View Full Version : Anyone fancy writing an article on some Cardiff history?
RubberBuccaneer
12-08-2005, 14:47
It doesn't have to be long gone, in fact some anything that has gone or is going is fine, memories of a scene ( Zog/" Hardcore..rave/Rajahs?hippos ), people , places.
A lot has been touched on here previously, but I thought I'd get it down on paper so to speak.
The format is of a blog ( as it's the easiest one I could do ), maybe I could convert it in future if there's a will.
All are welcome to post, I've only done a sample as I'm pissing off to Devon for a week, so the article will be completed later, complete with mugshot of Johnny Hop
p.m. me for username/password unless there's another way everyone can post
p.s. no bloody Billy the Seal
if you can think of a better name do so please (http://cardiff-cityofangles.blogspot.com/2005/08/opium-dens.html)
lunatrick
13-08-2005, 17:41
I used to run friday nights a rajahs for a while, have played many times at the hippo, free parties etc . Could be interested in getting involved, living in london now, but still have good memories..........well what I CAN remember :)
LilMissHissyFit
13-08-2005, 19:09
Whats wrong with Billy the seal???? :p
Brockway
13-08-2005, 22:45
I saw that mugshot of Yee Sing aka Johnny Hop in the Western Mail when I did some research on the opium dens of old Cardiff town, a few months back. The Western Mail's coverage of the story was much more picture-oriented than the Echo's if I remember correctly. You should also check out the Cardiff Times coverage. I loved the article where they speculate whether he used opium, cocaine or hashish. Did you see the picture of the funeral too? So cool. In fact if you are as tragic as me you will take yourself off to Cathays cemetery and locate his grave. The Chinese section of the boneyard is one of my favourite corners of Cardiff.
King Biscuit Time
15-08-2005, 13:37
The Chinese section of the boneyard is one of my favourite corners of Cardiff.
Seconded, I can (and frequently do) spend hours wandering round Cathays Cemetery, pondering life and other moral conundrums such as whether I'd be prepared to eat magic mushrooms that are growing on someones grave. ;)
2 Hardcore
16-08-2005, 09:34
When my daughter was in primary school, they had a day trip to Cathays Cemetery :eek: They were given glossy info sheets about its history and the wildlife there.
Anyone remember the (New) Moon club, just off the Hayes? (c1970's/early '80's)
phildwyer
16-08-2005, 16:57
When my daughter was in primary school, they had a day trip to Cathays Cemetery :eek: They were given glossy info sheets about its history and the wildlife there.
Anyone remember the (New) Moon club, just off the Hayes? (c1970's/early '80's)
I do, and Smiley's too. They demolished that whole area and built Toys R Us about 20 years ago.
Uncle Noah
16-08-2005, 17:00
When my daughter was in primary school, they had a day trip to Cathays Cemetery :eek: They were given glossy info sheets about its history and the wildlife there.
Anyone remember the (New) Moon club, just off the Hayes? (c1970's/early '80's)
Newcastle Brown Ale and No Glasses! Yep and those friggin stairs!
..........and Tiger Bay Rock,
Now it's the Cafe quarter ice rink toys r us section of the city.
welcome uncle noah :)
more fresh blood in the Cymru Camp, might even be able to have a urban cardiff meet soon :)
:rolleyes: :p
2 Hardcore
17-08-2005, 11:35
Newcastle Brown Ale and No Glasses! Yep and those friggin stairs!
Oh yes, in fact the floors always seemed to be awash with Newcastle Brown! And those stairs were a real challenge weren't they. One Saturday morning we were woken by a friend we'd seen in there the night before, completely totalled; he had his arm in plaster after finishing his night in the infirmary - couldn't remember what had happened - it took him a few days to track down someone who remembered that those stairs had just proved too much for him at the end of the night and he'd fallen most of the way down them :eek:
(And just those two absolutely minging toilets and the queues for them....)
