Tee off at golf course

Below is my “Big Day Out” column from the Saturday, August 27, 2011, Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post.
 

 
 
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Tee off at golf course
A big day out! 
RICHARD THOMAS heads to …
Ashleigh Road Pitch & Putt golf course.

WHY?
With the summer sun back why not give golf a go at Ashleigh Road golf course, Swansea's only 10 hole golf course.
WHAT’S THE BUZZ?
Running along the promenade, and situated opposite the road it is named after, is Ashleigh Road Pitch & Putt golf course.
The course has no handicap requirements so it is ideal for beginners of all ages and those who just want to have some fun. It is also a great course for more experienced players to brush up on their pitching and putting skills.
ANY HISTORY?
The game of golf has a long history in Wales. The years 1850-1900 were a time of dramatic changes in Wales. The population virtually doubled in this period. The Industrial Revolution hit the country and the people moved from the countryside to the towns. Suddenly, Welsh men and women had more time on their hands, especially the rich, and they began looking around for something to do with their leisure time.
Tenby Golf Club is officially the oldest club in Wales, having been set up in the autumn of 1888. Many more Welsh courses came into being before the turn of the century.
Borth and Ynyslas, Ceredigion, was in use from 1885, while Baron Hill, on Anglesey, was created in either 1889 or 1890.
Most of the early courses were initially designed to have only nine holes and sometimes ten like the golf course at Ashleigh Road, half of today’s standard 18.
WHAT TO TAKE?
Equipment can be hired for a minimal fee. Just turn up, and “pay and play” a round of golf. Their prices are:
Pay and Play
Standard £4.70, Concession £3.45, PTL £2.10
Club Hire
Standard £2.25, Concession £1.90, PTL £1.00
Golf Ball Purchase
£0.50
Family Ticket
Standard £14.00, Concession £12.00
LOOK OUT FOR?
Asides from the golf course there’s lots of other family activities to check out nearby. You'll find plenty of family fun for free at Blackpill Lido. The Lido is a must when the weather is good with its superb paddling pool, children's play area, climbing rock and picnic facilities. There’s also the award winning Clyne Gardens, the Bay Rider and Swansea Bay to see.
WHEN TO GO?
Ashleigh Road Golf Course is open daily from May to August between 9.30am and 8pm. The last admission is two hours before the stated closing time. From September to April the golf course is open only on weekends.
TELL ME MORE
Heading towards Mumbles on Mumbles Road, Ashleigh Road golf hut is opposite Ashleigh Road on the left hand side, before you get to Blackpill Lido. For sat nav users their postcode is SA3 5AU. For further information and daily closing times call 01792 207544 or visit www.swanseaprom.com.

Experience an exhibit

Below is my “Big Day Out” column from the Saturday, August 20, 2011, Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post.
 

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Experience an exhibit
A big day out! 
RICHARD THOMAS heads to …
Swansea Museum.

WHY?

Swansea Museum was originally setup by the Royal Institution of South Wales, a local group who wanted to investigate all aspects of history, the arts and science at the beginning of the 19th century. Described by the Swansea poet Dylan Thomas as “a museum that belongs in a museum”, the impressive stone building was completed in 1841 in the grand neo-classical style, and is the oldest museum in Wales.
Today visitors are able to see Swansea Museum at four locations: the main museum on Oystermouth Road, The Tramshed on Dylan Thomas Square in Swansea Marina, the museum’s Collections Centre in Landore and the floating exhibits in the dock by The Tramshed.
The main building’s six galleries contain all kinds of unusual objects from Swansea’s past as well as the wider world. One highlight is The Amazing Cabinet of Curiosities gallery dedicated to everything Victorian, an era that was obsessed with the bizarre and strange. It is the museums Egyptology exhibits including an Ancient Egyptian mummy that really puts Swansea Museum on the map, though.
The mummy, named Tem Hor after the god Horus, was a clothier priest and scribe of the god Atum. He lived on the banks of the River Nile in Upper Egypt between 250-200 BCE. The remains and beautifully restored coffin attract mummy worshipers from across South Wales.
Also, if you visit before September 30 you can see the Swansea City Football Club Exhibition. A football focused exhibition commemorating the highs and lows of Swansea City AFC.
In addition to this treasure trove of local and ancient history the museum also has three floating exhibits in its collections which are kept at the Marina: the lightship Helwick; a tug boat called Canning; and the Olga, a Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter built in 1909. Other popular items kept at the museum’s Collections Centre in Landore include old vehicles like a travellers’ van, lorries, a fire engine and two lifeboats, the Naomi Beatty and the William Gammon.
QUIRKY HISTORY?
Swansea Museum is allegedly one of the most haunted locations in Wales. Staff and visitors alike have experienced spooky activity in the main building. According to one member of staff a mysterious “hooded figure” has been seen on several occasions on the stairs and strange “tapping”, “cold spots” and even “whistling” have also been reported.
WHAT TO TAKE?
Admission is free at the museum but you’re not allowed to photograph some of the exhibits. A wide variety of keepsakes including handmade Welsh pottery and glassware, Egyptian memorabilia and Victorian jewellery are all for sale in the Museum Shop.
WHEN TO GO?
Swansea Museum is open from 10am to 5pm every Tuesday to Sunday. Last admissions are at 4pm. The museum is closed Mondays and bank holidays.
WHERE IS IT?
The main building is next door to the LC2. For sat nav users their address and postcode is: Victoria Road, Swansea, SA1 1SN.
CONTACT DETAILS

