Category Archives: The City

Cardiff hidden gem – Rose Street flea market

June 25, 2014 admin 11 Comments

Ever in search of nooks and crannies in the city, we sent Philip Jenkins off to Rose Street flea market in Roath to uncover some hidden treasures. Read on to see what he found!

Cardiff’s hidden treasures – Rose Street flea market

When asked by We Are Cardiff to name my favourite secret of the city, this was the ﬁrst thing that came to mind.

Rose St. Flea Market, more informally dubbed Steptoe On Steroids is a hidden gem like nowhere else in Cardiff. Situated in the heart of Roath, set almost central from City Road, Newport Road & Albany Road (address 37A Rose Street, CF24 3EA). It’s a place worlds apart from the vintage markets, “shabby chic” shops, Urban Outﬁtters & ETSY culture that is popular today. Rose St. Flea Market is a proper junk shop.

The owner, Frank (affectionally known to customers as Steptoe) is an avid collector. He began collecting things from the early age of eight, and has worked in reclamation (junk) shops since the age of 15 until present, where he owns and runs Rose. St Flea Market.

From the outside, the shop is very unassuming, met with just a few signs to promote it’s opening (Saturday & Sunday 10am to 4pm). Each weekend you’ll notice the constant ﬂow of activity in the streets, of people visiting, all in search of their weekly bargain.

What appears to be a garage but really a two story house conversion is crammed, top to bottom with a hoard rare collectibles, vintage and antiques, furniture, clothes, books, records and pretty much everything and anything else you can think of. You’ll ﬁnd everything from brick-a-brack to bicycles, crockery to vintage clothes, old signage, antique musical instruments, stage props and various other oddities. If you enjoy a rummage then this place is right for you.

The market itself has little interest in self promoting, and very much thrives on old fashioned word of mouth. Aside from one or two signs displayed when open each weekend, the market has no website or social media presence. It’s quite off the grid in that sense, but the shops ambiguity adds to the character of the place.

In a time where “shabby chic” and vintage is more popular than ever, not many legit junk shops exist. Where some places might use the terms vintage and antique as an excuse to charge ridiculous mark ups, Rose St. Flea Market is very reasonably priced and the perfect place to get yourself a real bargain. The owner Frank operates a policy where by the attitude of the customer determines the price of the what he’s selling. He’s a friendly guy and can be helpful, usually throwing in extra bits and pieces, and generally offering you a sweet deal. Years of experience means he often has a tale to tell or an anecdote to take home with your purchase. Being nice is key and I suggest being reasonable with your bartering … emphasis on not pushing your luck.

I ﬁnd myself there habitually, every weekend. If you see something you like it won’t be there for long. The eclectic treasures found inside are constantly evolving and once you’ve visited once you’ll ﬁnd yourself a becoming a regular.

Philip Jenkins is a 27 year old musician and photographer, originally from Bridgend. His interests include film, music, upholstery, vintage anything and other stuff. He is currently based in Roath.

The City

A-Z of Cardiff – C is for Cardiff Castle …

June 23, 2014 admin 3 Comments

Writer Katie Hamer is busily discovering parts of the city and revealing them through her We Are Cardiff series, the A-Z of what makes Cardiff special to her. She’ll be sharing the parts of the city she finds with you over the following weeks, so stay tuned!

C is for Cardiff Castle

I’ve always noticed a special atmosphere outside the castle, most noticeably at Christmas and on St. David’s Day. It’s very picturesque when decked out with twinkling fairy lights or crowned with daffodils. Also, in the summer you can see the tourists arriving by the coach load, pausing at the gates to take a group photo, before entering. The festive feel of this walled castle projects a vibrancy into the city. I often wondered if I were missing out on something by not making a visit, as I would rush by on my daily commute.

I finally decided to make a visit to Cardiff Castle last Monday, and was very pleasantly surprised by what I saw. As soon as I entered the castle grounds on my visit, I felt welcome. They have someone to meet and greet, who also informs you of the time of the next guided tour. I decided to join a tour, which takes you through a selection of Victorian apartments normally locked to the public.

Entry into the castle isn’t cheap, but once paid for, you can stay there the whole day. If you live or work in the city, you do have the option to sign up for a Golden Key ticket, which allows you free entry for three years. For those who don’t, there’s also the option to buy a twelve-month season ticket.