Uncle Noah
17-08-2005, 23:10
(And just those two absolutely minging toilets and the queues for them....)
Yeah that's right, Caroline Street was the biggest toilet I have ever known, and Mill Lane (market stalls,) if you could avoid all the rotting vegtables and oranges left out for the bins.
Always too scared to get really drunk, the place was full of charming individuals with tidy hair, smartly dressed with a pleasant manner about them............................wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh AS IF! :D
Yeah that's right, Caroline Street was the biggest toilet I have ever known, :D
saw them hosing and machining it down on monday morning :D
RubberBuccaneer
20-08-2005, 12:39
I saw that mugshot of Yee Sing aka Johnny Hop in the Western Mail when I did some research on the opium dens of old Cardiff town, a few months back. The Western Mail's coverage of the story was much more picture-oriented than the Echo's if I remember correctly. You should also check out the Cardiff Times coverage. I loved the article where they speculate whether he used opium, cocaine or hashish. Did you see the picture of the funeral too? So cool. In fact if you are as tragic as me you will take yourself off to Cathays cemetery and locate his grave. The Chinese section of the boneyard is one of my favourite corners of Cardiff.
Have you got images for that T. as I scanned mine from an old echo,( I couldn't seen a site ).?
Re Cathays , anyone seen th Masonic grave there? really good covered in allthe symbols you'd ever want to theorize about?
ATB UTC
Brockway
22-08-2005, 18:49
No, I just made a few notes of the dates, addresses etc.
Mind you, it's nothing to take photocopies off the microfilm readers (50p a throw) in the library; or if you've got a digital camera you can photograph the hard copies for nothing.
Another interesting former resident of Cardiff was Michael X (do a Google search on him - he was one mad b*stard). He came to Cardiff in 1957 from the West Indies, stayed for about a year then moved on to London). Been trying to find out where exactly he lived but with no success so far.
And another favourite bit of "Babylon Cardiff" - remember the Animal Liberation Front bomb that ignited but failed to explode in the fur department of Howells in 1987? Oooh just imagine the carnage.
:eek:
RubberBuccaneer
23-08-2005, 13:40
Fuck bugger, this blog stuff bloody hard, can't get my pics to go up.
I shot my goat too early :o
Don't remember the ALF, as I was elsewhere in '87. Spect the St Davisa steps were raided that day.
Hi All,
After passing by i decided to join & respond to the emails about the Cemetery.
It's nothing much,but,it means a lot to my family & i,you see,my family lived & looked after it from 1862 till 1952,they lived in the Upper Wedal & had some wonderful times.
Many stories have been told from one generation to another about life in the cemetery,some good,some bad. Trouble is, when they have their Heritage Trail,none of this is mentioned,which it should be, as we don't ever think of the people who worked there.
In 1969 i was luckly enough to see the house,before it was knocked down,as a kid it was a huge scary place,but to my dad it was home!!
In 2000, i took my dad to where the new house is,called the Wedal,it stands a long side about 60 ft from where the house where my dad lived. He got out of the car,& saw....Nothing,he was gutted,he couldn't talk & the tears flowed from his eyes,i left him to remember.
So at one time or another please give a thought to those that slooged their guts out digging those graves by Spade & in those days you dug down over 20 ft,needed to,had to get 3-4 coffins in.
My Grand dad kept up the work & became Forman of Lambeth Cemetery,Blackshaw Rd,Tooting,London,this is where digging one to many graves by hand killed him,his father & his father,this is why i can understand my father quite rightly refusing to become the next Grave digger.
So if you remember the Gardner family from the Upper Wedal Cathays Cemetery,i would love to hear from you,you just might be related!
Thanks.
Kaz.
