August 2026. Cardiff.
A whole day in Cardiff with no plans. No football, no pubs, no Chinese takeaway trail through Splott.
A quick look at the market, a triumph of function over form,
and a dither at the big clock facing what used to be (in my mind) a run of top Brain’s houses.
The Cottage, now restyled TC (as in Top Cat), looks a shadow of the place we used to sink six pints of SA.
Like Newport, Cardiff has some great statues, like this one of Betty Campbell, Wales’ first black headteacher.
The sun was out, we headed to the Bay, a long route via Grangetown rather than the fast one down the wharf.
The Retired Martin family like to be different for the sake of it. Mrs RM always tries to be away on 25th December, preferably on that cheap 10 hour flight no-one else wants to take as they’re waiting for Santa Claus.
In 2010 we booked five nights in for £55 (do the Math) at a Travelodge on Newcastle Quayside during the Big Freeze, and a year later beat that with Sunday to Friday in Cardiff Bay through to Christmas Eve for £9 a night. And free parking by the cinema.
A great family holiday; Harry Potter at the Odeon, ice cream, John Barrowman at the panto, Techniquest Science Centre, ice cream, the skatepark and the short-lived Doctor Who museum.
Doctor Who dominated Cardiff for a decade or more, and Whovians can still see the sites where the Suntorans fought the Slithyreeens for a pint of Felinfoel Double Dragons or something.
Today the sun brings young and old to the water,
where there’s a fun fair outside the wonderful Millennium Centre,
which is continuing the Who theme with Gallifrey Cabaret next month.
Reports welcome.
Apart from the Victorian Packet, the pub choices are bit mainstream; Spoons and Cosy Club dominate, but there is one oddity as we approach the port.
Unless you live there, you’ll never guess which cutting-edge brewery runs this pub diner.
You cheated !
retiredmartin 
Yes, I cheated. And my gob is well and truly smacked.
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Yes, gone is “a run of top Brain’s houses”.
Last autumn I thought the Cambrian Tap was poor, the Duke of Wellington a bit better and the Old Arcade and City Arms not too bad.
I didn’t stop off in Cardiff this spring on my eight day Explore Wales ticket, forty pubs in thirty-two other settlements by train and bus instead.
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Sorry, it was forty PINTS in thirty-two PUBS in sixteen settlements over seven days, with Sunday in the middle at home.
Not that I expect anyone to be interested, but here’s the pubs I used in March, the four in capitals being the ones I stayed in.
Barmouth = Last Inn, TAL Y DON
Borth = Railway, Victoria
Broad Haven = Galleon, Ocean
Carmarthen = BOARS HEAD, Castle, Drovers Arms, Yr Hen Dderwen
Dolgellau = Cross Keys, Royal Ship , Torrent Walk
Haverfordwest = Bristol Trader , Hotel Mariners , William Owen
Little Haven = Castle, St Brides
Llandudno = Albert, Links
Llandudno Junction = Old Station Hotel
Llanelli = York Palace
Machynlleth = Skinners Arms
Prestatyn = HQ PENCADLYS , Raven
Pwllheli = Pen Cob
Ruthin = Castle
St Davids = Bishops , Cross Hotel , Farmers Arms , GROVE
Wrexham = Wynstay Arms
( Also Shrewsbury = Bulls Head )
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You’d be surprised how interesting it is, Paul.
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Thanks, but alarming rather than interesting I’ve just realised. Five of those 32 (16%) are Tim’s venues which means there’s often nothing else mid morning across Wales. It’s fourteen of 227 ( a more acceptable 6% ) of English pubs so far this year that Tim controls.
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My friend and I had numerous Travelodge Easter (for us) 3 day breaks for £27 mind you had to be on the computer at 6am on release day for the bargain £9 a room deals to stay where you wanted to go. Happy days and bonus no annual leave to be used.
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I’ve just been looking for a Travelodge down in East Anglia tonight and there’s nothing much under £100.
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The oddity pub diner has an interesting history as the building was apparently moved 100 metres to its present location by Pickfords.
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