Rhiwbina Living Issue 48

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Rhiwbina Living 

At the heart of the community 

Issue 48 Autumn ‘19 

Your multi award-winning magazine for Rhiwbina

2 

Inside this issue 

Interview 

Rhiwbina's Sarah 

Gilford talks 

about her life as 

a professional 

soprano in Munich 

Autumn Home 

Get cosy this 

autumn with our 

hand-picked 

collection of 

homeware and 

goodies 

Outdoors 

Get your wellies 

on, wrap up 

warm and make 

the most of life 

in autumn by 

heading outdoors 

History 

Take a look 

back at some of 

the shops that 

have graced 

our village in 

years gone by 

Winter deadline: 

8th November 2019 

Published 27th November 2019 

a: 222 Pantbach Road, 

Rhiwbina, Cardiff CF14 6AG 

t: 07772 081775 / 07974 022920 

w: www.livingmags.co.uk 

e: editor@livingmags.co.uk or 

danielle@livingmags.co.uk 

Distribution: 6,000 copies of Rhiwbina Living are 

personally delivered by us to every house in the 

Rhiwbina ward four times a year in line with the 

seasons. We also distribute to local shops 

While every effort has been made to 

ensure the accuracy of the contents, 

the publisher cannot accept any 

responsibility for errors or omissions, 

or for any matter in any way arising 

from the publication of this material. 

Every effort has been made to 

contact any copyright holders. 

Rhiwbina Living is an independent, 

apolitical publication. No part of this 

publication may be reproduced 

without the express written 

permission of the publishers. 

Welcome / Croeso 

Autumn is here! After enjoying 

a glorious summer and an 

Indian summer for most of 

September, any remaining 

hints of warm sunshine can't 

stop the leaves defiantly 

changing colour and 

succumbing to nature's call. 

The beauty of autumn 

is upon us, and with it, 

opportunities to embrace 

a different way of living as we 

adapt to the rhythms of the 

changing season. 

We traditionally gather in and 

gather around as the nights draw 

in, so it's the perfect chance to 

spend quality time with loved 

ones indoors. We present some 

ideas for how to make the most 

of the extra time we tend to have 

at home as the storms roll in and 

we hunker down. 

Preparing our homes for the 

weather and season ahead 

helps us to embrace and enjoy 

the change, so we have written 

a feature with ideas on how to 

adapt our homes. Our interior 

design product feature also 

gives us ideas for how to adorn 

our abode for autumn. 

Cosy times at home, keeping 

warm and sheltering from the 

darkness and cold, is tempered 

with an opportunity to enjoy the 

beautiful autumn days, still often 

filled with sunshine. Even when 

the weather is not favourable, 

there are seasonal activities to 

encourage us to get outdoors 

and enjoy the brisk air. So, we 

have compiled 10 things to do 

outdoors in autumn to promote 

the wellbeing that being 

outdoors in nature brings. 

There are, of course, always 

things to do in the garden 

during autumn and Kevin Revell 

suggests ways to retain colour 

What’s on 

Winter Wonderland 

Opens Friday 8th November 

City Hall, Cardiff 

Christmas food, rides and of course 

ice-skating - all set on Cardiff’s City 

Hall Lawn. 

Rhiwbina Christmas Festival 

Saturday 30th November 4pm-8pm 

Rhiwbina Village 

The highlight of the Rhiwbina winter 

calendar. 

in our outdoor spaces as well as 

preparing for the seasons ahead. 

We also hear from Men's Shed 

Rhiwbina, who offer a glimpse 

into their 'Den'. 

For our interview, we spoke 

to Sarah Gilford who attended 

Whitchurch High School and 

is now a professional soprano 

working in Munich. She shares 

the story of her roots to her 

rise to fame and reflects on 

some of the local support she 

has received to achieve her 

ambitions. 

We have two history features, 

one looking at the Rhiwbina 

shops of yesteryear and another 

looking at Smart's Garage - a 

popular family-run business that 

is remembered by many. 

With all our usual local 

community news and events 

presented, you will find plenty to 

read and enjoy in this issue. So, 

grab a cup of something hot and 

snuggle down- we have even 

written a short story for those of 

you that like to read fiction. 

Please generously support our 

advertisers as always and we will 

see you again before Christmas! 

Danielle and Patric 

Editors 

@RhiwbinaLiving 

www.facebook.com/ 

rhiwbinaliving 

Llandaff Village Christmas Lights 

Wednesday 27th November 

Llandaff High Street 

Llandaff's big Christmas Light Switch 

On. 

Whitchurch Reindeer Run 

Saturday 7th December 5pm 

Whitchurch Village 

A one-mile fun run around 

Whitchurch village and an evening of 

festive celebration.

Children turn 

detective in 

Rhiwbina 

Whodunnit? 

This summer, a dastardly crime cast 

a shadow over the usually idyllic 

village of Rhiwbina. 

The (entirely fictional!) theft of local 

rugby hero Morgan Bruiser’s lucky 

boots hit the community hard and 

hundreds of children took to the 

streets to attempt to bring the thief 

to justice. 

The first-ever ‘Whodunnit Trail’ was 

produced by Rhiwbeina Primary 

PTA to provide an activity over the 

summer holidays that was fun, 

cheap and active. 

Wannabe detectives bought their 

clue sheets from local businesses, 

Edwards & Co or Victoria Fearn 

Rhiwbina's annual Christmas Festival 

will take place on 30th November 

this year. 

Rhiwbina Events Committee are 

already well into their planning for 

the event, which always draws large 

crowds into the village. 

Canolfan Beulah will be the venue 

for crafts and gift stalls and there will 

also be late night shopping from the 

local traders. 

The big Christmas Light Switch On 

will take place at 5pm, and it will be 

followed by the singing of carols 

around the tree. 

A week later in Whitchurch, there 

will be the sound of hooves and 

sleigh bells as the annual Reindeer 

Run takes place on Saturday 7th 

December. 

Gallery, and then followed the 

trail on a walk/scoot around our 

beautiful Garden Village, solving 

clues to eliminate suspects and 

potential hiding places as they went. 

Some of the clues revealed 

passwords to be given to staff in The 

Olive Branch, Secret Shed or The 

Butcher’s Arms, who then released 

further evidence and puzzle sheets 

to the cunning detectives. 

The trail ended at The Butcher’s 

Arms, where amateur detectives 

could enjoy a well-earned drink, 

whilst discussing their conclusions 

on Whodunnit and why. 

As the holidays drew to a close, the 

entries were collated and sorted to 

reveal that most of the detectives 

had correctly identified Morgan’s 

sister, Millie Bruiser, as the crafty 

thief and her student flat as the 

hiding place for the illustrious boots. 

Amy Biott, her children Florence 

and Jack and her fellow child minder 

Donna Barlow, were the lucky team 

drawn out of the correct entries to 

receive the amazing prize of a £50 

voucher towards a family meal at 

The Butcher’s Arms. 

Rhiwbeina Primary PTA raised a 

wonderful £383 from the event and 

are hopeful that it can become an 

annual tradition. 

Local Christmas events in the diary 

The village celebrates the festive 

one-mile fun run with stalls, crafts, 

rides and late-night opening in 

some shops. There will be more 

entertainment in the form of street 

performers and live music 

There will also be an outdoor cinema 

and a festive finale. Organisers hope to 

raise over £10,000 for the RNLI. 

news 

New transport 

plans promise 

new services 

for Rhiwbina 

Cardiff North AM Julie Morgan 

has welcomed plans to improve 

Rhiwbina’s railway station which 

will see its track doubled and 

part-electrified, if new proposals 

from Transport for Wales go 

ahead in mid-2021 as part of the 

South Wales Metro scheme. 

Julie told Rhiwbina Living: 

“It’s excellent news that 

the plans include improved 

accessibility as it is vital that 

we do not exclude anyone in 

the community from using the 

trains. I understand the aim is 

for ‘step-free’ access from the 

platform onto trains, which 

anyone with mobility problems 

will understand the need for very 

well. 

“There are also plans for a 

second platform, a new station 

footbridge and an hourly Sunday 

service will also be re-introduced 

from 2023. 

“I am also very pleased that 

there is the potential for the 

Coryton line to be extended with 

a new station at Velindre to serve 

the new cancer hospital," added 

Julie. 

A TfW spokesman added: 

“Construction of this section 

of track is currently expected 

to take place in mid-2021. Our 

stakeholder and communications 

teams will be reaching out to 

work with local communities, 

user groups and the local 

authority to discuss the proposed 

interventions well in advance 

of the works and provide more 

detailed designs when these are 

finalised.” 

The timetable is expected 

to remain with two trains per 

hour in each direction, Monday 

to Saturday, with an hourly 

service on Sundays added from 

December 2023. 

3

news 

Rhiwbina RFC 

team up with City 

Hospice 

Rhiwbina RFC has chosen City 

Hospice, Cardiff’s local hospice, as 

its Annual Raffle partner for 2019. 

The 2018 Annual Raffle raised a 

remarkable £8,000 for the club 

and its charity partner, but this year, 

the club and City Hospice have 

an ambitious plan to double that 

amount. 

Richard Price of Rhiwbina RFC 

said: 

“We’re very pleased to have City 

Hospice as our charity partner. The 

valuable funds raised will support 

their work with patients and families 

across Cardiff but also help us to 

develop community rugby and 

coaching at all levels. We felt that 

we had so much in common when 

it came to supporting the local 

community and we plan to pull out 

all the stops to double the amount 

raised last year”. 

City Hospice is a registered charity 

at the heart of Cardiff, providing 

specialist medical, nursing and 

end of life care to patients in their 

own homes. They are also the only 

at-home palliative care provider for 

the city of Cardiff and need to raise 

a total of £2m to keep providing 

these specialist services. 

Daisy Magill, the hospice's 

Fundraising Officer said: 

“We are absolutely delighted to be 

in partnership with Rhiwbina RFC 

for its Annual Charity Raffle. Thank 

you very much to the club for 

choosing us. We are very grateful 

for your support!” 

All prizes are donated by local 

businesses or individuals and both 

organisations are very grateful for 

their generous support. 

Tickets are on sale from Rhiwbina 

RFC players, supporters and 

volunteers across all age groups 

from Under 7s to Seniors. Tickets 

will also be available at City 

Hospice shops, activities and 

events. To find out more or to get 

yours, call 02920 524150. 

4 

Monico Movies announce Autumn line up 

Community cinema Monico Movies 

have released their Autumn and 

Winter line up for November and 

December. 

Since launching their not-for-profit 

community cinema in October 2015, 

they have screened 47 films, with 

the aim of evoking memories of 

Rhiwbina's Monico Cinema. 

Viv Jones told Rhiwbina Living: 

"We pride ourselves on hosting a 

very family-friendly atmosphere at 

our monthly screenings and feel that 

our audience now enjoys a sense of 

ownership for our monthly cinema. 

"We started with absolutely nothing 

and applied to the National Lottery 

for a grant to purchase our own 

equipment; everyone on our crew is 

a volunteer and our success is thanks 

to their hard work and enthusiasm." 

Films they have screened include, 

among others, Dark Horse, Brooklyn, 

The Martian, Mustang, Bridge of Spies, 

Hidden Figures, Hedd Wyn, The Book 

Thief and Casablanca. 

For their Autumn and Winter 

screenings, they will be showing 

Solomon a Gaenor, a Welsh language 

film starring Ioan Gruffydd (November 

9th), and their Christmas Special, Stan 

and Ollie (14th December). 

Scouts from Rhiwbina were among 

those from Cardiff and the Vale 

Area who were welcomed into the 

prestigious Lord Mayor’s troop in 

September. 

The annual Lord Mayor’s own 

presentation was supported and 

hosted by Cardiff and Vale College, 

recognising the achievement of the 

young people who have gained 

Scouting’s highest awards and 

valuable skills for life. 

Monico Movies' Sue Harding said: 

"One of our main objectives when 

deciding to set up a community 

cinema was that we definitely didn't 

want to compete with big cinemas. 

We wanted to share our love of great 

film and provide people with an 

opportunity to see films that maybe 

they'd never have thought of seeing." 

The original Monico Cinema opened 

on 19th April 1937. It had a seating 

capacity of 950 in stalls and circle. 

The building was demolished and a 

block of flats was built on the site in 

2004. 

Tickets for the forthcoming 

screenings are available from the Deri 

Stores, The Honeypot, Serenade and 

Victoria Fearn Gallery. 

You can find out more about their 

work at www.monicomovies.co.uk 

Rhiwbina Scouts attend Lord Mayor's troop 

Area Commissioner Julian Jordan 

said: 

“Life is all about the journey 

and achievements these young 

people have been recognised for 

in their Scouting lives so far. We are 

honoured to have this connection 

between the Lord Mayor and Cardiff 

and Vale Scouts that is unique in 

Wales." 

Rhiwbina 2nd Scouts have recently 

celebrated 50 years in Rhiwbina. 

Debbie Chapman Dancers donate 

£10,000 to Maggie's Centre 

Local dance school Debbie Chapman 

Dancers has donated £10,000 to 

Maggie's Centre in Whitchurch. 

The school has been raising money 

through their sell-out shows at 

St David's Hall, that took place in 

February and July. 

Debbie told Rhiwbina Living: 

"We are absolutely thrilled to 

announce that our recent show, 

Dansation XIII, raised £10,000 for 

Maggie's Cardiff. Thank you so much 

to all pupils, parents and anyone else 

involved in the fundraising." 

Maggie's Cardiff offers professional 

support to people with cancer and 

their loved ones.

Rhiwbina Library 

Diary dates 

October 

Saturday 12th: Board Games 

(1.30pm) 

Monday 14th: FoRL Reading Group 

(7.30pm) 

Monday 21st: Read Aloud (3pm) 

Wednesday 30th: Quiz (3.30pm) 

November 

Saturday 2nd: Dementia Café 

(11am–noon) 

Saturday 9th: Board Games 

(1.30pm) 

Monday 18th: Read Aloud (3pm) 

Monday 18th: FoRL Reading Group 

(7.30pm) 

Wednesday 27th: Quiz (3.30pm) 

Every Saturday: 

Jigsaw Library (10am-12.30pm) 

Every third Monday of the month: 

Rhiwbina Library Book Club 

(7.30pm-8.30pm) 

Every second Saturday of the 

month: 

Board Games (1.30pm-3.30pm) 

All the latest news and events 

from Rhiwbina Library 

Coming up at 

Rhiwbina Library 

Book Group 

Friends of Rhiwbina Library has its 

own book group. We meet in the 

library on the third Monday of each 

month (7.30pm-8.30pm) to discuss 

a nominated book and share bookish 

recommendations. Pop along 

and give it a go. 

Board Games 

Our Board Games sessions (for 

young and old) are held on the 

second Saturday of the month 

(1.30pm-3.30pm). Abandon your 

screens and gadgets and enjoy 

an afternoon of good company, 

competitive fun and delicious 

snacks. 

Jigsaw Library 

Helpers are needed! Every 

Saturday morning (10am-12.30pm), 

our jigsaw library offers a vast 

choice of jigsaws for all ages. 

Thanks to our great volunteers 

for making this happen. If you can 

spare a few hours once in a while 

please contact 

Richard.essex@ntlworld.com 

Dementia Café 

Dementia Café meets at the 

library on the first Saturday of 

every month (11am–noon). This is 

a wonderful opportunity for those 

living with dementia, and their 

carers, to socialise and make new 

friends. 

Read Aloud 

On the third Monday of each 

month (3pm-4pm), the library 

hosts a ‘Read Aloud’ session for 

grown-ups, where we listen to and 

discuss a short story. The perfect 

opportunity to escape the real 

world for an hour or so and let the 

mind's eye wander. 

