T & A Stores

I was a student in Cathays, many moons ago. So imagine my amazement when I returned to Salisbury Road to discover that dispite the demise of ‘Land of Green Ginger’ and that big flea market (now a Tesco — not so amazing) that the wonderful T&A Stores has survived!
T&A Stores can be seen to be a central, focal point for the student population of Cathays (well, there are always groups of them hanging around outside, anyway). They have everything you could ever want, well as a student anyway; booze, fags, food, stuff you forgot to get on your last trip to Tescos etc. etc.
I was really pleased when i popped in there during a night out at CAI. Not only did they have the baccy I liked, the papers I liked, the mints and a smiling man behind the counter, they also had little footsy things to put on to stop my shoes rubbing. Saved my night! This is what convenience stores should be like. With convenient things in them!
And, and this is the best bit, there is a cash machine outside that doesn’t charge. And, if this is busy (with students mainly) THERE IS ANOTHER ONE INSIDE! Amazing.
Whoever T&A are, they’re a genius. Every student night out starts at T&A stores and ends in his kebab shop across the road!

Much as you would be disappointed wandering into the adjacent T&A takeaway in search of a packet of Monster Munch and a newspaper, don’t go looking for burgers, pizza or kebabs in this similarly-​liveried convenience store across the street. Credit to places like this for persisting in the face of Tesco’s omnipresent creep into almost every suburb of Cardiff (the multinational, inevitably, has a small branch barely a minute from here). What Tesco cannot compete with in the case of this shop, however, is the prevalence of niche products (exotic cans of pop, cult favourite chocolate bars, cheap crisps and — chortle — a populated top shelf of gentlemen’s mags) that homogenised shelves rarely carry. There’s also a feeling that customers actually know who is serving them here, popping in for a conversation along with their snacks, groceries or daily newspaper. Parking is fairly easy outside for ultra convenience, too, although it’s local residents within walking distance that are best served.