Bus-Book-Beverage – Cardiff Bus 94

My thinking today was that as there are quite a few buses that go to Barry there aren’t that many that travel the Penarth to Barry coast road. I therefore decided on a trip to Cosmeston Park, just west of Penarth.

This meant that to make sure I took in all the delights of the No.94 route it would be a long first leg of the journey, starting in Cardiff, and staying on board all the way to Barry and back to the Cosmeston Park stop.

Cosmeston Park with its lakes isn’t natural. It was an old limestone quarry and then a landfill site before it opened as a country park in 1978. People mainly arrive by car, some of the more energetic ones by bike or walk in from the north and a few by bus. It was certainly busy today on a fine summer day in school holidays. The reconstructed medieval village was closed for filming but everything else was open as normal.

I did a figure of eight walk around the lakes stopping to get a coffee at Willmore’s kiosk and taking it to a quiet bench to enjoy the wildlife. There were some peaceful water sports for youngsters talking place, seemingly not interfering with the wildlife, and not of the scale that the water park that had caused protests in recent years.

My book for the day was Spymaster by Martin Pearce, a biography of Sir Maurice Oldfield and his time in MI6. It’s an interesting insight and seems to support of things I have read recently that spying in often more about befriending and influencing rather than covert listening devices etc. An interesting rather than a riveting read I thought.

My No.94 didn’t take the little detour down to Bendricks, that’s only in the early mornings and evenings. Will I return to complete it? I’ll have to think about that.

Bus-Book-Beverage – Cardiff Bus No.91

The No.91 is a summer special that runs for a month or two over the summer months so you have to be on the ball to catch it. The advantage of catching it however is that it’s a pretty fast way to get to Penarth pier. It heads out of the bus station a different way to the other Penarth buses, over to Callaghan Square and you are on Penarth Road before you know it. It is the only Cardiff bus to go through Penarth town and then down the hill to the seafront, terminating at the pier after a 25 minute journey.

I strolled along the pebbly beach practicing trying to stay upright. To think that I used to walk miles of this terrain when I walked the coast. Not now. But the sound of the waves is still special.

My book for the day was Flat Holm Island by Bob Jory and Friends. A good book to read sat on a bench on the pier looking ut to Flat Holm Island. I went there a few years ago on one of those bumpy ribs – speedy but not relaxing. There’s a lot of history associated with the island; a cholera hospital, wartime armaments, a lighthouse, a pub (well that’s a bit of an exaggeration – a hatch selling bottled beer) and dive bombing noisy seagulls.

Things on Penarth Pier were a lot more sedate. Memories of being brought here by my grandparents probably 60 years ago. I’m sure the gaps between the wooden planks on the pier were wider then.

We had coffee from one of the kiosks on the pier and sat in the shade. A lovely way to spend a summer morning. Margaret nudged me and told me there was a Welsh actress sitting next to us. I’ve always been a bit sceptical of her celebrity spotting claims after she came home and said she’s just Gareth Bale in M&S, only because he tuned out playing for Real Madrid the next day.

That’s what you get when you agree to pay a signwriter per letter.

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Bus-Book-Beverage – Cardiff Bus 92b

The 92b is another unusual Cardiff Bus. It goes from Cardiff Bus Interchange out to Penarth Cemetery. The outward journey takes place just four times in the early morning and the return journey twice in the afternoon. That means if you want to do the whole route on the same day you need to spend six hours in the cemetery. I do enjoy a wander around a cemetery but not for six hours so my 92b experience would have to be spread over a couple of days. The 92b is sporting the new orange and pink livery which reminds me of those little ‘four for a penny’ sweets we used to get in my youth.

The difference between the 92 and the 92b is that the later takes in Bessemer Road which is jam packed full of small industrial units ranging from companies selling windows, paints, radios to embroidery. Many years ago I think I recall there being a market down here. We rejoin Penarth Road and go past the Post Office sorting office and over the River Ely. The presence of the nearby dogs home is evidenced by people out doing some volunteer dog walking.

