# A night out in Cardiff: the amazing street photos of Maciej Dakowicz



## King Biscuit Time (Aug 24, 2006)

Here on this blokes pbase

http://www.pbase.com/maciekda/wales

Including some pics inside the legendary Staff Club.


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## editor (Aug 24, 2006)

Great pics! What camera were you, err, _wielding?_

(Edit: oops! I see it says at the bottom of the pics)


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## King Biscuit Time (Aug 24, 2006)

Not me - They were done by someone called maciej dakowicz.

I just happened across them while surfing and thought they were  .

(and I love the staff club)


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## editor (Aug 24, 2006)

I'm really enjoying these pics - they're fucking excellent!

Love this one: http://www.pbase.com/maciekda/image/60868354


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## editor (Aug 24, 2006)

Ah, I see he was using a 35mm F2 lens for some of the pics. Nice!

I'm going to copy this thread to the photo forum too.


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## King Biscuit Time (Aug 24, 2006)

He is a bloke look - heres a Self Portrait

http://www.pbase.com/maciekda/image/62791546

And the pic you've just linked to is astonishing.


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## editor (Aug 24, 2006)

After looking at those photos I'm having a "I'm a fucking shit photographer" moment. 

The guy's fucking brilliant!


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## King Biscuit Time (Aug 24, 2006)

Have a look round all his stuff and you can see the guy is pure class -

And if this pic doesn't sum up the pointless gentrification of Chippy lane I don't know what does -

http://www.pbase.com/maciekda/image/45809902


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## ddraig (Aug 24, 2006)

wicked  cheers kbt
the woman in this one is giving someone the finger 
http://www.pbase.com/maciekda/image/55204575
who tho?


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## ddraig (Aug 24, 2006)

wow! 
http://www.pbase.com/maciekda/image/53387179


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## ddraig (Aug 24, 2006)

http://www.pbase.com/maciekda/image/39516683


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## llantwit (Aug 24, 2006)

They are fucking amazing!!! 
We should all write to this guy and tell him we think he's a hero.
The Cardiff ones are great - but there are some ace ones in the valleys too - 'Happy' is excellent - taken in the preceint in Pontypridd I think.
My favourite's the one th ed linked to first, though - that's just genius (or increfible luck)!
http://www.pbase.com/maciekda/image/60868354


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## King Biscuit Time (Aug 24, 2006)

ddraig said:
			
		

> wicked  cheers kbt
> the woman in this one is giving someone the finger
> http://www.pbase.com/maciekda/image/55204575
> who tho?



I was wondering if any of the pics would have someone I recognised in it.
The bald geezer sat at the back of this one famously spends his days sweeping up Cathays Terrace manicly, and keeps cider in the phone box by the liberal club.


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## Brockway (Aug 24, 2006)

King Biscuit Time said:
			
		

> I was wondering if any of the pics would have someone I recognised in it.
> The bald geezer sat at the back of this one famously spends his days sweeping up Cathays Terrace manicly, and keeps cider in the phone box by the liberal club.



Same pic - bloke wearing glasses at the far back is called Mike - he's a friend of mine, works in the Old Library - he's dead brainy, got a photographic memory. The fella standing at the fruit machines sells the _Echo_ - he's the one who went missing a year or two ago.

Great set of photos, the best contemporary pictures of Cardiff I've seen. Much better than the officially sanctioned photo-book that was published to mark the city's centenary last year. This set absolutely wipes the floor with it.


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## la ressistance (Aug 24, 2006)

genius.


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## Jim2k5 (Aug 24, 2006)

there some awesome photos, nice link kbt


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## munkeeunit (Aug 24, 2006)

If this the new Wales / Bristol / London Oil pipeline?

War looms for sure  

http://www.pbase.com/maciekda/image/64458690


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## Biffo (Aug 24, 2006)

Brilliant pics. Reconised a couple of blokes in Staff Club. Top quality.


