Major Cardiff tourist attraction to be dismantled

Sometimes television throws up the unexpected, such as when Ianto, a major character on the Dr Who spin-off Torchwood was killed off and the entire nation apparently went into mourning. Within days a makeshift shrine had appeared in Cardiff Bay, roughly near the fictional entrance to Torchwood's secret underground base.

I first blogged on this phenomenon on 20 August 2009 just before I went on holiday. Over the next eight days my blog received 5,422 hits, most of them looking for that post. I revisited the issue a couple of times over the next two years and then moved on.

I was in Cardiff bay a few months ago and made a point of visiting the 'shrine', noting that not only is it still there but it has grown exponentially.

Now. the BBC report that the shrine is set to be taken down after nearly two decades:

The tribute was built by fans of the series to commemorate queer character Ianto Jones 17 years ago, near where the series was filmed in Mermaid Quay, Cardiff.

However, self-proclaimed shrine-keeper Carol-Anne Hillman said she was "devastated" to learn that the shrine would be taken down due to health and safety.

A spokesperson for Mermaid Quay confirmed it was exploring the possibility of a new plaque for Ianto once maintenance work had been completed.

After Ianto was killed-off the popular BBC series in 2009, fans were quick to leave tributes in what is now known as Ianto's Shrine in Mermaid Quay.

Carol-Anne Hillman has been looking after the shrine since 2017 and is "devastated" that the tribute will be taken down.

She said: "It became part of my life in Cardiff.

"I've got a back bedroom that's got about 11 or 12 bags of decorations now that I can't use.

"I've spent hundreds buying all these decorations.

"There's loads of people now that won't get even the first look at the shrine."

More than 860 miles (1,384 km) from the shrine in Cardiff Bay, Claudia from Germany was sad to learn that the attraction would be taken down.

"I love Doctor Who, but Torchwood was something else. It was quirky, it was campy, it was just a lot of fun," she said.

"[But] let's face it, the area is dodgy.

"The metal is rusted, the wood is decaying, it's in desperate need of some refurbishing and renovation."

Having last visited the shrine in 2018, Claudia plans to spend her 60th birthday in the city this year but will not get the chance to see the shrine again before it is taken down.

It isn't just the fans who will lose out by this decision of course. The 'shrine' attracts a lot of people to Cardiff Bay, many of whom will be disappointed.