"Would you like a receipt with that"?

[Rock_Flock_of_Five]

Today I will conclude my 11 day stay in Cardiff/Wales.
I have previously been home twice before, however, this was my first time I had managed to take a look around the city centre in almost 21 years.

Two observations:

(1) When asked by shop assistants if I'd like a bag (same happens in China) I usually decline, and I understand the reason why they ask. However, they then ask if I'd like a receipt?
I'm immediately thinking to myself.. No bag/no receipt = I'm treading into shoplifting territory, surely?
Without a receipt how could you ever exchange or get a refund for faulty goods?

(2) Customer service wherever I went was faultless. Shops, bars, cafés, they were unbelievably helpful and polite.

I was really impressed with the diversity of shops too.

So it's definitely a thumbs up from me for Cardiff city centre.

p. s.
Posting past 4am... my body-clock still hasn't fully acclimatised.

[the other bob wilson]

Today I will conclude my 11 day stay in Cardiff/Wales.
I have previously been home twice before, however, this was my first time I had managed to take a look around the city centre in almost 21 years.

Two observations:

(1) When asked by shop assistants if I'd like a bag (same happens in China) I usually decline, and I understand the reason why they ask. However, they then ask if I'd like a receipt?
I'm immediately thinking to myself.. No bag/no receipt = I'm treading into shoplifting territory, surely?
Without a receipt how could you ever exchange or get a refund for faulty goods?

(2) Customer service wherever I went was faultless. Shops, bars, cafés, they were unbelievably helpful and polite.

I was really impressed with the diversity of shops too.

So it's definitely a thumbs up from me for Cardiff city centre.

p. s.
Posting past 4am... my body-clock still hasn't fully acclimatised.

Hope you have enjoyed your trip.

I’ve mentioned it before on here, but I can remember a teacher in primary school telling us what a great city Cardiff was - they were from west Wales I believe. That teacher did a good job in convincing me because as I grew older and able to appreciate the sort of things they talked about more, I couldn’t help but agree. That talk from my teacher took place not far short of sixty years ago, but, essentially, nothing has changed to alter my opinion that Cardiff is a great city which compares favourably with most others in the UK.

[splott parker]

I really wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. Travelled a bit and nothing has ever swayed me to move away.

[Majorblue]

Everytime I come back I moan about multiple matters regarding the place.
Yet on reflection it still compares favourably with similar sized cities both here in the UK and abroad.
Certainly, when I first moved to South Wales in the early 70's the place was a dump but over the decades it has come on and upwards.
I still wonder about the modern architecture and how it will age, especially when compared to the wonderful victorian arcades and my favourite place in the centre, the market.

[BLUETIT]

You haven’t included “thanks drive”

[North Cardiff Blue]

Hope you have enjoyed your trip.

I’ve mentioned it before on here, but I can remember a teacher in primary school telling us what a great city Cardiff was - they were from west Wales I believe. That teacher did a good job in convincing me because as I grew older and able to appreciate the sort of things they talked about more, I couldn’t help but agree. That talk from my teacher took place not far short of sixty years ago, but, essentially, nothing has changed to alter my opinion that Cardiff is a great city which compares favourably with most others in the UK.

Yes it's mostly still good, except for driving around and grass cutting, general maintenance, and dirt/litter, if they sort those out it would be even better.

[BLUETIT]

Yes it's mostly still good, except for driving around and grass cutting and litter, if they sort those out it would be even better.

+ blocked drains, gutters full to overflowing, bushes/hedges needing cut back on walkways, etc,etc,etc

[MacAdder]

I too love the city but constant redevelopment of places, not thirty years old, annoys me.

Someone mentioned they worry about the architecture which I concur with.
Building design and construction has become like fast food joints, so "throw away".
The Victorians will be turning in their graves!

[BLUETIT]

The Victorians will be turning in their graves!

They can’t, as they have been built on

[Rock_Flock_of_Five]

Oh, in one city centre bar after ordering a pint of Guinness, the lady serving me asked me if I wanted anything else? - I asked her if I could have a packet of Scampi Fries, to which she replied... "Of course you can my lovely"

[Rjk]

I too love the city but constant redevelopment of places, not thirty years old, annoys me.

Someone mentioned they worry about the architecture which I concur with.
Building design and construction has become like fast food joints, so "throw away".
The Victorians will be turning in their graves!

Other european countries seem to manage to build in historic centres of their cities in a manner that will last and retain the original character of the place.

I was in Poznan recently , and the main square is really nice - far better than any part of cardiff to be honest from an architectural point of view, and none of it is original

Market-Square-Poznan-Poland-From-Wydarzenia-Naszemiasto-Poznan-Why-Live-in.jpg

A lot of the Victorian and especially Edwardian era properties we have aren't actually anything special - it just seems that way because we seem incapable of building anything that isn't completely shit these days. Tiny rooms with paper thin walls and no architectural merit whatsoever.

I'd be up for large swathes of Cardiff being knocked down and rebuilt if we had some kind of quality control on what was put there to replace it, unfortunately that isn't likely to happen so we are better off keeping them.

[splott parker]

Oh, in one city centre bar after ordering a pint of Guinness, the lady serving me asked me if I wanted anything else? - I asked her if I could have a packet of Scampi Fries, to which she replied... "Of course you can my lovely"

You divil of a lounge lizard you!

[xsnaggle]

My wife is not British and the first times I brought her to UK we stayed in London, showing her the sights, big be, the river, Tower of London (and the shops of course). She loved it. Until the first time I brought her here!!
The next time she said she wanted to come here not london. She said it felt 'more like being home' than London, (meaning comfortable and safe, not compared to where she is from).
She has been here nearly 6 years now and wouldn't move if you paid her.
Sometimes we get so used to things we forget how lucky we are.

