Rhiwbina Living Issue 48
Autumn 2019 issue of Rhiwbina Living
Autumn 2019 issue of Rhiwbina Living
Transform your PDFs into Flipbooks and boost your revenue!
Leverage SEO-optimized Flipbooks, powerful backlinks, and multimedia content to professionally showcase your products and significantly increase your reach.
News | Home | Interviews | History | Competitions<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong><br />
At the heart of the community<br />
<strong>Issue</strong> <strong>48</strong> Autumn ‘19<br />
Your multi award-winning magazine for <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>
2<br />
Inside this issue<br />
Interview<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>'s Sarah<br />
Gilford talks<br />
about her life as<br />
a professional<br />
soprano in Munich<br />
Autumn Home<br />
Get cosy this<br />
autumn with our<br />
hand-picked<br />
collection of<br />
homeware and<br />
goodies<br />
Outdoors<br />
Get your wellies<br />
on, wrap up<br />
warm and make<br />
the most of life<br />
in autumn by<br />
heading outdoors<br />
History<br />
Take a look<br />
back at some of<br />
the shops that<br />
have graced<br />
our village in<br />
years gone by<br />
Winter deadline:<br />
8th November 2019<br />
Published 27th November 2019<br />
a: 222 Pantbach Road,<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, Cardiff CF14 6AG<br />
t: 07772 081775 / 07974 022920<br />
w: www.livingmags.co.uk<br />
e: editor@livingmags.co.uk or<br />
danielle@livingmags.co.uk<br />
Distribution: 6,000 copies of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong> are<br />
personally delivered by us to every house in the<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> ward four times a year in line with the<br />
seasons. We also distribute to local shops<br />
While every effort has been made to<br />
ensure the accuracy of the contents,<br />
the publisher cannot accept any<br />
responsibility for errors or omissions,<br />
or for any matter in any way arising<br />
from the publication of this material.<br />
Every effort has been made to<br />
contact any copyright holders.<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong> is an independent,<br />
apolitical publication. No part of this<br />
publication may be reproduced<br />
without the express written<br />
permission of the publishers.<br />
Welcome / Croeso<br />
Autumn is here! After enjoying<br />
a glorious summer and an<br />
Indian summer for most of<br />
September, any remaining<br />
hints of warm sunshine can't<br />
stop the leaves defiantly<br />
changing colour and<br />
succumbing to nature's call.<br />
The beauty of autumn<br />
is upon us, and with it,<br />
opportunities to embrace<br />
a different way of living as we<br />
adapt to the rhythms of the<br />
changing season.<br />
We traditionally gather in and<br />
gather around as the nights draw<br />
in, so it's the perfect chance to<br />
spend quality time with loved<br />
ones indoors. We present some<br />
ideas for how to make the most<br />
of the extra time we tend to have<br />
at home as the storms roll in and<br />
we hunker down.<br />
Preparing our homes for the<br />
weather and season ahead<br />
helps us to embrace and enjoy<br />
the change, so we have written<br />
a feature with ideas on how to<br />
adapt our homes. Our interior<br />
design product feature also<br />
gives us ideas for how to adorn<br />
our abode for autumn.<br />
Cosy times at home, keeping<br />
warm and sheltering from the<br />
darkness and cold, is tempered<br />
with an opportunity to enjoy the<br />
beautiful autumn days, still often<br />
filled with sunshine. Even when<br />
the weather is not favourable,<br />
there are seasonal activities to<br />
encourage us to get outdoors<br />
and enjoy the brisk air. So, we<br />
have compiled 10 things to do<br />
outdoors in autumn to promote<br />
the wellbeing that being<br />
outdoors in nature brings.<br />
There are, of course, always<br />
things to do in the garden<br />
during autumn and Kevin Revell<br />
suggests ways to retain colour<br />
What’s on<br />
Winter Wonderland<br />
Opens Friday 8th November<br />
City Hall, Cardiff<br />
Christmas food, rides and of course<br />
ice-skating - all set on Cardiff’s City<br />
Hall Lawn.<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Christmas Festival<br />
Saturday 30th November 4pm-8pm<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Village<br />
The highlight of the <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> winter<br />
calendar.<br />
in our outdoor spaces as well as<br />
preparing for the seasons ahead.<br />
We also hear from Men's Shed<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, who offer a glimpse<br />
into their 'Den'.<br />
For our interview, we spoke<br />
to Sarah Gilford who attended<br />
Whitchurch High School and<br />
is now a professional soprano<br />
working in Munich. She shares<br />
the story of her roots to her<br />
rise to fame and reflects on<br />
some of the local support she<br />
has received to achieve her<br />
ambitions.<br />
We have two history features,<br />
one looking at the <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
shops of yesteryear and another<br />
looking at Smart's Garage - a<br />
popular family-run business that<br />
is remembered by many.<br />
With all our usual local<br />
community news and events<br />
presented, you will find plenty to<br />
read and enjoy in this issue. So,<br />
grab a cup of something hot and<br />
snuggle down- we have even<br />
written a short story for those of<br />
you that like to read fiction.<br />
Please generously support our<br />
advertisers as always and we will<br />
see you again before Christmas!<br />
Danielle and Patric<br />
Editors<br />
@<strong>Rhiwbina</strong><strong>Living</strong><br />
www.facebook.com/<br />
rhiwbinaliving<br />
Llandaff Village Christmas Lights<br />
Wednesday 27th November<br />
Llandaff High Street<br />
Llandaff's big Christmas Light Switch<br />
On.<br />
Whitchurch Reindeer Run<br />
Saturday 7th December 5pm<br />
Whitchurch Village<br />
A one-mile fun run around<br />
Whitchurch village and an evening of<br />
festive celebration.
Children turn<br />
detective in<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
Whodunnit?<br />
This summer, a dastardly crime cast<br />
a shadow over the usually idyllic<br />
village of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>.<br />
The (entirely fictional!) theft of local<br />
rugby hero Morgan Bruiser’s lucky<br />
boots hit the community hard and<br />
hundreds of children took to the<br />
streets to attempt to bring the thief<br />
to justice.<br />
The first-ever ‘Whodunnit Trail’ was<br />
produced by Rhiwbeina Primary<br />
PTA to provide an activity over the<br />
summer holidays that was fun,<br />
cheap and active.<br />
Wannabe detectives bought their<br />
clue sheets from local businesses,<br />
Edwards & Co or Victoria Fearn<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>'s annual Christmas Festival<br />
will take place on 30th November<br />
this year.<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Events Committee are<br />
already well into their planning for<br />
the event, which always draws large<br />
crowds into the village.<br />
Canolfan Beulah will be the venue<br />
for crafts and gift stalls and there will<br />
also be late night shopping from the<br />
local traders.<br />
The big Christmas Light Switch On<br />
will take place at 5pm, and it will be<br />
followed by the singing of carols<br />
around the tree.<br />
A week later in Whitchurch, there<br />
will be the sound of hooves and<br />
sleigh bells as the annual Reindeer<br />
Run takes place on Saturday 7th<br />
December.<br />
Gallery, and then followed the<br />
trail on a walk/scoot around our<br />
beautiful Garden Village, solving<br />
clues to eliminate suspects and<br />
potential hiding places as they went.<br />
Some of the clues revealed<br />
passwords to be given to staff in The<br />
Olive Branch, Secret Shed or The<br />
Butcher’s Arms, who then released<br />
further evidence and puzzle sheets<br />
to the cunning detectives.<br />
The trail ended at The Butcher’s<br />
Arms, where amateur detectives<br />
could enjoy a well-earned drink,<br />
whilst discussing their conclusions<br />
on Whodunnit and why.<br />
As the holidays drew to a close, the<br />
entries were collated and sorted to<br />
reveal that most of the detectives<br />
had correctly identified Morgan’s<br />
sister, Millie Bruiser, as the crafty<br />
thief and her student flat as the<br />
hiding place for the illustrious boots.<br />
Amy Biott, her children Florence<br />
and Jack and her fellow child minder<br />
Donna Barlow, were the lucky team<br />
drawn out of the correct entries to<br />
receive the amazing prize of a £50<br />
voucher towards a family meal at<br />
The Butcher’s Arms.<br />
Rhiwbeina Primary PTA raised a<br />
wonderful £383 from the event and<br />
are hopeful that it can become an<br />
annual tradition.<br />
Local Christmas events in the diary<br />
The village celebrates the festive<br />
one-mile fun run with stalls, crafts,<br />
rides and late-night opening in<br />
some shops. There will be more<br />
entertainment in the form of street<br />
performers and live music<br />
There will also be an outdoor cinema<br />
and a festive finale. Organisers hope to<br />
raise over £10,000 for the RNLI.<br />
news<br />
New transport<br />
plans promise<br />
new services<br />
for <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
Cardiff North AM Julie Morgan<br />
has welcomed plans to improve<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>’s railway station which<br />
will see its track doubled and<br />
part-electrified, if new proposals<br />
from Transport for Wales go<br />
ahead in mid-2021 as part of the<br />
South Wales Metro scheme.<br />
Julie told <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong>:<br />
“It’s excellent news that<br />
the plans include improved<br />
accessibility as it is vital that<br />
we do not exclude anyone in<br />
the community from using the<br />
trains. I understand the aim is<br />
for ‘step-free’ access from the<br />
platform onto trains, which<br />
anyone with mobility problems<br />
will understand the need for very<br />
well.<br />
“There are also plans for a<br />
second platform, a new station<br />
footbridge and an hourly Sunday<br />
service will also be re-introduced<br />
from 2023.<br />
“I am also very pleased that<br />
there is the potential for the<br />
Coryton line to be extended with<br />
a new station at Velindre to serve<br />
the new cancer hospital," added<br />
Julie.<br />
A TfW spokesman added:<br />
“Construction of this section<br />
of track is currently expected<br />
to take place in mid-2021. Our<br />
stakeholder and communications<br />
teams will be reaching out to<br />
work with local communities,<br />
user groups and the local<br />
authority to discuss the proposed<br />
interventions well in advance<br />
of the works and provide more<br />
detailed designs when these are<br />
finalised.”<br />
The timetable is expected<br />
to remain with two trains per<br />
hour in each direction, Monday<br />
to Saturday, with an hourly<br />
service on Sundays added from<br />
December 2023.<br />
3
news<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> RFC<br />
team up with City<br />
Hospice<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> RFC has chosen City<br />
Hospice, Cardiff’s local hospice, as<br />
its Annual Raffle partner for 2019.<br />
The 2018 Annual Raffle raised a<br />
remarkable £8,000 for the club<br />
and its charity partner, but this year,<br />
the club and City Hospice have<br />
an ambitious plan to double that<br />
amount.<br />
Richard Price of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> RFC<br />
said:<br />
“We’re very pleased to have City<br />
Hospice as our charity partner. The<br />
valuable funds raised will support<br />
their work with patients and families<br />
across Cardiff but also help us to<br />
develop community rugby and<br />
coaching at all levels. We felt that<br />
we had so much in common when<br />
it came to supporting the local<br />
community and we plan to pull out<br />
all the stops to double the amount<br />
raised last year”.<br />
City Hospice is a registered charity<br />
at the heart of Cardiff, providing<br />
specialist medical, nursing and<br />
end of life care to patients in their<br />
own homes. They are also the only<br />
at-home palliative care provider for<br />
the city of Cardiff and need to raise<br />
a total of £2m to keep providing<br />
these specialist services.<br />
Daisy Magill, the hospice's<br />
Fundraising Officer said:<br />
“We are absolutely delighted to be<br />
in partnership with <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> RFC<br />
for its Annual Charity Raffle. Thank<br />
you very much to the club for<br />
choosing us. We are very grateful<br />
for your support!”<br />
All prizes are donated by local<br />
businesses or individuals and both<br />
organisations are very grateful for<br />
their generous support.<br />
Tickets are on sale from <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
RFC players, supporters and<br />
volunteers across all age groups<br />
from Under 7s to Seniors. Tickets<br />
will also be available at City<br />
Hospice shops, activities and<br />
events. To find out more or to get<br />
yours, call 02920 524150.<br />
4<br />
Monico Movies announce Autumn line up<br />
Community cinema Monico Movies<br />
have released their Autumn and<br />
Winter line up for November and<br />
December.<br />
Since launching their not-for-profit<br />
community cinema in October 2015,<br />
they have screened 47 films, with<br />
the aim of evoking memories of<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>'s Monico Cinema.<br />
Viv Jones told <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong>:<br />
"We pride ourselves on hosting a<br />
very family-friendly atmosphere at<br />
our monthly screenings and feel that<br />
our audience now enjoys a sense of<br />
ownership for our monthly cinema.<br />
"We started with absolutely nothing<br />
and applied to the National Lottery<br />
for a grant to purchase our own<br />
equipment; everyone on our crew is<br />
a volunteer and our success is thanks<br />
to their hard work and enthusiasm."<br />
Films they have screened include,<br />
among others, Dark Horse, Brooklyn,<br />
The Martian, Mustang, Bridge of Spies,<br />
Hidden Figures, Hedd Wyn, The Book<br />
Thief and Casablanca.<br />
For their Autumn and Winter<br />
screenings, they will be showing<br />
Solomon a Gaenor, a Welsh language<br />
film starring Ioan Gruffydd (November<br />
9th), and their Christmas Special, Stan<br />
and Ollie (14th December).<br />
Scouts from <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> were among<br />
those from Cardiff and the Vale<br />
Area who were welcomed into the<br />
prestigious Lord Mayor’s troop in<br />
September.<br />
The annual Lord Mayor’s own<br />
presentation was supported and<br />
hosted by Cardiff and Vale College,<br />
recognising the achievement of the<br />
young people who have gained<br />
Scouting’s highest awards and<br />
valuable skills for life.<br />
Monico Movies' Sue Harding said:<br />
"One of our main objectives when<br />
deciding to set up a community<br />
cinema was that we definitely didn't<br />
want to compete with big cinemas.<br />
We wanted to share our love of great<br />
film and provide people with an<br />
opportunity to see films that maybe<br />
they'd never have thought of seeing."<br />
The original Monico Cinema opened<br />
on 19th April 1937. It had a seating<br />
capacity of 950 in stalls and circle.<br />
The building was demolished and a<br />
block of flats was built on the site in<br />
2004.<br />
Tickets for the forthcoming<br />
screenings are available from the Deri<br />
Stores, The Honeypot, Serenade and<br />
Victoria Fearn Gallery.<br />
You can find out more about their<br />
work at www.monicomovies.co.uk<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Scouts attend Lord Mayor's troop<br />
Area Commissioner Julian Jordan<br />
said:<br />
“Life is all about the journey<br />
and achievements these young<br />
people have been recognised for<br />
in their Scouting lives so far. We are<br />
honoured to have this connection<br />
between the Lord Mayor and Cardiff<br />
and Vale Scouts that is unique in<br />
Wales."<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> 2nd Scouts have recently<br />
celebrated 50 years in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>.<br />
Debbie Chapman Dancers donate<br />
£10,000 to Maggie's Centre<br />
Local dance school Debbie Chapman<br />
Dancers has donated £10,000 to<br />
Maggie's Centre in Whitchurch.<br />
The school has been raising money<br />
through their sell-out shows at<br />
St David's Hall, that took place in<br />
February and July.<br />
Debbie told <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong>:<br />
"We are absolutely thrilled to<br />
announce that our recent show,<br />
Dansation XIII, raised £10,000 for<br />
Maggie's Cardiff. Thank you so much<br />
to all pupils, parents and anyone else<br />
involved in the fundraising."<br />
Maggie's Cardiff offers professional<br />
support to people with cancer and<br />
their loved ones.
