#uplands — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #uplands, aggregated by home.social.
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ST HELEN’S: Europe’s tallest sports floodlight comes down after more than 60 years
A floodlight long said to be the tallest of its kind at any sports ground in Europe is being taken down in Swansea today.
The 150ft column has stood over St Helen’s, beside the Cricketers crossroads in Brynmill, since 1964.
Its removal marks the final and most dramatic stage of the work to clear the ground’s old floodlights, after the other towers came down last week in footage captured by drone.
For more than six decades, the floodlight has been a fixture of the Swansea skyline — visible for miles, and from the seafront below.
Uplands Party councillor Peter May, who has lived in nearby Finsbury Terrace for 30 years, said he had mixed feelings about seeing it go.
“It will be missing from the view from my front garden, but is part of the new era for our beloved St Helen’s to continue as a sporting venue,” he said.
The floodlight’s loss closes another chapter for one of Welsh sport’s most storied grounds.
St Helen’s hosted the first home match in the history of the Wales rugby team, against England, back in 1882.
It was where New Zealand suffered their first defeat to Wales in 1924, and where Swansea beat the touring All Blacks in 1935 to become the first club side to do so.
The ground also has a place in cricket history. It was here, in 1968, that Sir Garfield Sobers struck the first six sixes in a single over in first-class cricket.
And in a quirk of local lore, a teenage Dylan Thomas won a mile race on the ground at his school sports day in 1928 — carrying the newspaper photograph of his victory for the rest of his life.
The floodlights themselves went up in 1964, part of efforts to keep evening fixtures and big matches at the venue.
Cllr May said the previous record-holders had been the 260ft pylons at Leeds United’s Elland Road ground, until they were taken down in 1993.
A crane works to remove a floodlight pylon at St Helen’s, with Swansea Bay and the beach beyond. (Image: Ospreys Rugby)Now the ground is being cleared for a new era. The turf has already been lifted and handed to grassroots clubs across the region, and with the floodlights gone the site is ready for a new playing surface.
The redevelopment plans, unveiled in May, centre on a new South Stand, a redeveloped West Stand and terrace, a fan zone and expanded hospitality.
The work is being carried out in phases, so the Ospreys can still play at St Helen’s throughout the coming season as construction goes on around them.
It marks a remarkable turnaround for a club that only months ago was fighting for survival, before Swansea Council committed £5.1m to secure the ground as a community stadium and the region’s home.
The Ospreys will leave the Swansea.com Stadium and return to St Helen’s after two decades away, playing their first season at the redeveloped ground in 2026/27.
Councillor Stuart Rice said work would continue to involve the local community in the plans.
“We are looking forward to continue engaging with Uplands and city-wide residents on the community aspect of the plans,” he said.
For now, though, eyes are on the Brynmill skyline — where a 150ft landmark that has watched over Swansea sport for two generations is finally coming down.
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
Floodlights come down in dramatic drone footage
The Ospreys captured the earlier towers being lifted away as the rebuild gathered pace.Ospreys unveil St Helen’s redevelopment plans
The new South Stand, West Stand and fan zone set to transform the historic ground.Council commits £5.1m to secure St Helen’s as Ospreys’ home
#Brynmill #Ospreys #StHelenSStadium #SwanseaCouncil #SwanseaRFC #Uplands
The investment that locked in the ground’s future as a community stadium. -
#TÁBOR #UPLANDS www.perplexity.ai/search/new?q... www.paypal.com/donate?busin... aePiot: SEO 4.0 is here. Build your nodes with aePiot and lead the way.
Perplexity -
Wild Moors
"Wild Moors is working to accelerate the transition to a nature-rich, climate resilient and sustainable future by creating an upland environment which is respected, restored and protected."
https://www.wildmoors.org.uk/#SolarPunkSunday #ReWilding #MoorLands #WildMoors #Moors #UpLands #Nature #BioDiversity #Carbon #Habitat #WildLife #Environment #Ecology #UK
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Wild Moors
"Wild Moors is working to accelerate the transition to a nature-rich, climate resilient and sustainable future by creating an upland environment which is respected, restored and protected."
https://www.wildmoors.org.uk/#SolarPunkSunday #ReWilding #MoorLands #WildMoors #Moors #UpLands #Nature #BioDiversity #Carbon #Habitat #WildLife #Environment #Ecology #UK
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Swansea’s road repair blitz ramps up as new resurfacing crews hit the streets
The council says an additional £300,000 has been pumped into the programme, allowing teams to tackle more potholes, worn‑out stretches and weather‑damaged routes after weeks of cold, wet conditions.
Fresh resurfacing lined up across the city
A series of busy roads are now earmarked for work in the coming weeks, including key routes in Clydach, Morriston, Fforestfach, Llansamlet, Clase, Bishopston and Uplands.
