Blackwood - Forever Delayed

strongerthanmensa · #1 04-09-2021, 10:05

Hello FD, it's been a long long time.

Has anyone ever been to Blackwood? I went to the Wye Valley last week and Blackwood was only an hour away and the drive looked very pleasant, and I'm a fanboy so I went there on a slightly ridiculous "pilgrimage" and asked in a cafe if there's any manics "landmarks" in the town. The cafe staff were slightly bewildered by the question, but suggested going to the wetherspoons down the road which had a couple of photos, and going to look at the miners institute (known as the 'stute). One of them said "we're really more into Joe Calzaghe here".

We went to the wetherspoons and looked at a few pics of the manics around the entrance to the toilet, with a short biography under one of the bigger pics, and then left quite quickly as it was frankly odd to be hanging around the loos in wetherspoons at 1pm (or I suppose any time of day really).

Just found it kind of interesting that Blackwood has no real "recognition" of some of their most successful and famous sons - but I dunno if that's because the band has been so disparaging about the place in the past?

usagainstyou · #2 05-09-2021, 02:43

I’ve been to Blackwood 3 or 4 times and still remember my first visit (I was really obsessed with the Manics back then):
- 26 Bus from Cardiff
- rain
- taking lots of pics
- buying an ugly tunic at their local A.S.A. store just to have a receipt that says “Blackwood”

- eating a tasteless KFC chicken sandwich
- looking for NatWest, Barclays, Midlands and Lloyds

I was so excited! Good times

wireobsessed · #3 09-09-2021, 12:39

Ah it’s about time Blackwood had a proper Manics place, statue in the Suicide Alley where you can take selfies, a Manics caf, full of memorabilia, signed stuff, collage wall, bacon butties, decent coffee, egg and chips that kinda thing.

tzb · #4 11-09-2021, 19:59

Yep, I went. Saw the sights and bought some leopardprint from a Blackwood chazzer shop.

hummingbird · #5 11-09-2021, 21:34

The closest I got to Blackwood was 18 years ago when my friend offered to drive me there while we were on our way to somewhere else.
Didn't want him to waste his petrol on the detour so declined. Think that cafe they frequented was still open? Should've said yes!

If they ever put anything up more interesting than a few photos by a pub toilet ...might make the effort

tzb · #6 19-09-2021, 19:22

Considering a detour here tomorrow on the way to Cardiff.

UEF · #7 19-09-2021, 21:30

Went there 10 years ago for the miners institute gig and thought it had more in it than the town I grew up in

tzb · #8 21-09-2021, 09:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by tzb

Considering a detour here tomorrow on the way to Cardiff.

I did this, stopped for dinner and a short wander around the town:

Blackwood Little Theatre, where they played their third ever gig:

Blackwood Miner's Institute, where they used to play snooker and played their homecoming show in 2011:

Manics stuff displayed in Blackwood Wetherspoons (on the way to the gents):

tzb · #9 21-09-2021, 09:19

(sorry it was mega shiny!)

Not all the banks are still in town, but here's Barclays and Midlands (now HSBC) of Natwest - Barclays - Midlands - Lloyds fame:

Overlooking the town is the rather beautiful Chartist Bridge, which, having crossed it earlier that day, strongly evoked the Severn Bridge for this FMF: