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Rhiwbina Living Issue 48

Autumn 2019 issue of Rhiwbina Living

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News | Home | Interviews | History | Competitions<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong><br />

At the heart of the community<br />

<strong>Issue</strong> <strong>48</strong> Autumn ‘19<br />

Your multi award-winning magazine for <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>


2<br />

Inside this issue<br />

Interview<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>'s Sarah<br />

Gilford talks<br />

about her life as<br />

a professional<br />

soprano in Munich<br />

Autumn Home<br />

Get cosy this<br />

autumn with our<br />

hand-picked<br />

collection of<br />

homeware and<br />

goodies<br />

Outdoors<br />

Get your wellies<br />

on, wrap up<br />

warm and make<br />

the most of life<br />

in autumn by<br />

heading outdoors<br />

History<br />

Take a look<br />

back at some of<br />

the shops that<br />

have graced<br />

our village in<br />

years gone by<br />

Winter deadline:<br />

8th November 2019<br />

Published 27th November 2019<br />

a: 222 Pantbach Road,<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, Cardiff CF14 6AG<br />

t: 07772 081775 / 07974 022920<br />

w: www.livingmags.co.uk<br />

e: editor@livingmags.co.uk or<br />

danielle@livingmags.co.uk<br />

Distribution: 6,000 copies of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong> are<br />

personally delivered by us to every house in the<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> ward four times a year in line with the<br />

seasons. We also distribute to local shops<br />

While every effort has been made to<br />

ensure the accuracy of the contents,<br />

the publisher cannot accept any<br />

responsibility for errors or omissions,<br />

or for any matter in any way arising<br />

from the publication of this material.<br />

Every effort has been made to<br />

contact any copyright holders.<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong> is an independent,<br />

apolitical publication. No part of this<br />

publication may be reproduced<br />

without the express written<br />

permission of the publishers.<br />

Welcome / Croeso<br />

Autumn is here! After enjoying<br />

a glorious summer and an<br />

Indian summer for most of<br />

September, any remaining<br />

hints of warm sunshine can't<br />

stop the leaves defiantly<br />

changing colour and<br />

succumbing to nature's call.<br />

The beauty of autumn<br />

is upon us, and with it,<br />

opportunities to embrace<br />

a different way of living as we<br />

adapt to the rhythms of the<br />

changing season.<br />

We traditionally gather in and<br />

gather around as the nights draw<br />

in, so it's the perfect chance to<br />

spend quality time with loved<br />

ones indoors. We present some<br />

ideas for how to make the most<br />

of the extra time we tend to have<br />

at home as the storms roll in and<br />

we hunker down.<br />

Preparing our homes for the<br />

weather and season ahead<br />

helps us to embrace and enjoy<br />

the change, so we have written<br />

a feature with ideas on how to<br />

adapt our homes. Our interior<br />

design product feature also<br />

gives us ideas for how to adorn<br />

our abode for autumn.<br />

Cosy times at home, keeping<br />

warm and sheltering from the<br />

darkness and cold, is tempered<br />

with an opportunity to enjoy the<br />

beautiful autumn days, still often<br />

filled with sunshine. Even when<br />

the weather is not favourable,<br />

there are seasonal activities to<br />

encourage us to get outdoors<br />

and enjoy the brisk air. So, we<br />

have compiled 10 things to do<br />

outdoors in autumn to promote<br />

the wellbeing that being<br />

outdoors in nature brings.<br />

There are, of course, always<br />

things to do in the garden<br />

during autumn and Kevin Revell<br />

suggests ways to retain colour<br />

What’s on<br />

Winter Wonderland<br />

Opens Friday 8th November<br />

City Hall, Cardiff<br />

Christmas food, rides and of course<br />

ice-skating - all set on Cardiff’s City<br />

Hall Lawn.<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Christmas Festival<br />

Saturday 30th November 4pm-8pm<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Village<br />

The highlight of the <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> winter<br />

calendar.<br />

in our outdoor spaces as well as<br />

preparing for the seasons ahead.<br />

We also hear from Men's Shed<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, who offer a glimpse<br />

into their 'Den'.<br />

For our interview, we spoke<br />

to Sarah Gilford who attended<br />

Whitchurch High School and<br />

is now a professional soprano<br />

working in Munich. She shares<br />

the story of her roots to her<br />

rise to fame and reflects on<br />

some of the local support she<br />

has received to achieve her<br />

ambitions.<br />

We have two history features,<br />

one looking at the <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />

shops of yesteryear and another<br />

looking at Smart's Garage - a<br />

popular family-run business that<br />

is remembered by many.<br />

With all our usual local<br />

community news and events<br />

presented, you will find plenty to<br />

read and enjoy in this issue. So,<br />

grab a cup of something hot and<br />

snuggle down- we have even<br />

written a short story for those of<br />

you that like to read fiction.<br />

Please generously support our<br />

advertisers as always and we will<br />

see you again before Christmas!<br />

Danielle and Patric<br />

Editors<br />

@<strong>Rhiwbina</strong><strong>Living</strong><br />

www.facebook.com/<br />

rhiwbinaliving<br />

Llandaff Village Christmas Lights<br />

Wednesday 27th November<br />

Llandaff High Street<br />

Llandaff's big Christmas Light Switch<br />

On.<br />

Whitchurch Reindeer Run<br />

Saturday 7th December 5pm<br />

Whitchurch Village<br />

A one-mile fun run around<br />

Whitchurch village and an evening of<br />

festive celebration.


Children turn<br />

detective in<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />

Whodunnit?<br />

This summer, a dastardly crime cast<br />

a shadow over the usually idyllic<br />

village of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>.<br />

The (entirely fictional!) theft of local<br />

rugby hero Morgan Bruiser’s lucky<br />

boots hit the community hard and<br />

hundreds of children took to the<br />

streets to attempt to bring the thief<br />

to justice.<br />

The first-ever ‘Whodunnit Trail’ was<br />

produced by Rhiwbeina Primary<br />

PTA to provide an activity over the<br />

summer holidays that was fun,<br />

cheap and active.<br />

Wannabe detectives bought their<br />

clue sheets from local businesses,<br />

Edwards & Co or Victoria Fearn<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>'s annual Christmas Festival<br />

will take place on 30th November<br />

this year.<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Events Committee are<br />

already well into their planning for<br />

the event, which always draws large<br />

crowds into the village.<br />

Canolfan Beulah will be the venue<br />

for crafts and gift stalls and there will<br />

also be late night shopping from the<br />

local traders.<br />

The big Christmas Light Switch On<br />

will take place at 5pm, and it will be<br />

followed by the singing of carols<br />

around the tree.<br />

A week later in Whitchurch, there<br />

will be the sound of hooves and<br />

sleigh bells as the annual Reindeer<br />

Run takes place on Saturday 7th<br />

December.<br />

Gallery, and then followed the<br />

trail on a walk/scoot around our<br />

beautiful Garden Village, solving<br />

clues to eliminate suspects and<br />

potential hiding places as they went.<br />

Some of the clues revealed<br />

passwords to be given to staff in The<br />

Olive Branch, Secret Shed or The<br />

Butcher’s Arms, who then released<br />

further evidence and puzzle sheets<br />

to the cunning detectives.<br />

The trail ended at The Butcher’s<br />

Arms, where amateur detectives<br />

could enjoy a well-earned drink,<br />

whilst discussing their conclusions<br />

on Whodunnit and why.<br />

As the holidays drew to a close, the<br />

entries were collated and sorted to<br />

reveal that most of the detectives<br />

had correctly identified Morgan’s<br />

sister, Millie Bruiser, as the crafty<br />

thief and her student flat as the<br />

hiding place for the illustrious boots.<br />

Amy Biott, her children Florence<br />

and Jack and her fellow child minder<br />

Donna Barlow, were the lucky team<br />

drawn out of the correct entries to<br />

receive the amazing prize of a £50<br />

voucher towards a family meal at<br />

The Butcher’s Arms.<br />

Rhiwbeina Primary PTA raised a<br />

wonderful £383 from the event and<br />

are hopeful that it can become an<br />

annual tradition.<br />

Local Christmas events in the diary<br />

The village celebrates the festive<br />

one-mile fun run with stalls, crafts,<br />

rides and late-night opening in<br />

some shops. There will be more<br />

entertainment in the form of street<br />

performers and live music<br />

There will also be an outdoor cinema<br />

and a festive finale. Organisers hope to<br />

raise over £10,000 for the RNLI.<br />

news<br />

New transport<br />

plans promise<br />

new services<br />

for <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />

Cardiff North AM Julie Morgan<br />

has welcomed plans to improve<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>’s railway station which<br />

will see its track doubled and<br />

part-electrified, if new proposals<br />

from Transport for Wales go<br />

ahead in mid-2021 as part of the<br />

South Wales Metro scheme.<br />

Julie told <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong>:<br />

“It’s excellent news that<br />

the plans include improved<br />

accessibility as it is vital that<br />

we do not exclude anyone in<br />

the community from using the<br />

trains. I understand the aim is<br />

for ‘step-free’ access from the<br />

platform onto trains, which<br />

anyone with mobility problems<br />

will understand the need for very<br />

well.<br />

“There are also plans for a<br />

second platform, a new station<br />

footbridge and an hourly Sunday<br />

service will also be re-introduced<br />

from 2023.<br />

“I am also very pleased that<br />

there is the potential for the<br />

Coryton line to be extended with<br />

a new station at Velindre to serve<br />

the new cancer hospital," added<br />

Julie.<br />

A TfW spokesman added:<br />

“Construction of this section<br />

of track is currently expected<br />

to take place in mid-2021. Our<br />

stakeholder and communications<br />

teams will be reaching out to<br />

work with local communities,<br />

user groups and the local<br />

authority to discuss the proposed<br />

interventions well in advance<br />

of the works and provide more<br />

detailed designs when these are<br />

finalised.”<br />

The timetable is expected<br />

to remain with two trains per<br />

hour in each direction, Monday<br />

to Saturday, with an hourly<br />

service on Sundays added from<br />

December 2023.<br />

3


news<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> RFC<br />

team up with City<br />

Hospice<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> RFC has chosen City<br />

Hospice, Cardiff’s local hospice, as<br />

its Annual Raffle partner for 2019.<br />

The 2018 Annual Raffle raised a<br />

remarkable £8,000 for the club<br />

and its charity partner, but this year,<br />

the club and City Hospice have<br />

an ambitious plan to double that<br />

amount.<br />

Richard Price of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> RFC<br />

said:<br />

“We’re very pleased to have City<br />

Hospice as our charity partner. The<br />

valuable funds raised will support<br />

their work with patients and families<br />

across Cardiff but also help us to<br />

develop community rugby and<br />

coaching at all levels. We felt that<br />

we had so much in common when<br />

it came to supporting the local<br />

community and we plan to pull out<br />

all the stops to double the amount<br />

raised last year”.<br />

City Hospice is a registered charity<br />

at the heart of Cardiff, providing<br />

specialist medical, nursing and<br />

end of life care to patients in their<br />

own homes. They are also the only<br />

at-home palliative care provider for<br />

the city of Cardiff and need to raise<br />

a total of £2m to keep providing<br />

these specialist services.<br />

Daisy Magill, the hospice's<br />

Fundraising Officer said:<br />

“We are absolutely delighted to be<br />

in partnership with <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> RFC<br />

for its Annual Charity Raffle. Thank<br />

you very much to the club for<br />

choosing us. We are very grateful<br />

for your support!”<br />

All prizes are donated by local<br />

businesses or individuals and both<br />

organisations are very grateful for<br />

their generous support.<br />

Tickets are on sale from <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />

RFC players, supporters and<br />

volunteers across all age groups<br />

from Under 7s to Seniors. Tickets<br />

will also be available at City<br />

Hospice shops, activities and<br />

events. To find out more or to get<br />

yours, call 02920 524150.<br />

4<br />

Monico Movies announce Autumn line up<br />

Community cinema Monico Movies<br />

have released their Autumn and<br />

Winter line up for November and<br />

December.<br />

Since launching their not-for-profit<br />

community cinema in October 2015,<br />

they have screened 47 films, with<br />

the aim of evoking memories of<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>'s Monico Cinema.<br />

Viv Jones told <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong>:<br />

"We pride ourselves on hosting a<br />

very family-friendly atmosphere at<br />

our monthly screenings and feel that<br />

our audience now enjoys a sense of<br />

ownership for our monthly cinema.<br />

"We started with absolutely nothing<br />

and applied to the National Lottery<br />

for a grant to purchase our own<br />

equipment; everyone on our crew is<br />

a volunteer and our success is thanks<br />

to their hard work and enthusiasm."<br />

Films they have screened include,<br />

among others, Dark Horse, Brooklyn,<br />

The Martian, Mustang, Bridge of Spies,<br />

Hidden Figures, Hedd Wyn, The Book<br />

Thief and Casablanca.<br />

For their Autumn and Winter<br />

screenings, they will be showing<br />

Solomon a Gaenor, a Welsh language<br />

film starring Ioan Gruffydd (November<br />

9th), and their Christmas Special, Stan<br />

and Ollie (14th December).<br />

Scouts from <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> were among<br />

those from Cardiff and the Vale<br />

Area who were welcomed into the<br />

prestigious Lord Mayor’s troop in<br />

September.<br />

The annual Lord Mayor’s own<br />

presentation was supported and<br />

hosted by Cardiff and Vale College,<br />

recognising the achievement of the<br />

young people who have gained<br />

Scouting’s highest awards and<br />

valuable skills for life.<br />

Monico Movies' Sue Harding said:<br />

"One of our main objectives when<br />

deciding to set up a community<br />

cinema was that we definitely didn't<br />

want to compete with big cinemas.<br />

We wanted to share our love of great<br />

film and provide people with an<br />

opportunity to see films that maybe<br />

they'd never have thought of seeing."<br />

The original Monico Cinema opened<br />

on 19th April 1937. It had a seating<br />

capacity of 950 in stalls and circle.<br />

The building was demolished and a<br />

block of flats was built on the site in<br />

2004.<br />

Tickets for the forthcoming<br />

screenings are available from the Deri<br />

Stores, The Honeypot, Serenade and<br />

Victoria Fearn Gallery.<br />

You can find out more about their<br />

work at www.monicomovies.co.uk<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Scouts attend Lord Mayor's troop<br />

Area Commissioner Julian Jordan<br />

said:<br />

“Life is all about the journey<br />

and achievements these young<br />

people have been recognised for<br />

in their Scouting lives so far. We are<br />

honoured to have this connection<br />

between the Lord Mayor and Cardiff<br />

and Vale Scouts that is unique in<br />

Wales."<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> 2nd Scouts have recently<br />

celebrated 50 years in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>.<br />

Debbie Chapman Dancers donate<br />

£10,000 to Maggie's Centre<br />

Local dance school Debbie Chapman<br />

Dancers has donated £10,000 to<br />

Maggie's Centre in Whitchurch.<br />

The school has been raising money<br />

through their sell-out shows at<br />

St David's Hall, that took place in<br />

February and July.<br />

Debbie told <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong>:<br />

"We are absolutely thrilled to<br />

announce that our recent show,<br />

Dansation XIII, raised £10,000 for<br />

Maggie's Cardiff. Thank you so much<br />

to all pupils, parents and anyone else<br />

involved in the fundraising."<br />

Maggie's Cardiff offers professional<br />

support to people with cancer and<br />

their loved ones.


