the Bute Docks Hotel / Bombay Cafe

May 24, 2014 admin Leave a comment

Bute Dock Hotel / Bombay Cafe

“The old Bute Docks Hotel sadly closed a couple of years ago and the building was left empty and forlorn – but recently it reopened as an Indian Cafe called The Bombay. It claims to have been established in 1953, but further investigation reveals that the proprietor is the grandson of the owner of the original Bombay in Bute Street which closed down in the early 80s. They have done a decent job with the decor and serve a damn fine cup of chai which I highly recommend. My only complaint is that the auto-tuned synthopop of Capital FM is pumped out, which didn’t exactly match the ambiance to my way of thinking. I did suggest a couple of alternatives of course, but then perhaps I am biased!”

Thanks Jeremy! And make sure you all tune into Radio Cardiff, online or 98.7FM. Catch you next time…

The Arts

First Thursday – new poetry and fiction at Chapter Arts Centre – by Jodie Ashdown

May 22, 2014 admin 1 Comment

Writer Jodie Ashdown went along to Chapter’s First Thursday to see what goes down there.

Now in its eighth year, First Thursday is a chance for aspiring and professional writers to share their work, as well as listen to readings by published authors and poets. In association with Seren Books, Literature Wales and Inpress books, the monthly event is fronted by Amy Wack who has been in the publishing industry for many years but is now Poetry Editor at Seren.

The evening starts off with an introduction, and perhaps short reading, by Amy and then moves onto a few guest speakers who will read extracts from their novel or poetry book. Now you don’t have to be a literary aficionado to appreciate their work, the authors and poets are engaging and explain their drive or message behind a particular story or poem. The styles and themes are varied and interesting and it’s definitely not pretentious or stuck-up – sometimes the swear-iest poems are the best!

And if you enjoyed a particular writer’s work, their books (among others) are on sale at the event; an easy way to support publishers and independent bookshops over the big online companies – you know who I mean.

Next comes the open mic session, cause of my sweaty palms and thudding heart (and the reason why the photos are so appallingly blurry). I don’t know why it is so nerve wracking, everyone is super appreciative to hear each other’s work, but it still makes me very, very nervous. There’s something about standing in the spotlight and trying to stop your paper from shaking as you try not to mumble as you read your work, that is both terrifying and exhilarating. But you’re always glad you’ve done it afterwards, even more so when someone you don’t know approaches you afterwards to say they enjoyed your reading but you ran off stage like ‘you’d done something wrong’.

The standard is usually pretty high but complete amateurs are welcomed alongside the poetry stalwarts, and everyone is encouraged. You don’t have to read if you don’t want to, some people like to just go along and listen and that’s ok too.

It’s a creative and accessible environment and a chance to get out there and listen to interesting and often evocative writing. Even if you’re only a little bit interested in contemporary poetry and fiction, I’d advise going along to try it out – you never know how it could inspire you.

First Thursday is on (shockingly) the first Thursday of each month (the event is not on during July and August).

Price: £2.50

Location: Upstairs at Chapter Arts Centre

The City

100 days in Cardiff – Bute Street Station

May 19, 2014 admin Leave a comment

Bute Street Station

“Another abandoned building today – the railway station in Bute Street. The shuttle train still brings people here, (now renamed ‘Cardiff Bay’) but the old station house and platform are long deserted, which I find baffling. To me it looks like a perfect venue for restaurant, bar or museum. Not even Wetherspoons or Starbucks seem interested, despite what would be an ideal outdoor sheltered patio area and guaranteed footfall. It’s just allowed to stand there, decaying more with each passing season. It’s especially odd as hundreds of staff from both the Welsh Assembly and Cardiff Council use it to get to and from work, it’s not like it’s hidden from those who have influence. What a waste!”