Cardiff Castle has existed in one form or other, since the first century AD. There’s evidence of the Roman influence in the stonework of the castle walls. Apparently, the Roman fort would have originally been of wooden construction, but this was replaced by the twelve-sided Norman Keep which can still be seen today.

(below: two pictures of the Norman keep, from the stocks)

Perhaps the most radical changes to Cardiff Castle were due to the Bute dynasty. The second Marques of Bute had much influence on turning Cardiff into the city it eventually became. In 1839, he built a dock, now known as Bute West Dock. His influence led to Cardiff becoming an international importer of iron and coal, and also led to a huge expansion of the population throughout the nineteenth century.

It was his son, the third Marques of Bute, who collaborated with artist and architect William Burges, to dream up much of the romantic Gothic revival style that characterises the Castle Apartments. The first part of the new castle to be built was the magnificent clock tower, intended to be bachelor quarters for the young Marques.

(below: photos of the ceiling and fireplace from the Winter Smoking Room inside the Clock Tower)

There is a running theme, of the passing of time, within the Clock Tower. For instance there are stained glass windows designed to depict various days of the week, and astrological signs painted on the ceiling of the Winter Smoking Room, one of the featured rooms.

Burges also played upon the passage of the sun within his design schemes. In the roof garden of the West Tower, he created an optical illusion with the statue of the Virgin and Child. A Mona Lisa smile plays upon the Virgin’s face as the sun moves from east to west, and its rays soften.

(below: the Virgin and Child from the roof garden in the West Tower

Time has not stood still in Cardiff Castle, since the Victorian era. Within the castle walls are also the air raid shelters, which would have been deployed during the Second World War. These were big enough to hide approximately 1,800 people.

(below: the air raid shelters…)

The expanse of these tunnels takes you right round to the back of the castle, near to the Keep. Some parts are still fortified with blackout windows. Within the tunnels, the wailing of air raid sirens, and the crackle of a gramophone record playing Vera Lynn transport you to another era, as do the advertising slogans of that decorate the walls.

(below – three photos of the air raid shelters, complete with public information posters)

Even today, parts of the castle are in use. As the expert who led the tour of the Castle Apartments informed me, the Banqueting Hall is available to be booked up for functions and weddings. It’s still the place for royalty, and celebrities alike, to dine in style.

(below: the ceiling in the Arab Room)

I could tell you so much more about the castle, but I’d urge you to explore, and discover for yourselves.

Visit the Cardiff Castle website

The Arts, The City

100 days in Cardiff – the new buildings of Cardiff

June 22, 2014 admin Leave a 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!

The new buildings of Cardiff

“For a change, here is a view of the ‘new’ Cardiff – the buildings (Central Library, John Lewis and Radisson Blu) were designed to give a feel of ships heading into docks as a ‘nod’ to the maritime heritage, and I suppose it does have that sense about it. Very cleverly done. The revamped city centre has been a success in many ways, though whether it will survive the passage of time as long as some of the buildings it replaced remains to be seen…”

Thanks Jeremy! Catch you next time…

The Arts, The City

100 days in Cardiff – The Lady and Prince of Wales

June 20, 2014 admin 1 Comment

The Lady and Prince of Wales

“The lady and The Prince of Wales. I suppose we have to thank Wetherspoons for saving so many iconic buildings in Britain. Today’s picture is of a statue adorning The Prince of Wales (ex) Theatre in Cardiff. Now a massive pub, it was previously a cinema – and originally a Music Hall in the great days of variety where entertainment was offered Twice Nightly. Now open from 7am to midnight offering entertainment in liquid form.”

Thanks Jeremy! Catch you next time…

Whats on

Glastonbury travel from Cardiff. Not going? Glasnost Festival at The Moon!

June 18, 2014 admin Leave a comment

For those Cardiff people who are heading to Glastonbury this year (which includes me for the first time ever!), First Great Western have put up some information about public transport by train to the festival. Great news for those wanting to travel green; if only train tickets were cheaper, maybe more people would do it! But there we go, that’s what happens when things are privatised. Big thanks to the Conservatives of many years ago for that one. But I digress …

For those Cardiff people NOT going to Glastonbury this year, every year The Moon and The Full Moon on Womanby Street put on Glasnost; a full few days of festivities, all arts and music related. Ideal for those who aren’t heading to the big G but still fancy getting their jig on. This year’s Glasnost looks better than ever – five days of bands, DJs, cabaret – and a five day pass is only £15!