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Library<br />
Diary dates<br />
October<br />
Saturday 12th: Board Games<br />
(1.30pm)<br />
Monday 14th: FoRL Reading Group<br />
(7.30pm)<br />
Monday 21st: Read Aloud (3pm)<br />
Wednesday 30th: Quiz (3.30pm)<br />
November<br />
Saturday 2nd: Dementia Café<br />
(11am–noon)<br />
Saturday 9th: Board Games<br />
(1.30pm)<br />
Monday 18th: Read Aloud (3pm)<br />
Monday 18th: FoRL Reading Group<br />
(7.30pm)<br />
Wednesday 27th: Quiz (3.30pm)<br />
Every Saturday:<br />
Jigsaw Library (10am-12.30pm)<br />
Every third Monday of the month:<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Library Book Club<br />
(7.30pm-8.30pm)<br />
Every second Saturday of the<br />
month:<br />
Board Games (1.30pm-3.30pm)<br />
All the latest news and events<br />
from <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Library<br />
Coming up at<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Library<br />
Book Group<br />
Friends of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Library has its<br />
own book group. We meet in the<br />
library on the third Monday of each<br />
month (7.30pm-8.30pm) to discuss<br />
a nominated book and share bookish<br />
recommendations. Pop along<br />
and give it a go.<br />
Board Games<br />
Our Board Games sessions (for<br />
young and old) are held on the<br />
second Saturday of the month<br />
(1.30pm-3.30pm). Abandon your<br />
screens and gadgets and enjoy<br />
an afternoon of good company,<br />
competitive fun and delicious<br />
snacks.<br />
Jigsaw Library<br />
Helpers are needed! Every<br />
Saturday morning (10am-12.30pm),<br />
our jigsaw library offers a vast<br />
choice of jigsaws for all ages.<br />
Thanks to our great volunteers<br />
for making this happen. If you can<br />
spare a few hours once in a while<br />
please contact<br />
Richard.essex@ntlworld.com<br />
Dementia Café<br />
Dementia Café meets at the<br />
library on the first Saturday of<br />
every month (11am–noon). This is<br />
a wonderful opportunity for those<br />
living with dementia, and their<br />
carers, to socialise and make new<br />
friends.<br />
Read Aloud<br />
On the third Monday of each<br />
month (3pm-4pm), the library<br />
hosts a ‘Read Aloud’ session for<br />
grown-ups, where we listen to and<br />
discuss a short story. The perfect<br />
opportunity to escape the real<br />
world for an hour or so and let the<br />
mind's eye wander.<br />
Chair Yoga<br />
Chair Yoga can help you feel<br />
less stressed, gain flexibility<br />
and stamina. Using a chair as a<br />
balancing aid, this NEW class<br />
is designed to suit all ages and<br />
abilities. Mondays (10.30am-<br />
11.30am).<br />
Good Yarn Club<br />
A huge thank you to Sandra<br />
and The Good Yarn knitting/<br />
crochet group for their donation<br />
of £100, raised through sales of<br />
their hand-made items. They<br />
meet in the library on Thursdays<br />
from 2pm until 4pm. Contact<br />
rhiwbinagoodyarnknittingclub@<br />
gmail.com for more details.<br />
New Planters<br />
Thanks to Mike Wright and his<br />
colleagues from Men’s Sheds<br />
Cymru and a grant from Cardiff<br />
Council, we now have four<br />
handsome planters stationed<br />
outside our library. We’re sure you’ll<br />
agree they add colour and interest<br />
to that area. We look forward to<br />
future cooperation with Mike and<br />
the team.<br />
For full details of events, consult<br />
the Library notice board or<br />
Tel: 029 2069 3276<br />
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter<br />
and Instagram<br />
Email: friendsofrhiwbinalibrary@<br />
gmail.com<br />
Website: friendsofrhiwbinalibrary.<br />
weebly.com<br />
All FoRL proceeds and donations<br />
go towards enhancing facilities at<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Library.<br />
5
letters<br />
Your letters<br />
WE<br />
WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!<br />
We love to hear what you've been up to<br />
so send us your letters and photos!<br />
We'll do our best to print them all!<br />
editor@livingmags.co.uk<br />
Autumn Poem<br />
The morning sun illuminates the<br />
Graig<br />
enhancing the hues of golden<br />
trees<br />
where a rainbow seems to<br />
originate:<br />
a colourful bridge in the blue<br />
ether,<br />
mountain clouds framing the<br />
horizon.<br />
This alluring view from the autumn<br />
hill<br />
relaxes my soul more than any pill,<br />
Breath disappearing ghost-like in<br />
the air<br />
as raindrops drip as if a tap,<br />
glistening jewels in the sunshine.<br />
Then the rainbow weakens,<br />
vanishing<br />
as dark clouds menace the sky<br />
once more.<br />
The show's over but I'll remember<br />
this beautiful sight...deep in<br />
November.<br />
Guy Fletcher<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
Brecon Memories<br />
I have had great pleasure from<br />
reading <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong> magazine<br />
with its first-class presentation.<br />
It's certainly at the heart of the<br />
community and I was impressed<br />
with your feature entitled 'Maggie's<br />
Mission', that has changed the lives<br />
of hundreds of local people with<br />
special needs. Her visits to Storey<br />
Arms are near to my home in the<br />
Brecon Beacons.<br />
Rhiwbeina<br />
Welsh Nursery<br />
Celebrates 1959-<br />
2019<br />
This October, the Welsh Nursery<br />
in Rhiwbeina will celebrate sixty<br />
years since its establishment in<br />
1959 in the Rhiwbeina Memorial<br />
Hall. Since then, it has moved to<br />
its present site in Bethel Chapel,<br />
Maes y Deri.<br />
Back in 1959, Rhiwbeina was still<br />
part of the Glamorgan County<br />
until the local reorganisation in the<br />
seventies.<br />
Therefore, if parents in Rhiwbeina<br />
wanted a bilingual education for<br />
their children, the nearest Welsh<br />
medium school was in Cardiff so<br />
they would have to pay all the<br />
costs to send their children to this<br />
school.<br />
In 1958, Gwilym Roberts, who<br />
was brought up in Rhiwbeina,<br />
returned to the village from<br />
college to teach Welsh in one<br />
of the English medium schools<br />
in Cardiff. He felt deeply that he<br />
didn't have the opportunity as a<br />
Welsh speaker to have a Welsh<br />
medium education so he decided<br />
to establish a Welsh medium<br />
nursery in Rhiwbeina. This would<br />
then possibly lead to asking the<br />
Glamorgan County Education<br />
Department to establish a Welsh<br />
medium primary school in the<br />
village.<br />
He discussed his idea with Gwyn<br />
Daniel who was a headmaster<br />
in Gwaelod y Garth and also the<br />
Secretary of U.C.A.C. (Union of<br />
Teachers in Wales) and as a result,<br />
the two of them visited Welsh<br />
speaking parents in the area to ask<br />
for their support.<br />
A meeting was convened in the<br />
'Wendy Hut' and Gwilym was<br />
instructed to look for suitable<br />
premises. On the opening day of<br />
the nursery, 21 children attended.<br />
Over the years, the nursery has<br />
expanded to be full time and it is<br />
still flourishing with a waiting list.<br />
Penblwydd Hapus!<br />
G Roberts<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
I have included of interest to<br />
you, Maggie, and your magazine<br />
readers, my illustration of Ken<br />
Dodd, performing his Mandalay<br />
Stage Act in the Brecon Beacons.<br />
He had framed a copy for himself<br />
and has given me much praise.<br />
Dewi Bowen<br />
Retired Art Teacher (92 years old)<br />
Merthyr Tydfil<br />
Job Well Done<br />
A quick note to say thank you for<br />
our magazines. We love getting<br />
them through our letterbox!<br />
L. Jesson<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
If you have anything you’d like our readers to know about, drop us a line at editor@livingmags.co.uk or by letter to<br />
222 Pantbach Road, <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, Cardiff CF14 6AG. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter<br />
6
Under the new community association One <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>,<br />
RHIWBINA EVENTS COMMITTEE<br />
PROUDLY PRESENTS<br />
The<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
Christmas<br />
Festival<br />
Welcome in Christmas this year at the wonderful<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Christmas Festival. Meet Santa, do a spot<br />
of late night Christmas shopping and watch the<br />
Christmas lights switch on!<br />
Christmas Lights<br />
Switch On 5pm<br />
Meet Father Christmas<br />
from 3pm at the<br />
Secret Shed<br />
Carols around the<br />
Tree 5.30pm<br />
RIDES | CRAFT & GIFT STALLS | LATE NIGHT SHOPPING | STREET FOOD<br />
NOVEMBER<br />
30 TH 2019<br />
RHIWBINA VILLAGE<br />
4pm - 6.30pm<br />
ROAD CLOSURES: Heol Y Deri will be closed to all traffic from 2pm on the 30th November and will re-open at 8pm. The road closure<br />
begins at the crossroads of Beulah Church and continues to Lon Isa. Pen Y Dre will also be closed to traffic during this time from the<br />
crossroads to Lon Y Dail. Beulah Road will remain open to traffic and the buses will be diverted along it.
Ethical Informed<br />
Citizens at<br />
Llanishen Fach<br />
Primary School<br />
In the summer 2017 edition of<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong>, we wrote an<br />
article entitled ‘Making Learning<br />
Irresistible’ which described how,<br />
here at Llanishen Fach Primary<br />
School, we were working to shape<br />
a new curriculum in response to<br />
the Welsh Government’s 2015<br />
publication, ‘Successful Futures’.<br />
In setting aspirations for education<br />
in twenty-first century Wales,<br />
Welsh Government adopted the<br />
‘Four Purposes’, where pupils are:<br />
• Ambitious, capable learners<br />
• Enterprising, creative contributors<br />
• Ethical, informed citizens<br />
• Healthy, confident individuals<br />
Two years on, the positive<br />
response from our pupils and<br />
their families to our efforts have<br />
demonstrated to us that we are<br />
on the right track in preparing our<br />
pupils for the lives that lay ahead<br />
of them. As an indication of how<br />
far our children have travelled in<br />
embracing the Four Purposes, we<br />
would like to share six short pieces<br />
written by some of our Year 5 and<br />
Year 6 pupils.<br />
The contributions were submitted<br />
following a request for articles on<br />
a subject of their choice that our<br />
pupils wanted to present to a wider<br />
audience. If the Welsh Government<br />
want to see evidence of the<br />
adoption of the Four Purposes,<br />
they need look no further than<br />
Llanishen Fach Primary School. We<br />
hope you agree that their ideas,<br />
compassion and quality of writing<br />
is humbling.<br />
8<br />
Plastic pollution<br />
Are we to believe that one of the<br />
biggest problems we face today is the<br />
fact that we are drowning in plastic?<br />
Roughly over 100 years ago, plastic<br />
was invented. At the time, it was a<br />
miracle because it was so durable<br />
and cheap to make. Nowadays,<br />
plastic finds its way into everything,<br />
even our clothes.<br />
I think that this is a problem<br />
because as plastic is so durable, it<br />
takes between 500 to 1000 years to<br />
biodegrade; and we are making too<br />
much to get rid of.<br />
40% of plastics are used for<br />
unrecyclable packaging. 12.7 million<br />
tonnes of this finds its way into the<br />
ocean each year! In the US, plastic<br />
makes up to 34% of waste generated<br />
each year! Over 109 years, 8.3 billion<br />
tonnes of plastic has been made and<br />
6.3 billion tonnes of that has become<br />
waste. That’s just 9% recycled, 12%<br />
burnt and 79% wasted.<br />
Unless we all get together and<br />
use less plastic, and recycle the<br />
plastic that we do use, then we will<br />
undoubtedly grow up living in a sad<br />
world of no natural wildlife!<br />
So to do your bit, go to<br />
www.cleanseas.org/pledge or<br />
www.4ocean.com<br />
By Tobias Brown<br />
Palm oil -<br />
impossible to give<br />
up?<br />
I love orang-utans, but the orangutan<br />
population is decreasing. Do you<br />
know why?<br />
It’s because palm oil demand has<br />
increased. Around 50% of our daily<br />
goods contain palm oil. It’s the most<br />
widely produced vegetable oil. 90%<br />
of palm oil is currently produced in<br />
Malaysia and Indonesia.<br />
Palm oil plantations are causing<br />
rainforest destruction. Rainforest<br />
areas the size of 300 football fields are<br />
being destroyed every hour. This is<br />
horrific.<br />
Orang-utans are in danger because<br />
they live in rainforests and they look<br />
for food in the plantations. They<br />
are seen as pests. It’s not right they<br />
are just at home minding their own<br />
business.<br />
Most companies use different<br />
names for palm oil, that is why it<br />
can be impossible to give up. Only<br />
some companies have agreed to<br />
use organic palm oil. But this is not<br />
enough.<br />
What can you do to help? Tell<br />
people; try not to buy products<br />
containing palm oil; it's difficult I know,<br />
I have tried. Look for the other names<br />
given to palm oil and try to avoid<br />
these. It’s not impossible to give up;<br />
what we need is change. We can save<br />
the orang-utans. We must.<br />
By Hannah Welch<br />
The homelessness<br />
crisis<br />
The reason I am writing this article<br />
about homelessness is because I feel<br />
sorry for people who have nothing.<br />
I have seen a homeless man who<br />
does not have any arms. He does<br />
not own anything except a pair of<br />
trousers, not even a T-shirt. Some<br />
of us get cold when we are in bed<br />
at home in winter, yet this man had<br />
nothing to keep him warm.<br />
According to the Office for National<br />
Statistics, there were an estimated<br />
90 deaths of homeless people in<br />
Wales in the five years up to 2017.<br />
Furthermore, according to a Welsh<br />
Government report, 9,072 households<br />
in Wales were in danger of becoming<br />
homeless during 2017-18. To be
legally defined as homeless, you<br />
must lack a secure place, in which<br />
you are entitled to either live or<br />
reasonably be able to stay.<br />
In December 2018, an estimated<br />
131,000 children were homeless in<br />
England, Scotland and Wales.<br />
This is 3% higher than 2017 (over 3,000<br />
more children) and 59% higher than<br />
2013 (nearly 50,000 more children).<br />
Should we really believe that we<br />
cannot improve this situation?<br />
By Ben Lewis<br />
The Four Rs<br />
Plastic pollution is the main thing<br />
affecting us on Earth and we have a<br />
duty to prevent this from happening.<br />
In 2016, 7 billion people produced<br />
320 MILLION tonnes of plastic. This<br />
amount is set to double in 2034.<br />
8 million pieces of plastic go into<br />
the ocean every day. There are an<br />
estimated 100 million tonnes of<br />
plastic in oceans around the world.<br />
Over 1 million marine animals<br />
including mammals, fish, sharks,<br />
turtles and birds are killed each year,<br />
which is distressing. The North Pacific<br />
Gyre is a huge problem in the ocean.<br />
It is a massive pile of floating rubbish,<br />
twice the size of Texas, USA. There are<br />
1.8 TRILLION pieces of rubbish laying<br />
in the water there.<br />
This plastic waste takes hundreds<br />
or even thousands of years to break<br />
down. It can cause disease and<br />
defects in animals and humans.<br />
In order to help this situation, we have<br />
the four Rs.<br />
What are the four Rs?<br />
• REDUCE our plastic waste by buying<br />
non-plastic packaging.<br />
• RE-USE our plastic carrier bags.<br />
• RECYCLE our rubbish.<br />
• REFUSE items such as plastic straws<br />
in drinks.<br />
Therefore, by doing this, we can<br />
save our planet for wildlife and future<br />
generations.<br />
By Lily Stansfield<br />
Vegan for the<br />
environment<br />
In my opinion, everyone needs to help<br />
the environment in different ways.<br />
The most efficient thing we can do<br />
as individuals, according to an Oxford<br />
study, is to live a vegan lifestyle.<br />
No one can deny greenhouse gas<br />
emissions are a big problem, but not<br />
many people know that over 51% of<br />
these emissions come from animal<br />
livestock through their digestion<br />
gases and<br />
manure waste,<br />
which is called<br />
'methane gas'.<br />
It is 72 times<br />
more powerful<br />
than CO2 in its<br />
effects on global<br />
warming.<br />
In my point<br />
of view, we all<br />
need to look<br />
after our water<br />
as well. A lot of<br />
water is used for<br />
producing meat,<br />
but a lot less is<br />
used for fruits<br />
and vegetables.<br />
Consequently,<br />
we should eat<br />
no meat or less<br />
meat to reduce<br />
water usage.<br />
Deforestation<br />
is also causing a<br />
lot of problems<br />
for us in this world. However, there<br />
is a way to solve this. The animal<br />
agriculture is responsible for 91%<br />
of Amazon rainforest destruction. A<br />
vegan lifestyle can put an end to it.<br />
We can also help the oceans by<br />
taking away the fishing nets. Can you<br />
believe that sea animals get strangled<br />
by fishing nets as there is 46% of<br />
ocean plastic? Unless we stop eating<br />
meat, the environment and animals<br />
will continue to suffer. In conclusion,<br />
I feel we shall be able to live how<br />
we want without damaging the<br />
environment. Try to go vegan please!<br />
By Lucy German<br />
Bins!<br />
schools<br />
Every time I go to the Wenallt to walk<br />
my dog, I find the bins in the car park<br />
overflowing with rubbish. This makes<br />
me feel very annoyed and disturbed.<br />
First of all, it is destroying the beauty<br />
of our landscape in the Wenallt.<br />
Secondly, it highlights the fact that<br />
we don’t have access to recycling<br />
facilities in the Wenallt as much<br />
of that rubbish is recyclable and<br />
thirdly, I believe that this encourages<br />
irresponsible disposal of personal<br />
rubbish and fly-tipping.<br />
No one can deny that this rubbish<br />
looks rubbish and my generation<br />
wants to enjoy the beauty of the<br />
Wenallt just like previous generations<br />
have. I believe that if these bins are<br />
left to consistently overflow then<br />
consequently our landscape will be<br />
destroyed forever.<br />
By Thomas Jackson<br />
School Lottery<br />
A ticket costs £1 per week and<br />
all funds raised go directly to the<br />
school. Each ticket will also enter<br />
you in TWO draws:<br />
- A jackpot prize draw for £25,000<br />
- A local draw with a guaranteed<br />
prize for one of the supporters of<br />
the school.<br />
To enter the School Lottery, head<br />
to www.yourschoollottery.co.uk and<br />
search for Llanishen Fach Primary<br />
School in the Find My School<br />
section.<br />
9
ST DAVID’S<br />
SIXTH FORM<br />
OPEN EVENINGS<br />
24th October / 13th November<br />
4:30pm - 7:30pm<br />
Register online at:<br />
www.stdavidscollege.ac.uk<br />
Inspiring and supporting success since 1987<br />
Waunwaelod Way, Caerphilly Mountain,<br />
Mid Glamorgan, CF83 1BD<br />
Phone: 02920 880534<br />
email: theblackcockinncaerphilly@gmail.com<br />
Website: www.jlpubsltd.co.uk
Also proudly sponsored by <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong>
kids<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> is a village full of families and community spirit. We asked<br />
young children what family and community means to them<br />
Charlie<br />
aged 6<br />
What is the best<br />
thing about being in a<br />
family?<br />
Cuddling and going<br />
on holidays to make<br />
giant sandcastles.<br />
Why is family important?<br />
Family is important so that we don't get lost<br />
and we also need someone to pay for our<br />
things in the shops.<br />
How are you involved in your community?<br />
I go litter picking in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> and I'm also<br />
in a club called Pebbles once a week. I also<br />
like going to the shops to buy things.<br />
What do you think about the community of<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>?<br />
I like looking out of my windows at the<br />
rainbow cars going past my house and also<br />
looking for Nan and Grandad.<br />
12<br />
Why we love our family<br />
and community<br />
Seb aged 8<br />
What is the best thing<br />
about being in a family?<br />
The best thing about being<br />
in a family is having fun<br />
and being there for one<br />
another.<br />
Why is family important?<br />
Because some people in<br />
the world don’t have one.<br />
They keep you safe and<br />
even when you fall out,<br />
Evie aged 8<br />
What is the best thing<br />
about being in a family?<br />
You have people to take<br />
care of you and also get<br />
clothes and a bed and a<br />
nice home where people<br />
will love you.<br />
Why is family important?<br />
You get cared for and without them you<br />
wouldn't have been born!<br />
How are you involved in your community?<br />
I go to school, Debbie Chapman Dancers, two<br />
drama schools and Brownies. I always take<br />
part in the community magazine.<br />
What do you think about the community of<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>?<br />
I think <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> is a cosy village and I love<br />
being involved in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>. It's quite a small<br />
village but there is a lot of stuff to do here.<br />
they still love you.<br />
How are you involved in your community?<br />
I play rugby for Rhiwbeina Squirrels that my<br />
dad helps to coach and I play tennis next to<br />
Rhiwbeina Primary.<br />
What do you think about the community of<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>?<br />
I love living in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> because we can walk<br />
to loads of things. I love the sausage rolls at<br />
Parsons, the vanilla ice cream at Nest and<br />
going to the stream!
