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Swansea

Swansea (pronounced /ˈswɒnzi/ SWONZ-ee, Welsh: Abertawe, "mouth of the Tawe") is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower peninsula and the Lliw uplands. Swansea is the second most populous city in Wales after Cardiff and the third most populous county in Wales after Cardiff and Rhondda Cynon Taf. During its 19th century industrial heyday, Swansea was one of the key centres of the world copper industry,^[1] earning the nickname 'Copperopolis'.^[2]

History

Archaeological finds are mostly confined to the Gower Peninsula, and include items from the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age. The Romans visited the area, as did the Vikings.

Swansea originally developed as a Viking trading post, and the name Swansea is derived from Sveinn's island (Old Norse: Sveinsey) - the reference to an island may refer to a bank at the mouth of the river Tawe, or perhaps an area of raised ground in marshes.^[3] The name is pronounced Swans-y /ˈswɒnzi/), not Swan-sea.^[4] The Welsh name first appears in Welsh poems at the beginning of the 13th century, as "Aber Tawy".^[5]

The earliest known form of the modern name is Sweynesse, which was used in the first charter granted sometime between 1158–1184 by William de Newburgh, 3rd Earl of Warwick. The charter gave Swansea the status of a borough, granting the townsmen, called burgesses certain rights to develop the area. A second charter was granted in 1215 by King John. In this charter, the name appears as Sweyneshe. The town seal which is believed to date from this period names the town as Sweyse.^[5][6]

Following the Norman Conquest, a marcher lordship was created under the title of Gower. It included land around Swansea Bay as far as the River Tawe, the manor of Kilvey beyond the Tawe, and the peninsula itself. Swansea was designated chief town of the lordship and received a borough charter some time between 1158 and 1184 (and a more elaborate one in 1304).^[7]

The port of Swansea initially traded in wine, hides, wool, cloth and later in coal.^[7] As the Industrial Revolution reached Wales, the combination of port, local coal, and trading links with the West Country, Cornwall and Devon, meant that Swansea was the logical place to site copper smelting works. Smelters were operating by 1720 and proliferated. Following this, more coal mines (everywhere from north-east Gower to Clyne and Llangyfelach) were opened and smelters (mostly along the Tawe valley) were opened and flourished. Over the next century and a half, works were established to process arsenic, zinc and tin and to create tinplate and pottery. The city expanded rapidly in the 18th and 19th centuries, and was termed "Copperopolis".^[7]

From the late 17th century to 1801, Swansea's population grew by 500%—the first official census (in 1841) indicated that, with 6,099 inhabitants, Swansea had become significantly larger than Glamorgan's county town, Cardiff, and was the second most populous town in Wales behind Merthyr Tydfil (which had a population of 7,705). However, the census understated Swansea's true size, as much of the built-up area lay outside the contemporary boundaries of the borough; the total population was actually 10,117. Swansea's population was later overtaken by Merthyr in 1821 and by Cardiff in 1881, although in the latter year Swansea once again surpassed Merthyr.^[7] Much of Swansea's growth was due to migration from within and beyond Wales—in 1881, more than a third of the borough's population had been born outside Swansea and Glamorgan, and just under a quarter outside Wales.^[8]

Through the 20th century, heavy industries in the town declined, leaving the Lower Swansea Valley filled with derelict works and mounds of waste products from them. The Lower Swansea Valley Scheme (which still continues) reclaimed much of the land. The present Enterprise Zone was the result and, of the many original docks, only those outside the city continue to work as docks; North Dock is now Parc Tawe and South Dock became the Marina.

