SA1: The Marina

No Sign Bar on Wind St.
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On another shoot, more of the mysteries of Swansea were unlocked in a segment highlighting the growth of the eastern district in town, often referred to as the SA1 or the Marina. The Marina alone could almost be the standard port town on its own, but within the past decade, and really even the most recent years, the district has seen major developments from upper-tier housing to more businesses attracted to the area.

In a museum in this waterfront area, I was able to find out how Swansea transformed itself from a small fishing village to an industrial town. Wind Street, which is now the centre of the town, surrounded in trendy bars and cafes for twenty-somethings, actually used to be the red light district in town. I had a chance to visit the only remaining piece of history on that street, the 'No Sign Bar' (which actually is marked with one) which was a frequent haunt of local poet and Welsh hero, Dylan Thomas.