Sienna aged 8<br />
What is the best thing about<br />
being in a family?<br />
The best thing is spending<br />
time with each other and<br />
feeling so loved.<br />
Why is family important?<br />
Family is important because it makes me feel<br />
safe and we look after each other.<br />
How are you involved in your community?<br />
I go to Suzanne Scales Performing Arts<br />
School, Debbie Chapman Dancers and<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Tennis Club.<br />
What do you think about the community of<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>?<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> is a safe, friendly and happy place.<br />
Ariana aged 7<br />
What is the best thing about being in a<br />
family?<br />
They give you the things you need. I have<br />
my brother and sister so<br />
always have someone to<br />
play with. They love me<br />
no matter what.<br />
Why is family important?<br />
Because then you can<br />
have fun. Your family love<br />
and care about you like<br />
nobody else.<br />
How are you involved in<br />
your community?<br />
Debbie Chapman Dancers. I spend a lot of<br />
my free time at different dance classes. I’m<br />
really lucky it is part of our community.<br />
What do you think about the community of<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>?<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> is really special. Everyone is really<br />
friendly and kind.<br />
Rosie aged 8<br />
What is the best thing about being in a family?<br />
I like having my family because you get to<br />
do lots of fun things and you get to look after<br />
each other.<br />
Why is family important?<br />
Because you look after each other and get to<br />
celebrate special days together. If you are sad,<br />
your family can help you.<br />
How are you involved in your community?<br />
I go to school in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> and I also go<br />
Joe aged 8<br />
What is the best thing about being<br />
in a family?<br />
Respecting each other, doing lots<br />
of things together and loving each<br />
other.<br />
Why is family important?<br />
Because we all respect God and we all work<br />
together.<br />
How are you involved in your community?<br />
I do football, rugby and basketball. I also go to<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Christmas Festival.<br />
What do you think about the community of<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>?<br />
It's a friendly neighbourhood.<br />
Jenna aged 8<br />
What is the best thing about<br />
being in a family?<br />
You get to spend time with<br />
them. I love them so much<br />
because you get to do lots of<br />
stuff with them.<br />
Why is family important?<br />
Because without a family, no<br />
one can look after you. And they<br />
love you.<br />
How are you involved in your community?<br />
I’m involved in Debbie Chapman Dancers<br />
and do shows every year. I go to CAST in<br />
Whitchurch High and do dance, drama and<br />
singing. I also go to gymnastics and netball<br />
and orchestra in Whitchurch High School.<br />
What do you think about the community of<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>?<br />
I like living in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> because I love it when<br />
Santa comes down Pen-Y-Dre and gives<br />
us presents. I love that we have two parks<br />
(Caedelyn and Parc Y Pentre) and the library,<br />
the trains and the village.<br />
dancing, to drama<br />
and to Brownies.<br />
What do you<br />
think about the<br />
community of<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>?<br />
I think <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> is<br />
a very lovely place<br />
because it's quite<br />
small and I like that<br />
because I get to see<br />
my friends in the<br />
village.<br />
13
A Family Move<br />
Northwood Cardiff and Newport have recently moved into their new home at<br />
Morgans Residential in the heart of the village. Director Kate Gwinnutt explains<br />
how the move can help both customers and the community as a whole<br />
If you weren't born and bred in<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, you may remember the<br />
day you moved here.<br />
For Kate Gwinnutt, moving<br />
her estate agency and team<br />
to <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> was a no-brainer.<br />
Northwood Cardiff and Newport is<br />
an award-winning company that's<br />
recently made its new home in the<br />
village, having taken over Morgans<br />
Residential. In the last few months,<br />
the team has already become a<br />
part of community life.<br />
"You can see that <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> is a<br />
community that cares about itself,"<br />
says Kate. "At Northwood, we'd<br />
outgrown our office on Whitchurch<br />
Road and were looking for the<br />
perfect place to put down our roots.<br />
I’ve always wanted to be a part of<br />
a special community and there’s<br />
such a good sense of that here. The<br />
location itself is wonderful; it ticked<br />
a lot of boxes in what we were<br />
looking for."<br />
Despite becoming a familiar face<br />
in the village, Kate grew up in<br />
Caerleon.<br />
"I grew up there and even met<br />
14<br />
my husband Ben in the local<br />
Comprehensive there. We both<br />
went to Exeter University where I<br />
studied biology and Ben studied<br />
History and German. We both took<br />
years abroad in our third year of<br />
University. Ben spent the year in<br />
Vienna and I spent a year in Myrtle<br />
Beach in South Carolina."<br />
The pair completed their degrees<br />
at university and both went back to<br />
live in South Wales.<br />
"Mum and Dad had started running<br />
Northwood Cardiff and Newport<br />
at that point. They opened the<br />
franchise 17 years ago and at that<br />
time, Northwood was still a new<br />
business. Theirs was only the tenth<br />
office to open. There are now 85<br />
across the UK."<br />
But for anyone who thinks that<br />
Northwood are just a faceless<br />
corporation moving into the village,<br />
Kate is quick to point out that their<br />
business is very much a family-run<br />
affair.<br />
"I used to go into the office in the<br />
Summer Holidays during university<br />
and help Dad with the filing and<br />
that’s how it started. I always said<br />
I’d never work for him but he had<br />
a member of staff that was going<br />
on maternity. Dad said it’d be good<br />
for me to do some 9-5 work so<br />
that I could get some knowledge.<br />
He told me that it'd be good to<br />
get something on my CV while I<br />
decided what I wanted to do with<br />
my life. The trouble was that I<br />
started enjoying the work and when<br />
the member of staff came back part<br />
time, I started job-sharing with her. I<br />
started doing viewings and looking<br />
after the accounts and here we are<br />
nine years later!"<br />
Kate and her dad are now both<br />
directors of the company, which<br />
has already gone a long way to<br />
integrating themselves within the<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> community.<br />
"Within the first week that we were<br />
here, we were introduced to the<br />
Plastic-Free team and the local<br />
rugby club were also in touch about<br />
donating for their raffle."<br />
Northwood were keen to retain<br />
a large core of the Morgans team<br />
during the takeover, who are still<br />
based at the office on the corner of<br />
Heol-y-Deri.<br />
"The best part of that is that<br />
we can still tap into the local<br />
knowledge and expertise that was<br />
so important to the success of the<br />
previous business. In Residential<br />
sales, we have Gina, Louise and<br />
Nicola, who have been helping<br />
people find homes in the area for<br />
well over 40 years between them. In<br />
Lettings, we have Chrissie, a familiar
face to local landlords, Emily our<br />
lettings negotiator and Abi our<br />
lettings administrator."<br />
Kate has supplemented the<br />
existing team with key people from<br />
Whitchurch Road.<br />
"We have Michael who’s in lettings.<br />
He started working with Northwood<br />
six months after the office opened<br />
17 years ago. Dad’s always been<br />
keen to train and invest in people;<br />
we want to give our members of<br />
staff opportunities. Michael started<br />
as an apprentice and has worked<br />
his way up. Ryan is also in Lettings;<br />
he's been a negotiator with us for<br />
over three years now and then<br />
there's James, who has been with<br />
us for 11 years. He was working in<br />
Lettings but is now in Sales and<br />
absolutely loving it! And of course,<br />
there's my husband Ben. He takes<br />
care of the lettings. It really is a<br />
family affair!"<br />
While the merger was perhaps<br />
unexpected, it has breathed new<br />
life into the village.<br />
"Everyone's been really positive<br />
about the merger and we believe<br />
that we've now got the best of both<br />
worlds here. It’s lovely to meet<br />
new people every day and every<br />
day is different. We’ve got some<br />
great ideas for the future and we’re<br />
already planning for the Winter and<br />
Summer festivals already."<br />
In addition to the community<br />
input, customers can also sample<br />
the great Northwood experience<br />
when it comes to letting or buying<br />
a home.<br />
"Dad has worked really, really hard<br />
to get the business to where it is.<br />
He’s semi-retired now. He’s still the<br />
franchisee but is now more of a<br />
personal consultant, who helps and<br />
advises.<br />
"As such, we can offer our<br />
customers a fantastic service.<br />
We offer our popular guaranteed<br />
income scheme which isn’t<br />
insurance based and it’s quite<br />
unique – we effectively become<br />
the landlord and agree to pay the<br />
landlord, regardless of whether the<br />
tenant pays or whether the property<br />
has been let. The risk is all on us.<br />
That has very much been a selling<br />
point for us for the last 17 years.<br />
"We offer guaranteed rent for<br />
a minimum of one year and a<br />
maximum of three years. We’ll deal<br />
with it all for you. We're there to take<br />
the hassle out. And if a traditional<br />
letting is what you're after, we can<br />
of course, offer that too."<br />
And Northwood aren't just a onetrick<br />
pony either.<br />
"As the market has developed<br />
over the last few years, we realised<br />
that there was nothing stopping us<br />
becoming an estate agent," says<br />
Kate. "It’s a very big decision on who<br />
you trust to sell your house for you.<br />
It relies a lot on liking the people<br />
who are going to sell your property<br />
and we have to show that and prove<br />
that. We want to do it the right way<br />
and we want to help.<br />
"We want to provide the best<br />
customer service possible and we<br />
also need to be here when people<br />
need us. We want to make the<br />
journey of letting or selling a home<br />
as easy as we can for everyone. We<br />
offer so much more than an online<br />
agency can."<br />
So far, so good then for Kate and<br />
her team. But there's still a lot to do.<br />
"The plan is that Lettings will be<br />
rebranded to Northwood and the<br />
Morgans name will stay for Sales.<br />
We’re keen to integrate in the<br />
community and to grow further.<br />
We need to keep our Northwood<br />
customers happy too so we've got<br />
to keep that balance right."<br />
There will be ongoing training too,<br />
that's backed up by the national<br />
Northwood brand.<br />
"Legislation has changed so much<br />
over the years and our franchise<br />
office has kept us informed about<br />
all of this since the start. If we have<br />
a tricky question, someone in the<br />
network will have an answer to it.<br />
We are part of the Rent Smart<br />
Wales scheme and also part of the<br />
SafeAgents scheme, which provides<br />
peace of mind for landlords and<br />
tenants.<br />
"We’re good at what we do. We’re<br />
not just coming in cold at this," adds<br />
Kate.<br />
And what about the next<br />
generation of Kate's family?<br />
"We've got a little one and<br />
we're possibly looking to move.<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>’s definitely top of the list<br />
of places we’d like to move to!"<br />
In the meantime, Kate and her<br />
team have a few matters to attend<br />
to.<br />
"As a team, we've still not got<br />
around to having a night out yet.<br />
There were a lot of people away in<br />
August so we'll definitely be getting<br />
that in the diary asap!<br />
"We are aware that Morgans was<br />
a family business. We now have<br />
the benefit of the backing of a<br />
national brand but we are still our<br />
own limited company and still as<br />
accessible as Morgans was. It’s still<br />
the same from a client’s point of<br />
view too."<br />
It looks like Northwood have found<br />
their new forever home.<br />
1A & 1B Heol Y Deri, <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>,<br />
Cardiff, CF14 6HA<br />
02920 301141<br />
www.northwooduk.com<br />
Sponsored feature 15
The<br />
Voice<br />
The former Whitchurch High School<br />
student talks about her life as a<br />
professional soprano<br />
"I'm only back for a week," says<br />
Sarah Gilford.<br />
The 27 year old soprano is taking<br />
some much-needed time out at<br />
her North Cardiff home, although<br />
home these days can also be<br />
considered Munich, where she is<br />
currently undertaking a Young Artist<br />
Programme. Over the last 12 years,<br />
Sarah has been building her singing<br />
career and enjoying every moment<br />
along the way.<br />
"I'm trying to think of where it all<br />
started. It must have been at school.<br />
My parents still have videos of one<br />
of the nativity plays I was in and we<br />
put it on the other day. It was so<br />
funny watching it back. I went for<br />
the loud and wrong approach back<br />
then!" she laughs.<br />
"My aunty is an amateur singer and<br />
the idea of me singing has always<br />
been there. I went to Llanishen Fach<br />
Primary School and when they gave<br />
me a main role in their Christmas<br />
play, I started thinking about singing<br />
properly. I played the title role of<br />
Snow Robin. It was my first big<br />
break I guess and that’s where it<br />
started. I was in Year 2 so I was 7<br />
years old."<br />
With Sarah deciding what she<br />
wanted to do at an early age, her<br />
parents were the first to offer their<br />
backing.<br />
"My parents were never pushy<br />
and my mum waited for me to<br />
beg for singing lessons because<br />
they were so expensive. She didn’t<br />
want me doing them if I wasn’t<br />
that interested. You have to really<br />
commit to something like that. I<br />
started lessons at the age of 10,<br />
when I was also interested in doing<br />
16<br />
musical theatre. I soon realised<br />
that I was never going to be a high<br />
level dancer so my singing teacher<br />
suggested that I try classical<br />
singing. It was the best thing for me<br />
in the end."<br />
High school was the foundation<br />
of what was to become a<br />
professional career. Sarah began<br />
appearing in school concerts and<br />
other competitions like the Urdd<br />
Eisteddfod.<br />
"I went to Whitchurch High School<br />
where they had a great music<br />
department. Mr Phillips, the Head of<br />
Music there, was a big supporter of<br />
mine. Every year at school, we used<br />
to sing outside Queen’s Arcade to<br />
raise money for Velindre Hospital.<br />
My first proper singing teacher was<br />
a lady in Whitchurch called Angela<br />
Morris-Parry, who really helped<br />
me. I did wonderful things like the<br />
South Glamorgan Festival of Young<br />
Musicians and ended up at the<br />
age of 18 winning the best overall<br />
singing prize. I really worked my<br />
way up. I went from knee-knocking,<br />
