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Pubocalypse 16
THE NORTH STARNorth RoadAfter the Taff Vale Railway (TVR) sliced through the countryside in 1841, the half-anglicised nonsense word ‘Maindy’ usurped Llystalybont and Blackweir as an alternative name for the …
Cardiff fires
Here, in chronological order, is a selection of some of the bigger fires that have happened over the years in Cardiff. Excluded are fires in domestic buildings, fires caused by …
Cardiff’s lost buildings 11
Cardiff Arms ParkWestgate StreetThe story of Cardiff’s ‘fields of praise’ is as good an example as any of the parlous state of the capital of Wales in the 21st century:1766: …
Blackweir Pastures
Somewhat after Binsey Poplars by Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889) BLACKWEIR PASTURESDesecrated 2025 These meadows dear, whose airy spaces calmed,Calmed and soothed with peace the urban blight,All harmed, harmed are all …
Pubocalypse 15
BALLIE BALLERSONBrewery QuarterThankfully this branch of a London-based chain lasted a mere 12 months before going into administration in 2024. To Cardiff’s credit, there wasn’t enough demand for its myriad …
Cardiff’s lost buildings 10
HospitalsVarious locationsBefore the Anglo-Norman invasion and conquest, begun in the 12th century and finally accomplished in the 16th century, Wales was a pioneer in the understanding of natural healthiness, the …
Mockery
I had to laugh… …when Kanaya Singh, a Labour councillor for Riverside in Cardiff, said that the disgraceful quantities of litter blighting the banks of the River Taff “give visitors …
Big in Kazakhstan
There’s nothing new about Cardiff University being insolvent. In 2017 the International Financing Review (IFR) revealed that the institution’s debt – borrowed from banks, private investors and bond markets – …
Pubocalypse 14 (Splott/Adamsdown/Newtown special)
THE NEW FLEURSPortmanmoor RoadI don’t usually include clubs in Pubocalypse, but I will make an exception for the Fleurs in Splott. An integral part of working-class Splott’s culture and social …
Splott by-election
Following the death of Labour Councillor Jane Henshaw in September, a by-election will take place in the Splott ward on December the 5th. Splott has three of Cardiff’s total of …