Little city-centre evidence, beyond parts of the road layout, remains from medieval Swansea; its industrial importance made it the target of bombing, known as the Blitz in World War II, and the centre was flattened completely. The city has three Grade One listed buildings, these being the Guildhall, Swansea Castle and the Morriston Tabernacle.^[9]

Whilst the city itself has a long history, many of the city centre buildings are post-war as much of the original centre was destroyed by World War II bombing on the 19th, 20th and 21st of February 1941 (the 'Three Nights Blitz').^[10] Within the city centre are the ruins of the castle, the Marina, the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea Museum, the Dylan Thomas Centre, the Environmental Centre, and the Market, which is the largest covered market in Wales.^[11] It backs onto the Quadrant shopping centre which opened in 1978 and the adjoining St David's Centre opened in 1982. Other notable modern buildings are the BT Tower (formerly the GPO tower) built around 1970, Alexandra House built in 1976, County Hall built in 1982. Swansea Leisure Centre opened in 1977; it has undergone extensive refurbishment which retained elements of the original structure and re-opened in March 2008. Behind it stands the National Waterfront Museum, opened in October 2005.

Swansea was granted city status in 1969,^[12] to mark Prince Charles's investiture as the Prince of Wales. The announcement was made by the prince on 3 July 1969, during a tour of Wales.^[13] It obtained the further right to have a lord mayor in 1982.^[14]

Local government

In 1887, Swansea was a township at the mouth of the river Tawe, covering 4,562 acres (1,846 ha) in the county of Glamorgan.^[15] There were three major extensions to the boundaries of the borough, first in 1835, when Morriston, St Thomas, Landore, St John-juxta-Swansea, and part of Llansamlet parish were added, and again in 1889 when areas around Cwmbwrla and Trewyddfa were included, and in 1918 when the borough was enlarged to include the whole of the ancient parish of Swansea, the southern part of Llangyfelach parish, all of Llansamlet parish, Oystermouth Urban District and Brynau parish.^[16][17]

In 1889, Swansea attained county borough status,^[18] and it was granted city status in 1969, which was inherited by the Swansea district when it was formed by the merger of the borough and Gower Rural District in 1974.^[19] In 1996, Swansea became one of 22 unitary authorities with the addition of part of the former Lliw Valley Borough. The new authority received the name 'City and County of Swansea' (Welsh: Dinas a Sir Abertawe).^[20]

Swansea was once a staunch stronghold of the Labour Party which, until 2004, had overall control of the council for 24 years.^[21] The Liberal Democrats are the largest group in the administration that took control of Swansea Council in the 2004 local elections. For 2009/2010, the Lord Mayor of Swansea is Councillor Alan Lloyd.

Welsh politics

Gower, current AM is Edwina Hart, Labour since 1999

Swansea East, current AM is Val Lloyd, Labour since 2001

Swansea West, current AM is Andrew Davies, Labour since 1999

UK politics

Gower, current MP is Martin Caton, Labour since 1997

Swansea East, current MP is Sian James, Labour since 2005

Swansea West, current MP is Alan Williams, Labour since 1964 (the MP with the longest continuous service - 45 years as of 2009)

Twinning

Mannheim, Germany

Sinop, Turkey

Pau, France

Cork, Ireland

Bydgoszcz, Poland^[23]

Connections with:

Ferrara, Italy

Århus, Denmark

Friendship link with:

Nantong, China

Boundaries

The "City and County of Swansea" local authority area is bordered by unitary authorities of Carmarthenshire to the north, and Neath Port Talbot to the east. Swansea is bounded by Swansea Bay and the Bristol Channel to the south.

Physical description

The local government area is 378 km² (146 sq mi) in size, about 2% of the area of Wales. It includes a large amount of open countryside and a central urban and suburban belt.^[24]


Three Cliffs Bay

Swansea can be roughly divided into four physical areas. To the north are the Lliw uplands which are mainly open moorland, reaching the foothills of the Black Mountain. To the west is the Gower peninsula with its rural landscape dotted with small villages. To the east is the coastal strip around Swansea Bay. Cutting though the middle from the south-east to the north-west is the urban and suburban zone stretching from the Swansea city centre to the towns of Gorseinon and Pontarddulais.^[24]

The most populated areas of Swansea are Morriston, Sketty and the city centre. The chief urbanised area radiates from the city centre towards the north, south and west; along the coast of Swansea Bay to Mumbles; up the Swansea Valley past Landore and Morriston to Clydach; over Townhill to Cwmbwrla, Penlan, Treboeth and Fforestfach; through Uplands, Sketty, Killay to Dunvant; and east of the river from St. Thomas to Bonymaen, Llansamlet and Birchgrove. A second urbanised area is focused on a triangle defined by Gowerton, Gorseinon and Loughor along with the satellite communities of Penllergaer and Pontarddulais.^[24]


