Mumbles changed by the colour of money
THE “nature of Mumbles” has indeed changed. (WM 27/1/20) but this is not really because of the arrival of shopping or restaurant chains.
Rather they have come in hoping to cash in on the back of other developments. Mumbles used to be a very tight-knit and homogeneous community, full of characters and with a rich history. Unfortunately it has now become rather hollowed out as many younger people now find it impossible to stay in the village or surrounding area due to the astronomic increase in house prices and the sale of council houses on the West Cross estate.
The unremitting greed of developers, matched only by that of estate agents, is of course one of the prime drivers. Mumbles, like many other Welsh coastal and rural communities, has become a veritable Klondike for them. In this they have been assisted by successive Swansea councils, who have given planning consent to virtually any and every proposed development, no matter how inappropriate.
Most recent developments in the Mumbles area have provoked strong objection, the proposed pier development being a case in point. Almost universally opposed locally, this will see the despoiling of one of the most iconic headlands in Wales with yet another set of apartments, affordable only by wealthy buyers. In common with most such developments a large portion will probably remain empty for much of the time. Few in Mumbles believe these are being built to cover the cost of refurbishing the pier as stated. It will, however, serve to push house prices up even further.
As to the chains that have come in, Costa Coffee replaced the Nag’s Head, one of the oldest pubs in Mumbles. M&S has been built on the site of the old Legion. Construction of this has probably been funded by the provision on top of the store of nine “luxury apartments”, again affordable only by the wealthy few who will probably be from England. Great news again if you’re a local trying to get on the housing ladder. People queuing for the opening last Saturday were doubtless encouraged by various opening offers, including a Willie Wonka-style golden voucher. Or so I was informed by people in the large crowd at Underhill Park watching Mumbles playing Tycroes that afternoon.
But at least there was a bit of the real old Mumbles present at the park. Indeed, the sporting clubs and the lifeboat are now about the last repositories of that old community. On the walls in the rugby club there are still photos stretching back over 100 years. The old Mumbles family names are present in nearly every one, a thread running through the history of the club and the community. But it’s a thread now in danger of snapping. Has the nature of Mumbles changed? Without a doubt.