Second-hand bookshop in the Morgan Arcade, Cardiff. As seen from inside "The Plan" café, hence the steamed up window.

Tags:   Cardiff Morgan Arcade bookshop books second-hand shoppers café The Plan Wales UK 20130303 South Wales Cymru

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The only things my records say about this photo are that it is "Treorchy, Rhondda" and it was taken on Monday 17th October 1977. I think this was during a geography 'A' Level field trip whist I was studying at Bath Technical College. Since I started scanning my old slides, I have found that every so often there is a photo which produces a minor thrill of excitement when it first appears on the computer screen, seen again for the first time in decades. This is one of those photos: it is something about the ramshackle outbuildings in the foreground, the chimney pots of the nineteenth century housing, and the hills looming beyond. If anyone looking at this can identify the viewpoint I would be delighted to learn where it is. From the little research I have done, I think the 1960s-vintage modern buildings in the left distance belong to the Comprehensive School. I never did get that particular 'A' Level: I was OK with the human geography but couldn't get on with physical geography.

Tags:   Treorchy Rhondda valley Wales South Wales 1977 UK Kodakchrome town housing chimney hills landscape Cymru

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As seen on the evening of Tuesday 18th October 1977. Designed by Percy Thomas and built 1930-4, I personally think it is one of the finest town halls of the inter-war period, along with the likes of Southampton and Norwich.

Tags:   Swansea Abertawe Guildhall Victoria park night tower Percy Thomas 1930s architecture 1977 Kodakchrome Wales Cymru

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"Selfies" seem to be all the rage at the moment, so here's one from the summer of 2011. One Sunday I decided to "do" the Vale of Glamorgan line in the belief that I had never travelled on it before. I took my Brompton with me on the train and headed west from Cardiff, breaking my journey at Llantwit Major so that I could cycle down to the coast at St Donats. I had forgotten to bring a lock so the Brompton had to go everywhere with me. Having lugged the machine down a steep cliff path it seemed only right that I should record the occasion for posterity. I eventually picked up another westbound train and changed at Bridgend for my connection back to England. I later discovered that I had in fact already done the Vale of Glamorgan on the "Welsh Wizard" railtour many years earlier (see here), but of course there had been no station at Llantwit Major back then.

Tags:   St Donats Wales Vale of Glamorgan Glamorgan UK 2011 selfie self portrait Brompton bycycle cycle cycling coast beach seaside cymru Sain Dunwyd Morgannwg Sir Forgannwg South Wales

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These visitors to Cardiff try to decide in which direction they should go. The semi-derelict building on the right is in front of Cardiff Bay railway station (formerly Bute Road).

Tags:   Cardiff Cardiff Bay railway station South Wales Wales Bute Road tourists signpost 2013 Great Britain UK

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