Rhossili Beach as seen from headland, Gower peninsula

About three quarters of Swansea is bordered by the sea—the Loughor Estuary, Swansea Bay and the Bristol Channel. The two largest rivers in the region are the Tawe which passes the city centre and the Loughor which flows on the northern border with Carmarthenshire.^[24]

In the local authority area, the geology is complex, providing diverse scenery. The Gower peninsula was the first area in the United Kingdom to be designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Excluding the urbanised area in the south-eastern corner of the county, the whole of the Gower peninsula is part of an AONB.^[25] Swansea has numerous urban and country parklands.^[26] The region has featured regularly in the Wales in Bloom awards.^[27]

The geology of the Gower peninsula ranges from carboniferous limestone cliffs along its southern edge from Mumbles to Worm's Head and the salt-marshes and dune systems of the Loughor estuary to the north. The eastern, southern and western coasts of the peninsula are lined with numerous sandy beaches both wide and small, separated by steep cliffs. The South Wales Coalfield reaches the coast in the Swansea area. This had a great bearing on the development of the city of Swansea and other towns in the county like Morriston. The inland area is covered by large swathes of grassland common overlooked by sandstone heath ridges including the prominent Cefn Bryn. The traditional agricultural landscape consists in a patchwork of fields characterised by walls, stone-faced banks and hedgerows. Valleys cut through the peninsula and contain rich deciduous woodland.^[25]

Much of the county is hilly with the main area of upland being located in the council ward of Mawr. Areas of high land up to 185 metres (600 ft) range across the central section of the county and form the hills of Kilvey, Townhill and Llwynmawr, separating the centre of Swansea from its northern suburbs. Cefn Bryn, a ridge of high land, forms the backbone of the Gower peninsula. Rhossili Down, Hardings Down and Llanmadoc Hill form land features over 600 ft high. The highest point of the county is located at Penlle'r Castell at 374 metres (1215 ft) on the northern border with Carmarthenshire.^[24]

Climate

Typical of the west of Britain, Swansea has a temperate climate. As part of a coastal region, it experiences a milder climate than the mountains and valleys inland. This same location, though, leaves Swansea exposed to rain-bearing winds from the Atlantic: figures from the Met Office make Swansea the wettest city in Britain.^[30] In midsummer, Swansea's temperatures can reach into the high twenties Celsius, depending on the weather; the hottest recorded temperature in Swansea was 31.6°C, recorded in 1980.^[31]

Demography

According to Census 2001 data, the population in the unitary authority was 225,000, and Swansea was the 34th largest settlement in the United Kingdom,^[32] while the wider urban area was the 25th largest.^[33] Around 82% of the population were born in Wales and 13% born in England;^[34] 13.4% were Welsh speakers.^[35]

From 1804 until the 1920s, Swansea experienced continuous population growth. The 1930s and 1940s was a period of slight decline. In the 1950s and 1960s the population grew and then fell in the 1970s. The population grew again in the 1980s only to fall again in the 1990s. In the 2000s, so far, Swansea is experiencing a small amount of population growth; the local authority area had an estimated population of 228,100 in 2007.^[36]

The population of the Swansea urban area within the unitary authority boundaries in 2001 was about 169,880, and the council population was 223,301. The other urban area within the unitary authority, centred on Gorseinon, had a population of 19,273 in 2001. However, the wider urban area including most of Swansea Bay has a total population of 270,506 (making it the 25th largest urban area in England and Wales).^[37] Over 218,000 individuals are white; 1,106 are of mixed race; 2,215 are Asian - mainly Bangladeshi (1,015); 300 are black; and 1,195 belong to other ethnic groups.^[38]

Culture

The Royal Institution of South Wales was founded in 1835 as the Swansea Literary and Philosophical Society.