terrible singing to winning a lot and<br />
it really built up my confidence.<br />
Angela taught me for about ten<br />
years and I learned a lot from her."<br />
While other teenagers would<br />
perhaps spend time on video<br />
games and social media, Sarah was<br />
setting about building a career for<br />
herself.<br />
"I was 15 when I made my first<br />
CD," she says. "During my last year<br />
of Sixth Form, I auditioned for four<br />
UK music conservatories and was<br />
unsuccessful. I auditioned again<br />
a year later and received a place<br />
at the Royal Northern College of<br />
Music in Manchester. That's where<br />
I went to do my undergraduate<br />
degree. Four years didn’t seem<br />
long enough. I got to my fourth<br />
year and felt that I was only just<br />
starting to understand what my<br />
teacher had been trying to get<br />
me to do. I stayed for another year<br />
where I continued lessons with my<br />
teacher Debbie Rees and gained<br />
some stage experience, including<br />
a substantial role in Mozart’s opera,<br />
Così fan tutte.”<br />
Sarah's years at the Royal Northern<br />
helped develop her language skills<br />
- as well as all-important stage<br />
experience.<br />
"They give you bum pads when<br />
you're working in period costume<br />
so you’re actually a lot wider than<br />
you think you are when you're on<br />
stage. I remember in my first dress<br />
rehearsal, I was supposed to be<br />
trashing this room up but in a very<br />
staged and organised way. But<br />
because of my bum pad, I ended<br />
up taking tables and chairs with me<br />
and destroying things I shouldn’t<br />
have. It was a great learning<br />
experience for me!"<br />
After five years at the Royal<br />
Northern, Sarah took a full year out<br />
but got involved with a few opera<br />
festivals, including landing a role<br />
with Longborough Festival Opera.<br />
"It was the same director who’d<br />
worked with me on the Mozart<br />
opera at the Royal Northern. Also<br />
that summer, I won the W Towyn<br />
Roberts Scholarship at the National<br />
Eisteddfod. It's the biggest singing<br />
prize that you can win there.<br />
"I don’t speak Welsh so I got some<br />
of my Welsh-speaking friends and
my first-ever singing teacher that<br />
I had in Cardiff to give me some<br />
guidance. Everyone was shocked<br />
when they found out that I don’t<br />
speak Welsh. I was lucky that the<br />
panel had all worked internationally.<br />
I won £5k which went straight<br />
towards my Masters degree in<br />
London."<br />
Effectively taking two years out<br />
had allowed Sarah to build on her<br />
skill levels and enrich herself with<br />
experience that was put to good<br />
use when she started her Masters<br />
degree.<br />
"It really paid off because<br />
throughout my masters at the Royal<br />
Academy of Music, everything I<br />
auditioned for, I got. I’d developed<br />
my experience and technical ability<br />
in those two years and it’s all helped<br />
propel me into this professional<br />
career."<br />
After completing her Masters,<br />
Sarah set about making her next<br />
move.<br />
"I'd decided that I didn’t want<br />
another year off and that I wanted to<br />
go into an opera school or a Young<br />
Artist Programme. I auditioned for<br />
several places and was offered a<br />
place at the Guildhall Opera School<br />
but then I also got an audition at<br />
the Bavarian State Opera and went<br />
there thinking ‘absolutely not a<br />
chance’. I didn’t feel that I was ready.<br />
"I got through to the second<br />
round and then to my surprise,<br />
they offered me a place. Out of 900<br />
people, they only took three of us.<br />
I’ve worked really hard and have<br />
never taken anything for granted."<br />
Her residency in Munich is set to<br />
last one year, but more often than<br />
not, young artists are kept on for a<br />
second year.<br />
"This one opportunity in Munich<br />
has made a big difference to my<br />
life. You have to have so much<br />
resilience in this trade. More<br />
importantly, you need to believe<br />
in yourself. Even when I was doing<br />
A Level Music, I realised that this<br />
industry is a very subjective one.<br />
Not everybody’s going to like you<br />
but there will be somebody out<br />
there who will. And you’ll always<br />
end up in the right place if you stay<br />
true to yourself and you know what<br />
you want, especially from an early<br />
age. If I didn’t get any parts that I'd<br />
auditioned for, I’d tell myself that<br />
it wasn’t for me. You have to fail in<br />
order to learn."<br />
Sarah's attitude to both her work,<br />
and life, speaks volumes about her<br />
tenacity and focus.<br />
"I was very academic but I’ve never<br />
needed the qualifications that I’ve<br />
achieved. In auditions, no one asks<br />
me whether I got a First or not. In<br />
the singing world, you might have a<br />
really great degree but you may not<br />
necessarily have a career in it. If you<br />
want to have a career in any of the<br />
arts, you need to be clear on what<br />
you want in life."<br />
For now, Sarah is focusing on<br />
honing her skills.<br />
"Classical singing is a fine art<br />
similar to ballet. You learn to<br />
use your voice and body in the<br />
most efficient way in order to be<br />
heard over an orchestra without<br />
amplification.<br />
"I will be nervous for my first<br />
official opera in Munich. I always get<br />
nervous but I do enjoy the set up<br />
of the stage and the audience. You<br />
can see the first few rows of people<br />
before they disappear in the dark<br />
but when I’ve got a costume on and<br />
I’m armed with stage directions,<br />
I feel less nervous because I feel<br />
less exposed than when I sing in<br />
concerts or recitals. The closer the<br />
audience is, the more nervous I get.<br />
"It’s perfectly natural for me to<br />
get nervous but I think what’s<br />
changed is the way I view it. I see<br />
it more as excitement now, rather<br />
than worrying about what might go<br />
wrong. Nerves can help as long as<br />
they’re kept at a manageable level."<br />
As well as keeping nerves under<br />
control, there's also the challenge<br />
of remembering all the words:<br />
"When I was younger, I used to<br />
learn the words no problem but the<br />
older I get, the harder I find it. I now<br />
write out what I’m learning, over<br />
and over. I speak it out if I’m walking<br />
down the street – it’s like a constant<br />
engagement with what I’m doing. I<br />
don’t feel like I can have time away<br />
from it.<br />
"With opera, when you go into<br />
production, it helps sometimes<br />
when you have to sing a line with a<br />
certain stage direction. The music<br />
is also a helpful association when<br />
trying to memorise the words. You<br />
end up remembering them forever."<br />
Sarah performs at the National Eisteddfod 2017<br />
interview<br />
Emboldened with skills,<br />
experience and talent, Sarah is<br />
looking to develop her career even<br />
further.<br />
"My proudest achievement to<br />
date is being offered a place on the<br />
Young Artist Programme that I'm<br />
now working through. I’ve learnt<br />
how to pronounce German, French,<br />
Italian, Welsh, Russian and Czech<br />
but I’ve never learnt languages. If<br />
there’s one thing I’d love to get out<br />
of being in Germany, it’d be to learn<br />
the language."<br />
And to prove that life works in<br />
circles, Sarah recounts a story that<br />
proves how far she'd come in just<br />
ten years.<br />
"Recently, Mr Phillips from<br />
Whitchurch High School invited me<br />
to do a Christmas concert with the<br />
Cardiff and Vale Youth Orchestra<br />
at Hoddinot Hall and it turned out<br />
to be exactly ten years later than<br />
the last time I sang with the same<br />
orchestra. It was nice to go back<br />
with so much more experience<br />
and it was nice to indulge in the<br />
nostalgia.<br />
"It’s been a great privilege winning<br />
lots of awards and I do feel very<br />
supported. The Arts Council of<br />
Wales, the Ryan Davies Memorial<br />
Trust, the John Fussell Trust<br />
and the Hartsheath Charitable<br />
Trust, all Welsh funding bodies,<br />
have all played their part and I’m<br />
hoping that this is the start of my<br />
professional career."<br />
Looking ahead, there are still a few<br />
achievements on the to-do list.<br />
"I would really love to compete in<br />
Cardiff Singer of the World and also<br />
sing with Welsh National Opera.<br />
But in the meantime, and in terms<br />
of my immediate career, I’m just<br />
going to keep taking everything in<br />
and working hard while I’m here in<br />
Munich."<br />
Find out more about Sarah at<br />
www.sarahgilford.com<br />
17
ONLINE ORDERING AND RESERVATIONS<br />
®<br />
30<br />
THIRTY YEARS IN RHIWBINA •<br />
CARDIFF’S BEST LOVED ASIAN RESTAURANTS<br />
ONLY<br />
£11.95<br />
for TWO<br />
courses<br />
SPECIAL EARLY EVENING MENU<br />
TWO GREAT OFFERS<br />
FOR YOU!*<br />
The Juboraj Restaurant Group is one<br />
of the oldest, and almost certainly, one<br />
of the great Indian and Bangladeshi<br />
restaurants in Wales having won<br />
numerous awards.<br />
For nearly thirty years Juboraj have<br />
served the finest dishes to the people of<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, Cardiff and beyond.<br />
ONLY<br />
£8.95<br />
for TWO<br />
courses<br />
SPECIAL LUNCH MENU<br />
BOOKINGS NOW BEING TAKEN<br />
FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS PARTY<br />
CELEBRATIONS<br />
JUBORAJ RESTAURANTS<br />
LUNCH | EVENING | PARTIES<br />
11 Heol Y Deri, <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> | 029 2062 8894<br />
www.juborajgroup.com<br />
AVAILABLE<br />
NOW
Win TICKETS<br />
TO SEE THE<br />
Prague<br />
Symphony<br />
Orchestra<br />
As the last great Romantic<br />
symphonist, Mahler’s music is<br />
conceived on the grandest scale.<br />
Determined to express his view of<br />
the human condition, he claimed<br />
his 'symphonies represent the<br />
contents of my entire life.' Regarded<br />
by some as one of the ten greatest<br />
symphonies of all time, Mahler’s<br />
epic Third Symphony is a sublime<br />
hymn to the natural world, its<br />
ambitious scale, launched by a<br />
barnstorming opening movement,<br />
unfolds with an accumulating<br />
emotional energy and culminates<br />
in a heaven-storming apotheosis. It<br />
was voted one of the ten greatest<br />
symphonies of all time in a survey<br />
of conductors carried out by the<br />
BBC Music Magazine.<br />
Mahler's Third Symphony comes to<br />
Cardiff on 8th November, courtesy<br />
of The Prague Symphony Orchestra,<br />
the official orchestra of the capital<br />
city Prague. The orchestra is a<br />
leading Czech musical ensemble<br />
with an established and renowned<br />
international reputation. It was<br />
founded in 1934.<br />
This concert includes<br />
performances from mezzo-soprano<br />
Ester Pavlů, the Cardiff Metropolitan<br />
Cathedral Choir, Cardiff Bach<br />
Choir, Swansea Bach Choir and is<br />
conducted by Pietari Inkinen.<br />
You can win a pair of tickets to<br />
this concert by answering this very<br />
simple question:<br />
In which year was the Prague<br />
Symphony Orchestra founded?<br />
a) 1914<br />
b) 1934<br />
c) 1954<br />
Please email your correct answer<br />
to SDHpress@cardiff.gov.uk by<br />
Friday 31st October 2019 along with<br />
your full name and address, plus a<br />
phone number so that you can be<br />
contacted in the event of winning<br />
the competition.<br />
Alternatively, please post your<br />
entry with your contact details to:<br />
Marketing Team, St David’s Hall, The<br />
Hayes, CF10 1AH.<br />
Win An afternoon TEA FOR<br />
TWO AT THE VILLAGE HOTEL<br />
Autumn is a great time to get<br />
together with friends or family over<br />
a pot of tea and delicious food and<br />
Village Hotel Cardiff have teamed<br />
up with <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong> to offer you<br />
the chance to win an Afternoon Tea<br />
for two.<br />
Their Afternoon Tea menu is<br />
inspired by Great British Bake Off<br />
winner Candice Brown. Enjoy a<br />
selection of savouries and cakes<br />
with tea and coffee or upgrade to<br />
one of their drinks packages.<br />
The menu includes a mini brioche<br />
filled with egg, mayonnaise and<br />
spinach topped with micro cress;<br />
prawn Marie Rose with avocado on<br />
a cracker; smoked salmon and<br />
asparagus tart; roasted sweet<br />
potato, chorizo and red pepper tart;<br />
rhubarb and custard profiterole;<br />
mini cornflake tart with lemon curd;<br />
peanut and chocolate brownie;<br />
and a chocolate and orange scone<br />
served with jam and clotted cream.<br />
All served with piping hot tea or<br />
coffee, or something stronger if you<br />
want to upgrade.<br />
The venue boasts a newly<br />
refurbished pub and grill that's<br />
situated at the heart of the hotel<br />
too. From Sunday lunch to a<br />
working breakfast, dinner with<br />
mates or lunch with the ladies, the<br />
competitions<br />
hotel welcomes guests and locals<br />
alike. Enjoy a selection of tasty food<br />
and an array of drinks served all day<br />
from 10am-10pm.<br />
For your chance to win, email<br />
your name, address and telephone<br />
number to competitions@<br />
livingmags.co.uk, telling us why you<br />
think you deserve to win (or by post<br />
to our address on the inside cover).<br />
Competition closes 31st October<br />
2019.<br />
19
lifestyle<br />
All Gathered In<br />
The<br />
As the season turns, and the evenings get darker, it's the perfect<br />
time to have quality time indoors with friends and family<br />
20<br />
Movie Night<br />
There can probably be nothing<br />
more cosy than snuggling<br />
down with family and friends<br />
and having a good ol' movie<br />
night.<br />
Pick your movies in advance<br />
(why not go with a double bill?)<br />
and arrange the furniture so<br />
that you've all got the best view.<br />
Prepare some snacks and hot<br />
food in advance and make sure<br />
that you're stocked up on drink<br />
too. If you want to do it properly,<br />
you're going to have to have a<br />
good supply of popcorn at the<br />
ready. Don't forget the buckets!<br />
If you're wanting to be<br />
extra cosy, throw in a load of<br />
cushions and blankets for you<br />
and your guests to hunker<br />
down under.<br />
Bake<br />
The kitchen is often a hub of<br />
activity during the autumn<br />
months as we all turn in from the<br />
cold and prepare ourselves some<br />
nice warming meals.<br />
Baking is another way of<br />
spending quality time with<br />
friends and family. If you're<br />
spending time with young<br />
children, it's always worth<br />
involving them and helping them<br />
forge their childhood memories.<br />
You don't need to be an expert<br />
either. Grab some simple recipes<br />
- cookies or chocolate brownies -<br />
you can often find everything you<br />
need in one handy packet at the<br />
supermarket.<br />
Creating something together<br />
helps create a sense of<br />
achievement and strengthens<br />
bonds between family or friends.<br />
Plan a Party<br />
Autumn, of course, is a time of<br />
Hallowe'en and Bonfire Night<br />
parties.<br />
A successful party always has<br />
a good amount of planning put<br />
into it and if you are thinking<br />
of holding one, remember<br />
to invite people early so that<br />
they can put the date in their<br />
diaries. Friends and family often<br />
plan their calendars months in<br />
advance and you don't want to<br />
be left without any guests.<br />
You may want to think about<br />
what types of food and games<br />
your party will have and you<br />
may also want to think about<br />
what kind of decor you'll want<br />
to have in your home too. Either<br />
way, getting it all ready at least a<br />
week in advance will mean that<br />
you can spend quality time with<br />
loved ones instead of stressing.
