Such a sweet day out

Below is my “Big Day Out” column from the Saturday, September 8, 2012, Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post.

 
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Such a sweet day out

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 3 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 the address and postcode is: The Chocolate Factory, Swansea West Industrial Park, Fforestfach, Swansea, SA5 4DL. Visit www.thechocfactory.com.
Richard Thomas's new book Sci-Fi Worlds is available from Amazon. Visit www.richardthomas.eu.

Down at the farm

Below is my “Big Day Out” column from the Saturday, September 1, 2012, Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post.

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A big day out!

RICHARD THOMAS heads to … Swansea Community Farm in Fforestfach. 

WHY? With the new school year about to start, what better way to finnish the summer holidays than with a trip to Wales’ only city farm.
WHAT’S THE BUZZ? Swansea Community Farm in Fforestfach, Swansea is a community-led farm run by local people for the benefit of the wider community. The farm provides a fun location where people of all ages can learn about the environment, organic gardening and animal care. Activities held on the 3.5 acre site are run in a way that minimises any negative impact on the environment whilst helping to enhance local biodiversity and encourage nature conservation.
ANY HISTORY? The farm was conceived in 1992 but it wasn’t until 1998 that a suitable site was found for the city farm. The registered charity was setup to provide opportunities for local volunteers to develop new skills running the farm and to teach visitors about the environment. Volunteers of all ages and abilities have been instrumental in all stages of the farm’s development from the start: setting up a management committee, consulting with the community, planning the site layout and building site structures. In 2004 the front of site was landscaped to make the entrance more attractive, and in 2006 the workshop and animal house was built. The arrival of the first animals to the farm also brought a new interest from adults and children wanting to work with animals in a farm setting. Soon after a raised bed garden was constructed to provide opportunities for volunteers with mobility constraints to participate in farm activities. By the end of 2006 an apiary was constructed under the guidance of The West Glamorgan Beekeepers Association who also provided training for volunteers interested in learning about beekeeping. The farm now opens six days a week and have 200 child and youth members, 155 adult volunteers, over 50 animals, 10 trustees and nine members of staff.
WHAT TO TAKE? The farm depends on membership and donations. A years membership only costs £5. Bring a packed lunch with you and don’t forget to bring your camera.
LOOK OUT FOR? The 3.5 acre site consists of an office, workshop, animal house, cafe, wildlife pond, duck pond, allotments, orchard, apiary, paddocks, adventure play area, fire pit, compost demonstration area, raised beds, and picnic space. There’s also over 50 different animals to see, including sheep, pigs, chickens, rabbits and ducks.
WHEN TO GO? The Farm is open six days a week: Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm.
TELL ME MORE: For sat nav usesrs the address and postcode is: 2 Pontarddulais Road, Fforestfach, Swansea, SA5 4BA. Phone 01792 578384 or go to www.swanseacommunityfarm.org.uk.
Richard Thomas's new book Sci-Fi Worlds is available from Amazon. Visit www.richardthomas.eu.

Relax and be inspired

Below is my “Big Day Out” column from the Saturday, August 25, 2012, Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post.

  

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Relax and be inspired

A big day out! 

RICHARD THOMAS heads to Singleton Botanical Gardens in Swansea. 

