Swansea

:This page is about Swansea in Wales. For others, see Swansea (disambiguation).

Culture

Swansea's diverse and interesting past has helped weave a city of character and charm, which has produced many famous personalities. On the literary stage, the poet Dylan Thomas is perhaps the most well known. He was born in the town and grew up at 5 Cwmdonkin Drive, Uplands. There is a memorial to him in the nearby Cwmdonkin Park. The actress Catherine Zeta-Jones is probably the most famous of the city's recent cultural exports, and she maintains close links with the city. Author Mary Balogh, singer/songwriter Mal Pope, scriptwriter and producer Russell T. Davies and entertainer Sir Harry Secombe were also born and raised in the city, as was the current Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. However, perhaps the city's most celebrated personality is Jack - a black labrador. During his seven years of life, he managed to save twenty-seven people from drowning in the murky waters of Swansea docks. There is a monument to commemorate Jack's gallant efforts on the foreshore near the St. Helen's stadium.

Related Topics:
Dylan Thomas - Catherine Zeta-Jones - Mary Balogh - Mal Pope - Russell T. Davies - Harry Secombe - Archbishop of Canterbury - Rowan Williams - Jack

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There are a number of sporting venues in Swansea. St Helen's is a cricket ground which is one of the homes of Glamorgan County Cricket Club. It was in this ground that Sir Garfield Sobers hit six sixes in one over: the first time this was achieved in a game of first-class cricket. One ball is reputed to have landed in the Cricketers' pub just outside the ground. The stadium is metres from the coast of Swansea Bay. There are several rugby clubs in and around Swansea. These include Uplands, Dunvant and Bonymaen, as well as the All-Whites, Swansea Rugby Football Club. In 2003, Swansea RFC became a feeder club for the Ospreys regional rugby club. Swansea RFC remains at St Helen's, but the Ospreys moved to the New Stadium, Swansea in Landore for the start of the 2005-2006 season. Swansea City A.F.C., the Swans, moved from the Vetch Field to the New Stadium at the same time. The final Ospreys match at St Helen's was played on the same day as the final Swans league game at the Vetch: April 30 2005. The first game at the new stadium was on July 23: a football friendly between the Swans and Fulham.

Related Topics:
Glamorgan County Cricket Club - Garfield Sobers - First-class cricket - Swansea Rugby Football Club - Ospreys - New Stadium, Swansea - Swansea City A.F.C. - Vetch Field - April 30 - 2005 - July 23

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The Swans' football following are known as the Jack Army due to the regional nickname for people from Swansea. Strong local rivalries exist between Swansea and Cardiff in football and between Swansea and Llanelli in rugby. Swansea/Neath rugby games used also to be a hotly-contested match, such that there was some debate about whether a regional team incorporating both areas was possible. The Neath-Swansea Ospreys in fact came fifth in the Celtic League in their first year of existence as a regional team, and won the league in their second year.

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People from Swansea are known locally as Swansea Jacks, or just Jacks. The source of this nickname is not clear. Some attribute it to Swansea Jack, the life-saving dog. Others point to Swansea's long history as a port and the use of the word jack to indicate a sailor.

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There are a number of theatres in the city and the surrounding areas. The Grand Theatre in the centre of the city is a Victorian theatre which celebrated its centenary in 1997 and which has a capacity of a little over a thousand people. It was opened by the celebrated opera singer Adelina Patti. A new wing of the Grand, the Arts Wing, has a studio suitable for smaller shows (capacity about 200). The Taliesin building on the university campus has a theatre. Other shows are held at the theatre in Penyrheol Leisure Centre near Gorseinon. In the summer, outdoor Shakespeare performances are a regular feature at Oystermouth Castle, and Singleton Park is the venue for a number of parties and concerts, from dance music to outdoor Proms. Although Pontardawe is outside the city boundaries, the trip from Swansea to Pontardawe for the annual folk festival is a short one. Another folk festival is held on Gower. Standing near Victoria Park on the coast road is the Patti Pavilion: this was the Winter Garden from Adelina Patti's Craig-y-Nos estate in the upper Swansea valley, which she donated to the town in 1918. It is used as a venue for music shows and fairs.

Related Topics:
Adelina Patti - Proms - Pontardawe

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There are several Welsh-language chapels and churches in the area. Welsh-medium education is an extremely popular choice for both English- and Welsh-speaking parents, leading to claims in the local press in autumn 2004 that to accommodate demand, the council planned to close an English-medium school in favour of opening a new Welsh-medium school. (Swansea Evening Post, September 8 2004, and subsequent issues.)

Related Topics:
September 8 - 2004

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45% of the rural council ward Mawr speak Welsh, as do 38% of the ward of Pontardulais. Clydach, Kingsbridge and Upper Loughor all have levels of more than 20%. By contrast, the urban St. Thomas has one of the lowest figures in Wales, at 6.4%, a figure only barely lower than Penderry and Townhill wards.

Related Topics:
Mawr - Welsh - Pontardulais - Clydach - Kingsbridge - Upper Loughor - St. Thomas - Penderry - Townhill

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Swansea hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1863, 1891, 1907, 1926, 1964 and 1982. The Eisteddfod returns to Swansea in 2006.

Related Topics:
National Eisteddfod - 1863 - 1891 - 1907 - 1926 - 1964 - 1982 - 2006

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