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Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

Gwdihw, pronounced goody-hoo.

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

not much info, but: http://www.gwdihw.co.uk/

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

Me - I knew about the Toucan, the place in Guildford Crescent and the Globe. I knew about VUe being turned into a mucis venue but didn't realise it was called Sub29. Has it opened yet?

Didn't know anything about the Funky Buddha Lounge in Charles St or the Spanish place near Clwb. I try to keep up with bar/pub news even though I don't get out as much these days (3 kids do that for a man...!). I'm suprised that Funky Buddha and the place in Guildford Crescent have opened to what seems like absolutely no publicity especially as they are both a little off the beaten track.

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

Funky Buddha - went there with a friend for lunch whilst doing Xmas shopping. It was pretty quiet in there but I'd recommend it. I had chili chicken and pepperoni pasta which was pretty good - although for my tastes could have done with being a bit spicier. And the portions are big. Local Lesbians are apparently aghast as it replaced the ill-feited "Grrl Bar".

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

I'd never heard of grrrl bar before..

Mind you I don't particularly pride myself on my knowledge of local lesbian hang-outs.

Funky Buddah lounge is pretty respected by all accounts. I think every bar on Charles St will do better once SD2 opens. I tend to get the train to Queen st to town, and if I walk to SD2/library part of town, then it always used to be down Charles St, so it probably will be again, presuming an entrance to SD2 will be down there.

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

Sub 29 opened in November, but I think it only opens when they have an act big enough to make it worth while, so I think has only been open about 5 or 6 nights each month. Not sure how that will work in the long run.

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

I should say, i dont know the above for sure, thats just how it looks on the web.

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

The 'Spanish bar' on Womanby St is actually called Culto Cafe Bar and is run by portuguese people.

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

Has that replaced Brookes or Shore Pebbles or is it somewhere else? I think once Toucan opens at the Staff Club (fingers crossed) Womamby st will be a lot busier. Being able to get into and out of Revolution via the beer garden/patio would help footfall as well.

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

I think both are still there, this is above them. It cant be a big place... I believe it has a license til 1am for drinks supplied by table service only: police recommendation after they asked for a 4am licence. 1am seems a bit harsh to me, very early for that part of the city.

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

Culto Bar is actually open til 2 has is a normal bar with dancefloor etc.

Les Croupiers casio on St Mary St is moving within the next year. No new site decided yet.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/cardiff-news/2009/01/22/les-croupiers-facing-last-spin-of-wheel-in-the-heart-of-the-city-91466-22749492/

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

A message being sent round by the people who run the Toucan:


------------------------------

Hi Guys!
We've hit yet another problem with our project to open the new Toucan on Westgate Street in March and urgently need letters/emails of support!
Since the licensing committee granted us a 4am license to open the new club in November, we've been working with planners to acquire the planning permission. Just last week, after months of work on the project, planners told us that they intend to draw back our licensing hours to 12.30 weekdays and 1.30am weekends!!! They can do this by advising the Planning committee who will vote to put this as a condition of our planning permission. Extremely underhand!
This is completely unacceptable and our councillors are trying to overturn their decision.
The more letters/emails of support we get, the more likely we will be able to retain the 4am license given to us in November.
If you feel you'd like to support our cause please email me at
simonkingman@btinternet.com
Good points to mention, if you believe them to be true are that:
1. The Toucan is one of the most peaceful relaxed venues in Cardiff.
2. The Toucan is an important platform for Musicians and Artists
3. Other similar music venues have late licenses..Clwb, Barfly, Buffallo etc..
4. Attracts a clientel of music lovers who cause no trouble or disturbance.

Any other points or personal stories or experiences at the club in its various forms would be fantastic.

This is really important if we are to go forward with the project and open as planned in late March.

Thanks guys,

Simon x

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

Sneaky rumour doing the rounds, that is 100% unconfirmed, is that what was once Shore Pebbles, then Bazarr, then nothing on Womanby Street is going to be run as a new boozer by Clwb Ifor Bach, kind of an extra room to their 'other side of the road' empire. Hopefully they got the crowd and the niche to make a success of it.