WHY? The gardens are at their most stunning in August. Set within the tranquil surroundings of Singleton main park, it is a very relaxing place to sit and relax, as well as seek some inspiration for your own garden. WHAT’S THE BUZZ? The beautiful Botanical Gardens are based in the old Walled Garden which was used as the kitchen and flower garden by the Vivian family from 1853. Today the gardens contain fine specimens of rare and exotic plants from across the world. There’s plenty to take in, the Botanical Gardens house one of Wales' premier collections of florae, with spectacular herbaceous borders and large glasshouses packed full of displays. The gardens are also home to Ty'r Blodau, an educational and visitor centre available for school visits, workshops and meetings.
ANY HISTORY? In 1847 John Henry Vivian purchased Veranda House for his son Henry Vivian and his wife Jessie. Less than a year later, sadly, Jessie died giving birth to their son. Distraught by his wife’s death, the rich industrialist resolved never to live in the house and by 1853 only the estate lodge remained, the principal part of Veranda House having been dismantled. St Paul's Church in Sketty was built as a memorial to Jessie and a bronze and red granite statue of Henry Vivian still stands near St. Mary’s Church in the city centre. By 1919 the Singleton Estate as it had become had amalgamated some 12 farms to amass 250 acres. That year the Swansea County Borough Council decided to purchase the land from the Vivian family for use as a public park. Daniel Bliss, who was trained at Kew Gardens, was chiefly responsible for the purchase of the estate and in 1920 began to oversee its transformation into a public park and garden. Today’s Botanical Gardens is largely the result of his vision.
WHAT TO TAKE? Singleton Botanical Gardens are free for the public to visit. Parking can be found on Sketty Road outside Singleton Park. Inside the park is the fabulous Pub On The Pond serving great value food everyday of the week for the whole family.
LOOK OUT FOR? The glasshouses simulate a variety of different climates from around the world: in the hot Desert House environment you'll find cacti and succulent plants, while in the Tropical House you can see plants found in the rain forest and tropical jungles. These include the comprehensive collection of orchids and epiphytes such as bromeliads and tillandsias. In the Economics glasshouse you’ll find plants that come from mostly sub-tropical regions and some Mediterranean countries, and that are of economic importance, including sugar cane, coconuts, olives and coffee. This glasshouse also contains a colourful collection of begonias.
WHEN TO GO? The gardens are open everyday until 8pm in August. Regular plant sales take place in the gardens every Saturday.
TELL ME MORE: You can find them at Singleton Park in Swansea. For sat nav users the postcode is SA2 8QD. Phone 01792 298637.
Richard Thomas's new book Sci-Fi Worlds - Doctor Who, Doomwatch, Battlestar Galactica And Other Cult TV Shows is available from Amazon. Visit www.richardthomas.eu.

Strike it lucky in city

Below is my “Big Day Out” column from the Saturday, August 18, 2012, Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post.

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Strike it lucky in city

A big day out!

RICHARD THOMAS heads to Tenpin Bowling in Swansea.

WHY? Tenpin Swansea, formerly Megabowl, is the only ten pin bowling alley in Swansea, located in the Parc Tawe shopping and leisure complex near the city centre.

WHAT’S THE BUZZ? Tenpin Swansea offers a host of family friendly activities for people of all abilities, from first time players right up to veteran bowlers. The alley boasts 26 bowling lanes, three American pool tables, an amusements arcade and cosmic bowling nights.

ANY HISTORY? Bowling is one of the oldest sports still played today. The earliest forms of bowling can be traced back to Ancient Egypt. In 1930 when the Egyptologist Sir Flinders Petrie excavated the grave of an Egyptian boy dating to 3200 BC he found artefacts resembling the pins used in tenpin bowling today.

WHAT TO TAKE? Bowling shoes are provided. One game costs £6.75 per adult and £5.25 each for juniors. You can also play two games for £11.75 (adults) and £9.25 (juniors), and three games for £12.75 (adults) and £10.25 (juniors). There’s also special family deals available. Four people can play a game for £21 or two games for £36.99.  Add £3 per person for a burger meal in the Beach Road Cafe Bar inspired by the sun bleached, chilled-out beach vibe of Bondi.

LOOK OUT FOR? As well as normal ten pin bowling on some nights you can play cosmic bowling, a hybrid of glow-in-the-dark ten pin bowling with dance club music and lights. Up to date information about cosmic bowling times can be found on the Tenpin website listed below. At Tenpin Swansea there’s also an amusements arcade where you can try to win a prise on the claw machines, or, if you like, you can just chill out watching Sky Sports in the fully licensed bar or playing pool on the three American pool tables.

WHEN TO GO? The bowling alley is open 11am to 12am on weekdays and 10am to 12am on weekends. During the school holidays they are open 10am to 12am seven days a week. The bar closes at 11.30pm. 

TELL ME MORE: For sat nav users the address and postcode is Parc Tawe, The Strand, Swansea, SA1 2AX. You can phone on 0871 873 3150 or book online at www.tenpin.co.uk/swansea.

Richard Thomas's new book Sci-Fi Worlds - Doctor Who, Doomwatch, Battlestar Galactica And Other Cult TV Shows is available from Amazon. Visit www.richardthomas.eu.

Tower is real highlight

Below is my “Big Day Out” column from the Saturday, August 4, 2012, Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post.

 
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Tower is real highlight

A big day out! 

RICHARD THOMAS heads to the top floor of the Meridian Tower on Swansea's Marina. 