After travelling through Penarth and out the other side we arrive at the cemetery. I do like the brick chapel and town-hall like clock outside. I am less convinced by the presence of a defibrillator outside the entrance. Someone with a dark sense of humour arranged for that to be put there.

Penarth Cemetery Entrance and Defibrilator

I head down to the cliff top where impressionist artist Alfred Sisley once visited and painted a few pieces. I grabbed a coffee from Willmore’s and luckily found the only bench with some shade on the cliff path under a tree. I read my book ‘Men are from Mars and Women from Venus’ in the hope of understanding why men like catching buses in numerical order and women don’t. It didn’t tell me.

Early on in our marriage we both read a similar book that explained that when a woman offloads she isn’t expecting you to solve the problem more just to listen. That was a complete revelation to me. More recently I’ve been told that my advice can be welcome and appreciated. Now I’m left trying to gauge whether I need to be in listening mode or problem solving mode. Another 30 years of practice and I may get it right.

I head down onto the Esplanade and out onto the pier before walking up through Alexandra Gardens and into Penarth.

There was a strange happening on my return visit to catch the 92b back to Cardiff. At the bus stop outside Penarth Cemetery there was a young woman wearing a black silken mourning outfit, her face half covered in a veil and she was carrying an old fashioned lamp. A photographer turned up to take some pictures. I’ve no idea what was going on there.

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Bus-Book-Beverage – Cardiff Bus Skycar

I took a break from catching the Cardiff buses in numerical order in order to take a ride on the Skycar, Cardiff’s open-top summer-only bus, my thinking being that if I left it to the end of the challenge it may be mid-winter and not running.

It starts off in the civic centre and attempts to take in everything Cardiff. There is a quick circuit of the Portland stone civic buildings, university buildings , Alexandra gardens, police stations and law courts. If you are lucky you can catch sight of a perpetrator going in to be sentenced.

Law Courtsc with City Hall and Museum behind.

We then drive past Cardiff Castle, the building we pretend is very old but Cardiffians know is more of a Victorian folly built by the Bute family. It must be said however that the ornate clock tower is lovely. If visitors had wanted to see something truly old they would have looked the other way at St John’s church tower dating back to second half of the 15th century.

As we round the corner into Westgate Street we see another place of worship, Cardiff Arms Park and the Principality Stadium. That was true until a few years ago when Welsh rugby descended into the doldrums. Always a good conversation starter if ever you meet a Welshman, ask them ‘What’s wrong with Welsh rugby?’ but make sure you have an excuse ready to stop the conversation after 45 minutes of listening.

There’s a treat in store for any bus enthusiasts next as we visit the bus station and get views not often seen from normal buses.

The next section of the journey, down to Cardiff Bay showed the changing face of Cardiff. As we go around Callaghan Square road lanes were being fenced off in preparation of the new tram lines that will be constructed from Cardiff Central down to the Bay. We pass the new Bute Street Station nearing completion and then see the cranes working on the 16,000 capacity Cardiff Bay arena.

The Skycar route seems to have changed this year. Although you still get a good view of the Millennium Centre you then are whisked off to Mermaid Quay, the less successful side of the transformation of Cardiff Bay from an architectural point of view. Previously the Skycar went down to past the Norwegian Church and offered views across Cardiff Bay and the barrage but now if you want that you have to alight and take a walk.

I stay on the bus enjoying the breeze and sunshine but the route back is pretty much the route we took there so I entertain myself by telling complete lies to the tourists on board, ‘This is the route Julius Caesar took to into town when he visited Cardiff in 36AD’, ‘Calling a Welshman Taffy is regarded as a term of affection and highly recommended’, and ‘You were lucky to catch the bus this year as next year all motor vehicles are going to be banned from Cardiff and tourists made to ride bicycles’.

