A coach load of us spent a day in Cardiff. Not only was it the hottest day of the year so far, but at 36 degrees Cardiff was the UK’s No1 hotspot.
The primary reason for the visit was to see a touring production of Fawlty Towers but some passengers chose to shop or meet friends and relatives.
Fortunately the city centre has lots of shady cool places, the Museum and Art Gallery, Cardiff Castle and St David’s shopping mall, as well as the many pubs, restaurants and arcades. I chose to visit the castle to admire the Burgess interior of the 19th century Victorian home built in the grounds by the Bute family. After our few hours in the city centre the majority of us went to see the show at the iconic Millennium Theatre at the Bay which has the second largest stage in Europe.
The theatre had air-conditioning and was very comfortable and from our circle seats we could admire the wooden interior and the size of the stage. For those of us who well remember the TV series, it was a nostalgia fest – all the usual phrases, mannerisms and knock-about humour being faithfully re-enacted by the highly competent and energetic actors. In fact, there was only one actor whose name I recognised – Joanne Clifton (former dancer and sister of Kevin Clifton) who played Polly. I thoroughly enjoyed the production and I didn’t hear anyone expressing disappointment.
The only downside to the day was the difficulty in picking up the passengers who had stayed in the town. In their efforts to discourage traffic in and around the city, Cardiff planners had made alternative arrangements for coaches dropping off and picking up. I can only admire the poor souls who had to sprint up an unfamiliar road in the searing heat to find the only place the coach could stop. Also Louise, our coach driver, showed tremendous forbearance and fortitude in finding a spot to stop.
Carolyn Eason