Photograph by Ing-On Vibulbhan-Watts
An entrance of the Civic Center, Swansea, Wales, UK
“Swansea Civic Centre (Welsh: Canolfan Ddinesig Abertawe) – formerly known as County Hall – is the principal administrative centre of the City and County of Swansea Council. Standing some 800 m southwest of Swansea centre on a seafront site overlooking Swansea Bay, the complex houses – in addition to the council chamber and offices – a public cafe, the city’s central library, an exhibition space, the West Glamorgan Archive Service, and a council contact centre.”
For more information please visit the following link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea_Civic_Centre
An Emblem of the Civic Center, Swansea, Wales, UK
“Swansea Civic Center: The building was opened in July 1982 as County Hall and was the headquarters of the former West Glamorgan County Council. Following local government re-organisation in 1996, its ownership was transferred to the new City and County of Swansea. The building was renamed the Civic Centre on 19 March 2008, and Swansea Central Library was moved in as part of a redevelopment scheme. The library issued nearly 566,000 loans in 2008/09, making it the busiest in Wales and the tenth busiest in the UK.[1] The Civic Centre is served by local bus services.”
For more information please visit the following link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea_Civic_Centre
Shopping District, Near Swansea Market, Swansea, Wales, UK on Monday, October 9, 2017
“Swansea Plans:
At the sea front, The Tower, Meridian Quay is now Wales’s tallest building at a height of 107 metres (351 ft) with a restaurant on the top (29th) floor. It was under construction adjacent Swansea Marina until 010.[72]”
“Swansea Plans:
The city centre is also being brightened up with street art and new walkways, along with the first phase of the David Evans – Castle Street development. New green spaces will be provided in conjunction with the proposed Quadrant Square and Grand Theatre Square. Redevelopment of the Oxford Street car park and Lower Oxford Street arcades are also planned.[71]”
Shopping District, Near Swansea Market, Swansea, Wales, UK on Monday, October 9, 2017
Swansea City Centre is undergoing a £1 billion transformation scheme.[70] A large area of the city is earmarked for redevelopment. A new city-centre retail precinct is planned involving demolition of the dilapidated St. David’s Shopping Centrewhich has three or four traders, about 13% of the retail space in the centre and the Quadrant Shopping Centre. Including relocation of the Tesco Superstore near to the city’s Sainsbury’s store in Parc Tawe, the new retail precinct will be almost four times the size of the Quadrant Centre.”
Saint Mary’s Church, Near Swansea Market, Swansea, Wales, UK on Monday, October 9, 2017
“St. Mary’s Church in St. Mary’s Square
In 2001, 158,457 people in the local authority area (71 per cent) stated their religion to be Christian, 44,286 (20 per cent) no religion, 16,800 (7.5 per cent) did not state a religion and 2,167 were Muslim.[64] There are small communities of other religions, each making up a little under 1 per cent of the total population.[64]”
For more information please visit the following link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea
Saint Mary’s Church, Near Swansea Market, Swansea, Wales, UK on Monday, October 9, 2017
“Nightlife
Wind Street in the daytime
Swansea has a range of pubs, bars, clubs, restaurants and a casino.[125] Swansea had two casinos until 30 August 2012 when Aspers closed. The majority of city center bars are situated on Wind Street, with various chains represented including Revolution, Varsity, Yates’s and Walkabout. Some venues feature live music.[126] The Mumbles Mile, described by the BBC as “one of Wales’s best-known pub crawls” has declined in recent years with a number of local pubs being converted into flats or restaurants.[127]”
For more information please visit the following link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea
Saint Mary’s Church, Near Swansea Market, Swansea, Wales, UK on Monday, October 9, 2017
“Activities
Swansea has a range of activities including sailing, water skiing, surfing, and other watersports,[116] walking[117] and cycling.[118] Part of the Celtic Trail and the National Cycle Network, Swansea Bay provides a range of traffic-free cycle routes including along the seafront and through Clyne Valley Country Park.[119] The Cycling TouringClub CTC has a local group in the area.[120] Swansea Bay, Mumbles and Gower have a selection of golf courses.[121]
Prior to closure in 2003, Swansea Leisure Centre was one of the top ten visitor attractions in the UK; it has been redeveloped as an indoor waterpark, rebranded the ‘LC’,[122] and was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 7 March 2008.[123] The Wales National Pool is in Swansea.[124]”
For more information please visit the following link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea
The Sea-Gull was comfortable standing on the head of the statue of Sir H Hussey Vivian Bart: M.P., First Baron Swansea of Singleton, Swansea, Wales, Near Swansea Market, Swansea, Wales, UK on Monday, October 9, 2017
“Leisure and tourism
The LC leisure centre
A number of beaches around Swansea Bay are promoted to visitors.[104] Surfing is possible at Langland Bay, Caswell Bay and Llangennith, with the latter winning accolades from two national newspapers for the quality of its waves.[105] The five-mile promenade from the Marina to Mumbles offers views across Swansea Bay.[106] The seaside village of Mumbles has a Victorianpier, small, independent shops and boutiques, restaurants and cafes.[107] The south coast of Gower is the chief magnet for walkers, with a path stretching from Mumbles Head across the cliff tops, beaches and coastal woodland to Rhossili.[108]”
For more information please visit the following link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea
The dedication written about Sir H Hussey Vivian Bart: M.P., First Baron Swansea of Singleton, Swansea, Wales, Near Swansea Market, Swansea, Wales, UK on Monday, October 9, 2017
“Attractions
The Meridian tower, Swansea. The tallest building in Wales.