Performing arts

The Grand Theatre in the centre of the city is a Victorian theatre which celebrated its centenary in 1997 and which has a capacity of a little over a thousand people. It was opened by the celebrated opera singer Adelina Patti and was refurbished from 1983–1987. The annual programme ranges from pantomime and drama to opera and ballet. A new wing of the Grand, the Arts Wing, has a studio suitable for smaller shows, with a capacity of about 200. Fluellen Theatre Company is a professional theatre company based in Swansea performing regularly at the Grand Theatre. The company also presents Lunchtime Theatre on the last Saturday of every month. The Taliesin building on the university campus has a theatre, opened in 1984. Other theatres include the Dylan Thomas Theatre (formerly the Little Theatre) near the marina, and one in Penyrheol Leisure Centre near Gorseinon. In the summer, outdoor Shakespeare performances are a regular feature at Oystermouth Castle, and Singleton Park is the venue for a number of parties and concerts, from dance music to outdoor Proms. Outside the city, Pontardawe hosts an annual folk festival. Another folk festival is held on Gower.^[39] Standing near Victoria Park on the coast road is the Patti Pavilion; this was the Winter Garden from Adelina Patti's Craig-y-Nos estate in the upper Swansea valley, which she donated to the town in 1918. It is used as a venue for music shows and fairs. The Brangwyn Hall is a multi-use venue with events such as the graduation ceremonies for Swansea University. Every autumn, Swansea hosts a Festival of Music and the Arts, when international orchestras and soloists visit the Brangwyn Hall. The Brangwyn Hall is praised for its acoustics for recitals, orchestral pieces and chamber music alike.^[40]

Festivals

Swansea hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1863, 1891, 1907, 1926, 1964, 1982 and 2006. The 2006 event occupied the site of the former Felindre tinplate works to the north of the city and featured a strikingly pink main tent. The international BeyondTv film festival has been hosted in Swansea since 2000 by Swansea based media charity Undercurrents. In 2009 Swansea Council launched Wales only week long St David's Week festival in venues throughout the city.

Welsh language

There are many Welsh-language chapels and churches in the area. Welsh-medium education is a popular and growing choice for both English- and Welsh-speaking parents, leading to claims in the local press in autumn 2004 that, to accommodate demand, the council planned to close an English-medium school in favour of opening a new Welsh-medium school.^[41] The Welsh-medium school is named Bryn Tawe, and is located in the buildings of the former Penlan boys' school, which itself was merged with the girls' school at Mynyddbach on that site to become Daniel James Community School. This arrangement was a subject of considerable controversy in the period leading up to Bryn Tawe's inauguration.

45% of the rural council ward Mawr speak Welsh, as do 38% of the ward of Pontarddulais. Clydach, Kingsbridge and Upper Loughor all have levels of more than 20%. By contrast, the urban St. Thomas has one of the lowest figures in Wales, at 6.4%, a figure only barely lower than Penderry and Townhill wards.^[42]

Food

Local produce includes cockles and laverbread which are sourced from the Loughor estuary. Local Gower salt marsh lamb is produced from sheep which are raised in the salt marshes of the Loughor estuary.^[43]

Notable people

Alan Woods

Ivor Allchurch

Keith Allen

Kevin Allen

Kingsley Amis

Jimmy Austin

Mary Balogh

Rob Brydon

Nicole Cooke

John Charles

Mel Charles

Chris Coleman

Robert Croft

Alan Cox

Lisa Lee Dark

Mervyn Davies

Russell T Davies

Stevie Davies

Nigel Evans

Charles Fisher

Amy Dillwyn

John Dillwyn Llewellyn

John Talbot Dillwyn Llewellyn

Mike Gibbins

James Henry Govier

Iris Gower

Clive Granger

Pete Ham

John Hartson

Leigh Halfpenny

Michael Heseltine

Ian Hislop

Leighton James

Robbie James

Alfred Janes

Nigel Jenkins

Andrew Jones

Colin Jones

Daniel Jones

Jack Kelsey

Tony Lewis

Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland

Enzo Maccarinelli

John Maddox

Man

Sean Mathias

Terry Medwin

Andy Melville

Paul Moriarty

Richard Moriarty

Beau Nash

Alan Petherbridge

Dewi Zephaniah Phillips

Mal Pope

Craig Quinnell

Scott Quinnell

Jeremy Rees (Radio Presenter)