Chair Yoga 

Chair Yoga can help you feel 

less stressed, gain flexibility 

and stamina. Using a chair as a 

balancing aid, this NEW class 

is designed to suit all ages and 

abilities. Mondays (10.30am- 

11.30am). 

Good Yarn Club 

A huge thank you to Sandra 

and The Good Yarn knitting/ 

crochet group for their donation 

of £100, raised through sales of 

their hand-made items. They 

meet in the library on Thursdays 

from 2pm until 4pm. Contact 

rhiwbinagoodyarnknittingclub@ 

gmail.com for more details. 

New Planters 

Thanks to Mike Wright and his 

colleagues from Men’s Sheds 

Cymru and a grant from Cardiff 

Council, we now have four 

handsome planters stationed 

outside our library. We’re sure you’ll 

agree they add colour and interest 

to that area. We look forward to 

future cooperation with Mike and 

the team. 

For full details of events, consult 

the Library notice board or 

Tel: 029 2069 3276 

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter 

and Instagram 

Email: friendsofrhiwbinalibrary@ 

gmail.com 

Website: friendsofrhiwbinalibrary. 

weebly.com 

All FoRL proceeds and donations 

go towards enhancing facilities at 

Rhiwbina Library. 

5

letters 

Your letters 

WE 

WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! 

We love to hear what you've been up to 

so send us your letters and photos! 

We'll do our best to print them all! 

editor@livingmags.co.uk 

Autumn Poem 

The morning sun illuminates the 

Graig 

enhancing the hues of golden 

trees 

where a rainbow seems to 

originate: 

a colourful bridge in the blue 

ether, 

mountain clouds framing the 

horizon. 

This alluring view from the autumn 

hill 

relaxes my soul more than any pill, 

Breath disappearing ghost-like in 

the air 

as raindrops drip as if a tap, 

glistening jewels in the sunshine. 

Then the rainbow weakens, 

vanishing 

as dark clouds menace the sky 

once more. 

The show's over but I'll remember 

this beautiful sight...deep in 

November. 

Guy Fletcher 


Brecon Memories 

I have had great pleasure from 

reading Rhiwbina Living magazine 

with its first-class presentation. 

It's certainly at the heart of the 

community and I was impressed 

with your feature entitled 'Maggie's 

Mission', that has changed the lives 

of hundreds of local people with 

special needs. Her visits to Storey 

Arms are near to my home in the 

Brecon Beacons. 

Rhiwbeina 

Welsh Nursery 

Celebrates 1959- 

2019 

This October, the Welsh Nursery 

in Rhiwbeina will celebrate sixty 

years since its establishment in 

1959 in the Rhiwbeina Memorial 

Hall. Since then, it has moved to 

its present site in Bethel Chapel, 

Maes y Deri. 

Back in 1959, Rhiwbeina was still 

part of the Glamorgan County 

until the local reorganisation in the 

seventies. 

Therefore, if parents in Rhiwbeina 

wanted a bilingual education for 

their children, the nearest Welsh 

medium school was in Cardiff so 

they would have to pay all the 

costs to send their children to this 

school. 

In 1958, Gwilym Roberts, who 

was brought up in Rhiwbeina, 

returned to the village from 

college to teach Welsh in one 

of the English medium schools 

in Cardiff. He felt deeply that he 

didn't have the opportunity as a 

Welsh speaker to have a Welsh 

medium education so he decided 

to establish a Welsh medium 

nursery in Rhiwbeina. This would 

then possibly lead to asking the 

Glamorgan County Education 

Department to establish a Welsh 

medium primary school in the 

village. 

He discussed his idea with Gwyn 

Daniel who was a headmaster 

in Gwaelod y Garth and also the 

Secretary of U.C.A.C. (Union of 

Teachers in Wales) and as a result, 

the two of them visited Welsh 

speaking parents in the area to ask 

for their support. 

A meeting was convened in the 

'Wendy Hut' and Gwilym was 

instructed to look for suitable 

premises. On the opening day of 

the nursery, 21 children attended. 

Over the years, the nursery has 

expanded to be full time and it is 

still flourishing with a waiting list. 

Penblwydd Hapus! 

G Roberts 


I have included of interest to 

you, Maggie, and your magazine 

readers, my illustration of Ken 

Dodd, performing his Mandalay 

Stage Act in the Brecon Beacons. 

He had framed a copy for himself 

and has given me much praise. 

Dewi Bowen 

Retired Art Teacher (92 years old) 

Merthyr Tydfil 

Job Well Done 

A quick note to say thank you for 

our magazines. We love getting 

them through our letterbox! 

L. Jesson 


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 

222 Pantbach Road, Rhiwbina, Cardiff CF14 6AG. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter 

6

Under the new community association One Rhiwbina, 

RHIWBINA EVENTS COMMITTEE 

PROUDLY PRESENTS 

The 


Christmas 

Festival 

Welcome in Christmas this year at the wonderful 

Rhiwbina Christmas Festival. Meet Santa, do a spot 

of late night Christmas shopping and watch the 

Christmas lights switch on! 

Christmas Lights 

Switch On 5pm 

Meet Father Christmas 

from 3pm at the 

Secret Shed 

Carols around the 

Tree 5.30pm 

RIDES | CRAFT & GIFT STALLS | LATE NIGHT SHOPPING | STREET FOOD 

NOVEMBER 

30 TH 2019 

RHIWBINA VILLAGE 

4pm - 6.30pm 

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 

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 

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

Ethical Informed 

Citizens at 

Llanishen Fach 

Primary School 

In the summer 2017 edition of 

Rhiwbina Living, we wrote an 

article entitled ‘Making Learning 

Irresistible’ which described how, 

here at Llanishen Fach Primary 

School, we were working to shape 

a new curriculum in response to 

the Welsh Government’s 2015 

publication, ‘Successful Futures’. 

In setting aspirations for education 

in twenty-first century Wales, 

Welsh Government adopted the 

‘Four Purposes’, where pupils are: 

• Ambitious, capable learners 

• Enterprising, creative contributors 

• Ethical, informed citizens 

• Healthy, confident individuals 

Two years on, the positive 

response from our pupils and 

their families to our efforts have 

demonstrated to us that we are 

on the right track in preparing our 

pupils for the lives that lay ahead 

of them. As an indication of how 

far our children have travelled in 

embracing the Four Purposes, we 

would like to share six short pieces 

written by some of our Year 5 and 

Year 6 pupils. 

The contributions were submitted 

following a request for articles on 

a subject of their choice that our 

pupils wanted to present to a wider 

audience. If the Welsh Government 

want to see evidence of the 

adoption of the Four Purposes, 

they need look no further than 

Llanishen Fach Primary School. We 

hope you agree that their ideas, 

compassion and quality of writing 

is humbling. 

8 

Plastic pollution 

Are we to believe that one of the 

biggest problems we face today is the 

fact that we are drowning in plastic? 

Roughly over 100 years ago, plastic 

was invented. At the time, it was a 

miracle because it was so durable 

and cheap to make. Nowadays, 

plastic finds its way into everything, 

even our clothes. 

I think that this is a problem 

because as plastic is so durable, it 

takes between 500 to 1000 years to 

biodegrade; and we are making too 

much to get rid of. 

40% of plastics are used for 

unrecyclable packaging. 12.7 million 

tonnes of this finds its way into the 

ocean each year! In the US, plastic 

makes up to 34% of waste generated 

each year! Over 109 years, 8.3 billion 

tonnes of plastic has been made and 

6.3 billion tonnes of that has become 

waste. That’s just 9% recycled, 12% 

burnt and 79% wasted. 

Unless we all get together and 

use less plastic, and recycle the 

plastic that we do use, then we will 

undoubtedly grow up living in a sad 

world of no natural wildlife! 

So to do your bit, go to 

www.cleanseas.org/pledge or 

www.4ocean.com 

By Tobias Brown 

Palm oil - 

impossible to give 

up? 

I love orang-utans, but the orangutan 

population is decreasing. Do you 

know why? 

It’s because palm oil demand has 

increased. Around 50% of our daily 

goods contain palm oil. It’s the most 

widely produced vegetable oil. 90% 

of palm oil is currently produced in 

Malaysia and Indonesia. 

Palm oil plantations are causing 

rainforest destruction. Rainforest 

areas the size of 300 football fields are 

being destroyed every hour. This is 

horrific. 

Orang-utans are in danger because 

they live in rainforests and they look 

for food in the plantations. They 

are seen as pests. It’s not right they 

are just at home minding their own 

business. 

Most companies use different 

names for palm oil, that is why it 

can be impossible to give up. Only 

some companies have agreed to 

use organic palm oil. But this is not 

enough. 

What can you do to help? Tell 

people; try not to buy products 

containing palm oil; it's difficult I know, 

I have tried. Look for the other names 

given to palm oil and try to avoid 

these. It’s not impossible to give up; 

what we need is change. We can save 

the orang-utans. We must. 

By Hannah Welch 

The homelessness 

crisis 

The reason I am writing this article 

about homelessness is because I feel 

sorry for people who have nothing. 

I have seen a homeless man who 

does not have any arms. He does 

not own anything except a pair of 

trousers, not even a T-shirt. Some 

of us get cold when we are in bed 

at home in winter, yet this man had 

nothing to keep him warm. 

According to the Office for National 

Statistics, there were an estimated 

90 deaths of homeless people in 

Wales in the five years up to 2017. 

Furthermore, according to a Welsh 

Government report, 9,072 households 

in Wales were in danger of becoming 

homeless during 2017-18. To be

legally defined as homeless, you 

must lack a secure place, in which 

you are entitled to either live or 

reasonably be able to stay. 

In December 2018, an estimated 

131,000 children were homeless in 

England, Scotland and Wales. 

This is 3% higher than 2017 (over 3,000 

more children) and 59% higher than 

2013 (nearly 50,000 more children). 

Should we really believe that we 

cannot improve this situation? 

By Ben Lewis 

The Four Rs 

Plastic pollution is the main thing 

affecting us on Earth and we have a 

duty to prevent this from happening. 

In 2016, 7 billion people produced 

320 MILLION tonnes of plastic. This 

amount is set to double in 2034. 

8 million pieces of plastic go into 

the ocean every day. There are an 

estimated 100 million tonnes of 

plastic in oceans around the world. 

Over 1 million marine animals 

including mammals, fish, sharks, 

turtles and birds are killed each year, 

which is distressing. The North Pacific 

Gyre is a huge problem in the ocean. 

It is a massive pile of floating rubbish, 

twice the size of Texas, USA. There are 

1.8 TRILLION pieces of rubbish laying 

in the water there. 

This plastic waste takes hundreds 

or even thousands of years to break 

down. It can cause disease and 

defects in animals and humans. 

In order to help this situation, we have 

the four Rs. 

What are the four Rs? 

• REDUCE our plastic waste by buying 

non-plastic packaging. 

• RE-USE our plastic carrier bags. 

• RECYCLE our rubbish. 

• REFUSE items such as plastic straws 

in drinks. 

Therefore, by doing this, we can 

save our planet for wildlife and future 

generations. 

By Lily Stansfield 

Vegan for the 

environment 

In my opinion, everyone needs to help 

the environment in different ways. 

The most efficient thing we can do 

as individuals, according to an Oxford 

study, is to live a vegan lifestyle. 

No one can deny greenhouse gas 

emissions are a big problem, but not 

many people know that over 51% of 

these emissions come from animal 

livestock through their digestion 

gases and 

manure waste, 

which is called 

'methane gas'. 

It is 72 times 

more powerful 

than CO2 in its 

effects on global 

warming. 

In my point 

of view, we all 

need to look 

after our water 

as well. A lot of 

water is used for 

producing meat, 

but a lot less is 

used for fruits 

and vegetables. 

Consequently, 

we should eat 

no meat or less 

meat to reduce 

water usage. 

Deforestation 

is also causing a 

lot of problems 

for us in this world. However, there 

is a way to solve this. The animal 

agriculture is responsible for 91% 

of Amazon rainforest destruction. A 

vegan lifestyle can put an end to it. 

We can also help the oceans by 

taking away the fishing nets. Can you 

believe that sea animals get strangled 

by fishing nets as there is 46% of 

ocean plastic? Unless we stop eating 

meat, the environment and animals 

will continue to suffer. In conclusion, 

I feel we shall be able to live how 

we want without damaging the 

environment. Try to go vegan please! 

By Lucy German 

Bins! 

schools 

Every time I go to the Wenallt to walk 

my dog, I find the bins in the car park 

overflowing with rubbish. This makes 

me feel very annoyed and disturbed. 

First of all, it is destroying the beauty 

of our landscape in the Wenallt. 

Secondly, it highlights the fact that 

we don’t have access to recycling 

facilities in the Wenallt as much 

of that rubbish is recyclable and 

thirdly, I believe that this encourages 

irresponsible disposal of personal 

rubbish and fly-tipping. 

No one can deny that this rubbish 

looks rubbish and my generation 

wants to enjoy the beauty of the 

Wenallt just like previous generations 

have. I believe that if these bins are 

left to consistently overflow then 

consequently our landscape will be 

destroyed forever. 

By Thomas Jackson 

School Lottery 

A ticket costs £1 per week and 

all funds raised go directly to the 

school. Each ticket will also enter 

you in TWO draws: 

- A jackpot prize draw for £25,000 

- A local draw with a guaranteed 

prize for one of the supporters of 

the school. 

To enter the School Lottery, head 

to www.yourschoollottery.co.uk and 

search for Llanishen Fach Primary 

School in the Find My School 

section. 

9

ST DAVID’S 

SIXTH FORM 

OPEN EVENINGS 

24th October / 13th November 

4:30pm - 7:30pm 

Register online at: 

www.stdavidscollege.ac.uk 

Inspiring and supporting success since 1987 

Waunwaelod Way, Caerphilly Mountain, 

Mid Glamorgan, CF83 1BD 

Phone: 02920 880534 

email: theblackcockinncaerphilly@gmail.com 

Website: www.jlpubsltd.co.uk

Also proudly sponsored by Rhiwbina Living

kids 

Rhiwbina is a village full of families and community spirit. We asked 

young children what family and community means to them 

Charlie 

aged 6 

What is the best 

thing about being in a 

family? 

Cuddling and going 

on holidays to make 

giant sandcastles. 

Why is family important? 

Family is important so that we don't get lost 

and we also need someone to pay for our 

things in the shops. 

How are you involved in your community? 

I go litter picking in Rhiwbina and I'm also 

in a club called Pebbles once a week. I also 

like going to the shops to buy things. 

What do you think about the community of 

Rhiwbina? 

I like looking out of my windows at the 

rainbow cars going past my house and also 

looking for Nan and Grandad. 

12 

Why we love our family 

and community 

Seb aged 8 

What is the best thing 

about being in a family? 

The best thing about being 

in a family is having fun 

and being there for one 

another. 


Because some people in 

the world don’t have one. 

They keep you safe and 

even when you fall out, 

Evie aged 8 

What is the best thing 

about being in a family? 

You have people to take 

care of you and also get 

clothes and a bed and a 

nice home where people 

will love you. 


You get cared for and without them you 

wouldn't have been born! 


I go to school, Debbie Chapman Dancers, two 

drama schools and Brownies. I always take 

part in the community magazine. 



I think Rhiwbina is a cosy village and I love 

being involved in Rhiwbina. It's quite a small 

village but there is a lot of stuff to do here. 

they still love you. 


I play rugby for Rhiwbeina Squirrels that my 

dad helps to coach and I play tennis next to 

Rhiwbeina Primary. 



I love living in Rhiwbina because we can walk 

to loads of things. I love the sausage rolls at 

Parsons, the vanilla ice cream at Nest and 

going to the stream!

Sienna aged 8 

What is the best thing about 

being in a family? 

The best thing is spending 

time with each other and 

feeling so loved. 


Family is important because it makes me feel 

safe and we look after each other. 