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## ddraig (Aug 24, 2006)

munkeeunit said:
			
		

> If this the new Wales / Bristol / London Oil pipeline?
> 
> War looms for sure
> 
> http://www.pbase.com/maciekda/image/64458690


by jove! he's on to something!


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## Brockway (Aug 25, 2006)

He's managed to capture a living legend in action too.


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## King Biscuit Time (Aug 25, 2006)

Brockway said:
			
		

> He's managed to capture a living legend in action too.




But does he piss on them first?


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## Brockway (Aug 25, 2006)

King Biscuit Time said:
			
		

> But does he piss on them first?



Let's hope not - he has shaken hands with half of Cardiff. I've long since learnt my lesson though....


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## Brockway (Sep 3, 2006)

Anyone see today's _Wales on Sunday_? That Polish photographer Maciej Dakowicz gets a double page spread with the headline Undercover of the Night. It shows his Cardiff-after-dark-and-a-bit-pissed snaps.


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## rhod (Sep 3, 2006)

Fuck - look at the rest of the guy's stuff!

He's paid his dues!


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## ddraig (Sep 3, 2006)

rhod said:
			
		

> Fuck - look at the rest of the guy's stuff!
> 
> He's paid his dues!


totally amazing aren't they


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## Orang Utan (Mar 29, 2009)

*A Night Out In Cardiff*

http://www.totallycrap.com/galleries/galleries_a_drunken_night_out_in_cardiff/


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## brix (Mar 29, 2009)

scary 

I particularly like this one though.  The expression on his face is priceless


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## ElectricKingdom (Mar 29, 2009)

I hate this fucking country.


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## Orang Utan (Mar 29, 2009)

fuck off out of it then


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## ElectricKingdom (Mar 29, 2009)

Thanks.


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## Skin (Mar 29, 2009)

Looks like a good time was had by all!


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## ddraig (Mar 29, 2009)

hehe some of them been posted before but new ones in there, ta
brilliant photographer

must've been an international day but it's not far off that every weekend, carnage best avoided imo!

no sick or piss in this slideshow


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## _pH_ (Mar 29, 2009)

quality


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## brix (Mar 29, 2009)

I'm going to Cardiff next month.  I'm scared now


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## _pH_ (Mar 29, 2009)

brains....i ain't got none


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## editor (Mar 29, 2009)

All those photos are by the excellent Maciej Dakowicz and have been taken from here:
http://www.pbase.com/maciekda/cardiff_st_mary_street_zone

He's got a book out too:
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/342113 

They've been posted here several times already, incl:
http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=174794

*tags added


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## softybabe (Mar 29, 2009)

oh dear!  I don't think i've seen it that bad in Central...



*note to self....take beer goggles off next time i'm in Central


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## editor (Mar 29, 2009)

*threads merged, title changed to provide a one-stop shop for all your Cardiff/Maciej Dakowicz related thrills and chat.


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## ddraig (Mar 29, 2009)

brix said:


> I'm going to Cardiff next month.  I'm scared now



don't be! just avoid that street


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## pigtails (Mar 29, 2009)

I don't remember it being so bad when I use to venture out!
Although to be fair I was probably too bolloxed to notice 

I'll stick to locals from now on I think!


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## brix (Mar 29, 2009)

ddraig said:


> don't be! just avoid that street



I was joking.  Well, half joking 

Is that St Mary Street?  I've just been reading up on Cardiff and St Mary Street sounds like my idea of hell.


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## Orang Utan (Mar 29, 2009)

More pics of people having too much fun:
http://toddfisher.net/
Proving that the idiot who slagged off this country cos people get drunk is truly an idiot.


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## ElectricKingdom (Mar 29, 2009)

Orang Utan said:


> More pics of people having too much fun:
> http://toddfisher.net/
> Proving that the idiot who slagged off this country cos people get drunk is truly an idiot.



Oh please fuck off.


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## Orang Utan (Mar 29, 2009)

ElectricKingdom said:


> Oh please fuck off.


Shan't.