After being dropped back at the museum I went over the road and got a coffee at Brodies and read some of Bill Bryson’s ‘Down Under’, still one of my favorite authors.

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Bus-Book-Beverage – Cardiff Bus No.49

I’ll never make a bus expert. I went to the wrong bus stop to catch this one! It sneakily diverts along Broadway rather than continues along Newport Road all the way. A bit of repositioning was necessary.

My destination today was Llanrumney and specifically a visit to the restored Llanrumney Hall which I had never visited. It was in the past owned by the Morgan family of Tredegar House and then later by the Williams family of Roath Court. George Crofts Williams died an unmarried man at Llanrumney Hall in 1913 leaving what would in today’s terms be £31 million. His insignia can still be seen on the fireplace.

Llanrumney Hall fireplace with the George Crosts Williams insignia either side.

I didn’t have too far to go for a beverage as ‘Beans to Coffee’ are next door. I had some breakfast pancakes with maple syrup and ate them outside in the sunshine. It was hot for the first time this year!

I read about the Williams family of Roath Court in a fascinating recently printed publication followed by a walk up the nearby slopes with good views over to the ridgeway.

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Bus-Book-Beverage – Cardiff Bus No.45

A morning start for this trip to avoid the road closures on Rugby International day. We were pulled over at one stage by a flurry of police motor cyclists to allow a black 4×4 with blue flashing lights to zoom past. I’m guessing it was the Prince of Wales on the way to his pre-match dinner in town. Why can’t he catch the bus?

I got off near Tescos and walked down and around Hendre Lake. It is the home of the Cardiff Great War Memorial called Life Cut Short in the shape of a tree stump and especially memorializing those soldiers of the 16^th battalion Welsh Regiment who died at Mametz Wood.

My book for the day was a series of photographs of Rumney which included some of St Mellons. It looks very different today that’s for sure.

Back up at Tescos I searched in vain for a café. I ended up in a Greggs but not the sort of Greggs I am used to so I ended up causing much confusion. This was a Greggs Outlet. Apparently they sell slightly out of day products at discount prices with some of the profits going to the local community. I asked for a vegan sausage roll not realizing that they don’t sell heated products in a Greggs Outlet nor seemingly individual items. They split open a packet and repackaged me a single more in sympathy I think. So cold out-of-date sausage roll and a mug of tea it was. I’m still alive – thanks for asking.

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Bus-Book-Beverage – Cardiff Bus No.35

The No.35 goes up to Gabalfa (the ‘f’ is pronounced like a ‘v’ if you come from outside Wales). I’m guessing this may be one of the shortest Cardiff Bus routes (apart from the odd No.4 route that is).

Cardiff Bus No.35 at Cardiff Bus Interchange

I alighted at Whitchurch Common. The trip didn’t quite go as planned. I was going to go to the café in Ararat Baptist Church but when I got there they were just shutting so quick change of plan. I had a walk on Whitchuch Common, looked at the plaque detailing how US troops were based here in WWII and the avenue of trees they donated.

My Greatest Mistake here was not checking the church cafe opening times ahead of time.

I walked over Gabalfa in search of an eatery. I found the Fork and Spoon Café where I had a friendly welcome. There was a long menu took a bit of reading but I ended up choosing a small traditional breakfast and jolly good it was too with the fried bread particularly good.

My book for the day was The World’s Greatest Mistakes full of amusing anecdotes, more about scams than mistakes in all honesty. There were stories about how scammers sold the Eiffel and how a Lloyds Bank worker in Switzerland lost £32 million on foreign exchange bets and walked away a free man after his trial.

As I had walked over from Whitchurch Common to Gabalfa I had to walk back there to make sure I completed the No.35 route. All good exercise to walk off the breakfast.

