Behind Cardiff’s familiar landmarks lies another city: one of lost chapels, ghostly legends, hidden treasures and secret passageways. Quirky Cardiff uncovers these stories, celebrating the people and places that make the city so unmistakably Cardiffian.

Step inside the lavish fairy-tale chamber created for Sleeping Beauty; meet Captain Morgan, the real-life pirate of the Caribbean; and explore the childhood worlds of Roald Dahl and Shirley Bassey. The city has an uncanny edge too: Daleks roaming the streets, mischievous poltergeists, and even a UFO sighting dubbed the Welsh Roswell. These are the oddities, scandals and surprises that rarely appear in the guidebooks but have shaped Cardiff’s character.

From legendary pubs and striking street art to the roar of the stadium on match days, every alley and avenue brims with stories. And, of course, no tale of Cardiff would be complete without a late-night stop on Chippy Lane. Funny, eerie and surprising in equal measure, Quirky Cardiff lifts the lid on the hidden side of Wales’s bustling capital.

Mark Rees is a journalist and author based in south Wales. For more than fifteen years he has published articles about the arts in some of Wales’ best-selling newspapers and magazines. His roles have included arts editor and what's on editor for the South Wales Evening Post, Carmarthen Journal, Llanelli Star and Swansea Life. He has written about and spoken widely on Halloween in the press and media, including appearing as a guest expert on the BBC documentary Halloween in Wales (2024). He is currently completing a PhD in Gothic visual culture, which includes a focus on Halloween traditions.