On the Waterfront, Swansea has a five-mile (8 km) sweep of coastline[109] which features a beach, promenade, children’s lido, leisure pool, marina and maritime quarter featuring the museums the National Waterfront Museum and Swansea Museum, the oldest museum in Wales.[110] Also situated in the maritime quarter is the Dylan Thomas Centre, which celebrates the life and work of the author with its permanent exhibition ‘Dylan Thomas – Man and Myth’,[111] and Mission Gallery, a unique art galleryalso in the heart of the Maritime Quarter which hosts a range of exhibitions from various art disciplines; it also host a craft space, with ranging works from local and international artists.[112] The Dylan Thomas Centre is the focal point for the annual Dylan Thomas Festival (27 October – 9 November). There is a permanent exhibition at the Dylan Thomas Birthplace and Home for 23 years in Uplands which has been restored to its condition as a new house when bought by the Thomas family in 1914 a few months before Dylan was born in the front bedroom. The SA1 Waterfront area is the latest development for living, dining and leisure.[113]
Swansea Bay, Mumbles and Gower are home to various parks and gardens and almost 20 nature reserves.[114] Clyne Gardens is home to a collection of plants set in parkland and host to ‘Clyne in Bloom’ in May. Singleton Park has acres of parkland, a botanical garden, a boating lake with pedal boats, and crazy golf. Plantasia is a tropical hothouse pyramid featuring three climatic zones, housing a variety of unusual plants, including several species which are extinct in the wild, and monkeys, reptiles, fish and a butterfly house. Other parks include Cwmdonkin Park, where Dylan Thomas played as a child, and Victoria Park which is close to the promenade on the seafront.[115]”
For more information please visit the following link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea
The Sea-Gull was comfortable standing on the head of the statue of Sir H Hussey Vivian Bart: M.P., First
Baron Swansea of Singleton, Swansea, Wales, Near Swansea Market, Swansea, Wales, UK on Monday, October 9, 2017
I wish I were a bird
Perching over human statue head
Above the sky
Flying freely
Seeing all sorts of activities
People are working hard
Others relaxing
Some look for mischiefs
I see them all
poor me just walking on the ground
Seeing only in front of my face
As far as eyes can see
If I am a bird
I would take flight
Around the world
Ing-On Vibulbhan-Watts, Saturday, November 4, 2017, 5 pm
The Sea-Gull was comfortable standing on the head of the statue of Sir H Hussey Vivian Bart: M.P., First
Baron Swansea of Singleton, Swansea, Wales, Near Swansea Market, Swansea, Wales, UK on Monday, October 9, 2017
“Economy of Swansea
Swansea originally developed as centre for metals and mining, especially the copper industry, from the beginning of the 18th century. The industry reached its apogee in the 1880s, when 60% of the copper ores imported to Britain were smelted in the Lower Swansea valley.[73] However, by the end of the Second World War these heavy industries were in decline, and over the post-war decades Swansea shared in the general trend towards a post-industrial, service sector economy.[citation needed]
Of the 105,900 people estimated to work within the City and County of Swansea, over 90% are employed in the service sectors, with relatively high shares (compared to the Welsh and UK averages) in public administration, education & health and banking, finance & insurance,[74] and correspondingly high proportions of employment in occupations associated with the service sector, including professional, administrative/secretarial and sales/customer service occupations. The local authority believes this pattern reflects Swansea’s role as a service centre for South West Wales.[74]
Economic activity and employment rates in Swansea were slightly above the Welsh average in October 2008, but lower than the UK average.[74] In 2005, GVA per head in Swansea was £14,302 – nearly 4% above the Welsh average but 20% below the UK average.[74] Median full-time earnings in Swansea were £21,577 in 2007, almost identical to the Welsh average.[74]
Swansea is home to the DVLA headquarters in Morriston, which employs around 6,000 people in the city. Other major employers in the city are Admiral Group, HSBC, Virgin Media, Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, BT and Amazon.co.uk. Virgin Atlantic also maintains its largest worldwide contact centre in Swansea; including reservations, sales, baggage claims, and customer relations.”