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## ddraig (Mar 29, 2009)

brix said:


> I was joking.  Well, half joking
> 
> Is that St Mary Street?  I've just been reading up on Cardiff and St Mary Street sounds like my idea of hell.



yup thas the one. AVOID 
they shut it down every weekend for the pissed hordes


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## brix (Mar 29, 2009)

Orang Utan said:


> More pics of people having too much fun:
> http://toddfisher.net/
> Proving that the idiot who slagged off this country cos people get drunk is truly an idiot.



To be fair to the poster in question, there are town centres across the country that end up like the wild bloody west on a Friday and Saturday night.  In a way that would never happen on the continent.  I love the UK, have travelled quite a bit and not sure I could live anywhere else, but we don't always seem to be able to handle our booze that well.  Some of the photos you posted reflect that.


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## ddraig (Mar 29, 2009)

softybabe said:


> oh dear!  I don't think i've seen it that bad in Central...
> 
> 
> 
> *note to self....take beer goggles off next time i'm in Central



that's cos we avoid it init!


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## Orang Utan (Mar 29, 2009)

The pics on the Todd Fisher site are all taken in the US though


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## ElectricKingdom (Mar 29, 2009)

brix said:


> To be fair to the poster in question, there are town centres across the country that end up like the wild bloody west on a Friday and Saturday night.  In a way that would never happen on the continent.  I love the UK, have travelled quite a bit and not sure I could live anywhere else, but we don't always seem to be able to handle our booze that well.  Some of the photos you posted reflect that.



Thank you, Brix. Spot on.


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## brix (Mar 29, 2009)

Orang Utan said:


> The pics on the Todd Fisher site are all taken in the US though




I'm talking about the Cardiff pics though.

And I'm not saying that sort of behaviour doesn't happen elsewhere.  But there definitely is a differennt 'approach' to alcohol on the continent.


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## Orang Utan (Mar 29, 2009)

brix said:


> I'm talking about the Cardiff pics though.
> 
> And I'm not saying that sort of behaviour doesn't happen elsewhere.  But there definitely is a differennt 'approach' to alcohol on the continent.


for sure, but it still doesn't warrant hating this country! It's an extreme reaction to hate a country just cos its people like getting drunk.


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## brix (Mar 29, 2009)

Orang Utan said:


> for sure, but it still doesn't warrant hating this country! It's an extreme reaction to hate a country just cos its people like getting drunk.



Fair enough.  Sometimes people say that without really meaning it though.  It's a shorthand for expressing despair.


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## Orang Utan (Mar 29, 2009)

brix said:


> Fair enough.  Sometimes people say that without really meaning it though.  It's a shorthand for expressing despair.



it raises my hackles and makes me think of people like Richard Littlejohn and Phil Collins.


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## brix (Mar 29, 2009)

Orang Utan said:


> it raises my hackles and makes me think of people like Richard Littlejohn and Phil Collins.



Blimey.  Nothing that makes you think of those two people can be a good thing

Carry on


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## Paul Russell (Mar 29, 2009)

They are great photos -- he's got a great future ahead of him. He has quite a few pictures in a London exhibition this summer.

BTW, his Blurb book "Sixteen Countries" is very good but doesn't feature any Cardiff stuff -- it's more NatGeo style travel photography.


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## disco_dave_2000 (Mar 30, 2009)

Another fan here - totally recommend his book


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## Build_A_Fire (Apr 4, 2009)

*The Lovely St Mary's Street*

St Mary's Street gets a fair bit of stick on here....and off here if you mix with normal people....here's a nice reminder why
http://ajanlo.kapu.hu/pics.php?d=cardiff


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## teqniq (Apr 4, 2009)

Fuck, yeah that'll be one of the reasons why I don't anywhere near it on a Friday or Saturday night.