I go to Suzanne Scales Performing Arts 

School, Debbie Chapman Dancers and 

Rhiwbina Tennis Club. 



Rhiwbina is a safe, friendly and happy place. 

Ariana aged 7 

What is the best thing about being in a 

family? 

They give you the things you need. I have 

my brother and sister so 

always have someone to 

play with. They love me 

no matter what. 


Because then you can 

have fun. Your family love 

and care about you like 

nobody else. 

How are you involved in 

your community? 

Debbie Chapman Dancers. I spend a lot of 

my free time at different dance classes. I’m 

really lucky it is part of our community. 



Rhiwbina is really special. Everyone is really 

friendly and kind. 

Rosie aged 8 

What is the best thing about being in a family? 

I like having my family because you get to 

do lots of fun things and you get to look after 

each other. 


Because you look after each other and get to 

celebrate special days together. If you are sad, 

your family can help you. 


I go to school in Rhiwbina and I also go 

Joe aged 8 

What is the best thing about being 

in a family? 

Respecting each other, doing lots 

of things together and loving each 

other. 


Because we all respect God and we all work 

together. 


I do football, rugby and basketball. I also go to 

Rhiwbina Christmas Festival. 



It's a friendly neighbourhood. 

Jenna aged 8 

What is the best thing about 

being in a family? 

You get to spend time with 

them. I love them so much 

because you get to do lots of 

stuff with them. 


Because without a family, no 

one can look after you. And they 

love you. 


I’m involved in Debbie Chapman Dancers 

and do shows every year. I go to CAST in 

Whitchurch High and do dance, drama and 

singing. I also go to gymnastics and netball 

and orchestra in Whitchurch High School. 



I like living in Rhiwbina because I love it when 

Santa comes down Pen-Y-Dre and gives 

us presents. I love that we have two parks 

(Caedelyn and Parc Y Pentre) and the library, 

the trains and the village. 

dancing, to drama 

and to Brownies. 

What do you 

think about the 

community of 


I think Rhiwbina is 

a very lovely place 

because it's quite 

small and I like that 

because I get to see 

my friends in the 

village. 

13

A Family Move 

Northwood Cardiff and Newport have recently moved into their new home at 

Morgans Residential in the heart of the village. Director Kate Gwinnutt explains 

how the move can help both customers and the community as a whole 

If you weren't born and bred in 

Rhiwbina, you may remember the 

day you moved here. 

For Kate Gwinnutt, moving 

her estate agency and team 

to Rhiwbina was a no-brainer. 

Northwood Cardiff and Newport is 

an award-winning company that's 

recently made its new home in the 

village, having taken over Morgans 

Residential. In the last few months, 

the team has already become a 

part of community life. 

"You can see that Rhiwbina is a 

community that cares about itself," 

says Kate. "At Northwood, we'd 

outgrown our office on Whitchurch 

Road and were looking for the 

perfect place to put down our roots. 

I’ve always wanted to be a part of 

a special community and there’s 

such a good sense of that here. The 

location itself is wonderful; it ticked 

a lot of boxes in what we were 

looking for." 

Despite becoming a familiar face 

in the village, Kate grew up in 

Caerleon. 

"I grew up there and even met 

14 

my husband Ben in the local 

Comprehensive there. We both 

went to Exeter University where I 

studied biology and Ben studied 

History and German. We both took 

years abroad in our third year of 

University. Ben spent the year in 

Vienna and I spent a year in Myrtle 

Beach in South Carolina." 

The pair completed their degrees 

at university and both went back to 

live in South Wales. 

"Mum and Dad had started running 

Northwood Cardiff and Newport 

at that point. They opened the 

franchise 17 years ago and at that 

time, Northwood was still a new 

business. Theirs was only the tenth 

office to open. There are now 85 

across the UK." 

But for anyone who thinks that 

Northwood are just a faceless 

corporation moving into the village, 

Kate is quick to point out that their 

business is very much a family-run 

affair. 

"I used to go into the office in the 

Summer Holidays during university 

and help Dad with the filing and 

that’s how it started. I always said 

I’d never work for him but he had 

a member of staff that was going 

on maternity. Dad said it’d be good 

for me to do some 9-5 work so 

that I could get some knowledge. 

He told me that it'd be good to 

get something on my CV while I 

decided what I wanted to do with 

my life. The trouble was that I 

started enjoying the work and when 

the member of staff came back part 

time, I started job-sharing with her. I 

started doing viewings and looking 

after the accounts and here we are 

nine years later!" 

Kate and her dad are now both 

directors of the company, which 

has already gone a long way to 

integrating themselves within the 

Rhiwbina community. 

"Within the first week that we were 

here, we were introduced to the 

Plastic-Free team and the local 

rugby club were also in touch about 

donating for their raffle." 

Northwood were keen to retain 

a large core of the Morgans team 

during the takeover, who are still 

based at the office on the corner of 

Heol-y-Deri. 

"The best part of that is that 

we can still tap into the local 

knowledge and expertise that was 

so important to the success of the 

previous business. In Residential 

sales, we have Gina, Louise and 

Nicola, who have been helping 

people find homes in the area for 

well over 40 years between them. In 

Lettings, we have Chrissie, a familiar

face to local landlords, Emily our 

lettings negotiator and Abi our 

lettings administrator." 

Kate has supplemented the 

existing team with key people from 

Whitchurch Road. 

"We have Michael who’s in lettings. 

He started working with Northwood 

six months after the office opened 

17 years ago. Dad’s always been 

keen to train and invest in people; 

we want to give our members of 

staff opportunities. Michael started 

as an apprentice and has worked 

his way up. Ryan is also in Lettings; 

he's been a negotiator with us for 

over three years now and then 

there's James, who has been with 

us for 11 years. He was working in 

Lettings but is now in Sales and 

absolutely loving it! And of course, 

there's my husband Ben. He takes 

care of the lettings. It really is a 

family affair!" 

While the merger was perhaps 

unexpected, it has breathed new 

life into the village. 

"Everyone's been really positive 

about the merger and we believe 

that we've now got the best of both 

worlds here. It’s lovely to meet 

new people every day and every 

day is different. We’ve got some 

great ideas for the future and we’re 

already planning for the Winter and 

Summer festivals already." 

In addition to the community 

input, customers can also sample 

the great Northwood experience 

when it comes to letting or buying 

a home. 

"Dad has worked really, really hard 

to get the business to where it is. 

He’s semi-retired now. He’s still the 

franchisee but is now more of a 

personal consultant, who helps and 

advises. 

"As such, we can offer our 

customers a fantastic service. 

We offer our popular guaranteed 

income scheme which isn’t 

insurance based and it’s quite 

unique – we effectively become 

the landlord and agree to pay the 

landlord, regardless of whether the 

tenant pays or whether the property 

has been let. The risk is all on us. 

That has very much been a selling 

point for us for the last 17 years. 

"We offer guaranteed rent for 

a minimum of one year and a 

maximum of three years. We’ll deal 

with it all for you. We're there to take 

the hassle out. And if a traditional 

letting is what you're after, we can 

of course, offer that too." 

And Northwood aren't just a onetrick 

pony either. 

"As the market has developed 

over the last few years, we realised 

that there was nothing stopping us 

becoming an estate agent," says 

Kate. "It’s a very big decision on who 

you trust to sell your house for you. 

It relies a lot on liking the people 

who are going to sell your property 

and we have to show that and prove 

that. We want to do it the right way 

and we want to help. 

"We want to provide the best 

customer service possible and we 

also need to be here when people 

need us. We want to make the 

journey of letting or selling a home 

as easy as we can for everyone. We 

offer so much more than an online 

agency can." 

So far, so good then for Kate and 

her team. But there's still a lot to do. 

"The plan is that Lettings will be 

rebranded to Northwood and the 

Morgans name will stay for Sales. 

We’re keen to integrate in the 

community and to grow further. 

We need to keep our Northwood 

customers happy too so we've got 

to keep that balance right." 

There will be ongoing training too, 

that's backed up by the national 

Northwood brand. 

"Legislation has changed so much 

over the years and our franchise 

office has kept us informed about 

all of this since the start. If we have 

a tricky question, someone in the 

network will have an answer to it. 

We are part of the Rent Smart 

Wales scheme and also part of the 

SafeAgents scheme, which provides 

peace of mind for landlords and 

tenants. 

"We’re good at what we do. We’re 

not just coming in cold at this," adds 

Kate. 

And what about the next 

generation of Kate's family? 

"We've got a little one and 

we're possibly looking to move. 

Rhiwbina’s definitely top of the list 

of places we’d like to move to!" 

In the meantime, Kate and her 

team have a few matters to attend 

to. 

"As a team, we've still not got 

around to having a night out yet. 

There were a lot of people away in 

August so we'll definitely be getting 

that in the diary asap! 

"We are aware that Morgans was 

a family business. We now have 

the benefit of the backing of a 

national brand but we are still our 

own limited company and still as 

accessible as Morgans was. It’s still 

the same from a client’s point of 

view too." 

It looks like Northwood have found 

their new forever home. 

1A & 1B Heol Y Deri, Rhiwbina, 

Cardiff, CF14 6HA 

02920 301141 

www.northwooduk.com 

Sponsored feature 15

The 

Voice 

The former Whitchurch High School 

student talks about her life as a 

professional soprano 

"I'm only back for a week," says 

Sarah Gilford. 

The 27 year old soprano is taking 

some much-needed time out at 

her North Cardiff home, although 

home these days can also be 

considered Munich, where she is 

currently undertaking a Young Artist 

Programme. Over the last 12 years, 

Sarah has been building her singing 

career and enjoying every moment 

along the way. 

"I'm trying to think of where it all 

started. It must have been at school. 

My parents still have videos of one 

of the nativity plays I was in and we 

put it on the other day. It was so 

funny watching it back. I went for 

the loud and wrong approach back 

then!" she laughs. 

"My aunty is an amateur singer and 

the idea of me singing has always 

been there. I went to Llanishen Fach 

Primary School and when they gave 

me a main role in their Christmas 

play, I started thinking about singing 

properly. I played the title role of 

Snow Robin. It was my first big 

break I guess and that’s where it 

started. I was in Year 2 so I was 7 

years old." 

With Sarah deciding what she 

wanted to do at an early age, her 

parents were the first to offer their 

backing. 

"My parents were never pushy 

and my mum waited for me to 

beg for singing lessons because 

they were so expensive. She didn’t 

want me doing them if I wasn’t 

that interested. You have to really 

commit to something like that. I 

started lessons at the age of 10, 

when I was also interested in doing 

16 

musical theatre. I soon realised 

that I was never going to be a high 

level dancer so my singing teacher 

suggested that I try classical 

singing. It was the best thing for me 

in the end." 

High school was the foundation 

of what was to become a 

professional career. Sarah began 

appearing in school concerts and 

other competitions like the Urdd 

Eisteddfod. 

"I went to Whitchurch High School 

where they had a great music 

department. Mr Phillips, the Head of 

Music there, was a big supporter of 

mine. Every year at school, we used 

to sing outside Queen’s Arcade to 

raise money for Velindre Hospital. 

My first proper singing teacher was 

a lady in Whitchurch called Angela 

Morris-Parry, who really helped 

me. I did wonderful things like the 

South Glamorgan Festival of Young 

Musicians and ended up at the 

age of 18 winning the best overall 

singing prize. I really worked my 

way up. I went from knee-knocking, 

terrible singing to winning a lot and 

it really built up my confidence. 

Angela taught me for about ten 

years and I learned a lot from her." 

While other teenagers would 

perhaps spend time on video 

games and social media, Sarah was 

setting about building a career for 

herself. 

"I was 15 when I made my first 

CD," she says. "During my last year 

of Sixth Form, I auditioned for four 

UK music conservatories and was 

unsuccessful. I auditioned again 

a year later and received a place 

at the Royal Northern College of 

Music in Manchester. That's where 

I went to do my undergraduate 

degree. Four years didn’t seem 

long enough. I got to my fourth 

year and felt that I was only just 

starting to understand what my 

teacher had been trying to get 

me to do. I stayed for another year 

where I continued lessons with my 

teacher Debbie Rees and gained 

some stage experience, including 

a substantial role in Mozart’s opera, 

Così fan tutte.” 

Sarah's years at the Royal Northern 

helped develop her language skills 

- as well as all-important stage 

experience. 

"They give you bum pads when 

you're working in period costume 

so you’re actually a lot wider than 

you think you are when you're on 

stage. I remember in my first dress 

rehearsal, I was supposed to be 

trashing this room up but in a very 

staged and organised way. But 

because of my bum pad, I ended 

up taking tables and chairs with me 

and destroying things I shouldn’t 

have. It was a great learning 

experience for me!" 

After five years at the Royal 

Northern, Sarah took a full year out 

but got involved with a few opera 

festivals, including landing a role 

with Longborough Festival Opera. 

"It was the same director who’d 

worked with me on the Mozart 

opera at the Royal Northern. Also 

that summer, I won the W Towyn 

Roberts Scholarship at the National 

Eisteddfod. It's the biggest singing 

prize that you can win there. 

"I don’t speak Welsh so I got some 

of my Welsh-speaking friends and

my first-ever singing teacher that 

I had in Cardiff to give me some 

guidance. Everyone was shocked 

when they found out that I don’t 

speak Welsh. I was lucky that the 

panel had all worked internationally. 

I won £5k which went straight 

towards my Masters degree in 

London." 

Effectively taking two years out 

had allowed Sarah to build on her 

skill levels and enrich herself with 

experience that was put to good 

use when she started her Masters 

degree. 

"It really paid off because 

throughout my masters at the Royal 

Academy of Music, everything I 

auditioned for, I got. I’d developed 

my experience and technical ability 

in those two years and it’s all helped 

propel me into this professional 

career." 

After completing her Masters, 

Sarah set about making her next 

move. 

"I'd decided that I didn’t want 

another year off and that I wanted to 

go into an opera school or a Young 

Artist Programme. I auditioned for 

several places and was offered a 

place at the Guildhall Opera School 

but then I also got an audition at 

the Bavarian State Opera and went 

there thinking ‘absolutely not a 

chance’. I didn’t feel that I was ready. 

"I got through to the second 

round and then to my surprise, 

they offered me a place. Out of 900 

people, they only took three of us. 

I’ve worked really hard and have 

never taken anything for granted." 

Her residency in Munich is set to 

last one year, but more often than 

not, young artists are kept on for a 

second year. 

"This one opportunity in Munich 

has made a big difference to my 

life. You have to have so much 

resilience in this trade. More 

importantly, you need to believe 

in yourself. Even when I was doing 

A Level Music, I realised that this 

industry is a very subjective one. 

Not everybody’s going to like you 

but there will be somebody out 

there who will. And you’ll always 

end up in the right place if you stay 

true to yourself and you know what 

you want, especially from an early 

age. If I didn’t get any parts that I'd 

auditioned for, I’d tell myself that 

it wasn’t for me. You have to fail in 

order to learn." 

Sarah's attitude to both her work, 

and life, speaks volumes about her 

tenacity and focus. 

"I was very academic but I’ve never 

needed the qualifications that I’ve 

achieved. In auditions, no one asks 

me whether I got a First or not. In 

the singing world, you might have a 

really great degree but you may not 

necessarily have a career in it. If you 

want to have a career in any of the 

arts, you need to be clear on what 

you want in life." 

For now, Sarah is focusing on 

honing her skills. 

"Classical singing is a fine art 

similar to ballet. You learn to 

use your voice and body in the 

most efficient way in order to be 

heard over an orchestra without 

amplification. 

"I will be nervous for my first 

official opera in Munich. I always get 

nervous but I do enjoy the set up 

of the stage and the audience. You 

can see the first few rows of people 

before they disappear in the dark 

but when I’ve got a costume on and 

I’m armed with stage directions, 

I feel less nervous because I feel 

less exposed than when I sing in 

concerts or recitals. The closer the 

audience is, the more nervous I get. 

