City and County of Swansea Dinas a Sir Abertawe
Swansea Marina
Coat of arms
Motto: Floreat Swansea
Location of the city of Swansea (Light Green) within Wales (Dark Green)
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	Wales
Ceremonial county	West Glamorgan
Historic county	Glamorganshire
Admin HQ	Swansea Guildhall
Town charter	1158-1184
City status	1969
Government
- Leader of Swansea Council	Christopher Holley
- Welsh Assembly and UK Parliament Consituencies	Swansea East, Swansea West, Gower
- European Parliament	Wales
- MPs	Martin Caton (L), Sian James (L), Alan John Williams (L)
Area
- Total	145.9 sq mi (378 km²)
Population
- Total	Unitary Authority area: 227,100, Ranked 3rd (2,006 est.) Urban area within Unitary Authority: 169,880 (2,001) Wider Urban Area: 270,506 (2,001)
- Density	1,556.6/sq mi (601/km²)
- Ethnicity	97.8% White 1.2% S. Asian 0.3% Afro-Caribbean 0.3% Chinese
Time zone	GMT (UTC0)
- Summer (DST)	BST (UTC+1)
Post codes	SA1-SA7
Area code(s)	01792
ISO 3166-2	GB-SWA
ONS code	00NX
OS grid reference	SS6593
NUTS 3	UKL18
Website: http://www.swansea.gov.uk/

Swansea (IPA: /swɒn si, -zi/, Welsh: Abertawe, "mouth of the Tawe") is a city and county in Wales, United Kingdom. It is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the South Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower peninsula and the Lliw uplands. Swansea is the third most populous county in Wales after Cardiff and Rhondda Cynon Taff; and the second most populous city in Wales after Cardiff. According to Census 2001 data, Swansea was the 34th largest settlement in the United Kingdom,^[1] and the 25th largest urban area^[2] Swansea grew significantly during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, becoming a centre of heavy industry.

The name Swansea is often said to come from "Sweyn's Ey" ("ey" being the Old Norse word for "island"), but as there is no island at Swansea, a more likely explanation is that it comes from "Sweyn" (a corruption of the Viking name "Sven") and "sey" ("sey" being an Old Norse word that can mean "inlet"). Consequently it is pronounced Swan's-y [ˡswɒnzi]) not Swan-sea.^[3] The name is thought to have originated in the period when the Vikings settled along the South Wales coast (Swansea is thought to have developed from a Viking trading post). The Welsh name, Aber Tawy, first appears in Welsh poems of the beginning of the 13th century.^[4]

The founder of Swansea is believed to be the Viking King of Denmark Sweyn Forkbeard who in 1013 conquered the Anglo-Saxons of Wessex and Mercia, and who controlled a vast empire including Southern England, Denmark and Norway. The earliest known form of the modern name is Sweynesse used in Swansea's first charter, which was granted sometime between 1158–1184 by William de Newburgh, 3rd Earl of Warwick. The charter gave Swansea the status of a borough, granting the townsmen, called burgesses certain rights to develop the area. A second charter was granted in 1215 by King John. In this charter, the name appears as Sweyneshe. The town seal which is believed to date from this period names the town as Sweyse.^[5][4] Swansea was granted city status in 1969,^[6] to mark Prince Charles's investiture as the Prince of Wales. The announcement was made by the prince on 3 July 1969, during a tour of Wales.^[7] It obtained the further right to have a Lord Mayor in 1982.^[8]

Geography

Three Cliffs Bay

See also: List of places in Swansea

Boundaries

The "City and County of Swansea" local authority area is bordered by unitary authorities of Carmarthenshire to the north, and Neath Port Talbot to the east. Swansea is bordered by Swansea Bay to the south.

Physical description

Satellite photo of Swansea

The local government area is 378 km² (146 Sq. Miles) in size, about 2% of the area of Wales. It includes a large amount of open countryside and a central urban and suburban belt.^[9]

Swansea can be roughly divided into four physical areas. To the North are the Lliw uplands which are mainly open moorland reaching the foothills of the Black Mountain. To the west is the Gower peninsula with its rural landscape dotted with small villages. To the east is the coastal strip around Swansea Bay. Cutting though the middle from the south east to the north west is the urban and suburban zone stretching from the Swansea city centre to the towns of Gorseinon and Pontarddulais.^[9]

