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Capturing Cardiff: History or Ownership- the Changing faces of Butetown“That’s another thing they ar…
Capturing Cardiff: History or Ownership- the Changing faces of Butetown
“That’s another thing they are going to ruin soon, its progress they call it”- quote by Butetown resident David Thomas.
Butetown in Cardiff was once renowned for being one of Britain’s most famous multi cultural working class communities but as you walk through the streets now the difference in the area is obvious. The most noticeable transformation is the name ‘Cardiff Bay’ which replaces ‘Tiger Bay' and parts of 'Butetown.' Michael Flynn the manager of The Butetown History and Arts Centre is one of the many local people who are not happy with this change. “The old community is called Butetown but the name is being slowly taken away, for instance the Train Station and Police Station are now called Cardiff Bay Train Station and Cardiff Bay Police Station. In fact it’s officially the ward of Butetown, but it seems to be highjacked by the Cardiff Bay Development.” The loss of the old name equates to a loss of ownership for the community.
The three-mile square neighbourhood of Butetown has a history of regeneration that dates back to the late fifties when houses were demolished and flats were built. A similar thing is happening now in Cardiff Bay Docks and some local people fear for the worst. But why are they not happy about the new redevelopment, especially if it brings money to the local economy?
In the Butetown History and Arts centre a number of people are gathered together talking about the redevelopment in Cardiff Bay or Tiger Bay, as the locals prefer to call it. International Cabaret Artist Patti Flynn who grew up in Butetown remembers the first regeneration in the late fifties, when Victorian houses were bulldozed in Loudoun Square in Butetown to make room for high-rise flats. “It affected a lot of the older generation as most of them had to move to urban areas and leave their homes. It became a fractured community.” The new flats on the docks are too expensive for locals to buy. Michael Flynn says, “They can sell their houses in Butetown for more money then they brought them for but they could never afford to move back.” Ex Councillor of Butetown Betty Campbell addresses a group of school children and explains how she campaigned for the community to get jobs from the new redevelopment, but they did not get offered any employment. “People were hired to work from outside the area, even as far as Bristol in England.” What looks like progress to an outsider, has brought little benefit to the local residents.
If you want to hear local Butetown residents Patti Flynn and David Thomas talking about the Cardiff Bay redevelopment and Dame Shirley Bassey, click on audio.
Predominantly the working classes have lived in Butetown and Tiger Bay since the 1800s although the Bute family did intend for the area to be occupied by people of different class backgrounds. Maybe with the middle classes moving into the Bay the Bute family will get their wish. Roy Edwards the Business Development Officer of Cardiff Bay thinks the Bay is a wider area than Butetown and should reflect all of Cardiff, “In three years time it will change again and compete with recognised centres in the U.K.”
However, Patti Flynn believes the history and inheritance of Butetown and Cardiff Bay has been whipped away from them in order to make room for new places to get built. “There used to be public houses in the area where you didn’t just go to drink but socialise and listen to music. Some famous artist came out of Butetown including Dame Shirley Bassey. Now the only places left where the residents can socialise is Butetowns Community Centre and The History and Arts Centre.” She went on to say, “You can go to the North, East and West of the country and find the same thing, progression they call it. However, the different with us was over fifty nationalities lived together in harmony. It was like a little village in the valleys.”
In the eyes of the locals it’s too late to save Tiger Bay, but the residents of Butetown will fight to keep the community-feel that has been there for generations.
If you want to meet some of the colourful characters in this feature why not pay a visit to Butetown and see for yourself how the spirit of Tiger Bay lives on?
Next week’s feature: What the younger generation think.
To see photographs of Cardiff Bay and the Butetown area/ residents, click below.
Find more photos like this on Cardiff University Online Journalism 2007
“That’s another thing they are going to ruin soon, its progress they call it”- quote by Butetown resident David Thomas.