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

Does anyone know if the restaurant 'la Fosse ' underneath the store Habitat is still open?

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

The door was open there when I walked past the other day...


The new Clwb Ifor Bach bar on Womanby Street is now 100% confirmed. Opened last night. Follows the great tradition of Cardiff based Welsh language named bars in naming itself after an animal. We already have the black pig, owl, whatever milgi means, and now: The Red Cow!

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

Milgi means Greyhound

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

Story on the Toucan, just confirming what we know:

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/cardiff-news/2009/02/07/planning-threat-to-toucan-club-revival-91466-22873665/

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

Story about the Y Fuwch Goch, tying to invent a history for it that doesnt seem to stack up for me. Different pub, different place, different name.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/cardiff-news/2009/02/07/historic-pub-to-open-up-once-again-91466-22874590/

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

New, sad, message from the Toucan:

----------------------------------

Hi Folks!

After over 100 of you wrote some fantastic letters and emails, and our wonderful councillor Simon Pickard has worked behind the scenes with officers and councillors to put our case across, the Planners are not budging! We had a meeting yesterday with planning chief officers and were told that they were definitely going to advise the planning committee to reduce our permitted hour of opening to 12.30am Sunday to Friday and 1.30am Saturday and Sunday.
Our only chance now to keep our 4am is if the Council Planning Committee disagree with officers and take in to account the views of the licensing committee and local support.

Personally, I will fight this to the end with our councillor and solicitors support but if the Planners get their way, the Toucan will not be able to open.
If you'd like to help, the only thing you can do now is to contact the press by email which I think will help. echo.newsdesk@mediawales.co.uk
The reason for doing this is to stress to the councillors publicly that the Toucan is the most peaceful venue in Wales, a venue without trouble and disturbance. I personally believe this to be true, in fact the only fight that I have ever seen at the Toucan was between 2 band members! no names mentioned.

I'm being philosophical about this whole situation and if the Council wont allow us to operate on Westgate Street/Womanby Street within our required hours then I'll have to move on as I really can't risk the finance of this project without the ability to compete with the other venues on a level playing field. It would be a great shame though, as the Westgate Street building is fantastic and would be an ideal new nest.

Thanks again for your support, I'll keep you posted.

Si x

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

The Toucan did not get a late license and will not be opening on Womanby Street.

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

I normally favour councillors following the planning officers recommendations - it avoids "politics" getting in the way of rational analysis and sound planning policy. But in this instance I think planning officers got it wrong. Late licenses have been granted to similar establishments very close by and the development seemed to take account of noise.

Having said that there was something "fishy"... they claimed to have "police support" and never to have had any "call outs" which the police challenged as untrue with a sizeable list of incidents. They probably didn't do themselves favours with these porkies.

But reading a few planning committee things, I'm starting to dislike the "Police architectural liason officer" who seems to object to any bar or pub in the city centre and want every building to contain "defensible space" which can usually be read as "gated development".

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

From tracking a few cases of license issues it seems to be standard practice that the police advice a significantly earlier closing time than the applicant wants and the council ignor them, or take a half way position. In the Toucan's case this is exactly what happened at the first round, police said close at 1, license committee said close at 4.

Then the planners got involved...

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

Thats a pisser. The Toucan would have really worked there and brought more people to Womamby St.

What will happen to the Staff Club now? A long decline as it lays empty I guess.

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

They allow all the down market crap in St Mary St but not the Toucan. Makes you feel like buggering off to somewhere with a bit of real life and character.

Why should the life and character of this city be decided effectively by a few unelected planners and policemen, with all the interest, character, life and joie de vivre one expects form those two occupations

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

I suspect in the fullness of time it will become a restaurant of some sort, given the opening hours. And maybe a nice one... but almost certainly a chain given the amount of cash needed to do the work needed inside.

that whole area could have been a wonderful independent/arty section to the city.