GLASNOST FACEBOOK PAGE

The Arts, The City

100 days in Cardiff – the Glumms

June 18, 2014 admin 1 Comment

The Glumms

“This bronze statue stands at the top of Churchill Way and I pass by it most days. It is called ‘Family’ and depicts a man, woman, boy and girl – none of whom look too happy it must be said. Seems like a rather odd subject for a city’s main shopping street and often looks incongruous as they look on to the promotional antics of whatever campaigning roadshow is trying to get shoppers attention on that day. Who can blame them for feeling bored and glum …”

Thanks Jeremy! Catch you next time…

The City

Two weeks in Cardiff – photography by Tom Beardshaw

June 17, 2014 admin Leave a comment

Friend of the blog Tom Beardshaw has been manning our Instagram lens for the past two weeks – have a look at what he’s been up to throughout our city…

Do you know where any of the above pics were taken?

Some more about Tom: he’s been a Cardiffian since 1996, when he arrived for a quick visit to a protest squat in Canton (anyone remember Yr Enfys?) and the van he was living in at the time broke down. Since being here, he’s work to strengthen children’s relationships with their fathers (he got Paternity Leave introduced into UK law in 2002 and founded www.dad.info) and more recently, he started the social media company NativeHQ, helping organisations like the National Assembly, National Theatre Wales and Arts Council Wales use social technologies effectively. Tom’s based in Roath with his teenage son, Cole, who lives with him for half the week and you’ll find him on Twitter here → @tombeardshaw and on Instagram here → @t0m5k.

And remember, if you’d like to take control of the We Are Cardiff Instagram for a month, then give us a shout on wearecardiff@gmail.com. You don’t need to be a professional photographer, just someone with a camera-phone and a healthy enjoyment of exploring your local area!

The City

100 days in Cardiff – the Coal Exchange

June 16, 2014 admin 1 Comment

The Coal Exchange

“It’s really sad to see this iconic and important building boarded up and effectively mothballed after years of neglect caused parts of the facade to crumble and cause a health and safety hazard. It was once one of the most important trading halls anywhere in the world – the first million pound cheque was written here at the height of the coal boom. It’s beautiful grand hall – the venue for many great gigs in recent years – now stands empty. According to the writing on the protective panels that have been erected around it in the last few weeks, it is now ‘seeking a new future’. It will need someone with access to quite a few million pound cheques before it can open its doors again…”

Thanks Jeremy! Catch you next time…

The City

100 days in Cardiff – Wall Carving on the Pierhead Building

June 14, 2014 admin Leave a comment

Wall Carving on the Pierhead Building

“Today’s picture is of a wall relief on one of Cardiff’s most recognisable buildings – The Pierhead. Once the control centre of the busiest docks in the world, it now stands as a memorial to the past and houses a permanent exhibition with lectures and conferences taking place in the Grand Hall that once bustled with international trade. Centrepiece of the relief is a steam engine to represent the constant flow of coal carrying trains into the docks from the valleys. The Bay today is pretty much unrecognisable from its industrial heyday, but the Pierhead Building remains, having seen it all.”

Thanks Jeremy! Catch you next time…

Whats on

Spit and Sawdust opening party – Cardiff skate park, cafe, shop and art space

June 11, 2014 admin Leave a comment

Cardiff’s been long overdue a reasonable indoor skate park for a while. And now we have one! Writer Jodie Ashdown headed along to see Spit and Sawdust at their opening party. Read on for what she found!

Spit and Sawdust opening party – Cardiff skate park, cafe, shop and art space

Skateboarding, along with many other extreme sports, has undergone a boom in the last few years and now seems to be more popular than ever. Cardiff Council has responded to this by putting up bars along statue plinths and other grindable areas in the city centre in an effort to deter the skaters, who they say damage the benches and architecture.

But, luckily for the skaters, in-liners, skateboarders, scooter riders and BMXers of Cardiff, a cunning idea was in the process of fruition. Cardiff locals Christian and Nia decided to not only provide a space for the skaters, but also create an art and exhibition space, a skate shop and a cafe.

We headed down to the skate park (behind Greggs on Newport Road) for their official ‘Warehouse Warming Party’ on 31st of May. There was live music, an ice cream vodka bar, food, skating, scootering, biking, flying skateboarders, flying skaters, a sound space, a minidrome (world’s smallest veldrome) and a good crowd of people. The business has been open now for just over a month and seems to be doing well.

