Wales needs law to save 'cultural' buildings

From the BBC website - full article here:

Buildings in Wales with a "social or cultural significance" should have new laws to help campaigners protect them, say Assembly Members.

The assembly's petitions committee cited the campaign to save Victorian-era Cardiff pub The Vulcan Hotel as an example of why new powers were needed.

A 5,000-name petition helped the Vulcan land a three-year demolition reprieve.

AMs said heritage body Cadw showed willing to protect it but could not do more without risk of legal challenges.

...

Christine Chapman, chair of the assembly's petitions committee, said: "It is clear that Cadw showed willing in trying to protect the Vulcan, even asking the campaigners to find out more information and resubmit an application after the first attempt was turned down.

"But it is also clear that Cadw reached the end of its remit and simply couldn't do any more without running the risk of legal challenges on the grounds of the building not meeting specific criteria.

"The committee was told that there is some new heritage protection legislation which would tighten up laws in England and Wales but that that legislation, at the time, had not been allocated a slot for debate in Parliament."

Below is our reaction to the Assembly report:

Today, the National Assembly for Wales’ Petitions Committee released the report ‘Save the Vulcan: Protection of historic buildings’.

The report is a response to a petition of 5,000 signatures calling to save the historic Vulcan Hotel from demolition.

Save the Vulcan campaigner Rachel Thomas said, “We are pleased the Assembly’s Petitions Committee took time to examine our petition. However, this is by no means the end. This is just the beginning of the Vulcan campaign, and our aim is to see the Vulcan thrive for another 157 years.

“The fate of the Vulcan now lies in the hands of the developer Derek Rapport, and we strongly urge Mr Rapport to comment immediately on the future of this Victorian watering hole.

“According to the BBC, pubs in Wales are closing at the rate of five a week. The Vulcan should not be allowed to become a statistic.

“We strongly urge the Welsh Government to act on the report’s recommendations as soon as possible”.

Save the Vulcan campaigner Graham Craig is keen to see strengthened powers for Cardiff Council to prevent the demolition of buildings that meet local listing criteria. Graham said, “The Vulcan must be protected, and listing the building is the best way to do this. We understand why the Vulcan cannot be listed under Cadw’s current criteria, but the Welsh Government and the WLGA must now move swiftly to introduce legislation to protect buildings which are socially and/or culturally important”.

Local architect Jonathan Adams said he could see no reason why the Vulcan could not be incorporated into a future redevelopment of the site, and that it would pose an exciting architectural opportunity.

Save the Vulcan campaigner David Wilton added, “Don’t forget to visit the Vulcan during the 6 Nations. The atmosphere is unrivalled, and the beer’s pretty good too!”

The Vulcan is the only building to survive from the area formally known as Newtown.

Demolish the Vulcan - a response

Needless to say we were a bit shocked to read an article entitled 'Demolish Vulcan, says man who fought to save it' in Friday's Echo. You can read the full article here but this is the gist of it:

A FORMER Save the Vulcan campaigner has called for the pub to be knocked down, claiming it has lost its “heart and soul”.

Former steelworker Alan Grainger has been drinking at the historic watering hole for almost 50 years.

But now he thinks it should be pulled down – just eight months after it won a three-year reprieve.

The self-proclaimed poet claimed “hardcore” locals had been driven out by students and do-gooders who jumped on the “bandwagon” to save the bar.

“I started the campaign off writing letters to the Echo.

“I was agitated because it was going to be demolished,” the 73-year-old said, adding: “For someone like me to say it should be knocked down – that’s the opposite of what I have said before and what I have fought for.

Mr Grainger claims that hardcore locals have been driven out of The Vulcan by “students and do-gooders”. He also says the pub was “almost empty” one Friday night. He can't have it both ways: if students really are driving locals out then where were they that Friday night? The reality is that the vast majority of 'Vulcan virgins' greatly appreciate The Vulcan's regulars – their friendliness and stories of Cardiff past are part of what makes The Vulcan unique.