<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Library<br />

Diary dates<br />

October<br />

Saturday 12th: Board Games<br />

(1.30pm)<br />

Monday 14th: FoRL Reading Group<br />

(7.30pm)<br />

Monday 21st: Read Aloud (3pm)<br />

Wednesday 30th: Quiz (3.30pm)<br />

November<br />

Saturday 2nd: Dementia Café<br />

(11am–noon)<br />

Saturday 9th: Board Games<br />

(1.30pm)<br />

Monday 18th: Read Aloud (3pm)<br />

Monday 18th: FoRL Reading Group<br />

(7.30pm)<br />

Wednesday 27th: Quiz (3.30pm)<br />

Every Saturday:<br />

Jigsaw Library (10am-12.30pm)<br />

Every third Monday of the month:<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Library Book Club<br />

(7.30pm-8.30pm)<br />

Every second Saturday of the<br />

month:<br />

Board Games (1.30pm-3.30pm)<br />

All the latest news and events<br />

from <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Library<br />

Coming up at<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Library<br />

Book Group<br />

Friends of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Library has its<br />

own book group. We meet in the<br />

library on the third Monday of each<br />

month (7.30pm-8.30pm) to discuss<br />

a nominated book and share bookish<br />

recommendations. Pop along<br />

and give it a go.<br />

Board Games<br />

Our Board Games sessions (for<br />

young and old) are held on the<br />

second Saturday of the month<br />

(1.30pm-3.30pm). Abandon your<br />

screens and gadgets and enjoy<br />

an afternoon of good company,<br />

competitive fun and delicious<br />

snacks.<br />

Jigsaw Library<br />

Helpers are needed! Every<br />

Saturday morning (10am-12.30pm),<br />

our jigsaw library offers a vast<br />

choice of jigsaws for all ages.<br />

Thanks to our great volunteers<br />

for making this happen. If you can<br />

spare a few hours once in a while<br />

please contact<br />

Richard.essex@ntlworld.com<br />

Dementia Café<br />

Dementia Café meets at the<br />

library on the first Saturday of<br />

every month (11am–noon). This is<br />

a wonderful opportunity for those<br />

living with dementia, and their<br />

carers, to socialise and make new<br />

friends.<br />

Read Aloud<br />

On the third Monday of each<br />

month (3pm-4pm), the library<br />

hosts a ‘Read Aloud’ session for<br />

grown-ups, where we listen to and<br />

discuss a short story. The perfect<br />

opportunity to escape the real<br />

world for an hour or so and let the<br />

mind's eye wander.<br />

Chair Yoga<br />

Chair Yoga can help you feel<br />

less stressed, gain flexibility<br />

and stamina. Using a chair as a<br />

balancing aid, this NEW class<br />

is designed to suit all ages and<br />

abilities. Mondays (10.30am-<br />

11.30am).<br />

Good Yarn Club<br />

A huge thank you to Sandra<br />

and The Good Yarn knitting/<br />

crochet group for their donation<br />

of £100, raised through sales of<br />

their hand-made items. They<br />

meet in the library on Thursdays<br />

from 2pm until 4pm. Contact<br />

rhiwbinagoodyarnknittingclub@<br />

gmail.com for more details.<br />

New Planters<br />

Thanks to Mike Wright and his<br />

colleagues from Men’s Sheds<br />

Cymru and a grant from Cardiff<br />

Council, we now have four<br />

handsome planters stationed<br />

outside our library. We’re sure you’ll<br />

agree they add colour and interest<br />

to that area. We look forward to<br />

future cooperation with Mike and<br />

the team.<br />

For full details of events, consult<br />

the Library notice board or<br />

Tel: 029 2069 3276<br />

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter<br />

and Instagram<br />

Email: friendsofrhiwbinalibrary@<br />

gmail.com<br />

Website: friendsofrhiwbinalibrary.<br />

weebly.com<br />

All FoRL proceeds and donations<br />

go towards enhancing facilities at<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Library.<br />

5


letters<br />

Your letters<br />

WE<br />

WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!<br />

We love to hear what you've been up to<br />

so send us your letters and photos!<br />

We'll do our best to print them all!<br />

editor@livingmags.co.uk<br />

Autumn Poem<br />

The morning sun illuminates the<br />

Graig<br />

enhancing the hues of golden<br />

trees<br />

where a rainbow seems to<br />

originate:<br />

a colourful bridge in the blue<br />

ether,<br />

mountain clouds framing the<br />

horizon.<br />

This alluring view from the autumn<br />

hill<br />

relaxes my soul more than any pill,<br />

Breath disappearing ghost-like in<br />

the air<br />

as raindrops drip as if a tap,<br />

glistening jewels in the sunshine.<br />

Then the rainbow weakens,<br />

vanishing<br />

as dark clouds menace the sky<br />

once more.<br />

The show's over but I'll remember<br />

this beautiful sight...deep in<br />

November.<br />

Guy Fletcher<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />

Brecon Memories<br />

I have had great pleasure from<br />

reading <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong> magazine<br />

with its first-class presentation.<br />

It's certainly at the heart of the<br />

community and I was impressed<br />

with your feature entitled 'Maggie's<br />

Mission', that has changed the lives<br />

of hundreds of local people with<br />

special needs. Her visits to Storey<br />

Arms are near to my home in the<br />

Brecon Beacons.<br />

Rhiwbeina<br />

Welsh Nursery<br />

Celebrates 1959-<br />

2019<br />

This October, the Welsh Nursery<br />

in Rhiwbeina will celebrate sixty<br />

years since its establishment in<br />

1959 in the Rhiwbeina Memorial<br />

Hall. Since then, it has moved to<br />

its present site in Bethel Chapel,<br />

Maes y Deri.<br />

Back in 1959, Rhiwbeina was still<br />

part of the Glamorgan County<br />

until the local reorganisation in the<br />

seventies.<br />

Therefore, if parents in Rhiwbeina<br />

wanted a bilingual education for<br />

their children, the nearest Welsh<br />

medium school was in Cardiff so<br />

they would have to pay all the<br />

costs to send their children to this<br />

school.<br />

In 1958, Gwilym Roberts, who<br />

was brought up in Rhiwbeina,<br />

returned to the village from<br />

college to teach Welsh in one<br />

of the English medium schools<br />

in Cardiff. He felt deeply that he<br />

didn't have the opportunity as a<br />

Welsh speaker to have a Welsh<br />

medium education so he decided<br />

to establish a Welsh medium<br />

nursery in Rhiwbeina. This would<br />

then possibly lead to asking the<br />

Glamorgan County Education<br />

Department to establish a Welsh<br />

medium primary school in the<br />

village.<br />

He discussed his idea with Gwyn<br />

Daniel who was a headmaster<br />

in Gwaelod y Garth and also the<br />

Secretary of U.C.A.C. (Union of<br />

Teachers in Wales) and as a result,<br />

the two of them visited Welsh<br />

speaking parents in the area to ask<br />

for their support.<br />

A meeting was convened in the<br />

'Wendy Hut' and Gwilym was<br />

instructed to look for suitable<br />

premises. On the opening day of<br />

the nursery, 21 children attended.<br />

Over the years, the nursery has<br />

expanded to be full time and it is<br />

still flourishing with a waiting list.<br />

Penblwydd Hapus!<br />

G Roberts<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />

I have included of interest to<br />

you, Maggie, and your magazine<br />

readers, my illustration of Ken<br />

Dodd, performing his Mandalay<br />

Stage Act in the Brecon Beacons.<br />

He had framed a copy for himself<br />

and has given me much praise.<br />

Dewi Bowen<br />

Retired Art Teacher (92 years old)<br />

Merthyr Tydfil<br />

Job Well Done<br />

A quick note to say thank you for<br />

our magazines. We love getting<br />

them through our letterbox!<br />

L. Jesson<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />

If you have anything you’d like our readers to know about, drop us a line at editor@livingmags.co.uk or by letter to<br />

222 Pantbach Road, <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, Cardiff CF14 6AG. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter<br />

6


Under the new community association One <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>,<br />

RHIWBINA EVENTS COMMITTEE<br />

PROUDLY PRESENTS<br />

The<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />

Christmas<br />

Festival<br />

Welcome in Christmas this year at the wonderful<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Christmas Festival. Meet Santa, do a spot<br />

of late night Christmas shopping and watch the<br />

Christmas lights switch on!<br />

Christmas Lights<br />

Switch On 5pm<br />

Meet Father Christmas<br />

from 3pm at the<br />

Secret Shed<br />

Carols around the<br />

Tree 5.30pm<br />

RIDES | CRAFT & GIFT STALLS | LATE NIGHT SHOPPING | STREET FOOD<br />

NOVEMBER<br />

30 TH 2019<br />

RHIWBINA VILLAGE<br />

4pm - 6.30pm<br />

ROAD CLOSURES: Heol Y Deri will be closed to all traffic from 2pm on the 30th November and will re-open at 8pm. The road closure<br />

begins at the crossroads of Beulah Church and continues to Lon Isa. Pen Y Dre will also be closed to traffic during this time from the<br />

crossroads to Lon Y Dail. Beulah Road will remain open to traffic and the buses will be diverted along it.


Ethical Informed<br />

Citizens at<br />

Llanishen Fach<br />

Primary School<br />

In the summer 2017 edition of<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong>, we wrote an<br />

article entitled ‘Making Learning<br />

Irresistible’ which described how,<br />

here at Llanishen Fach Primary<br />

School, we were working to shape<br />

a new curriculum in response to<br />

the Welsh Government’s 2015<br />

publication, ‘Successful Futures’.<br />

In setting aspirations for education<br />

in twenty-first century Wales,<br />

Welsh Government adopted the<br />

‘Four Purposes’, where pupils are:<br />

• Ambitious, capable learners<br />

• Enterprising, creative contributors<br />

• Ethical, informed citizens<br />

• Healthy, confident individuals<br />

Two years on, the positive<br />

response from our pupils and<br />

their families to our efforts have<br />

demonstrated to us that we are<br />

on the right track in preparing our<br />

pupils for the lives that lay ahead<br />

of them. As an indication of how<br />

far our children have travelled in<br />

embracing the Four Purposes, we<br />

would like to share six short pieces<br />

written by some of our Year 5 and<br />

Year 6 pupils.<br />

The contributions were submitted<br />

following a request for articles on<br />

a subject of their choice that our<br />

pupils wanted to present to a wider<br />

audience. If the Welsh Government<br />

want to see evidence of the<br />

adoption of the Four Purposes,<br />

they need look no further than<br />

Llanishen Fach Primary School. We<br />

hope you agree that their ideas,<br />

compassion and quality of writing<br />

is humbling.<br />

8<br />

Plastic pollution<br />

Are we to believe that one of the<br />

biggest problems we face today is the<br />

fact that we are drowning in plastic?<br />

Roughly over 100 years ago, plastic<br />

was invented. At the time, it was a<br />

miracle because it was so durable<br />

and cheap to make. Nowadays,<br />

plastic finds its way into everything,<br />

even our clothes.<br />

I think that this is a problem<br />

because as plastic is so durable, it<br />

takes between 500 to 1000 years to<br />

biodegrade; and we are making too<br />

much to get rid of.<br />

40% of plastics are used for<br />

unrecyclable packaging. 12.7 million<br />

tonnes of this finds its way into the<br />

ocean each year! In the US, plastic<br />

makes up to 34% of waste generated<br />

each year! Over 109 years, 8.3 billion<br />

tonnes of plastic has been made and<br />

6.3 billion tonnes of that has become<br />

waste. That’s just 9% recycled, 12%<br />

burnt and 79% wasted.<br />

Unless we all get together and<br />

use less plastic, and recycle the<br />

plastic that we do use, then we will<br />

undoubtedly grow up living in a sad<br />

world of no natural wildlife!<br />

So to do your bit, go to<br />

www.cleanseas.org/pledge or<br />

www.4ocean.com<br />

By Tobias Brown<br />

Palm oil -<br />

impossible to give<br />

up?<br />

I love orang-utans, but the orangutan<br />

population is decreasing. Do you<br />

know why?<br />

It’s because palm oil demand has<br />

increased. Around 50% of our daily<br />

goods contain palm oil. It’s the most<br />

widely produced vegetable oil. 90%<br />

of palm oil is currently produced in<br />

Malaysia and Indonesia.<br />

Palm oil plantations are causing<br />

rainforest destruction. Rainforest<br />

areas the size of 300 football fields are<br />

being destroyed every hour. This is<br />

horrific.<br />

Orang-utans are in danger because<br />

they live in rainforests and they look<br />

for food in the plantations. They<br />

are seen as pests. It’s not right they<br />

are just at home minding their own<br />

business.<br />

Most companies use different<br />

names for palm oil, that is why it<br />

can be impossible to give up. Only<br />

some companies have agreed to<br />

use organic palm oil. But this is not<br />

enough.<br />

What can you do to help? Tell<br />

people; try not to buy products<br />

containing palm oil; it's difficult I know,<br />

I have tried. Look for the other names<br />

given to palm oil and try to avoid<br />

these. It’s not impossible to give up;<br />

what we need is change. We can save<br />

the orang-utans. We must.<br />

By Hannah Welch<br />

The homelessness<br />

crisis<br />

The reason I am writing this article<br />

about homelessness is because I feel<br />

sorry for people who have nothing.<br />

I have seen a homeless man who<br />

does not have any arms. He does<br />

not own anything except a pair of<br />

trousers, not even a T-shirt. Some<br />

of us get cold when we are in bed<br />

at home in winter, yet this man had<br />

nothing to keep him warm.<br />

According to the Office for National<br />

Statistics, there were an estimated<br />

90 deaths of homeless people in<br />

Wales in the five years up to 2017.<br />

Furthermore, according to a Welsh<br />

Government report, 9,072 households<br />

in Wales were in danger of becoming<br />

homeless during 2017-18. To be


legally defined as homeless, you<br />

must lack a secure place, in which<br />

you are entitled to either live or<br />

reasonably be able to stay.<br />

In December 2018, an estimated<br />

131,000 children were homeless in<br />

England, Scotland and Wales.<br />

This is 3% higher than 2017 (over 3,000<br />

more children) and 59% higher than<br />

2013 (nearly 50,000 more children).<br />

Should we really believe that we<br />

cannot improve this situation?<br />

By Ben Lewis<br />

The Four Rs<br />

Plastic pollution is the main thing<br />

affecting us on Earth and we have a<br />

duty to prevent this from happening.<br />

In 2016, 7 billion people produced<br />

320 MILLION tonnes of plastic. This<br />

amount is set to double in 2034.<br />

8 million pieces of plastic go into<br />

the ocean every day. There are an<br />

estimated 100 million tonnes of<br />

plastic in oceans around the world.<br />

Over 1 million marine animals<br />

including mammals, fish, sharks,<br />

turtles and birds are killed each year,<br />

which is distressing. The North Pacific<br />

Gyre is a huge problem in the ocean.<br />

It is a massive pile of floating rubbish,<br />

twice the size of Texas, USA. There are<br />

1.8 TRILLION pieces of rubbish laying<br />

in the water there.<br />

This plastic waste takes hundreds<br />

or even thousands of years to break<br />

down. It can cause disease and<br />

defects in animals and humans.<br />

In order to help this situation, we have<br />

the four Rs.<br />

What are the four Rs?<br />

• REDUCE our plastic waste by buying<br />

non-plastic packaging.<br />

• RE-USE our plastic carrier bags.<br />

• RECYCLE our rubbish.<br />

• REFUSE items such as plastic straws<br />

in drinks.<br />

Therefore, by doing this, we can<br />

save our planet for wildlife and future<br />

generations.<br />

By Lily Stansfield<br />

Vegan for the<br />

environment<br />

In my opinion, everyone needs to help<br />

the environment in different ways.<br />

The most efficient thing we can do<br />

as individuals, according to an Oxford<br />

study, is to live a vegan lifestyle.<br />

No one can deny greenhouse gas<br />

emissions are a big problem, but not<br />

many people know that over 51% of<br />

these emissions come from animal<br />

livestock through their digestion<br />

gases and<br />

manure waste,<br />

which is called<br />

'methane gas'.<br />

It is 72 times<br />

more powerful<br />

than CO2 in its<br />

effects on global<br />

warming.<br />

In my point<br />

of view, we all<br />

need to look<br />

after our water<br />

as well. A lot of<br />

water is used for<br />

producing meat,<br />

but a lot less is<br />

used for fruits<br />

and vegetables.<br />

Consequently,<br />

we should eat<br />

no meat or less<br />

meat to reduce<br />

water usage.<br />

Deforestation<br />

is also causing a<br />

lot of problems<br />

for us in this world. However, there<br />

is a way to solve this. The animal<br />

agriculture is responsible for 91%<br />

of Amazon rainforest destruction. A<br />

vegan lifestyle can put an end to it.<br />

We can also help the oceans by<br />

taking away the fishing nets. Can you<br />

believe that sea animals get strangled<br />

by fishing nets as there is 46% of<br />

ocean plastic? Unless we stop eating<br />

meat, the environment and animals<br />

will continue to suffer. In conclusion,<br />

I feel we shall be able to live how<br />

we want without damaging the<br />

environment. Try to go vegan please!<br />

By Lucy German<br />

Bins!<br />

schools<br />

Every time I go to the Wenallt to walk<br />

my dog, I find the bins in the car park<br />

overflowing with rubbish. This makes<br />

me feel very annoyed and disturbed.<br />

First of all, it is destroying the beauty<br />

of our landscape in the Wenallt.<br />

Secondly, it highlights the fact that<br />

we don’t have access to recycling<br />

facilities in the Wenallt as much<br />

of that rubbish is recyclable and<br />

thirdly, I believe that this encourages<br />

irresponsible disposal of personal<br />

rubbish and fly-tipping.<br />

No one can deny that this rubbish<br />

looks rubbish and my generation<br />

wants to enjoy the beauty of the<br />

Wenallt just like previous generations<br />

have. I believe that if these bins are<br />

left to consistently overflow then<br />

consequently our landscape will be<br />

destroyed forever.<br />

By Thomas Jackson<br />

School Lottery<br />

A ticket costs £1 per week and<br />

all funds raised go directly to the<br />

school. Each ticket will also enter<br />

you in TWO draws:<br />

- A jackpot prize draw for £25,000<br />

- A local draw with a guaranteed<br />

prize for one of the supporters of<br />

the school.<br />

To enter the School Lottery, head<br />

to www.yourschoollottery.co.uk and<br />

search for Llanishen Fach Primary<br />

School in the Find My School<br />

section.<br />

9


ST DAVID’S<br />

SIXTH FORM<br />

OPEN EVENINGS<br />

24th October / 13th November<br />

4:30pm - 7:30pm<br />

Register online at:<br />

www.stdavidscollege.ac.uk<br />

Inspiring and supporting success since 1987<br />

Waunwaelod Way, Caerphilly Mountain,<br />

Mid Glamorgan, CF83 1BD<br />

Phone: 02920 880534<br />

email: theblackcockinncaerphilly@gmail.com<br />

Website: www.jlpubsltd.co.uk


Also proudly sponsored by <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong>