"Genealogy -disturbing the dead,and irritating the living"
Still looking for;
Ashford- Moar,Canning,Field,Flagg,Gardner,Gardiner,Hanny,
Hayes,Houghton,Jolly,Keeley,Lalor,Marlow,McGill,Mould,Matthews,Phillips,
Rogers,Rowlands,Treasize, and Twissell
croeso/welcome kazig, please stick around :)
and good luck in your quest
Is this the cemetary at top of Cryws road where it joins to whitchurch road? I used to go past it on my bike on the way to my g/fs and it scared the hell out of me at night, but i was strangely attracted to it!?
Udo Erasmus
13-07-2006, 11:11
One of my best friends, told me once that he was walking by this cemetery and he saw the face of God looking down from the clouds and smiling, he wrote a series of very intense and powerful poems about his religious experiences. He was later hospitalised and described as suffering from extreme psychosis, though personally I take a slightly different angle on these matters to the medical establishment.
croeso/welcome kazig, please stick around :)
and good luck in your quest
Thanks very much. I have so far found over 3,000 relations most of them a direct line :)
Kaz.
ginger_syn
13-07-2006, 12:13
I used to run friday nights a rajahs for a while, have played many times at the hippo, free parties etc . Could be interested in getting involved, living in london now, but still have good memories..........well what I CAN remember :)
:D some of the best nights out I've had.
I've only been here 10 years, but I know a few long time cardiffians, maybe tape some stuff.
Is this the cemetary at top of Cryws road where it joins to whitchurch road? I used to go past it on my bike on the way to my g/fs and it scared the hell out of me at night, but i was strangely attracted to it!?
Not sure of the names of the roads,but it's also on Allensbank rd,it's the 2nd largest cemetery in the UK & opened in 1859.
The council ruined a lot of it,by splitting it in half by shoving a road through it.
When they first decided to do this,they contacted my dad to ask permission to remove some of our family graves,my dad told them where to go,they had no choice & put the rd in else where.
My dad used to fish under the railway bridge in the cemetery,used to catch a lot of fish then.
He also used to sit up in the huge conifers,& use his cataplut to fire hazel nuts at the grave diggers back sides,they never knew who or where they came from.
There are lot of ghost stories that was told to keep the kids out at night,these were told by my family,i know all of them,my dad used to walk around the cemetery in the dark & during the war,this didn't bother him one bit,as the old saying goes,it's not the dead that hurt you,it's the buggers living!!!
One bomb exploded in the cemetery & that shifted the house 18 inches,all the windows were blown out,graves blown open,bones everywhere,dogs had a hey day runing off & chomping on someone's thigh bone!!
People said my dad was a liar when he used to tell them about the bomb & he proved it as his grand fathers veggie plot was next to the house & all the soil was against the side wall,after the bomb shiffted it,all the soil & veggies were not supported by the wall & they were runied.
His grand father was not a happy bunny......Strong words were said & a few insults were said about the Germans!!!
Is this the cemetary at top of Cryws road where it joins to whitchurch road? I used to go past it on my bike on the way to my g/fs and it scared the hell out of me at night, but i was strangely attracted to it!?
Not sure of the names of the roads,but it's also on Allensbank rd,it's the 2nd largest cemetery in the UK & opened in 1859.
The council ruined a lot of it,by splitting it in half by shoving a road through it.
When they first decided to do this,they contacted my dad to ask permission to remove some of our family graves,my dad told them where to go,they had no choice & put the rd in else where.
My dad used to fish under the railway bridge in the cemetery,used to catch a lot of fish then.
He also used to sit up in the huge conifers,& use his cataplut to fire hazel nuts at the grave diggers back sides,they never knew who or where they came from.
There are lot of ghost stories that was told to keep the kids out at night,these were told by my family,i know all of them,my dad used to walk around the cemetery in the dark & during the war,this didn't bother him one bit,as the old saying goes,it's not the dead that hurt you,it's the buggers living!!!
One bomb exploded in the cemetery & that shifted the house 18 inches,all the windows were blown out,graves blown open,bones everywhere,dogs had a hey day runing off & chomping on someone's thigh bone!!