Locations scheduled for repairs include:
- Ynyspenllwch Road, Clydach (Ffordd Cwmtawe to Clydach)
- Lone Road, Clydach
- Llanllienwen Road, Morriston
- A48, Morriston (J46 to Bryntywod entrance)
- Carmarthen Road, Fforestfach (Ffordd Cynore to Swansea Road)
- Nantong Way, Llansamlet (outside Royal Mail)
- Rheidol Avenue, Clase
- Bishopston Road, Bishopston
- Maes y Gwernen Road and Drive, Cwmrhydyceirw
- Uplands Crescent
The council says full resurfacing has already been completed at a number of high‑traffic spots, including the Peniel Green Road motorway junction.
‘We’re using every resource we’ve got’
Cllr Andrew Stevens, Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, said crews were working flat out to keep up with demand.
“We are using all of our resources to tackle as many of the highway repair requests as possible,” he said.
“Full resurfacing work is being completed at key traffic spots including the motorway junction at Peniel Green Road. Our small resurfacing teams are also out tackling large areas of road that have been impacted by the recent cold and wet weather.”
Part of a wider £300k pothole and resurfacing blitz
The council says the latest work forms part of the £300,000 pothole and resurfacing blitz announced earlier this winter. According to the authority’s early‑February update, teams filled around 960 potholes in January, with repairs running at “around 100 a day” during the coldest weeks. The same update confirmed that full resurfacing had recently been completed on Peniel Green Road at the M4 junction, along with sections of Frampton Road, Carmarthen Road and Ffynone Road in Uplands.
The council said an extra team had been brought in to “speed up and increase the number of repairs”, with more resurfacing schemes scheduled across the city in the coming weeks as the winter programme continues.
£37m proposed for highways and transport
The council’s proposed budget for 20206/27 is due to be discussed by the council’s cabinet on 19 February. This includes a new Economic Growth Fund which according to the council would include an extra £3m for resurfacing and potholes, taking next year’s roads budget to more than £12m within a wider £37m allocation for highways and transport.
#Bishopston #Clase #CllrAndrewStevens #Cwmrhydyceirw #Llansamlet #Morriston #potholes #resurfacing #roadResurfacing #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil #Uplands -
Sinkhole mystery solved: Brynymor Crescent collapse blamed on old manhole – road could reopen before Christmas
Contractors have now completed investigations and confirmed the cause of the collapse was an ageing underground structure that had gone unnoticed beneath the tarmac. Backfilling began yesterday, and resurfacing is due to start next week.
If the weather holds, the road could reopen before Christmas – though heavy rain forecast for Monday and Tuesday may cause delays.
The update marks a turning point in a saga that began in late November, when a sudden collapse forced the closure of Brynymor Crescent and sparked speculation about historic mine shafts beneath the area.
Earlier reports suggested the sinkhole was “larger than expected” and potentially linked to old workings — but the latest findings rule that out.
Cllr Peter May said:
“The team have established that the cause of collapse was an old manhole beneath the road surface. This has now been dealt with and contractors began backfilling yesterday, with resurfacing to begin next week.”
Pending no unforeseen issues, the road should be open by the end of next week — or earlier if possible.
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
Sinkhole forces road closure in Bryn-y-Mor Road
A sudden collapse shuts down a busy Swansea street, sparking urgent investigations.Brynymor sinkhole ‘larger than expected’
Councillor warns the damage may be more extensive than first thought as investigations continue.Council investigates possible mine link
Officials explore whether historic mine workings could be behind the Brynymor Crescent collapse.#BrynymorCrescent #BrynymorRoad #CllrPeterMay #manhole #roadClosure #Sinkhole #Uplands
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Uplands Market highlighted in new ‘pedestrian pound’ report
The Pedestrian Pound is published by Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, and shows that investing in better streets and places for walking and wheeling delivers quantifiable commercial returns.
Data shows that pedestrians spend more money than people arriving by car, and pedestrianised town centres have higher footfall.
Living Streets say that this is particularly relevant for Swansea, where the city centre has experienced a decline in footfall in recent years, despite recovering well from the pandemic. 23 per cent of high street services are vacant, and fewer visitors are coming from outside the city.
One of the case studies in the report is Uplands Market, a social enterprise founded by Urban Foundry. The market has transformed Gwydr Square, a side road just off the main street in Uplands, into a traffic-free space for people by temporarily removing a handful of parking spaces for a few hours each month. The market has improved the local economy and encouraged more walking in the neighbourhood.
The first Uplands Market was held in July 2013. Apart from the pandemic, the market has been held on every last Saturday of the month ever since, providing retail space for independent producers of high-quality, locally-made food, drink and craft items.
AdvertisementFootfall at Uplands Market is weather dependent but there can be over 3,000 people on warm sunny days – far more than in the area on a usual Saturday morning. It has been ranked as one of the top ten street markets in the UK by The Daily Telegraph and has twice been runner-up in The Observer Food Monthly awards.
