Posts in category: Swansea & South Wales

I have lived in Swansea for about 17 years now, and there are still so many places I haven’t been to and things I haven’t done here.  One thing that I can cross off that list though is taking a trip on the Swansea Bay rider land train, from Blackpill to Mumbles.

I went on it for the first time last week, with the children and Steve’s family who were over from the Isle of Man.  And I can safely say it is as much fun as it looks!

The train runs 6 times a day, from Blackpill all along the front at Swansea bay to Southend gardens in Mumbles.

We decided to catch the first train of the day, at 10.30 from Blackpill.

We got there a few minutes before the train arrived, and so had the fun build up of peering down the prom trying to spot it as it made its way towards us.

By the time the train arrived there were several other families waiting to get on, and I wasn’t sure how much room there would be for everyone.  So I was really pleasantly surprised when I realised that the Swansea Bay rider is actually a pretty decent size.  According to the council website it has enough seats for 72 people which I thought was great.

I was also really impressed with the two men who were running it that day.

They took the time to chat with us and work out the best deal for us when it came to buying our tickets which we really appreciated.

Then before we knew it, the whistle blew and we were off!

The land train travels all along Swansea promenade to Mumbles, so you get amazing views of Swansea bay the whole way.

I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve looked out at that view across the bay, but I don’t think I will ever get tired of it.  And if you’re visiting Swansea then taking the land train is a great way to really experience the view for the first time!

One thing I really loved was how everyone walking along the prom reacted as the train went by.

All the children on the train were shouting hello and waving to them as we went along, and pretty much everyone we passed grinned and waved hello back to them.  There was just such a lovely atmosphere to the whole thing.

We got off the train at the last stop – Southend gardens in Mumbles.  Then walked for a couple of minutes to Mumbles pier.

We ventured out along the pier to visit the Mumbles Lifeboat station, which I’m not sure I had ever done before.

Rhys and Nerys have been a few times before though, with their Nana and with Steve, and Rhys was really excited to tell me all about how the lifeboat launches and splashes out in the water to rescue people.

I was really impressed with the lifeboat station, there was a fair bit to look at and interact with while learning all about how the crew do their jobs.  The children even had the chance to try on some of the gear!

After a good nose at the lifeboat we headed back along the pier to the beach hut cafe to refuel with coffee for the adults and lunch for the children.  Rhys highly recommends the margarita pizza from the children’s menu, it was delicious!

We just had time after lunch for a quick visit to the amusement arcade.

I think the children could’ve quite happily spent all afternoon there, playing on the different games and trying out the various rides, but luckily for our wallets we were watching the clock to make sure we got back to Southend gardens in time to get the train back to Blackpill.

We did have time for Nerys and her cousin to ride in a rocket ship a few times though, while Rhys challenged his Nana to a few games of air hockey.

We managed to get the little ones away from the arcade without too much drama (luckily!) and then strolled back to meet the train for the journey back home.

We were a few minutes early again, so passed the time taking photos and seeing who could spot the train coming first!

Then it was time to hop aboard and make our way back along the prom to Blackpill.

We had a really great morning out together, riding the land train and spending some time at the pier in Mumbles.  I still can’t believe I’d never done it before!  And now I’ve seen how much fun it can be I’ll definitely be taking the children for a ride again next summer.

You can get details of ticket prices and the dates and times that the Swansea Bay rider runs here.

I first heard about ParkLives last summer, when I noticed one of their banners up in Brynmill park.  Then I spotted another banner up at Victoria park by Swansea bay, but I didn’t really know what it was all about.

And it was only at the start of the summer this year that I actually looked up ParkLives online and found out quite what I had been missing!

ParkLives is an initiative that was launched back in 2014 and is run in partnership between Coca-Cola and local authorities across the UK.

Their main aim is to get people out and active in the green spaces in their local communities, and they’re working to achieve this by offering all sorts of different fun, and free, activities.

Swansea (including Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend) is one of 10 cities in the UK that is taking part in ParkLives in 2017.

The other cities involved are Birmingham, Dundee, Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton, Stoke-on-Trent, Nottingham and the London Borough of Newham.

If you’re lucky enough to live in one of those areas, then head over to the ParkLives website and see what activities are on offer.  There is so much choice, there’s bound to be something that interests you and your children!

If you’re looking for something nice and gentle then there are options, like Tai Chi and walk and talk sessions, that are great for getting some gentle exercise while possibly meeting new friends from the local area.  There are also loads of options for the gym bunnies out there, from boot camp sessions to circuits and yoga.

The best part for me though is all the activities that are available for children.  

We’ve enjoyed doing the family yoga sessions here in Swansea, and had a great time at a ‘design a duck’ craft session in Brynmill Park.

Some of the other activities for children in Swansea include:

• Parkour
• Circus skills
• Mounting boarding
• Scooters and skateboard sessions
• Dodgeball and endball
• Balance bike sessions
• Family fun days
• Golf and volleyball sessions

There really is something for everyone and the sessions are an amazing way for children to try out new activities to learn new skills and perhaps find a new interest or hobby.

The sessions generally last for about an hour and are all run by well-trained leaders and volunteers from the local area.

The people running the sessions that we’ve been along to have been really friendly and welcoming, and took the time to make sure we had everything we needed and knew what we were doing.

The emphasis at all the sessions seems to be fun, and you’re free to go at your own pace which is great for making everyone feel welcome and included.  So even if you’re a complete beginner you’re encouraged to join in and give things a go.

If you live in one of the towns listed above, head over to ParkLives.com and see what activities are on offer in your local parks.

It’s really easy to do, just put your postcode in the box on the homepage and a list of activities will come up, sorted by date and time.  Then just click on the activity that takes your fancy to find out a bit more information about the session.

Make sure you check if you need to book a place or not, then on the day just turn up at the park and get ready to have some fun, all for free.

What’s not to love about that?

Disclaimer – this is a sponsored post.