For more information please visit the following link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea
“More Poetry is needed”, A Poster Near Swansea Market, Swansea, Wales, UK on Monday, October 9, 2017
‘Park and Ride[edit]
Park and Ride services are operated from car parks at Landore and Fabian Way.[92] During busy periods of the year, additional Park and Ride services are operated from the Brynmill recreation ground. Subsidised services to Fforestfach were cut in 2015 due to local authority financial constraints.[93]”
For more information please visit the following link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea
I was lucky to be able to snap the Sea-gull flying over my head, Near Swansea Market, Swansea, Wales, UK on Monday, October 9, 2017
Photograph by Ing-On Vibulbhan-Watts
“Coaches
Swansea is served by the following direct coach services:
National Express Coaches operate eastbound to Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, London, Birmingham, Cardiff and Bristol, and westbound to Llanelli, Carmarthen and Haverfordwest.
Megabus operate eastbound to Cardiff, Newport, Bristol, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and York, and westbound to Pembrey, Carmarthen, Pembroke Dock, Lampeter, Aberaeron and Aberystwyth.
TrawsCymru operate services to Brecon, Carmarthen, Lampeter, Aberaeron and Aberystwyth”
For more information please visit the following link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea
The Sea-Gull was comfortable standing on the head of the statue of Sir H Hussey Vivian Bart: M.P., First Baron Swansea of Singleton, Swansea, Wales, Near Swansea Market, Swansea, Wales, UK on Monday, October 9, 2017
“Cycles
There are four dedicated cycle routes in the local authority’s area:
Swansea Bay: The Maritime Quarter to the Knab Rock near the Mumbles Pier.
Clyne Valley Country Park: Blackpill to Gowerton forming part of National Cycle Network, Route 4.
Along the east bank of the River Tawe forming the start of National Cycle Network, Route 43, which terminates at Abercraf. Sustrans advise that it will continue northwards to Builth Wells once complete.[94]
Adjacent to the Fabian Way: Forming part of National Cycle Network, Route 4 and extending as the Celtic Trail to Chepstow and (eventually) London.
City cruiser pedal vehicles are being introduced to the city centre in a joint venture between the council and Swansea Business Improvement District.[95][96]
In November 2007 a new bridge was completed over the Fabian Way which provides a one way park and ride bus lane and a shared-use pedestrian and NCN route 4 cycle way. The leaf-shaped bridge was shortlisted for the 2008 Structural Steel Design Awards.[97]”
For more information please visit the following link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea
“Rail
Swansea railway station is located 10 minutes from Swansea bus station by foot. Services calling at Swansea operate to Llanelli, Carmarthen, Milford Haven and Haverfordwest to the west, Shrewsbury to the north, and Cardiff Central (for connections to England and beyond), Newport and London Paddington to the east. There are also suburban stations in Gowerton, Llansamlet and in Pontarddulais which are served by Arriva Trains Wales.”
For more information please visit the following link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea
Mosaic Tile Mural, Near Swansea Market, Swansea, Wales, UK on Monday, October 9, 2017
Local media
The local newspaper is the Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post. The Swansea Herald of Wales was a free newspaper which was distributed every week to residential addresses until 2011 when the paper ceased to be in print.[79] The Cardiff edition of the free daily paper Metro is distributed throughout the city. The Council also produces a free monthly newspaper called the Swansea Leader. Swansea Life is a monthly lifestyle magazine published and distributed in Swansea.
Swansea is served by three local radio stations – the CHR-formatted 96.4 The Wave on FM and DAB, its sister station Swansea Sound on 1170MW and DAB and lastly, the Adult Contemporary-orientated Swansea Bay Radio on 102.1FM and DAB. The city also has a community radio station, Radio Tircoed. It is also served by two regional radio stations Heart Wales and Nation Radio.