Murder Mystery Evening<br />
A Murder Mystery Evening can be a huge amount of fun, bringing<br />
everyone together and creating new memories with old friends.<br />
Prior to the party, you can purchase a murder mystery party kit. The<br />
kit includes a story about a murder, which usually occurs either during<br />
the course of the dinner or before the party begins. Guests are cast<br />
as characters and should arrive in fancy dress as their nominated<br />
character. Together or separately, all participants (apart from the<br />
murderer) work to solve the mystery.<br />
Wine Tasting<br />
Evening<br />
Book yourself a night in with some<br />
wine and friends. If you're looking<br />
to do things properly, introduce a<br />
theme to your wine tasting evenings<br />
- maybe base it on geographical<br />
regions or by country. Also ensure<br />
that all of your wines are ready<br />
to serve at their appropriate<br />
temperatures<br />
Prepare fresh crusty bread and<br />
maybe some cheese to soak up the<br />
alcohol too.<br />
Games Night<br />
Board games aren't just for kids<br />
although you can include them if<br />
you wish. Always have a selection<br />
of games on hand to suit your<br />
audience. When the kids go to<br />
bed, you can bring out the more<br />
challenging and grown-up games.<br />
Invite close friends to make sure<br />
that the evening is an intimate<br />
affair - large groups are often hard<br />
to control whereas meaningful<br />
conversation can be had in smaller<br />
groups.<br />
Prepare some finger food in<br />
advance so that you don't have to<br />
keep people waiting while you're<br />
in the kitchen. You may also want<br />
to think about where you play the<br />
game. A dining table can be useful<br />
if you are serving food whereas<br />
playing around a coffee table can<br />
bring a more relaxed vibe to your<br />
evening. Background music is<br />
optional but don't make it too loud<br />
or distracting.<br />
Keep a good stash of drink so that<br />
you don't have to disappear during<br />
the evening and your guests may<br />
also appreciate a nice dessert as a<br />
victory prize - providing they win of<br />
course. Personalising their playing<br />
pieces, if possible, is also a nice<br />
touch.<br />
Crafting<br />
Autumn provides us with rich<br />
pickings to craft with, especially<br />
with children.<br />
Your local park can supply<br />
you with leaves for leaf printing,<br />
conkers for marbling, and other<br />
bits and bobs to create collages.<br />
Use nature's gifts to create an<br />
autumn wreath or why not create<br />
a garland that you can hang up in<br />
your home?<br />
You can also help craft clothing<br />
and blankets for the colder months<br />
ahead. Knitting has always been<br />
a popular pastime and creating a<br />
scarf, hat or jumper for winter will<br />
keep you busy for hours.<br />
Kids will love creating their own<br />
scarecrow too and you can always<br />
pop this in your garden to remind<br />
you of your autumn memories.<br />
Plan for Christmas<br />
It's not too far away and now is a<br />
good time to start planning.<br />
Getting the Christmas card list<br />
done is always a good place to<br />
start before you can think about<br />
Christmas gifts. Get your calendar<br />
out too and start planning any<br />
activities that you want to do.<br />
Involving friends and family in your<br />
plans will ramp up the excitement<br />
levels.<br />
Mince pies are probably on sale in<br />
some shops now so stock up, put<br />
the kettle on and plan for festive<br />
times ahead.<br />
21
Autumn/Winter Workshops<br />
Wreath making • Table Centres<br />
Christmas Crackers<br />
Morning, afternoon, evening workshops from £50<br />
(see website for details)<br />
A warm and friendly florist shop located in the heart of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>.<br />
We stock quality flowers and plants along with gifts from Green Gate,<br />
Sia, Parlane and Burgon & Ball, and deliver to all areas in and around Cardiff<br />
4 Beulah Road, <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, Cardiff CF14 6LX<br />
www.flowerlodge.co.uk<br />
02920 627587
5 Star Customer Rating<br />
Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall,<br />
all you have to do is call...<br />
Service, MOT or repair.<br />
Call us free<br />
0333 121 2012<br />
Visit online<br />
www.GardenVillageGarage.co.uk<br />
email us<br />
info@GardenVillageGarage.co.uk<br />
or in person<br />
227 Pantbach Road, <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> CF14 6AE<br />
We Buy Cars For cash
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong><br />
Community<br />
In our summer issue, we were looking to recognise the<br />
contribution made by four very special people or businesses<br />
in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>. Nominations came from the community<br />
Business of<br />
the Year<br />
Winner:<br />
Debbie Chapman Dancers<br />
Photo: Andy Gayle<br />
We were looking for a business<br />
that's integrated itself fully with<br />
the community to be our Business<br />
of the Year and after putting it to<br />
a public vote, we can reveal that<br />
this year's worthy winner is Debbie<br />
Chapman Dancers.<br />
The business is one of the largest<br />
and most successful dancing<br />
schools in the UK.<br />
Over the years, they have been<br />
fortunate to nurture hundreds<br />
of young people, watching and<br />
helping them progress and<br />
24<br />
develop; not only as<br />
dancers but also as<br />
individuals.<br />
After performing in West<br />
End shows including<br />
Godspell, Peter and the<br />
Wolf, West Side Story and<br />
also teaching in Guildford<br />
where she premièred<br />
the The Snow Goose,<br />
Debbie returned to Cardiff<br />
and formed The Debbie<br />
Chapman Dancers. She is a regular<br />
choreographer for stage and<br />
television in Wales.<br />
Debbie told <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong>:<br />
"I am delighted, proud and<br />
honoured to receive <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
<strong>Living</strong>’s Business of the Year award.<br />
I will have been principal of The<br />
Debbie Chapman Dancers for<br />
35 years in 2020, and during that<br />
time, the pupils and I have raised<br />
thousands of pounds for local<br />
charities.<br />
"We have also put <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
on the map through very many<br />
appearances on television<br />
including Britain’s Got Talent and<br />
Sky One's Got to Dance.<br />
"Many of my pupils are from<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> and surrounding<br />
areas and while many of them<br />
have participated in shows and<br />
competitions, many have taken<br />
dance examinations and have<br />
moved to vocational schools, I<br />
really think it’s important to give<br />
something back to the community.<br />
We have been able to do this by<br />
raising monies for charities through<br />
our many performances, while<br />
also having great experiences,<br />
great fun and fabulous<br />
memories that will<br />
last a lifetime.<br />
"Thank you so, so<br />
much to everyone<br />
who voted. Your<br />
award was the icing<br />
on the cake. We are all<br />
super proud."
Community<br />
Champion<br />
Winner: Phil Cogin<br />
We were looking for a Community<br />
Champion that would be<br />
recognised as a force for good,<br />
making <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> a better place<br />
to live. Phil Cogin has been a big<br />
part of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> since bringing his<br />
vegan salon to the area. One<br />
resident said:<br />
"Phil has a big heart and gives<br />
back to the local community<br />
whenever he has the<br />
opportunity. He welcomes his<br />
guests from the local area and<br />
afar and makes everyone feel<br />
very welcome."<br />
About his win, Phil told<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong>:<br />
"I am very happy with this<br />
award. It is different and<br />
very important for my little<br />
independent sustainable plant<br />
based business.<br />
"I do this by using Fair Trade,<br />
organic, and vegan products in<br />
my salon. I also help Water Aid,<br />
the homeless and various other<br />
charities throughout the months.<br />
"I love this place; <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> is<br />
a special place for me. At the<br />
moment, I am concentrating on my<br />
latest project 'No Planet B' which<br />
is Zero Waste living here at Gōndi,<br />
raising the zero plastic movement.<br />
"To be recognised personally<br />
means the world to me. Thank<br />
you for your love and continued<br />
support <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>."<br />
Winner: Mary Clarke<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> is renowned for its great<br />
sense of community and we were<br />
looking for someone who goes out<br />
of their way to help those who live<br />
around them.<br />
Mary Clarke may not need an<br />
introduction to many people<br />
in the village but she has been<br />
instrumental in championing<br />
many of the things that we take<br />
for granted here in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>. She<br />
was the leading force behind the<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Flood Defence Scheme<br />
which has protected many homes<br />
in the village. She also helped<br />
save <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Library when it was<br />
threatened with closure in 2015.<br />
Mary's contributions to <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
life have been numerous and she<br />
was awarded the British Empire<br />
Medal for her efforts in 2018.<br />
Of her win, Mary told <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
<strong>Living</strong>:<br />
"Well this is a great honour.<br />
Funnily enough, I was watching<br />
the news this morning and saw the<br />
great work that the RNLI do. There<br />
was a man on there, who said<br />
about helping people 'If I can,<br />
I will' and that really got me over<br />
Neighbour<br />
of the Year<br />
my Cornflakes and toast, I can tell<br />
you.<br />
"It's the way I like to live my life,<br />
whether that means striking up a<br />
conversation with someone in the<br />
village or helping where I can."<br />
One of Mary's neighbours said:<br />
"She's a pillar of the community<br />
and everyone needs a Mary Clarke<br />
in their community."<br />
Young<br />
Person of<br />
the Year<br />
Winner: Rhiannon<br />
Thomas<br />
Our village is full of youngsters who<br />
touch the lives of others with their<br />
actions and achievements.<br />
We were looking for someone<br />
who has perhaps helped support<br />
local groups and our winner is<br />
Rhiannon Thomas.<br />
Rhiannon's father Ken told<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong>:<br />
"Over the years, Rhiannon has<br />
raised money for Bobath, Ty Hafan<br />
and the Alzheimer’s Society. She<br />
chose the charities herself and,<br />
with her friends, has baked cakes<br />
and sold sweets to neighbours in<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>.<br />
"She has also twice completed<br />
the Race for Life, taken part<br />
in the City Hospice walk and<br />
helped with bag packing/bucket<br />
collections for other causes. Her<br />
efforts in obtaining raffle prize<br />
donations from local businesses<br />
also helped contribute towards<br />
a trip that Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg<br />
Glantaf organised to South Africa<br />
this summer.<br />
"Rhiannon has in addition helped<br />
at an after school netball club<br />
for Year 7s. She is continuing her<br />
community work this year as a<br />
Sixth former, as part of her Welsh<br />
Baccalaureate, and is in the process<br />
of setting up her next community<br />
volunteering."<br />
Rhiannon said:<br />
"I am<br />
delighted<br />
to win this<br />
award - it<br />
will inspire<br />
me to carry<br />
on helping<br />
out in the<br />
community,<br />
here in<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> and<br />
further afield."<br />
25
Movie Time<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>’s community cinema - bringing back the<br />
legacy of the old Monico Cinema and making cinema<br />
once again, a sociable and friendly night out<br />
www.monicomovies.co.uk<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>’s<br />
Community<br />
Cinema<br />
9th November | Solomon A Gaenor<br />
A Welsh language film starring Ioan Gruffydd<br />
A love story between a Jew and a Gentile, set in the<br />
Welsh valleys. With English subtitles, the movie is<br />
supported by a short made by a local young film-maker<br />
14th December | Stan and Ollie<br />
Our Christmas Special<br />
The twilight years of legends Stan Laurel<br />
and Oliver Hardy are portrayed by Steve Coogan<br />
and John C. Reilly in this bittersweet film<br />
All shows are held in Canolfan Beulah, commencing at<br />
7.30pm. Tickets are £4 each are on sale at The Honeypot,<br />
the Deri Stores, Victoria Fearn and Serenade<br />
@monicomovies<br />
emyr pierce<br />
solicitors<br />
Experienced solicitors<br />
based in the heart of the<br />
village 6 days a week<br />
Our services include:<br />
Monday - Friday 9am-5.30pm<br />
and Saturdays 10am-4pm<br />
• Residential Property<br />
• Commercial Property<br />
• Wills and Estate Planning<br />
• Estate Administration<br />
and Probate<br />
• Lasting Powers of<br />
Attorney<br />
• Landlord and Tenant<br />
1 Heol-y-Deri, <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, Cardiff CF14 6HA 02920 616002<br />
www.emyrpierce.co.uk
HYD AT<br />
30% ODDI AR Y PRIS –<br />
TANYSGRIFIWCH NAWR!<br />
UP TO 30% OFF –<br />
SUBSCRIBE<br />
NOW!<br />
CYFRES<br />
CYNGHERDDAU<br />
RHYNGWLADOL<br />
2019/20<br />
INTERNATIONAL<br />
CONCERT SERIES<br />
2019/20<br />
Nos Fercher 9 Hydref | Wednesday 9 October 2019 | 7:30pm<br />
MOSCOW PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA<br />
Simonov/Donohoe<br />
Dydd Sul 27 Hydref | Sunday 27 October 2019 | 3:00pm<br />
CERDDORFA OCC/WNO ORCHESTRA<br />
Hanus/Muller-Schott<br />
Nos Wener 8 Tachwedd | Friday 8 November 2019 | 7:30pm<br />
PRAGUE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA<br />
Inkinen/Pavlů/Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral Choir<br />
Nos Fercher 27 Tachwedd | Wednesday 27 November 2019 | 7:30pm<br />
PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA<br />
Ashkenazy/Shoji<br />
Nos Fawrth 3 Rhagfyr | Tuesday 3 December 2019 | 7:30pm<br />
MANCHESTER CAMERATA & CRAIG OGDEN<br />
Dydd Sul 15 Rhagfyr | Sunday 15 December 2019 | 3:00pm<br />
THE SIXTEEN<br />
Dydd Sul 19 Ionawr | Sunday 19 January 2020 | 4:00pm<br />
CERDDORFA A CHORWS CENEDLAETHOL CYMREIG Y BBC,<br />
CERDDORFA OCC/BBC NATIONAL ORCHESTRA & CHORUS OF<br />
WALES, WNO ORCHESTRA – BEETHOVEN 1808 BENEFIT CONCERT<br />
Nos Iau 30 Ionawr | Thursday 30 January 2020 | 7:30pm<br />
EUROPEAN UNION CHAMBER ORCHESTRA<br />
Stegeman/Goldscheider<br />
Nos Iau 13 Chwefror | Thursday 13 February 2020 | 7:30pm<br />
ICELAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA<br />
Tortelier/Bavouzet<br />
Nos Wener 6 Mawrth | Friday 6 March 2020 | 7:30pm<br />
ARMONICO CONSORT<br />
Monks<br />
Nos Wener 13 Mawrth | Friday 13 March 2020 | 7:30pm<br />
ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA<br />
Fischer/Little<br />
Nos Wener 3 Ebrill | Friday 3 April 2020 | 7:30pm<br />
PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA<br />
Heras-Casado/Kharitonov<br />
Dydd Sul 26 Ebrill | Sunday 26 April 2020 | 3:00pm<br />
CERDDORFA OCC/WNO ORCHESTRA<br />
Hanus/Adams<br />
Nos Lun 18 Mai | Monday 18 May 2020 | 7:30pm<br />
AURORA ORCHESTRA<br />
Collon/Benedetti<br />
Nos Sadwrn 6 Mehefin | Saturday 6 June 2020 | 7:30pm<br />
ROYAL LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA<br />
Chan/Kanneh-Mason
Hunker down<br />
Autumn is a beautiful season, bringing with it colours of reds, oranges and<br />
yellows. It's the perfect time of year to get your house ready for winter<br />
An Autumn Welcome<br />
As well as cheering up any guests<br />
you get to your house, a warm<br />
welcome to your home is a nice<br />
thing for you to come home to.<br />
It should still be warm enough to<br />
give your door a lick of paint if you<br />
have a wooden one. If you don't<br />
have a wooden door, you may want<br />
to invest in a new door handle or<br />
28<br />
letterbox.<br />
Late summer is also a good time<br />
to tidy up the outside of the house,<br />
especially the front as that'll be<br />
the area that will be getting more<br />
attention during the colder months.<br />
If you have room, consider<br />
planting a few small evergreens<br />
to maintain some colour during<br />
the autumn and winter. Winterflowering<br />
plants are also an option.<br />
Inside the doorway, put away any<br />
summer sandals and flip flops. This<br />
is Wellington boot season after all!<br />
Make sure that your clothes pegs<br />
are strong enough to take the<br />
winter coats that will no doubt<br />
be hung on them. A new sturdy<br />
welcome mat will also be a good<br />
addition, as well as getting some<br />
kind of umbrella stand for those<br />
rainy days.<br />
Keeping Warm<br />
It goes without saying that as<br />
the colder weather approaches,<br />
you're going to need to think about<br />
keeping warm.<br />
It's worth getting someone to<br />
bleed all your radiators and maybe<br />
even check your boiler is in working<br />
order before you start using it.<br />
The last thing you want is to find<br />
yourself stuck without warmth<br />
when you most need it.<br />
If you're fortunate enough to have<br />
a wood-burning fire or a working<br />
fireplace, get your chimney cleaned<br />
before you start using it. It's also<br />
prudent to start stocking up on<br />
firewood and kindling - you can<br />
never get enough of this when it<br />
gets really cold! Also make sure<br />
that all your fire alarms are in good<br />
working order.<br />
It may also be worth investing<br />
in some pipe lagging now. When<br />
winter comes in earnest, burst<br />
pipes are a most unwelcome<br />
problem.<br />
If you spend most of your time in<br />
your living room, get yourself some<br />
throws and blankets to snuggle<br />
under on stormy nights. As well as<br />
feeling cosy, these can also have a<br />
more practical purpose by helping<br />
to limit heating costs. They look<br />
very nice too!