WHY? Towering over Swansea at 107 metres tall the Meridian Tower is the tallest building in Wales. With 29 floors it is twice as tall as former tallest building in Swansea, the BT Tower completed in 1970. On the top floor of the Tower is the Grape and Olive restaurant, offering diners first class Mediterranean cuisine and spectacular views of Swansea. The elliptical design of the Tower means that from the top floor you can see the whole of the city, from Kilvey Hill and St Thomas, to the city centre and Mumbles. People who are a little afraid of heights might feel a bit dizzy sitting next to the enormous windows, but the views are hypnotic and most people will just want to stare out at them for hours.
WHAT’S THE BUZZ? The Tower is located in the heart of the Marina and only 50 metres from the promenade that borders the bay from the Marina to Mumbles Pier. The city centre and all of it's activities and attractions is only a ten minuet walk away. There are several museums including the National Waterfront Museum across the basin and the newly refurbished LC leisure centre and water park is also only a five minute walk away.
ANY HISTORY? Construction work on the Tower was begun in 2006 and completed in 2009 at a a cost of £40million. Sadly, on 26 January 2008, one of the construction workers died after falling three storeys from the Tower.
WHAT TO TAKE? There are some special offers available on the menu at the Grape and Olive. Monday to Friday between 12pm and 5pm they offer two courses for £11.95. Hot drinks and delicious Tu Vita muffins, cookies and home made cakes are also on offer. Don't forget parking in the car park by the LC is free on Sundays but there is a minimum charge of £2 for two hours the rest of the week.
LOOK OUT FOR? The Marina has several shops, cafes and restaurants. There is an amusement arcade where you can try your luck on the slot machines and nearby is the Dylan Thomas Centre where just outside you can have your photo taken with a statue of Swansea's greatest poet. Swansea Museum also keeps three floating exhibits at the Marina: the lightship Helwick; a tug boat called Canning; and the Olga, a Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter built in 1909.
WHEN TO GO? On a sunny day the view alone is well worth the journey up the lift to the top floor of the Tower, even if you're only having coffee and cake. The The Grape and Olive is open Sunday to Thursday, 10am to 11pm. Friday and Saturday the restaurant is open 10am to 12am. They are open for coffee from 9am daily.
TELL ME MORE: The Grape and Olive can be found on the 28th floor of the Meridian Tower by Swansea Marina. For sat nav users the postcode is SA1 1JW. Go to www.grapeandolive.co.uk or phone 01792 462617.


Richard Thomas's new book Sci-Fi Worlds - Doctor Who, Doomwatch, Battlestar Galactica And Other Cult TV Shows is available from Amazon. Visit www.richardthomas.eu.

Bargain hunters' joy

Below is my “Big Day Out” column from the Saturday, July 29, 2012, Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post.

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Bargain hunters' joy 

A big day out! 

Author of the new book Sci-Fi Worlds - Doctor Who, Doomwatch, Battlestar Galactica And Other Cult TV Shows Richard Thomas heads to the Singleton Park Car Boot Sale. 

WHY? 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? Bring some carrier bags for your purchases. Food is for sale on the site. 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, and vans and cars with trailers cost £15. Aim to get there before 6am if you want a good pitch to sell from as the car park fills up very quickly.
LOOK OUT FOR? There's something for all ages and tastes. The kind of items typically for sale include everything from ornaments and pictures to books and dvds, and toys and games. You might even find some old vinyl records or some new furniture to buy. Collectors of all sorts will enjoy scanning the tables for more items to add to their ever growing collections. A lifelong Doctor Who fan, I recently added a New Series twelve inch Cyberman figure to my collectors shelf bought from the car boot Sale. Sellers often don't know how much some of the items they are selling for 50p would go for on ebay.
WHEN TO GO? The car boot sale is open every Saturday between 7am and 1pm, but begins to close around 12pm. After 12pm prices start coming down if you want to look for some last minuet bargains.
TELL ME MORE: You can find the Singleton Park Car Boot Sale across the road from Singleton Hospital Car Park. For sat-nav users the postcode is SA2 8QA. Details for this car boot sale and others can be found at www.carbootsaledirectory.co.uk.
 
Richard Thomas is the author of the new book Sci-Fi Worlds - Doctor Who, Doomwatch, Battlestar Galactica And Other Cult TV Shows, a collection of science fiction/TV focussed essays and interviews published by Bretwalda Books. Included are interviews with X-Files and Lone Gunmen star Dean Haglund, Lexx co-creator Lex Gigeroff, UFO investigator Nick Pope, and Doctor Who writer Lance Parkin. You can find the book by searching 'Sci-Fi Worlds by Richard Thomas' on Amazon.co.uk. Richard's next book Para-News: UFOs, Ghosts, Conspiracy, Cryptids And More is also available for pre-order from Amazon and all good book retailers. For more information about Richard Thomas's books go to www.richardthomas.eu or email sue@bretwaldabooks.com.