[Rjk]

My wife is not British and the first times I brought her to UK we stayed in London, showing her the sights, big be, the river, Tower of London (and the shops of course). She loved it. Until the first time I brought her here!!
The next time she said she wanted to come here not london. She said it felt 'more like being home' than London, (meaning comfortable and safe, not compared to where she is from).
She has been here nearly 6 years now and wouldn't move if you paid her.
Sometimes we get so used to things we forget how lucky we are.

My Wife is not British and she thinks Cardiff is a sleepy backwater with no decent shopping or places to eat, and that we are all basically country bumpkins

[Culver Blue]

Oh, in one city centre bar after ordering a pint of Guinness, the lady serving me asked me if I wanted anything else? - I asked her if I could have a packet of Scampi Fries, to which she replied... "Of course you can my lovely"

The last time I was in The Old Arcade I ordered a lager and a packet of ready salted crisps. Bob the barman - now retired 'we haven't got ready salted Blue - we got PLAIN!' Old Skool.

[The Lone Gunman]

I was really impressed with the diversity of shops too.

So it's definitely a thumbs up from me for Cardiff city centre.

I'm genuinely surprised by this. Cardiff's city centre is an utter cesspit by comparison to how it was five years ago, let alone ten years ago. Empty shopping units all over the place and many of those that are still occupied are either fast food outlets, vape shops or pound-shop-style discount stores.

Meanwhile, the physical state of Queen Street is an absolute disgrace, while the number of beggars and homeless people populating the area has hugely increased in recent years (and some are a real and persistent problem).

I walk through the city centre on my way to and from work most days. It's a very pale imitation of what it used to be in almost every respect.

[Rock_Flock_of_Five]

My Wife is not British and she thinks Cardiff is a sleepy backwater with no decent shopping or places to eat, and that we are all basically country bumpkins

So out of interest, where is your wife from (country/city)?

[North Cardiff Blue]

I'm genuinely surprised by this. Cardiff's city centre is an utter cesspit by comparison to how it was five years ago, let alone ten years ago. Empty shopping units all over the place and many of those that are still occupied are either fast food outlets, vape shops or pound-shop-style discount stores.

Meanwhile, the physical state of Queen Street is an absolute disgrace, while the number of beggars and homeless people populating the area has hugely increased in recent years (and some are a real and persistent problem).

I walk through the city centre on my way to and from work most days. It's a very pale imitation of what it used to be in almost every respect.

Agreed, town is a mess and in rapid decline, I hardly go there now, it probably could fit in about half the space it currently takes up.

[Rjk]

So out of interest, where is your wife from (country/city)?

Hong Kong - which is a much bigger city in fairness.

it's taken her about 3 years to get her head around Sunday trading hours though

[Rjk]

I'm genuinely surprised by this. Cardiff's city centre is an utter cesspit by comparison to how it was five years ago, let alone ten years ago. Empty shopping units all over the place and many of those that are still occupied are either fast food outlets, vape shops or pound-shop-style discount stores.

Meanwhile, the physical state of Queen Street is an absolute disgrace, while the number of beggars and homeless people populating the area has hugely increased in recent years (and some are a real and persistent problem).

I walk through the city centre on my way to and from work most days. It's a very pale imitation of what it used to be in almost every respect.

almost every city centre in the UK has declined a lot in the last 5 years.
changing shopping habits and less money for socialising etc has a dramatic effect on these places.
I think Cardiff is faring better than many places though.

With regards to Queen Street, that I think is as much a cyclical thing as symptomatic of the overall decline. There has always been one end of town that has been a little bit neglected and shabby, and it is Queen streets turn to take up that role, since the St David's 2 ans the Hayes improvements have. effectively moved the focal point of town away from there.
It'll be back eventually, just that the population of Cardiff probably isn't bit enough to support both ends of town thriving at the same time - especially since everyone shops online these days.

listening to some people you'd imagine that town was like a warzone these days, with roving bands of homeless and drug addicts interspersed with the occasional pound shop - fortunately that isn't my experience

[Rock_Flock_of_Five]

My Wife is not British and she thinks Cardiff is a sleepy backwater with no decent shopping or places to eat, and that we are all basically country bumpkins

Hong Kong - which is a much bigger city in fairness.

it's taken her about 3 years to get her head around Sunday trading hours though

One of my favourite cities. I would imagine most places would pale into significance compared with HK.

[Baloo]

almost every city centre in the UK has declined a lot in the last 5 years.
changing shopping habits and less money for socialising etc has a dramatic effect on these places.
I think Cardiff is faring better than many places though.

I live in Cheltenham and that's certainly the case here. Loads of empty retail units in the town centre. Shame, as architecturally it's mostly nice and has traditionally probably punched a bit above it's weight in terms of shopping and hospitality offerings.

[Rjk]

One of my favourite cities. I would imagine most places would pale into significance compared with HK.

yeah it's not a fair comparison.
likewise we had a new boss parachuted in from Chicago a couple of years ago, but they left after 6 months as their wife couldn't take the change of pace from a big city.

[life on mars]

I'm sure given time we will give in to more and more bigger business , squeezing away independent Welsh companies, work from home will destroy the hospitality jobs/ business as we order via takeway utopia, become more political correct , bring in more migration to drive taxis and Just Eat bikes , more bike lanes .

Late night weekend piss up events increase . City Centre becomes haven for young half naked overweight drunks

20 years from it will be shite based on current trends.

[The Lone Gunman]

listening to some people you'd imagine that town was like a warzone these days, with roving bands of homeless and drug addicts interspersed with the occasional pound shop - fortunately that isn't my experience

Out of interest, how often do you visit the city centre? And at what times as an average?