Normally the bathroom, but here its the Kitchen Annex

 Interesting beers proved difficult to find.  The Queens Head, just a few hundred yards away, had a dull Brains beer called Buckleys Best and one guest ale whose name I have forgotten, glad I only had a half.

We drove out to Bishopston to sample Swansea Brewery beers at the Joiners Arms one lunchtime.  But it was shut so we went into another bar and I had a pint of Reverend James (a dark beer from Brains) which was OK.  Saw bottles of Cwrw Haf, from Thomas Watkins brewery in the municipal market, but forgot to go back and buy some.  Its a fine beer, translates as Summer Ale, and is more interesting than the Speckled Hen I ended up buying from the corner grocer.

The No Sign Wine Bar had provided interesting beers on previous trips to Swansea, but this time struggled, offering a dark Hobgoblin beer, more Rev James and, my choice, ‘Win on the Dogs’ from the Cottage Whippet brewery.  Malty and darkish, but OK.

The same bar became our dinner venue on Wednesday, when the 4 of us plus Head of the National Waterfront Museum, Steph Mastoris sat at a window table to watch the activity of a midweek clubbing night in Swansea.  It was quiet when we entered at 8pm, but 4 police officers were stationed in the middle of the road by 9pm, and the young folk began to gather soon after.  Groups of girls and boys separately, none of them apparently aware just how cold it was.  Startlingly high heels and cobbled streets don’t go well together, though combined with tiny tight skirts they offer fascinating scenery.  For variety a young man dropped his trousers to reveal a sign reading ‘Kiss me, its my birthday’.  We smiled and waved, he gave us a thumbs up sign before hoisting trousers and moving on.

Steph told us that on Friday and Saturday nights the Council bring portable urinals onto the street to limit more open-range urination.  Wind Street, for that is its name, also provided a photo opportunity.  A grubby and battered alley named Salubrious Passage!  Even less so on a Friday or Saturday night me-thinks.

Not-so Salubrious Passage

Engraving of central Swansea, showing river Tawe top right, and locks to old meander (North Dock) as well as South dock and small basin to its east. Our flat is on bit of land between basin and dock.

Jackie had found us a flat to rent in the new Dockland Developments around the South Dock.  The Tawe river was the site of coal exports from way back, and of copper ore processing for hundreds of years, but on a much bigger scale by 19th century.

To cope with growing trade the river was straightened in 1842-5, and the old meander turned into a locked dock (the North Dock) in 1852.  The dock beside our flat is the South dock, and it was opened in 1859.

Sadly this huge growth of industry polluted the water and air near the river and docks, so the wealthy factory owners moved west – upwind - to better areas.  One of the bosses did think of his workers – he built houses for them next to the factory on the Tawe.  Probably thought they’d have less reason to be late for work that way.

Assembly Rooms and a neighbouring one-time home for wealthy merchant, just round the corner from the Old Guildhall

The result of a westerly migration of money and culture left the Old Guildhall, Assemby Rooms and pleasing Georgian housing stranded in the industrial quarter.  But it has been partly rescued by modern Swansea now that the industry is a heritage site and the air is cleaner.

The Old Guildhall - beautiful graceful sash windows - now houses the Dylan Thomas Centre

The Old Guildhall is now a centre to celebrate Dylan Thomas, but it also has a good cafe, and an exhibition of photos of Picasso by Lee Miller, the American photographer and partner of English surrealist painter Roland Penrose – a local Sussex chap, often had Picasso round to his little farm near Chiddingly after the war.  She also photographed Dylan T and there was a poster set available – we bought one.

The Centre held a poetry competition for local children and some of the best were on the cafe walls – my favourite couplet, from a year 6 pupil of Pontybrenin Primary School ran:

The pubs and the Kardomah

the drunken and the sober.

And his name?  Quillan Thomas.

The copper ore originally came from North Wales and Cornwall.  Cornwall was also the home of the aforementioned industrialist, J H Vivian, who had been a copper mine owner.  I guess he wondered who was processing the ore he shipped over, and whether he could get involved.  And he did.  Statues to him and his son in the town, but it was the son who got the knighthood.