The market intentionally doesn’t offer refreshments, and some local businesses offer special market day deals, helping to support local cafes and shops by bringing increased trade on market day.
In 2018, a survey with about 300 visitors at Uplands Market and its sister market in the marina found that 67 per cent of people had specifically been attracted by the markets and a fifth of people also spent money in surrounding local businesses, typically spending in the region of £10 to £25. Additionally, 77 per cent thought the market had given them a more positive view of the Uplands area. Anecdotally, many people originally attracted by the market now also shop in Uplands on non-market days.
The majority of people in Wales (57%) walk for travel purposes more than once a week2, but charity Living Streets says more needs to be done to integrate walking with public transport and make places more attractive for pedestrians.
Catherine Woodhead, Chief Executive, Living Streets said: “Many high streets in Wales are struggling, so it’s heartening to see how Uplands Market in Swansea has been so successful for the local economy – and a real asset for those who live in the area.
Advertisement“The Pedestrian Pound proves that making high streets and town centres into spaces where people can walk and wheel increases time – and money – spent in those businesses. Uplands Market is a great example of how creating accessible and attractive public spaces can help to bring communities together.”
Tara Tarapetian, Director of Urban Foundry, said: “Uplands Market has been a great addition to Uplands as a community. It’s taken what would have been a car-dominated space and made it more pedestrian-friendly. Walking and wheeling have been brilliant for the local community and people visiting the market often go on to shop at local businesses in the area.”
Rana Verma owns Babita’s Spice, which trades at Uplands Market, with his wife. He said: “The market is a very social experience for many people, and they can come and shop at a leisurely pace. We find that people feel a lot more comfortable bringing their children, their pets, their toddlers in prams, and the fact that there’s no traffic just make that logistically a lot more straightforward.”
#Business #LivingStreets #market #retail #Swansea #Uplands #UplandsMarket
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UKH Articles - Missing #Wildlife - Lost Species That #ReWilding Could Return to Britain's Hills
‘The #UK has some of the lowest #biodiversity on earth, and most of our #uplands are ecologically barren. But it doesn't have to be this way. So what animals are missing, and how might the #landscape familiar to climbers and walkers change if they returned?’ Sarah Ryan
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UKH Articles - Missing #Wildlife - Lost Species That #ReWilding Could Return to Britain's Hills
‘The #UK has some of the lowest #biodiversity on earth, and most of our #uplands are ecologically barren. But it doesn't have to be this way. So what animals are missing, and how might the #landscape familiar to climbers and walkers change if they returned?’ Sarah Ryan
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title:hills around derwentwater
description:shot of hills new derwent water from catbells walk#England #Lakedistrict #Nature #UpLands #Hill #Grass #Plant #Clouds #Cloud #Sky #Outdoors #Pastoral #Field #Photography #Photo #Leica #Landscape #Calm #Serene #Tranquility #Derwent #Derwentwater #Keswick #Catbells #Bnw #Bw #Blackandwhite #Blancoynegro #Monochrome
L1010376 1.jpg -
title:hills around derwentwater
description:shot of hills new derwent water from catbells walk#England #Lakedistrict #Nature #UpLands #Hill #Grass #Plant #Clouds #Cloud #Sky #Outdoors #Pastoral #Field #Photography #Photo #Leica #Landscape #Calm #Serene #Tranquility #Derwent #Derwentwater #Keswick #Catbells #Bnw #Bw #Blackandwhite #Blancoynegro #Monochrome
L1010376 1.jpg -
OnlineFirst - "‘They’re part of what we are’: Interspecies belonging, animal life and farming practice on the Isle of Skye" by Tom Fry:
@CamUniGeography @UEcologies #farming #uplands #subjectivity #rewilding #conservation #morethanhuman #politicalecology
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/25148486231151809
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OnlineFirst - "‘They’re part of what we are’: Interspecies belonging, animal life and farming practice on the Isle of Skye" by Tom Fry:
@CamUniGeography @UEcologies #farming #uplands #subjectivity #rewilding #conservation #morethanhuman #politicalecology
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/25148486231151809
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#uplands / #marginal correlation here? h/t @undertheraedar
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RT @undertheraedar
I also found the '% of full time workers working 49 hours or more' map interesting. I'd take a punt and say the answer is 'hard working farmers' but I'm not an expert on that - definitely not an urban pattern though(the 25% here relates to those in full time work, obvs)
https://twitter.com/undertheraedar/status/1601563942526283777 -
My stall in Uplands Market, Swansea all set up today and there until 1pm today (Saturday) #photography #gower #wales #cymru #swansea #uplands #uplandalsmarket #outdoorselling #buylocal #localmarket #smalltrader
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My stall in Uplands Market, Swansea all set up today and there until 1pm today (Saturday) #photography #gower #wales #cymru #swansea #uplands #uplandalsmarket #outdoorselling #buylocal #localmarket #smalltrader