Light up dark corners<br />
with table lamps<br />
Sorting<br />
Getting your house in order always<br />
makes you feel better. As autumn<br />
and winter roll in, we're not able to<br />
utilise the outside spaces as much<br />
as we'd like. It's worth making<br />
the best of the last summer<br />
sunshine to clear out our sheds<br />
and outhouses so that we can use<br />
them properly in winter.<br />
Inside the house, go through your<br />
kitchen cupboards and throw out<br />
any items that you're not going<br />
to use or are gone off. You'll be<br />
surprised at how long some things<br />
have been there! It's also a good<br />
idea to stock up on larder basics,<br />
so that you can quickly rustle up a<br />
nice warming meal when you get<br />
home. If you've made home-made<br />
jams or chutneys with harvest fruit,<br />
store these away for a rainy day<br />
and decant pasta or rice into nicelooking<br />
jars. Clean out the fridge<br />
and if you have time, get the oven<br />
cleaned too.<br />
Elsewhere, pack away summer<br />
clothes and give your winter coats<br />
a good airing. Get your comfy<br />
slippers out and leave them in the<br />
hallway so that you can pop them<br />
on when you come in.<br />
Blankets are not only comfortable<br />
but can save on your heating bills<br />
Lighting<br />
With natural light fading by the<br />
day, we turn to other means to<br />
illuminate our homes.<br />
Lamps are probably one of the<br />
best ways to make our homes<br />
cosy, lighting up any darks corners<br />
of the house and bringing a sense<br />
of warmth.<br />
Wooden bases bring depth to<br />
your home and if you add autumncoloured<br />
shades, you'll be bringing<br />
the outside in without the weather.<br />
Make the brightness appropriate<br />
to the room.<br />
One thing you won't want to<br />
overlook is the type of bulb that<br />
you're using. You won't want to use<br />
anything that will give off too much<br />
glare but you also don't want to<br />
leave yourself too short on light.<br />
Dimmer switches can help if you<br />
have the budget to install these.<br />
Exterior lighting can welcome<br />
any autumnal visitors, especially<br />
around your front door and porch<br />
area. If you are lucky enough to<br />
have a front garden path, consider<br />
adding lamps or even a security<br />
light that will come on when<br />
triggered by a sensor.<br />
home<br />
Dining<br />
Autumn is an ideal time of year to<br />
invite friends over for cosy suppers<br />
so if you have a separate dining<br />
area in your house, you'll want it<br />
looking its best.<br />
Keeping it simple is one way to<br />
go, with clean white linens and<br />
dark wood to stay in-keeping with<br />
the season. If you are planning<br />
on serving up hearty casseroles,<br />
go for deep bowls and chunky<br />
cutlery, serving up chunky bread<br />
in rattan baskets. Candles will<br />
provide visual warmth and a<br />
runner across your dining table will<br />
add a touch of luxury.<br />
Finishing touches<br />
Now is the time of year to take<br />
down any light curtains and put<br />
up thicker, heavier versions. If your<br />
front door is draughty, consider<br />
hanging a door curtain there. It<br />
will help keep your house warm<br />
throughout the day and night.<br />
Throwing a few rugs underfoot<br />
will help, especially on hard floor<br />
surfaces such as stone or wood.<br />
You'll appreciate this when you're<br />
stepping out of bed or the shower.<br />
The final finishing touches should<br />
include soft furnishings that will<br />
help complete the look. Heavy<br />
throws and blankets are perfect for<br />
snuggling down with, both for you<br />
and any guests.<br />
If you're the sort of person that<br />
likes buying nik-naks for the home,<br />
look for ones made of wood or<br />
other natural products. It could<br />
also be a good time to hang some<br />
new pictures on your walls that are<br />
more in keeping with this time of<br />
year.<br />
If you don't have a log burner, you<br />
can now buy candles that give off<br />
the aroma of burning wood and<br />
even crackle as they burn. Smells<br />
are just as powerful as sights in<br />
creating a seasonal home.<br />
29
Set sail<br />
with us...<br />
At Passion for Cruises we pride ourselves on offering the highest<br />
standards of customer service combined with incredible savings.<br />
We boast some of the most experienced cruise agents in the industry<br />
with over 50 years experience in selling cruises.<br />
When booking with us your every cruising requirement is catered for<br />
whether you are a first time cruiser or a single traveller. We are specialists<br />
in low or no single supplement cruises and are committed to helping find<br />
the perfect choice for you.<br />
We have the best variety of cruises to exciting destinations across the<br />
world many with exclusive prices and extra benefits such as free cabin<br />
upgrades, car parking or spending money.<br />
Sign up for offers direct to your inbox - email sales@passionforcruises.co.uk<br />
Call 029 2061 9961<br />
Monday - Saturday 9am - 5.30pm | www.passionforcruises.co.uk<br />
Cartwright Travel, 23 Heol Y Deri, <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, Cardiff, CF14 6YF
Christmas<br />
at<br />
Pugh’s Christmas Shop Opening Weekend<br />
Friday 11th – Sunday 13th October<br />
Marvel in the magic of Christmas at Pugh’s! Wander down walkways of beautiful<br />
baubles and dazzling decorations and soak up the festive ambience. Give your<br />
Christmas some extra sparkle and get yourself ready for making magical memories<br />
with your family at the most wonderful time of the year.<br />
Festive Food Taster Weekend<br />
Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th November<br />
Calling all foodies! Don’t miss the chance to enjoy a delicious display of free festive<br />
food tasters inside Pugh’s Food Hall. We’ll be showcasing speciality food to tempt<br />
your taste buds plus you can shop our huge range of Christmas culinary delights.<br />
You can even get your Christmas meat orders in from Farmers Pantry Butchers.<br />
‘Tis the season to indulge!<br />
Booking not essential for the events listed. More details can be found at our Facebook page<br />
Tynant Nurseries, Morganstown,<br />
Radyr, Cardiff CF15 8LB<br />
PughsGardenVillageRadyr<br />
02920 8<strong>48</strong>000<br />
www.pughsgardencentre.co.uk/radyr<br />
Welcome to Bailey’s Better Homes. Located in Cardiff,<br />
BBH specialise in creating striking and bespoke kitchens<br />
and bathrooms in South Wales<br />
Are you looking for the following?<br />
• A contractor who will respect your wishes and home<br />
• An individual service tailored to you and your needs<br />
• A vast range of high quality products to choose from<br />
• First class fitting service<br />
• Friendly, hand-picked tradesmen<br />
• A single point of contact from start to finish<br />
• Design, supply and install in one place<br />
• High definition 3D designs on the latest CAD software<br />
• Exceptional aftercare<br />
If so, please get in contact with us.<br />
You won’t be disappointed!<br />
Chris Bailey 07595 512414<br />
mail@baileysbetterhomes.co.uk<br />
www.baileysbetterhomes.co.uk
1<br />
2<br />
4<br />
3<br />
The autumn home<br />
1. Chequered Faux<br />
Suede Cushion £15<br />
Add a burst of colour to<br />
your home with this lively,<br />
colourful faux suede<br />
cushion cover featuring a<br />
stunning patchwork. The<br />
delicate, furry material<br />
provides a soft touch which<br />
is easy to maintain.<br />
www.ethical.market<br />
32<br />
2. Stovax Vogue Midi<br />
Log Burner £1409<br />
Offering a superb<br />
view of the flames, the<br />
versatile styling of the<br />
Stovax Vogue Midi wood<br />
burning and multi-fuel<br />
stove fits perfectly into<br />
contemporary and<br />
traditional interiors alike.<br />
Limegreen<br />
3. British Made 100%<br />
Recycled Wool Throw<br />
£18<br />
This British-made recycled<br />
100% wool blanket is made<br />
from all the excess material<br />
and yarn left over from<br />
the production of other<br />
blankets.<br />
www.thefuturekept.com<br />
4. Seasonal Spice<br />
Candle £9.99<br />
Rich undertones of<br />
Seasonal Spice include<br />
nutmeg, clove and<br />
cinnamon, creating a deep<br />
and warming fragrance<br />
that gives your home a<br />
fantastically autumnal feel.<br />
www.northumbrian<br />
candleworks.co.uk
home<br />
6<br />
5<br />
6<br />
7<br />
5. Orange Mosaic<br />
Mirror £17.99<br />
Made from hand-painted<br />
and hand-cut glass, all parts<br />
of this brightly coloured<br />
mirror are put together<br />
by hand in Bali, Indonesia.<br />
Because of this method,<br />
each mirror is unique.<br />
www.gringofairtrade.com<br />
6. Himalayan Salt<br />
Natural Night Light in<br />
Forest Design £21.99<br />
Made from natural<br />
Himalayan crystal salt rock,<br />
it contains at least 84 types<br />
of minerals beneficial to<br />
the human body. The lamp<br />
creates a romantic and<br />
charming environment.<br />
www.amazon.co.uk<br />
7. Helix Hurricane<br />
Lamp £54<br />
Made from 18/10 stainless<br />
steel with a mirror-polished<br />
finish, walnut and thermalresistant<br />
borosilicate glass,<br />
this hurricane lamps has<br />
three flowing steel arms that<br />
gracefully encircle the glass<br />
cylinder within.<br />
Leekes<br />
8<br />
8. Gothic Boot Store<br />
from £300<br />
Made from pressure treated<br />
timber, this boot store has<br />
a raised decking floor, two<br />
shelves and is finished off<br />
with a cedar shingled roof.<br />
There's ample room for<br />
wellies and boots, as well as<br />
parcels and newspapers.<br />
www.theposhshedcompany.co.uk<br />
33
Heat Serve<br />
Professional and experienced gas engineers<br />
Specialist Glaziers with over 30 Years Experience<br />
Repairs & Renewals<br />
Experts in the repair of windows, doors and conservatories<br />
uPVC Products<br />
We offer a full range of quality replacement uPVC products<br />
Mirrors & Processed Glass<br />
Mirrors, glass (standard, safety, greenhouse & picture)<br />
Secondary Glazing<br />
A less costly option to reduce noise & heat loss<br />
Unit 4 St Catherine’s Park, Pengam Road, Cardiff CF24 2TY<br />
029 20<strong>48</strong> 6797<br />
contact@wrightglass.co.uk www.wrightglass.co.uk<br />
• Central heating installers<br />
• Boiler repairs<br />
• General heating and plumbing<br />
• Competitive Rates<br />
• Baxi Approved Engineers<br />
• Suppliers of Worcester, Vaillant and<br />
Ideal Boilers<br />
• Landlord gas certificates<br />
• Ex British Gas Engineer with 40 years<br />
experience<br />
Contact Phil Jones<br />
T: 07855 308822<br />
E: heatserve@btinternet.com<br />
10% OFF<br />
all AW19<br />
collection<br />
with this<br />
advert<br />
until 10th November<br />
Step into Autumn<br />
Independent Boutique in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
Find us in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> village<br />
Park outside the store in Lon Fach Shopping Mews<br />
9-11 Lon Fach<br />
Rhiwbeina<br />
CF14 6DY<br />
www.calonrhiwbeina.com<br />
tel: 029 20610722<br />
email: info@calonrhiwbeina.com
QualitySolicitors<br />
J A Hughes<br />
Offering a range of legal services for you and your business.<br />
We’re your friendly local solicitors, working hard to get the best outcome for you.<br />
Our legal services include:<br />
• Family Law<br />
• Conveyancing<br />
• Wills, LPAs and Probate<br />
• Personal Injury<br />
• Disputes<br />
Changing the way you see lawyers.<br />
02920 619 700 solicitors@jahughes.com www.qualitysolicitors.com/jahughes<br />
89 Beulah Road, <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, Cardiff, CF14 6LW<br />
We also have offices in Barry and Penarth<br />
• Commercial Business<br />
• Criminal Law<br />
• Child Care<br />
• Equine Law
history<br />
The Village Shops<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> is considered one of the finest villages to shop in Cardiff. We<br />
take a look back at some of the shops that have graced our village<br />
Back in 1897, a Western Mail report<br />
carried the news that <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
should be the capital of Wales.<br />
The Cardiff University debating<br />
society had selected the village as<br />
its preferred capital over Cardiff and<br />
Swansea, because they said that a<br />
'lot of cheese was made there'.<br />
There were other reasons too: the<br />
area also had a large manufacturing<br />
36<br />
Gooch's on Beulah Road<br />
industry and residents got good<br />
exercise from walking two-and-ahalf<br />
miles for a postage stamp.<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> never did make it to<br />
become the capital of Wales.<br />
Instead, it turned into the suburban<br />
village that we are all familiar with<br />
now.<br />
The main shopping area has seen<br />
a variety of different establishments<br />
over the years, some of them<br />
fleeting, some of them still<br />
households names in the area.<br />
Gooch's was one such name, a<br />
hardware store that thrived during<br />
the 1950s and 60s, on the end<br />
of Beulah Road, where the dry<br />
cleaners now stands.<br />
They also had outlets at the<br />
Caerphilly crossroads, on Thornhill<br />
Road, and later on Heol-y-Deri.<br />
Jones the Chemist was next door.<br />
Customers claim that whatever<br />
ailment they went there with, they'd<br />
be handed either a bottle of white<br />
or bottle of red medicine to make<br />
them better. Mr Jones was known<br />
to put himself out for his customers,<br />
often turning up at people's<br />
homes with things that they<br />
needed. Meanwhile, Lacey's was a<br />
Beulah Road 1936<br />
gentleman's outfitters where you<br />
could get a pair of leather gloves or<br />
a sensible tie.<br />
During the 1980s, where Snails Deli<br />
now is, there used to be a butcher,<br />
Peter Shields. He was world-famous<br />
for his faggots. People would come<br />
from all over Cardiff to buy them.<br />
The aroma of the faggots cooking<br />
would often drift down the street<br />
and over the village.<br />
Next door, on the end, where<br />
Interior of Gooch's 1950s
Dancing on Heol-y-Deri in the 1980s<br />
Heol-y-Deri, November 1983<br />
Flower Lodge now stands,<br />
there was Macs, who sold fruit,<br />
vegetables and fresh fish. There<br />
was also a Post Office on the other<br />
side of Peter Shields.<br />
The cabin on Pantbach Road was<br />
a delightful little place if you were<br />
a child or a smoker – rows of jars<br />
filled with sweets and more sweets.<br />
Prior to this, it was a shoe-repairer<br />
during the 1960s. It's currently<br />
occupied by C3 Chiropractors.<br />
Next door, and much later, during<br />
the early 2000s, there was a holistic<br />
therapy business that ran out of<br />
the building now occupied by the<br />
Garden Village Garage.<br />
Over towards Heol-y-Deri, the<br />
Paper Mill was a newsagent that<br />
existed where Morgans now reside.<br />
It later became Z Jewellery, which<br />
operated during the mid 2000s<br />
alongside HSBC, which closed its<br />
doors in early 2010.<br />
Up onto Heol-y-Deri itself and<br />
you'd find Lawrences, which sold<br />
ladies gowns. During the 1980s,<br />
Courtney Morgan sold and repaired<br />
electrical appliances. They were<br />
situated where Parsons now is.<br />
Gills Travel, run by Bob Gill and his<br />
son, sat on the end of the row of<br />
shops, which by coincidence, is now<br />
occupied by Passion For Cruises.<br />
The former betting shop was once<br />
called the Bungalow and it was a<br />
dairy. You'd go there for milk and<br />
eggs, butter and cream. It later<br />
became Barclays Bank, one of two<br />
Images and information courtesy of Mary Clarke<br />
banks in the village at the time.<br />
Where Muddy Bums was located,<br />
there was a shop called Rainbow<br />
that sold everything during the first<br />
half of the 2000s. Back in the 1960s<br />
though, John Charles, Wales's most<br />
famous footballer and his brother<br />
Mel, ran a sports shop out of the<br />
premises. Children would go in<br />
to get their new sports shoes and<br />
rumour has it that John spent a lot<br />
of time talking to customers about<br />
football and coaching.<br />
Over down Lon Fach, you could<br />
find Millcraft. Mr Squirrel next<br />
door sold little bits of this and that<br />
and small antiques. There was a<br />
saddlery there too.<br />
Before this, and where Calon<br />
Rhiwbeina now is, there used to be<br />
a sweet shop run by Harold Davies.<br />
The shop was full of jars of sweets<br />
and Ethel, who was a relative who<br />
worked there, would get a large<br />
oil lamp and hold it up to the jars<br />
to see what was in them. This was<br />
because there was no electricity in<br />
the shop at that time.<br />
Residents could often leave them<br />
a note of their order and would<br />
find their goods in the coal house<br />
when they returned home. Harold<br />
himself only had one arm but could<br />
do anything an able-bodied person<br />
could do.<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, like most villages, is an<br />
ever-changing place but its sense<br />
of community is one aspect with<br />
which it's become renowned. For<br />
over 100 years, shop-owners and<br />
customers alike have come and<br />
gone. But the <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> community<br />
spirit lives on.<br />
Do you have any old photos or<br />
stories that you'd like to share<br />
with our readers?<br />
Drop us a line at editor@<br />
livingmags.co.uk or you can<br />
drop details to us at our postal<br />
address on the inside front cover.<br />
We'll return your photos once we<br />
have scanned them.<br />
37
67 Thornhill Rd<br />
Llanishen<br />
Cardiff<br />
CF14 6PE<br />
Weekdays 8.30am-6pm<br />
Closed 1pm-1.30pm<br />
Saturdays 9am-12 noon<br />
Services we offer to all:<br />
• Free prescription<br />
collection service from<br />
all North Cardiff surgeries<br />
• Free delivery<br />
• Help taking your<br />
medicines<br />
• Flu vaccinations<br />
• Weight loss help<br />
and lots more<br />
Choose Pharmacy<br />
Do you need to see a<br />
doctor today?<br />
Your Community Pharmacist can<br />
provide free confidential NHS advice<br />
and treatment without you having to<br />
make an appointment with a GP<br />
£10<br />
Appointments available from October 2019. Please call for availability<br />
Please drop in to see us or call<br />
02920 755682 / 0800 9883003<br />
or visit our website<br />
www.insync-pharmacy.co.uk<br />
to see how we can help<br />
The best home<br />
to be in is<br />
your own<br />
Having Home Instead Senior Care<br />
help me around the<br />
house means I don’t<br />
have to go anywhere.<br />
COMPANIONSHIP | MEALS AND NUTRITION<br />
PERSONAL CARE | MEMORY CARE<br />
If, like Stanley, you would like to remain<br />
in your own home, we can help.<br />
homeinstead.co.uk/cardiff<br />
or call 02920 569<strong>48</strong>3<br />
Each Home Instead Senior Care ® franchise office is independently<br />
owned and operated. Copyright © Home Instead Senior Care 2019.