The guy in the pink dress and fishnets - 10/10 LOL


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## LilMissHissyFit (Apr 4, 2009)

to be avoided at all costs..leave it to the valleys teens all down for a belly full of beer and a fight/shag ( sometimes both together!). some good places off st marys street though


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## llantwit (Apr 4, 2009)

There's nothing wrong with St Mary Street if you like it load and raucous.
Time and a place, like.
I love those photos. We've had a thread with that Polish guy's stuff before. He did some great pics of the Glamorgan Staf Club before it died, too.


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## Build_A_Fire (Apr 4, 2009)

To be fair amongst all the carnage, that polish guy has managed to take some awesome pics. I particlarly like the guy trying his hardest to balance a pizza box on top or a 5ft high pile of rubbish haha


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## 1927 (Apr 4, 2009)

I loved the one of the guy snogging a bird while his mate sucked her fingers!!
They were probably brothers from Swansea, so it was likely she was their sister, so that makes it OK!!


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## Gavin Bl (Apr 4, 2009)

* quickly reconsiders moving to Cardiff *


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## phildwyer (Apr 4, 2009)

There's no better place to be on a Saturday night if you're pissed.  And nowhere worse if you're sober.


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## Build_A_Fire (Apr 4, 2009)

Gavin Bl said:


> * quickly reconsiders moving to Cardiff *



Ahh don't worry it's only one bad street......we still got a few cool places


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## editor (Apr 4, 2009)

We've already merged several threads on this guys photos: http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=174794


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## Paul Russell (Apr 8, 2009)

Some of the Cardiff photos (the ones with vomit, people urinating, i.e. the "worst" ones) were on the Daily Telegraph's website yesterday as a slideshow with a load of morally outraged (and sometimes incorrect) captions and with faces blanked out. Uncredited except for a link to a Hungarian website. "Shocking photographs of drunken behaviour in Cardiff". The intro also mentions people having sex in the street, which does not seem to be true...

The Telegraph had found them on Hungarian website, which had posted them without any mention of Maciej, and The Telegraph reposted them on telegraph.co.uk with just a link to the Hungarian website. Great journalism! 

Maciej rang them up and they put a credit on the pictures. The URL is giving a 404 error now, so I guess they have been taken down...

Screengrab
http://www.flickr.com/photos/maciejdakowicz/3421394950/sizes/o/


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## LadyLDN (Apr 8, 2009)

To the OP - Fantastic photography!
Ta for pisting up the link


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## Brockway (Apr 8, 2009)

check out the scandalous behaviour of the Telegraph with regards Maciej's Cardiff photos. 

Ooops just noticed PR, above, has already mentioned this.


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## boskysquelch (Apr 8, 2009)

> 13.  What are moral rights?
> Moral rights were introduced by the Copyright Design and Patents Act 1988 and exist alongside copyright. The main moral rights are:
> 
> * * The right to be identified as the author of a work ('the paternity right')*
> ...



often missed....but then as someone who bothered to put some effort into creating rather than bleating about how it is their right to use it I know I knows.

Rereading the blurb in the Flkr link jus goes to show how shit Flikr is in getting shit "done"...someone tell him to "bother" harder please.


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## Paul Russell (Apr 8, 2009)

boskysquelch said:


> Rereading the blurb in the Flkr link jus goes to show how shit Flikr is in getting shit "done"...someone tell him to "bother" harder please.



If you look at the link again, it now seems to be sorted out -- the photos have been taken down; he has been compensated in dosh and seems happy with the result. Maybe an office trainee at the Telegraph is now getting their bottie smacked.


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## boskysquelch (Apr 8, 2009)

Paul Russell said:


> Maybe an office trainee at the Telegraph is now getting their bottie smacked.




as has been said in the Thread on Flikr...nah...that is not how it works.

But I imagine a contract of no further public discussion has been agreed on...so that's that then..._till the next time_.


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## Paul Russell (Apr 10, 2009)

And again:

http://www.kontraband.co.uk/pics/16927/A-Night-Out-In-Cardiff-Wales/?gpage=9#show

which is currently on the front page of digg. No permission, no accreditation...


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## Brockway (Apr 16, 2009)

That boy gets everywhere.