The patients and staff at Singleton Hospital can listen to the hospital radio station, Radio City 1386AM and Swansea University also runs its own radio station, Xtreme Radio, on 1431 AM. Providing the DAB service, the local multiplex called Swansea SW Wales is broadcast from Kilvey Hill. This transmitter also provides digital terrestrial television in the Swansea area. As well as Kilvey Hill the city is in the catchment areas of the Wenvoe transmitter (in the Vale of Glamorgan) and the Carmel transmitter in Carmarthenshire.
Since 1924, the BBC has maintained a studio in the city;[14] Dylan Thomas worked here in the interwar years, when the studio was used for the BBC Regional Programme.[80] Currently it has facilities to broadcast live radio and television and is listed as a BBC regional studio.[81]
In mid-2008, the BBC included Swansea in its “Big Screen” project, and a large live permanent television screen has been sited in Castle Square.[82]
Independent filmmakers Undercurrents and Studio8 are based in Swansea, and the city plays host to the BeyondTV Film Festival. BeyondTV is annual event organised by Undercurrents to showcase the best of activism filmmakers. Swansea has also hosted the annual Swansea Bay Film Festival, where past-winning directors have included Gareth Evans, Anthony James, Alun D Pughe and Andrew Jones.
For more information please visit the following link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea
Representation in the media
Swansea has been used as a location for films such as Only Two Can Play,[83] Submarine and Twin Town, the TV series Mine All Mine and in episodes of Doctor Who.[84]
Swansea was the first city in Wales to feature in its own version of the board game Monopoly. The Swansea edition of Monopoly features 33 local landmarks, including the Mumbles Pier and the National Waterfront Museum; the game has been produced in both English and Welsh.[85]
Swansea was also featured in a television documentary titled Swansea Love Story as part of the Rule Britannia series on VBS.tv. The film is of a rather graphic nature and features heroin users as well as community members affected by the narcotic while trying to provide some explanation for the increase in use.[86] Swansea was featured in several Yes Minister series as an undesirable civil service posting, in particular the vehicle licensing centre.
Swansea is also the hometown of Edward Kenway, the main protagonist of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. This is because Matt Ryan, the voice actor of Edward, is from Swansea.[87]
For more information please visit the following link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea
Mosaic Tile Mural, Near Swansea Market, Swansea, Wales, UK on Monday, October 9, 2017
Photograph by Ing-On Vibulbhan-Watts
Public services
Swansea is policed by the South Wales Police. The regional headquarters for the Swansea area is Swansea Central Police Station.
Ambulance services are provided by the Welsh Ambulance Service, and fire services by the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service. Swansea Airport is one of the country’s three Wales Air Ambulance bases, the others being Welshpool and Caernarfon.[88]
Local public healthcare services are operated by Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, who operate two hospitals in Swansea, Singleton Hospital and Morriston Hospital; the latter provides Accident and Emergency services. Singleton Hospital has one of Wales’s three radiotherapy departments.
Waste management services are coordinated by the local council, which deals with refuse collection and recycling and operates five civic amenity sites.
The electricity distribution network operator supplying Swansea is Western Power Distribution.
Welsh Water provides drinking water supply and wastewater services to Swansea. There is a water treatment works at Crymlyn Burrows. Reservoirs which supply Swansea include the Cray reservoir and the Lliw Reservoirs, which are operated by Welsh Water.
The Local Gas Distribution company is Wales and West Utilities.
For more information please visit the following link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea
Public order
There was a high rate of car crime during the 1990s. In 2002, the BBC described Swansea as a “black spot for car crime”.[89] Car crime is a central theme in the film Twin Town, which was set in and around Swansea and Port Talbot.
The football violence that Swansea experienced during the 1970s–1990s has considerably reduced, the only major clashes occurring between Swansea City supporters and Cardiff City supporters. Many matches between these sides have ended in violence in both Swansea and Cardiff. These two clubs have a long history of intense rivalry,[90] being described in the media as tribal.
For more information please visit the following link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea
Building near Swansea Market, Swansea, Wales, UK
“Swansea: Education
Further and higher education
Swansea University has a campus in Singleton Park overlooking Swansea Bay. Its engineering department is recognised as a centre of excellence with pioneering work on computational techniques for solving engineering design problems.[75] The Department of Physics is renowned for its research achievements at the frontiers of Theoretical Physics, particularly in the areas of Elementary Particle Physics and String Theory. And many other departments such as History, Computer Science and German were awarded an “Excellent” in the last inspection. The university was awarded The Times Higher Education Supplement Award for the UK’s “best student experience” in 2005.[76] In 2017, Swansea University Medical School was ranked as the third best medical school in the United Kingdom, behind Oxford and Cambridge universities.[77]
In 2015 Swansea University opened a new Bay Campus situated in the Jersey Marine area of Swansea.