"It’s perfectly natural for me to 

get nervous but I think what’s 

changed is the way I view it. I see 

it more as excitement now, rather 

than worrying about what might go 

wrong. Nerves can help as long as 

they’re kept at a manageable level." 

As well as keeping nerves under 

control, there's also the challenge 

of remembering all the words: 

"When I was younger, I used to 

learn the words no problem but the 

older I get, the harder I find it. I now 

write out what I’m learning, over 

and over. I speak it out if I’m walking 

down the street – it’s like a constant 

engagement with what I’m doing. I 

don’t feel like I can have time away 

from it. 

"With opera, when you go into 

production, it helps sometimes 

when you have to sing a line with a 

certain stage direction. The music 

is also a helpful association when 

trying to memorise the words. You 

end up remembering them forever." 

Sarah performs at the National Eisteddfod 2017 

interview 

Emboldened with skills, 

experience and talent, Sarah is 

looking to develop her career even 

further. 

"My proudest achievement to 

date is being offered a place on the 

Young Artist Programme that I'm 

now working through. I’ve learnt 

how to pronounce German, French, 

Italian, Welsh, Russian and Czech 

but I’ve never learnt languages. If 

there’s one thing I’d love to get out 

of being in Germany, it’d be to learn 

the language." 

And to prove that life works in 

circles, Sarah recounts a story that 

proves how far she'd come in just 

ten years. 

"Recently, Mr Phillips from 

Whitchurch High School invited me 

to do a Christmas concert with the 

Cardiff and Vale Youth Orchestra 

at Hoddinot Hall and it turned out 

to be exactly ten years later than 

the last time I sang with the same 

orchestra. It was nice to go back 

with so much more experience 

and it was nice to indulge in the 

nostalgia. 

"It’s been a great privilege winning 

lots of awards and I do feel very 

supported. The Arts Council of 

Wales, the Ryan Davies Memorial 

Trust, the John Fussell Trust 

and the Hartsheath Charitable 

Trust, all Welsh funding bodies, 

have all played their part and I’m 

hoping that this is the start of my 

professional career." 

Looking ahead, there are still a few 

achievements on the to-do list. 

"I would really love to compete in 

Cardiff Singer of the World and also 

sing with Welsh National Opera. 

But in the meantime, and in terms 

of my immediate career, I’m just 

going to keep taking everything in 

and working hard while I’m here in 

Munich." 

Find out more about Sarah at 

www.sarahgilford.com 

17

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Win TICKETS 

TO SEE THE 

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Orchestra 

As the last great Romantic 

symphonist, Mahler’s music is 

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Determined to express his view of 

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his 'symphonies represent the 

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by some as one of the ten greatest 

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Mahler's Third Symphony comes to 

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the official orchestra of the capital 

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This concert includes 

performances from mezzo-soprano 

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You can win a pair of tickets to 

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In which year was the Prague 

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the chance to win an Afternoon Tea 

for two. 

Their Afternoon Tea menu is 

inspired by Great British Bake Off 

winner Candice Brown. Enjoy a 

selection of savouries and cakes 

with tea and coffee or upgrade to 

one of their drinks packages. 

The menu includes a mini brioche 

filled with egg, mayonnaise and 

spinach topped with micro cress; 

prawn Marie Rose with avocado on 

a cracker; smoked salmon and 

asparagus tart; roasted sweet 

potato, chorizo and red pepper tart; 

rhubarb and custard profiterole; 

mini cornflake tart with lemon curd; 

peanut and chocolate brownie; 

and a chocolate and orange scone 

served with jam and clotted cream. 

All served with piping hot tea or 

coffee, or something stronger if you 

want to upgrade. 

The venue boasts a newly 

refurbished pub and grill that's 

situated at the heart of the hotel 

too. From Sunday lunch to a 

working breakfast, dinner with 

mates or lunch with the ladies, the 

competitions 

hotel welcomes guests and locals 

alike. Enjoy a selection of tasty food 

and an array of drinks served all day 

from 10am-10pm. 

For your chance to win, email 

your name, address and telephone 

number to competitions@ 

livingmags.co.uk, telling us why you 

think you deserve to win (or by post 

to our address on the inside cover). 

Competition closes 31st October 

2019. 

19

lifestyle 

All Gathered In 

The 

As the season turns, and the evenings get darker, it's the perfect 

time to have quality time indoors with friends and family 

20 

Movie Night 

There can probably be nothing 

more cosy than snuggling 

down with family and friends 

and having a good ol' movie 

night. 

Pick your movies in advance 

(why not go with a double bill?) 

and arrange the furniture so 

that you've all got the best view. 

Prepare some snacks and hot 

food in advance and make sure 

that you're stocked up on drink 

too. If you want to do it properly, 

you're going to have to have a 

good supply of popcorn at the 

ready. Don't forget the buckets! 

If you're wanting to be 

extra cosy, throw in a load of 

cushions and blankets for you 

and your guests to hunker 

down under. 

Bake 

The kitchen is often a hub of 

activity during the autumn 

months as we all turn in from the 

cold and prepare ourselves some 

nice warming meals. 

Baking is another way of 

spending quality time with 

friends and family. If you're 

spending time with young 

children, it's always worth 

involving them and helping them 

forge their childhood memories. 

You don't need to be an expert 

either. Grab some simple recipes 

- cookies or chocolate brownies - 

you can often find everything you 

need in one handy packet at the 

supermarket. 

Creating something together 

helps create a sense of 

achievement and strengthens 

bonds between family or friends. 

Plan a Party 

Autumn, of course, is a time of 

Hallowe'en and Bonfire Night 

parties. 

A successful party always has 

a good amount of planning put 

into it and if you are thinking 

of holding one, remember 

to invite people early so that 

they can put the date in their 

diaries. Friends and family often 

plan their calendars months in 

advance and you don't want to 

be left without any guests. 

You may want to think about 

what types of food and games 

your party will have and you 

may also want to think about 

what kind of decor you'll want 

to have in your home too. Either 

way, getting it all ready at least a 

week in advance will mean that 

you can spend quality time with 

loved ones instead of stressing.

Murder Mystery Evening 

A Murder Mystery Evening can be a huge amount of fun, bringing 

everyone together and creating new memories with old friends. 

Prior to the party, you can purchase a murder mystery party kit. The 

kit includes a story about a murder, which usually occurs either during 

the course of the dinner or before the party begins. Guests are cast 

as characters and should arrive in fancy dress as their nominated 

character. Together or separately, all participants (apart from the 

murderer) work to solve the mystery. 

Wine Tasting 

Evening 

Book yourself a night in with some 

wine and friends. If you're looking 

to do things properly, introduce a 

theme to your wine tasting evenings 

- maybe base it on geographical 

regions or by country. Also ensure 

that all of your wines are ready 

to serve at their appropriate 

temperatures 

Prepare fresh crusty bread and 

maybe some cheese to soak up the 

alcohol too. 

Games Night 

Board games aren't just for kids 

although you can include them if 

you wish. Always have a selection 

of games on hand to suit your 

audience. When the kids go to 

bed, you can bring out the more 

challenging and grown-up games. 

Invite close friends to make sure 

that the evening is an intimate 

affair - large groups are often hard 

to control whereas meaningful 

conversation can be had in smaller 

groups. 

Prepare some finger food in 

advance so that you don't have to 

keep people waiting while you're 

in the kitchen. You may also want 

to think about where you play the 

game. A dining table can be useful 

if you are serving food whereas 

playing around a coffee table can 

bring a more relaxed vibe to your 

evening. Background music is 

optional but don't make it too loud 

or distracting. 

Keep a good stash of drink so that 

you don't have to disappear during 

the evening and your guests may 

also appreciate a nice dessert as a 

victory prize - providing they win of 

course. Personalising their playing 

pieces, if possible, is also a nice 

touch. 

Crafting 

Autumn provides us with rich 

pickings to craft with, especially 

with children. 

Your local park can supply 

you with leaves for leaf printing, 

conkers for marbling, and other 

bits and bobs to create collages. 

Use nature's gifts to create an 

autumn wreath or why not create 

a garland that you can hang up in 

your home? 

You can also help craft clothing 

and blankets for the colder months 

ahead. Knitting has always been 

a popular pastime and creating a 

scarf, hat or jumper for winter will 

keep you busy for hours. 

Kids will love creating their own 

scarecrow too and you can always 

pop this in your garden to remind 

you of your autumn memories. 

Plan for Christmas 

It's not too far away and now is a 

good time to start planning. 

Getting the Christmas card list 

done is always a good place to 

start before you can think about 

Christmas gifts. Get your calendar 

out too and start planning any 

activities that you want to do. 

Involving friends and family in your 

plans will ramp up the excitement 

levels. 

Mince pies are probably on sale in 

some shops now so stock up, put 

the kettle on and plan for festive 

times ahead. 

21

Autumn/Winter Workshops 

Wreath making • Table Centres 

Christmas Crackers 

Morning, afternoon, evening workshops from £50 

(see website for details) 

A warm and friendly florist shop located in the heart of Rhiwbina. 

We stock quality flowers and plants along with gifts from Green Gate, 

Sia, Parlane and Burgon & Ball, and deliver to all areas in and around Cardiff 

4 Beulah Road, Rhiwbina, Cardiff CF14 6LX 

www.flowerlodge.co.uk 

02920 627587

5 Star Customer Rating 

Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall, 

all you have to do is call... 

Service, MOT or repair. 

Call us free 

0333 121 2012 

Visit online 

www.GardenVillageGarage.co.uk 

email us 

info@GardenVillageGarage.co.uk 

or in person 

227 Pantbach Road, Rhiwbina CF14 6AE 

We Buy Cars For cash


Community 

In our summer issue, we were looking to recognise the 

contribution made by four very special people or businesses 

in Rhiwbina. Nominations came from the community 

Business of 

the Year 

Winner: 

Debbie Chapman Dancers 

Photo: Andy Gayle 

We were looking for a business 

that's integrated itself fully with 

the community to be our Business 

of the Year and after putting it to 

a public vote, we can reveal that 

this year's worthy winner is Debbie 

Chapman Dancers. 

The business is one of the largest 

and most successful dancing 

schools in the UK. 

Over the years, they have been 

fortunate to nurture hundreds 

of young people, watching and 

helping them progress and 

24 

develop; not only as 

dancers but also as 

individuals. 

After performing in West 

End shows including 

Godspell, Peter and the 

Wolf, West Side Story and 

also teaching in Guildford 

where she premièred 

the The Snow Goose, 

Debbie returned to Cardiff 

and formed The Debbie 

Chapman Dancers. She is a regular 

choreographer for stage and 

television in Wales. 

Debbie told Rhiwbina Living: 

"I am delighted, proud and 

honoured to receive Rhiwbina 

Living’s Business of the Year award. 

I will have been principal of The 

Debbie Chapman Dancers for 

35 years in 2020, and during that 

time, the pupils and I have raised 

thousands of pounds for local 

charities. 

"We have also put Rhiwbina 

on the map through very many 

appearances on television 

including Britain’s Got Talent and 

Sky One's Got to Dance. 

"Many of my pupils are from 

Rhiwbina and surrounding 

areas and while many of them 

have participated in shows and 

competitions, many have taken 

dance examinations and have 

moved to vocational schools, I 

really think it’s important to give 

something back to the community. 

We have been able to do this by 

raising monies for charities through 

our many performances, while 

also having great experiences, 

great fun and fabulous 

memories that will 

last a lifetime. 

"Thank you so, so 

much to everyone 

who voted. Your 

award was the icing 

on the cake. We are all 

super proud."

Community 

Champion 

Winner: Phil Cogin 

We were looking for a Community 

Champion that would be 

recognised as a force for good, 

making Rhiwbina a better place 

to live. Phil Cogin has been a big 

part of Rhiwbina since bringing his 

vegan salon to the area. One 

resident said: 

"Phil has a big heart and gives 

back to the local community 

whenever he has the 

opportunity. He welcomes his 

guests from the local area and 

afar and makes everyone feel 

very welcome." 

About his win, Phil told 

Rhiwbina Living: 

"I am very happy with this 

award. It is different and 

very important for my little 

independent sustainable plant 

based business. 

"I do this by using Fair Trade, 

organic, and vegan products in 

my salon. I also help Water Aid, 

the homeless and various other 

charities throughout the months. 

"I love this place; Rhiwbina is 

a special place for me. At the 

moment, I am concentrating on my 

latest project 'No Planet B' which 

is Zero Waste living here at Gōndi, 

raising the zero plastic movement. 

"To be recognised personally 

means the world to me. Thank 

you for your love and continued 

support Rhiwbina." 

Winner: Mary Clarke 

Rhiwbina is renowned for its great 

sense of community and we were 

looking for someone who goes out 

of their way to help those who live 

around them. 

Mary Clarke may not need an 

introduction to many people 

in the village but she has been 

instrumental in championing 

many of the things that we take 

for granted here in Rhiwbina. She 

was the leading force behind the 

Rhiwbina Flood Defence Scheme 

which has protected many homes 

in the village. She also helped 

save Rhiwbina Library when it was 

threatened with closure in 2015. 

Mary's contributions to Rhiwbina 

life have been numerous and she 

was awarded the British Empire 

Medal for her efforts in 2018. 

Of her win, Mary told Rhiwbina 

Living: 

"Well this is a great honour. 

Funnily enough, I was watching 

the news this morning and saw the 

great work that the RNLI do. There 

was a man on there, who said 

about helping people 'If I can, 

I will' and that really got me over 

Neighbour 

of the Year 

my Cornflakes and toast, I can tell 

you. 

"It's the way I like to live my life, 

whether that means striking up a 

conversation with someone in the 

village or helping where I can." 

One of Mary's neighbours said: 

"She's a pillar of the community 

and everyone needs a Mary Clarke 

in their community." 

Young 

Person of 

the Year 

Winner: Rhiannon 

Thomas 

Our village is full of youngsters who 

touch the lives of others with their 

actions and achievements. 

We were looking for someone 

who has perhaps helped support 

local groups and our winner is 

Rhiannon Thomas. 

Rhiannon's father Ken told 

Rhiwbina Living: 

"Over the years, Rhiannon has 

raised money for Bobath, Ty Hafan 

and the Alzheimer’s Society. She 

chose the charities herself and, 

with her friends, has baked cakes 

and sold sweets to neighbours in 

Rhiwbina. 

"She has also twice completed 

the Race for Life, taken part 

in the City Hospice walk and 

helped with bag packing/bucket 

collections for other causes. Her 

efforts in obtaining raffle prize 

donations from local businesses 

also helped contribute towards 

a trip that Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg 

Glantaf organised to South Africa 

this summer. 

"Rhiannon has in addition helped 

at an after school netball club 

for Year 7s. She is continuing her 

community work this year as a 

Sixth former, as part of her Welsh 

Baccalaureate, and is in the process 

of setting up her next community 

volunteering." 

Rhiannon said: 

"I am 

delighted 

to win this 

award - it 

will inspire 

me to carry 

on helping 

out in the 

community, 

here in 

Rhiwbina and 

further afield." 