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𝗕𝘂𝘀-𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸-𝗕𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 – Cardiff Bus No.21

I’ve just been reading about a popular computer game called ‘Croydon: London Bus Simulator’. Whoever would have thought that would sell. It may be a wet miserable day but I decided to go for the real thing rather ran use a simulator. Today it was the No.21 to Rhiwbina and Whitchurch and a ride on an electric Mercedes-Benz Citaro O530. It’s getting a bit serious now I am beginning to spot the difference between the types of buses.

I went to see my great-grandparents. They are buried in Pant Mawr Cemetery. It’s an appropriate time of year to visit as he was called Evan Christmas Thomas. I never knew them but I spent quite a few years researching them and eventually tracked him down to a small village in West Wales. When the woollen industry collapsed he closed his woollen mill and came to Cardiff as a paint salesman. In 1907 he was unlucky enough to be involved in what must have been one of the first ever hit-and-run cycling accidents on the road between Merthyr and Brecon in 1907. The newspaper reports make fascinating reading. I wrote up the highlights in It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Charismas.

I did find my great grandparents though they have fallen over since my last visit. Their red granite headstone used to be tied to a stake as it had evidently become unstable. The people from Bereavement Services regularly go around doing stability tests. I’ve seen them do it and they give the headstone a real shove. At some stage it must have been decided to lay this one flat rather than just secure it to a stake.

After paying my respects I had a wander around. I’d never seen the interesting large Chinese section in the cemetery. Back on the bus again and out of the rain I headed for Whitchurch and got off in the heart of the village. I sought refuge in The Plough, a former Brains pub now owned by Marsdon’s but still selling Brains beers. I had a pint of Santa’s Ale and jolly nice it was too.

My book for the day was ‘Deep Country: Five Years in the Welsh Hills’ by Neil Ansell. It’s a lovely read about a man who came to Wales and lived in a cottage for five years on his own with no utilities. It’s a gentle read, no bravado or arrogance or looking for sympathy. He has a wonderful in-depth knowledge of nature.

I noted in the bus station that some timetables and routes are changing in January including the No.7 route. Now what should I do? Ignore it, re-do it at the end or re-do it in January? A real dilemma. I’ve got Christmas to think about it and seek counselling.

A trip out on the No.21 Cardiff Bus on a pretty wet day calling off to visit Pant Mawr Cemetery and then on to Whitchurch and a visit to The Plough for a pint of Brains Santa's Ale and a good read. — Cardiff Bus No.21 route

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𝗕𝘂𝘀-𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸-𝗕𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 – Cardiff Bus No.17

The Cardiff Bus No’s 17 and 18 head out west from the city centre to Ely and Caerau, using the same route until they cross Ely Bridge then the 17 goes clockwise and the 18 anti-clockwise. I looked at the route map and decided I’d visit the ruins of St Mary’s Church and Caerau Hill Fort, somewhere I haven’t been for quite some time.

The smooth No 17 electric bus whirred to a halt in traffic on Cowbridge Road for some unknown reason, but armed with a book I didn’t have a care in the world. I noticed how my mental attitude to such as stoppage was completely different than if it were to have happened on my normal route into town to a meeting or alike. After 15 minutes we were moving again though on these quiet electric buses I hadn’t even noticed.

On my walk up the hill I spotted newish Caer Heritage Hidden Hill Fort Centre and being both curious and cheeky I popped my head in. It a was a great find from a number of angles. They had some finds on display uncovered from recent excavations both at the hill fort and Trelai Park. Also, the people there were able to tell me all about the excavation activities and the involvement of the local community.

Some of the finds from Caerau Hill Fort and Trelai Park

I climbed the hill and had the area to myself. I can see why it’s called the hidden hill fort as there is nothing there to see – it’s in the imagination. I thought the orange markers in the adjoining field marked some recent excavations but they were just feeding buckets for the cows. Easy mistake. There’s not much left of St Mary’s Church and unfortunately it is very prone to vandalism being so isolated. Some recent damage to graves was sad to see.