Other establishments for further and higher education in the city include University Of Wales Trinity Saint David and Gower College Swansea. Trinity Saint David was formed on 18 November 2010 through the merger of University of Wales Lampeter and Trinity University college Carmarthen under Lampeters royal charter of 1828. On 1 August 2013, Swansea Metropolitan University became part of University Of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD). Swansea Metropolitan University is particularly well known for its Architectural Glass department, as well as its Teaching and Transport & Logistics degrees.[citation needed]”
For more information please visit the following link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea
Mural near Swansea Market, Swansea, Wales, UK
“Swansea: Schools
See also: List of schools in Swansea
In the local authority area, there is one nursery school; six infant schools and five junior schools. There are 77 primary schools, nine of which are Welsh-Medium, and six of which are voluntary aided. There are 15 comprehensive schools under the remit of the local education authority, of which two are Welsh-medium. In addition, there are six special schools.[78]
The oldest school in Swansea is Bishop Gore School. The largest comprehensive school in Swansea is Olchfa School. There is one Roman Catholic comprehensive school in the city – Bishop Vaughan Catholic Comprehensive School. The Welsh medium schools are Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg G?yr and Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bryn Tawe. Other schools in Swansea include Birchgrove Comprehensive School, Cefn Hengoed Community School, Dylan Thomas School, Pentrehafod Comprehensive School, Morriston Comprehensive School and Gowerton School.
Some primary schools in Swansea are:
Cwm Glas Primary School
Danygraig Primary School
Pennard Primary School
Pentre’r Graig Primary School
Sketty Primary School
St. Thomas Primary School
Waun Wen Primary School
Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Gellionnen
Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Tirdeinaw
There are also a few Roman Catholic primary schools, one of them being St. Joseph’s Primary School.
Independent schools in Swansea include Ffynone House School and Oakleigh House School.”
For more information please visit the following link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea
Swansea Marina, Swansea, Wales, UK on Monday, October 9, 2017
Photograph by Ing-On Vibulbhan-Watts
“Swansea Marina offers visitor berths for as little as a day, to as long as a month. Seasonal berths are also available, with 3, 4, 5 and 6-month contract terms.
Swansea Marina is situated in the award winning Maritime Quarter area of Swansea City. We are bordered on one side by the sandy beach of Swansea Bay. The vibrant city centre, with all of the amenities you could ever need, is only a short walk away.”
For more information please visit the following link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea_Marina
Swansea Marina, Swansea, Wales, UK on Monday, October 9, 2017
Transport links are excellent, we are situated about 10 minutes drive from J42 of the M4. The bus and train stations are both within easy walking distance.
If you need any further information, please give our knowledgeable and helpful staff a call. No matter how long you wish to stay, we look forward to welcoming you to Swansea soon!
For more information please visit the following link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea_Marina
Swansea Marina, Swansea, Wales, UK on Monday, October 9, 2017
Boating organisations based at Swansea Marina include Swansea Yacht and Sub Aqua club and the Maiden Voyage, which owns a 72 ft ocean racing yacht.[2]
For more information please visit the following link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea_Marina
The Buildings Around the Swansea Marina, Swansea, Wales, UK on Monday, October 9, 2017
For more information please visit the following link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea_MarinaS
The Buildings Around the Swansea Marina, Swansea, Wales, UK on Monday, October 9, 2017
Photograph by Ing-On Vibulbhan-Watts
Beautiful Over Grown Garden from our backyard Garden, Downtown Newark, New Jersey, U.S.A. After we came back from our trip to U.K.
Poem and Photograph by Ing-On Vibulbhan-Watts
Look at that!!!
A very tall plant
Over grown in front of
My husband’s tall black sculpture
It’s producing a large beautiful
Deep red purple bouquet of flowers
Standing against a man-made object
As if to say
Look at me!!!
I am all natural
I will show you my beauty
For the world to see
Oh! My over grown garden
There is some beauty of nature left
To please my eyes
I appreciate you my beautiful plants
You give me much pleasure
When I come back to visit my little garden
With lovely flowers and fresh air
Ing-On Vibulbhan-Watts, Tuesday, October 24, 2017, 3:19 am
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