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

Firstly let me say that I think the planners have made a big mistake here. This was an opportunity to encourage a vibrant, independent section of Cardiff to grow. It's still happening..Womanby st is already a nice place, but this would have been a huge short in the arm.

Secondly though (and really we should await confirmation of whats happening), I think it's worth remembering that the planning approval was (presumably) granted, and that a 1.30am licence was approved. I appreciate that this is not a particular late licence, but neither is it particularly early. I was recently in the Porterhouse in Covent Garden, which I am sure closed way before 1.30 am, yet maintained a nice, vibrant live music feel. I don't see why live bands couldn't have played at say 10pm and then again at 12pm?

I am frustrated by this decision, but the owner could still go ahead with his plans..running a live music bar with a licence until 1.30am isn't exactly unheard of is it?

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

"ONE of Cardiff’s longest standing live music venues could be at risk over the same noise pollution issue that forced The Point to close.

Planning permission has been granted for a derelict building next to the three-storey nightclub Clwb Ifor Bach to be converted into a backpackers’ hostel and restaurant.

The management of the venue, also known as the Welsh club, fears the decision could leave the club with an unmanageable bill for soundproofing after the hostel is built."

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/cardiff-news/2009/03/06/will-ifor-bach-beat-the-sound-barrier-91466-23076148/

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

It looks like Bar Cuba in the Friary is also in trouble. Insolvency notice was published in the paper a few days ago.

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

surely a youth hostel in Womanby Street will be more or less permantly occupied by the type of person wishing to go to Clwb? i'd stay there just for the location!

If Clwb closes, I'm certain that the Apocalypse will come.

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

Let's look on the bright side, a derelict building is being converted into a hostel and a resteraunt. I would be suprised if there were any complaints from bckpackers about being kept up late.

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

Every Friday night at Clwb they play aggressive teckno til 4 in the morning. Fancy sleeping a couple of meters away from that?

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

On a friday night at 4pm im either still out or comatose, so either way it wouldn't bother me too much. I assume no one stays in a hostel on business, certainly anytime i've stayed in one I've been so out of it I'd assume the techno was in my head.

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

It's natural to assume that backpackers will be happy to put up with loud music because they want to be amongst it. But you could make similar assumptions about people moving into Mount Stuart Sq. If the owner of this new hostel brings a complaint in nuisance the court won't look at who was there first or whether the guests knew what they were in for or if Clwb and institution or try to protect Cardiff's live music scene. They will apply the law and if it is a nuisance it's a nuisance and an injunction will be obtained.

If I owned Clwb I'd be very worried too.

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

True, but I think the circumstances are different, you put up with far more when you are young and roughing it on your travels than if you live in an expensive new flat being kept up by loud music when you have work the next day or can't hear your TV over the music. As an example I actually live a stones throw from The Globe, I really couldnt care less how loud or how late they play their music over the weekend but during the week it would annoy me, luckily they dont have a very late licence.

Possibly a few of the backpackers would complain to the owner, some may even moan about it on an online forum (but im sure they would be outweighed by people commending it on its vibrant location), but I'd be suprised if this would be enough to affect the owners takings enough for him to put a complaint to the council. I'd hazard a guess that Clwb having to close would be bad for the hostels business. Its like when you go to somewhere like Ibiza, the places right on the strip dont struggle for customers no matter how noisy it is.

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

I am right in thinking only residents can make these kinds of formal complaints to the council, so only the owner himself has that option not guests.

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

I think you make the mistake that all people who stay in hostels are young and want to go clubbing. That isn't correct.

I imagine that people looking for hostels in Cardiff city centre on the internet will see this as the most central and book it. They won't know if it's loud or not. If they complain and leave after 1 night to go elsewhere rather than staying for 2 or 3 nights the owner will pretty soon get pissed off and wonder if his 500k/750k/1m investment is going down the tubes because of next door. If he brings a claim he will likely win because loud music IS a nuisance. I think you are being complacent.

