Grand day out!

Below you can see my old “Grand Day Out” columns I wrote for the South Wales Evening Post before I started writing my weekly “Big Day Out” column on Saturdays. Just click on the photos to read them.

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Grab your bargains

Below is my “Big Day Out” column from the Saturday, July 16, 2011, Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post.

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Grab your bargains
  A big day out!

RICHARD THOMAS heads to …

the Singleton Park Car Boot Sale in Swansea.

WHY?
What with the economic downturn car boot sales are a good way to save money and even make some extra cash and one of Wales’ five biggest is held every Saturday opposite Singleton Hospital in the car park of the Wales National Pool in Swansea.
WHAT’S THE BUZZ?
The Singleton Park Car Boot Sale is a well run car boot sale in the heart of Swansea which helps to raise funds for Singleton Hospital. Attendance barring bad weather is usually very good and there are lots of good deals to be grabbed.
ANY HISTORY?
Father Harry Clarke, a Catholic priest from Stockport first introduced the car boot sale to the UK after seeing a similar event being held in Canada while on holiday there in the early 1970s. Car boot sales now happen regularly across the UK every weekend of the year.
WHAT TO TAKE?
A carrier bag for your purchases would be useful. Food and hot drinks are available. You can choose between burgers and hotdogs or a healthy option. There’s also an ice cream van and a bouncy castle to keep the kids busy.
If you want to have a go at selling your unwanted clutter, cars cost £10.00, and vans and cars with trailers cost £15.00. Aim to get there before 6.00am if you want a good pitch to sell from as the car park fills up very quickly.
LOOK OUT FOR?
Goods available to buy typically include clothes, ornaments, pictures, books, toys and games, CDs, Blu-rays, DVDs, VHS tapes and even electrical goods like digital cameras and game consoles. Videos only cost 50p each and sometimes as little as 10p.
There’s plenty for collectors. When I visited I saw on display classic Playstation, Super Nintindo and Gameboy games and consoles. There were also a lot of old figurines from classic kids TV shows and films like Star Wars and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Some of which are worth a lot more money on websites like eBay for collectors. You might even find some new furniture.
WHEN TO GO?
The car boot sale is open every Saturday all year round from 7.00am to 1.00pm. But begins to close around 12.00pm, so get there early. After 12.00pm prices start coming down if you want to look for some last minuet bargains. I bought a DVD of James Toback’s 2008 film Tyson for just £1.00, original price £5.00!
TELL ME MORE
You can find the Singleton Park Car Boot Sale across the road from Singleton Hospital Car Park. Go to Oystermouth Road, Sketty Lane, Sketty, Swansea, SA2 8QA. Details for this car boot sale and others can be found at www.carbootsaledirectory.co.uk.

Discover wartime past

Below is my “Big Day Out” column from the Saturday, July 9, 2011, Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post.

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Discover wartime past
  A big day out!

   RICHARD THOMAS heads to ...

 the 1940s Museum. 

WHY?

Ever wanted to travel back in time? If so, then why not enjoy an educational day out at the 1940s Swansea Bay Museum. With the winter months here, it’s fun for all the family whatever the weather.

WHAT’S THE BUZZ?

The 1940s Swansea Bay Museum is based in Crymlyn Burrows off the Fabian Way in Swansea. The Museum contains exhibits showing what life was like in the Swansea Bay area during and in the immediate aftermath of World War II. The Museum offers visitors a unique chance to discover for themselves what life was like for civilians on the “Home Front” during the war and experience the sights and sounds of an air raid first hand. You even get to find out what you could eat with a week’s rations and dress up in 1940s clothes and uniforms!

ANY HISTORY?

Lots, it’s a museum after all. Most people have heard of the London “Blitz”, but the ports and industrial towns of South Wales were also targets for the German Luftwaffe, a three-night bombing campaign on Swansea in February, 1941, left most of the city destroyed. The 1940s Swansea Bay Museum was setup six years ago to tell the story of the impact of the bombing raids on the area, and how local people managed to cope with the devastation of total war. The Museum is preparing to mark the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Swansea, in February next year.

LOOK OUT FOR?

There are many highlights. The Museum have just recently opened a new exhibit, an authentic wartime grocer's shop, where visitors can see what products available then are still on store shelves today. “Items like Spam, tinned beans and Weetabix are all here on display - although the Weetabix used to come in a tin rather than a box”, according to Museum director John Thomas. In addition short films and displays of actual material from the period help bring to life a time over 65 years ago when every Briton had to carry a gas mask and identity card with them. But the best part of the exhibition has to be the RAF plotting room, where you follow the course of the German bombers before taking cover in the air raid shelter! If you survive the German bombs, when the all clear sounds, you can stroll down the reconstructed 1940s street, past houses, shops and into the corner pub.

WHAT TO TAKE?

Don’t forget to bring a camera with you.

WHEN TO GO?

The Museum is open daily 10am-4pm (last admission 1 hour before closing).

TELL ME MORE

Visit: www.1940sswanseabay.co.uk

Tel: 01792 458864

Email: mail@1940sSwanseaBay.co.uk