Ceri Richards

John Sachs

Dean Saunders

Harry Secombe

The Storys

Haydn Tanner

Gary Taylor

Rob Terry

Dylan Thomas

Lewis Weston Dillwyn

Wynford Vaughan-Thomas

Viva Machine

Vernon Watkins

Rowan Williams

Shane Williams

Terry Williams

Nick Wire

Lloyd Woolf

Catherine Zeta-Jones

Sport

Strong local rivalries exist between Swansea and Cardiff in football, Swansea and Llanelli and the Ospreys and Scarlets in Rugby.

Swansea City A.F.C. moved from the Vetch Field to the new Liberty Stadium at the start of the 2005–2006 season, winning promotion to League One in their final year at their old home.

Swansea has four clubs that play in Welsh Football League: Garden Village, Morriston Town, South Gower and West End.

In 2003, Swansea RFC merged with Neath RFC to form the Neath-Swansea Ospreys rugby club. Swansea RFC remained at St Helen's in semi-professional form, but the Ospreys moved into the Liberty Stadium in Landore for the start of the 2005–2006 season. Neath-Swansea rugby games used to be hotly-contested matches, such that there was some debate about whether a team incorporating both areas was possible. The team came fifth in the Celtic League in their first year of existence and topping that league in their second year.

St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground is the home of Swansea RFC and Glamorgan County Cricket Club have previously played matches there.^[47] In this ground, Sir Garfield Sobers hit six sixes in one over; the first time this was achieved in a game of first-class cricket. The final ball landed on the ground past the Cricketers' pub just outside the ground.^[48] It is also the home of the tallest floodlight stand in Europe.^[49]

Swansea's rugby league side plays seven miles outside the county in the small town of Ystalyfera. They are known as the Swansea Valley Miners but were formed as the Swansea Bulls in 2002.

The Swansea Bowls Stadium opened in early 2008. The stadium hosted the World Indoor Singles and Mixed Pairs Championship in April 2008 and the Gravelles Welsh International Open Bowls Championships in 2009.

Religion

In 2001, 158,457 people in the local authority area (71 per cent) stated their religion as Christian, 44,286 (20 per cent) no religion, 16,800 (7.5 per cent) did not state a religion and 2,167 were Muslim.^[50] There are small communities of other religions, each making up less than 1 per cent of the total population.^[50]

Swansea is part of the Anglican Diocese of Swansea and Brecon and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia. The Catholic see is based in Swansea at Cathedral Church of Saint Joseph in the Greenhill area. The city is home to 10 per cent of the total Welsh Muslim population;^[51] Swansea's Muslim community is raising money to open a new central mosque and community centre in the former St Andrews United Reform Church. This would be in addition to the four other existing mosques (Swansea University Mosque, Hafod Mosque, Imam Khoei Mosque and the original Swansea City Mosque).^[52] Dharmavajra Kadampa Buddhist Centre, Swansea Synagogue and Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall are all located in the Uplands area. The international Kagyu Buddhist group 'Pulpung Changchub Dargyeling' [2] also holds regular meetings in Swansea.


St. Mary's Church in St. Mary's Square

Swansea, like Wales in general, has seen many non-conformist religious revivals. In 1904, Evan Roberts, a miner from Loughor (Llwchwr), just outside Swansea, was the leader of what has been called one of the world's greatest Protestant religious revivals. Within a few months about 100,000 people were converted. This revival in particular had a profound effect on Welsh society. The "Welsh Revival" of 1904 is acknowledged as having been an instigator of, and a major influence on the twentieth century's Pentecostal movement. One of its first overseas influences was seen in the African American church: the Azusa Street Revival, beginning 9 April 1906 at Los Angeles, USA.

Future plans

Swansea City Centre is undergoing a transformation until 2015. £1 billion is to be spent on improvements. 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 Centre which 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. 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.^[53]

At the sea front, The Tower, Meridian Quay is now Wales's tallest building at a height of over 80 metres (260 ft); upon completion in 2009 it is planned to be 107 metres (350 ft) in height with a restaurant on the top (29th) floor. It is still under construction adjacent Swansea Marina.^[54]

Economy

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.^[55] 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.