Rhossili Beach as seen from headland, Gower peninsula

The most populated areas of Swansea are Morriston and Sketty and the city centre. The chief urbanised area radiates from the city centre towards the north, south and west: along the coast of Swansea Bay to Mumbles; up the Swansea Valley past Landore and Morriston to Clydach; over Townhill to Cwmbwrla, Penlan, Treboeth and Fforestfach; through Uplands, Sketty, Killay to Dunvant; and east of the river from St. Thomas to Bonymaen, Llansamlet and Birchgrove. A second urbanised area is focused on a triangle defined by Gowerton, Gorseinon and Loughor along with the satellite communities of Penllergaer and Pontarddulais.^[9]

About three quarters of Swansea is bordered by the sea - the Loughor Estuary, Swansea Bay and the Bristol Channel. The two largest rivers in the region are the Tawe which passes the city centre and the Loughor which flows on the northern border with Carmarthenshire.^[9]

In the local authority area, the geology is complex, providing diverse scenery. The Gower peninsula was the first area in the United Kingdom to be designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Excluding the urbanised area in the south eastern corner of the county, the whole of the Gower peninsula is part of an AONB.^[10] Swansea has numerous urban and country park lands^[11]. The region has featured regularly in the Wales in Bloom awards^[12].

The geology of the Gower peninsula ranges from carboniferous limestone cliffs along its southern edge from Mumbles to Worm's Head to the salt-marshes and dune systems of the Loughor estuary to the north. The eastern, southern and western coasts of the peninsular are lined with numerous sandy beaches both wide and small, separated by steep cliffs. The South Wales Coalfield reaches the coast in the Swansea area. This had a great bearing on the development of the city of Swansea and other towns in the county like Morriston. The inland area is covered by large swathes of grassland common overlooked by sandstone heath ridges including the prominent Cefn Bryn. The traditional agricultural landscape consists a patchwork of fields characterised by walls, stone-faced banks and hedgerows. Valleys cut through the peninsula and contain rich deciduous woodland.^[10]

Much of the county is hilly with the main area of upland being located in the council ward of Mawr. Areas of high land up to 185 metres (600 ft) range across the central section of the county and form the hills of Kilvey, Townhill and Llwynmawr, separating the centre of Swansea from its northern suburbs. Cefn Bryn, a ridge of high land, forms the backbone of the Gower peninsula. Rhossili Down, Hardings Down and Llanmadoc Hill form land features over 600ft high. The highest point of the county being Penlle'r Castell at 374 metres (1215 ft) on the northern border with Carmarthenshire^[9].

Bracelet Bay, Mumbles and Swansea Bay, seen from the Mumbles Lighthouse.

Climate

Similar to the west of Britain, Swansea has a temperate climate. As part of a coastal region, Swansea experiences a milder climate than the mountains and valleys inland. This same location, though, leaves Swansea exposed to rain-bearing winds from the Atlantic: figures from the Met Office make Swansea the wettest city in Britain.^[15]

Demographics

The population in the unitary authority was 225,000. According to Census 2001 data, around 82% of the population were born in Wales and 13% born in England;^[16] 13.4% were Welsh speakers.^[17]

Since 1804, Swansea experienced a continuous period of population growth up until the 1920s. The 1930s and 1940s saw a period of slight population decline. In the 1950s and 1960s the population grew and then fell in the 1970s. The population grew again in the 1980s only to fall again in the 1990s. In the 2000s, so far, Swansea is experiencing a small amount of population growth.

The population of the Swansea urban area within the Unitary authority boundaries in 2001 was about 169,880. The other urban area within the Unitary Authority centered on Gorseinon had a population of 19,273 in 2001. However, the wider urban area including most of Swansea Bay has a total population of 270,506 (making it the 25th largest urban area in England and Wales).^[18]

History

Oystermouth Castle, a venue for Shakesperian performances

Main article: History of Swansea

See also: Lower Swansea valley

Archaeology on the Gower peninsula includes many remains from prehistoric times, passing through Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age. Prehistoric finds in the Swansea city area proper are rare. The Romans visited the area, as did the Vikings, whose name for the settlement on the river is used in English today.

Following the Norman Conquest, a marcher lordship was created: named Gower, it included land around Swansea Bay as far as the Tawe, and the manor of Kilvey beyond the Tawe as well as the peninsula itself. Swansea was designated its chief town, and subsequently received one of the earlier borough charters in Wales.