People said my dad was a liar when he used to tell them about the bomb & he proved it as his grand fathers veggie plot was next to the house & all the soil was against the side wall,after the bomb shiffted it,all the soil & veggies were not supported by the wall & they were runied.
His grand father was not a happy bunny......Strong words were said & a few insults were said about the Germans!!! :) :) :)
Kaz.
"Genealogy -disturbing the dead,and irritating the living"
Still looking for;
Ashford- Moar,Canning,Field,Flagg,Gardner,Gardiner,Hanny,
Hayes,Houghton,Jolly,Keeley,Lalor,Marlow,McGill,Mould,Matthews,Phillips,
Rogers,Rowlands,Treasize, and Twissell
RubberBuccaneer
13-07-2006, 12:44
My Cathays Photos
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/1003/stan106/Cathays%20Cemetary/?action=view&slideshow=true
My Cathays Photos
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/1003/stan106/Cathays%20Cemetary/?action=view&slideshow=true
cool, do u want a hand with the level on some of the dark one's?
send em over
and sorry, couldn't resist
toocheeky:D:p
ie
http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/5162/rbchurch17vr.jpg
Excellent pictures thank you.
Do you know if anyone has a photo of the old house???
Kaz.
"Genealogy -disturbing the dead,and irritating the living"
Still looking for;
Ashford- Moar,Canning,Field,Flagg,Gardner,Gardiner,Hanny,
Hayes,Houghton,Jolly,Keeley,Lalor,Marlow,McGill,Mould,Matthews,Phillips,
Rogers,Rowlands,Treasize, and Twissell
RubberBuccaneer
13-07-2006, 13:48
cool, do u want a hand with the level on some of the dark one's?
send em over
and sorry, couldn't resist
toocheeky:D:p
Turk !
Can you host a song I mixed ? :o
****!
Can you host a song I mixed ? :o
depends how big it is and how many legions of fans ya got! :p
RubberBuccaneer
13-07-2006, 13:56
depends how big it is and how many legions of fans ya got! :p
C'mon we can take those big shot Londoners !
C'mon we can take those big shot Londoners !
not that awfull 'punk' music is it?
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/9128/drmop6ny.jpg
:p
nah, how big is the file is it an mp3 or what?
RubberBuccaneer
13-07-2006, 14:07
not that awfull 'punk' music is it?
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/9128/drmop6ny.jpg
:p
nah, how big is the file is it an mp3 or what?
It's just two songs cobbled together so not long, in fact It'd be cheeky to call it a mix :p
It's just two songs cobbled together so not long, in fact It'd be cheeky to call it a mix :p
so how big then? :rolleyes:
just bloody send it me:p
RubberBuccaneer
13-07-2006, 14:44
One of my best friends, told me once that he was walking by this cemetery and he saw the face of God looking down from the clouds and smiling, he wrote a series of very intense and powerful poems about his religious experiences. He was later hospitalised and described as suffering from extreme psychosis, though personally I take a slightly different angle on these matters to the medical establishment.
Like what ?
don't - I'll be out of a job:D
I hope the isn't too spammy, but if anyone would be interested in writing articles about Cardiff history for Cardiffpedia, wether it be nightclubs that don't exist anymore or Cathays cemetary, they are more than welcome.
I think RubberBuccaneer was going to do an article on Opium Dens.
http://www.cardiffpedia.co.uk
If anyone needs help with it, contact me via the site or PM me on here. There is also a thread going about it.
neprimerimye
23-07-2006, 16:37
One of my best friends, told me once that he was walking by this cemetery and he saw the face of God looking down from the clouds and smiling, he wrote a series of very intense and powerful poems about his religious experiences. He was later hospitalised and described as suffering from extreme psychosis, though personally I take a slightly different angle on these matters to the medical establishment.
Oh do tell us more dear Udo? Would I be wrong in guessing that you like that turd R D Laing?
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