Omg, so I moved out of Cardiff and up to Glasgow when it still looked like this, came back a few years later after the redevelopment and I was SO confused lol I literally got lost at the top end of town and had to use the castle to navigate where I was lol it was a very weird feeling. I don’t think most of us realise we will grow up somewhere only for it to COMPLETELY disappear in our life time. Felt the same about St Mary’s street when all the nightclubs closed and it got pedestrianised.
Remarkable this was 2003. I forget how recently the remodelling of The Hayes was done. The clip of Waterstones at 12:36 used to be the old Dillons bookstore, before Waterstones bought them out. So we had two Waterstones within 100 yards of each other! Lots of personal memories here. My friend Steve ran The Sports Bookshop inside the Oxford Arcade and I bought many a DVD in MVC! My late father bought me and my brother our much-loved ZX Spectrum (pretty sure it was April 1983) from The Computer Shop which, if memory serves me right, was roughly around where Bo Concept/Jessops was. And he bought me my first ever LP (Queen's Hot Space) in the old Virgin which I think was at the end of that run of shops, towards Toys R Us. Happy memories indeed 😊
The improvements to Cardiff city centre mean it looks just like anywhere else, the buildings these days are off the shelf, so the same designs are everywhere, cheap to put up and easy to pull down. Cardiff has lost its individual character.
This is absolute gold! ToysRus! MVC, Oxford Arcade. I remember my mates and I parking on the roof of the NCP where the Admiral tower is now before going to the cinema and seeing the construction of SD2 carpark never imagining how where we were would become history 😢
The current buildings in 2023 are more fitting for a capital city like Cardiff, but it was nostalgic going back in time around 20 years and being reminded of what was there before.
The new buildings in Cardiff are characterless. They conform to a similar pattern, same design put up all over, nothing of architectural value and no sympathy with the cities history, you only have to look at that canal that has been opened up on Churchill Way.The modern buildings have a tendency to discolour. What modern building in the city centre has the presence of a capital city and why?
@@pauldurkee4764 I think we miss the familiarity we had with the old shops and pavements. Looking back, it was much less clean though back then. The 60s, 70s and 80s buildings were largely concrete and dirty white plastic cladding. Just look at the eyesores of Oxford St and Tredegar St car parks. Smelling of stale urine and just soulless concrete structures. The horrible paving, the bad lighting. Each to their own, and let’s be clear - I loved it all when it was there- but my personal opinion is that it was tired, badly designed, dirty and dated. Today, it’s current, modern and far cleaner. If Cardiff still looked like this now, everyone would be complaining that it needed updating, as the capital city.
@@Dovoro. I love modern Cardiff it’s such a great, condensed urban experience and it’s been that way since 2009 which was when the most dramatic changes finished
@@Dovoro. The modern buildings are covered in plastic and it discolours quickly, as for the paving, have you noticed how many of those expensive thick paving slabs that wobble and are cracked, really poor workmanship.
I always wanted to know what sits in Toys R Us's place now. John Lewis. Nice trip down memory lane of childhood. What saddened me was how much better congestion was back then. Everyone moving more freely.
I’ve been looking for footage like this for years! It’s so rare! Thank you so much for the upload and the blast from the past. I can’t tell if that’s neon lighting within the Oxford Arcade there, but if you know anything about that, please let me know! Thanks again for the memories.
One thing you notice now is the amount of beggars and homeless people, never used to see it before, I used to walk home from Portmanmoor road, up Tyndall Street to the top of Bute Street, past the Custom House and Glendower pubs and there wasnt one person sleeping rough.
Aesthetically, I'd say The Hayes is better today but I agree, something is missing. It's less vibrant and, as you say, soulless. I think that's more down to people changing their retail habits post-Internet. Online shopping is a wrecking ball for city centres and losing both David Morgan and Howells was a huge loss for Cardiff and nice shops have closed in the arcades because the rates are so high. On top of that Debenhams, Mothercare etc have all gone too. So you end up with bars and restaurants (which focus on evening trade) taking their place.
If you dont recognise the Hayes now, wait till you get to St Mary's Street, and High Street. Its so bad now, no shops, litter everywhere, homeless people. So sad to see it
Much of what I remember from my childhood is shown in this video, thanks for uploading!
Remember a lot like Lunn poly. Looks nicer in 2022. Cyclists were a bloody silent menace though. Don't know how to use a bloody bell.
Yep same with me. I left in 2004 so anything after that doesn't register in my brain.
Maaaan I miss and love the old Cardiff I grew up in so much! Thanks for filming this 🙏
It was so much better in my opinion
I can remember what it was like before 2003. It look so different. It’s changed so much. Great video.
Hard to believe 2003 is more than 20 years ago 😢
I would have been 21 and can remember all those shops.
Thank you so much for uploading this it's starting to become vague mu memories it been so long so much change
Omg, so I moved out of Cardiff and up to Glasgow when it still looked like this, came back a few years later after the redevelopment and I was SO confused lol I literally got lost at the top end of town and had to use the castle to navigate where I was lol it was a very weird feeling. I don’t think most of us realise we will grow up somewhere only for it to COMPLETELY disappear in our life time. Felt the same about St Mary’s street when all the nightclubs closed and it got pedestrianised.