Swansea became an important port: some coal and vast amounts of limestone (for fertiliser) were being shipped out from the town by 1550. As the Industrial Revolution reached Wales, the combination of port, local coal, and trading links with the West Country, Cornwall and Devon, meant that Swansea was the logical place to site copper smelting works. Smelters were operating by 1720 and proliferated.

Following this, more coal mines (everywhere from north-east Gower to Clyne to Llangyfelach) were opened and smelters (mostly along the Tawe valley) were opened and flourished. Over the next century and a half, works were established to process arsenic, zinc and tin and to create tinplate and pottery. The city expanded rapidly in the 18th and 19th centuries, and was termed "Copperopolis".

From the late 17th century to 1801, Swansea's population grew by 500% - the first official census indicated that with 6,099 inhabitants, Swansea had become significantly larger than Glamorgan's county town, Cardiff, and was the second most populous town in Wales behind Merthyr Tydfil (which had a population of 7,705). However, the census understated Swansea's true size, as much of the built-up area lay outside the contemporary boundaries of the borough; the total population was actually 10,117. Swansea's population was later overtaken by Merthyr in 1821 and by Cardiff in 1881, although in the latter year Swansea once again surpassed Merthyr.^[19] Much of Swansea's growth was due to migration from within and beyond Wales - in 1881 more than a third of the borough's population had been born outside Swansea and Glamorgan, and just under a quarter outside Wales.^[20]

Through the 20th century, heavy industries in the town declined, leaving the Lower Swansea Valley filled with derelict works and mounds of waste products from them. The Lower Swansea Valley Scheme (which still continues) reclaimed much of the land: the present Enterprise Zone was the result, and of the many original docks, only those outside the city continue to work as docks; North Dock is now Parc Tawe and South Dock became the Marina.

Little city centre evidence, beyond parts of the road layout, remains from medieval Swansea; its industrial importance made it the target of bombing, known as the Blitz in World War II, and the centre was flattened completely.

Whilst the city itself has a long history, many of the city centre buildings are post-war as much of the original centre was destroyed by World War II bombing on the 19th, 20th and 21st of February 1941 (the 'Three Nights Blitz').^[21] Within the city centre, are the ruins of the castle, the Marina, the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea Museum, the Dylan Thomas Centre, the Environmental Centre, and the Market, which is the largest covered market in Wales.^[22] It backs onto the Quadrant shopping centre which opened in 1978 and the adjoining St David's Centre opened in 1982. Other notable modern buildings are the BT Tower (formerly the GPO tower) built around 1970, Alexandra House built in 1976, County Hall built in 1982. Swansea Leisure Centre opened in 1977; it has undergone extensive refurbishment which retained elements of the original structure and re-opened in March 2008. Behind it stands the National Waterfront Museum, opened in October 2005.

On 27 June 1906, one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded in the UK during the twentieth century struck Swansea with a strength of 5.2 on the Richter Scale. Earthquakes in the UK very rarely cause any structural damage as most occur away from heavily populated areas, but with the earthquake centred on Swansea many taller buildings were damaged.^[23]

Culture

Brangwyn Hall main entrance

See also: List of cultural venues in Swansea and List of people from Swansea

The Royal Institution of South Wales was founded in 1835 as the Swansea Literary and Philosophical Society.

Performing arts

Swansea Grand Theatre

There are a number of theatres in the city and the surrounding areas. The Grand Theatre in the centre of the city is a Victorian theatre which celebrated its centenary in 1997 and which has a capacity of a little over a thousand people. It was opened by the celebrated opera singer Adelina Patti and was refurbished from 1983–1987. The annual programme ranges from pantomime and drama to opera and ballet. A new wing of the Grand, the Arts Wing, has a studio suitable for smaller shows, with a capacity of about 200. The Taliesin building on the university campus has a theatre, opened in 1984. Other theatres include the Dylan Thomas Theatre (formerly the Little Theatre) near the marina, and one in Penyrheol Leisure Centre near Gorseinon. In the summer, outdoor Shakespeare performances are a regular feature at Oystermouth Castle, and Singleton Park is the venue for a number of parties and concerts, from dance music to outdoor Proms. Although Pontardawe is outside the city boundaries, the trip from Swansea to Pontardawe for the annual folk festival is a short one. Another folk festival is held on Gower.^[24] Standing near Victoria Park on the coast road is the Patti Pavilion; this was the Winter Garden from Adelina Patti's Craig-y-Nos estate in the upper Swansea valley, which she donated to the town in 1918. It is used as a venue for music shows and fairs. The Brangwyn Hall is a multi-use venue with events such as the graduation ceremonies for Swansea University. Every autumn, Swansea hosts a Festival of Music and the Arts, when international orchestras and soloists visit the Brangwyn Hall. The Brangwyn Hall is praised for its acoustics for recitals, orchestral pieces and chamber music alike.^[25].