25

Movie Time 

Rhiwbina’s community cinema - bringing back the 

legacy of the old Monico Cinema and making cinema 

once again, a sociable and friendly night out 

www.monicomovies.co.uk 

Rhiwbina’s 

Community 

Cinema 

9th November | Solomon A Gaenor 

A Welsh language film starring Ioan Gruffydd 

A love story between a Jew and a Gentile, set in the 

Welsh valleys. With English subtitles, the movie is 

supported by a short made by a local young film-maker 

14th December | Stan and Ollie 

Our Christmas Special 

The twilight years of legends Stan Laurel 

and Oliver Hardy are portrayed by Steve Coogan 

and John C. Reilly in this bittersweet film 

All shows are held in Canolfan Beulah, commencing at 

7.30pm. Tickets are £4 each are on sale at The Honeypot, 

the Deri Stores, Victoria Fearn and Serenade 

@monicomovies 

emyr pierce 

solicitors 

Experienced solicitors 

based in the heart of the 

village 6 days a week 

Our services include: 

Monday - Friday 9am-5.30pm 

and Saturdays 10am-4pm 

• Residential Property 

• Commercial Property 

• Wills and Estate Planning 

• Estate Administration 

and Probate 

• Lasting Powers of 

Attorney 

• Landlord and Tenant 

1 Heol-y-Deri, Rhiwbina, Cardiff CF14 6HA 02920 616002 

www.emyrpierce.co.uk

HYD AT 

30% ODDI AR Y PRIS – 

TANYSGRIFIWCH NAWR! 

UP TO 30% OFF – 

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CYFRES 

CYNGHERDDAU 

RHYNGWLADOL 

2019/20 

INTERNATIONAL 

CONCERT SERIES 

2019/20 

Nos Fercher 9 Hydref | Wednesday 9 October 2019 | 7:30pm 

MOSCOW PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA 

Simonov/Donohoe 

Dydd Sul 27 Hydref | Sunday 27 October 2019 | 3:00pm 

CERDDORFA OCC/WNO ORCHESTRA 

Hanus/Muller-Schott 

Nos Wener 8 Tachwedd | Friday 8 November 2019 | 7:30pm 

PRAGUE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 

Inkinen/Pavlů/Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral Choir 

Nos Fercher 27 Tachwedd | Wednesday 27 November 2019 | 7:30pm 

PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA 

Ashkenazy/Shoji 

Nos Fawrth 3 Rhagfyr | Tuesday 3 December 2019 | 7:30pm 

MANCHESTER CAMERATA & CRAIG OGDEN 

Dydd Sul 15 Rhagfyr | Sunday 15 December 2019 | 3:00pm 

THE SIXTEEN 

Dydd Sul 19 Ionawr | Sunday 19 January 2020 | 4:00pm 

CERDDORFA A CHORWS CENEDLAETHOL CYMREIG Y BBC, 

CERDDORFA OCC/BBC NATIONAL ORCHESTRA & CHORUS OF 

WALES, WNO ORCHESTRA – BEETHOVEN 1808 BENEFIT CONCERT 

Nos Iau 30 Ionawr | Thursday 30 January 2020 | 7:30pm 

EUROPEAN UNION CHAMBER ORCHESTRA 

Stegeman/Goldscheider 

Nos Iau 13 Chwefror | Thursday 13 February 2020 | 7:30pm 

ICELAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 

Tortelier/Bavouzet 

Nos Wener 6 Mawrth | Friday 6 March 2020 | 7:30pm 

ARMONICO CONSORT 

Monks 

Nos Wener 13 Mawrth | Friday 13 March 2020 | 7:30pm 

ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA 

Fischer/Little 

Nos Wener 3 Ebrill | Friday 3 April 2020 | 7:30pm 

PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA 

Heras-Casado/Kharitonov 

Dydd Sul 26 Ebrill | Sunday 26 April 2020 | 3:00pm 

CERDDORFA OCC/WNO ORCHESTRA 

Hanus/Adams 

Nos Lun 18 Mai | Monday 18 May 2020 | 7:30pm 

AURORA ORCHESTRA 

Collon/Benedetti 

Nos Sadwrn 6 Mehefin | Saturday 6 June 2020 | 7:30pm 

ROYAL LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA 

Chan/Kanneh-Mason

Hunker down 

Autumn is a beautiful season, bringing with it colours of reds, oranges and 

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

An Autumn Welcome 

As well as cheering up any guests 

you get to your house, a warm 

welcome to your home is a nice 

thing for you to come home to. 

It should still be warm enough to 

give your door a lick of paint if you 

have a wooden one. If you don't 

have a wooden door, you may want 

to invest in a new door handle or 

28 

letterbox. 

Late summer is also a good time 

to tidy up the outside of the house, 

especially the front as that'll be 

the area that will be getting more 

attention during the colder months. 

If you have room, consider 

planting a few small evergreens 

to maintain some colour during 

the autumn and winter. Winterflowering 

plants are also an option. 

Inside the doorway, put away any 

summer sandals and flip flops. This 

is Wellington boot season after all! 

Make sure that your clothes pegs 

are strong enough to take the 

winter coats that will no doubt 

be hung on them. A new sturdy 

welcome mat will also be a good 

addition, as well as getting some 

kind of umbrella stand for those 

rainy days. 

Keeping Warm 

It goes without saying that as 

the colder weather approaches, 

you're going to need to think about 

keeping warm. 

It's worth getting someone to 

bleed all your radiators and maybe 

even check your boiler is in working 

order before you start using it. 

The last thing you want is to find 

yourself stuck without warmth 

when you most need it. 

If you're fortunate enough to have 

a wood-burning fire or a working 

fireplace, get your chimney cleaned 

before you start using it. It's also 

prudent to start stocking up on 

firewood and kindling - you can 

never get enough of this when it 

gets really cold! Also make sure 

that all your fire alarms are in good 

working order. 

It may also be worth investing 

in some pipe lagging now. When 

winter comes in earnest, burst 

pipes are a most unwelcome 

problem. 

If you spend most of your time in 

your living room, get yourself some 

throws and blankets to snuggle 

under on stormy nights. As well as 

feeling cosy, these can also have a 

more practical purpose by helping 

to limit heating costs. They look 

very nice too!

Light up dark corners 

with table lamps 

Sorting 

Getting your house in order always 

makes you feel better. As autumn 

and winter roll in, we're not able to 

utilise the outside spaces as much 

as we'd like. It's worth making 

the best of the last summer 

sunshine to clear out our sheds 

and outhouses so that we can use 

them properly in winter. 

Inside the house, go through your 

kitchen cupboards and throw out 

any items that you're not going 

to use or are gone off. You'll be 

surprised at how long some things 

have been there! It's also a good 

idea to stock up on larder basics, 

so that you can quickly rustle up a 

nice warming meal when you get 

home. If you've made home-made 

jams or chutneys with harvest fruit, 

store these away for a rainy day 

and decant pasta or rice into nicelooking 

jars. Clean out the fridge 

and if you have time, get the oven 

cleaned too. 

Elsewhere, pack away summer 

clothes and give your winter coats 

a good airing. Get your comfy 

slippers out and leave them in the 

hallway so that you can pop them 

on when you come in. 

Blankets are not only comfortable 

but can save on your heating bills 

Lighting 

With natural light fading by the 

day, we turn to other means to 

illuminate our homes. 

Lamps are probably one of the 

best ways to make our homes 

cosy, lighting up any darks corners 

of the house and bringing a sense 

of warmth. 

Wooden bases bring depth to 

your home and if you add autumncoloured 

shades, you'll be bringing 

the outside in without the weather. 

Make the brightness appropriate 

to the room. 

One thing you won't want to 

overlook is the type of bulb that 

you're using. You won't want to use 

anything that will give off too much 

glare but you also don't want to 

leave yourself too short on light. 

Dimmer switches can help if you 

have the budget to install these. 

Exterior lighting can welcome 

any autumnal visitors, especially 

around your front door and porch 

area. If you are lucky enough to 

have a front garden path, consider 

adding lamps or even a security 

light that will come on when 

triggered by a sensor. 

home 

Dining 

Autumn is an ideal time of year to 

invite friends over for cosy suppers 

so if you have a separate dining 

area in your house, you'll want it 

looking its best. 

Keeping it simple is one way to 

go, with clean white linens and 

dark wood to stay in-keeping with 

the season. If you are planning 

on serving up hearty casseroles, 

go for deep bowls and chunky 

cutlery, serving up chunky bread 

in rattan baskets. Candles will 

provide visual warmth and a 

runner across your dining table will 

add a touch of luxury. 

Finishing touches 

Now is the time of year to take 

down any light curtains and put 

up thicker, heavier versions. If your 

front door is draughty, consider 

hanging a door curtain there. It 

will help keep your house warm 

throughout the day and night. 

Throwing a few rugs underfoot 

will help, especially on hard floor 

surfaces such as stone or wood. 

You'll appreciate this when you're 

stepping out of bed or the shower. 

The final finishing touches should 

include soft furnishings that will 

help complete the look. Heavy 

throws and blankets are perfect for 

snuggling down with, both for you 

and any guests. 

If you're the sort of person that 

likes buying nik-naks for the home, 

look for ones made of wood or 

other natural products. It could 

also be a good time to hang some 

new pictures on your walls that are 

more in keeping with this time of 

year. 

If you don't have a log burner, you 

can now buy candles that give off 

the aroma of burning wood and 

even crackle as they burn. Smells 

are just as powerful as sights in 

creating a seasonal home. 

29

Set sail 

with us... 

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Cartwright Travel, 23 Heol Y Deri, Rhiwbina, Cardiff, CF14 6YF

Christmas 

at 

Pugh’s Christmas Shop Opening Weekend 

Friday 11th – Sunday 13th October 

Marvel in the magic of Christmas at Pugh’s! Wander down walkways of beautiful 

baubles and dazzling decorations and soak up the festive ambience. Give your 

Christmas some extra sparkle and get yourself ready for making magical memories 

with your family at the most wonderful time of the year. 

Festive Food Taster Weekend 

Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th November 

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

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

your taste buds plus you can shop our huge range of Christmas culinary delights. 

You can even get your Christmas meat orders in from Farmers Pantry Butchers. 

‘Tis the season to indulge! 

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

Tynant Nurseries, Morganstown, 

Radyr, Cardiff CF15 8LB 

PughsGardenVillageRadyr 

02920 848000 

www.pughsgardencentre.co.uk/radyr 

Welcome to Bailey’s Better Homes. Located in Cardiff, 

BBH specialise in creating striking and bespoke kitchens 

and bathrooms in South Wales 

Are you looking for the following? 

• A contractor who will respect your wishes and home 

• An individual service tailored to you and your needs 

• A vast range of high quality products to choose from 

• First class fitting service 

• Friendly, hand-picked tradesmen 

• A single point of contact from start to finish 

• Design, supply and install in one place 

• High definition 3D designs on the latest CAD software 

• Exceptional aftercare 

If so, please get in contact with us. 

You won’t be disappointed! 

Chris Bailey 07595 512414 

mail@baileysbetterhomes.co.uk 

www.baileysbetterhomes.co.uk

1 

2 

4 

3 

The autumn home 

1. Chequered Faux 

Suede Cushion £15 

Add a burst of colour to 

your home with this lively, 

colourful faux suede 

cushion cover featuring a 

stunning patchwork. The 

delicate, furry material 

provides a soft touch which 

is easy to maintain. 

www.ethical.market 

32 

2. Stovax Vogue Midi 

Log Burner £1409 

Offering a superb 

view of the flames, the 

versatile styling of the 

Stovax Vogue Midi wood 

burning and multi-fuel 

stove fits perfectly into 

contemporary and 

traditional interiors alike. 

Limegreen 

3. British Made 100% 

Recycled Wool Throw 

£18 

This British-made recycled 

100% wool blanket is made 

from all the excess material 

and yarn left over from 

the production of other 

blankets. 

www.thefuturekept.com 

4. Seasonal Spice 

Candle £9.99 

Rich undertones of 

Seasonal Spice include 

nutmeg, clove and 

cinnamon, creating a deep 

and warming fragrance 

that gives your home a 

fantastically autumnal feel. 

www.northumbrian 

candleworks.co.uk

home 

6 

5 

6 

7 

5. Orange Mosaic 

Mirror £17.99 

Made from hand-painted 

and hand-cut glass, all parts 

of this brightly coloured 

mirror are put together 

by hand in Bali, Indonesia. 

Because of this method, 

each mirror is unique. 

www.gringofairtrade.com 

6. Himalayan Salt 

Natural Night Light in 

Forest Design £21.99 

Made from natural 

Himalayan crystal salt rock, 

it contains at least 84 types 

of minerals beneficial to 

the human body. The lamp 

creates a romantic and 

charming environment. 

www.amazon.co.uk 

7. Helix Hurricane 

Lamp £54 

Made from 18/10 stainless 

steel with a mirror-polished 

finish, walnut and thermalresistant 

borosilicate glass, 

this hurricane lamps has 

three flowing steel arms that 

gracefully encircle the glass 

cylinder within. 

Leekes 

8 

8. Gothic Boot Store 

from £300 

Made from pressure treated 

timber, this boot store has 

a raised decking floor, two 

shelves and is finished off 

with a cedar shingled roof. 

There's ample room for 

wellies and boots, as well as 

parcels and newspapers. 

www.theposhshedcompany.co.uk 

33

Heat Serve 

Professional and experienced gas engineers 

Specialist Glaziers with over 30 Years Experience 

Repairs & Renewals 

Experts in the repair of windows, doors and conservatories 

uPVC Products 

We offer a full range of quality replacement uPVC products 

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history 

The Village Shops 

Rhiwbina is considered one of the finest villages to shop in Cardiff. We 

take a look back at some of the shops that have graced our village 

Back in 1897, a Western Mail report 

carried the news that Rhiwbina 

should be the capital of Wales. 

The Cardiff University debating 

society had selected the village as 

its preferred capital over Cardiff and 

Swansea, because they said that a 

'lot of cheese was made there'. 

There were other reasons too: the 

area also had a large manufacturing 

36 

Gooch's on Beulah Road 

industry and residents got good 

exercise from walking two-and-ahalf 

miles for a postage stamp. 

Rhiwbina never did make it to 

become the capital of Wales. 

Instead, it turned into the suburban 

village that we are all familiar with 

now. 

The main shopping area has seen 

a variety of different establishments 

over the years, some of them 

fleeting, some of them still 

households names in the area. 

Gooch's was one such name, a 

hardware store that thrived during 

the 1950s and 60s, on the end 

of Beulah Road, where the dry 

cleaners now stands. 

They also had outlets at the 

Caerphilly crossroads, on Thornhill 

Road, and later on Heol-y-Deri. 

Jones the Chemist was next door. 

Customers claim that whatever 

ailment they went there with, they'd 

be handed either a bottle of white 

or bottle of red medicine to make 

them better. Mr Jones was known 

to put himself out for his customers, 

often turning up at people's 

homes with things that they 

needed. Meanwhile, Lacey's was a 

Beulah Road 1936 

gentleman's outfitters where you 

could get a pair of leather gloves or 

a sensible tie. 

During the 1980s, where Snails Deli 

now is, there used to be a butcher, 

Peter Shields. He was world-famous 

for his faggots. People would come 

from all over Cardiff to buy them. 

The aroma of the faggots cooking 

would often drift down the street 

and over the village. 

Next door, on the end, where 

Interior of Gooch's 1950s

Dancing on Heol-y-Deri in the 1980s 

Heol-y-Deri, November 1983 

Flower Lodge now stands, 

there was Macs, who sold fruit, 

vegetables and fresh fish. There 

was also a Post Office on the other 

side of Peter Shields. 

The cabin on Pantbach Road was 

a delightful little place if you were 

a child or a smoker – rows of jars 

filled with sweets and more sweets. 

Prior to this, it was a shoe-repairer 

during the 1960s. It's currently 

occupied by C3 Chiropractors. 

Next door, and much later, during 

the early 2000s, there was a holistic 

therapy business that ran out of 

the building now occupied by the 

Garden Village Garage. 

Over towards Heol-y-Deri, the 

Paper Mill was a newsagent that 

existed where Morgans now reside. 

It later became Z Jewellery, which 

operated during the mid 2000s 

alongside HSBC, which closed its 

doors in early 2010. 

