Sam Pulley – Hometown
This has everything you need to know…
“Newport City – A putrid urban waste of space, sluggishly draped between the glorious smack-head magnet ‘Wave’ to the shitty overrated ‘Transporter Bridge’. With Newport being absolute zero glitz and 100% Greggs chewing, balls holding, tracksuit wearing, vile, pregnant child scum. It’s a town brimming with a population so vile, you’d struggle to mince it up and give it as a final meal to a dying rat. If Wales were a body, Newport would be the Aids. Thankfully, in a body there are also white blood cells, trying to battle the Aids, survive in their environment, drink low quality beers, smoke stinking rollies and do lush things on skateboards”
Beefy 2016.
This park is the tits. Yes, Beanhead did work on it, but thankfully there were also some competent concrete finishers present, so it turned out sweet. It was built by A-Crete, so Youngo was the man in charge. Fair play he nailed it. Hand shaped coping, (some new breed shit that looks like elephant trunks) and an entire DIY section that wasn’t even on the plans provided to the council. The pool blocks are pretty tired (they were made shit, you know who you are) and could do with changing, but it’s a rad park and well worth a visit, just bring a brush to sweep up the scum bag debris.
The rolling hills of Wales, where druids once went on psychotic mushroom-induced solo missions into Roman camps, possessing nothing other than their pants and an axe… poor buggers weren’t too keen on the idea of religion. Nowadays the hills are inhabited by pink swollen males, and girls that look like the television. It really is a lovely place though, and I do love a walk up ‘the tump’, you can see for miles in all directions. You can even see the Eiffel Tower in Bristol. (Chav Dan October 2016.)
I do like to spend a lot of time dicking about with my car. I’ve always loved the Mk2 golf Gti since owning a rally back when I was a wee guy. I’m not too into the car scene side of it, that shit’s a little cheesy. I just love keeping it running sweet, and occasionally breaking the sound barrier. I’ve recently bought an Mk1 Gti too, (I hope this isn’t becoming a problem), that I’ll be ‘restoring’ over the coming months. I’ll be selling one in spring. Call me
Freestyle Skatestore is the hangout if you’re in pooport town. It’s a good place to meet the fellas and/or just hang out and chat bollocks. It was firstly owned by Sir Ray Strawbridge, (first guy to hook me up, thanks for believing in me dad), and has been run ever since by Grim, who is equally a legend. I owe these guys a lot, so I’m going to send Beanhead over to dish out the suck jobs. If you’re ever in Newport, go into freestyle and spark up a fag, Grim will love you forever.
This is where myself and the valley commandos learned to skate transition. *Big up Bailey*… being too young to drive, we couldn’t make it to the once mighty indoor park Skate Extreme regularly, so this was the only mini ramp for miles. A 6ft mellow ass ramp, with coping the size of coke cans. Absolute dog shit, but it was our dog shit, and it smelled delicious. Opened years ago by Owen Money, for some reason. It’s in a bit of a sorry state now, but they have budget for a new park and Youngo from Concreate is going to build a fucking mental assault course. Its going to have a bar, a duke box, dart boards and a pool table. Which brings me onto the next topic…
The Fox and Hounds is one of the best pubs I’ve ever been in. Fortunately it’s where I live but I don’t go in there half as much as I should these days. Ted is the owner, and nothing bothers him. Absolutely nothing. Eats a whole bag of spicy Bombay mix… ain’t bothered. He also provides free dog training demonstrations after you’ve had about 9 pints. I once saw Bailey take a shit on the floor during women’s dart league night. Ted wasn’t bothered.
“Carve Wicked is a way of life, not a dull blade but a sharp knife.”
Thank you Danny Way.
Carve Wicked still exists and always has since the beginning of time. It just fluctuates. Dinosaurs were pretty Carve Wicked, and lots of other shit happened between dinosaurs and the 1970’s that was also Carve Wicked. It was savagely re-ignited during the 70’s when John Candy nollied MACBA. Its always been a bit of fun. It’s a gang, and a budget shirt company that doesn’t actually make any product. It’s not about ability, you could be doing mental shit, or kick-turning the shallow end. You know if you’re carving wicked. The Carve is changing form very shortly. Keep your eyes peeled in the near future for some sweet CRV action. Carve on brothers.