I had got off the bus at a stop called the 4^th Glamorgan Homeguard Club and thought it worth a closer look, if only for its unique name. It’s a friendly place, lots of snooker being played both on the table and the TV. I even had a chat with the ex-Wales pool champion. The Guinness was certainly decent. My book for the day was ‘Cracking the Elements’ by Rebecca Mileham. I describe it as a dipping book i.e. a good book for dipping in and out of and in this case reading about all the elements and the periodic table.

A decent Guinness and Cracking the Elements at the 4th Glamorgan Homeguard Club.

I jumped off my No.17 bus when it got back to Wood Street in town to take a photo, only to be thwarted by the fact it had already changed its headboard to the No.18. Lucky I don’t approach these hobbies too seriously.

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𝐁𝐮𝐬-𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤-𝐁𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 – Cardiff Bus No.13

A friend of mine will be ever so jealous of me catching the No.13 to Drope. He’s been on to me for years saying he is fascinated by the name Drope and one day wants to catch the No.13 there. Wiki tells me ‘Drope is a hamlet in the valley of the River Ely in Vale of Glamorgan, southeast Wales, just beyond the territorial border of western Cardiff’. I took a picture of the bus and sent it to him. There’s one big problem though. The bus doesn’t actually go to Drope. Many years ago I think the bus probably did go there but not anymore. In fact if you look at Google Street View you can see a bus stop in Drope and even an actual bus but the photos are dated 2012. Nowadays the closest you get is Mansell Avenue which leaves you a 15 walk to Drope. So why is the No.13 Cardiff Bus still advertising Drope on it’s headboard? Probably because it would be fairly expensive to change I guess. Being a bit nerdy I asked both an attendant in the bus station and the bus driver whether the bus went to Drope. They looked rather confused/embarrassed, I’m not sure which, but didn’t have an answer.

Before catching the bus I needed a book. I’d had a look around to see what was near the No.13 terminus and spotted the Western Cemetery. I visit Cathays Cemetery on a weekly basis but I think I have only ever been to Western Cemetery once or twice and that was quite a few years ago. I searched to see if there was anyone of note buried there and came across a reference to Mahmood Mattan, the last person to be hung in Cardiff in 1952. In 1998, 45 years after his death, his conviction was quashed. I spotted the was a book, The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed, a non-fiction novel that semi-fictionalises the true story of Mahmood Mattan.

No.13 Cardiff Bus to Drope and Western Cemetery

I looked in the very useful Cardiff Libraries on-line catalogue. It told me they had some eight copies and only two were currently out on loan and that the most convenient one for me to pick up a copy would be Capel i Bawb library at the Infirmary. What a lovely wee library this is, built in a renovated hospital chapel. I was there some ten minutes after it opened, armed with the Dewey classification. Could I find it? No. Luckily there was a librarian on duty who said it was best to ignore the Dewey classification and have look in the fiction section. I suppose that made sense in hindsight considering the book was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2021.

The No.13 took me out along Cowbridge Road, over the River Ely and then into Ely itself. The Halloween decorations had come down and the Christmas decorations starting to appear.

Western Cemetery is large and opened in 1936. There is a war graves section, a fenced off Jewish section, a Greek orthodox section and a couple of Muslim sections. I didn’t have a location for the Mattan grave but I did have a picture and guessed it was in the Muslim section. It took about 30 minutes to locate. On his headstone is inscribed Killed by Injustice. I took a few minutes to reflect on that.

Mahmoud Mattan grave at Western Cemetery, Cardiff

I walked out the other end of the cemetery and onto Cowbridge Road West, past the milestone and found the Café Eighty Nine in The Range. The Christmas shoppers were out in droves but I found a table, ordered a brie and cranberry panini and pot of tea and settled down to read. The Fortune Men is very well written, lovely prose, good social history of Cardiff but a harrowing story at the same time.

Milestone Cowbridge Road Cardiff and The Range Cafe

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