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,^[56] 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.^[56]

Economic activity and employment rates in Swansea were slightly above the Welsh average in October 2008, but lower than the UK average.^[56] In 2005, GVA per head in Swansea was £14,302 - nearly 4% above the Welsh average but 20% below the UK average.^[56] Median full-time earnings in Swansea were £21,577 in 2007, almost identical to the Welsh average.^[56]

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.^[57] 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.^[58] Other establishments for further and higher education in the city include Swansea Metropolitan University and Swansea College, with Gorseinon College seven miles (11 km) outside the city. Swansea Metropolitan University (formerly Swansea Institute of Higher Education) is particularly well-known for its Architectural Glass department; stained glass being a long time speciality.

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.^[59]

The oldest school in Swansea is Bishop Gore School. The largest comprehensive school in Swansea is the Olchfa School. There is one Roman Catholic comprehensive school in the county - Bishop Vaughan Catholic Comprehensive School. The Welsh medium schools are Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Gŵyr and Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bryn Tawe.

Independent schools in Swansea include Ffynone House School, Oakleigh House School and Craig-y-Nos School.

Local media

The local newspaper is the Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post. The Swansea Herald of Wales is a free newspaper which is distributed freely every week to residential addresses.^[60] 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 Wave on 96.4 FM and DAB, Swansea Sound on 1170 AM and DAB and lastly Bay Radio on 102.1 FM. Swansea University also runs its own radio station, Xtreme Radio, on 1431 AM. Also UTV-Bauer Swansea is a local commercial digital radio multiplex broadcast from Kilvey Hill.

Since 1924, the BBC has maintained a studio in the city;^[7] Dylan Thomas worked here in the interwar years, when the studio was used for the BBC Regional Programme.^[61] Currently it has facilities to broadcast live radio and television and is listed as a BBC regional studio.^[62].

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.^[63]

The Kilvey Hill transmitter provides digital terrestrial TV, DAB, analogue radio and TV in the Swansea area, and the city is also in the catchment areas of the Wenvoe transmitter (in the Vale of Glamorgan) and the Carmel transmitter in Carmarthenshire.

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 (filmmaker).

Representation in the media

Swansea has been used as a filming location for the films Only Two Can Play^[64] and Twin Town, the TV series Mine All Mine and in episodes of Doctor Who.^[65]

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.^[66]

Public services

Swansea is policed by the South Wales Police. The regional headquarters for the Swansea area is Cockett police station. Ambulance services are provided by the Wales 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.^[67] Local public healthcare services are operated by Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board who operate two hospitals in Swansea with Accident and Emergency services: Singleton Hospital and Morriston Hospital. 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.

Public order

There was a high rate of car crime during the 1990s. The BBC has described Swansea as a "black spot for car crime",^[68] for example. However, over the past few years, there seems to have been a decline in car crime, possibly due to national media awareness or economic trends. Car crime is a central theme in the film Twin Town, which is set in and around Swansea.

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,^[69] being described in the media as tribal.

Transport

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 continues northwards to Builth Wells.

Adjacent to the Fabian Way: Forming part of National Cycle Network, Route 4 and extending as the Celtic Trail to Chepstow and (eventually) London.

Mumbles railway and tram

The Swansea and Mumbles Railway was built in 1804 to move limestone from the quarries of Mumbles to Swansea and to the markets beyond. It carried the world's first fare-paying rail passengers on the day the British Parliament abolished the transportation of slaves from Africa. It later moved from horse power to steam locomotion, and finally converting to electric trams, before closing in January 1960, in favour of motor buses. [2]. At the time of the railway's decommissioning, it had been the world's longest serving railway and it still holds the record for the highest number of forms of traction of any railway in the world - horse-drawn, sail power, steam power, electric power, diesel and petrol.