Thanks Jeremy! And make sure you all tune into Radio Cardiff, online or 98.7FM. Catch you next time…

The City

100 days in Cardiff – boats on Cardiff Bay

May 18, 2014 admin Leave a comment

Boats on Cardiff Bay

“Easter Monday turned out to be sunny and bright in contrast to yesterday, so I’ve taken a walk through Hamadryad Park and down to the Boardwalk for this shot of the Bay with Penarth and the Barrage in the distance.“

Thanks Jeremy! And make sure you all tune into Radio Cardiff, online or 98.7FM. Catch you next time…

Whats on

Sounds of the Baskerville 6-8 June 2014 – interview with festival organiser Catapult Records!

May 17, 2014 admin Leave a comment

UPDATE: UNFORTUNATELY THE FESTIVAL HAS BEEN CANCELLED. PLEASE CONTACT 029 2166 0633 FOR INFORMATION ABOUT REFUNDS.

Many years ago when I first moved to Cardiff as a student, I did what most people do – went out and found myself a part time job to pay my way through uni. That job was as the Saturday gal in dance music specialist record shop, Catapult Records (back then it was in the High Street Arcade – now it’s just round the corner, in the Duke Street Arcade).

Lucy, Simon and the Catapult crew have been putting on drum&bass nights in the Vaults for some time now – and this year, they’re throwing their first ever FESTIVAL up in Baskerville Hall! I asked Lucy to explain a little bit about the festival and what you can expect.

Q. Tell us about the Baskerville weekend – how did the idea come about?
A. No one else is doing anything like it. We’ve enjoyed taking events to exciting places and these two factors are reflected in the national response to this party.

Q. Why the venue and have you attended any other festivals there – Freerotation etc?
A. The venue itself much like Catapult has a lot of rave history. It hosted its first Fantazia event around the same time we opened our doors, it seemed the perfect place to host this event.

Q. You have a great line-up including Marky and Stamina – what’s the process for deciding who would suit the event?
A. Camping is included in the ticket price & is set in the lawns of the hall. You also have full access to an indoor heated swimming pool, indoor showers and toilets, the comforts you never get at Glastonbury. We had one objective, to put a lineup together we`d never seen before representing the strongest artists in our opinion of drum & bass past present and future.

Q. Tell us about some of the fringe activities happening – what can clubbers do when not on the dancefloor? Why should people get involved and come to the event?
A. The grounds of the stately home itself are a terrific place to chill out, we are enhancing this environment with good food, good music and good times. Camping is included in the ticket price and is set in the lawns of the hall. You also have full access to an indoor heated swimming pool, indoor showers and toilets, the comforts you never get at Glastonbury.

Outdoors you can indulge in sounds from our Safari Truck sound system in the Jungle Jungle Installation, good time vibes from the Tea Club crew along with the party Rolls Royce where you can expect a mash up of wonder and classics where house meets disco meets everything phat with some very special guests. We’re bringing some of Cardiff’s finest street food vendors so you can relax with delicious, fresh food provided by Chucks, Hautedogs, Wood Fire Pizza Inc and the Welsh Coffee Company. You can also shop vintage clothing at the infamous Rockola Reborn stall & source your festival outfits whilst wafting between chill out bars. Not forgetting the outdoor cinema showing some of you fav films & the Saturday night jungle theme fancy dress party.

Sounds pretty good, eh? Tickets are a bargainous £75 which includes camping and access to all listed onsite fun times!

– BUY TICKETS FROM FATSOMA

– Sound of the Baskerville Facebook event

– Catapult Records website

And, if you’re heading along to the festival and fancy yourself as a budding writer, we’d love to get a review of the event on the blog – email us and let us know at wearecardiff@gmail.com!

***

all the event info is below…

*** Catapult Presents… Sounds of the Baskerville… 6th – 8th June 2014 ***

http://www.soundsofthebaskerville.co.uk/

This summer Catapult Presents ‘The Sounds of The Baskerville’ a fun & fresh party festival set in & around the stunning stately home, Baskerville Hall.