Up onto Heol-y-Deri itself and 

you'd find Lawrences, which sold 

ladies gowns. During the 1980s, 

Courtney Morgan sold and repaired 

electrical appliances. They were 

situated where Parsons now is. 

Gills Travel, run by Bob Gill and his 

son, sat on the end of the row of 

shops, which by coincidence, is now 

occupied by Passion For Cruises. 

The former betting shop was once 

called the Bungalow and it was a 

dairy. You'd go there for milk and 

eggs, butter and cream. It later 

became Barclays Bank, one of two 

Images and information courtesy of Mary Clarke 

banks in the village at the time. 

Where Muddy Bums was located, 

there was a shop called Rainbow 

that sold everything during the first 

half of the 2000s. Back in the 1960s 

though, John Charles, Wales's most 

famous footballer and his brother 

Mel, ran a sports shop out of the 

premises. Children would go in 

to get their new sports shoes and 

rumour has it that John spent a lot 

of time talking to customers about 

football and coaching. 

Over down Lon Fach, you could 

find Millcraft. Mr Squirrel next 

door sold little bits of this and that 

and small antiques. There was a 

saddlery there too. 

Before this, and where Calon 

Rhiwbeina now is, there used to be 

a sweet shop run by Harold Davies. 

The shop was full of jars of sweets 

and Ethel, who was a relative who 

worked there, would get a large 

oil lamp and hold it up to the jars 

to see what was in them. This was 

because there was no electricity in 

the shop at that time. 

Residents could often leave them 

a note of their order and would 

find their goods in the coal house 

when they returned home. Harold 

himself only had one arm but could 

do anything an able-bodied person 

could do. 

Rhiwbina, like most villages, is an 

ever-changing place but its sense 

of community is one aspect with 

which it's become renowned. For 

over 100 years, shop-owners and 

customers alike have come and 

gone. But the Rhiwbina community 

spirit lives on. 

Do you have any old photos or 

stories that you'd like to share 

with our readers? 

Drop us a line at editor@ 

livingmags.co.uk or you can 

drop details to us at our postal 

address on the inside front cover. 

We'll return your photos once we 

have scanned them. 

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JN10044 | 09.2019

The Men's Shed in Rhiwbina offers a place for a group of men to 

come together, chat, and create things for the community 

There's a problem down in the 

village. 

"The water's off." 

There's an uneasy sense of alarm 

among the men down at The Den. 

Iolo is stood there with an empty 

kettle, looking a little worried. 

"A cuppa is very important in our 

little world," says Mike. 

Mike is the Chairman of Rhiwbina 

Men's Shed. Not many people know 

it but they meet weekly at the small 

shed, also known as The Den, in 

Canolfon Beulah. 

For generations, a shed has been 

a place for men to escape the 

40 

stress and strain of life; a haven to 

gain much needed sanity; to be 

surrounded by familiar items; and 

to make things. For the Shedders 

in Rhiwbina, this thinking has been 

expanded to more of a social thing. 

And the community of Rhiwbina is 

benefiting. 

"We set up Men's Shed Rhiwbina 

in 2016," says Mike. "The movement 

itself actually started in Australia 

and has spread to countries 

all over the world, including 

Wales, where there are now 50 

Sheds. Fellow Shedder Gareth 

and I are Rotarians and what we 

found was that there was a large 

number of men who had time on 

their hands, whether it was due 

to unemployment, retirement, 

bereavement or because they were 

wanting to involve themselves in 

the community more. 

"We put some flyers in local 

supermarkets and put notices in the 

local WI newsletters - telling them 

that if they had any members who 

wanted to get their husbands out, 

to send them to The Den." 

The group has now grown from 

two or three members to 13. 

"We've actually become a victim 

of our own success in that we're 

having to turn people away. We've 

all got different skills. Gareth is very 

good at boiling a kettle," laughs 

Mike. 

And a varied bunch there are. Mike 

worked in the Patent Office. Then 

there's Colin: 

"You name it, I've done it. But 

mainly, I was a draughtsman. I 

designed ships." 

Graham was in the Civil Service 

but was also a mechanic for a long 

time. 

"I had a moment in my life and it 

was a bit of a eureka moment," says 

Graham. "Many years ago, I went 

to a training centre for six months. 

It was down where Tesco Extra is 

now. And it was while I was there 

that I realised that I had transferable 

skills, which meant that I could turn

my hand to anything I wanted to. 

It set me up for life and I can bring 

that attitude to the Shed." 

Then there's co-founder Gareth, 

the one who's still working. 

specialising in social welfare. 

"I was in IT and worked my way 

up to general dogsbody at Men's 

Shed," announces another Shedder, 

Carl. Sat next to Carl is Keith, who 

was a video editor at HTV for ten 

years. 

"I don't watch TV any more. I had 

enough of that when I was working," 

he chuckles. 

On another bench, Iolo talks about 

his career as a theatre technician. 

And Brian reminds the group that 

he is a former architect. 

"Don't we know it," quips Graham. 

"Have pencil, will travel," replies 

Brian. On the end is Phillip, who up 

until now, has kept quiet. 

"I used to be what John Cleese 

once described as the living dead - 

I was a chartered account." 

Another Shedder, John arrives 

late. "I was a financial economist," 

he says, which is soon somehow 

construed as a 'communist' and he 

gets the blame for the recession in 

2008. 

"The group has two aims," 

continues Mike. "The first is to 

bring a social life to those who are 

isolated and the other aim is to 

provide for the community." 

Graham is one member who finds 

solace within the group. 

"There's been a lot of talk on 

Radio 4 over the last few weeks 

about loneliness and depression, 

especially in men. Certainly anyone 

who has lost a spouse will have 

developed that. My life is very full 

and very, very busy but it doesn't 

matter where you are or what you're 

doing, it still hits you. 

"But we never pry," adds Gareth. 

"People here say what they want to 

say and you don't have to prove that 

you've been through something 

traumatic to join us. But we don't 

go asking too many uncomfortable 

questions." 

"We're a caring organisation but 

we're not carers," says Mike. “In the 

past, we’ve had people who have 

been left with us by their carers 

but we’re not cut out for looking 

after vulnerable people like that. 

We're here for the camaraderie and 

there's lots of it." 

Rhiwbina has benefited from the 

club's second aim. 

"When we started, our first task 

was to refurbish the garage and 

install workbenches and racking. 

Second-hand tools and timber 

were donated by members of the 

public and local 

organisations. 

"In addition to our 

workshop, we rent 

a large allotment in 

Birchgrove where 

we have installed 

a poly-tunnel, a 

shed donated to 

us free by a local 

garden centre, 

and a greenhouse 

donated by a 

local resident. We 

have also built a 

patio and installed 

garden furniture as a rest area and 

are currently constructing raised 

beds. We have started to meet 

occasionally at the Wendy House 

in Rhiwbina too for a general chat, 

cuppa and to plan new projects." 

The group has made four planters 

for Rhiwbina Library and is working 

on wheelchair-friendly planters for 

the City Hospice. They’ve also built 

a new notice board at the Wendy 

House in Rhiwbina and restored 

benches in the community garden 

at the rear of the Canolfan building. 

"We have also built a tree bench 

for the Macintosh Community 

Gardens in Roath, removed 

overgrown vegetation at the rear 

of a charity shop in Llanishen and 

last year, we hosted a visit by Cardiff 

Young Carers to our workshop. We 

have also been visited by the MP 

for North Cardiff, local councillors, 

Shedders from other Men’s Sheds 

and university students who 

interviewed and filmed us as part 

of their thesis work. We've also just 

successfully registered as a charity." 

Boys and their toys: Graham and Brian 

test out their hand-made bogie. 

interview 

The group isn't currently looking 

for new members as the premises 

they have is very small. 

"We could possibly look to get 

bigger premises and we also have 

the option of maybe setting up 

another group," says Mike. "But 

that's for the future. Right now, 

we've got a planter to finish." 

Among all the banter, laughter 

and the smell of woodwork and 

grease, there is a genuine affection 

and maybe even love among the 

group. For all the heartaches that 

go on behind closed doors, the 

Men's Shed provides a time and a 

place for the men to be themselves 

among their peers. On paper, 

they're an unlikely mix. But put 

together, the group works perfectly. 

And the one thing that bonds them 

all together? 

The kettle. 

Twitter@TheDen110 

For more information about the 

Men’s Sheds movement, visit 

www.mensshedscymru.co.uk 

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history 

SMARTS 

Smarts Garage in Rhiwbina was a family-run business that was 

a focal point in the village for decades. Today, the business is 

remembered mainly through old photographs and stories 

Perhaps one of Rhiwbina's most 

well-remembered landmarks is 

Smarts Tea Rooms, which later 

became Smarts Garage. 

Owned by the Smart family, the 

garage was the epitome of a familyrun 

business in the village. Its 

history began over 100 years ago. 

William Albert (Will) Smart worked 

as a wheelwright in Cardiff before 

moving in 1916 to the small village 

of Rhiwbina where he started a 

business called the Rhiwbina Tea 

44 

Gardens. 

The Tea Gardens soon became a 

focal point for the village and further 

attractions were added including 

a putting green and bird aviaries. 

By 1920, the motor car had started 

to become a practical means of 

transport and the industry opened 

up many business opportunities 

which Will took advantage of by 

opening Rhiwbina Motor Garages 

on a site immediately adjacent 

to the Tea Gardens. Apart from 

selling petrol and oil, 

Will also developed a 

business relationship 

with Morris Motors 

and began selling and 

servicing Morris cars. 

The relationship with 

Morris Motors, and its 

successors, lasted for 

many decades with 

many models sold over 

the years. 

A second garage was 

opened on Heol-y-Deri, 

situated just a couple 

of hundred yards away, 

and this was known as 

Brook Garage, where Nest now 

resides. In the 1950s, there was a 

clear distinction between the two 

with the original garage selling only 

Shell petrol while Brook Garage 

was affiliated to the Esso brand. 

This arrangement not only gave 

a choice to the consumer, it also 

gave protection to the original 

business by effectively discouraging 

competitors from moving in. 

Will's son Cliff worked for his father 

when he left school in 1925 aged 

14, and eventually took over the 

business in 1936. It was later called 

Cliff Smart Ltd around 1954. 

During the 1960s, Smarts Garage 

was a major contributor to the 

Rhiwbina Carnival, and many of 

their motors were seen parading 

through the village. 

Cliff continued to run the business 

until the original tea garden site 

and garage was sold in 1987 for redevelopment. 

He retired in 1989. 

As a reminder of the site's past 

history, the development was called 

'Clos Yr Ardd' which translates as 

'Garden Close'. 

Images courtesy of Martin Smart. Information courtesy of Friends of Cathays Cemetery

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Autumn garden 

As summer draws to a close, 

many of the mainstays of the 

mid-summer border are still going 

strong, providing that conditions are 

to their liking. 

Typical prairie flowers such as 

Helenium and Echinacea will still be 

looking good, but are now joined 

by other members of the daisy 

family or Asteraceae, along with 

the ornamental grasses with which 

they look most at home. That the 

most popular partner, Miscanthus 

sinensis or Chinese silver grass, 

originates on the other side of the 

48 

In his final installment on perennials, Kevin Revell shows how we can 

maintain a garden of colour before the first frosts of winter arrive 

world is surprising. 

The most noticeable flowers 

now are the golden yellow stars 

floating above the sandpapertextured 

foliage of Rudbeckia 

fulgida ‘Goldsturm’, which is by 

far the strongest-growing and 

most popular variety, reaching 

a metre high. The swept back 

golden petals surround a domed 

chocolate brown central boss and 

they last for absolutely ages. They 

will eventually need dead-heading 

however, to continue the display 

long into autumn. If left, the faded 

seed heads give shape to the winter 

garden and look good after a sharp 

frost to accentuate their structure. 

The variety ‘Deamii’ is less coarse 

and less robust and differs in having 

a flat button of a central boss. More 

useful and increasingly popular is 

the smaller form of ‘Little Gold Star’ 

which barely reaches 30cm tall 

but also produces a mass of gold 

floral stars over a long period. It 

makes a very good choice for the 

front of the border, or for pots and 

containers. In recent years, many 

new hybrid Rudbeckias have been 

released with yellow, orange and 

brown colouration to the petals, 

often all within the same flower. 

These new forms are not reliably 

hardy however and will not come 

back in subsequent years so are 

best treated as late summer annual 

bedding plants. 

Japanese Anemones or Anemone 

japonica are popular cottage 

garden plants, being virtually 

indestructible and long-lived, if a 

little invasive, once established. 

They have long been divided and 

passed around by neighbouring 

gardeners so distinct local 

populations will form along blocks 

of streets. Tolerant of dry shade, 

they are a useful plant to have in 

the garden. They sit minding their 

own business for most of the year 

until wiry stems bearing clusters of 

pretty pink or white daisy flowers 

rise up in late summer and autumn. 

Some of the older varieties such 

as ‘Hadspen Abundance’ will reach 

up to 1.5m tall but most named 

varieties are usually a little shorter 

and make fine subjects for the back 

of a border. 

They are sufficiently tough not to 

need any support so can be left 

pretty much to themselves apart 

from being cut down in winter 

or ideally in early spring before 

growth recommences. The most 

popular forms are the single white 

flowering ‘Honorine Jobert’ and

semi-double ‘Whirlwind’, whose 

ghostly blooms loom out of dark 

corners at dusk. The single deep 

pink variety ‘Splendens’ is another 

winner along with the double 

form ‘Queen Charlotte’. Although 

great in borders, these plants do 

not lend themselves to container 

gardening. As with many other 

varieties of plants, there has been 

a drive towards miniaturisation 

over the past few years to cater 

for today’s smaller gardens and a 

tendency to grow plants in pots for 

maximum effect over a short period. 

The imaginatively named Fantasy 

Series that include ‘Cinderella’, 

‘Pocahontas’ and ‘Red Riding Hood‘ 

come in a similar range of single 

and semi-double pink forms but 

only grow to about 45cm tall. 

" 

The Whirlwind’s 

ghostly blooms 

loom out of dark 

corners at dusk 

It would be remiss of me to discuss 

the daisy family without covering 

those which give the family its 

name. Asters or Michaelmas daisies, 

as their common name suggest, is 

a late flowering perennial which are 

surely the last flowers of the year. 

They are eagerly sought out by the 

last butterflies of the year as they 

take on stores prior to migration or 

hibernation. They really do come 

in all shapes and sizes from the 

towering Novi-Angliae or New 

England asters which can reach 

almost two metres tall. They are 

more at home at the back of large 

borders typically found in parks 

and stately homes. Much of the 

breeding of these plants took place 

in Germany which may explain the 

less than memorable names such 

as ‘Alma Potschke.’ 

The formerly popular Island Series, 

named after South Sea islands 

such as ‘Samoa’ and ‘Bahamas’ 

are shorter at 30cm and colourful 

but are disease prone and have 

now been superseded by new 

Aster dumosus forms which are 

disease free and wonderfully 

compact and floriferous. ‘Crystal 

Rose’ and ‘Sapphire’ are fine 

examples. Another superior form is 

Aster frikartii ‘Monch’ which is late 

flowering with beautiful lavenderblue 

flowers, compact at 45cm and 

deserves to be more widely grown, 

being completely trouble-free 

giving a final injection of colour to 

the autumn border. Sadly, many of 

the Novae-Belgii or New Belgian 

asters fall prey to mildew late in the 

season just as the flowers come out 

but this is less of a problem when 

grown in borders rather than in 

pots and containers. It can spoil the 

appearance of the foliage however 

and shortens the display that would 

otherwise run until the first frosts. 

Old favourites such as ‘Ada Ballard’ 

and ‘Marie Ballard’ are still widely 

grown but may require staking in 

exposed positions growing to 60 to 

80cm or so. 