Trams4Swansea is a group led by Councillor Rob Speht trying to bring trams back to Swansea.^[81]

Leisure and tourism

The beaches at Langland, Caswell and Limeslade are used by swimmers and tourists with children, whereas Swansea Bay tends to attract water-sport enthusiasts. Coastal paths connect most of the Gower bays and Swansea Bay itself, and can attract hikers to the countryside views throughout the year. Although little known on the tourist map, areas north of Swansea offer various panoramas of mountain landscapes. The former fishing village of Mumbles (located on the western edge of Swansea Bay) has a Victorian pier and a number of restaurants, pubs and coffee shops. The promenade at Mumbles offers a panoramic view of Swansea Bay.

Attractions

On the Waterfront, Swansea Bay has a five mile (8 km) sweep of coastline^[82] which features a beach, promenade, children's lido, leisure pool, marina and maritime quarter featuring the newest and oldest museums in Wales - the National Waterfront Museum and Swansea Museum. 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'. The centre is also the focal point for the annual Dylan Thomas Festival (27 October - 9 November). The SA1 Waterfront area is the latest development for living, dining and leisure. Swansea Bay, Mumbles and Gower are home to various parks and gardens and almost 20 nature reserves. 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.

Activities

Swansea has a range of activities including sailing, water skiing, surfing, and other watersports,^[83] walking^[84] and cycling.^[85] 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.^[86] The Cycling Touring Club CTC has a local group in the area.^[87] Swansea Bay, Mumbles and Gower have a selection of golf courses.^[88]

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',^[89] and was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 7 March 2008.^[90] The Wales National Pool is based in Swansea.^[91]

Nightlife

Swansea has a range of public houses, bars, clubs, restaurants and two casinos.^[92][93] The majority of city centre bars are situated on Wind Street, with various chains represented including Revolution, Varsity, Yates's and Walkabout. Most clubs, including Oceana, are located on the Kingsway.^[94] Some venues feature live music.^[95] The Mumbles Mile, described by the BBC as "one of Wales' best-known pub crawls" has declined in recent years with a number of local pubs being converted into flats or restaurants.^[96]

Beaches

Oxwich Bay on the Gower peninsula was named the most beautiful beach in Britain by travel writers who visited more than 1,000 around the world in search of the perfect sands (2007). The Travel Magazine praised Oxwich for "magnificent and unspoilt" scenery and as a "great place for adults and children to explore".^[97] It boasts over three miles (5 km) of soft, golden sands, making it the ideal family getaway. Not surprisingly, The Guardian named it one of Britain's blue-ribband top 10 category beaches (2007).^[98] The Independent newspaper hailed Rhossili Bay as "the British supermodel of beaches" (2006) and the best beach in Britain for breathtaking cliffs (2007),^[99] whilst The Sunday Times listed it as one of the 25 best beaches in the world (2006).^[100] Thanks to its clear air and lovely golden sand, this romantic stretch of sand was voted the best place in the UK to watch the sun set (Country Living magazine 2005)^[100] and one the top romantic spots in the country (The Guardian 2007).^[101] Nearby Llangennith Beach, with its soft sands, consistent beach break and great facilities, was listed as the best place to learn how to surf in Britain by The Observer (2006)^[102] and one of the 10 'classic surfing beaches by The Guardian (2007)^[103] . Gower also claims Britain's Best Beach, Three Cliffs Bay. The Gower landmark topped the BBC Holiday Hit Squad nationwide competition (2006)^[104] and was voted Britain's best camping beach by The Independent thanks to its superb setting and quiet location (2007).^[105] Three Cliffs Bay also made the final of the ITV series Britain's Favourite View - the only nomination in Wales and backed by singer Katherine Jenkins.^[106] Nearby Brandy Cove came sixth in an online poll to find the UK's top beach for the baby boomer generation (2006).^[107] Beaches which won 2006 Blue Flag Beach Awards are: Bracelet Bay, Caswell Bay, Langland Bay, Port Eynon Bay and Swansea Marina (one of the few Blue Flag Marinas in Wales). All of these beaches also won a Seaside Award 2006. Limeslade was awarded the Rural Seaside Award and the Green Coast Award. Other Green Coast Awards went to Pwll Du, Rhossili Bay and Tor Bay.