Remarkable this was 2003. I forget how recently the remodelling of The Hayes was done. The clip of Waterstones at 12:36 used to be the old Dillons bookstore, before Waterstones bought them out. So we had two Waterstones within 100 yards of each other! Lots of personal memories here. My friend Steve ran The Sports Bookshop inside the Oxford Arcade and I bought many a DVD in MVC! My late father bought me and my brother our much-loved ZX Spectrum (pretty sure it was April 1983) from The Computer Shop which, if memory serves me right, was roughly around where Bo Concept/Jessops was. And he bought me my first ever LP (Queen's Hot Space) in the old Virgin which I think was at the end of that run of shops, towards Toys R Us. Happy memories indeed 😊
I preferred it in 1693, when it was a swamp. That Marquis of Bute ruined the whole marshy experience.
Major improvements have been made since 2003, which I’m pleased about, but it was lovely to go back down memory lane most of the sites i remember x
The improvements to Cardiff city centre mean it looks just like anywhere else, the buildings these days are off the shelf, so the same designs are everywhere, cheap to put up and easy to pull down.
Cardiff has lost its individual character.
Love how you've overlayed the modern day views too otherwise id be lost
Also omg! The “Echo! Echo! Echo Western mail!” Guy!!!! Yes!!!!
This is absolute gold! ToysRus! MVC, Oxford Arcade. I remember my mates and I parking on the roof of the NCP where the Admiral tower is now before going to the cinema and seeing the construction of SD2 carpark never imagining how where we were would become history 😢
The current buildings in 2023 are more fitting for a capital city like Cardiff, but it was nostalgic going back in time around 20 years and being reminded of what was there before.
The new buildings in Cardiff are characterless.
They conform to a similar pattern, same design put up all over, nothing of architectural value and no sympathy with the cities history, you only have to look at that canal that has been opened up on Churchill Way.The modern buildings have a tendency to discolour.
What modern building in the city centre has the presence of a capital city and why?
@@pauldurkee4764 I think we miss the familiarity we had with the old shops and pavements. Looking back, it was much less clean though back then. The 60s, 70s and 80s buildings were largely concrete and dirty white plastic cladding. Just look at the eyesores of Oxford St and Tredegar St car parks. Smelling of stale urine and just soulless concrete structures. The horrible paving, the bad lighting. Each to their own, and let’s be clear - I loved it all when it was there- but my personal opinion is that it was tired, badly designed, dirty and dated. Today, it’s current, modern and far cleaner. If Cardiff still looked like this now, everyone would be complaining that it needed updating, as the capital city.
@@Dovoro. I love modern Cardiff it’s such a great, condensed urban experience and it’s been that way since 2009 which was when the most dramatic changes finished
@@Dovoro.
The modern buildings are covered in plastic and it discolours quickly, as for the paving, have you noticed how many of those expensive thick paving slabs that wobble and are cracked, really poor workmanship.
7:09 with all the changes the city centre has seen, the strawberries a pound guy is the one constant lol
I always wanted to know what sits in Toys R Us's place now. John Lewis. Nice trip down memory lane of childhood. What saddened me was how much better congestion was back then. Everyone moving more freely.
I’ve been looking for footage like this for years! It’s so rare! Thank you so much for the upload and the blast from the past. I can’t tell if that’s neon lighting within the Oxford Arcade there, but if you know anything about that, please let me know! Thanks again for the memories.
I think it was fluorescent tube lighting but could be wrong. Thanks for the comment!
Feels like a different age. I'm still amazed how it all changed. From traffic to no traffic etc. Queen's Arcade will be next to go.
Yes you’re probably right. The whole lower level is closed off and empty already. Wonder what they’d put there instead.
That area has been knocked down and rebuilt twice in my lifetime.
They destroyed my Father's memories of the Hayes around 1980 ( I think), then they destroyed mine.
Few cities have changed as much as Cardiff has, almost unrecognisable from years ago.
One thing you notice now is the amount of beggars and homeless people, never used to see it before, I used to walk home from Portmanmoor road, up Tyndall Street to the top of Bute Street, past the Custom House and Glendower pubs and there wasnt one person sleeping rough.
Amazing
Fascinating!
Cardiff was a much better city 80s /90s lost its character these days
I preferred it in 2003. It's now a soulless and characterless maze, the redevelopment seems to have sucked the life and soul out of it.
Yep cardiff is done for me I'm moving next month
@pauledwards499 This is sadly true.
Aesthetically, I'd say The Hayes is better today but I agree, something is missing. It's less vibrant and, as you say, soulless. I think that's more down to people changing their retail habits post-Internet. Online shopping is a wrecking ball for city centres and losing both David Morgan and Howells was a huge loss for Cardiff and nice shops have closed in the arcades because the rates are so high. On top of that Debenhams, Mothercare etc have all gone too. So you end up with bars and restaurants (which focus on evening trade) taking their place.
If you dont recognise the Hayes now, wait till you get to St Mary's Street, and High Street. Its so bad now, no shops, litter everywhere, homeless people. So sad to see it
How's the library interior footage coming along? Would be interesting to see that.
It’s at the top of my list when I get five mins 👍🏼
I prefer the 2003 version! It was more interesting.
They should have put trams down the haze
Wow 2 pictures at once, nothing wrong with old building, should make more house for peoples needs?
Good old layout much beeter in 2003
It felt like an actual city. Felt bigger and more bustling too.
Don't agree
@@Tylkybetter now
Agreed. Felt more free and open.
fashion still the same
Hardly.... barely a burkah or headscarf in sight in 2003.
@@phildavies6020 and millions of them around today
Lovely memories