kids<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> is a village full of families and community spirit. We asked<br />

young children what family and community means to them<br />

Charlie<br />

aged 6<br />

What is the best<br />

thing about being in a<br />

family?<br />

Cuddling and going<br />

on holidays to make<br />

giant sandcastles.<br />

Why is family important?<br />

Family is important so that we don't get lost<br />

and we also need someone to pay for our<br />

things in the shops.<br />

How are you involved in your community?<br />

I go litter picking in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> and I'm also<br />

in a club called Pebbles once a week. I also<br />

like going to the shops to buy things.<br />

What do you think about the community of<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>?<br />

I like looking out of my windows at the<br />

rainbow cars going past my house and also<br />

looking for Nan and Grandad.<br />

12<br />

Why we love our family<br />

and community<br />

Seb aged 8<br />

What is the best thing<br />

about being in a family?<br />

The best thing about being<br />

in a family is having fun<br />

and being there for one<br />

another.<br />

Why is family important?<br />

Because some people in<br />

the world don’t have one.<br />

They keep you safe and<br />

even when you fall out,<br />

Evie aged 8<br />

What is the best thing<br />

about being in a family?<br />

You have people to take<br />

care of you and also get<br />

clothes and a bed and a<br />

nice home where people<br />

will love you.<br />

Why is family important?<br />

You get cared for and without them you<br />

wouldn't have been born!<br />

How are you involved in your community?<br />

I go to school, Debbie Chapman Dancers, two<br />

drama schools and Brownies. I always take<br />

part in the community magazine.<br />

What do you think about the community of<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>?<br />

I think <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> is a cosy village and I love<br />

being involved in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>. It's quite a small<br />

village but there is a lot of stuff to do here.<br />

they still love you.<br />

How are you involved in your community?<br />

I play rugby for Rhiwbeina Squirrels that my<br />

dad helps to coach and I play tennis next to<br />

Rhiwbeina Primary.<br />

What do you think about the community of<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>?<br />

I love living in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> because we can walk<br />

to loads of things. I love the sausage rolls at<br />

Parsons, the vanilla ice cream at Nest and<br />

going to the stream!


Sienna aged 8<br />

What is the best thing about<br />

being in a family?<br />

The best thing is spending<br />

time with each other and<br />

feeling so loved.<br />

Why is family important?<br />

Family is important because it makes me feel<br />

safe and we look after each other.<br />

How are you involved in your community?<br />

I go to Suzanne Scales Performing Arts<br />

School, Debbie Chapman Dancers and<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Tennis Club.<br />

What do you think about the community of<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>?<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> is a safe, friendly and happy place.<br />

Ariana aged 7<br />

What is the best thing about being in a<br />

family?<br />

They give you the things you need. I have<br />

my brother and sister so<br />

always have someone to<br />

play with. They love me<br />

no matter what.<br />

Why is family important?<br />

Because then you can<br />

have fun. Your family love<br />

and care about you like<br />

nobody else.<br />

How are you involved in<br />

your community?<br />

Debbie Chapman Dancers. I spend a lot of<br />

my free time at different dance classes. I’m<br />

really lucky it is part of our community.<br />

What do you think about the community of<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>?<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> is really special. Everyone is really<br />

friendly and kind.<br />

Rosie aged 8<br />

What is the best thing about being in a family?<br />

I like having my family because you get to<br />

do lots of fun things and you get to look after<br />

each other.<br />

Why is family important?<br />

Because you look after each other and get to<br />

celebrate special days together. If you are sad,<br />

your family can help you.<br />

How are you involved in your community?<br />

I go to school in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> and I also go<br />

Joe aged 8<br />

What is the best thing about being<br />

in a family?<br />

Respecting each other, doing lots<br />

of things together and loving each<br />

other.<br />

Why is family important?<br />

Because we all respect God and we all work<br />

together.<br />

How are you involved in your community?<br />

I do football, rugby and basketball. I also go to<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Christmas Festival.<br />

What do you think about the community of<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>?<br />

It's a friendly neighbourhood.<br />

Jenna aged 8<br />

What is the best thing about<br />

being in a family?<br />

You get to spend time with<br />

them. I love them so much<br />

because you get to do lots of<br />

stuff with them.<br />

Why is family important?<br />

Because without a family, no<br />

one can look after you. And they<br />

love you.<br />

How are you involved in your community?<br />

I’m involved in Debbie Chapman Dancers<br />

and do shows every year. I go to CAST in<br />

Whitchurch High and do dance, drama and<br />

singing. I also go to gymnastics and netball<br />

and orchestra in Whitchurch High School.<br />

What do you think about the community of<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>?<br />

I like living in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> because I love it when<br />

Santa comes down Pen-Y-Dre and gives<br />

us presents. I love that we have two parks<br />

(Caedelyn and Parc Y Pentre) and the library,<br />

the trains and the village.<br />

dancing, to drama<br />

and to Brownies.<br />

What do you<br />

think about the<br />

community of<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>?<br />

I think <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> is<br />

a very lovely place<br />

because it's quite<br />

small and I like that<br />

because I get to see<br />

my friends in the<br />

village.<br />

13


A Family Move<br />

Northwood Cardiff and Newport have recently moved into their new home at<br />

Morgans Residential in the heart of the village. Director Kate Gwinnutt explains<br />

how the move can help both customers and the community as a whole<br />

If you weren't born and bred in<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, you may remember the<br />

day you moved here.<br />

For Kate Gwinnutt, moving<br />

her estate agency and team<br />

to <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> was a no-brainer.<br />

Northwood Cardiff and Newport is<br />

an award-winning company that's<br />

recently made its new home in the<br />

village, having taken over Morgans<br />

Residential. In the last few months,<br />

the team has already become a<br />

part of community life.<br />

"You can see that <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> is a<br />

community that cares about itself,"<br />

says Kate. "At Northwood, we'd<br />

outgrown our office on Whitchurch<br />

Road and were looking for the<br />

perfect place to put down our roots.<br />

I’ve always wanted to be a part of<br />

a special community and there’s<br />

such a good sense of that here. The<br />

location itself is wonderful; it ticked<br />

a lot of boxes in what we were<br />

looking for."<br />

Despite becoming a familiar face<br />

in the village, Kate grew up in<br />

Caerleon.<br />

"I grew up there and even met<br />

14<br />

my husband Ben in the local<br />

Comprehensive there. We both<br />

went to Exeter University where I<br />

studied biology and Ben studied<br />

History and German. We both took<br />

years abroad in our third year of<br />

University. Ben spent the year in<br />

Vienna and I spent a year in Myrtle<br />

Beach in South Carolina."<br />

The pair completed their degrees<br />

at university and both went back to<br />

live in South Wales.<br />

"Mum and Dad had started running<br />

Northwood Cardiff and Newport<br />

at that point. They opened the<br />

franchise 17 years ago and at that<br />

time, Northwood was still a new<br />

business. Theirs was only the tenth<br />

office to open. There are now 85<br />

across the UK."<br />

But for anyone who thinks that<br />

Northwood are just a faceless<br />

corporation moving into the village,<br />

Kate is quick to point out that their<br />

business is very much a family-run<br />

affair.<br />

"I used to go into the office in the<br />

Summer Holidays during university<br />

and help Dad with the filing and<br />

that’s how it started. I always said<br />

I’d never work for him but he had<br />

a member of staff that was going<br />

on maternity. Dad said it’d be good<br />

for me to do some 9-5 work so<br />

that I could get some knowledge.<br />

He told me that it'd be good to<br />

get something on my CV while I<br />

decided what I wanted to do with<br />

my life. The trouble was that I<br />

started enjoying the work and when<br />

the member of staff came back part<br />

time, I started job-sharing with her. I<br />

started doing viewings and looking<br />

after the accounts and here we are<br />

nine years later!"<br />

Kate and her dad are now both<br />

directors of the company, which<br />

has already gone a long way to<br />

integrating themselves within the<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> community.<br />

"Within the first week that we were<br />

here, we were introduced to the<br />

Plastic-Free team and the local<br />

rugby club were also in touch about<br />

donating for their raffle."<br />

Northwood were keen to retain<br />

a large core of the Morgans team<br />

during the takeover, who are still<br />

based at the office on the corner of<br />

Heol-y-Deri.<br />

"The best part of that is that<br />

we can still tap into the local<br />

knowledge and expertise that was<br />

so important to the success of the<br />

previous business. In Residential<br />

sales, we have Gina, Louise and<br />

Nicola, who have been helping<br />

people find homes in the area for<br />

well over 40 years between them. In<br />

Lettings, we have Chrissie, a familiar


face to local landlords, Emily our<br />

lettings negotiator and Abi our<br />

lettings administrator."<br />

Kate has supplemented the<br />

existing team with key people from<br />

Whitchurch Road.<br />

"We have Michael who’s in lettings.<br />

He started working with Northwood<br />

six months after the office opened<br />

17 years ago. Dad’s always been<br />

keen to train and invest in people;<br />

we want to give our members of<br />

staff opportunities. Michael started<br />

as an apprentice and has worked<br />

his way up. Ryan is also in Lettings;<br />

he's been a negotiator with us for<br />

over three years now and then<br />

there's James, who has been with<br />

us for 11 years. He was working in<br />

Lettings but is now in Sales and<br />

absolutely loving it! And of course,<br />

there's my husband Ben. He takes<br />

care of the lettings. It really is a<br />

family affair!"<br />

While the merger was perhaps<br />

unexpected, it has breathed new<br />

life into the village.<br />

"Everyone's been really positive<br />

about the merger and we believe<br />

that we've now got the best of both<br />

worlds here. It’s lovely to meet<br />

new people every day and every<br />

day is different. We’ve got some<br />

great ideas for the future and we’re<br />

already planning for the Winter and<br />

Summer festivals already."<br />

In addition to the community<br />

input, customers can also sample<br />

the great Northwood experience<br />

when it comes to letting or buying<br />

a home.<br />

"Dad has worked really, really hard<br />

to get the business to where it is.<br />

He’s semi-retired now. He’s still the<br />

franchisee but is now more of a<br />

personal consultant, who helps and<br />

advises.<br />

"As such, we can offer our<br />

customers a fantastic service.<br />

We offer our popular guaranteed<br />

income scheme which isn’t<br />

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"We offer guaranteed rent for<br />

a minimum of one year and a<br />

maximum of three years. We’ll deal<br />

with it all for you. We're there to take<br />

the hassle out. And if a traditional<br />

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pony either.<br />

"As the market has developed<br />

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Kate. "It’s a very big decision on who<br />

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It relies a lot on liking the people<br />

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and we want to help.<br />

"We want to provide the best<br />

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So far, so good then for Kate and<br />

her team. But there's still a lot to do.<br />

"The plan is that Lettings will be<br />

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We’re keen to integrate in the<br />

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There will be ongoing training too,<br />

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all of this since the start. If we have<br />

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Kate.<br />

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we're possibly looking to move.<br />