Set in 130 acres of the glorious Wye Valley, Baskerville Hall is steeped in rave heritage as it was a major destination in the 90s with Fantasia, Carl Cox & Groove Rider all making some noise there. Today it is a five star destination for Catapults weekender, uniquely offering both indoor & outdoor partying in its beautiful grounds. Leave behind those stadium sized capacity crowds & enjoy some of the worlds finest drum & bass Djs in an intimate personal atmosphere.

At ‘The Sounds of The Baskerville’ you can enjoy sets from rave royalty such as Dj Marky, Rockwell, Audio, Break, Emperor, Uncle Dugs, Daniel Billy Bunter and many, many more. There will be three indoor arenas full of vibes until 6AM amid a historic country mansion dressed with spectacular laser shows, fully themed decor & stunning sound systems that will take you on a trip back to the 90s. Camping is included in the ticket price & is set in the lawns of the hall. You also have full access to an indoor heated swimming pool, indoor showers and toilets, the comforts you never get at Glastonbury.

Outdoors indulge in sounds from our Safari Truck sound system in the Jungle Jungle Installation, good time vibes from the Tea Club crew along with the party Rolls Royce where you can expect a mash up of wonder & classics where house meets disco meets everything phat with some very special guests. We`re bringing some of Cardiffs finest street food vendors so you can relax with delicious, fresh food provided by Chucks, Hautedogs, Wood Fire Pizza Inc & the Welsh Coffee Company. You can also shop vintage clothing at the infamous Rockola Reborn stall & source your festival outfits whilst wafting between chill out bars. Not forgetting the outdoor cinema showing some of you fav films.

Tickets are priced at £75 plus bf for this unmissable weekender and includes 48 hours of music & three days on site camping.

Come join us make our mark in festival history & don’t miss out on the party that will make your summer unforgettable.

*** LINEUP ***

DJ Marky & Stamina MC *2 hour set*
Break
Rockwell
Audio

Klute
Dom & Roland
Ulterior Motive
Xtrah
Emperor
Digital
Uncle Dugs
Billy ‘Daniel’ Bunter
Nicky Blackmarket
Ivy Lab
Ant Tc1
Artificial Intelligence
Bcee
Stealth
Clive Ingredients
Response
Chemical Ally
Jungle Bones
Neil Trix
Landslide

Plus support from local legends…

Kooley – Stu Grady – Walshy Selecta – DJ Grudge – Fraktal – Rich Tea – Loktech – Speedo – Sundance – Screwy – Resonate – Coop – Ransom – Lubi J – Kallista – Killer Tom

Hosted by: XL, Alphabetical & Remedy

*** Also Featuring ***

Chucks Burgers – Rockola Reborn – Tea Club – Hautedogs- The Jungle Jungle Jeep – Wood fired Pizzas – Bouncy Castle – Dread Yoga – Late Night Cinema – Party Rolls Royce – Welsh Coffee Co.- The Pop Pharmacy – Chill Out Zones & Bars

*** TICKETS ***

Early Birds Sold Out
2nd Release Sold Out
Standard Tickets £75 plus BF includes camping, parking, swimming pool, indoor showers & toilets. Site opens at 12pm Friday 6th June & closes 12pm Sunday 8th June. Tickets available from these outlets:

Aberdare – IQ 01685 884655
Blackwood – Zaks 01495 226153
Bridgend – Bad Habits 01656 652916
Bristol – Ticket Shop 01179 299008
Caerphilly – Jenius 02920 889105
Cardiff – Catapult 02921 660633
Cwmbran – Zaks 01633 864513
Merthyr – IQ 01685 389240
Newport – Diverse 01633 259661
Pontypridd – Area 37 01443 406201
Porth – Zaks 01443 686000
Swansea – Derricks 01792 654226

& online with Fatsoma http://catapultrecords.fatsoma.com/

The City

100 days in Cardiff – Mill Lane

May 16, 2014 admin 1 Comment

Mill Lane

“Named after a steam mill that used do whatever steam mills did, Mill Lane once looked over Glamorganshire Canal, now filled in. These days the street is a row of eateries and is described by Cardiff tourist information as ‘The Cafe Quarter’. I can’t claim to being much of a mathematician but I’m fairly sure we have more quarters in the the city centre than is arithmetically possible but perhaps that’s just me…”