Liriope muscari, a rather unusual 

gardening 

flower, is perhaps the last to 

flower in the autumn and looks 

more like a grass for most of the 

year. In September and October, 

blue flowers which resemble the 

spring bulb, grape hyacinth, appear 

partially hidden by the foliage. The 

common name of lily turf does 

nothing to improve its popularity, 

but it is an extremely tough plant, 

surviving in dry shade and only 

coming into its own late in the 

year. The variety ‘Big Blue’ is worth 

seeking out. 

With that, the season for flowering 

herbaceous perennials comes 

to an end. A few flowers may be 

seen in October and November 

on hellebores, but these are more 

plants of winter and early spring but 

are a welcome sight, nonetheless. 

49

At Llanishen Eyecare, we are committed to 

giving our patients the best service in a relaxed, 

friendly and professional environment 

- NHS and private patients welcome 

- (WECS) Welsh Eye Care Service accredited 

- Wide range of contact lenses 

- On-trend eye wear to suit all budgets 

- Local experienced Optometrist who has been 

testing in the Llanishen area for over 25 years 

Follow our Facebook page to keep up 

with all the latest news and products 

Church School House,2 Heol Hir, 

Llanishen, Cardiff CF14 5AE 

02920 795314 www.llanisheneyecare.com 

DIRTY DRIVEWAY, 

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PAVING? 

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Email info@valejetclean.co.uk 

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pets 

Your pet 

questions 

answered 

Chris Troughton is clinical director of Heath Vets. He’s here to answer all your pet 

questions. If you’d like to ask Chris a pet-related question, drop us a line 

When I take my dog out for 

a walk, his back legs start to 

tremble. He’s is 6 now but 

I’ve only noticed it in the last 

two years or so. It hasn’t ever 

bothered him in any way but I 

wondered if this is something 

that happens as they get older? 

Although many older dogs get 

tremors in their legs (especially 

the back legs), there are also 

several quite serious conditions 

that could cause them. So 

before just accepting that they 

are a normal harmless part of 

growing older, it’s important to 

rule out those conditions. Look 

for signs of him feeling unwell 

– change in appetite, increased 

drinking, sickness, diarrhoea, 

reduced interest in exercise. 

If any of these are present, it’s 

worth getting your vet’s opinion. 

You say that the tremors do not 

affect him, but if they do start 

to impact on his exercise, they 

might relate to pain, so again, 

see your vet. 

My beloved dog has taken up 

scooting across our lovely new 

carpets in the last few months. 

I don’t think she’s deliberately 

doing it just because I’ve got 

new carpets but I do wonder if 

the carpet is somehow irritating 

her? What would be your best 

advice going forward? 

The scooting you’re describing 

is a sign of an itchy bottom. 

Sometimes you do get reactions 

to carpets, but these usually 

show as itchy inflamed skin in 

the areas in contact with the 

carpet – mainly the feet and 

the belly; if these areas are not 

Sponsored feature 

affected, I think it’s unlikely that 

the new carpets are causing this 

behaviour, but because they’re 

new, you are noticing it more! 

Rarely, worms can be the cause 

but the commonest reason for 

itchy bottoms in dogs is anal sac 

problems. The anal sacs are little 

scent glands beside the anus 

which can become blocked 

or infected and cause variable 

degrees of itch and pain. The 

problem is usually easily sorted 

out with a visit to your vet, so 

don’t delay – save your dog 

from further discomfort and your 

carpets from further injury! 

My cat has started getting bad 

breath. I have tried (and failed) 

to brush her teeth but her teeth 

look in good condition. Could it 

be related to her intestines or 

something similar? 

Bad breath is often a sign of oral 

disease. There may be problems 

with her teeth at the back where 

it’s more difficult for you to look, 

or there could be other issues 

(like tonsillitis for example). 

However, bad breath can also 

be a symptom of problems 

elsewhere - stomach, lung liver 

and kidney problems can all 

cause it, so it’s important to get 

your cat properly checked out 

as soon as possible. 

A fellow dog walker was telling 

me about her friend’s dog that 

died of canine pancreatitis. It 

sounds quite scary and I do 

worry a lot so I wondered what 

signs and symptoms I needed 

to look out for with my own dog. 

Is it catching? 

Pancreatitis is inflammation 

of the pancreas, an organ that 

produces digestive enzymes as 

well as insulin. Symptoms can 

vary from mild inappetence to 

severe vomiting and intense 

pain. Usually patients recover 

with intensive treatment, but 

occasionally it is fatal. Most 

that recover do not suffer any 

long-term health effects, but 

some suffer recurring bouts 

of illness. There is no specific 

treatment for pancreatitis, so 

therapy is aimed at supporting 

the body while it heals, with 

intravenous fluids, analgesia and 

antemetics. Pancreatitis is not 

contagious so there’s no need 

to worry on that count. Often we 

don’t know what has caused a 

bout of pancreatitis, but it can 

certainly be associated with 

overindulgence in rich food – for 

example, stealing a pat of butter.

Julie Morgan 

Your Assembly Member for Cardiff North 

I hold regular surgeries on Mondays and Fridays, 

no appointment necessary. 

Mondays at 13a Llangranog Road, Llanishen from 10-11am 

Fridays at 17 Plasnewydd, Whitchurch from 12.30-1.30pm 

My office is also staffed Monday to Friday. 

Please call 0300 200 6241 for an appointment 

or get in touch via my website, www.juliemorgan.org.uk/contact 

Julie Morgan 

Eich Aelod Cynulliad dros Ogledd Caerdydd 

Rwy’n cynnal cymorthfeydd rheolaidd ar ddydd Llun a dydd Gwener, 

ac nid oes angen gwneud apwyntiad. 

Dydd Llun yn 13a Llangranog Road, Llanisien, rhwng 10.00 ac 11.00 

Dydd Gwener yn 17 Plasnewydd, yr Eglwys Newydd rhwng 12.30 ac 13.30 

Mae staff yn fy swyddfa o ddydd Llun i ddydd Gwener hefyd. 

Ffoniwch 0300 200 6241 i gael apwyntiad 

neu cysylltwch ar y wefan www.juliemorgan.org.uk/contact 

The services we provide: 

Taxation 

Self-Assessment 

Payroll 

VAT 

Bookkeeping 

www.crossaccountingservice.co.uk 

02920 653 995 

9a Heol y Deri, Rhiwbina, Cardiff CF14 6HA 

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What our patients 

are saying 

Welcoming New Patients 

Comprehensive New Patient Examination 

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We offer affordable dentistry in ground floor, state-of-the-art 

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165 Pantbach Road, Rhiwbina, Cardiff CF14 1TZ 

#YourSocialDentist

outdoors 

10 things 

to do 

outdoors 

in 

Autumn 

6 1. GO FOR A WELLY WALK 

We may grumble at the autumn weather but 

there's actually something very uplifting about 

wrapping up warm and enjoying the new smells, 

sights and sounds. If you've got a pair of wellies, 

you've got no excuse to get out there! 

8 2. COLLECT CONKERS 

There's a fascination in looking for conkers. You'll 

always be on the lookout for bigger and better. And 

when you're fully loaded up, it'll be time to take 

them home and decide which ones you are going 

to thread onto old shoelaces. 

65 3. FIND SOME BATS 

Late summer and early autumn is mating season for bats. 

They migrate from their summer habitat to new sites where 

mating occurs and where they seek out places to hibernate 

for the winter. They also focus on building up reserves of 

fat, which will help them through the colder months. Torpor 

also begins, where bats lessen activity to save vital energy. 

6 4. COLLECT PINE CONES 

Heading into the forest, you'll find plenty of pine 

cones on the ground. You can use these for craft 

projects nearer to Christmas so if you find any that 

are damp, it'll be worth storing them so that they 

are dry when you come to use them. If you find any 

still attached to its branch, keep these too as they 

will add some variety. 

54

5 5. GO SCARECROW 

SPOTTING 

Often the stars of harvest festivals, you can spot 

scarecrows doing their work in the fields in autumn. 

It's worth taking a camera to document any that 

you do see but be careful not to encroach on 

private property or damage any crops nearby. 

8 6. GO APPLE PICKING 

Make the most of harvest season by visiting a local 

orchard and picking some juicy apples. There's 

nothing better than enjoying the crisp autumn air 

and heading home with a bag of fruit - perfect for 

baking tasty apple pies. 

65 7. PLANT SPRING BULBS 

Garden centres will be bursting with spring bulbs at this 

time of year because now is the time to plant them. You are 

best getting them done between October and December, 

after which, the first frosts tend to arrive. Go for plump, firm 

bulbs and aim to plant within a week of purchasing as you 

may find that they start sprouting. Always remember to 

plant the bulbs with its top facing upwards. 

8 8. GO ON A GHOST HUNT 

It's the season of Hallowe'en and the darkening nights 

provide the perfect setting for a ghost walk. 

There are plenty of organised walks at this time of year 

but if you want to do it yourself, make sure that you put 

safety first and seek permission if you are looking to 

venture around private property. 

65 9. FEED THE BIRDS 

Although birds tend not to struggle for food in the 

autumn, it's worth preparing your garden now for 

the lean times ahead during winter. 

Placing a few bird feeders around now will help 

let the birds know where they can get food in 

the winter months. Fat balls are a good source of 

energy for birds and these can be hung from trees 

if you have any. You can make these yourself from 

kitchen scraps and suet if you like. Serve small 

portions to avoid them going off or attracting rats. 

6 10. WATCH AN AUTUMN 

SUNSET 

Watching the sun go down is one of life's great pleasures 

and autumn often throws up some spectacular ones. 

Prepare some flasks of piping hot tea, head out to find 

a good spot and make sure that you're there about 15 

minutes before the sun's due to go down. It will go down 

quicker than you think. Then head home for dinner. 

55

The Art Workshop 

Art courses for all abilities 

Join one of our friendly classes taught 

by a team of qualified tutors 

Half-Term Hallowe’en Art Workshops 

Mon 28th / Tues 30th / Wed 31st October 

5-7 year olds: 10am-11am/11.30am-12.30pm £10 

7-13 year olds: 10am-1pm £18 

All materials included 

Adult Courses · Young Artists Art Academy (ages 7-12) 

· Drawing · Oils · Textile Art · Acrylics · Watercolours ·Printmaking 

3 Lon Fach, Rhiwbina, Cardiff CF14 6DY 

For timetable and booking see 

w: www.theartworkshop.co.uk 

e: theartworkshop@live.co.uk 

t:07947 003111 

House Clearances 

2nd 

time around 

2nd Time Around 

specialise in 

house clearance 

We provide a professional and 

friendly service for full or part 

clearance, attics to cellars. 

We also offer the following services: 

• Reports for probate purposes 

• Valuations & advice on selling at auction 

• Auction service 

• Cleaning service 

• Sympathetic handling of deceased’s estates 

• Small removals & deliveries, nationwide 

• Rubbish removal 

• Recycling 

We comply with current legislation; we are waste 

management registered and have public liability insurance. 

House Clearance Specialists 

www.houseclearancecardiff.com 

Contact: Jan Richards 

T: 02920 692704 M: 07715 622406 

E: janrichards4@hotmail.co.uk 

W: www.houseclearancecardiff.com 

A Great Place To Call Home 

At Sunrise of Cardiff it’s our mission to provide the highest 

standard of personalised residential or dementia care 

and support for the elderly, delivered by a highly-trained 

professional and compassionate team. 

Located within the suburban location of Cyncoed, our homelike 

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kitchenettes, which are perfect for either singles or couples. 

Combined with freshly prepared nutritious home-cooked 

meals and a variety of daily activities and social outings, it’s 

no surprise that Sunrise is a UK leading care home provider. 

Join us for complimentary refreshments at our 

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Sunrise of Cardiff 

127 Cyncoed Road, Cyncoed, 

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029 2167 2244 

SunriseCardiff.co.uk 

CARDIFF 

ADV_CAR_0919_WhitchurchLlandaff_01.indd 1 09/09/2019 11:47

Summer's End 

"We need to get you home now. 

Your mother will be waiting for you." 

Paul took Eve's small hand and led 

her out of the forest and into the 

late summer sunshine. 

"Why do I have to go Daddy? I 

don't want this day to end." Eve 

looked up at her father. Paul could 

see the sadness in his daughter's 

eyes. He saw it every time he had to 

take Eve home. 

"Mummy wants you back so you 

can have your tea." 

In truth, Paul didn't want to take 

Eve back either but since the split 

from Beth, both parents had to 

play by the rules. Both father and 

daughter had enjoyed a wonderful 

day together. It had started with an 

early breakfast at the local café. 

At the age of 8, trying out her first 

cooked breakfast was something of 

a treat for Eve but she still couldn't 

get her head around eating savoury 

food first thing in the morning. 

"These aren't exactly Coco-Pops," 

she'd mumbled as she tucked into 

her baked beans. 

After breakfast, they jumped into 

the car and headed out to the 

beach a few miles away. Paul had 

packed some food into a cool bag 

and they spent the day digging 

holes and burying Eve's Barbie dolls 

up to their necks. They spent most 

of the day on the sands but Paul 

knew that he had to have Eve back 

home early for teatime - she was 

back to school the next day. 

As one last treat, he parked the car 

up at a woodland park near home, 

and they had gone exploring in the 

nearby forest. 

They pretended that they were 

detectives looking for spies. Eve 

had found some clues - a scruffy 

58 

old football, a pencil that had been 

split in two and some acorns. 

“Look at this one!” Eve called. She 

held up a bright shiny acorn. 

“It’s huge!” replied Paul. 

“I’m keeping that one,” said Eve, 

popping it into the pocket of her 

summer dress. 

"These clues will lead me all the 

way to the spies!" she exclaimed, 

walking off. 

Paul looked at this young girl, 

stepping over logs and walking 

through muddy puddles with her 

sandals on. He was going to miss 

her so much. Since the split from 

Beth, he'd begun plans to start a 

new life on his own on the other 

side of the world. He knew he 

wouldn't get days like this again. 

"Oh, look at that dog!" remarked 

Eve. Up ahead, charging through 

the forest, a small brown and cream 

dog came bounding over towards 

them. In its mouth was a green 

tennis ball. Walking briskly behind 

the dog came a woman dressed in 

a strappy top, a pair of jeans and a 

big pair of Wellington boots. 

She was about the same age as 

Paul and she certainly caught his 

eye. He'd seen her before in the 

village several times. 

The dog reached Eve and ran 

around her feet playfully. It dropped 

the tennis ball at their feet, in the 

hope that they would throw it. Eve 

clung to Paul, excited, but not quite 

sure if the dog would nip her. 

The woman finally reached Paul 

and Eve, a little out of breath. 

“Sorry about her. She just wants to 

make new friends,” she said. 

Paul looked at the woman. All of 

a sudden, he felt very shy. She was 

pretty. Very pretty. There was a 

slight flush in her cheeks and Paul 

couldn't take his eyes off her as she 

wiped the hair from her face. 

Eve bent down and finally gave the 

dog a stroke on her head. 

"She's gorgeous isn't she?" said 

Eve. 

Paul was still captivated by the 

woman. 

"Yes. She is," he replied. The 

woman caught him looking at her 

and for a second, they got lost in 

their own world as they passed 

each other on the small forest 

pathway. 

Paul turned to watch her walk 

away, hoping she'd turn back. 

"Bye bye doggie," said Eve as the 

dog went scampering away. As the 

dog caught up with her, the woman 

turned and smiled at Paul before 

disappearing into the forest. 

"She was nice wasn't she?" said 

Eve. Paul was still smiling inside. 

He turned to head out of the forest 

when Eve suddenly noticed the 

dog's tennis ball still lying at her 

feet. 

"Oh no. The dog's left her ball!" she 

cried, bending down to pick up the 

damp and scraggly ball. "I'm going 

to give it back to her," she said. 

