One or two of you lovely ladies asked if the article I wrote for Fat Quarter would be available online so I thought I would put my original copy on here (the final article was edited slightly)-

'Cardiff is a small city with a population of just 328,000 but there is plenty to do here. With over 20,000 university students living in Cardiff it has a really young feel.

Cardiff boasts an array of Victorian and Edwardian arcades which are home to lots of unique stores and cafés.
Wally’s delicatessen is based in the Royal Arcade and stocks a great variety of meats, cheese, whole foods and sauces. It’s also a great place to pick up American treats like a box of Lucky Charms and Reese’s Cups. http://wallysdeli.co.uk/


One of Cardiff’s most famous shops, Spillers Records, the oldest records store in the world, has recently relocated to Morgan Arcade – its 3rd home since opening in 1894. Spillers offer a diverse selection of music on both CD and vinyl. They host some great in store acoustic sessions and the staff have a vast music knowledge and don’t mind you spending hours flicking through all the great records. http://www.spillersrecords.co.uk/


Cardiff isn’t just a top shopping destination there’s also plenty of culture on offer. National Museum Wales is hosting a programme of exhibitions to celebrate LGBT History Month during February. People, Personalities and Power: Faces from Wales is a display of Welsh portraits from the museum’s collection and is on display until Sunday 8 May. The display will include recently acquired photographs by Angus McBean, including a self-portrait by McBean and a pair of portraits of Welsh actor and playwright Emlyn Williams. There will also be a talk about how Angus McBean’s sexuality influenced his work, more details can be found here- http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/

(obviously this bit is a tad dated now but the museum currently has a fab Toulouse-Lautrec exhibition and a new collection of contemporary silversmithing called Silverstruck)

For a great night out try Chick Habit. It’s a club night at Undertone (basement of 10 Feet Tall) that only plays indie, pop and Motown records sung by girls.
Cardiff is Europe’s newest and smallest capital but that’s no bad thing.'



A few more Cardiff related things for you here...

I've mentioned Cardiff Arcades Project blog before but it's well worth another look. Amy Davies takes the most wonderful photos of the shops and the people in Cardiff's arcades, here are some examples of her work-