OK, so some would say this is a shameless plug of the website (tee hee), but ‘NO’, I cry defiantly in defence of such aspersions (alright Lynne, cool the dramatics), this is an important recap of the topics most topical to Splottlanders.
So here you have it; the ten most read articles on Inksplott to date. In case you were wondering.
#1 Bridges of Splott
Still the single biggest subject on the minds of residents, the closure of Beresford Road Bridge has inspired much discussion in Splott. When Network Rail announced a residents’ meeting last spring, Inksplott popped along for a chat with Karl Gilmore, Network Rail Project Manager, and wrote up the experience. For your recap on the outcome, click here
Also popular:
Replacing Splott Road Bridge; the important stuff
Beresford Road Bridge – diversion route sends traffic through Splott
What’s what with Beresford Road Bridge; mid-build update
http://inksplott.co.uk/whats-what-with-beresford-rd-bridge-mid-build-update/
#2 STAR Hub v STAR Centre
The STAR Centre was much loved by locals and news that it would be replaced by a Hub that would amalgamate the Centre and pool provision was big news in Splott. Some were sceptical that progress meant progress and others were pleased. Hot on the heels was news that the new Hub would not be run by the Council but by a third-sector organisation. The article continues to be a front runner.
Read more here
Also popular:
STAR Centre to STAR Hub: What are we gaining and what are we losing?
#3 History of Splott
This synopsis of Splott has been popular right from the start, but recently it’s had a massive uplift in readership ( my theory – thank you Cardiff University first year journalism students assigned to cover Splott!).
Splott does have a cool history though, with its own airfield and place in the annals of the industrialisation of South Cardiff (not to mention Shirley Bassey lived here), so if you fancy finding out a few facts about the place you live, this isn’t a bad place to start.
Read more here
#4 The first Inksplott Interview: Alexander Autos
Imagine how nervous a certain Splott lass was walking up to Andrew Moody, proprietor of Alexander Autos, mobile phone in hand going ‘erm, the thing is, I’ve set up this website to celebrate the good things in Splott and I want to interview local businesses to make residents aware of what they can access in Splott and…erm…erm, do you mind if I ask you a few questions? And record you?’ Yeah, I may have walked past the garage once or twice before dipping in my head.
But I needn’t have worried because Andrew was amazing and his interview set the tone for the rest of the ‘Inksplott Interviews’ series. His interview also ranks amongst the most read articles on the website and continues to be popular (it really helps if the person you’re interviewing has a daughter who is extremely savvy about social media and has a wide circle of friends! If I had a payroll, I’d seriously consider adding her to it!).
Plus, who doesn’t need an excellent garage?!
You can read the first Insksplott Interview here
Also popular:
#5 A Royal affair
Following a two-month refurbishment costing a fair whack (thank you Brains Brewery for the heating in the girls’ toilet), the much-loved and local-institution Royal Oak pub reopened in November 2016 to the relief of many a resident. Surprisingly, in this age of ‘knock it down, throw it away’, the refurb kept much of the charm of the original pub, which makes me want to give Brains a high five (though the demolition of the Wharf kind of cancels it out – booo!).
Now serving food and putting on live music most Fridays, the future of the Oak thankfully looks bright, which makes one particular Splottlander very happy (that would be me!).
Read about the refurb here
#6 Who doesn’t like a bargain?
This article on Cardiff indoor Flea Market in Tremorfa got a great response from firm fans and also people who hadn’t been before or known of its existence. It’s choc-full of treasures and well worth a visit, so if you want to find out more, click on the link
#7 Shop Splott
With Lidl closed pending take-over-the-world expansion, many Splottlanders were left wondering where on earth they could go to buy bread and cheese? Inksplott took to the streets to map out what you could buy where in Splott and the article got a great response. Readers got in touch to tell of their experiences trying out local shops and also recommending more.
Remember, if we don’t use our local shops, they won’t be around for long, so this was a little shout out to ‘shop local; shop Splott!’
Read more here
Also popular:
Inksplott Interview: Catch Seafood Emporium
#8 Keep Splott Tidy
From small acorns, great oaks grow, and this was the case with Keep Splott Tidy. One conscientious local lady got in touch with Inksplott to volunteer her services to pick up litter and help make Splott even better and after a shout out for more volunteers, and a little (lot) of help from Gareth Davies of Keep Wales Tidy, BOOOOOOM, the Wombles of Splott was born. More than 25 volunteers attended our first litter pick and we collected more than 30 bags of rubbish. We now meet once a month and clean up local areas and have raised more than £250 towards CCTV and our own equipment through a fundraiser quiz that was supported by loads of local businesses. Better than that, we’ve made friends and created a community within a community. Long live Keep Splott Tidy!
To read about our first litter pick, click here
#9 Last call for the Bingo Hall
When plans were announced for the redevelopment of the bingo hall site at the top of Splott Road and Pearl Street, opinion was divided. Some were frustrated that 47 flats would be built on site and others were pleased that the burned-down remains of the building would be replaced with something more slightly. Parking was a hot topic of discussion, even though some underground parking provision was included in the plans.
To make up your own mind, have a read
#10 Under new management: The Cottage
When the only remaining pub (not club or social thingy) in Splott underwent a management change, Splottlanders were nervous about what it meant for the longevity of The Cottage, but they needn’t have worried because Rhys, Jen and Dane are doing a fabulous job. Now serving food, the pub is going from strength to strength and the landlords (and lady) are visibly supportive of local community initiatives.
Inksplott did a short interview with Rhys and the response was fab. Read Rhys’ interview here
So that’s it! A roundup of the hottest topics in Splott.
If you know of any others, please get in touch. There’s still a lot about Splott yet to be discovered.