Later the ore came from Cuba – there is a Swansea cemetery near Santiago de Cuba for dead Welsh miners – and later from Chile.  The first auxilliary steam powered three masted barque built specially for the two way trip round Cape Horn was the Zeta, and a relative of Catherine Zeta Jones sailed on her (she’s a Mumbles lass, just across Swansea Bay).  The return trip to Cuba took about 6 months, but it could be a year to get to Chile and back.

By 1924 the Swansea copper refining was over, though copper processing continued for some decades.  Workers lost their jobs, but the bosses probably invested in the new refineries near to the ore source.

Image of the Zeta - one of many seafront walk pieces of art

Passing Balsdean Pumping station we counted 13 vehicles – must have been some big repair works going on.

Looking down on a busy water pumping station

Soon dropped down into the network of branching dry valleys around the natue reserve that is Castle Hill.  Not a good day to look for either orchids or butterflies, but fine if all you want is some fresh air, exercise and quiet.

Radiating clouds at Castle Hill

Later it began to cloud over – great parallel ridges of cloud, but they gave the appearance of radiating from a point.  Also saw some huge ‘fairy rings’ on a hillside.

A Fairy Ring, or the result of sheep walking in circles?

After 5 hours and eight miles we returned to Rottingdean for warm scones, sharp lemon curd and thick whipped cream beside the fire at the Trellis Cafe.

Grand downland, available for all to wander across.

He told us that before the radio show ’The infinite monkey cage’ was recorded complaints started to reach the BBC.  One read ‘Well done – once again Radio Four celebrates vivisection’.  His proposed reply included the phrase, ‘Just so you know, an infinite monkey cage is quite roomy.’ - but this was considered too fascetious for the BBC to permit.

Dr Ben Goldacre related the terrible story of hiding medical test results which fail to support drug company plans.  He told it at length and with passion.  Afterwards Robin Ince said if we wanted to hear it again just go for a drink with Ben, or travel on a train with him – you’ll get it all again.

Brain Cox, during a talk on God or not, said his wife sends a special Christmas card to people they know who are Creationists – its Jesus waving and smiling as he rides past on a dinosaur.

The high point for me was Tim Minchin singing a song about the real nature of long-term relationships.  Not popchart trash, but a recognition that relationships build over time, and that, ‘If I wasn’t with you I’d probably be with somebody else’.

On that theme, Ben Goldacre had analysed the frequency of words in US Billboard No1 hits since it started.  The top 5, in order, from top down are: Baby Blue Love Girl Song.

The blur at the right is Roger dashing about. The robots all worked fine

microphone and elsewhere doing special effects. 

Roger displaying his claws whilst Sam Spoons dresses up (first of many outfits)

They have written songs since the period of fame – and Rodney Slater did an excellent getting older song – ‘has anyone seen my memory, I know I had it with me . . . ‘

Rodney sings his song of failing memory

I can’t remember wht the three clarinets were doing here.  Something about finding the right tune, but . . . .

What were they doing?

High point for me – always enjoyed Music for the Leg, long before I had ever heard of a theramin.

Roger plays the leg theramin

And then the rhythm pole as part of Sam Spoons coming on stage as the Australian Cultural Attache.  Who can forget ‘Sam Spoons on rhythm pole’ from Intro and Outro.  I may not be able to make a theramin, but a rhythm pole should be possible – I’ve started collecting crown corks, and there’s a nice bit of hazel in the garden.

Sam Spoons with Rhythm Pole

Dave Glasson did his punk punktuation, and we tried to keep up with the chorus.

Dave Glasson sings Punktuation - a pair of glasses for every occasion

And near the end Roger performed on the Trouser Press, filling the place with smoke and setting off the fire alarm – but we ignored it.

Do the Trouser Press Baby

The show finished, as last time, with music for the head, which was  surprising because it was so tight and together.  Unlike this one off the net.

Finally – two days later, having lunch at the Plough in Henfield (a half hour bus ride into the countryside) and telling friends of the concert, a tall guy with long hair and white beard sitting nearby told us he played in another band with Sam Spoons.  He is Jim Chambers and he does.  He also worked with a hero of Jackie’s, because he was a curator at the Natural History Museum with Richard Fortey – the Trilobite man.