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

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.

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.

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

and Instagram

Email: friendsofrhiwbinalibrary@

gmail.com

Website: friendsofrhiwbinalibrary.

weebly.com

All FoRL proceeds and donations

go towards enhancing facilities at

Rhiwbina Library.

letters

Your letters

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

Rhiwbina

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

Rhiwbina

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

Rhiwbina

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

Under the new community association One Rhiwbina,

RHIWBINA EVENTS COMMITTEE

PROUDLY PRESENTS

The

Rhiwbina

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.

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.

ST DAVID’S

SIXTH FORM

OPEN EVENINGS

24th October / 13th November

4:30pm - 7:30pm

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.

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.

Why is family important?

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.

Why is family important?

You get cared for and without them you

wouldn't have been born!

How are you involved in your community?

I go to school, Debbie Chapman Dancers, two

drama schools and Brownies. I always take

part in the community magazine.

What do you think about the community of

Rhiwbina?

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.

How are you involved in your community?

I play rugby for Rhiwbeina Squirrels that my

dad helps to coach and I play tennis next to

Rhiwbeina Primary.

What do you think about the community of

Rhiwbina?

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.

Why is family important?

Family is important because it makes me feel

safe and we look after each other.

How are you involved in your community?

I go to Suzanne Scales Performing Arts

School, Debbie Chapman Dancers and

Rhiwbina Tennis Club.

What do you think about the community of

Rhiwbina?

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.

Why is family important?

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.

What do you think about the community of

Rhiwbina?

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.

Why is family important?

Because you look after each other and get to

celebrate special days together. If you are sad,

your family can help you.

How are you involved in your community?

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.

Why is family important?

Because we all respect God and we all work

together.

How are you involved in your community?

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

Rhiwbina Christmas Festival.

What do you think about the community of

Rhiwbina?

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.

Why is family important?

Because without a family, no

one can look after you. And they

love you.

How are you involved in your community?

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.

What do you think about the community of

Rhiwbina?

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

Rhiwbina?

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.

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

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

Rhiwbina Living Issue 48

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Rhiwbina Living Issue 48

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