"Ok," replied Paul rather hesitantly. 

Eve dashed off up the forest path 

where the woman and dog had 

gone and within seconds, she had 

disappeared totally. 

Immediately, Paul regretted 

leaving her go. As the minutes 

went by, his anxiety slowly gripped 

him. He thought he should go look 

for her but just then, his phoned 

buzzed. He took it out of his pocket 

to read the message that had just 

arrived. 

"Don't be late. Bx" read the

message. Paul didn't bother 

replying. He was more worried 

about his missing daughter. He 

quickly put his phone back in his 

pocket and as he looked up, much 

to his relief, Eve came leaping back 

through the forest with a big smile 

on her face. 

"I shouldn't have let you go like 

that," Paul said. 

"I was ok. I'm a big girl now and 

I followed the path. The dog was 

happy to have her ball back." 

"We need to get you home now. 

Your mother will be waiting for you." 

And just like that, their day was 

over. Their summer was over. 

As the couple made their way 

across the field to the car, Paul 

cast his mind back over the last six 

weeks. Together they recounted all 

the things they had done together - 

the visit to the castle on that boiling 

hot day; the sleepover where they’d 

stayed up late watching cartoons; 

the time they flew a kite and it hit a 

man on the head; that time they'd 

taken shelter from a summer storm 

in a shop doorway. This would be 

Paul's final summer in Wales for a 

long time. 

Eve reached up and placed her 

hand in his as they strode across 

the field together. In the sky, 

towards the west, a large grey cloud 

lumbered overhead. 

"Looks like rain. Autumn's on its 

way," said Paul. 

Eve ignored him. “Do you have to 

go away?” she said. 

Paul took a big breath. Every time 

she asked, it wrenched his heart. 

“I haven’t decided yet. I’ve got 

nothing here. Apart from you of 

course.” 

“Am I not enough?” 

Paul stopped in his tracks. He 

realised the enormity of what he 

had just said. He felt like he’d just 

crushed her. He crouched down, 

took both of Eve’s hands in his 

and looked into her eyes. In that 

moment, he envisioned saying 

goodbye at the airport. And it was 

too much to bear. 

“I’m so sorry. Yes of course you are 

enough.” 

“Then you'll stay?” 

Paul smiled and paused. “Yes. Yes 

I will stay.” 

Eve threw her arms around him. 

It was one of those hugs that only 

daughters can give. Paul stood 

up, lifting her up and carried her 

towards the car, her arms still 

around his neck. 

The journey back to Eve’s house 

was a quiet one. Paul wasn't sure 

that Eve believed him when he told 

her he'd stay. He'd promised many 

things in the past but never fulfilled 

them. He considered turning the 

radio on but decided that he’d 

only be doing that because he was 

uncomfortable with the silence. 

He glanced at Eve in the rear view 

mirror. She was looking out of the 

window. And she was still clutching 

the battered old football; still 

clinging on to the day. 

By the time they arrived at Beth’s, 

the night was closing in. Paul put 

his arm around Eve as they headed 

down the side of the house to the 

side door that led straight into 

the kitchen. From the look at the 

steamed up windows, it looked like 

tea was on the hob. 

A shape appeared in the glass at 

the door, before it opened and Beth 

stood there, apron wrapped around 

her. 

“Oh hi,” she said. “Come on in.” Eve 

stepped inside with her mother and 

then turned to Paul. 

“Can you wait just two minutes?” 

asked Eve. “I just need to get 

something for you.” 

“Yes, of course.” 

Paul was tempted to pull the door 

closed but thought that it would 

appear rude. So he stood there 

awkwardly and waited as the rain 

finally started to fall from the sky. 

He felt the warmth of the kitchen 

seeping out, wrapping itself around 

him. A gust of wind blew a few dead 

leaves around his feet. In the dark, 

he could only feel them as they 

rattled around his shoes. 

He peered into the kitchen. A waft 

of warm casserole drifted out and 

although Paul no longer ate meat, it 

still smelt homely. 

Beth's new man busied himself 

around the kitchen, folding a tea 

towel and bending down to open 

the oven. A great plume of steam 

escaped and whooshed up to the 

ceiling. He placed the casserole pot 

down and laid the tea towel next to 

it. 

Paul’s eyes lingered on the tea 

towel. He cast his mind back to 

the day both he and Beth bought 

it. They’d made a casserole that 

day too. In fact, it was the first meal 

they’d cooked together in their new 

home. That was when they had a 

lifetime of dreams ahead of them. 

Things didn't turn out quite as 

they'd hoped. 

Beth appeared back at the door. 

“You ok?” 

she asked, 

drying 

a plate 

with a 

piece 

of 

short story 

kitchen towel. 

“Yes thanks,” replied Paul. 

"Good," said Beth, disappearing 

back into the kitchen. 

Eve reappeared. 

"This is for you," she said, handing 

Paul a small envelope. He looked at 

it and smiled. Then he put it in his 

pocket. 

"Thank you." He crouched down 

and the pair embraced one last 

time. 

"Thank you for a lovely day," said 

Eve. "You're the best." 

He didn't feel it but even at 8 years 

of age, Eve always knew how to 

make Paul feel better about things. 

As he made his way to the car, he 

pulled his collar up to the wind and 

the rain. He opened his car door, 

flopped in and put his hands on the 

wheel. 

As the rain gently pit-pattered on 

his windscreen, he thought about 

the summer. He thought about Eve, 

his wonderful daughter. And he 

wondered whether he really could 

leave her to start a new life in New 

Zealand on his own. He thought he 

could escape the past but in reality, 

he would be escaping his present. 

He reached into his pocket for his 

car key but instead found the small 

envelope that Eve had given him. 

He took it out. 

It was a small white envelope with 

a big lump in the middle, stuck 

down with twisted bits of Sellotape. 

Paul carefully opened it and 

peered inside. 

He took out the first item - an 

acorn. It was the big shiny one that 

Eve had found in the forest. 

Then he reached in and carefully 

pulled out the other item - a small 

scrap of paper. It had been carefully 

folded over so Paul unfolded it. 

In Eve's own handwriting, it read: 

“Her name is Mary and this is her 

number.” Underneath was a mobile 

telephone number. 

“She says she’s free tomorrow 

night and she'll leave her doggie 

at home with his ball if you fancy a 

drink together.” 

Paul smiled for a moment. He read 

it a second time. 

"Thank you Eve," he said. 

“Thank you.” 

Then he started his car 

and drove off into the 

night. 

59

Providing full tree, grounds 

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landscaping services. 

We’re very proud of what we do for our clients and like most 

people who work in nature we spend a lot of time on our 

knees in one way or another. This is always humbling. 

Now, whether you call it humility or respect or admiration 

for nature, if you’re looking to work with a company that 

cares about these things TR33 could be what you’re after. 

For a free no obligation quote please contact 

0800 298 3686 I info@tr33.co.uk 

www.tr33.co.uk 

1 st 

Choice 

• Building & Property 

Maintenance 

• Interior & Exterior 

Painting 

• Wallpaper Hanging 

• Carpentry & Decking 

• Patios 

• Plumbing 

Painting & 

Decorating 

Specialists 

City & Guilds Qualified 

• Varnishing 

• Small Building Work 

• Tiling 

• UPVC Gutters & 

Downpipes cleared 

(of all rubbish, debris, 

moss etc) 

• Public Liability 

Call Gary on 

02922 472160 or 07717 154011 

garywoldfield@hotmail.co.uk 

Vibrant 

Gardens 

• Regular lawn mowing 

• Professional garden maintenance 

• Lawn feed, weed and moss control 

• Hard surface jet washing 

• Scarification and power raking 

• Hedge and shrub pruning 

• Driveway weed and moss control 

Regular Mowing 

& Gardening Service 

Everything you 

need to have that 

well-manicured 

garden 

Call Stuart on 07779 132149 for a free quote 

www.vibrant-gardens.co.uk 


Issue 49 (Winter) 

Booking deadline 

8th November 

Published 

27th November 

Whitchurch and 

Llandaff Living 

Issue 56 (Winter) 

Booking deadline 

4th November 

Published 

20th November

Freeview aerials 

Freesat & SKY dishes 

AccurateAerials 

WIFI 

CCTV 

improving reception since 1979 

Professionally installed 

by your local and experienced 

NVQ 2 Qualified Engineer 

For the design, supply and installation 

of aerial, satellite and internet TV services, 

call your local Registered Digital 

Installer (RDI) 

Mark Jones 

07836 265259 

18 Twyn y Fedwen, Whitchurch, Cardiff CF14 1HU 

www.accurateaerials.com 

info@accurateaerials.com 

ID: 18266724 

NHS /Private patients welcome 

Welsh Eye Care Service (WECS) / PEARS 

accredited 

Low Vision Service Wales accredited 

On-site glazing and repairs 

All types of contact lenses 

Wide range of excellent value frames from 

budget to designer brands 

Sunglasses 

Friendly husband and wife team 

Varilux specialist 

‘Optician of the Year’ 

at the 2015 Macular 

Society’s Annual Awards 

for Excellence 

3a Beulah Road, Rhiwbina, 

Cardiff CF14 6LT 029 2061 1283 

Tel: 07836 265259 

DOUBLE GLAZING REPAIR SERVICE 

* Broken Glass 

Replacement 

* Misted Glass 

Replacement 

* Faulty/Broken 

Hinges, Locks, Doors, 

Handles 

* Patio Door Problems 

* Draughty/Leaking 

Windows, Doors, 

Conservatories 

* Catflaps, Letterboxes, 

New Door Panels 

18 Twyn Y Fedwen, Whitchurch, Cardiff, CF14 1HU 

www.accurateaerials.com 

Email:accurateaerials@gmail.com 

* Stained Glass 

Repairs and 

Replacements 

* Glass/mirrors of all 

types cut to size 

* uPVC New 

Windows/ Doors 

Installed 

* Upgrades to Locks 

and Handles 

* Fascias, Guttering, 

Cladding 

* Shop Fronts 

For a free quotation by a reliable, 

competitive company, please feel 

free to get in touch 

UPVC WINDOWS AND 

COMPOSITE DOORS 

Composite doors are 

a great choice if you 

are thinking about 

replacing the doors 

in your home. They 

offer excellent energy 

efficiency and are 

available in a range of 

colours and designs to 

suit your budget. With 

a choice of glazing 

options and styles, 

we are sure to have 

the right door for you. 

Our UPVC windows 

and doors come in a 

range of styles and 

colours and conform 

to insurance standards. 

All new installations 

have an insurance 

backed guarantee. 

Decostains@aol.com 

www.doubleglazingrepairscardiff.co.uk 

Unit 3 Western Business Centre, Robert St, Ely, Cardiff , CF5 5AS 

(formerly of Western Avenue, Llandaff) 

02920 566694

One Pot 

Wonders 

The simplicity and delight of a slow-cooker is best savoured shut away 

from the world on a cold autumn night. Here are our favourites 

Skirlie Stuffed Mushrooms 

4 large flat mushrooms 

4 spring onions 

1 leek 

25g butter/vegan alternative 

4 leaves of fresh sage 

2 sprigs of fresh thyme 

1 sprig of fresh rosemary 

400ml water 

200g oats 

salt and pepper to season 

mushroom. Add 100ml of water to your slow cooker 

and put the lid on. Don't worry too much if all of the 

mushrooms don't fit on the floor of the cooker. They 

can be slightly stacked up. 

☐ Cook the mushrooms on a high setting for 2-3 hours, 

or on a low setting for 4 hours. 

☐ Serve with kale or cabbage on the side. 

☐ Clean and scrub the mushrooms but do not peel 

them. Remove the stalks and chop finely. Put the 

chopped stalks to one side. 

☐ Line your slow cooker with baking liner and place 

your mushrooms onto it. 

☐ Finely slice the spring onions and leek. Over a 

medium heat, melt the butter in a frying pan until it 

is soft. Add the chopped mushroom stalks and the 

herbs, mixing them well so that the chopped stalks are 

covered. Add in the porridge oats, allowing them to 

toast for about 3-4 minutes when they will start to smell 

nutty. 

☐ Stir in the water, 50mls at a time. Your mixture should 

absorb the water and swell up. If it starts looking too 

much like porridge, stop adding the water. Remove 

from the heat and season well with salt and pepper. 

☐ Spoon your mixture into the mushrooms, packing 

it in tightly to the edges to maintain the shape of the 

62

Beef bourguignon 

3 tbsp vegetable oil 

1½ kg stewing or braising steak, cut into small chunks 

2 large onions, chopped 

2 carrots, chopped 

2 celery stalks, chopped 

2 bay leaves 

2 thyme sprigs or rosemary sprigs 

3 tbsp plain flour 

750ml bottle red wine 

1 beef stock cube 

1 tsp caster sugar 

2 tbsp tomato purée 

100g unsmoked bacon lardons 

6 small shallots or baby onions, halved or quartered 

300g closed cup mushrooms, halved or quartered 

mashed potatoes or crusty bread, to serve 

recipes 

☐ 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 

batches until browned all over. Transfer to a plate. 

☐ Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pan and fry for 5-10 minutes until soft. Add the herbs and flour and 

cook for another 2 minutes. Pour a splash of the wine into a bowl, then add the stock cube, sugar and tomato 

purée and mix to form a paste. Scrape the paste into the onion mix and pour in the remaining wine. Bring the 

mixture to a bubble, then transfer to the slow cooker. Stir in the browned beef and simmer on low for 6-8 hrs. 

About 35 minutes before serving, fry the bacon, shallots and mushrooms for 5-8 minutes until caramelised and 

the veg is starting to soften, then tip into the slow cooker. Simmer the stew gently on high for 30 minutes. 

Slow cooker 

ultimate curry 

1 tbsp vegetable oil 

1 large onion peeled and chopped 

3 chicken breasts boneless and 

skinless, diced 

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 

1 large piece of ginger about the size 

of your thumb, peeled and finely 

chopped 

1 tsp salt 

½ tsp ground black pepper 

3 tsp hot chilli powder 

1 tbsp ground coriander 

½ tbsp cumin 

1 tbsp curry powder 

1 tsp paprika 

1 tsp cinnamon 

240ml chicken stock 

400g tinned chopped tomatoes 

2 tbsp tomato purée/paste 

2 tsp sugar 

400ml can full-fat coconut milk 

To Serve: 

Rice, chopped coriander and finely 

chopped chillies 

pepper, chilli powder, ground 

coriander, cumin, curry powder, 

paprika and cinnamon. 

☐ Stir to coat the chicken and cook 

for 1-2 minutes. 

☐ Add in the stock, tinned 

tomatoes, tomato purée, sugar and 

coconut milk. 

☐ Stir, bring to a gentle bubble 

then pour into your slow cooker and 

cook for 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 

hours on low. 

☐ Take the lid off and give 

everything a stir (the oils will have 

risen to the top, so you can spoon 

most of it out, or just stir it back in). 

Sprinkle with coriander and serve 

with rice. 

Cucumber raita 

½ cucumber 

a pinch of sea salt flakes 

1 x 150g pot natural yogurt 

1 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves 

☐ Peel the cucumber and coarsely 

grate it onto a board. Take a handful 

and squeeze out the excess juice 

over a sink; transfer to a bowl. 

Repeat the squeezing process with 

the rest. 

☐ Season the cucumber with the salt, 

and stir in the yogurt and mint. Cover 

and keep in the fridge until serving. 

☐ Preheat your slow cooker to high. 

Heat the oil in a large pan (or the 

slow cooker if it has a sear function), 

add in the onion and cook on a 

medium heat for 5-6 minutes until 

softened. 

☐ Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 

minutes until just sealed. 

☐ Add in the garlic, ginger, salt, 

63

Rhiwbina Living Issue 48

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