Butetown in Cardiff was once renowned for being one of Britain’s most famous multi cultural working class communities but as you walk through the streets now the difference in the area is obvious. The most noticeable transformation is the name ‘Cardiff Bay’ which replaces ‘Tiger Bay' and parts of 'Butetown.' Michael Flynn the manager of The Butetown History and Arts Centre is one of the many local people who are not happy with this change. “The old community is called Butetown but the name is being slowly taken away, for instance the Train Station and Police Station are now called Cardiff Bay Train Station and Cardiff Bay Police Station. In fact it’s officially the ward of Butetown, but it seems to be highjacked by the Cardiff Bay Development.” The loss of the old name equates to a loss of ownership for the community.
The three-mile square neighbourhood of Butetown has a history of regeneration that dates back to the late fifties when houses were demolished and flats were built. A similar thing is happening now in Cardiff Bay Docks and some local people fear for the worst. But why are they not happy about the new redevelopment, especially if it brings money to the local economy?
In the Butetown History and Arts centre a number of people are gathered together talking about the redevelopment in Cardiff Bay or Tiger Bay, as the locals prefer to call it. International Cabaret Artist Patti Flynn who grew up in Butetown remembers the first regeneration in the late fifties, when Victorian houses were bulldozed in Loudoun Square in Butetown to make room for high-rise flats. “It affected a lot of the older generation as most of them had to move to urban areas and leave their homes. It became a fractured community.” The new flats on the docks are too expensive for locals to buy. Michael Flynn says, “They can sell their houses in Butetown for more money then they brought them for but they could never afford to move back.” Ex Councillor of Butetown Betty Campbell addresses a group of school children and explains how she campaigned for the community to get jobs from the new redevelopment, but they did not get offered any employment. “People were hired to work from outside the area, even as far as Bristol in England.” What looks like progress to an outsider, has brought little benefit to the local residents.
If you want to hear local Butetown residents Patti Flynn and David Thomas talking about the Cardiff Bay redevelopment and Dame Shirley Bassey, click on audio.
Predominantly the working classes have lived in Butetown and Tiger Bay since the 1800s although the Bute family did intend for the area to be occupied by people of different class backgrounds. Maybe with the middle classes moving into the Bay the Bute family will get their wish. Roy Edwards the Business Development Officer of Cardiff Bay thinks the Bay is a wider area than Butetown and should reflect all of Cardiff, “In three years time it will change again and compete with recognised centres in the U.K.”
However, Patti Flynn believes the history and inheritance of Butetown and Cardiff Bay has been whipped away from them in order to make room for new places to get built. “There used to be public houses in the area where you didn’t just go to drink but socialise and listen to music. Some famous artist came out of Butetown including Dame Shirley Bassey. Now the only places left where the residents can socialise is Butetowns Community Centre and The History and Arts Centre.” She went on to say, “You can go to the North, East and West of the country and find the same thing, progression they call it. However, the different with us was over fifty nationalities lived together in harmony. It was like a little village in the valleys.”
In the eyes of the locals it’s too late to save Tiger Bay, but the residents of Butetown will fight to keep the community-feel that has been there for generations.
If you want to meet some of the colourful characters in this feature why not pay a visit to Butetown and see for yourself how the spirit of Tiger Bay lives on?
Next week’s feature: What the younger generation think.
To see photographs of Cardiff Bay and the Butetown area/ residents, click below.
Find more photos like this on Cardiff University Online Journalism 2007
Add a Comment
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Comment by Rebecca Cotton on January 30, 2008 at 3:47pm -
Hi Mat, thanks for the feedback. You’re quite right about the headline. I don't know why I forgot to write one? However, I have now made up for that mistake and wrote one. With regards to the info that I repeat a few times in my story, are you referring to the description about the regeneration of the flats in the fifties? If you are, please could you let me know so I can correct my edits?
Many thanks
Rebecca Cotton
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Comment by matthew yeomans on January 20, 2008 at 5:01pm
- Good subject matter and good reporting. You repeat some of the info a few times in the story - you need to be sharper in your edits. Good audio. But where's the headline?
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