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Sponsored feature 15


The<br />

Voice<br />

The former Whitchurch High School<br />

student talks about her life as a<br />

professional soprano<br />

"I'm only back for a week," says<br />

Sarah Gilford.<br />

The 27 year old soprano is taking<br />

some much-needed time out at<br />

her North Cardiff home, although<br />

home these days can also be<br />

considered Munich, where she is<br />

currently undertaking a Young Artist<br />

Programme. Over the last 12 years,<br />

Sarah has been building her singing<br />

career and enjoying every moment<br />

along the way.<br />

"I'm trying to think of where it all<br />

started. It must have been at school.<br />

My parents still have videos of one<br />

of the nativity plays I was in and we<br />

put it on the other day. It was so<br />

funny watching it back. I went for<br />

the loud and wrong approach back<br />

then!" she laughs.<br />

"My aunty is an amateur singer and<br />

the idea of me singing has always<br />

been there. I went to Llanishen Fach<br />

Primary School and when they gave<br />

me a main role in their Christmas<br />

play, I started thinking about singing<br />

properly. I played the title role of<br />

Snow Robin. It was my first big<br />

break I guess and that’s where it<br />

started. I was in Year 2 so I was 7<br />

years old."<br />

With Sarah deciding what she<br />

wanted to do at an early age, her<br />

parents were the first to offer their<br />

backing.<br />

"My parents were never pushy<br />

and my mum waited for me to<br />

beg for singing lessons because<br />

they were so expensive. She didn’t<br />

want me doing them if I wasn’t<br />

that interested. You have to really<br />

commit to something like that. I<br />

started lessons at the age of 10,<br />

when I was also interested in doing<br />

16<br />

musical theatre. I soon realised<br />

that I was never going to be a high<br />

level dancer so my singing teacher<br />

suggested that I try classical<br />

singing. It was the best thing for me<br />

in the end."<br />

High school was the foundation<br />

of what was to become a<br />

professional career. Sarah began<br />

appearing in school concerts and<br />

other competitions like the Urdd<br />

Eisteddfod.<br />

"I went to Whitchurch High School<br />

where they had a great music<br />

department. Mr Phillips, the Head of<br />

Music there, was a big supporter of<br />

mine. Every year at school, we used<br />

to sing outside Queen’s Arcade to<br />

raise money for Velindre Hospital.<br />

My first proper singing teacher was<br />

a lady in Whitchurch called Angela<br />

Morris-Parry, who really helped<br />

me. I did wonderful things like the<br />

South Glamorgan Festival of Young<br />

Musicians and ended up at the<br />

age of 18 winning the best overall<br />

singing prize. I really worked my<br />

way up. I went from knee-knocking,<br />

terrible singing to winning a lot and<br />

it really built up my confidence.<br />

Angela taught me for about ten<br />

years and I learned a lot from her."<br />

While other teenagers would<br />

perhaps spend time on video<br />

games and social media, Sarah was<br />

setting about building a career for<br />

herself.<br />

"I was 15 when I made my first<br />

CD," she says. "During my last year<br />

of Sixth Form, I auditioned for four<br />

UK music conservatories and was<br />

unsuccessful. I auditioned again<br />

a year later and received a place<br />

at the Royal Northern College of<br />

Music in Manchester. That's where<br />

I went to do my undergraduate<br />

degree. Four years didn’t seem<br />

long enough. I got to my fourth<br />

year and felt that I was only just<br />

starting to understand what my<br />

teacher had been trying to get<br />

me to do. I stayed for another year<br />

where I continued lessons with my<br />

teacher Debbie Rees and gained<br />

some stage experience, including<br />

a substantial role in Mozart’s opera,<br />

Così fan tutte.”<br />

Sarah's years at the Royal Northern<br />

helped develop her language skills<br />

- as well as all-important stage<br />

experience.<br />

"They give you bum pads when<br />

you're working in period costume<br />

so you’re actually a lot wider than<br />

you think you are when you're on<br />

stage. I remember in my first dress<br />

rehearsal, I was supposed to be<br />

trashing this room up but in a very<br />

staged and organised way. But<br />

because of my bum pad, I ended<br />

up taking tables and chairs with me<br />

and destroying things I shouldn’t<br />

have. It was a great learning<br />

experience for me!"<br />

After five years at the Royal<br />

Northern, Sarah took a full year out<br />

but got involved with a few opera<br />

festivals, including landing a role<br />

with Longborough Festival Opera.<br />

"It was the same director who’d<br />

worked with me on the Mozart<br />

opera at the Royal Northern. Also<br />

that summer, I won the W Towyn<br />

Roberts Scholarship at the National<br />

Eisteddfod. It's the biggest singing<br />

prize that you can win there.<br />

"I don’t speak Welsh so I got some<br />

of my Welsh-speaking friends and


my first-ever singing teacher that<br />

I had in Cardiff to give me some<br />

guidance. Everyone was shocked<br />

when they found out that I don’t<br />

speak Welsh. I was lucky that the<br />

panel had all worked internationally.<br />

I won £5k which went straight<br />

towards my Masters degree in<br />

London."<br />

Effectively taking two years out<br />

had allowed Sarah to build on her<br />

skill levels and enrich herself with<br />

experience that was put to good<br />

use when she started her Masters<br />

degree.<br />

"It really paid off because<br />

throughout my masters at the Royal<br />

Academy of Music, everything I<br />

auditioned for, I got. I’d developed<br />

my experience and technical ability<br />

in those two years and it’s all helped<br />

propel me into this professional<br />

career."<br />

After completing her Masters,<br />

Sarah set about making her next<br />

move.<br />

"I'd decided that I didn’t want<br />

another year off and that I wanted to<br />

go into an opera school or a Young<br />

Artist Programme. I auditioned for<br />

several places and was offered a<br />

place at the Guildhall Opera School<br />

but then I also got an audition at<br />

the Bavarian State Opera and went<br />

there thinking ‘absolutely not a<br />

chance’. I didn’t feel that I was ready.<br />

"I got through to the second<br />

round and then to my surprise,<br />

they offered me a place. Out of 900<br />

people, they only took three of us.<br />

I’ve worked really hard and have<br />

never taken anything for granted."<br />

Her residency in Munich is set to<br />

last one year, but more often than<br />

not, young artists are kept on for a<br />

second year.<br />

"This one opportunity in Munich<br />

has made a big difference to my<br />

life. You have to have so much<br />

resilience in this trade. More<br />

importantly, you need to believe<br />

in yourself. Even when I was doing<br />

A Level Music, I realised that this<br />

industry is a very subjective one.<br />

Not everybody’s going to like you<br />

but there will be somebody out<br />

there who will. And you’ll always<br />

end up in the right place if you stay<br />

true to yourself and you know what<br />

you want, especially from an early<br />

age. If I didn’t get any parts that I'd<br />

auditioned for, I’d tell myself that<br />

it wasn’t for me. You have to fail in<br />

order to learn."<br />

Sarah's attitude to both her work,<br />

and life, speaks volumes about her<br />

tenacity and focus.<br />

"I was very academic but I’ve never<br />

needed the qualifications that I’ve<br />

achieved. In auditions, no one asks<br />

me whether I got a First or not. In<br />

the singing world, you might have a<br />

really great degree but you may not<br />

necessarily have a career in it. If you<br />

want to have a career in any of the<br />

arts, you need to be clear on what<br />

you want in life."<br />

For now, Sarah is focusing on<br />

honing her skills.<br />

"Classical singing is a fine art<br />

similar to ballet. You learn to<br />

use your voice and body in the<br />

most efficient way in order to be<br />

heard over an orchestra without<br />

amplification.<br />

"I will be nervous for my first<br />

official opera in Munich. I always get<br />

nervous but I do enjoy the set up<br />

of the stage and the audience. You<br />

can see the first few rows of people<br />

before they disappear in the dark<br />

but when I’ve got a costume on and<br />

I’m armed with stage directions,<br />

I feel less nervous because I feel<br />

less exposed than when I sing in<br />

concerts or recitals. The closer the<br />

audience is, the more nervous I get.<br />

"It’s perfectly natural for me to<br />

get nervous but I think what’s<br />

changed is the way I view it. I see<br />

it more as excitement now, rather<br />

than worrying about what might go<br />

wrong. Nerves can help as long as<br />

they’re kept at a manageable level."<br />

As well as keeping nerves under<br />

control, there's also the challenge<br />

of remembering all the words:<br />

"When I was younger, I used to<br />

learn the words no problem but the<br />

older I get, the harder I find it. I now<br />

write out what I’m learning, over<br />

and over. I speak it out if I’m walking<br />

down the street – it’s like a constant<br />

engagement with what I’m doing. I<br />

don’t feel like I can have time away<br />

from it.<br />

"With opera, when you go into<br />

production, it helps sometimes<br />

when you have to sing a line with a<br />

certain stage direction. The music<br />

is also a helpful association when<br />

trying to memorise the words. You<br />

end up remembering them forever."<br />

Sarah performs at the National Eisteddfod 2017<br />

interview<br />

Emboldened with skills,<br />

experience and talent, Sarah is<br />

looking to develop her career even<br />

further.<br />

"My proudest achievement to<br />

date is being offered a place on the<br />

Young Artist Programme that I'm<br />

now working through. I’ve learnt<br />

how to pronounce German, French,<br />

Italian, Welsh, Russian and Czech<br />

but I’ve never learnt languages. If<br />

there’s one thing I’d love to get out<br />

of being in Germany, it’d be to learn<br />

the language."<br />

And to prove that life works in<br />

circles, Sarah recounts a story that<br />

proves how far she'd come in just<br />

ten years.<br />

"Recently, Mr Phillips from<br />

Whitchurch High School invited me<br />

to do a Christmas concert with the<br />

Cardiff and Vale Youth Orchestra<br />

at Hoddinot Hall and it turned out<br />

to be exactly ten years later than<br />

the last time I sang with the same<br />

orchestra. It was nice to go back<br />

with so much more experience<br />

and it was nice to indulge in the<br />

nostalgia.<br />

"It’s been a great privilege winning<br />

lots of awards and I do feel very<br />

supported. The Arts Council of<br />

Wales, the Ryan Davies Memorial<br />

Trust, the John Fussell Trust<br />

and the Hartsheath Charitable<br />

Trust, all Welsh funding bodies,<br />

have all played their part and I’m<br />

hoping that this is the start of my<br />

professional career."<br />

Looking ahead, there are still a few<br />

achievements on the to-do list.<br />

"I would really love to compete in<br />

Cardiff Singer of the World and also<br />

sing with Welsh National Opera.<br />

But in the meantime, and in terms<br />

of my immediate career, I’m just<br />

going to keep taking everything in<br />

and working hard while I’m here in<br />

Munich."<br />

Find out more about Sarah at<br />

www.sarahgilford.com<br />

17


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As the last great Romantic<br />

symphonist, Mahler’s music is<br />

conceived on the grandest scale.<br />

Determined to express his view of<br />

the human condition, he claimed<br />

his 'symphonies represent the<br />

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by some as one of the ten greatest<br />

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unfolds with an accumulating<br />

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in a heaven-storming apotheosis. It<br />

was voted one of the ten greatest<br />

symphonies of all time in a survey<br />

of conductors carried out by the<br />

BBC Music Magazine.<br />

Mahler's Third Symphony comes to<br />

Cardiff on 8th November, courtesy<br />

of The Prague Symphony Orchestra,<br />

the official orchestra of the capital<br />

city Prague. The orchestra is a<br />

leading Czech musical ensemble<br />

with an established and renowned<br />

international reputation. It was<br />

founded in 1934.<br />

This concert includes<br />

performances from mezzo-soprano<br />

Ester Pavlů, the Cardiff Metropolitan<br />

Cathedral Choir, Cardiff Bach<br />

Choir, Swansea Bach Choir and is<br />

conducted by Pietari Inkinen.<br />

You can win a pair of tickets to<br />

this concert by answering this very<br />

simple question:<br />

In which year was the Prague<br />

Symphony Orchestra founded?<br />

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c) 1954<br />

Please email your correct answer<br />

to SDHpress@cardiff.gov.uk by<br />

Friday 31st October 2019 along with<br />

your full name and address, plus a<br />

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Autumn is a great time to get<br />

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the chance to win an Afternoon Tea<br />

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Their Afternoon Tea menu is<br />

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The menu includes a mini brioche<br />

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The venue boasts a newly<br />

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For your chance to win, email<br />

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19


lifestyle<br />

All Gathered In<br />

The<br />

As the season turns, and the evenings get darker, it's the perfect<br />

time to have quality time indoors with friends and family<br />

20<br />

Movie Night<br />

There can probably be nothing<br />

more cosy than snuggling<br />

down with family and friends<br />

and having a good ol' movie<br />

night.<br />

Pick your movies in advance<br />

(why not go with a double bill?)<br />

and arrange the furniture so<br />

that you've all got the best view.<br />

Prepare some snacks and hot<br />

food in advance and make sure<br />

that you're stocked up on drink<br />

too. If you want to do it properly,<br />

you're going to have to have a<br />

good supply of popcorn at the<br />

ready. Don't forget the buckets!<br />

If you're wanting to be<br />

extra cosy, throw in a load of<br />

cushions and blankets for you<br />

and your guests to hunker<br />

down under.<br />

Bake<br />

The kitchen is often a hub of<br />

activity during the autumn<br />

months as we all turn in from the<br />

cold and prepare ourselves some<br />

nice warming meals.<br />

Baking is another way of<br />

spending quality time with<br />

friends and family. If you're<br />

spending time with young<br />

children, it's always worth<br />

involving them and helping them<br />

forge their childhood memories.<br />

You don't need to be an expert<br />

either. Grab some simple recipes<br />

- cookies or chocolate brownies -<br />

you can often find everything you<br />

need in one handy packet at the<br />

supermarket.<br />

Creating something together<br />

helps create a sense of<br />

achievement and strengthens<br />

bonds between family or friends.<br />

Plan a Party<br />

Autumn, of course, is a time of<br />

Hallowe'en and Bonfire Night<br />

parties.<br />

A successful party always has<br />

a good amount of planning put<br />

into it and if you are thinking<br />

of holding one, remember<br />

to invite people early so that<br />

they can put the date in their<br />

diaries. Friends and family often<br />

plan their calendars months in<br />

advance and you don't want to<br />

be left without any guests.<br />

You may want to think about<br />

what types of food and games<br />

your party will have and you<br />

may also want to think about<br />

what kind of decor you'll want<br />

to have in your home too. Either<br />

way, getting it all ready at least a<br />

week in advance will mean that<br />

you can spend quality time with<br />

loved ones instead of stressing.


Murder Mystery Evening<br />

A Murder Mystery Evening can be a huge amount of fun, bringing<br />

everyone together and creating new memories with old friends.<br />

Prior to the party, you can purchase a murder mystery party kit. The<br />

kit includes a story about a murder, which usually occurs either during<br />

the course of the dinner or before the party begins. Guests are cast<br />

as characters and should arrive in fancy dress as their nominated<br />

character. Together or separately, all participants (apart from the<br />

murderer) work to solve the mystery.<br />

Wine Tasting<br />

Evening<br />

Book yourself a night in with some<br />

wine and friends. If you're looking<br />

to do things properly, introduce a<br />

theme to your wine tasting evenings<br />

- maybe base it on geographical<br />

regions or by country. Also ensure<br />

that all of your wines are ready<br />

to serve at their appropriate<br />

temperatures<br />

Prepare fresh crusty bread and<br />

maybe some cheese to soak up the<br />

alcohol too.<br />

Games Night<br />

Board games aren't just for kids<br />

although you can include them if<br />

you wish. Always have a selection<br />

of games on hand to suit your<br />

audience. When the kids go to<br />

bed, you can bring out the more<br />

challenging and grown-up games.<br />

Invite close friends to make sure<br />

that the evening is an intimate<br />

affair - large groups are often hard<br />

to control whereas meaningful<br />

conversation can be had in smaller<br />

groups.<br />

Prepare some finger food in<br />

advance so that you don't have to<br />

keep people waiting while you're<br />

in the kitchen. You may also want<br />

to think about where you play the<br />

game. A dining table can be useful<br />

if you are serving food whereas<br />

playing around a coffee table can<br />

bring a more relaxed vibe to your<br />

evening. Background music is<br />

optional but don't make it too loud<br />

or distracting.<br />

Keep a good stash of drink so that<br />

you don't have to disappear during<br />

the evening and your guests may<br />

also appreciate a nice dessert as a<br />

victory prize - providing they win of<br />

course. Personalising their playing<br />

pieces, if possible, is also a nice<br />

touch.<br />

Crafting<br />

Autumn provides us with rich<br />

pickings to craft with, especially<br />

with children.<br />

Your local park can supply<br />

you with leaves for leaf printing,<br />

conkers for marbling, and other<br />

bits and bobs to create collages.<br />

Use nature's gifts to create an<br />

autumn wreath or why not create<br />

a garland that you can hang up in<br />

your home?<br />

You can also help craft clothing<br />

and blankets for the colder months<br />

ahead. Knitting has always been<br />

a popular pastime and creating a<br />

scarf, hat or jumper for winter will<br />

keep you busy for hours.<br />

Kids will love creating their own<br />

scarecrow too and you can always<br />

pop this in your garden to remind<br />

you of your autumn memories.<br />

Plan for Christmas<br />

It's not too far away and now is a<br />

good time to start planning.<br />

Getting the Christmas card list<br />

done is always a good place to<br />

start before you can think about<br />

Christmas gifts. Get your calendar<br />

out too and start planning any<br />

activities that you want to do.<br />

Involving friends and family in your<br />

plans will ramp up the excitement<br />

levels.<br />

Mince pies are probably on sale in<br />

some shops now so stock up, put<br />

the kettle on and plan for festive<br />

times ahead.<br />

21


Autumn/Winter Workshops<br />

Wreath making • Table Centres<br />

Christmas Crackers<br />

Morning, afternoon, evening workshops from £50<br />

(see website for details)<br />

A warm and friendly florist shop located in the heart of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>.<br />

We stock quality flowers and plants along with gifts from Green Gate,<br />

Sia, Parlane and Burgon & Ball, and deliver to all areas in and around Cardiff<br />

4 Beulah Road, <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, Cardiff CF14 6LX<br />

www.flowerlodge.co.uk<br />

02920 627587


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email us<br />

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or in person<br />

227 Pantbach Road, <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> CF14 6AE<br />

We Buy Cars For cash


<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong><br />

Community<br />

In our summer issue, we were looking to recognise the<br />

contribution made by four very special people or businesses<br />

in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>. Nominations came from the community<br />

Business of<br />

the Year<br />

Winner:<br />

Debbie Chapman Dancers<br />

Photo: Andy Gayle<br />

We were looking for a business<br />

that's integrated itself fully with<br />

the community to be our Business<br />

of the Year and after putting it to<br />

a public vote, we can reveal that<br />

this year's worthy winner is Debbie<br />

Chapman Dancers.<br />

The business is one of the largest<br />

and most successful dancing<br />

schools in the UK.<br />

Over the years, they have been<br />

fortunate to nurture hundreds<br />

of young people, watching and<br />

helping them progress and<br />

24<br />

develop; not only as<br />

dancers but also as<br />

individuals.<br />

After performing in West<br />

End shows including<br />

Godspell, Peter and the<br />

Wolf, West Side Story and<br />

also teaching in Guildford<br />

where she premièred<br />

the The Snow Goose,<br />

Debbie returned to Cardiff<br />

and formed The Debbie<br />

Chapman Dancers. She is a regular<br />

choreographer for stage and<br />

television in Wales.<br />

Debbie told <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong>:<br />

"I am delighted, proud and<br />

honoured to receive <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />

<strong>Living</strong>’s Business of the Year award.<br />

I will have been principal of The<br />

Debbie Chapman Dancers for<br />

35 years in 2020, and during that<br />

time, the pupils and I have raised<br />

thousands of pounds for local<br />

charities.<br />

"We have also put <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />

on the map through very many<br />

appearances on television<br />

including Britain’s Got Talent and<br />

Sky One's Got to Dance.<br />

"Many of my pupils are from<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> and surrounding<br />

areas and while many of them<br />

have participated in shows and<br />

competitions, many have taken<br />

dance examinations and have<br />

moved to vocational schools, I<br />

really think it’s important to give<br />

something back to the community.<br />

We have been able to do this by<br />

raising monies for charities through<br />

our many performances, while<br />

also having great experiences,<br />

great fun and fabulous<br />

memories that will<br />

last a lifetime.<br />

"Thank you so, so<br />

much to everyone<br />

who voted. Your<br />

award was the icing<br />

on the cake. We are all<br />

super proud."