For more information about exhibitions and events at Swansea Museum you can visit their website at www.swansea.gov.uk/swanseamuseum. You can also phone on 01792 653763.

Tour this sweet treat

Below is my “Big Day Out” column from the Saturday, August 13, 2011, Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post.

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Tour this sweet treat
A big day out! 
RICHARD THOMAS heads to ...
 The Chocolate Factory in Swansea.

WHY?
The Chocolate Factory is unique in Swansea: a real, working chocolate factory offering informative tours for individuals and groups of all ages. With the popularity of the Charlie And The Chocolate Factory film starring Johnny Depp, and the original novel by Roald Dahl, The Chocolate Factory is a fun place to take the kids during their summer break from school. And tour guide, Gareth John, almost like a real-life Willy Wonka, makes sure everyone on the tour gets a chance to see the different factory equipment and taste all the chocolate.
WHAT’S THE BUZZ?
After getting kitted up in the factory’s fashionable hairnets and aprons, the tour begins with a detailed talk about the history of chocolate, from its popularity among the ancient Olmecs and Aztecs of Central America to its discovery by Christopher Columbus and the Spanish Conquistador who conquered Mexico, Hernando Cortes.
This is followed by a walk on the factory floor where you are shown the factory machinery and given a demonstration by Gareth John of how they melt, temper and re-mould chocolate into football shaped lollies, chocolate hearts and other bespoke items.
ANY HISTORY?
The Chocolate Factory was founded by Tony and Michelle Wadley. The brother and sister team moved to the UK from South Africa in 1992, bringing with them their secret recipe for delicious sugar lollipops which they were able to sell to the major high street retailer, Harrods. Building on this success, the two moved to their current premises in 1999 and The Chocolate Factory began doing school tours.
LOOK OUT FOR?
Tour guide Gareth Johns begins the tour by saying, “We’re going to eat a lot of chocolate today!” and this is no exaggeration. As well as the factory’s white, dark and milk chocolate varieties, you also get to taste the new strawberry chocolate being tested by the factory. Gareth also hands out marshmallow lollies, freshly dipped in melted chocolate from one of the factory’s chocolate kettles.
WHAT TO TAKE?
Tours cost £8 for adults and £6 for children aged between three and 16, but group discounts are available for groups of 25 people or more. Cameras are allowed and visitors are encouraged to take photographs throughout the tour. There is also a gift shop where you can buy all the products made in the factory.
WHEN TO GO?
The Chocolate Factory is open for group tours Monday to Friday. They run between four and five tours a day between 9am and 4pm. The summer is The Chocolate Factory’s busiest period of the year, with staff regularly welcoming around 200 costumers a day, so booking in advance is essential. To book phone Gareth John on 01792 561617 or email tours@michton.com.
TELL ME MORE
For sat nav users their address and postcode is: The Chocolate Factory, Swansea West Industrial Park, Fforestfach, Swansea, SA5 4DL. Visit their website at www.thechocfactory.com.

Go ape for cinema

Below is my “Big Day Out” column from the Saturday, August 6, 2011, Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post.
 

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Go ape for cinema
A big day out!
RICHARD THOMAS heads to …
The Odeon cinema in Swansea.　