And the project was not a short one, the skate park and creative community space was 2 years in the making and was helped by a grant from Sport Wales. Set up by skaters, for skaters, with the community in mind, they worked with the skate scene to create a park which would be suitable for all.

It’d be easy to feel a little intimidated, especially if you’re a novice, but the park has a friendly and relaxed atmosphere and caters to customers of all ages (bearing in mind if you’re twelve or under, you have to wear pads and a helmet). It also has a discipline rota which, say, splits up the BMXers from the in-liners, meaning that the park is as safe and accommodating as it can be, while allowing for progression and improvement.

The cafe is not what you’d expect either – the food is all homemade and as organic as possible and includes burgers, salads and cakes. No tuck shop crap here. And there’s even more than that going on – music video filming, live music, video premieres, rare trader conventions are all coming in the near future, and the guys at City Surf have a permanent mini shop set up down there.

It’s obvious that Christian and Nia of Spit and Sawdust are keen for the space to be used to its full potential and establish a creative environment which can be enjoyed by all. There’s loads of free parking and a full day skate pass is just £11 with basic membership, which comes at the extortionate price of £1 for life. Pad, helmet and skateboard hire is available. There’s more information, such as a times and prices, on their website: http://spitandsawdust.co.uk/ and their Spit and Sawdust Facebook page.

Spit & Sawdust, Unit B Rhymney River Bridge Road, CF23 9AF, Cardiff.

The City

100 days in Cardiff – Flying Saucer

June 10, 2014 admin Leave a comment

Flying Saucer

“If you look closely at this you’ll see that there is a mysterious new edition to the Cardiff skyline. I really don’t know what the grey flying saucer shaped structure is – but by my reckoning it’s one of 2 things, either NoFit State Circus is trying out a new Big Top or the Martians have finally landed…”

Thanks Jeremy! Catch you next time…

The City

A-Z of Cardiff – B is for Bute Park …

June 10, 2014 admin 2 Comments

B is for Bute Park

I know Bute Park from attending fundraising events. I’ve gone there for Cancer Research’s Race for Life, and also British Heart Foundation’s Santa Run. On these occasions, the park really comes alive. It buzzes with energy, and a riot of colour, as you’re caught up in a tidal wave of enthusiastic runners.

I thought I knew the park from these visits. Yet my explorations for this article uncovered aspects about it that surprised me. I realised how much I had yet to discover.

As a matter of fact, Bute Park is constantly evolving. Some of its greatest surprises didn’t even exist a couple of years ago, let alone in 2010, when I first took part in Race for Life.

I couldn’t help but be fascinated by the Sculpture Trail. The sculptures on this trail are carved from the remains of felled trees, or from surviving tree stumps. They sprung into existence in 2012, as a result of the Bute Park Restoration Project.

As I searched for images of these sculptures online, I felt more and more inspired. They made me think of interplay between nature and man-made objects, something that was a constant source of fascination for me during my years of studying art.

I decided I had to discover them for myself. So I set myself the mission of visiting the park in order to find, and photograph, as many of these sculptures as possible.

I found fifteen. There are twenty in total. Finding them became an adventure, especially as, at this time of year, they are largely hidden by tree canopy. Without warning, they suddenly emerge into view.

One of the highlights of my visit had to be the discovery of a giant picture frame. You can view it from many perspectives. I thought about how I’d love to go back in order to take pictures of it with the changing seasons. Even in the few hours of my explorations, I became aware of a magical shift in light and perspective, as captured within its ornate carvings. I wish there were more sculptures like this one.

DSCF1755

Following the sculpture trail without a map, or a guide felt like an adventure. I felt a sense of achievement every time I uncovered a new one. They are all unique and quirky, fun for adults and children alike.

If there were one thing that would have made my day more enjoyable, it would have been getting to know more about the background of each of these wonderful sculptures. Apparently, Bute Park regularly have guided tours of their Sculpture Trail, in which they unveil some of their secrets. The forthcoming dates are yet to be announced, on their website. I’m hoping the next one will be at a time when I can attend.

As planned, I took photos of each of the sculptures I found, and it’s my great pleasure to be sharing them with you. I hope you enjoy my gallery.

Have you been on Bute Park’s sculpture trail yet? If so, what is your favourite? Feel free to comment. I’d love to hear your stories about the park.

Find out more about the Sculpture Trail in Bute Park

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