Cardiff

Thank You, Guardian Cardiff

May 27th 2011, 01:05pm

I moved to Cardiff in January 2010.

In March that year the Guardian launched a new hyperlocal news site “Guardian Cardiff”. As a newbie to the city (I really had literally only fleetingly visited on a couple of occasions prior to moving here) having such an engaged, relevant and active hub for all things local has been of enormous benefit to me as I settled into and discovered the place. It wasn’t just finding out what was going on (though that was the best place for it) but also who and what I should know about and follow, the blogs, activities, experts and authorities that would have taken me months or years to learn so much about. All this, thanks to the creativity and commitment of @hrwaldram, the journalist behind it. It brought me local news with speed, relevance and authority; laced with rich media and social context. Now, as the Guardian winds down this great service, the knowledge and the network I have gained stayed with me.

Why is it not continuing? Recently it was announced that the ‘experiment’ of these sites (there are others in Edinburgh and Leeds) would be wound down. It seems a terrible shame to me. Others are better placed to comment on the impact and transformation on local journalism.

But for me, if there was going to be a “Guardian Cardiff” for just 15 months it could not have been better timed. So thank you!

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Cardiff

Walk to Work & Yet More Crocii

March 6th 2010, 02:03pm

More pictures from my walk to work… Taken yesterday when I brought my D40 in to take some website mugshots… And I couldn’t resist the crocii as I was walking through Alexandra Gardens on the way to a meeting.

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Cardiff

Bute Park Snowdrops & Crocii

March 4th 2010, 08:03am

On my way to work, another beautiful sight this morning.

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Cardiff

Custard Slice

February 27th 2010, 12:02pm

A particular speciality in Cardiff, I’m told, is the custard slice.  I’m a big flan fan and I expected something similar, and it shares that worthy goal of serving custard in a pastry; but there are some fairly crucial differences in design…

The structure bears more resemblance to a sandwich; the custard is held between two pieces of flakey pastry with the unfortunate effect that any attempt at consuming it results in the immediate evacuation of the custard from the sides.  To make things even more challenging, the top is iced to prevent you from gripping it without getting your fingers sticky.  Unlike the simpler French patisserie, this is not going to win any usability awards.  This is not a custard that Jonathan Ive would have designed.

All the same, because of the pastry (which is deliciously reminiscent of a buttery), and the fact that it is the best available delivery method for custard outside France, it is something of an irresistible treat.  Albeit one that to preserve dignity should probably only be consumed in private, alone.

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Cardiff

Blackweir Sunset

February 19th 2010, 05:02pm

Walking home from a meeting at the hospital.

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Cardiff

Castle Sunrise

February 19th 2010, 08:02am

Right now, on my way to work.

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Cardiff

Anticipating Wales v. Scotland

February 12th 2010, 06:02pm

This will be the first rugby match since I’ve actually lived in Cardiff.

First kilt sightings: yesterday at 5pm (45 drinking hours before kick-off)

Kilt count so far (20 drinking hours before kick-off): 6

There’s no way you can ignore the rugby here, it’s all anyone’s talking about, and we all now that tomorrow the city will be awash with red.  The number of merry-go-rounds, belgian chocolate stalls and german sausage vendors in Queens Street have each gone up to a total of one of each.  One thing I’ve noticed about Cardiff is there are a lot of TV screens.  Not just in the pubs, but in the streets and even in IKEA (where notices promise all internationals will be screened – because presumably otherwise they might just as well shut for the day).

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Cardiff, Doctor Who, Lewes, Life in General

Rematerialisation

February 8th 2010, 06:02pm

Vworp vworp!

I’ve moved to Cardiff.

Actually it would have been very handy to have a TARDIS to help with the move – infinite space and instant relocation – it would have saved a lot of stress over whether my worldies would fit in the lorry and the delay caused by a broken bearing (though the TARDIS would probably have veered off course and been stranded in the year 5.5/Apple/26, or been trapped in a Dalek time corridor, which might have been even more stressful). Moving has kept me busy for quite a while!

I’ve been settled here and working just over a week.  Cardiff is very compact – people tell me you can walk everywhere but I’ve tried that and it’s not quite true (not like it was in Lewes). Public transport here is amazing though. There are several local train lines – each with around 6 services an hour in each direction – loads of buses, and a bikes you can hire with your phone

One consequence of being a very compact city is that you can walk straight from a nice old victorian street into a building site, a new development or an area that might be, shall we say, ripe for redevelopment. The bay, as it was when I first visited it just after it had been created, juxtaposes elegant new developments (and some not so elegant ones) with decaying victorian buildings and rusting lock gates.

My walk to work is great, and takes me down the river, past the castle and through the town centre. I miss Lewes and I had no desire to end up in a city, but there are lots of bits of Cardiff that are very nice. And being a city it has one advantage – an Apple Store (which opened on the day of my job interview) – and it’s only thanks to my iron self discipline that there have been a couple of days when I haven’t gone in on my way home.

Everywhere I go I suddenly find I’m somewhere I recognise, because I’ve seen it in Doctor Who or Torchwood.
I was down at the bay and I saw some flowers and photos, and I thought how sad, someone’s slipped into the water and drowned. When I looked at the pictures, I thought it even sadder, because I recognised the face. It was only when I realised it was actor Gareth David-Lloyd that I administered myself a kick, because I realised what it was.

I’ll keep a look out for Eleven.

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