WHY?
One of the biggest films of the summer, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, is released Thursday, August 11, and there are lots of other big summer blockbusters now showing at the cinema.
WHAT’S THE BUZZ?
The Odeon is a 10 screen cinema situated in the Park Tawe shopping complex in Swansea’s city centre. The cinema is right next door to Tenpin Bowling and other leisure sites including Plantasia and Lazerzone are close by if you want to do something after seeing your film.
The inside of the Odeon is all on one level, allowing easy access for all filmgoers. The cinema has also been upgraded with large screens and digital projectors. Which means filmgoers at the Odeon are able to see 3D versions of the biggest blockbusters like Captain America: The First Avenger, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, and Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
ANY HISTORY?
The Odeon chain of cinemas began in 1928 when Oscar Deutsch opened the first Odeon Cinema in Brierley Hill, a town in the West Midlands, but there is a much older history of film going in Swansea. In 1914 Wales' first purpose built cinema, the Carlton Cinema de Luxe, opened in the city’s Oxford Street. It is now home to a Waterstone’s bookshop.
WHAT TO TAKE?
Ticket prices vary but Friday to Sunday an adult ticket (18 years) costs £7.75 and a child ticket (12 years and under) costs £5.45. Like students and seniors (over 60), a teen ticket (ages 13 to 17) costs £5.75. Don’t forget to bring a photo ID with you, especially if your seeing a film with a 12A, 15 or 18 certificate or want a student discount. More information about ticket prices is available on the Odeon website.
It wouldn’t be the pictures without snacks: popcorn, hot dogs, nachos, sweets and soft drinks are all available at the cinema’s snacks counter. Combos are available to save on costs.
LOOK OUT FOR?
Rise of the Planet of the Apes hits cinemas Thursday, August 11. This is a reboot of the popular Planet of the Apes franchise that began in 1968 with the classic film starring Charlton Heston as astronaut George Taylor. The film uses CGI apes and stars Andy Serkis, best known for playing Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, as a genetically engineered chimpanzee who starts a war for supremacy between humans and apes. Find out more at www.apeswillrise.com.
WHEN TO GO?
The Odeon is open seven days a week. Check the website for film times.
TELL ME MORE
Their address is: Odeon Swansea, Parc Tawe, Swansea, SA1 2BA. To book tickets you can phone their Filmline on 0871 22 44 007 or go to the Odeon in Swansea webpage at www.odeon.co.uk/fanatic/film_times/s19/Swansea.

Take crafty look at history

Below is my “Big Day Out” column from the Saturday, July 30, 2011, Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post.

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Take crafty look at history

A big day out!

RICHARD THOMAS heads to ...

the Gower Heritage Centre.

WHY?
Set in the heart of the Gower Peninsula the Gower Heritage Centre is a fun way to spend your day, whether you’re a group or school and would like to take a coach tour to the Gower and explore what they have on offer, or if you're just passing by and are popping in for a bite to eat at their Tea Rooms.
WHAT’S THE BUZZ?
The Gower Heritage Centre is a visitor attraction and rural life museum based around a working 12th century water-mill. Located only a 15-minuet walk from the breath taking Three Cliffs Bay, the Centre offers fun activities for all the family, including craft shops and craft activities.
ANY HISTORY?
A water powered corn and saw mill was established on the site sometime during the 12th century, with the first written references to the water-mill appearing in government records from about 1300 onwards. In 1990 the Gower Heritage Centre was opened, the 12th century mill was renovated, and experienced craftspeople took up residence on site. Today the Centre welcomes visitors from all around the world.
LOOK OUT FOR?
You can watch the craftspeople resident at the Centre at work and visit their stores as you go round. Some of the gifts available to buy at the Centre include various items in different turned woods made by woodturner John De Filippo, puppets and puppet making kits at Poppet Puppets, as well as paintings and artwork by Cheryl Firths.
Other special items available to buy at the Centre include some amazing driftwood gifts and hand made candles, as well as a range of garden furniture made at the Mill.
There’s also an old fashioned games arcade, as well as a sandpit area, adventure playground, soft play area, and tractor play area. There’s even an animal farm with ducks, baby rabbits, guinea pigs, goats, sheep, horses and other animals.
And, if all that wasn’t enough to see, the Centre is also home to the smallest cinema in Wales, the La Charrette.
WHAT TO TAKE?
There is a small entry fee of £5.50 for adults and £4.50 for children. Seniors and disabled visitors only pay £4.50 and you can opt to buy a family ticket (2 adults and up to 4 children) for just £18.00. More information about entry prices can be found on the Gower Heritage Centre website at: http://www.gowerheritagecentre.co.uk/ Also, don’t forget to bring a camera with you to take some snaps of your trip.
WHEN TO GO?
The Gower Heritage Centre is open from 10am to 5pm Monday to Sunday.
TELL ME MORE
You can contact the Gower Heritage Centre at the following address:
Gower Heritage Centre,
Parkmill,
Gower,
Swansea,
SA3 2EH
You can also telephone on:
1792 371206
And fax on:
1792 371471
or Email at: reception@gowerheritagecentre.co.uk