As I said if I was the owner of Clwb I would be taking legal advice now and making the strongest representations to the planning dept to stop this development.

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

You may well be right and yes the owners of clwb should definitely do all they can to protect themselves. Myself I'd like to see this hostel go ahead and my guess would be that clwb wont have any problems (just a guess though).

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

Planning permission has been granted. I would be pressuring for strict enforcement of the conditions - i.e. that the Youth Hostel engages in comprehensive soundproofing.

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

I need to have a good look at the planning application really, for example, hopefully the stairs are adjacent clwb, which would absorb much of the noise. Secondly it seems that some form of sound proofing is have to be being installed by the developer, and thus this should eliminate some problems. Finally, surely the reason the developer wants this location is because of its vibrancy. Hopefully he will clearly advertise that the hostel is adjacent a busy nightclub. if he does then anyone going there knows what to expect, and if they complain they are tossers of thr highest order.

What we cant do, in our capital city is be fearful of any development happening next to clubs. id rather this than a vacent property, and theres every chance this will all work out fine.

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

Speaking of building next to clubs, there's a place between Metros and Copa on Bakers Row that used to be a poster/t-shirt/banner print shop, but went broke a few months back. Some one is doing quite a lot of work to the property right now. You can see in quite easily, it's basically an empty shell at the mo, but looks like a nice building, old stone walls etc. Anyone know whats coming there?

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

A hairdressers I think. I always thought Bakers Row could be a nice little destination with some imagination (like Park Lane...see post above..!). The buildings at the end with the yellow corrugated iron all over them would need to be redeveloped. I think it is the rear of Les Croups and the Louis. But the basics are there. Same with Jones Court.

I not quite sure why I'm so obsessed with out of the way places being turned into cafe/bar/restaurant destinations....

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff
Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

In terms of the Point: Is it not possible that the current owners let the company go to the wall, bankruptcy, administration, or whatever the correct term is, and then someone else takes on the venue as a live music spot without the burden of the sound proofing debt? I guess that gives the possibility that someone else might turn it into office space or flats or something, but I'm not sure there's really much stomach for that right now.

When other bars close down they often soon seem to be open again with different owners. Is there a special reason why this is not the case in this instance?

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

Rumours are that the Globe has been served with a noise notice.

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

Ironic that the Council's getting all worked up over live music venues whilst the St Davids Hall telly continues to blare out crap at a huge volume.

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

would it be possible to serve a noise notice on any venue? Perhaps one where the paying crowd are at times very loud? What remedies would there be?

foir example, if I complained to the council that the Millennium Stadium was too loud on certain days (concerts beofre anyone gets apoplectic), what remedies would be available? I am assuming the same principle follows with night clubs - if you move next door to night club it doens't matter if it was there first...therefore if I moved next door to the Millennium Stadium could I have that served with a noise notice? anyone who has stood on Fitzhamon Embankment when a concert is on will know what I mean. A good firend of mine owns some property and he finds it difficult to rent them out due to the noise that eminates from the stadium....

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

Just imagine Jantra..... CCFC get promoted.......the crowds get bigger.....the Bluebirds' results are good.......the crowds get even bigger.......and noisier.........much to the chagrin of the new residents at Redrow's new development 'Ninian Park Mansions' across the way.........

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff
Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

it won't happen Wizard....Redrow have had to sell the land due to the credit crunch....

back to the council I beleive...

Re: Bar/club activity in Cardiff

Maybe the council should start putting requirements for loud music provision in new development plans, like they do open space and social housing. Have it written into the design. Perhaps Callaghan Sq, it being non-residential, should be forced to have a large underground space designated for banging teckno. Roath Basin a live music stage.

Of course this is tongue in cheek, but perhaps there should be some sort of policy to ensure live & independent music venues exist in harmony with the rest of the city.

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