LOCAL SERVICE<br />
LOCAL TO YOU<br />
Join us for our<br />
OPENDAYEVENT<br />
Thursday October 24 TH and Thursday 7 TH November<br />
Cardiff Clinic - 161, Pantbach Road, <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, Cardiff, CF14 1TZ<br />
JOIN US FOR;<br />
FREE hearing checks<br />
Chance to try a range<br />
of hearing aids<br />
Opportunity to speak to<br />
audiologists and hearing<br />
aid companies directly<br />
FREE refreshments and more...<br />
Enjoy<br />
10% OFF<br />
All orders with<br />
this advert*<br />
Styletto Connect.<br />
IT’S MORE THAN JUST<br />
A HEARING AID.<br />
It’s a revolution in sound,<br />
style, streaming and<br />
charging-on-the-go.<br />
OUR SERVICES<br />
Comprehensive hearing assessments<br />
and ear examinations<br />
Speech perception testing<br />
Tympanometry<br />
Custom made hearing protection and<br />
noise reduction solutions<br />
Micro suction ear wax removal<br />
Tinnitus assessments<br />
Free no-obligation hearing aid trials<br />
Hearing Wales are private<br />
independent hearing care<br />
practitioners offering unparalleled<br />
care and the best hearing aids<br />
available. Wherever you live, we<br />
offer free home visits or have local<br />
hearing clinics in Wales and South<br />
West England. All our hearing tests<br />
and free and no obligation.<br />
CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION<br />
T 0800 313 4304<br />
W hearingwales.com<br />
* Ts&Cs apply: 10% off all orders placed on the day or from any orders from appointments booked on the day.<br />
Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion during this time.<br />
JN10044 | 09.2019
The Men's Shed in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> offers a place for a group of men to<br />
come together, chat, and create things for the community<br />
There's a problem down in the<br />
village.<br />
"The water's off."<br />
There's an uneasy sense of alarm<br />
among the men down at The Den.<br />
Iolo is stood there with an empty<br />
kettle, looking a little worried.<br />
"A cuppa is very important in our<br />
little world," says Mike.<br />
Mike is the Chairman of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
Men's Shed. Not many people know<br />
it but they meet weekly at the small<br />
shed, also known as The Den, in<br />
Canolfon Beulah.<br />
For generations, a shed has been<br />
a place for men to escape the<br />
40<br />
stress and strain of life; a haven to<br />
gain much needed sanity; to be<br />
surrounded by familiar items; and<br />
to make things. For the Shedders<br />
in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, this thinking has been<br />
expanded to more of a social thing.<br />
And the community of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> is<br />
benefiting.<br />
"We set up Men's Shed <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
in 2016," says Mike. "The movement<br />
itself actually started in Australia<br />
and has spread to countries<br />
all over the world, including<br />
Wales, where there are now 50<br />
Sheds. Fellow Shedder Gareth<br />
and I are Rotarians and what we<br />
found was that there was a large<br />
number of men who had time on<br />
their hands, whether it was due<br />
to unemployment, retirement,<br />
bereavement or because they were<br />
wanting to involve themselves in<br />
the community more.<br />
"We put some flyers in local<br />
supermarkets and put notices in the<br />
local WI newsletters - telling them<br />
that if they had any members who<br />
wanted to get their husbands out,<br />
to send them to The Den."<br />
The group has now grown from<br />
two or three members to 13.<br />
"We've actually become a victim<br />
of our own success in that we're<br />
having to turn people away. We've<br />
all got different skills. Gareth is very<br />
good at boiling a kettle," laughs<br />
Mike.<br />
And a varied bunch there are. Mike<br />
worked in the Patent Office. Then<br />
there's Colin:<br />
"You name it, I've done it. But<br />
mainly, I was a draughtsman. I<br />
designed ships."<br />
Graham was in the Civil Service<br />
but was also a mechanic for a long<br />
time.<br />
"I had a moment in my life and it<br />
was a bit of a eureka moment," says<br />
Graham. "Many years ago, I went<br />
to a training centre for six months.<br />
It was down where Tesco Extra is<br />
now. And it was while I was there<br />
that I realised that I had transferable<br />
skills, which meant that I could turn
my hand to anything I wanted to.<br />
It set me up for life and I can bring<br />
that attitude to the Shed."<br />
Then there's co-founder Gareth,<br />
the one who's still working.<br />
specialising in social welfare.<br />
"I was in IT and worked my way<br />
up to general dogsbody at Men's<br />
Shed," announces another Shedder,<br />
Carl. Sat next to Carl is Keith, who<br />
was a video editor at HTV for ten<br />
years.<br />
"I don't watch TV any more. I had<br />
enough of that when I was working,"<br />
he chuckles.<br />
On another bench, Iolo talks about<br />
his career as a theatre technician.<br />
And Brian reminds the group that<br />
he is a former architect.<br />
"Don't we know it," quips Graham.<br />
"Have pencil, will travel," replies<br />
Brian. On the end is Phillip, who up<br />
until now, has kept quiet.<br />
"I used to be what John Cleese<br />
once described as the living dead -<br />
I was a chartered account."<br />
Another Shedder, John arrives<br />
late. "I was a financial economist,"<br />
he says, which is soon somehow<br />
construed as a 'communist' and he<br />
gets the blame for the recession in<br />
2008.<br />
"The group has two aims,"<br />
continues Mike. "The first is to<br />
bring a social life to those who are<br />
isolated and the other aim is to<br />
provide for the community."<br />
Graham is one member who finds<br />
solace within the group.<br />
"There's been a lot of talk on<br />
Radio 4 over the last few weeks<br />
about loneliness and depression,<br />
especially in men. Certainly anyone<br />
who has lost a spouse will have<br />
developed that. My life is very full<br />
and very, very busy but it doesn't<br />
matter where you are or what you're<br />
doing, it still hits you.<br />
"But we never pry," adds Gareth.<br />
"People here say what they want to<br />
say and you don't have to prove that<br />
you've been through something<br />
traumatic to join us. But we don't<br />
go asking too many uncomfortable<br />
questions."<br />
"We're a caring organisation but<br />
we're not carers," says Mike. “In the<br />
past, we’ve had people who have<br />
been left with us by their carers<br />
but we’re not cut out for looking<br />
after vulnerable people like that.<br />
We're here for the camaraderie and<br />
there's lots of it."<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> has benefited from the<br />
club's second aim.<br />
"When we started, our first task<br />
was to refurbish the garage and<br />
install workbenches and racking.<br />
Second-hand tools and timber<br />
were donated by members of the<br />
public and local<br />
organisations.<br />
"In addition to our<br />
workshop, we rent<br />
a large allotment in<br />
Birchgrove where<br />
we have installed<br />
a poly-tunnel, a<br />
shed donated to<br />
us free by a local<br />
garden centre,<br />
and a greenhouse<br />
donated by a<br />
local resident. We<br />
have also built a<br />
patio and installed<br />
garden furniture as a rest area and<br />
are currently constructing raised<br />
beds. We have started to meet<br />
occasionally at the Wendy House<br />
in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> too for a general chat,<br />
cuppa and to plan new projects."<br />
The group has made four planters<br />
for <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Library and is working<br />
on wheelchair-friendly planters for<br />
the City Hospice. They’ve also built<br />
a new notice board at the Wendy<br />
House in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> and restored<br />
benches in the community garden<br />
at the rear of the Canolfan building.<br />
"We have also built a tree bench<br />
for the Macintosh Community<br />
Gardens in Roath, removed<br />
overgrown vegetation at the rear<br />
of a charity shop in Llanishen and<br />
last year, we hosted a visit by Cardiff<br />
Young Carers to our workshop. We<br />
have also been visited by the MP<br />
for North Cardiff, local councillors,<br />
Shedders from other Men’s Sheds<br />
and university students who<br />
interviewed and filmed us as part<br />
of their thesis work. We've also just<br />
successfully registered as a charity."<br />
Boys and their toys: Graham and Brian<br />
test out their hand-made bogie.<br />
interview<br />
The group isn't currently looking<br />
for new members as the premises<br />
they have is very small.<br />
"We could possibly look to get<br />
bigger premises and we also have<br />
the option of maybe setting up<br />
another group," says Mike. "But<br />
that's for the future. Right now,<br />
we've got a planter to finish."<br />
Among all the banter, laughter<br />
and the smell of woodwork and<br />
grease, there is a genuine affection<br />
and maybe even love among the<br />
group. For all the heartaches that<br />
go on behind closed doors, the<br />
Men's Shed provides a time and a<br />
place for the men to be themselves<br />
among their peers. On paper,<br />
they're an unlikely mix. But put<br />
together, the group works perfectly.<br />
And the one thing that bonds them<br />
all together?<br />
The kettle.<br />
Twitter@TheDen110<br />
For more information about the<br />
Men’s Sheds movement, visit<br />
www.mensshedscymru.co.uk<br />
41 41
A line-up you can rely on<br />
with free installation & disposal *<br />
when purchasing selected Bosch appliances<br />
*T&Cs Apply<br />
lacirtcelE<br />
duB<br />
daoR , yl evorghcriB<br />
, l ffidraC<br />
ihpreaC , 41FC GQ4 021-81<br />
682196 02920 ku.oc.ygre<br />
*T&Cs Apply. “Europe’s no. 1 Brand” For major domestic appliances. Source: Euromonitor, volume sales, 2018. “World’s no. 1 Brand” For dishwashers. Source: Euromonitor, volume sales, 2018. i-DOS Average saving of liquid detergent by comparing a precise dosing technology versus<br />
manual dosing. International Journal of Consumer Studies. Visit https://stories.bosch-home.com/uk for further information. Free installation & disposal available on models included in this advert only & limited to 16.09.2019 - 29.10.2019.<br />
BOSCH-Line up-Local Press-Generic-L.indd 1 13/09/2019 13:37<br />
f''I Right<br />
I I 1:.me<br />
Quality Care In Your Home<br />
Areas covered:<br />
Cardiff and Newport<br />
• <br />
02920 794050<br />
@) www.rightathomeuk.eo.uk/cardiff-and-newport<br />
Quality care in your own home<br />
from hourly visits to Live-in<br />
Our local team of friendly reliable<br />
carers specialise in assisting people<br />
who may need a helping hand with<br />
day-to-day tasks in their own home.<br />
• Companionship<br />
• Meal preparation<br />
• Light housekeeping<br />
• Medicine reminders<br />
• Holiday and respite cover<br />
• Help with washing, dressing and<br />
personal care<br />
• Transport and errands<br />
• Post-operative support<br />
• Managed live-in 24/7 hour care<br />
as an alternative to a care home
• Child Care Law<br />
• Conveyancing<br />
• Employment Law<br />
• Family Law<br />
Service. Expertise. Community.<br />
• Litigation<br />
Call Robertsons today on<br />
• Personal Injury Claims<br />
029 2023 7777<br />
• Probate, Wills & Trusts<br />
www.robsols.co.uk<br />
law@robsols.co.uk
history<br />
SMARTS<br />
Smarts Garage in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> was a family-run business that was<br />
a focal point in the village for decades. Today, the business is<br />
remembered mainly through old photographs and stories<br />
Perhaps one of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>'s most<br />
well-remembered landmarks is<br />
Smarts Tea Rooms, which later<br />
became Smarts Garage.<br />
Owned by the Smart family, the<br />
garage was the epitome of a familyrun<br />
business in the village. Its<br />
history began over 100 years ago.<br />
William Albert (Will) Smart worked<br />
as a wheelwright in Cardiff before<br />
moving in 1916 to the small village<br />
of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> where he started a<br />
business called the <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Tea<br />
44<br />
Gardens.<br />
The Tea Gardens soon became a<br />
focal point for the village and further<br />
attractions were added including<br />
a putting green and bird aviaries.<br />
By 1920, the motor car had started<br />
to become a practical means of<br />
transport and the industry opened<br />
up many business opportunities<br />
which Will took advantage of by<br />
opening <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Motor Garages<br />
on a site immediately adjacent<br />
to the Tea Gardens. Apart from<br />
selling petrol and oil,<br />
Will also developed a<br />
business relationship<br />
with Morris Motors<br />
and began selling and<br />
servicing Morris cars.<br />
The relationship with<br />
Morris Motors, and its<br />
successors, lasted for<br />
many decades with<br />
many models sold over<br />
the years.<br />
A second garage was<br />
opened on Heol-y-Deri,<br />
situated just a couple<br />
of hundred yards away,<br />
and this was known as<br />
Brook Garage, where Nest now<br />
resides. In the 1950s, there was a<br />
clear distinction between the two<br />
with the original garage selling only<br />
Shell petrol while Brook Garage<br />
was affiliated to the Esso brand.<br />
This arrangement not only gave<br />
a choice to the consumer, it also<br />
gave protection to the original<br />
business by effectively discouraging<br />
competitors from moving in.<br />
Will's son Cliff worked for his father<br />
when he left school in 1925 aged<br />
14, and eventually took over the<br />
business in 1936. It was later called<br />
Cliff Smart Ltd around 1954.<br />
During the 1960s, Smarts Garage<br />
was a major contributor to the<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Carnival, and many of<br />
their motors were seen parading<br />
through the village.<br />
Cliff continued to run the business<br />
until the original tea garden site<br />
and garage was sold in 1987 for redevelopment.<br />
He retired in 1989.<br />
As a reminder of the site's past<br />
history, the development was called<br />
'Clos Yr Ardd' which translates as<br />
'Garden Close'.<br />
Images courtesy of Martin Smart. Information courtesy of Friends of Cathays Cemetery
45
Millennium<br />
Blinds Wales<br />
Plantation shutters<br />
British made by Luxaflex<br />
4 week turnaround<br />
5 year guarantee<br />
Roller • Roman • Vertical • Woods<br />
• Conservatory • Patio Awnings<br />
70 Merthyr Rd<br />
Whitchurch Cardiff<br />
Tel 02920 621111<br />
Volunteer<br />
with us<br />
We help older people to<br />
declutter their homes and<br />
record their memories<br />
Contact Safer Wales<br />
02920 22 00 33<br />
This is Sarah. She’s busy<br />
cleaning her oven...<br />
10<br />
YEARS 2006 - 2016<br />
RELIABLE QUALITY<br />
& SERVICE<br />
Sarah called the domestic oven cleaning<br />
specialists, so she could relax and enjoy a coffee<br />
while it’s done!<br />
The<br />
Clean Oven<br />
Co<br />
• Ovens • Agas • Grills • Hobs • Extractors • BBQs • Microwaves •<br />
CALL<br />
TODAY<br />
02920 990 287<br />
www.thecleanovenco.com<br />
Clever Sarah!<br />
Put the sparkle back into Your kitchen today!
