A trip to Rhydlafar doesn’t have anywhere near the scariness it used to have when I was young. It used to be an orthopedic hospital. ‘In fact the hospital started life in The Walk, Cardiff in 1915 and had the descriptive but somewhat horrific title of ‘Hospital for Limbless Soldiers’. ‘After WWII it moved to Rhydlafar, the site of a former American military hospital. The extensive hospital site finally closed in 1998 and is now an up market housing estate.
I caught the No.62 from Cardiff Bus Interchange. Once past Llandaff we pass the ribbon of housing developments continuing to extend north west out of Cardiff. If you look at a map of the county of Cardiff you quickly realize that this is the only option available for expansion of the city.
The bus drops me off at the outskirts of Rhydlafar. I quickly realize that there are no facilities here for picking up food or drink. After a wander around the estate I head east across the undulating meadows for a 40 minute walk on the network of footpaths that fortunately still exist. It was a glorious May day with spring flowers everywhere. The walking route is perfect and I am back at the bus stop to catch the next No.62 back to Cardiff an hour later.
My book for the day was ‘How to make the world add up’ by Tim Harford. He presents the excellent ‘More of Less’ programme on Radio 4, using statistics to back up or refute stories in the news.
Having missed out on sustenance so far I arrange to meet Margaret for coffee in Waterstones back in Cardiff. Putting my own book back in my rucksack in Waterstones made me somehow feel I was looking guilty of stealing it. Tim Harford said there was only a 0.35% chance of me being accused of having done so.
Cardiff Capers 