Community<br />

Champion<br />

Winner: Phil Cogin<br />

We were looking for a Community<br />

Champion that would be<br />

recognised as a force for good,<br />

making <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> a better place<br />

to live. Phil Cogin has been a big<br />

part of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> since bringing his<br />

vegan salon to the area. One<br />

resident said:<br />

"Phil has a big heart and gives<br />

back to the local community<br />

whenever he has the<br />

opportunity. He welcomes his<br />

guests from the local area and<br />

afar and makes everyone feel<br />

very welcome."<br />

About his win, Phil told<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong>:<br />

"I am very happy with this<br />

award. It is different and<br />

very important for my little<br />

independent sustainable plant<br />

based business.<br />

"I do this by using Fair Trade,<br />

organic, and vegan products in<br />

my salon. I also help Water Aid,<br />

the homeless and various other<br />

charities throughout the months.<br />

"I love this place; <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> is<br />

a special place for me. At the<br />

moment, I am concentrating on my<br />

latest project 'No Planet B' which<br />

is Zero Waste living here at Gōndi,<br />

raising the zero plastic movement.<br />

"To be recognised personally<br />

means the world to me. Thank<br />

you for your love and continued<br />

support <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>."<br />

Winner: Mary Clarke<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> is renowned for its great<br />

sense of community and we were<br />

looking for someone who goes out<br />

of their way to help those who live<br />

around them.<br />

Mary Clarke may not need an<br />

introduction to many people<br />

in the village but she has been<br />

instrumental in championing<br />

many of the things that we take<br />

for granted here in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>. She<br />

was the leading force behind the<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Flood Defence Scheme<br />

which has protected many homes<br />

in the village. She also helped<br />

save <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Library when it was<br />

threatened with closure in 2015.<br />

Mary's contributions to <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />

life have been numerous and she<br />

was awarded the British Empire<br />

Medal for her efforts in 2018.<br />

Of her win, Mary told <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />

<strong>Living</strong>:<br />

"Well this is a great honour.<br />

Funnily enough, I was watching<br />

the news this morning and saw the<br />

great work that the RNLI do. There<br />

was a man on there, who said<br />

about helping people 'If I can,<br />

I will' and that really got me over<br />

Neighbour<br />

of the Year<br />

my Cornflakes and toast, I can tell<br />

you.<br />

"It's the way I like to live my life,<br />

whether that means striking up a<br />

conversation with someone in the<br />

village or helping where I can."<br />

One of Mary's neighbours said:<br />

"She's a pillar of the community<br />

and everyone needs a Mary Clarke<br />

in their community."<br />

Young<br />

Person of<br />

the Year<br />

Winner: Rhiannon<br />

Thomas<br />

Our village is full of youngsters who<br />

touch the lives of others with their<br />

actions and achievements.<br />

We were looking for someone<br />

who has perhaps helped support<br />

local groups and our winner is<br />

Rhiannon Thomas.<br />

Rhiannon's father Ken told<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong>:<br />

"Over the years, Rhiannon has<br />

raised money for Bobath, Ty Hafan<br />

and the Alzheimer’s Society. She<br />

chose the charities herself and,<br />

with her friends, has baked cakes<br />

and sold sweets to neighbours in<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>.<br />

"She has also twice completed<br />

the Race for Life, taken part<br />

in the City Hospice walk and<br />

helped with bag packing/bucket<br />

collections for other causes. Her<br />

efforts in obtaining raffle prize<br />

donations from local businesses<br />

also helped contribute towards<br />

a trip that Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg<br />

Glantaf organised to South Africa<br />

this summer.<br />

"Rhiannon has in addition helped<br />

at an after school netball club<br />

for Year 7s. She is continuing her<br />

community work this year as a<br />

Sixth former, as part of her Welsh<br />

Baccalaureate, and is in the process<br />

of setting up her next community<br />

volunteering."<br />

Rhiannon said:<br />

"I am<br />

delighted<br />

to win this<br />

award - it<br />

will inspire<br />

me to carry<br />

on helping<br />

out in the<br />

community,<br />

here in<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> and<br />

further afield."<br />

25


Movie Time<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>’s community cinema - bringing back the<br />

legacy of the old Monico Cinema and making cinema<br />

once again, a sociable and friendly night out<br />

www.monicomovies.co.uk<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>’s<br />

Community<br />

Cinema<br />

9th November | Solomon A Gaenor<br />

A Welsh language film starring Ioan Gruffydd<br />

A love story between a Jew and a Gentile, set in the<br />

Welsh valleys. With English subtitles, the movie is<br />

supported by a short made by a local young film-maker<br />

14th December | Stan and Ollie<br />

Our Christmas Special<br />

The twilight years of legends Stan Laurel<br />

and Oliver Hardy are portrayed by Steve Coogan<br />

and John C. Reilly in this bittersweet film<br />

All shows are held in Canolfan Beulah, commencing at<br />

7.30pm. Tickets are £4 each are on sale at The Honeypot,<br />

the Deri Stores, Victoria Fearn and Serenade<br />

@monicomovies<br />

emyr pierce<br />

solicitors<br />

Experienced solicitors<br />

based in the heart of the<br />

village 6 days a week<br />

Our services include:<br />

Monday - Friday 9am-5.30pm<br />

and Saturdays 10am-4pm<br />

• Residential Property<br />

• Commercial Property<br />

• Wills and Estate Planning<br />

• Estate Administration<br />

and Probate<br />

• Lasting Powers of<br />

Attorney<br />

• Landlord and Tenant<br />

1 Heol-y-Deri, <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, Cardiff CF14 6HA 02920 616002<br />

www.emyrpierce.co.uk


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Nos Lun 18 Mai | Monday 18 May 2020 | 7:30pm<br />

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Collon/Benedetti<br />

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ROYAL LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA<br />

Chan/Kanneh-Mason


Hunker down<br />

Autumn is a beautiful season, bringing with it colours of reds, oranges and<br />

yellows. It's the perfect time of year to get your house ready for winter<br />

An Autumn Welcome<br />

As well as cheering up any guests<br />

you get to your house, a warm<br />

welcome to your home is a nice<br />

thing for you to come home to.<br />

It should still be warm enough to<br />

give your door a lick of paint if you<br />

have a wooden one. If you don't<br />

have a wooden door, you may want<br />

to invest in a new door handle or<br />

28<br />

letterbox.<br />

Late summer is also a good time<br />

to tidy up the outside of the house,<br />

especially the front as that'll be<br />

the area that will be getting more<br />

attention during the colder months.<br />

If you have room, consider<br />

planting a few small evergreens<br />

to maintain some colour during<br />

the autumn and winter. Winterflowering<br />

plants are also an option.<br />

Inside the doorway, put away any<br />

summer sandals and flip flops. This<br />

is Wellington boot season after all!<br />

Make sure that your clothes pegs<br />

are strong enough to take the<br />

winter coats that will no doubt<br />

be hung on them. A new sturdy<br />

welcome mat will also be a good<br />

addition, as well as getting some<br />

kind of umbrella stand for those<br />

rainy days.<br />

Keeping Warm<br />

It goes without saying that as<br />

the colder weather approaches,<br />

you're going to need to think about<br />

keeping warm.<br />

It's worth getting someone to<br />

bleed all your radiators and maybe<br />

even check your boiler is in working<br />

order before you start using it.<br />

The last thing you want is to find<br />

yourself stuck without warmth<br />

when you most need it.<br />

If you're fortunate enough to have<br />

a wood-burning fire or a working<br />

fireplace, get your chimney cleaned<br />

before you start using it. It's also<br />

prudent to start stocking up on<br />

firewood and kindling - you can<br />

never get enough of this when it<br />

gets really cold! Also make sure<br />

that all your fire alarms are in good<br />

working order.<br />

It may also be worth investing<br />

in some pipe lagging now. When<br />

winter comes in earnest, burst<br />

pipes are a most unwelcome<br />

problem.<br />

If you spend most of your time in<br />

your living room, get yourself some<br />

throws and blankets to snuggle<br />

under on stormy nights. As well as<br />

feeling cosy, these can also have a<br />

more practical purpose by helping<br />

to limit heating costs. They look<br />

very nice too!


Light up dark corners<br />

with table lamps<br />

Sorting<br />

Getting your house in order always<br />

makes you feel better. As autumn<br />

and winter roll in, we're not able to<br />

utilise the outside spaces as much<br />

as we'd like. It's worth making<br />

the best of the last summer<br />

sunshine to clear out our sheds<br />

and outhouses so that we can use<br />

them properly in winter.<br />

Inside the house, go through your<br />

kitchen cupboards and throw out<br />

any items that you're not going<br />

to use or are gone off. You'll be<br />

surprised at how long some things<br />

have been there! It's also a good<br />

idea to stock up on larder basics,<br />

so that you can quickly rustle up a<br />

nice warming meal when you get<br />

home. If you've made home-made<br />

jams or chutneys with harvest fruit,<br />

store these away for a rainy day<br />

and decant pasta or rice into nicelooking<br />

jars. Clean out the fridge<br />

and if you have time, get the oven<br />

cleaned too.<br />

Elsewhere, pack away summer<br />

clothes and give your winter coats<br />

a good airing. Get your comfy<br />

slippers out and leave them in the<br />

hallway so that you can pop them<br />

on when you come in.<br />

Blankets are not only comfortable<br />

but can save on your heating bills<br />

Lighting<br />

With natural light fading by the<br />

day, we turn to other means to<br />

illuminate our homes.<br />

Lamps are probably one of the<br />

best ways to make our homes<br />

cosy, lighting up any darks corners<br />

of the house and bringing a sense<br />

of warmth.<br />

Wooden bases bring depth to<br />

your home and if you add autumncoloured<br />

shades, you'll be bringing<br />

the outside in without the weather.<br />

Make the brightness appropriate<br />

to the room.<br />

One thing you won't want to<br />

overlook is the type of bulb that<br />

you're using. You won't want to use<br />

anything that will give off too much<br />

glare but you also don't want to<br />

leave yourself too short on light.<br />

Dimmer switches can help if you<br />

have the budget to install these.<br />

Exterior lighting can welcome<br />

any autumnal visitors, especially<br />

around your front door and porch<br />

area. If you are lucky enough to<br />

have a front garden path, consider<br />

adding lamps or even a security<br />

light that will come on when<br />

triggered by a sensor.<br />

home<br />

Dining<br />

Autumn is an ideal time of year to<br />

invite friends over for cosy suppers<br />

so if you have a separate dining<br />

area in your house, you'll want it<br />

looking its best.<br />

Keeping it simple is one way to<br />

go, with clean white linens and<br />

dark wood to stay in-keeping with<br />

the season. If you are planning<br />

on serving up hearty casseroles,<br />

go for deep bowls and chunky<br />

cutlery, serving up chunky bread<br />

in rattan baskets. Candles will<br />

provide visual warmth and a<br />

runner across your dining table will<br />

add a touch of luxury.<br />

Finishing touches<br />

Now is the time of year to take<br />

down any light curtains and put<br />

up thicker, heavier versions. If your<br />

front door is draughty, consider<br />

hanging a door curtain there. It<br />

will help keep your house warm<br />

throughout the day and night.<br />

Throwing a few rugs underfoot<br />

will help, especially on hard floor<br />

surfaces such as stone or wood.<br />

You'll appreciate this when you're<br />

stepping out of bed or the shower.<br />

The final finishing touches should<br />

include soft furnishings that will<br />

help complete the look. Heavy<br />

throws and blankets are perfect for<br />

snuggling down with, both for you<br />

and any guests.<br />

If you're the sort of person that<br />

likes buying nik-naks for the home,<br />

look for ones made of wood or<br />

other natural products. It could<br />

also be a good time to hang some<br />

new pictures on your walls that are<br />

more in keeping with this time of<br />

year.<br />

If you don't have a log burner, you<br />

can now buy candles that give off<br />

the aroma of burning wood and<br />

even crackle as they burn. Smells<br />

are just as powerful as sights in<br />

creating a seasonal home.<br />

29


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Christmas<br />

at<br />

Pugh’s Christmas Shop Opening Weekend<br />

Friday 11th – Sunday 13th October<br />

Marvel in the magic of Christmas at Pugh’s! Wander down walkways of beautiful<br />

baubles and dazzling decorations and soak up the festive ambience. Give your<br />

Christmas some extra sparkle and get yourself ready for making magical memories<br />

with your family at the most wonderful time of the year.<br />

Festive Food Taster Weekend<br />

Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th November<br />

Calling all foodies! Don’t miss the chance to enjoy a delicious display of free festive<br />

food tasters inside Pugh’s Food Hall. We’ll be showcasing speciality food to tempt<br />

your taste buds plus you can shop our huge range of Christmas culinary delights.<br />

You can even get your Christmas meat orders in from Farmers Pantry Butchers.<br />

‘Tis the season to indulge!<br />

Booking not essential for the events listed. More details can be found at our Facebook page<br />

Tynant Nurseries, Morganstown,<br />

Radyr, Cardiff CF15 8LB<br />

PughsGardenVillageRadyr<br />

02920 8<strong>48</strong>000<br />

www.pughsgardencentre.co.uk/radyr<br />

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• A contractor who will respect your wishes and home<br />

• An individual service tailored to you and your needs<br />

• A vast range of high quality products to choose from<br />

• First class fitting service<br />

• Friendly, hand-picked tradesmen<br />

• A single point of contact from start to finish<br />

• Design, supply and install in one place<br />

• High definition 3D designs on the latest CAD software<br />

• Exceptional aftercare<br />

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www.baileysbetterhomes.co.uk