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## rhod (Apr 17, 2009)

Yeah, Lorrainne Barret _totally_ missing the point :



> "It is absolutely appalling that a senior Tory AM is promoting these offensive pictures on a social networking site that is popular with young people," she said.
> 
> "It shows a complete disregard for the people of Cardiff and as an assembly member representing the city I think Jonathan Morgan should publicly apologise."


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## Paul Russell (Apr 17, 2009)

There was a double page spread of the Cardiff pictures in the Daily Sport a couple of weeks ago! They just nicked em off the Interweb.


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## rhod (Apr 17, 2009)

All good publicity for Maciej, I suppose.

It's only a matter of time before "horrified" AMs will be commissioning him for stuff to hang in the Assembly, I'll bet.


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## JWH (Apr 27, 2009)

*"Cardiff Nights Are Great Nights" - Gin Lane photojournalism content*

Apologies if this has been posted before but I saw a link on Popbitch to this photo gallery: http://attuworld.com/just-attu/cardiff-nights-are-great-nights.html (Not prawn, no nudity, but not exactly leave-open-on-the-screen-in-the-office material).

It's been ages since I was in Cardiff, and I didn't go out late in the centre of town when I was there, but if this is representative it's a fearsome sight! (Not a criticism of Cardiff at all - I am sure there are nice corners where you can avoid the neds).


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## _pH_ (Apr 27, 2009)

bindun (more than once!)


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## cesare (Apr 27, 2009)

_pH_ said:


> bindun (more than once!)



Loads more than once


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## Crispy (Apr 27, 2009)

all merged now


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## JWH (Apr 27, 2009)

cesare said:


> Loads more than once


I apologise wholeheartedly - I searched for "cardiff nights" which I thought was the title but this thread didn't come up.

In that case, can I be less diplomatic and say that the photos made me want to get an ASBO taken out against me that banned me from ever going to Cardiff City Centre, just in case I lost my mind and was tempted?


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## editor (Apr 27, 2009)

JWH said:


> I apologise wholeheartedly - I searched for "cardiff nights" which I thought was the title but this thread didn't come up.
> 
> In that case, can I be less diplomatic and say that the photos made me want to get an ASBO taken out against me that banned me from ever going to Cardiff City Centre, just in case I lost my mind and was tempted?


I've had some great nights out in Cardiff. It's nowhere as grim as those photos might suggest, although it accurately documents some of the scenes you might see late at night.

I'm guessing that some would  have been taken after a big game at the Millennium where people (both locals and visitors) tend to get a bit over-excited if the result has gone their way.


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## llantwit (Apr 27, 2009)

I wouldn't say these were unusual scenes after 1am on a Friday or Saturday night in Cardiff. They're all taken on St Mary St and around Caroline St. You can avoid it if you want to, but I don't see a problem myself.
Yes it's flamboyant, yes it's very pissed, and yes it's not very staid and middle class. But I've never felt threatened in Cardiff city centre at night. Most of the fighting is tribal (between different valleys villages, etc), and so won't involve you if you don't want it too. Nothing wrong with a bit of public flirtation (or heavy petting, for that matter) at this time of night.
The thing that gets on my tits is the litter, but it's all gone the next day, and people know that it'll get cleared up.
I love Cardiff on a weekend night. I'm passed clubbing every weekend, but I  often take visiting foreigners out to experience the madness of St Mary St.


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## JWH (Apr 27, 2009)

llantwit said:


> yes it's not very staid and middle class.


Aah, you've rumbled me - I wouldn't go down there because someone might jostle me and make me drop my Wedgewood.


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## Brockway (Apr 27, 2009)

Thing is Maciej has done hundreds of photos of Cardiff but the Telegraph, Sunday Sport, Jonathan Morgan, Kontraband etc cherry picked the 'bad' ones in their exposes of binge drinking in Cardiff. So it's a skewed perception. The fact that they also added misleading captions and/or have their own political agendas makes their sanctimony even more hypocritical.