Festivals

Swansea hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1863, 1891, 1907, 1926, 1964, 1982 and 2006. The 2006 event occupied the site of the former Velindre tinplate works to the north of the city and featured a strikingly pink main tent.

Welsh language

There are many Welsh-language chapels and churches in the area. Welsh-medium education is a popular and growing choice for both English- and Welsh-speaking parents, leading to claims in the local press in autumn 2004 that to accommodate demand, the council planned to close an English-medium school in favour of opening a new Welsh-medium school.^[26]The welsh-medium school is named Bryn Tawe

45% of the rural council ward Mawr speak Welsh, as do 38% of the ward of Pontarddulais. Clydach, Kingsbridge and Upper Loughor all have levels of more than 20%. By contrast, the urban St. Thomas has one of the lowest figures in Wales, at 6.4%, a figure only barely lower than Penderry and Townhill wards.^[27]

Food

Local produce includes cockles and laverbread which are sourced from the Loughor estuary. Local Salt marsh Lamb is produced from sheep which are raised in the salt marshes of the Loughor estuary.^[28]

Notable people

People from Swansea are known locally as Swansea Jacks, or just Jacks. The source of this nickname is not clear. Some attribute it to Swansea Jack, the life-saving dog. Others point to Swansea's history as a port and the use of the word jack to indicate a sailor.

On the literary stage, the poet Dylan Thomas is perhaps the best-known. He was born in the town and grew up at 5 Cwmdonkin Drive, Uplands. There is a memorial to him in the nearby Cwmdonkin Park; his take on Swansea was that it was a "ugly lovely town". In the 1930s Thomas was a key member of a group of local artists, writers and musicians known as The Kardomah Gang.

Other former residents include:

Sport

Further information: Swansea City A.F.C., Swansea RFC and Ospreys (rugby team) for more about Swansea's major sports clubs

There are a number of sporting venues in Swansea. St Helen's is a cricket and rugby ground. It is the home of Swansea RFC and Glamorgan County Cricket Club play some matches there.^[29] It was in this ground that Sir Garfield Sobers hit six sixes in one over: the first time this was achieved in a game of first-class cricket. The final ball landed on the ground past the Cricketers' pub just outside the ground.^[30] The stadium is metres from the coast of Swansea Bay. Strong local rivalries exist between Swansea and Cardiff in football and between Swansea and Llanelli in rugby.

Swansea has three clubs that play in Welsh Football League - Garden Village, Morriston Town and West End.

Liberty Stadium, home of Swansea City and The Ospreys

Swansea City A.F.C. moved from the Vetch Field to the new Liberty Stadium at the start of the 2005–2006 season, winning promotion to League One in their final year at their old home. The first game at the new stadium was a football friendly against Fulham which ended 1-1 on 23 July.

In 2003, Swansea RFC merged with Neath RFC to form the Neath-Swansea Ospreys rugby club. Swansea RFC remain at St Helen's in semi-professional form, but the Ospreys moved to the then-named New Stadium in Landore for the start of the 2005–2006 season. The final Ospreys match at St Helen's was played on the same day as the final Swans league game at the Vetch on 30 April 2005. Neath-Swansea rugby games used to be hotly-contested matches, such that there was some debate about whether a team incorporating both areas was possible. In fact the Neath-Swansea Ospreys seem to be the most successful club since Welsh rugby's reorganisation and came fifth in the Celtic League in their first year of existence and won that league in their second year.

Swansea's rugby league side play seven miles out of the county in the small town of Ystalyfera. They are known as the Swansea Valley Miners but were formed as the Swansea Bulls in 2002.

The Swansea Bowls Stadium opened in early 2008. The stadium will host the World Indoor Singles and Mixed Pairs Championship from 16 April to 20 April 2008.