1<br />

2<br />

4<br />

3<br />

The autumn home<br />

1. Chequered Faux<br />

Suede Cushion £15<br />

Add a burst of colour to<br />

your home with this lively,<br />

colourful faux suede<br />

cushion cover featuring a<br />

stunning patchwork. The<br />

delicate, furry material<br />

provides a soft touch which<br />

is easy to maintain.<br />

www.ethical.market<br />

32<br />

2. Stovax Vogue Midi<br />

Log Burner £1409<br />

Offering a superb<br />

view of the flames, the<br />

versatile styling of the<br />

Stovax Vogue Midi wood<br />

burning and multi-fuel<br />

stove fits perfectly into<br />

contemporary and<br />

traditional interiors alike.<br />

Limegreen<br />

3. British Made 100%<br />

Recycled Wool Throw<br />

£18<br />

This British-made recycled<br />

100% wool blanket is made<br />

from all the excess material<br />

and yarn left over from<br />

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history<br />

The Village Shops<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> is considered one of the finest villages to shop in Cardiff. We<br />

take a look back at some of the shops that have graced our village<br />

Back in 1897, a Western Mail report<br />

carried the news that <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />

should be the capital of Wales.<br />

The Cardiff University debating<br />

society had selected the village as<br />

its preferred capital over Cardiff and<br />

Swansea, because they said that a<br />

'lot of cheese was made there'.<br />

There were other reasons too: the<br />

area also had a large manufacturing<br />

36<br />

Gooch's on Beulah Road<br />

industry and residents got good<br />

exercise from walking two-and-ahalf<br />

miles for a postage stamp.<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> never did make it to<br />

become the capital of Wales.<br />

Instead, it turned into the suburban<br />

village that we are all familiar with<br />

now.<br />

The main shopping area has seen<br />

a variety of different establishments<br />

over the years, some of them<br />

fleeting, some of them still<br />

households names in the area.<br />

Gooch's was one such name, a<br />

hardware store that thrived during<br />

the 1950s and 60s, on the end<br />

of Beulah Road, where the dry<br />

cleaners now stands.<br />

They also had outlets at the<br />

Caerphilly crossroads, on Thornhill<br />

Road, and later on Heol-y-Deri.<br />

Jones the Chemist was next door.<br />

Customers claim that whatever<br />

ailment they went there with, they'd<br />

be handed either a bottle of white<br />

or bottle of red medicine to make<br />

them better. Mr Jones was known<br />

to put himself out for his customers,<br />

often turning up at people's<br />

homes with things that they<br />

needed. Meanwhile, Lacey's was a<br />

Beulah Road 1936<br />

gentleman's outfitters where you<br />

could get a pair of leather gloves or<br />

a sensible tie.<br />

During the 1980s, where Snails Deli<br />

now is, there used to be a butcher,<br />

Peter Shields. He was world-famous<br />

for his faggots. People would come<br />

from all over Cardiff to buy them.<br />

The aroma of the faggots cooking<br />

would often drift down the street<br />

and over the village.<br />

Next door, on the end, where<br />

Interior of Gooch's 1950s


Dancing on Heol-y-Deri in the 1980s<br />

Heol-y-Deri, November 1983<br />

Flower Lodge now stands,<br />

there was Macs, who sold fruit,<br />

vegetables and fresh fish. There<br />

was also a Post Office on the other<br />

side of Peter Shields.<br />

The cabin on Pantbach Road was<br />

a delightful little place if you were<br />

a child or a smoker – rows of jars<br />

filled with sweets and more sweets.<br />

Prior to this, it was a shoe-repairer<br />

during the 1960s. It's currently<br />

occupied by C3 Chiropractors.<br />

Next door, and much later, during<br />

the early 2000s, there was a holistic<br />

therapy business that ran out of<br />

the building now occupied by the<br />

Garden Village Garage.<br />

Over towards Heol-y-Deri, the<br />

Paper Mill was a newsagent that<br />

existed where Morgans now reside.<br />

It later became Z Jewellery, which<br />

operated during the mid 2000s<br />

alongside HSBC, which closed its<br />

doors in early 2010.<br />

Up onto Heol-y-Deri itself and<br />

you'd find Lawrences, which sold<br />

ladies gowns. During the 1980s,<br />

Courtney Morgan sold and repaired<br />

electrical appliances. They were<br />

situated where Parsons now is.<br />

Gills Travel, run by Bob Gill and his<br />

son, sat on the end of the row of<br />

shops, which by coincidence, is now<br />

occupied by Passion For Cruises.<br />

The former betting shop was once<br />

called the Bungalow and it was a<br />

dairy. You'd go there for milk and<br />

eggs, butter and cream. It later<br />

became Barclays Bank, one of two<br />

Images and information courtesy of Mary Clarke<br />

banks in the village at the time.<br />

Where Muddy Bums was located,<br />

there was a shop called Rainbow<br />

that sold everything during the first<br />

half of the 2000s. Back in the 1960s<br />

though, John Charles, Wales's most<br />

famous footballer and his brother<br />

Mel, ran a sports shop out of the<br />

premises. Children would go in<br />

to get their new sports shoes and<br />

rumour has it that John spent a lot<br />

of time talking to customers about<br />

football and coaching.<br />

Over down Lon Fach, you could<br />

find Millcraft. Mr Squirrel next<br />

door sold little bits of this and that<br />

and small antiques. There was a<br />

saddlery there too.<br />

Before this, and where Calon<br />

Rhiwbeina now is, there used to be<br />

a sweet shop run by Harold Davies.<br />

The shop was full of jars of sweets<br />

and Ethel, who was a relative who<br />

worked there, would get a large<br />

oil lamp and hold it up to the jars<br />

to see what was in them. This was<br />

because there was no electricity in<br />

the shop at that time.<br />

Residents could often leave them<br />

a note of their order and would<br />

find their goods in the coal house<br />

when they returned home. Harold<br />

himself only had one arm but could<br />

do anything an able-bodied person<br />

could do.<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, like most villages, is an<br />

ever-changing place but its sense<br />

of community is one aspect with<br />

which it's become renowned. For<br />

over 100 years, shop-owners and<br />

customers alike have come and<br />

gone. But the <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> community<br />

spirit lives on.<br />

Do you have any old photos or<br />

stories that you'd like to share<br />

with our readers?<br />

Drop us a line at editor@<br />

livingmags.co.uk or you can<br />

drop details to us at our postal<br />

address on the inside front cover.<br />

We'll return your photos once we<br />

have scanned them.<br />

37


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The Men's Shed in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> offers a place for a group of men to<br />

come together, chat, and create things for the community<br />

There's a problem down in the<br />

village.<br />

"The water's off."<br />

There's an uneasy sense of alarm<br />

among the men down at The Den.<br />

Iolo is stood there with an empty<br />

kettle, looking a little worried.<br />

"A cuppa is very important in our<br />

little world," says Mike.<br />

Mike is the Chairman of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />

Men's Shed. Not many people know<br />

it but they meet weekly at the small<br />

shed, also known as The Den, in<br />

Canolfon Beulah.<br />

For generations, a shed has been<br />

a place for men to escape the<br />

40<br />

stress and strain of life; a haven to<br />

gain much needed sanity; to be<br />

surrounded by familiar items; and<br />

to make things. For the Shedders<br />

in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, this thinking has been<br />

expanded to more of a social thing.<br />

And the community of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> is<br />

benefiting.<br />

"We set up Men's Shed <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />

in 2016," says Mike. "The movement<br />

itself actually started in Australia<br />

and has spread to countries<br />

all over the world, including<br />

Wales, where there are now 50<br />

Sheds. Fellow Shedder Gareth<br />

and I are Rotarians and what we<br />

found was that there was a large<br />

number of men who had time on<br />

their hands, whether it was due<br />

to unemployment, retirement,<br />

bereavement or because they were<br />

wanting to involve themselves in<br />

the community more.<br />

"We put some flyers in local<br />

supermarkets and put notices in the<br />

local WI newsletters - telling them<br />

that if they had any members who<br />

wanted to get their husbands out,<br />

to send them to The Den."<br />

The group has now grown from<br />

two or three members to 13.<br />

"We've actually become a victim<br />

of our own success in that we're<br />

having to turn people away. We've<br />

all got different skills. Gareth is very<br />

good at boiling a kettle," laughs<br />

Mike.<br />

And a varied bunch there are. Mike<br />

worked in the Patent Office. Then<br />

there's Colin:<br />

"You name it, I've done it. But<br />

mainly, I was a draughtsman. I<br />

designed ships."<br />

Graham was in the Civil Service<br />

but was also a mechanic for a long<br />

time.<br />

"I had a moment in my life and it<br />

was a bit of a eureka moment," says<br />

Graham. "Many years ago, I went<br />

to a training centre for six months.<br />

It was down where Tesco Extra is<br />

now. And it was while I was there<br />

that I realised that I had transferable<br />

skills, which meant that I could turn


my hand to anything I wanted to.<br />

It set me up for life and I can bring<br />

that attitude to the Shed."<br />

Then there's co-founder Gareth,<br />

the one who's still working.<br />

specialising in social welfare.<br />

"I was in IT and worked my way<br />

up to general dogsbody at Men's<br />

Shed," announces another Shedder,<br />

Carl. Sat next to Carl is Keith, who<br />

was a video editor at HTV for ten<br />

years.<br />

"I don't watch TV any more. I had<br />

enough of that when I was working,"<br />

he chuckles.<br />

On another bench, Iolo talks about<br />

his career as a theatre technician.<br />

And Brian reminds the group that<br />

he is a former architect.<br />

"Don't we know it," quips Graham.<br />

"Have pencil, will travel," replies<br />

Brian. On the end is Phillip, who up<br />

until now, has kept quiet.<br />

"I used to be what John Cleese<br />

once described as the living dead -<br />

I was a chartered account."<br />

Another Shedder, John arrives<br />

late. "I was a financial economist,"<br />

he says, which is soon somehow<br />

construed as a 'communist' and he<br />

gets the blame for the recession in<br />

2008.<br />

"The group has two aims,"<br />

continues Mike. "The first is to<br />

bring a social life to those who are<br />

isolated and the other aim is to<br />

provide for the community."<br />

Graham is one member who finds<br />

solace within the group.<br />

"There's been a lot of talk on<br />

Radio 4 over the last few weeks<br />

about loneliness and depression,<br />

especially in men. Certainly anyone<br />

who has lost a spouse will have<br />

developed that. My life is very full<br />

and very, very busy but it doesn't<br />

matter where you are or what you're<br />

doing, it still hits you.<br />

"But we never pry," adds Gareth.<br />

"People here say what they want to<br />

say and you don't have to prove that<br />

you've been through something<br />

traumatic to join us. But we don't<br />

go asking too many uncomfortable<br />

questions."<br />

"We're a caring organisation but<br />

we're not carers," says Mike. “In the<br />

past, we’ve had people who have<br />

been left with us by their carers<br />

but we’re not cut out for looking<br />

after vulnerable people like that.<br />

We're here for the camaraderie and<br />

there's lots of it."<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> has benefited from the<br />

club's second aim.<br />

"When we started, our first task<br />

was to refurbish the garage and<br />

install workbenches and racking.<br />

Second-hand tools and timber<br />

were donated by members of the<br />

public and local<br />

organisations.<br />

"In addition to our<br />

workshop, we rent<br />

a large allotment in<br />

Birchgrove where<br />

we have installed<br />

a poly-tunnel, a<br />

shed donated to<br />

us free by a local<br />

garden centre,<br />

and a greenhouse<br />

donated by a<br />

local resident. We<br />

have also built a<br />

patio and installed<br />

garden furniture as a rest area and<br />

are currently constructing raised<br />

beds. We have started to meet<br />

occasionally at the Wendy House<br />

in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> too for a general chat,<br />

cuppa and to plan new projects."<br />

The group has made four planters<br />

for <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Library and is working<br />

on wheelchair-friendly planters for<br />

the City Hospice. They’ve also built<br />

a new notice board at the Wendy<br />

House in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> and restored<br />

benches in the community garden<br />

at the rear of the Canolfan building.<br />

"We have also built a tree bench<br />

for the Macintosh Community<br />

Gardens in Roath, removed<br />

overgrown vegetation at the rear<br />

of a charity shop in Llanishen and<br />

last year, we hosted a visit by Cardiff<br />

Young Carers to our workshop. We<br />

have also been visited by the MP<br />

for North Cardiff, local councillors,<br />

Shedders from other Men’s Sheds<br />

and university students who<br />

interviewed and filmed us as part<br />

of their thesis work. We've also just<br />

successfully registered as a charity."<br />

Boys and their toys: Graham and Brian<br />

test out their hand-made bogie.<br />

interview<br />

The group isn't currently looking<br />

for new members as the premises<br />

they have is very small.<br />

"We could possibly look to get<br />

bigger premises and we also have<br />

the option of maybe setting up<br />

another group," says Mike. "But<br />

that's for the future. Right now,<br />

we've got a planter to finish."<br />

Among all the banter, laughter<br />

and the smell of woodwork and<br />

grease, there is a genuine affection<br />

and maybe even love among the<br />

group. For all the heartaches that<br />

go on behind closed doors, the<br />

Men's Shed provides a time and a<br />

place for the men to be themselves<br />

among their peers. On paper,<br />

they're an unlikely mix. But put<br />

together, the group works perfectly.<br />

And the one thing that bonds them<br />

all together?<br />

The kettle.<br />

Twitter@TheDen110<br />

For more information about the<br />

Men’s Sheds movement, visit<br />

www.mensshedscymru.co.uk<br />

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history<br />

SMARTS<br />

Smarts Garage in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> was a family-run business that was<br />

a focal point in the village for decades. Today, the business is<br />

remembered mainly through old photographs and stories<br />

Perhaps one of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>'s most<br />

well-remembered landmarks is<br />

Smarts Tea Rooms, which later<br />

became Smarts Garage.<br />

Owned by the Smart family, the<br />

garage was the epitome of a familyrun<br />

business in the village. Its<br />

history began over 100 years ago.<br />

William Albert (Will) Smart worked<br />

as a wheelwright in Cardiff before<br />

moving in 1916 to the small village<br />

of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> where he started a<br />

business called the <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Tea<br />

44<br />

Gardens.<br />

The Tea Gardens soon became a<br />

focal point for the village and further<br />

attractions were added including<br />

a putting green and bird aviaries.<br />

By 1920, the motor car had started<br />

to become a practical means of<br />

transport and the industry opened<br />

up many business opportunities<br />

which Will took advantage of by<br />

opening <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Motor Garages<br />

on a site immediately adjacent<br />

to the Tea Gardens. Apart from<br />

selling petrol and oil,<br />

Will also developed a<br />

business relationship<br />

with Morris Motors<br />

and began selling and<br />

servicing Morris cars.<br />

The relationship with<br />

Morris Motors, and its<br />

successors, lasted for<br />

many decades with<br />

many models sold over<br />

the years.<br />

A second garage was<br />

opened on Heol-y-Deri,<br />

situated just a couple<br />

of hundred yards away,<br />

and this was known as<br />

Brook Garage, where Nest now<br />

resides. In the 1950s, there was a<br />

clear distinction between the two<br />

with the original garage selling only<br />

Shell petrol while Brook Garage<br />

was affiliated to the Esso brand.<br />

This arrangement not only gave<br />

a choice to the consumer, it also<br />

gave protection to the original<br />

business by effectively discouraging<br />

competitors from moving in.<br />

Will's son Cliff worked for his father<br />

when he left school in 1925 aged<br />

14, and eventually took over the<br />

business in 1936. It was later called<br />

Cliff Smart Ltd around 1954.<br />

During the 1960s, Smarts Garage<br />

was a major contributor to the<br />

<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Carnival, and many of<br />

their motors were seen parading<br />

through the village.<br />

Cliff continued to run the business<br />

until the original tea garden site<br />

and garage was sold in 1987 for redevelopment.<br />

He retired in 1989.<br />

As a reminder of the site's past<br />

history, the development was called<br />

'Clos Yr Ardd' which translates as<br />

'Garden Close'.<br />

Images courtesy of Martin Smart. Information courtesy of Friends of Cathays Cemetery