South Wales Evening Post interview

Below is a "Heaven and Hell" feature about my favourite and least favourite holidays I did for the 28 July, 2012 issue of the South Wales Evening Post.

Holiday Heaven and Hell

Author of the new book Sci-Fi Worlds - Doctor Who, Doomwatch, Battlestar Galactica And Other Cult TV Shows, Swansea's RICHARD THOMAS tells us about his holiday highs and lows. 

  

What was your best holiday? I haven't been on holiday for a couple years now, I've been too busy with my writing. The goal I set myself was to write my first book before I turned 26, so it feels great to have my second book out by that deadline. My last holiday was to Cyprus in 2007 and I loved it there, the beaches were beautiful and the locals were all very friendly. Outside my hotel was a statue of Alexandra the Great and inside there was a map of the famous Greek’s conquests before he died at the age of only 32. I didn't know very much about Cyprus when I arrived but I enjoyed reading in the books I bought there about how the island had passed between Greek, Turkish and British rule over the last 3,000 years.

I would have to say however the best holiday I've been on was when I went to Florida in 2000. Me, my sister and brothers were still just kids at the time, and the whole family, my parents, grandparents, and uncle Carl went together. We used to alternate between the amusement parks, MGM, Disneyland, Animal Planet and others, and the water parks each day to stop everyone getting too tired.

What was your most memorable holiday moment? In Florida there were lots of memorable moments. There was a restaurant in Disney's Animal Kingdom called the Rainforest Cafe where it would start raining inside, which came as a bit of a surprise to my grandparents when it started tipping down in the middle of desert. You wouldn’t actually get wet, though, so it was great fun. Another of my favourite places to eat was the Sci-Fi Café at MGM, where on a big screen they would play clips from some of the famous science fiction B pictures from the 1950's. Films like Attack of the 50 Foot Woman and Plan 9 from Outer Space. Some of the films like The Quatermass Experiment are discussed in detail in my new book Sci-Fi Worlds published by Bretwalda Books. 

What was your worst holiday experience? I went back to Florida for another family holiday in 2001 after 9/11. I sill enjoyed it over there but going through the airport was a nightmare. My mother had a gun pulled on her when she smiled after being asked to take her shoes off, and I saw lots of other people being harassed like this. The same thing is happening in British airports now, when I went to Cyprus my brother had the cleaning fluid for his contact lenses confiscated which I thought was outlandish. How 9/11 and the War on Terror has been reflected in shows like Doctor Who and Battlestar Galactica is a topic I tackle a lot in Sci-Fi Worlds. 

I would have to say my worst holiday experience, though, was when I went to Tenerife in 2003. My mum booked us all on a donkey trail up the volcano. This was fun and my sister who was still little loved it, but the food afterwards was all covered in flies, including  some dead ones floating in the vinegar. It was awful. After we got back to the hotel room we all fell over laughing about how bad it was. We all felt like we had just been on something organised by Trotters Independent Traders. 

What is your fantasy holiday? I would love to go back to the United States, but this time to my favourite state Texas. I have another book coming out in October called ‘Para-News: UFOs, Ghosts, Conspiracy, Cryptids - and More’ in which I interview some of America’s best known paranormal researchers and conspiracy theorists. It would be cool to meet up with JFK assassination researcher Jim Marrs outside the School Book Depository in Dallas, Texas where President Kennedy was shot in 1963. Jim wrote the best-selling book Crossfire which was the basis for Oliver Stone’s film JFK. Another Texas resident I interviewed is Nick Redfern, who has also written the foreword for Para-News. Nick is a full-time author of books about UFOs, mystery animals and conspiracies, and has been a big help to me.

How did your book Sci-Fi Worlds come about and where can readers find it? In 2008 I started writing a science fiction/TV related column for Alien Worlds magazine which led to me writing for some other magazines and blogs; and of course my Saturday columns for the Evening Post. Sci-Fi Worlds - Doctor Who, Doomwatch, Battlestar Galactica And Other Cult TV Shows is a collection of my favourite sci-fi related articles and interviews I've done over the past four years. Included are interviews with X-Files star Dean Haglund and Lexx co-creator Lex Gigeroff, as well as Doctor Who writer Lance Parkin. You can find the book by searching 'Sci-Fi Worlds by Richard Thomas' on Amazon.co.uk. My next book Para-News: UFOs, Ghosts, Conspiracy, Cryptids - and More is also available for pre-order from Amazon and all good book retailers. 

For more information about Richard Thomas's books go to www.richardthomas.eu or email sue@bretwaldabooks.com.