Nice place? What to do?

Have a friend moving there for six months.

I'll start the ball rolling...

I haven't visited Swansea for about twenty years, but spent every summer holiday there as a child. What sticks out for me are the beautiful beaches along the Gower Coast and the promenade at the Mumbles (a village near Swansea in those days...by now maybe it's become a suburb of Swansea, who knows?)

I hope someone with more recent experiences answers your questions. I too would like to know what's new in Swansea,

You could start with

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southwest/sites/swansea/

Thanks Patrick, but I was looking at some personal impressions from someone. I've had it compared to Worthing, which isn't good

It's in Wales. So it's off to a bad start.

I know people who have been transferred to the DVLA on six month contracts and they were all dreading it (it being in wales and all that), and by and large they liked it.

The ones who liked it best tend to be gregarious outdoorsy types - there's loads of good walking and other rufty-tufty stuff to do.

The ones who worked on computers didn't like it much and said that down town at the weekend is a bear-pit (but where in Britain isn't nowadays?).

It has a university so it has some cultural life, and a god-awful football team. Glamorgan play cricket there. There's bound to be rugby as well I'd have thought.

Cheers David

Six month DVLA transfer it is, and my friend is in tears.

I think she might be in trouble on the outdoors thing, I don't think she's ever set foot outside Brighton.

Can you think of a silver lining?

It's a city and is much bigger than Worthing - it's second in size to Cardiff. The centre is largely post-war because it was heavily bombed in the war, but has a lively shopping centre and a well-established university. The inhabitants' average age will be a lot less than in Worthing. The seaside, including beautiful sandy beaches, is very close.

I think she might be in trouble on the outdoors thing, I don't think she's ever set foot outside Brighton.

Can you think of a silver lining?>>>>

That the blokes will actually want to shag her rather than be her "special friend"?

To be a bit more helpful I 'll speak to one of them over the weekend (although he is the ruffty tuffty sort)

"That the blokes will actually want to shag her rather than be her "special friend"?"

I swear Winchester has its own sense of humour.

Don't you just love those bombed out city centres? It's like Southampton. The Luftwaffe should have finished the job, and the ruins then ploughed into farmland.

Keep me posted.

Well I spoke to him and it's not good.

He liked the countryside and all the activities that were available - but he is a sporty type.

He says the town centre is impossible - the pubs are all full of either students or chavs (welsh chavs - imagine the horror).

He didn't think much of the DVLA either

He also sent me this (not for the easily offended - contains football songs):

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Swansea

It seems that the six month DVLA contract is the Civil Service equivelent of National Service - everyone hates it but you've got to do it.

I know people in work that live in Swansea give me some idea of teh details of what the person does like and I will ask them. I have been there several times it is about 50 minute drive away, and we also have an office based in swansea. I have never found s problem there and like it and it's location, but then visting and living are 2 seperate things.

Oh dear. I don't think I'll pass this information on.

If you do make sure you include this:

http://www.samaritans.org.uk/

My son is in Swansea University, studying Law. This means he is a responsible industrious student that utilises his time studying...But he tells me that Swansea is party time on the weekend but only for Non students, they have all week at reduced prices.

Now Swansea is in the middle of a regeneration project, that means loads of road works,and building but give it a year or two and SA1 as its called will be fabulous.

Swansea has a good side and a bad. The western side has the Gower peninsula which is arguably one of the most beautiful areas in Britain, on the Eastern side a few miles away is Port Talbot. Not a good place to visit, but don't let is spoil swansea.

The beach in front of University of Wales is lovely and where else in the world would a university be almost on the beach.

St Helens is indeed used for Cricket sometimes, but Rugby is now at the new stadium shared with Swansea City FC.
Swansea has the only Olympic size swimming pool in Wales.

Ok the front of the city near the beach is student city, but the rest of the city is nice and a gateway to the West which is beautiful.

Oh there was once a Swansea to Cork (Ireland) ferry but I'm not sure if that still runs. I'm sure someone knows.

Swansea is ok but not as nice as Cardiff ..

Muck

I was in Swansea in 2006 for a couple of months. It is a great place, and I was really very sad to leave. The down town has a lot of utilitarian post war architecture, but still there are some attractive pockets of the old city that remain, and then there is the Marina with its museums, view of the bay and cafes. Swansea's main asset, though, is its location. There is no other city in the UK that has such stunning bays and wonderful golden sands on its door step. If you friend is very urbane, she will love the cafes and stores of the Mumbles area. Unfortunately, the DVLA is not located in the best part of town. It was built for function, not beauty and is out near the M4 in a council estate. Anyway, if she likes Brighton, she will love Swansea. It is not as cosmopolitan, but is also less tacky. These should be her points of reference: Mumbles (sea-side suburb - check out Verdi's sea-front cafe), the Marina (near the city center, views, cafes), Caswell and Langland Bays (if the weather is good). I wish your friend good luck!

to add to above... No, it is not at all like Worthing. Swansea is much bigger and is a very lively place with a large student population. Also, the beaches are sandy and tend attract a young surfing crowd, rather than old age pensioners. I don't know the age of your friend or her taste in music, but Swansea hosts some great out-door rock concerts (something that won't happen in Worthing!), and I hear that this year a new one called Ffam (Wales' version of the Reading and Leeds concerts) will be held in Singleton Park (near the university) in July...