Bangor, Gwynedd
Bangor is a ceety in Gwynedd, north wast Wales, an ane o the smawest ceeties in Breetain. It is a university ceety wi a population o 13,725 at the 2001 census, no includin aroond 10,000 students at Bangor University. Includin nearbi Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does no housomeivver form pairt o the Ceety o Bangor itsel, the population is aboot 18,000. Although it is Wales's fowert lairgest ceety, this is somewha misleadin as it anerlie ranks as 36t laurgest urban aurie in Wales. Accordin tae the census, 46.6% o the population speak Welsh.[1] Bangor haes been cried "The Athens o Wales".[2]
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[edit] History
The oreegins o the ceety date back tae the foondin o a monastic establishment on the site o Bangor Cathedral bi the Celtic saunt Deiniol in the early 6t century AD. The name 'Bangor' itsel is an auld Welsh wird for a type o fenced-in enclosure, such as wis oreeginally on the site o the cathedral. The present cathedral is a somewha mair recent biggin an haes been extensively modifee'd throughoot the centuries.
While the biggin itsel is no the auldest, an certainly no the biggest, the bishopric o Bangor is ane o the auldest in Breetain. Anither claim tae fame is that Bangor allegedly haes the langest High Street in Wales an the Unitit Kinrick. Friars School wis foondit as a free grammar schuil in 1557, an Bangor University wis foondit in 1884.
[edit] Geography
Bangor lies on the coast o north Wales near the Menai Strait which separates the island o Anglesey frae Gwynedd. Bangor Muntain lies tae the east o the main pairt o the ceety, but the lairge hoosin estate o Maesgeirchen, oreeginally built as cooncil hoosin, is tae the east o the muntain near Port Penrhyn. Anither ridge rises tae the north o the High Street, dividin the ceety centre frae the sooth shore o the Menai Strait; this aurie is kent as Upper Bangor (Bangor Uchaf).
Bangor haes twa rivers athin its bundaries. The River Adda is a lairgely culvertit watercourse which anerlie appears abuin grund at its wastren extremities near the Faenol estate, whilst the River Cegin enters Port Penrhyn at the eastren edge o the ceety. Port Penrhyn wis an important port in the 19t century, exportin the slates produced at the Penrhyn Quarry.
Bangor lies at the wastren end o the North Wales Path, a 60-mile (100 km) lang-distance coastal walkin route tae Prestatyn. It is an aa on routes 5, 8 an 85 o the National Cycle Network.
Bangor railway station, which serves the ceety, is locatit on the North Wales Coast Line frae Crewe tae Holyhead.
[edit] Education
Bangor University an Coleg Menai are locatit in the ceety. Seicontary schuils include Ysgol Friars, Ysgol Tryfan, Hillgrove Schuil an St. Gerard's Schuil. There are an' a' a number o primary an infant schuils.
[edit] Cultur
Bangor is an important centre for classical muisic, wi regular concerts given in the Powis an Prichard-Jones Halls as pairt o the university's Muisic at Bangor concert series. The ceety is an aa hame tae the Gwynedd Museum and Art Gallery. The University haes annoonced plans for a major new airts centre in the ceety.
Bangor hostit the National Eisteddfod in 1890, 1902, 1915, 1931, 1940 (through the medium o radio), 1943, 1971 an 2005, as well as an unoffeecial National Eisteddfod event in 1874.
[edit] Media
[edit] Radio
Bangor is hame tae a smaw BBC broadcastin centre, producin a lairge amoont o ootput for BBC Radio Cymru. The studios are an aa the main North Wales newsroom for televeesion, radio an online. The BBC's Licht Entertainment Depairtment moved tae Bangor durin Warld War II an mony classic programmes (like It's That Man Again) came frae Bangor.
Bangor wis an aa previously hame tae twa commercial radio stations, Heart Cymru (servin Anglesey an Gwynedd) an the nou-defunct Heart North Wales Coast (servin the North Wales Coast), which shared studio facilities on the Parc Menai office complex - the studios wur closed in August 2010 efter the stations wur moved tae Wrexham.
Bangor University an' a' haes its awn student radio station cried Storm FM, which broadcasts tae the Ffriddoedd Site an frae their wabsteid.
In 1967, The Beatles came tae Bangor, stayin in Dyfrdwy, ane o the halls comprisin Adeilad Hugh Owen (Hugh Owen Building), nou pairt o the Management Centre, for their first encoonter wi Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, durin which visit they learned o the daith o their manager Brian Epstein.
On 24 Februar 2010 BBC Radio 1's The Chris Moyles Show annoonced Bangor as the location for Radio 1's Big Weekend concert festival. The forenuin shaw wis broadcast on location frae Bangor, wi the annooncement as well as a portion o the lineup being revealed. Big internaitional acts such as Rihanna, Kesha an Alicia Keys played as well as Breetish acts like Pixie Lott, Cheryl Cole, Joe McElderry an Dizzee Rascal.
[edit] Retail trade
Bangor haes a number o retail outlets on Caernarfon Road, on the ootskirts o toun. Ane o these is St. David's Retail Park which wis constructit on the steid o the demolished St David's maternity hospital.
[edit] Garth Pier
Bangor haes a pier, which is the seicont langest in Wales an an aa the 9t langest in the Breetish Isles, being 1,500 feet (or 472 metres). Its name is the Garth Pier, an wis amaist demolished in 1974 due tae the poor condition it wis in at the time. Housomeivver local support for the pier ensured that it survived an gained a Grade 2 leetit status, as it wis considered ane o the three finest survivin piers at the time. Restoration wirk began in 1982 an did no feenish till 1988. The pier wis re-opened on Seturday, 7 Mey 1988.
[edit] Sport
Bangor haes a lang-established fitbaa team, Bangor Ceety F.C. which competes in the naitional Welsh Premier League (umwhile League o Wales). Bangor Ceety hae wan the League o Wales on twa occasions an been continuous members o the league syne its inception. Bangor Ceety hae an aa wan the Welsh Cup seiven times, maist recently in 2009. Afore 1992 they wur members o the Inglis fitbaa pyramid, peakin wi the Northren Premier League title in 1982 an being FA Trophy runners-up in 1984. They hae an aa competit in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup three times (includin its final saison, 1998-99, afore being merged intae the UEFA Cup), UEFA Champions League twice, an UEFA Cup five times, though they hae no progressed far in ony o the European competitions.
Bangor is an aa hame tae the rugby union team Bangor RFC who play in the WRU Diveesion Twa North league.
[edit] Popular cultur
The ceety o Bangor is mentioned as the birthplace o the wife o Mr. Tebbs, in the popular BBC series Are You Being Served? in the series 6 episode "Shedding the Load."
[edit] Hospital
Ysbyty Gwynedd is based in Bangor athin the Penrhosgarnedd aurie. The hospital is the lairgest o aw the North Wast Wales NHS Trust hospitals an the main admeenistrative centre is based in Bangor.
[edit] References
- ↑ (6,199 oot o 13,310 fowk aged 3 an aulder spoke Welsh in the follaein wards: Deiniol, Marchog, Hirael, Garth, Menai, Glyder, Hendre, Dewi. [1]
- ↑ The Guardian (Alternative Athenses, 3 November 2005)
[edit] Freemit airtins
