Here We Go Again!
Well, well, well. The Daily Mail has struck again, or as we call it in Wales, The Middle Class Panic Gazette. Middle England’s daily digest of outrage, and self righteous sneering.
On 29th June in a feat of journalistic laziness so staggering it should be considered an Olympic sport, they decided to launch yet another attack on Newport. That’s Newport, South Wales and not to be confused with Newport on the Isle of Wight or the murky depths of their own editorial inbox, where most of their absurd stories are cooked up.
According to them, Newport is a lawless wasteland. A post-apocalyptic no-go zone, strewn with litter, where Greggs wrappers swirl like post-Brexit confetti, zombie feral youths in Canada Goose jackets wander aimlessly and some unhinged busker in Crocs outside Hogans shouts into a traffic cone like he’s auditioning for Britain’s Got Shite.
Obnoxious Reporting At Its Best
They made Newport, or more precisely Pill, (since that appears to be the only part of the city they bothered to visit) sound like Mordor with McDonald’s, where culture is dead, local politics is run by pigeons smoking rollies, and the only shop is Poundland!
There isn’t a city in the UK that doesn’t have a run down area like this! You wouldn’t define Liverpool…European Capital of Culture in 2008 by only visiting Bootle! So judging Newport by only stepping into Pill is missing the point somewhat….. and that point is pretty spectacular!
Any journalist worth their salt would see beyond the graffiti and cracked pavements to the communities, the history, the art, and the heart. They’d show us the full picture, not just the one that sells newspapers by pandering to fear and prejudice.
Let me tell you something, Daily Mail, if you’re going to slag off Newport, my home, at least do us the courtesy of getting your facts right. Your journalist (and I use that term somewhat loosely) clearly arrived on the 2:15 from Paddington, took a photo of Wetherspoons, then ran screaming back to a Cotswold wine bar!
Here’s The Truth!
Let me offer you a different perspective. Yes, Newport has character. It’s not a sanitised, Bake Off-filtered town centre. It doesn’t have artisan hummus bars and people called Clara who sell jewellery made from reclaimed bottle tops. We’ve got grit, heart, and humour sharp enough to slice through your smug bias. We also have a fabulous new mayor who is actually rolling up her sleeves, not just posing for a photoshoot in a high-vis next to a pothole while someone else fixes it.
The truth is, Newport’s not perfect. No city is. But we’re working on it. We’ve got investment, regeneration, actual community, and a nightlife that doesn’t require a mortgage and a monocle.
There’s…
Newport has many highlights and hidden gems. There are thriving independent businesses, and a coastline view that makes half of Surrey weep into their quinoa. It is home to Le Pub, an amazing independent arts venue that’s more culturally alive than the entire Mail editorial board.
Newport is the city of the Chartists, a place where, in 1839, ordinary working-class people fought for democracy (not for artisan dog biscuits and clickbait headlines)
And there’s more history…
We have the newly regenerated Grade II-listed Victorian market and food court. One of the best heritage-led regeneration examples in Wales.
We have Newport Transporter Bridge. One of only six operational transporter bridges in the world and Grade I listed since 1906. A living engineering marvel and landmark that carries cars and pedestrians across the Usk.
We have the magnificent Tredegar Park and estate dating from the 17th century, owned originally by the Morgan family and now curated by the National Trust.
We’re proud to have the Roman legionary fortress in Caerleon with the UK’s most complete Amphitheatre, its Roman baths, museum and other archaeological remains.
And let’s not forget the sports and leisure…
Oh yes, we have the Celtic Manor 5 Star Resort developed by Sir Terry Matthews, with its 3 championship golf courses, and which hosted the Ryder Cup in 2010, the NATO summit in 2014 and many more.
We have the Gwent Levels & Wetlands, a haven for wildlife, with the RSPB reserve and scenic trails through marshlands.
We have The Riverfront, NEON, a perfect splattering of cafes Ridgeway, Coffee 26, The Friendly Fox. Micro pubs like The Cellar Door. Live music venues like Potters with its rooftop bar and Tiny Rebel Brewery and venue.
We have one of the most culturally diverse communities in the country.
Believe me, for a Cardiff girl born (almost) and bred, I can tell you that Newport is a great place to live.
The Daily Mail V’s Newport – I think We are the Winners!
So Daily Fail, instead of deriding us from the safety of your gin-scented news desk, why not actually talk to the people who live here, work here, and, shock horror, love this place?
Or better yet, don’t bother. It’s obnoxious reporting, at its best! Because we don’t need your approval. We have better things to do, like support our neighbours, rebuild our future, and laugh heartily at yet another Mail hatchet job that tells us far more about you than it ever will about us!
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