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## Paul Russell (Apr 27, 2009)

This is one of my favourites:


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## Chemical needs (Apr 27, 2009)

It seems Cardiff has a lack of bins?!


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## Brockway (Apr 27, 2009)

Chemical needs said:


> It seems Cardiff has a lack of bins?!



The pictures are from match days when 70 - 100,000 people flood the city centre. On those particular days there aren't enough bins but these little van things come around every hour and clean it all up. The next morning the rubbish is gone.


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## Brockway (May 15, 2009)

His pictures made the Sun and the Daily Mail today. They've gone viral.


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## extra dry (May 15, 2009)

every reason why i do not wish in a million years to go back to the UK...sorry but come on...you can do better,,


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## llantwit (May 16, 2009)

extra dry said:


> every reason why i do not wish in a million years to go back to the UK...sorry but come on...you can do better,,



That's fine, mate. You can stay where you are with the people of Cardiff's blessing.


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## cesare (May 16, 2009)

llantwit said:


> That's fine, mate. You can stay where you are with the people of Cardiff's blessing.


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## Paul Russell (May 16, 2009)

As well as in the Sun and Daily Mail today, there's also a picture in The Guardian.


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## cybertect (May 16, 2009)

The Sun story got a mention on Radio 4's _Today_ this morning (about 1h 41 min)


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## jannerboyuk (May 16, 2009)

editor said:


> I've had some great nights out in Cardiff. It's nowhere as grim as those photos might suggest, although it accurately documents some of the scenes you might see late at night.
> 
> I'm guessing that some would  have been taken after a big game at the Millennium where people (both locals and visitors) tend to get a bit over-excited if the result has gone their way.



very true, although i tend to hang around the more then satisfying rummer, dempseys, welsh club, city arms, model inn area ive been down mary street many a time and compared to similar places its pretty tame and safe. union street in plymouth springs to mind. sheesh and thats my home town.


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## jannerboyuk (May 16, 2009)

extra dry said:


> every reason why i do not wish in a million years to go back to the UK...sorry but come on...you can do better,,



jeez mate its one street in a city of 300,000 people on match day with thousands of valleys people etc in town. it what way does it represent the uk and the experience of living here? unless you are very, very daft its the easiest place to avoid.


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## rhod (Apr 11, 2011)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-12996375

*Cardiff nightlife pictures to be exhibited in Poland*

Also, an exhibition in the Old Library in Cardiff from 14th April to 22nd July


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## editor (Sep 23, 2011)

He's been forced to defend his pics - and Cardiff - after  it was claimed that his pics of Cardiff's "raucous nightlife turned Britain into a laughing stock at an international photograph festival.


> When they were exhibited to a 1,000-strong audience at the festival – “The Oscars” of the industry – they caused howls of laughter, applause and shouts of “bravo”.
> 
> They have since been held up as an example of “Booze Britain”.
> But now a robust defence has been launched – led by the man who took the pictures himself.
> ...


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## Orang Utan (Sep 23, 2011)

well they certainly would have put me off a night out in cardiff, if a night out in cardiff would ever have been on the cards


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## ddraig (Sep 24, 2011)

went out last night and didn't see any of that
if you did come down i could show you a couple of places away from that that you would maybe like and not near that side of town, namely buffalo and gwdihw http://gwdihw.co.uk/
would say Cardiff Arts Institute but that is dead!  RIP
http://cardiffartsinstitute.org/2011/09/zeitgeist/cardiff-arts-institute/
http://kaptinsblog.wordpress.com/2011/09/23/cai-rip/


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## jannerboyuk (Oct 1, 2011)

Shame to hear about the CAI. A mate of mine was extolling the virtues of that place t'other day and i was looking forward to a visit.


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## weltweit (Oct 2, 2011)

Just had a look at the photos, very nice, he seems to have captured the mood of Cardiff central on a Friday night  I am a bit surprised he did not meet with any aggro, drunk people don't always want their photo taken, kudos to him for persevering with it. A good set of images!


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