The Ely Estate

Available for over a year

BBC presenter Jason Mohammad grew up in Ely, a large housing estate on the outskirts of Cardiff. It's an area that has a reputation. Jason became aware of that from a young age because of the way people from elsewhere in the city would react when he told them where he was from. When Jason was 17 the 1991 Ely riot happened. It was a defining moment for many people’s perception of the area. One headline described it as the ‘Estate of Despair.’ But Jason did not recognise this portrayal of the estate he loved. Last May there was another Ely riot, and a violent snapshot was again displayed to the outside world. This is a programme about Ely since the riot. What is day-to-day life like there? How does it feel to live somewhere that some people attach a stigma to? And how does the reality of Ely compare to the perception? Produced by Paul Martin for BBC Audio Wales.