Religion

St. Mary's Church in St. Mary's Square

St. Joseph's Cathedral, Greenhill

Swansea, like Wales in general, has seen many non-conformist religious revivals. In 1904, Evan Roberts, a miner from Loughor (Llwchwr), just outside Swansea, was the leader of what has been called one of the world's greatest Protestant religious revivals. Within a few months about 100,000 people were converted. This revival in particular had a profound effect on Welsh society. The "Welsh Revival" of 1904 is acknowledged as having been an instigator of, and a major influence on the twentieth century's Pentecostal movement. One of its first overseas influences was seen in the African American church: the Azusa Street Revival, beginning 9 April 1906 at Los Angeles, USA. It has been said that 25% of the world's Christians (usually Protestant Pentecostals or Charismatics) are Christians as a direct result of the 1904 revival in Swansea.

Swansea falls within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia The see is based in Swansea at Saint Joseph's Cathedral in the Greenhill area.

For the Anglican Faith, Swansea is part of the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon. The see is based in Brecon Cathedral, Brecon.

Governance

City and County of Swansea Guildhall

Local government

Main article: City and County of Swansea council

Traditionally, Swansea refers to the City of Swansea which is the settlement around the Tawe estuary. Today it also refers to one of the Subdivisions of Wales under the name of the 'City and County of Swansea' (Welsh: Dinas a Sir Abertawe).^[31]

Swansea was once a staunch Labour stronghold. Up until 2004, they had overrall control of Swansea for 24 years.^[32] The Liberal Democrats are the largest group in the administration that took control of Swansea Council in the 2004 local elections. For 2007/2008, the Lord Mayor of Swansea is councillor Susan Waller.

Welsh politics

The National Assembly constituencies are:

• Gower, current AM is Edwina Hart, Labour since 1999
• Swansea East, current AM is Val Lloyd, Labour since 2001
• Swansea West, current AM is Andrew Davies, Labour since 1999

The city is also part of the South Wales West regional constituency and is served by Peter Black AM, Alun Cairns AM, Dai Lloyd AM and Bethan Jenkins AM.

UK politics

The UK parliamentary constituencies in Swansea are:

• Gower, current MP is Martin Caton, Labour since 1997
• Swansea East, current MP is Sian James, Labour since 2005
• Swansea West, current MP is Alan Williams, Labour since 1964 (the MP with the longest continuous service - 43 years as of 2007)

International links

The City & County of Swansea is twinned with:

• Mannheim, Germany
• Pau, France
• Cork, Republic of Ireland

Connections with:

• Ferrara, Italy
• Århus, Denmark

Friendship link with:

• Nantong, People's Republic of China
• New York City, USA
• The Hague, Netherlands

Future plans

Swansea City Centre is undergoing a transformation until 2015. £1 Billion are to be spent on improvements. A large area of the city is earmarked to be redeveloped with companies planning a new area of the city centre which would involve the demolition of the dilapidated St Davids shopping centre which has three or four traders, about 13% of the retail space in the centre and the Quadrant Shopping Centre. The result of this and the relocation of the Tesco Superstore near to the city's Sainsbury's store in Parc Tawe would mean that the new Centre would be almost four times the size of the Quadrant Centre. The city centre is also being brightened up with street art and new walkways along with the first phase of the David Evans - Castle Street development. Green spaces are also being added along with the further addition of Quadrant Square and Grand Theatre Square which are planned. Redevopment of the Oxford Street car park and Lower Oxford Street arcades are also planned.^[33]

At the sea front, Meridian Quay is now Wales's tallest building at a height of over 80 metres; upon completion in 2009 it is planned to be 107 metres in height. It is still under construction adjacent Swansea Marina. ^[34]

Economy

The Technium centre, one of the first of the new buildings built as part of the SA1 development scheme at Swansea Docks

Main article: Economy of Swansea

Swansea originally developed as centre for metals and mining, especially the copper industry, from the beginning of the 18th century. The industry reached its apogee in the 1880s, when 60% of the copper ores imported to Britain were smelted in the Lower Swansea valley. However, by the end of the Second World War these heavy industries were in decline, and over the post-war decades Swansea shared in the general trend towards a post-industrial, service sector economy.

Today, the most important economic sectors in Swansea are public administration, education and health; distribution, hotels and restaurants; and banking, finance and insurance. Much large scale private sector economic activity in the city consists of either manufacturing, call centres or other commercial back office functions including outsourcing. In addition to being a holiday resort, Swansea is also a commercial centre, and the recently regenerated dock areas are home to some cutting-edge hi-tech industries. One of the best-known employers in Swansea is the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. Relative to the UK as a whole, Swansea (and Wales) lacks high quality professional and managerial jobs in the private sector, reflecting a phenomenon often described as a 'branch factory' economy where companies locate production or service delivery facilities in one area while placing head office functions elsewhere. However, while average earnings in Swansea are below the Welsh and UK figures, this does not necessarily reflect a gap in living standards since the cost of living varies geographically.

