Diversity in Wales

On a day trip to Swansea I caught a batch of images that seemed to reflect the odder aspects of this shabby, seedy maritime town  whose docks and city centre were destroyed in a single night of wartime bombing in February 1941. "I went to Swansea and it wasn't there" said a mate of Dylan Thomas (who'd already done his best to get away from the place of his birth.) The shoddy postwar architecture that replaced the old Victorian buildings still dominates  and every other shopfront that isn't closed and shuttered seems to be a hair salon, tanning suite, fitness studio or tattoo parlour as if cultivating the body beautiful is the best way to escape the dingy surroundings. That's not to say that hedonism rules; Swansea has a lot of heart if you know where to look for it. In 2010 it became the UK's second City of Sanctuary, a movement that aims to build a culture of hospitality and welcome to all who are fleeing war and persecution. It currently hosts one of the highest percentages of asylum seekers to head of population. Once a major industrial port, Swansea is not new to strangers passing in and out.

These two images I found particularly telling when I reviewed the day's haul. Above, I came upon a group of cheerful Sikhs from the local temple distributing free food to all-comers (some like me just passers-by while others had clearly been waiting for the hand-out); below in the same city square a family of colour was enjoying the warm  afternoon with every sign of being perfectly at ease in what may or may not be their home town. Of course racial tensions exist, here as anywhere, but lets hope that good will and open hearts will prevail.