45


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Autumn garden<br />

As summer draws to a close,<br />

many of the mainstays of the<br />

mid-summer border are still going<br />

strong, providing that conditions are<br />

to their liking.<br />

Typical prairie flowers such as<br />

Helenium and Echinacea will still be<br />

looking good, but are now joined<br />

by other members of the daisy<br />

family or Asteraceae, along with<br />

the ornamental grasses with which<br />

they look most at home. That the<br />

most popular partner, Miscanthus<br />

sinensis or Chinese silver grass,<br />

originates on the other side of the<br />

<strong>48</strong><br />

In his final installment on perennials, Kevin Revell shows how we can<br />

maintain a garden of colour before the first frosts of winter arrive<br />

world is surprising.<br />

The most noticeable flowers<br />

now are the golden yellow stars<br />

floating above the sandpapertextured<br />

foliage of Rudbeckia<br />

fulgida ‘Goldsturm’, which is by<br />

far the strongest-growing and<br />

most popular variety, reaching<br />

a metre high. The swept back<br />

golden petals surround a domed<br />

chocolate brown central boss and<br />

they last for absolutely ages. They<br />

will eventually need dead-heading<br />

however, to continue the display<br />

long into autumn. If left, the faded<br />

seed heads give shape to the winter<br />

garden and look good after a sharp<br />

frost to accentuate their structure.<br />

The variety ‘Deamii’ is less coarse<br />

and less robust and differs in having<br />

a flat button of a central boss. More<br />

useful and increasingly popular is<br />

the smaller form of ‘Little Gold Star’<br />

which barely reaches 30cm tall<br />

but also produces a mass of gold<br />

floral stars over a long period. It<br />

makes a very good choice for the<br />

front of the border, or for pots and<br />

containers. In recent years, many<br />

new hybrid Rudbeckias have been<br />

released with yellow, orange and<br />

brown colouration to the petals,<br />

often all within the same flower.<br />

These new forms are not reliably<br />

hardy however and will not come<br />

back in subsequent years so are<br />

best treated as late summer annual<br />

bedding plants.<br />

Japanese Anemones or Anemone<br />

japonica are popular cottage<br />

garden plants, being virtually<br />

indestructible and long-lived, if a<br />

little invasive, once established.<br />

They have long been divided and<br />

passed around by neighbouring<br />

gardeners so distinct local<br />

populations will form along blocks<br />

of streets. Tolerant of dry shade,<br />

they are a useful plant to have in<br />

the garden. They sit minding their<br />

own business for most of the year<br />

until wiry stems bearing clusters of<br />

pretty pink or white daisy flowers<br />

rise up in late summer and autumn.<br />

Some of the older varieties such<br />

as ‘Hadspen Abundance’ will reach<br />

up to 1.5m tall but most named<br />

varieties are usually a little shorter<br />

and make fine subjects for the back<br />

of a border.<br />

They are sufficiently tough not to<br />

need any support so can be left<br />

pretty much to themselves apart<br />

from being cut down in winter<br />

or ideally in early spring before<br />

growth recommences. The most<br />

popular forms are the single white<br />

flowering ‘Honorine Jobert’ and


semi-double ‘Whirlwind’, whose<br />

ghostly blooms loom out of dark<br />

corners at dusk. The single deep<br />

pink variety ‘Splendens’ is another<br />

winner along with the double<br />

form ‘Queen Charlotte’. Although<br />

great in borders, these plants do<br />

not lend themselves to container<br />

gardening. As with many other<br />

varieties of plants, there has been<br />

a drive towards miniaturisation<br />

over the past few years to cater<br />

for today’s smaller gardens and a<br />

tendency to grow plants in pots for<br />

maximum effect over a short period.<br />

The imaginatively named Fantasy<br />

Series that include ‘Cinderella’,<br />

‘Pocahontas’ and ‘Red Riding Hood‘<br />

come in a similar range of single<br />

and semi-double pink forms but<br />

only grow to about 45cm tall.<br />

"<br />

The Whirlwind’s<br />

ghostly blooms<br />

loom out of dark<br />

corners at dusk<br />

It would be remiss of me to discuss<br />

the daisy family without covering<br />

those which give the family its<br />

name. Asters or Michaelmas daisies,<br />

as their common name suggest, is<br />

a late flowering perennial which are<br />

surely the last flowers of the year.<br />

They are eagerly sought out by the<br />

last butterflies of the year as they<br />

take on stores prior to migration or<br />

hibernation. They really do come<br />

in all shapes and sizes from the<br />

towering Novi-Angliae or New<br />

England asters which can reach<br />

almost two metres tall. They are<br />

more at home at the back of large<br />

borders typically found in parks<br />

and stately homes. Much of the<br />

breeding of these plants took place<br />

in Germany which may explain the<br />

less than memorable names such<br />

as ‘Alma Potschke.’<br />

The formerly popular Island Series,<br />

named after South Sea islands<br />

such as ‘Samoa’ and ‘Bahamas’<br />

are shorter at 30cm and colourful<br />

but are disease prone and have<br />

now been superseded by new<br />

Aster dumosus forms which are<br />

disease free and wonderfully<br />

compact and floriferous. ‘Crystal<br />

Rose’ and ‘Sapphire’ are fine<br />

examples. Another superior form is<br />

Aster frikartii ‘Monch’ which is late<br />

flowering with beautiful lavenderblue<br />

flowers, compact at 45cm and<br />

deserves to be more widely grown,<br />

being completely trouble-free<br />

giving a final injection of colour to<br />

the autumn border. Sadly, many of<br />

the Novae-Belgii or New Belgian<br />

asters fall prey to mildew late in the<br />

season just as the flowers come out<br />

but this is less of a problem when<br />

grown in borders rather than in<br />

pots and containers. It can spoil the<br />

appearance of the foliage however<br />

and shortens the display that would<br />

otherwise run until the first frosts.<br />

Old favourites such as ‘Ada Ballard’<br />

and ‘Marie Ballard’ are still widely<br />

grown but may require staking in<br />

exposed positions growing to 60 to<br />

80cm or so.<br />

Liriope muscari, a rather unusual<br />

gardening<br />

flower, is perhaps the last to<br />

flower in the autumn and looks<br />

more like a grass for most of the<br />

year. In September and October,<br />

blue flowers which resemble the<br />

spring bulb, grape hyacinth, appear<br />

partially hidden by the foliage. The<br />

common name of lily turf does<br />

nothing to improve its popularity,<br />

but it is an extremely tough plant,<br />

surviving in dry shade and only<br />

coming into its own late in the<br />

year. The variety ‘Big Blue’ is worth<br />

seeking out.<br />

With that, the season for flowering<br />

herbaceous perennials comes<br />

to an end. A few flowers may be<br />

seen in October and November<br />

on hellebores, but these are more<br />

plants of winter and early spring but<br />

are a welcome sight, nonetheless.<br />

49


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pets<br />

Your pet<br />

questions<br />

answered<br />

Chris Troughton is clinical director of Heath Vets. He’s here to answer all your pet<br />

questions. If you’d like to ask Chris a pet-related question, drop us a line<br />

When I take my dog out for<br />

a walk, his back legs start to<br />

tremble. He’s is 6 now but<br />

I’ve only noticed it in the last<br />

two years or so. It hasn’t ever<br />

bothered him in any way but I<br />

wondered if this is something<br />

that happens as they get older?<br />

Although many older dogs get<br />

tremors in their legs (especially<br />

the back legs), there are also<br />

several quite serious conditions<br />

that could cause them. So<br />

before just accepting that they<br />

are a normal harmless part of<br />

growing older, it’s important to<br />

rule out those conditions. Look<br />

for signs of him feeling unwell<br />

– change in appetite, increased<br />

drinking, sickness, diarrhoea,<br />

reduced interest in exercise.<br />

If any of these are present, it’s<br />

worth getting your vet’s opinion.<br />

You say that the tremors do not<br />

affect him, but if they do start<br />

to impact on his exercise, they<br />

might relate to pain, so again,<br />

see your vet.<br />

My beloved dog has taken up<br />

scooting across our lovely new<br />

carpets in the last few months.<br />

I don’t think she’s deliberately<br />

doing it just because I’ve got<br />

new carpets but I do wonder if<br />

the carpet is somehow irritating<br />

her? What would be your best<br />

advice going forward?<br />

The scooting you’re describing<br />

is a sign of an itchy bottom.<br />

Sometimes you do get reactions<br />

to carpets, but these usually<br />

show as itchy inflamed skin in<br />

the areas in contact with the<br />

carpet – mainly the feet and<br />

the belly; if these areas are not<br />

Sponsored feature<br />

affected, I think it’s unlikely that<br />

the new carpets are causing this<br />

behaviour, but because they’re<br />

new, you are noticing it more!<br />

Rarely, worms can be the cause<br />

but the commonest reason for<br />

itchy bottoms in dogs is anal sac<br />

problems. The anal sacs are little<br />

scent glands beside the anus<br />

which can become blocked<br />

or infected and cause variable<br />

degrees of itch and pain. The<br />

problem is usually easily sorted<br />

out with a visit to your vet, so<br />

don’t delay – save your dog<br />

from further discomfort and your<br />

carpets from further injury!<br />

My cat has started getting bad<br />

breath. I have tried (and failed)<br />

to brush her teeth but her teeth<br />

look in good condition. Could it<br />

be related to her intestines or<br />

something similar?<br />

Bad breath is often a sign of oral<br />

disease. There may be problems<br />

with her teeth at the back where<br />

it’s more difficult for you to look,<br />

or there could be other issues<br />

(like tonsillitis for example).<br />

However, bad breath can also<br />

be a symptom of problems<br />

elsewhere - stomach, lung liver<br />

and kidney problems can all<br />

cause it, so it’s important to get<br />

your cat properly checked out<br />

as soon as possible.<br />

A fellow dog walker was telling<br />

me about her friend’s dog that<br />

died of canine pancreatitis. It<br />

sounds quite scary and I do<br />

worry a lot so I wondered what<br />

signs and symptoms I needed<br />

to look out for with my own dog.<br />

Is it catching?<br />

Pancreatitis is inflammation<br />

of the pancreas, an organ that<br />

produces digestive enzymes as<br />

well as insulin. Symptoms can<br />

vary from mild inappetence to<br />

severe vomiting and intense<br />

pain. Usually patients recover<br />

with intensive treatment, but<br />

occasionally it is fatal. Most<br />

that recover do not suffer any<br />

long-term health effects, but<br />

some suffer recurring bouts<br />

of illness. There is no specific<br />

treatment for pancreatitis, so<br />

therapy is aimed at supporting<br />

the body while it heals, with<br />

intravenous fluids, analgesia and<br />

antemetics. Pancreatitis is not<br />

contagious so there’s no need<br />

to worry on that count. Often we<br />

don’t know what has caused a<br />

bout of pancreatitis, but it can<br />

certainly be associated with<br />

overindulgence in rich food – for<br />

example, stealing a pat of butter.


Julie Morgan<br />

Your Assembly Member for Cardiff North<br />

I hold regular surgeries on Mondays and Fridays,<br />

no appointment necessary.<br />

Mondays at 13a Llangranog Road, Llanishen from 10-11am<br />

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My office is also staffed Monday to Friday.<br />

Please call 0300 200 6241 for an appointment<br />

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outdoors<br />

10 things<br />

to do<br />

outdoors<br />

in<br />

Autumn<br />

6 1. GO FOR A WELLY WALK<br />

We may grumble at the autumn weather but<br />

there's actually something very uplifting about<br />

wrapping up warm and enjoying the new smells,<br />

sights and sounds. If you've got a pair of wellies,<br />

you've got no excuse to get out there!<br />

8 2. COLLECT CONKERS<br />

There's a fascination in looking for conkers. You'll<br />

always be on the lookout for bigger and better. And<br />

when you're fully loaded up, it'll be time to take<br />

them home and decide which ones you are going<br />

to thread onto old shoelaces.<br />

65 3. FIND SOME BATS<br />

Late summer and early autumn is mating season for bats.<br />

They migrate from their summer habitat to new sites where<br />

mating occurs and where they seek out places to hibernate<br />

for the winter. They also focus on building up reserves of<br />

fat, which will help them through the colder months. Torpor<br />

also begins, where bats lessen activity to save vital energy.<br />

6 4. COLLECT PINE CONES<br />

Heading into the forest, you'll find plenty of pine<br />

cones on the ground. You can use these for craft<br />

projects nearer to Christmas so if you find any that<br />

are damp, it'll be worth storing them so that they<br />

are dry when you come to use them. If you find any<br />

still attached to its branch, keep these too as they<br />

will add some variety.<br />

54


5 5. GO SCARECROW<br />

SPOTTING<br />

Often the stars of harvest festivals, you can spot<br />

scarecrows doing their work in the fields in autumn.<br />

It's worth taking a camera to document any that<br />

you do see but be careful not to encroach on<br />

private property or damage any crops nearby.<br />

8 6. GO APPLE PICKING<br />

Make the most of harvest season by visiting a local<br />

orchard and picking some juicy apples. There's<br />

nothing better than enjoying the crisp autumn air<br />

and heading home with a bag of fruit - perfect for<br />

baking tasty apple pies.<br />

65 7. PLANT SPRING BULBS<br />

Garden centres will be bursting with spring bulbs at this<br />

time of year because now is the time to plant them. You are<br />

best getting them done between October and December,<br />

after which, the first frosts tend to arrive. Go for plump, firm<br />

bulbs and aim to plant within a week of purchasing as you<br />

may find that they start sprouting. Always remember to<br />

plant the bulbs with its top facing upwards.<br />

8 8. GO ON A GHOST HUNT<br />

It's the season of Hallowe'en and the darkening nights<br />

provide the perfect setting for a ghost walk.<br />

There are plenty of organised walks at this time of year<br />

but if you want to do it yourself, make sure that you put<br />

safety first and seek permission if you are looking to<br />

venture around private property.<br />

65 9. FEED THE BIRDS<br />

Although birds tend not to struggle for food in the<br />

autumn, it's worth preparing your garden now for<br />

the lean times ahead during winter.<br />

Placing a few bird feeders around now will help<br />

let the birds know where they can get food in<br />

the winter months. Fat balls are a good source of<br />

energy for birds and these can be hung from trees<br />

if you have any. You can make these yourself from<br />

kitchen scraps and suet if you like. Serve small<br />

portions to avoid them going off or attracting rats.<br />

6 10. WATCH AN AUTUMN<br />

SUNSET<br />

Watching the sun go down is one of life's great pleasures<br />

and autumn often throws up some spectacular ones.<br />

Prepare some flasks of piping hot tea, head out to find<br />

a good spot and make sure that you're there about 15<br />

minutes before the sun's due to go down. It will go down<br />

quicker than you think. Then head home for dinner.<br />

55


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For timetable and booking see<br />

w: www.theartworkshop.co.uk<br />

e: theartworkshop@live.co.uk<br />

t:07947 003111<br />

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ADV_CAR_0919_WhitchurchLlandaff_01.indd 1 09/09/2019 11:47