Mr Grainger claims to have started the campaign to save The Vulcan by writing letters to the Echo. Without doubt the Echo played a vital part in the campaign, spreading the word far and wide. However, letters to the local paper do not in themselves make a campaign. The 'students and do-gooders', as Mr Grainger calls us, spent hours handing out flyers, arranging a public meeting, speaking to local politicians, organising a demo at the Senedd, researching and submitting an application to Cadw, writing to Cardiff celebrities, giving evidence to the Assembly Petitions Committee.

Without the students and do-gooders signing the petition and spreading the word the campaign would not have had the same weight with neither the Echo nor with local politicians. The same students and do-gooders begged for anyone interested to get involved. Not once did Mr Grainger contact the campaign.

Yes, more people from different backgrounds are drinking at The Vulcan than a few years ago. But for The Vulcan to have the best chance of extending its life still further, it needs customers and it needs people who love it. Age and background should be forgotten in the battle to keep one of Cardiff's gems from the bulldozers' grasp.

Rather than claiming The Vulcan has lost its “heart and soul” perhaps Mr Grainger should set about re-locating his own.

A quick plug for The Hillman Quartet

A quick plug for some old friends of the Vulcan, The Hillman Quartet (formerly Orion IV).

You can see them at:

St Cuthbert’s Church, Pomeroy Street, Cardiff Bay
Friday January 29th 2010 – 7.30pm
Tickets: £6 - includes free glass of wine. (Tel: 07968 390 518).

You can also listen to the band's previous vist to the Vulcan here.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to one and all!

From WalesOnline - What will change the profile of South Wales in 2010:

The Vulcan

Can Cardiff’s much loved tiled Victorian drinking spot survive another decade on its own in Adam Street?

The immediate pressure is off the 157-year-old boozer thanks largely to the global credit crunch. But an economic recovery before the end of the decade is likely to see owner Derek Rapport’s high rise dreams and schemes back in front of Cardiff Council’s planning department sharper than anyone can say Glass Needle.Chances 7/10A drama village at Roath BasinPlans to regenerate the last undeveloped area of Cardiff Bay have remained stuck in the starting blocks throughout the Noughties. And with the proposed BBC drama village rumoured to be facing opposition in the broadcaster’s corridors of power, this remains an uncertain proposition.Chances 4/10International Sports VillageAlthough the ambitious pre-crunch plans may never see the light of day again, interest in developing this prime patch is likely to grow again.Swiss businessman Chris Odling-Smee is leading the way with his plans for a five-star hotel in a 130m-high tower next to his successful Cardiff Marina. Others are sure to follow.Chances 7/10old boozer thanks largely to the global credit crunch.

But an economic recovery before the end of the decade is likely to see owner Derek Rapport’s high rise dreams and schemes back in front of Cardiff Council’s planning department sharper than anyone can say Glass Needle.

Chances 7/10

The Culture Show - John Cale

For anyone who missed it, here is the Culture Show's segment on John Cale filmed at the Vulcan.

Bits and Bobs

Hope you all tuned in for the Culture Show's John Cale interview at the Vulcan last Thursday - for those who missed it there was a nice little shout out to the Save the Vulcan campaign at the end.

After seeing the show a couple of people have been in touch. At least one new person has tried to sign the petition, however, after putting in her details she was told she had already registered and voted. Has this oddity happened to anyone else?

We have also had a request for t-shirts and while they do exist, no one actually knows where they are! We will keep you up-to-date but if anyone has found themselves with a surprising amount of large to extra-large Save the Vulcan shirts after a blurry night at the Vulcan then please let us know!

And finally we had a great bit of Vulcan nostalgia courtesy of Doug:

Hi thought I'd share this with you.

I was a dental student in Cardiff in the late 70s.
Occasionally I would go to the Vulcan with my mates for a pint or two or more.