From all of the spots and parks across Newport and the surrounding areas, which do you hold dearest to your heart and which ones have you spent the most time at trying to land a trick?
I’m quite fond of Newport skatepark. I spend a lot of time there when the weather isn’t a bunch of shit, and we all played a part in getting it built. We’ve had a good few DIY spots that have been amazing too, I’d say these are the spots that mean the most. You put in time and effort, to get exactly what you want to skate. They’ve always been in really secluded areas too, so you can wear your ass-less trousers and no one says anything. They all ended up getting destroyed by the man, but its not over yet. I’ve spent a fair bit of time trying to get bits at Newport park over the last few months. The weather really isn’t helping… I’ve also had some lengthy sessions at the ‘SHED’ (Secret Hidden Excellent Downwards slope with matching slope opposite including coping)….
From living memory and what you’ve witnessed first hand, what would you say are the top 5 tricks done in Newport during the time you been skating and who is the local legend that some of us may not know of?
This is a difficult one, so apologies if I miss out any obvious ones. The top 5 stunts I’ve witnessed in Newport and surrounding areas: In no particular order (too difficult to call)
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• Chav Dan – Gap to frontside lipslide – the Civic Centre downhill block.
• Morgan Hardwick – switch blunt pull in – Skate Extreme vert wall.
• Mattias Nylen – padless front blunt on Skate Extreme’s vert extension. That thing was fucking hideous.
• Dylan Hughes – Front blunt the hotel sign at ‘gaps and drops’. No run up, no angle and its super high to get onto. Das is gut.
• Tom Bailey – Hurricane fakie (aka Blurricaine) the recent Newport skatepark vert wall.
• Matt Davies – still does the top 5 things every time he goes skating, also Darryl Cashman and Nicky Cornell blew the pants off Newport whenever they skated.
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There’s definitely a little scene brewing within the younger skateboarders of Newport. Ben Morris aka ‘Beemo’ is surprising the fellas on a regular basis. It’s a shame he always picks his ass and sniffs his hand though. I think you’ll become familiar with Ben in the near future when he pulls his finger out.
However, the local legend is most definitely Clarky. For those who know, you know.
What are the 5 things you’ll see in Newport that you’re unlikely to see anywhere else in the UK?
I’ve seen some pretty hideous things in Newport. I’m sure any of these could happen in any area in mild poverty across the UK, but I’m yet to be proven otherwise…
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• Living underground – I was recently in town with Beanhead (unfortunate I know). We were going to a phone shop or some shit, when we noticed an absolutely hanging couple climbing out from a hole that goes underneath the pavement. They were having some sort of ‘domestic’ from which we picked out the line, “but he says you been shaggin him though!?!”… Rank.
• Smack head businessman – A few years ago, when driving under Newport bus station to laugh at smack heads was a regular thing, I remember this one particular fella. There was a sharply dressed business man with a brief case, laid on a curb absolutely smacked off his tits, and for some reason had black stuff rubbed all over his face.. that was a strange night.
• Weed in the public plant pots – Kind of speaks for itself really, not too long ago a bunch of crazy cabbage mysteriously started to grow in a few planters around the city… chavs on Black Ops.
• Such meaningful graffiti – one thing I’ve never seen anywhere else in the UK, is the local residents level of consideration towards the kids getting a proper education. Great spelling too.
• Local super heroes – My final and favourite thing you’re not likely to see elsewhere in the UK, is a local super hero called ‘Smackarella’. She hammers round on her roller skates confiscating heroin from junkies, and then takes it all herself. Last spotted behind Le pub in Newport a while back.
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If you had to act as a local ambassador for Newport and convince people to visit, what would be you top selling point?
The natural beauty in its surrounding areas would probably be the top selling point. Despite the previously mentioned high population of sausages who inhabit the city, it’s a nice place. As a city alone, I wouldn’t say it has too much going on.
At the same time, what words of warning would you give to those visitors once they arrived?
Stay away from Beanhead.