Thanks Jeremy! And make sure you all tune into Radio Cardiff, online or 98.7FM. Catch you next time…

The City

Four weeks in Cardiff – street photography by Elizabeth Watt

May 14, 2014 admin Leave a comment

Whoops – so, suddenly we’re halfway through May, and we haven’t even had a look at what our roving eye on the street, Elizabeth Watt, saw in the city through April!

Have a look below and see what Elizabeth came across. Do you recognise any of the locations?

Would YOU fancy being in charge of our instagram account during the month of June? If so, get in touch! wearecardiff@gmail.com. AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHERS – WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

And don’t forget, if you fancy taking control of our lens for a month, get in touch wearecardiff@gmail.com

The Arts, The City

Cities of Great Britain – Cardiff, 1931 WATCH VIDEO!

May 13, 2014 admin Leave a comment

Some pretty amazing footage from 1931 on British Pathe. ‘Our great city of the west!’

If you’re in a video watching mood, there’s always this wee documentary about Cardiff you could while away some minutes with…

The City

100 days in Cardiff – Corys Buildings

May 11, 2014 admin Leave a comment

Corys Buildings

“Today’s photo is of a grand but long vacant building in Bute Street. Variously described on its frontage as ‘Corys Buildings’; ‘Merchants Place’ and (most intriguingly) ‘170 Knightsbridge’ the huge building has been up for sale for years and looks very forlorn in the shadow of the gleaming new Wales Millennium Centre across the road. I only ever see it being used when the BBC are using it to stand-in for Victorian London on Doctor Who or some such . It is crying out to be turned into a hotel, and I’m sure would make a mint if some multimillionaire hotellier would only take hold of it and give it a new lease of life. I’d do it myself if I was a multimillionaire. Ah, well… ‘This time, next year’ – as Del Boy used to put it.”

Thanks Jeremy! And make sure you all tune into Radio Cardiff, online or 98.7FM. Catch you next time…

The City

100 days in Cardiff – Radio Cardiff – my second home

May 10, 2014 admin 1 Comment

Radio Cardiff – my second home

“This is the view from behind the desk in Studio 1 at Radio Cardiff. It’s a view I’m very familiar with having been sat behind it on a regular basis since 2007, though to be honest there are still many buttons and switches there I’ve not got a clue about. It’s from here that I get to share my passion for soul and blues music every Saturday morning and Wednesday night. Radio Cardiff is a remarkable place. Completely run by volunteers (over 100 I think) it brings together people of all ages who give of their time to provide the city with not only a very distinctive blend of music, but local information, news & features. Radio gets under the skin of some people, and I am one. We are very lucky to have such an open and receptive form of community radio in Cardiff, and it’s something I try not to take for granted. So ‘Big Up’ to all who make it so, and especially to handful of people who started it the first place and who have given so much of their time and energy over the years to keep in going in good times and bad.”

Thanks Jeremy! And make sure you all tune into Radio Cardiff, online or 98.7FM. Catch you next time…

The Arts, The People

Cardiff: our personal geography – by Cavalry

May 7, 2014 admin 3 Comments

This week in our personal geographies, we’re squeezing in an entire band! Meet Cardiff band Cavalry…

(C A V A L R Y from left to right: Joni Buckland, Richie Lovett, Dan Briggs, Gareth Hallybone)

Introduce us to the band

Hi all! We are Cavalry and we consist of Richie Lovett (vocals) Dan Briggs (guitar) Gareth Hallybone (bass) and Joni Buckland (drums).

How did you all meet, and how long have you been playing together for?