There was an old bloke who was always stood at the bar called "Scratch" [for obvious reasons].

We discovered that Scratch always had a bag with him which contained various sets of false teeth that he had bought in second hand shops. Scratch could probably have visited a dentist and had a set made for nothing in those days but he preferred to pay his way!

At the bar of the Vulcan, Scratch would try the various dentures in varying combinations [for he never knew which bottom went with what top] and ask our opinion on which set we thought best.

Quite honestly, I don't think we had a clue about what made a good denture, but we nevertheless spent many happy hours with Scratch offering our worthless opinions which he received gratefully along with the pint that we would always buy for him.

Save the Vulcan!

A Bit of Culture at the Vulcan

The Vulcan is set to feature on the BBC's Culture Show at 7pm this Thursday. The team decided it was the perfect backdrop for their interview with Welsh musician John Cale of The Velvet Underground fame.

Look out for some familiar faces in the background!

And to get you in the mood, here is John himself singing Hallelujah.

A Very Vulcany Halloween

It's a bit late I know but here are a couple of photos from the very successful Halloween night at the Vulcan. I wasn't there but it looks like everyone had a great time!

Cardiff changes but The Vulcan remains - by Graham Craig

Cardiff has seen its fair share of change in the past decade. The Millennium Stadium, the Senedd, the Cardiff Bay Barrage, the Wales Millennium Centre and most recently St David's 2 have all emerged onto the Cardiff landscape. These are all fine examples of architecture and engineering, and all are playing a significant part in the development of Cardiff as a vibrant European capital.

Yet there is a feeling among many Cardiffians that this development has come at too high a price. Huge swathes of the Docklands have been condemned to history in order to build uniform soulless flats and a tacky retail and restaurant quarter by the name of Mermaid Quay. Closer to the city centre the Reformation-savaged ruins of a 13th Century Franciscan friary were demolished in the 1960s to make way for a tower block.

At the heart of the latest battle between developers and Cardiffians sits The Vulcan Hotel. The Vulcan was built in 1853 and has served the people of Cardiff ever since. The glazed tiles to the exterior were added in 1906 while in 1914 significant alterations were made to the interior – the smoke room was removed from the front bar and the unique brown terracotta urinals were installed.

The current décor came with landlord Brian Smart and wife Liz when they took over in 1993. A ship's wheel and numerous images of ships, the Docks and other local landmarks give The Vulcan a genuine character that chain pubs can only attempt to manufacture.

Despite its history and its popularity The Vulcan has been under threat of demolition for years. Owners Brains Brewery were issued with a Compulsory Purchase Order several years ago as the land was wanted for the St Davids 2 development.

In August 2008 the Save The Vulcan campaign began with the aim of saving this gem from the bulldozers. Support quickly grew with the petition reaching one thousand before Christmas and currently standing at more than six thousand. Famous names were among them: James Dean Bradfield, Lord Kinnock and Rhys Ifans among others. A public meeting drew a crowd of more than one hundred.

But the developer wasn't listening and the closing date remained fixed for late June. Then a text from the landlady: an extension to the lease was on the table. Three more years. Three more years of good beer, three more years of interesting company and, above all, three more years of Cardiff as it was.

The latest news is that the landlady is moving on. Doubt surrounds the developer's next move since the extension was offered to her and to her alone. We have worked so hard and fought so well that to lose The Vulcan now would be devastating.

We need everyone in Cardiff to experience the atmosphere of The Vulcan. On an international day when six women wedge themselves behind the bar to serve beer to hundreds or on a Tuesday lunchtime when the only soul in the place is you. Once you've been there you'll understand the pub's popularity and you'll understand why the campaign has put so much effort into preserving it.

A Vulcan visitor is a Vulcan supporter is a weapon against needless demolition of Cardiff heritage.

Don't Panic!

They're just resurfacing a corner of the car park!