Flying visit to Cardiff
I got up at 3am this morning to take a bus to an airport, then a flight to Bristol Airport, then another bus to Bristol Temple Meads, and then a train to Cardiff in order to give a seminar. Now I’m in the middle of the reverse process, having a pint in Bristol Airport.
In case you’re thinking of using Bristol Airport at any time in the next 8 weeks, then please bear in mind that there are major roadworks on the approach road, so be sure to allow extra time. It took over an hour from Bristol Temple Meads this evening, more than double the usual time, and it’s only 8 miles…
I’m more than a little tired after all that, but it was still very nice to meet up with friends and former colleagues again. I was particularly delighted to learn that Professor Haley Gomez has been appointed Head of the School of Physics and Astronomy. Congratulations to Haley!
I’ll upload the slides from my talk when I get back to base. For the time being, however, I’m just going to chill in the departure lounge before my return flight.
Update: the return leg ran to schedule so here, as promised, are the slides for the talk I was invited to give:
P.S. I’ll be giving two talks on the same theme later this month in different institutes in France.
In the Dark 
November 1, 2023 at 6:56 pm
I did use Bristol Airport while living in Cardiff. It’s an expedition by public transport. The bus between Bristol city centre and the airport took quite some time. The trains between Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff Central stations used to take 47 minutes.
I wonder whether a coach between Cardiff and Birmingham International would be quicker.
November 1, 2023 at 6:57 pm
Possibly. The Cardiff – Temple Meads train still takes the best part of an hour but is at least fairly frequent, every 30 minutes.
November 1, 2023 at 7:02 pm
Yes, the trains are frequent, and were every 30 minutes back in the days when I used to commute daily.
I hope you get a seat.
November 1, 2023 at 7:05 pm
I got a seat in both directions. The train this morning was about 10 minutes late because of slow running on the approach to the Severn Tunnel for unexplained reasons.
November 1, 2023 at 7:03 pm
I did look into the Birmingham option, but the timings were inconvenient given my constraints.
November 1, 2023 at 7:09 pm
Ah, I see. It was probably worth checking the Birmingham International option because you might have found it more convenient given different travel times. The most obvious airport – Cardiff – would have offered fewer flight options, of course.
November 1, 2023 at 7:11 pm
There are very few flights from Cardiff these days. I have used Birmingham to reach Cardiff several times in the past and it is in principle a viable route.
November 1, 2023 at 7:20 pm
Yes, the decline of Cardiff airport is sad. Let’s hope it can grow over the coming years.
November 1, 2023 at 11:07 pm
Cardiff Airport is in the wrong place. First, it is on the coast, which halves its catchment area. And second, it is not easy to get to, even if you live in Caerdydd.
It was never clear why the Welsh Government paid £52 million for it in 2013. To put that price into perspective, also in 2013, the Scottish Government bought Prestwick Airport for £1.
I wish I was optimistic about the future of Cardiff airport, but I am not …
November 2, 2023 at 7:11 pm
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