We all met at a house party that Richie threw (from what we can remember). They were legendary parties and somehow we ended up playing a New Year’s Eve show in his basement at one of the parties shortly after. We’ve been playing together for two years now, mainly rehearsing and refining our set in MusicBox Studios. We’re currently readying ourselves for a huge summer which will see the release of our debut single ‘Mexico’, our first music video to date, the launch of our new website www.wearecavalry.com and new Cavalry merchandise.

Explain your sound to us

Heavy nice, nice heavy?… When we write, we like to mix clean verse sounds with fuzzy choruses. Rich has a talent for signing soft, tuneful verses and then belting out huge anthemic choruses so it works well. Basically, we want our songs to stick in your head so you wake up the next morning and take a peak at our website or log on to Spotify to have a second listen…

What’s your favourite Cardiff venue?

It has to be the Globe on Albany Road. The sound is incredible, it gets hot and sweaty, you meet really cool people and there is a really intimate vibe at the shows.

How did you all end up in Cardiff?

We were all drawn to the bright lights of Cardiff from Newport and Maesteg. For us, it was a sort of natural progression to a bigger city and a lot of our friends did the same thing. Three of us (Rich, Dan and Jon) actually lived in the same house for a year which was great. There’s no better test of a band’s patience than being stuck in a house living together.

What parts of Cardiff have you lived in so far?

The 4 of us combined have lived in Roath, Cathays, Grangetown, Canton and Cardiff Bay. Rich definitely takes the award for living in the best rented accommodation in Cardiff. He lived in a four story mansion and had a gold fireplace in his bedroom. Beat that.

What was the last gig you went to?

We all went to see Royal Blood in the Globe two months ago and it was by far one of the best shows we have seen in a very long time. We caught them just before they really took off and it was amazing to see them in such an intimate venue. We will be definitely watching them at Glasto this year!

What was the last book you read?

(Dan) I last read Dial ‘M’ for Merthyr by Rachel Trezise. It’s an amazing account of being on tour with a Welsh band called Midasuno in 2005. It’s a real warts ‘n’ all account of life on the road which every touring musician can relate to. I would definitely recommend giving it a read!

Tell us a secret

Dan played session guitar for Tina Barett from S Club 7. Shortly after playing, Dan and Rich ended up drinking £1000 worth of Champagne with her and her boyfriend! Good times.

What’s your favourite place for breakfast in Cardiff?

The Deck in Cardiff Bay is the place to go. One word. Bacon.

What’s your local pub?

Our local is Dempseys on Castle Street. Even if we start off there and move on, we always end up back there at the end of the night! The bar staff are great, the Guiness is great and the atmosphere is great. God bless the Irish.

Tell us a hidden part of Cardiff that you love

There is a lighthouse on an island in the middle of Roath Lake. It’s a great little landmark but we found out the other day, it’s actually a four bedroom, rentable property?! It’s safe to say we were blown away when we find that out. We are hoping it will become Cavalry HQ in the not too distant future!

If you had some friends coming to visit for the weekend, where would you take them?

We would wake up in the morning, take them to the Deck for a ‘Hog and Hen’ roll (seriously you need to try one) and then go for walk around the bay. We ‘d pop in to Techniquest, pretend to be Brian Cox and then nip over to the Waterguard pub as we’d have definitely worked up a thirst by then. Next stop, the Mochyn Du to sample their selection of real ales and then trek across town to Milgi’s on City Road to chill out in their yurt and have a cocktail. Lunch would be an epic burger in the Grazing Shed in town and then on to Clwb Ifor Bach to catch a gig in the night. That actually sounds like a great plan. We might do that this weekend…

If people want to see you live, when’s their next opportunity?

We are playing Undertone this Friday 9 May! It will be our first Cardiff show so it promises to be quite an event and our good friends Ghosts as Alibis and Calling Apollo are on the bill with us. If you want any more information please visit the facebook event page on this link: https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/1413579325565844/

Thanks Cavalry! More Cardiff personal geographies real soon …

***

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A blog about Cardiff, its people, and the alternative arts and cultural scene!