Education

The Swansea observatory

Swansea University has a campus in Singleton Park overlooking Swansea Bay. Its engineering department is recognised as a centre of excellence with pioneering work on computational techniques for solving engineering design problems.^[35] The Department of Physics is renowned for its research achievements at the frontiers of Theoretical Physics, particularly in the areas of Elementary Particle Physics and String Theory. And many other departments such as History and German were awarded an "Excellent" in the last inspection. The university was awarded the Times Higher Education Supplement Award for the UK's "best student experience" in 2005.^[36] Other establishments for further and higher education in the city include Swansea Metropolitan University and Swansea College, with Gorseinon College seven miles outside the city. Swansea Metropolitan University (formerly Swansea Institute of Higher Education) is particularly well-known for its Architectural Glass department; stained glass being a long time speciality.

In the local authority area, there is one nursery school; six infant schools and five junior schools. There are 77 primary schools, nine of which are Welsh-Medium, and six of which are voluntary aided. There are 15 comprehensive schools under the remit of the local education authority, of which two are Welsh-medium. In addition, there are six special schools.^[37]

The oldest school in Swansea is Bishop Gore School. The largest comprehensive school in Swansea is the Olchfa School. There is one Roman Catholic comprehensive school in the county - Bishop Vaughan Catholic Comprehensive School. The Welsh medium schools are Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Gŵyr and Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bryn Tawe.

Independent schools in Swansea include Ffynone House School, Oakleigh House School and Craig-y-Nos School.

Local media

The local newspaper is the South Wales Evening Post. There is also a local free newspaper called the Swansea Herald, along with the local papur bro (Welsh-language newspaper) called Wilia.

Swansea is served by three local radio stations, The Wave on 96.4 FM, Swansea Sound on 1170 AM and Swansea Bay Radio on 102.1 FM. Swansea University also run its own radio station, Xtreme Radio, on 1431 AM. The area is also covered by the two South Wales regional station - Real Radio on 106.0 FM and Nation on 107.3 FM, as well as by the national services - BBC Radio Wales on 93.9 FM and Welsh language service BBC Radio Cymru on 104.2 FM.

Swansea is one of the few regions in Wales with reasonable digital radio coverage,^[38] and this was improved further in January 2005 with the launch of the Swansea DAB multiplex, which carries seven services including The Wave, Swansea Sound, BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru. The regional services Real Radio and Xfm South Wales are available digitally in the area via the MXR Severn Estuary multiplex. Digital radio is also broadcast via the Astra Satellite^[39] and terrestrial freeview Radio Wales and others can be received this way.

Swansea is primarily served terrestrially by the Kilvey Hill transmitter, which provides digital terrestrial TV and DAB as well as analogue radio and TV. It is also in the catchment area of the Wenvoe transmitter (based in the Vale of Glamorgan) and the Carmel transmitter in Carmarthenshire.

Swansea plays host to the BeyondTV Film Festival. BeyondTV is annual event organised by independent filmmakers Undercurrents to showcase the best of activism filmmakers. Independent filmmakers Undercurrents and Studio8 are based in Swansea.

Swansea has lately also been host to the annual Swansea Bay Film Festival and past winning directors have included Gareth Evans, Anthony James, Alun D Pughe and Andrew Jones (filmmaker).

Swansea has been used as a filming location for the film Twin Town and the TV serials Mine All Mine and Doctor Who.^[40]

Public Services

Swansea is policed by the South Wales Police. Their regional headquarters for the Swansea area is Cockett Police station. Ambulance services are provided by the Wales Ambulance Service, and Fire services provided by the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service. Swansea Airport is one of 3 Wales Air Ambulance bases in Wales along with Welshpool and Caernarfon.^[41] Local public healthcare services are operated by Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University NHS Trust who operate two hospitals in Swansea with Accident and Emergency services: Singleton Hospital and Morriston Hospital. Waste management services are coordinated by the local council which deals with refuse collection and recycling, and operate 5 civic amenity sites. The electricity distribution network operator supplying Swansea is Western Power Distribution. Welsh Water provides drinking water supply and wastewater services to Swansea. There is a water treatment works at Crymlyn Burrows. Reservoirs which supply Swansea include the Cray reservoir and the Lliw Reservoirs, which are operated by Welsh Water.

Public order