Summer's End<br />

"We need to get you home now.<br />

Your mother will be waiting for you."<br />

Paul took Eve's small hand and led<br />

her out of the forest and into the<br />

late summer sunshine.<br />

"Why do I have to go Daddy? I<br />

don't want this day to end." Eve<br />

looked up at her father. Paul could<br />

see the sadness in his daughter's<br />

eyes. He saw it every time he had to<br />

take Eve home.<br />

"Mummy wants you back so you<br />

can have your tea."<br />

In truth, Paul didn't want to take<br />

Eve back either but since the split<br />

from Beth, both parents had to<br />

play by the rules. Both father and<br />

daughter had enjoyed a wonderful<br />

day together. It had started with an<br />

early breakfast at the local café.<br />

At the age of 8, trying out her first<br />

cooked breakfast was something of<br />

a treat for Eve but she still couldn't<br />

get her head around eating savoury<br />

food first thing in the morning.<br />

"These aren't exactly Coco-Pops,"<br />

she'd mumbled as she tucked into<br />

her baked beans.<br />

After breakfast, they jumped into<br />

the car and headed out to the<br />

beach a few miles away. Paul had<br />

packed some food into a cool bag<br />

and they spent the day digging<br />

holes and burying Eve's Barbie dolls<br />

up to their necks. They spent most<br />

of the day on the sands but Paul<br />

knew that he had to have Eve back<br />

home early for teatime - she was<br />

back to school the next day.<br />

As one last treat, he parked the car<br />

up at a woodland park near home,<br />

and they had gone exploring in the<br />

nearby forest.<br />

They pretended that they were<br />

detectives looking for spies. Eve<br />

had found some clues - a scruffy<br />

58<br />

old football, a pencil that had been<br />

split in two and some acorns.<br />

“Look at this one!” Eve called. She<br />

held up a bright shiny acorn.<br />

“It’s huge!” replied Paul.<br />

“I’m keeping that one,” said Eve,<br />

popping it into the pocket of her<br />

summer dress.<br />

"These clues will lead me all the<br />

way to the spies!" she exclaimed,<br />

walking off.<br />

Paul looked at this young girl,<br />

stepping over logs and walking<br />

through muddy puddles with her<br />

sandals on. He was going to miss<br />

her so much. Since the split from<br />

Beth, he'd begun plans to start a<br />

new life on his own on the other<br />

side of the world. He knew he<br />

wouldn't get days like this again.<br />

"Oh, look at that dog!" remarked<br />

Eve. Up ahead, charging through<br />

the forest, a small brown and cream<br />

dog came bounding over towards<br />

them. In its mouth was a green<br />

tennis ball. Walking briskly behind<br />

the dog came a woman dressed in<br />

a strappy top, a pair of jeans and a<br />

big pair of Wellington boots.<br />

She was about the same age as<br />

Paul and she certainly caught his<br />

eye. He'd seen her before in the<br />

village several times.<br />

The dog reached Eve and ran<br />

around her feet playfully. It dropped<br />

the tennis ball at their feet, in the<br />

hope that they would throw it. Eve<br />

clung to Paul, excited, but not quite<br />

sure if the dog would nip her.<br />

The woman finally reached Paul<br />

and Eve, a little out of breath.<br />

“Sorry about her. She just wants to<br />

make new friends,” she said.<br />

Paul looked at the woman. All of<br />

a sudden, he felt very shy. She was<br />

pretty. Very pretty. There was a<br />

slight flush in her cheeks and Paul<br />

couldn't take his eyes off her as she<br />

wiped the hair from her face.<br />

Eve bent down and finally gave the<br />

dog a stroke on her head.<br />

"She's gorgeous isn't she?" said<br />

Eve.<br />

Paul was still captivated by the<br />

woman.<br />

"Yes. She is," he replied. The<br />

woman caught him looking at her<br />

and for a second, they got lost in<br />

their own world as they passed<br />

each other on the small forest<br />

pathway.<br />

Paul turned to watch her walk<br />

away, hoping she'd turn back.<br />

"Bye bye doggie," said Eve as the<br />

dog went scampering away. As the<br />

dog caught up with her, the woman<br />

turned and smiled at Paul before<br />

disappearing into the forest.<br />

"She was nice wasn't she?" said<br />

Eve. Paul was still smiling inside.<br />

He turned to head out of the forest<br />

when Eve suddenly noticed the<br />

dog's tennis ball still lying at her<br />

feet.<br />

"Oh no. The dog's left her ball!" she<br />

cried, bending down to pick up the<br />

damp and scraggly ball. "I'm going<br />

to give it back to her," she said.<br />

"Ok," replied Paul rather hesitantly.<br />

Eve dashed off up the forest path<br />

where the woman and dog had<br />

gone and within seconds, she had<br />

disappeared totally.<br />

Immediately, Paul regretted<br />

leaving her go. As the minutes<br />

went by, his anxiety slowly gripped<br />

him. He thought he should go look<br />

for her but just then, his phoned<br />

buzzed. He took it out of his pocket<br />

to read the message that had just<br />

arrived.<br />

"Don't be late. Bx" read the


message. Paul didn't bother<br />

replying. He was more worried<br />

about his missing daughter. He<br />

quickly put his phone back in his<br />

pocket and as he looked up, much<br />

to his relief, Eve came leaping back<br />

through the forest with a big smile<br />

on her face.<br />

"I shouldn't have let you go like<br />

that," Paul said.<br />

"I was ok. I'm a big girl now and<br />

I followed the path. The dog was<br />

happy to have her ball back."<br />

"We need to get you home now.<br />

Your mother will be waiting for you."<br />

And just like that, their day was<br />

over. Their summer was over.<br />

As the couple made their way<br />

across the field to the car, Paul<br />

cast his mind back over the last six<br />

weeks. Together they recounted all<br />

the things they had done together -<br />

the visit to the castle on that boiling<br />

hot day; the sleepover where they’d<br />

stayed up late watching cartoons;<br />

the time they flew a kite and it hit a<br />

man on the head; that time they'd<br />

taken shelter from a summer storm<br />

in a shop doorway. This would be<br />

Paul's final summer in Wales for a<br />

long time.<br />

Eve reached up and placed her<br />

hand in his as they strode across<br />

the field together. In the sky,<br />

towards the west, a large grey cloud<br />

lumbered overhead.<br />

"Looks like rain. Autumn's on its<br />

way," said Paul.<br />

Eve ignored him. “Do you have to<br />

go away?” she said.<br />

Paul took a big breath. Every time<br />

she asked, it wrenched his heart.<br />

“I haven’t decided yet. I’ve got<br />

nothing here. Apart from you of<br />

course.”<br />

“Am I not enough?”<br />

Paul stopped in his tracks. He<br />

realised the enormity of what he<br />

had just said. He felt like he’d just<br />

crushed her. He crouched down,<br />

took both of Eve’s hands in his<br />

and looked into her eyes. In that<br />

moment, he envisioned saying<br />

goodbye at the airport. And it was<br />

too much to bear.<br />

“I’m so sorry. Yes of course you are<br />

enough.”<br />

“Then you'll stay?”<br />

Paul smiled and paused. “Yes. Yes<br />

I will stay.”<br />

Eve threw her arms around him.<br />

It was one of those hugs that only<br />

daughters can give. Paul stood<br />

up, lifting her up and carried her<br />

towards the car, her arms still<br />

around his neck.<br />

The journey back to Eve’s house<br />

was a quiet one. Paul wasn't sure<br />

that Eve believed him when he told<br />

her he'd stay. He'd promised many<br />

things in the past but never fulfilled<br />

them. He considered turning the<br />

radio on but decided that he’d<br />

only be doing that because he was<br />

uncomfortable with the silence.<br />

He glanced at Eve in the rear view<br />

mirror. She was looking out of the<br />

window. And she was still clutching<br />

the battered old football; still<br />

clinging on to the day.<br />

By the time they arrived at Beth’s,<br />

the night was closing in. Paul put<br />

his arm around Eve as they headed<br />

down the side of the house to the<br />

side door that led straight into<br />

the kitchen. From the look at the<br />

steamed up windows, it looked like<br />

tea was on the hob.<br />

A shape appeared in the glass at<br />

the door, before it opened and Beth<br />

stood there, apron wrapped around<br />

her.<br />

“Oh hi,” she said. “Come on in.” Eve<br />

stepped inside with her mother and<br />

then turned to Paul.<br />

“Can you wait just two minutes?”<br />

asked Eve. “I just need to get<br />

something for you.”<br />

“Yes, of course.”<br />

Paul was tempted to pull the door<br />

closed but thought that it would<br />

appear rude. So he stood there<br />

awkwardly and waited as the rain<br />

finally started to fall from the sky.<br />

He felt the warmth of the kitchen<br />

seeping out, wrapping itself around<br />

him. A gust of wind blew a few dead<br />

leaves around his feet. In the dark,<br />

he could only feel them as they<br />

rattled around his shoes.<br />

He peered into the kitchen. A waft<br />

of warm casserole drifted out and<br />

although Paul no longer ate meat, it<br />

still smelt homely.<br />

Beth's new man busied himself<br />

around the kitchen, folding a tea<br />

towel and bending down to open<br />

the oven. A great plume of steam<br />

escaped and whooshed up to the<br />

ceiling. He placed the casserole pot<br />

down and laid the tea towel next to<br />

it.<br />

Paul’s eyes lingered on the tea<br />

towel. He cast his mind back to<br />

the day both he and Beth bought<br />

it. They’d made a casserole that<br />

day too. In fact, it was the first meal<br />

they’d cooked together in their new<br />

home. That was when they had a<br />

lifetime of dreams ahead of them.<br />

Things didn't turn out quite as<br />

they'd hoped.<br />

Beth appeared back at the door.<br />

“You ok?”<br />

she asked,<br />

drying<br />

a plate<br />

with a<br />

piece<br />

of<br />

short story<br />

kitchen towel.<br />

“Yes thanks,” replied Paul.<br />

"Good," said Beth, disappearing<br />

back into the kitchen.<br />

Eve reappeared.<br />

"This is for you," she said, handing<br />

Paul a small envelope. He looked at<br />

it and smiled. Then he put it in his<br />

pocket.<br />

"Thank you." He crouched down<br />

and the pair embraced one last<br />

time.<br />

"Thank you for a lovely day," said<br />

Eve. "You're the best."<br />

He didn't feel it but even at 8 years<br />

of age, Eve always knew how to<br />

make Paul feel better about things.<br />

As he made his way to the car, he<br />

pulled his collar up to the wind and<br />

the rain. He opened his car door,<br />

flopped in and put his hands on the<br />

wheel.<br />

As the rain gently pit-pattered on<br />

his windscreen, he thought about<br />

the summer. He thought about Eve,<br />

his wonderful daughter. And he<br />

wondered whether he really could<br />

leave her to start a new life in New<br />

Zealand on his own. He thought he<br />

could escape the past but in reality,<br />

he would be escaping his present.<br />

He reached into his pocket for his<br />

car key but instead found the small<br />

envelope that Eve had given him.<br />

He took it out.<br />

It was a small white envelope with<br />

a big lump in the middle, stuck<br />

down with twisted bits of Sellotape.<br />

Paul carefully opened it and<br />

peered inside.<br />

He took out the first item - an<br />

acorn. It was the big shiny one that<br />

Eve had found in the forest.<br />

Then he reached in and carefully<br />

pulled out the other item - a small<br />

scrap of paper. It had been carefully<br />

folded over so Paul unfolded it.<br />

In Eve's own handwriting, it read:<br />

“Her name is Mary and this is her<br />

number.” Underneath was a mobile<br />

telephone number.<br />

“She says she’s free tomorrow<br />

night and she'll leave her doggie<br />

at home with his ball if you fancy a<br />

drink together.”<br />

Paul smiled for a moment. He read<br />

it a second time.<br />

"Thank you Eve," he said.<br />

“Thank you.”<br />

Then he started his car<br />

and drove off into the<br />

night.<br />

59


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<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong><br />

<strong>Issue</strong> 49 (Winter)<br />

Booking deadline<br />

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Published<br />

27th November<br />

Whitchurch and<br />

Llandaff <strong>Living</strong><br />

<strong>Issue</strong> 56 (Winter)<br />

Booking deadline<br />

4th November<br />

Published<br />

20th November


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For the design, supply and installation<br />

of aerial, satellite and internet TV services,<br />

call your local Registered Digital<br />

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07836 265259<br />

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www.accurateaerials.com<br />

info@accurateaerials.com<br />

ID: 18266724<br />

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On-site glazing and repairs<br />

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Wide range of excellent value frames from<br />

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One Pot<br />

Wonders<br />

The simplicity and delight of a slow-cooker is best savoured shut away<br />

from the world on a cold autumn night. Here are our favourites<br />

Skirlie Stuffed Mushrooms<br />

4 large flat mushrooms<br />

4 spring onions<br />

1 leek<br />

25g butter/vegan alternative<br />

4 leaves of fresh sage<br />

2 sprigs of fresh thyme<br />

1 sprig of fresh rosemary<br />

400ml water<br />

200g oats<br />

salt and pepper to season<br />

mushroom. Add 100ml of water to your slow cooker<br />

and put the lid on. Don't worry too much if all of the<br />

mushrooms don't fit on the floor of the cooker. They<br />

can be slightly stacked up.<br />

☐ Cook the mushrooms on a high setting for 2-3 hours,<br />

or on a low setting for 4 hours.<br />

☐ Serve with kale or cabbage on the side.<br />

☐ Clean and scrub the mushrooms but do not peel<br />

them. Remove the stalks and chop finely. Put the<br />

chopped stalks to one side.<br />

☐ Line your slow cooker with baking liner and place<br />

your mushrooms onto it.<br />

☐ Finely slice the spring onions and leek. Over a<br />

medium heat, melt the butter in a frying pan until it<br />

is soft. Add the chopped mushroom stalks and the<br />

herbs, mixing them well so that the chopped stalks are<br />

covered. Add in the porridge oats, allowing them to<br />

toast for about 3-4 minutes when they will start to smell<br />

nutty.<br />

☐ Stir in the water, 50mls at a time. Your mixture should<br />

absorb the water and swell up. If it starts looking too<br />

much like porridge, stop adding the water. Remove<br />

from the heat and season well with salt and pepper.<br />

☐ Spoon your mixture into the mushrooms, packing<br />

it in tightly to the edges to maintain the shape of the<br />

62


Beef bourguignon<br />

3 tbsp vegetable oil<br />

1½ kg stewing or braising steak, cut into small chunks<br />

2 large onions, chopped<br />

2 carrots, chopped<br />

2 celery stalks, chopped<br />

2 bay leaves<br />

2 thyme sprigs or rosemary sprigs<br />

3 tbsp plain flour<br />

750ml bottle red wine<br />

1 beef stock cube<br />

1 tsp caster sugar<br />

2 tbsp tomato purée<br />

100g unsmoked bacon lardons<br />

6 small shallots or baby onions, halved or quartered<br />

300g closed cup mushrooms, halved or quartered<br />

mashed potatoes or crusty bread, to serve<br />

recipes<br />

☐ Turn the slow cooker to low and heat the oil in a large frying pan. Season the meat and fry for 3-4 minutes in<br />

batches until browned all over. Transfer to a plate.<br />

☐ Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pan and fry for 5-10 minutes until soft. Add the herbs and flour and<br />

cook for another 2 minutes. Pour a splash of the wine into a bowl, then add the stock cube, sugar and tomato<br />

purée and mix to form a paste. Scrape the paste into the onion mix and pour in the remaining wine. Bring the<br />

mixture to a bubble, then transfer to the slow cooker. Stir in the browned beef and simmer on low for 6-8 hrs.<br />

About 35 minutes before serving, fry the bacon, shallots and mushrooms for 5-8 minutes until caramelised and<br />

the veg is starting to soften, then tip into the slow cooker. Simmer the stew gently on high for 30 minutes.<br />

Slow cooker<br />

ultimate curry<br />

1 tbsp vegetable oil<br />

1 large onion peeled and chopped<br />

3 chicken breasts boneless and<br />

skinless, diced<br />

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced<br />

1 large piece of ginger about the size<br />

of your thumb, peeled and finely<br />

chopped<br />

1 tsp salt<br />

½ tsp ground black pepper<br />

3 tsp hot chilli powder<br />

1 tbsp ground coriander<br />

½ tbsp cumin<br />

1 tbsp curry powder<br />

1 tsp paprika<br />

1 tsp cinnamon<br />

240ml chicken stock<br />

400g tinned chopped tomatoes<br />

2 tbsp tomato purée/paste<br />

2 tsp sugar<br />

400ml can full-fat coconut milk<br />

To Serve:<br />

Rice, chopped coriander and finely<br />

chopped chillies<br />

pepper, chilli powder, ground<br />

coriander, cumin, curry powder,<br />

paprika and cinnamon.<br />

☐ Stir to coat the chicken and cook<br />

for 1-2 minutes.<br />

☐ Add in the stock, tinned<br />

tomatoes, tomato purée, sugar and<br />

coconut milk.<br />

☐ Stir, bring to a gentle bubble<br />

then pour into your slow cooker and<br />

cook for 3-4 hours on high or 5-6<br />

hours on low.<br />

☐ Take the lid off and give<br />

everything a stir (the oils will have<br />

risen to the top, so you can spoon<br />

most of it out, or just stir it back in).<br />

Sprinkle with coriander and serve<br />

with rice.<br />

Cucumber raita<br />

½ cucumber<br />

a pinch of sea salt flakes<br />

1 x 150g pot natural yogurt<br />

1 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves<br />

☐ Peel the cucumber and coarsely<br />

grate it onto a board. Take a handful<br />

and squeeze out the excess juice<br />

over a sink; transfer to a bowl.<br />

Repeat the squeezing process with<br />

the rest.<br />

☐ Season the cucumber with the salt,<br />

and stir in the yogurt and mint. Cover<br />

and keep in the fridge until serving.<br />

☐ Preheat your slow cooker to high.<br />

Heat the oil in a large pan (or the<br />

slow cooker if it has a sear function),<br />

add in the onion and cook on a<br />

medium heat for 5-6 minutes until<br />

softened.<br />

☐ Add the chicken and cook for 3-4<br />

minutes until just sealed.<br />

☐ Add in the garlic, ginger, salt,<br />

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