Photography services<br />
based in Cardiff<br />
07907 386471<br />
www.cowanandpayne.com<br />
contact@cowanandpayne.com<br />
Available for weddings,<br />
parties, conferences,<br />
business services,<br />
and much more.<br />
We are offering a portrait shoot of you, your family or even your pets! We’ll travel to your<br />
choice of location within the Cardiff area and leave you with a professional, high-quality,<br />
print-friendly electronic photograph. We’ll then print that photograph onto a set of<br />
25 A5 Christmas cards with your own personalised message inside.<br />
English, Welsh<br />
or bilingual<br />
£30, to include your photo shoot and<br />
a set of 25 Christmas cards<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> based<br />
What our customers<br />
are saying<br />
Neill was incredibly professional and<br />
responsive throughout the process -<br />
he turned up to quote when he said<br />
he would, got me the quote when he<br />
said he would, and did the work in the<br />
time frame he promised. Couldn’t fault<br />
him or his team; an absolute pleasure<br />
to deal with and we’re delighted with<br />
the finished driveway.<br />
Tom<br />
Neill and his team have completed<br />
two pieces of work for me. The work<br />
was carried out professionally, by a<br />
skilful team, as planned, on time and<br />
respectfully. All the work has been<br />
done beyond my expectations. I am<br />
so pleased and have no hesitation in<br />
recommending Neill and his Cardiff<br />
team.<br />
Lynne<br />
Bringing the best in driveways, patios and<br />
landscaping to the homeowners,<br />
businesses and public services of Cardiff<br />
Artificial grass • Wood composite decking and fencing• Hard landscaping •<br />
Driveway repair and cleaning • Driveways - resin/permeable/ block paving/gravel<br />
Free advice and no obligation quotes 02920 538075<br />
www.newdrivewaycompany.com
Autumn garden<br />
As summer draws to a close,<br />
many of the mainstays of the<br />
mid-summer border are still going<br />
strong, providing that conditions are<br />
to their liking.<br />
Typical prairie flowers such as<br />
Helenium and Echinacea will still be<br />
looking good, but are now joined<br />
by other members of the daisy<br />
family or Asteraceae, along with<br />
the ornamental grasses with which<br />
they look most at home. That the<br />
most popular partner, Miscanthus<br />
sinensis or Chinese silver grass,<br />
originates on the other side of the<br />
<strong>48</strong><br />
In his final installment on perennials, Kevin Revell shows how we can<br />
maintain a garden of colour before the first frosts of winter arrive<br />
world is surprising.<br />
The most noticeable flowers<br />
now are the golden yellow stars<br />
floating above the sandpapertextured<br />
foliage of Rudbeckia<br />
fulgida ‘Goldsturm’, which is by<br />
far the strongest-growing and<br />
most popular variety, reaching<br />
a metre high. The swept back<br />
golden petals surround a domed<br />
chocolate brown central boss and<br />
they last for absolutely ages. They<br />
will eventually need dead-heading<br />
however, to continue the display<br />
long into autumn. If left, the faded<br />
seed heads give shape to the winter<br />
garden and look good after a sharp<br />
frost to accentuate their structure.<br />
The variety ‘Deamii’ is less coarse<br />
and less robust and differs in having<br />
a flat button of a central boss. More<br />
useful and increasingly popular is<br />
the smaller form of ‘Little Gold Star’<br />
which barely reaches 30cm tall<br />
but also produces a mass of gold<br />
floral stars over a long period. It<br />
makes a very good choice for the<br />
front of the border, or for pots and<br />
containers. In recent years, many<br />
new hybrid Rudbeckias have been<br />
released with yellow, orange and<br />
brown colouration to the petals,<br />
often all within the same flower.<br />
These new forms are not reliably<br />
hardy however and will not come<br />
back in subsequent years so are<br />
best treated as late summer annual<br />
bedding plants.<br />
Japanese Anemones or Anemone<br />
japonica are popular cottage<br />
garden plants, being virtually<br />
indestructible and long-lived, if a<br />
little invasive, once established.<br />
They have long been divided and<br />
passed around by neighbouring<br />
gardeners so distinct local<br />
populations will form along blocks<br />
of streets. Tolerant of dry shade,<br />
they are a useful plant to have in<br />
the garden. They sit minding their<br />
own business for most of the year<br />
until wiry stems bearing clusters of<br />
pretty pink or white daisy flowers<br />
rise up in late summer and autumn.<br />
Some of the older varieties such<br />
as ‘Hadspen Abundance’ will reach<br />
up to 1.5m tall but most named<br />
varieties are usually a little shorter<br />
and make fine subjects for the back<br />
of a border.<br />
They are sufficiently tough not to<br />
need any support so can be left<br />
pretty much to themselves apart<br />
from being cut down in winter<br />
or ideally in early spring before<br />
growth recommences. The most<br />
popular forms are the single white<br />
flowering ‘Honorine Jobert’ and
semi-double ‘Whirlwind’, whose<br />
ghostly blooms loom out of dark<br />
corners at dusk. The single deep<br />
pink variety ‘Splendens’ is another<br />
winner along with the double<br />
form ‘Queen Charlotte’. Although<br />
great in borders, these plants do<br />
not lend themselves to container<br />
gardening. As with many other<br />
varieties of plants, there has been<br />
a drive towards miniaturisation<br />
over the past few years to cater<br />
for today’s smaller gardens and a<br />
tendency to grow plants in pots for<br />
maximum effect over a short period.<br />
The imaginatively named Fantasy<br />
Series that include ‘Cinderella’,<br />
‘Pocahontas’ and ‘Red Riding Hood‘<br />
come in a similar range of single<br />
and semi-double pink forms but<br />
only grow to about 45cm tall.<br />
"<br />
The Whirlwind’s<br />
ghostly blooms<br />
loom out of dark<br />
corners at dusk<br />
It would be remiss of me to discuss<br />
the daisy family without covering<br />
those which give the family its<br />
name. Asters or Michaelmas daisies,<br />
as their common name suggest, is<br />
a late flowering perennial which are<br />
surely the last flowers of the year.<br />
They are eagerly sought out by the<br />
last butterflies of the year as they<br />
take on stores prior to migration or<br />
hibernation. They really do come<br />
in all shapes and sizes from the<br />
towering Novi-Angliae or New<br />
England asters which can reach<br />
almost two metres tall. They are<br />
more at home at the back of large<br />
borders typically found in parks<br />
and stately homes. Much of the<br />
breeding of these plants took place<br />
in Germany which may explain the<br />
less than memorable names such<br />
as ‘Alma Potschke.’<br />
The formerly popular Island Series,<br />
named after South Sea islands<br />
such as ‘Samoa’ and ‘Bahamas’<br />
are shorter at 30cm and colourful<br />
but are disease prone and have<br />
now been superseded by new<br />
Aster dumosus forms which are<br />
disease free and wonderfully<br />
compact and floriferous. ‘Crystal<br />
Rose’ and ‘Sapphire’ are fine<br />
examples. Another superior form is<br />
Aster frikartii ‘Monch’ which is late<br />
flowering with beautiful lavenderblue<br />
flowers, compact at 45cm and<br />
deserves to be more widely grown,<br />
being completely trouble-free<br />
giving a final injection of colour to<br />
the autumn border. Sadly, many of<br />
the Novae-Belgii or New Belgian<br />
asters fall prey to mildew late in the<br />
season just as the flowers come out<br />
but this is less of a problem when<br />
grown in borders rather than in<br />
pots and containers. It can spoil the<br />
appearance of the foliage however<br />
and shortens the display that would<br />
otherwise run until the first frosts.<br />
Old favourites such as ‘Ada Ballard’<br />
and ‘Marie Ballard’ are still widely<br />
grown but may require staking in<br />
exposed positions growing to 60 to<br />
80cm or so.<br />
Liriope muscari, a rather unusual<br />
gardening<br />
flower, is perhaps the last to<br />
flower in the autumn and looks<br />
more like a grass for most of the<br />
year. In September and October,<br />
blue flowers which resemble the<br />
spring bulb, grape hyacinth, appear<br />
partially hidden by the foliage. The<br />
common name of lily turf does<br />
nothing to improve its popularity,<br />
but it is an extremely tough plant,<br />
surviving in dry shade and only<br />
coming into its own late in the<br />
year. The variety ‘Big Blue’ is worth<br />
seeking out.<br />
With that, the season for flowering<br />
herbaceous perennials comes<br />
to an end. A few flowers may be<br />
seen in October and November<br />
on hellebores, but these are more<br />
plants of winter and early spring but<br />
are a welcome sight, nonetheless.<br />
49
At Llanishen Eyecare, we are committed to<br />
giving our patients the best service in a relaxed,<br />
friendly and professional environment<br />
- NHS and private patients welcome<br />
- (WECS) Welsh Eye Care Service accredited<br />
- Wide range of contact lenses<br />
- On-trend eye wear to suit all budgets<br />
- Local experienced Optometrist who has been<br />
testing in the Llanishen area for over 25 years<br />
Follow our Facebook page to keep up<br />
with all the latest news and products<br />
Church School House,2 Heol Hir,<br />
Llanishen, Cardiff CF14 5AE<br />
02920 795314 www.llanisheneyecare.com<br />
DIRTY DRIVEWAY,<br />
DECK, PATIO OR<br />
PAVING?<br />
Like everything else about<br />
the house, from time to<br />
time your driveway, deck,<br />
patio or paving will benefit<br />
from a really effective,<br />
professional clean…<br />
After cleaning<br />
FREE<br />
NO-OBLIGATION<br />
QUOTATIONS<br />
Before cleaning<br />
“Dear<br />
Mike, just a note<br />
to thank you for the excellent<br />
job you did in cleaning<br />
our driveway. We will certainly<br />
be happy to recommend you<br />
to anyone interested in<br />
having such work<br />
done!<br />
Please visit our website for more information, a gallery of<br />
‘before and after’ cleaning pictures and our client testimonials<br />
Tel Mike Packwood:<br />
02920 700571 / 07767 310618<br />
Email info@valejetclean.co.uk<br />
www.ValeJetClean.co.uk<br />
RESIDENTIAL JET WASHING<br />
A WELL RECOMMENDED SERVICE<br />
PLEASE SEE WEBSITE FOR DETAILS<br />
Willis Heating<br />
The Worcester Bosch Approved<br />
installer on your doorstep<br />
We provide a fast and friendly professional service<br />
with excellent levels of customer service<br />
• Gas boilers<br />
• Combination boilers<br />
• Servicing & repair work<br />
• Heating system updates<br />
• Unvented hot<br />
water systems<br />
• Landlord gas safety<br />
inspection & certificates<br />
• Bathrooms & kitchens<br />
and all plumbing work<br />
All our Worcester<br />
boilers come with a<br />
10 year guarantee<br />
Willis Heating,<br />
60 Homelands Road,<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
Cardiff CF14 1UJ www.willisheating.co.uk 07830 283553
pets<br />
Your pet<br />
questions<br />
answered<br />
Chris Troughton is clinical director of Heath Vets. He’s here to answer all your pet<br />
questions. If you’d like to ask Chris a pet-related question, drop us a line<br />
When I take my dog out for<br />
a walk, his back legs start to<br />
tremble. He’s is 6 now but<br />
I’ve only noticed it in the last<br />
two years or so. It hasn’t ever<br />
bothered him in any way but I<br />
wondered if this is something<br />
that happens as they get older?<br />
Although many older dogs get<br />
tremors in their legs (especially<br />
the back legs), there are also<br />
several quite serious conditions<br />
that could cause them. So<br />
before just accepting that they<br />
are a normal harmless part of<br />
growing older, it’s important to<br />
rule out those conditions. Look<br />
for signs of him feeling unwell<br />
– change in appetite, increased<br />
drinking, sickness, diarrhoea,<br />
reduced interest in exercise.<br />
If any of these are present, it’s<br />
worth getting your vet’s opinion.<br />
You say that the tremors do not<br />
affect him, but if they do start<br />
to impact on his exercise, they<br />
might relate to pain, so again,<br />
see your vet.<br />
My beloved dog has taken up<br />
scooting across our lovely new<br />
carpets in the last few months.<br />
I don’t think she’s deliberately<br />
doing it just because I’ve got<br />
new carpets but I do wonder if<br />
the carpet is somehow irritating<br />
her? What would be your best<br />
advice going forward?<br />
The scooting you’re describing<br />
is a sign of an itchy bottom.<br />
Sometimes you do get reactions<br />
to carpets, but these usually<br />
show as itchy inflamed skin in<br />
the areas in contact with the<br />
carpet – mainly the feet and<br />
the belly; if these areas are not<br />
Sponsored feature<br />
affected, I think it’s unlikely that<br />
the new carpets are causing this<br />
behaviour, but because they’re<br />
new, you are noticing it more!<br />
Rarely, worms can be the cause<br />
but the commonest reason for<br />
itchy bottoms in dogs is anal sac<br />
problems. The anal sacs are little<br />
scent glands beside the anus<br />
which can become blocked<br />
or infected and cause variable<br />
degrees of itch and pain. The<br />
problem is usually easily sorted<br />
out with a visit to your vet, so<br />
don’t delay – save your dog<br />
from further discomfort and your<br />
carpets from further injury!<br />
My cat has started getting bad<br />
breath. I have tried (and failed)<br />
to brush her teeth but her teeth<br />
look in good condition. Could it<br />
be related to her intestines or<br />
something similar?<br />
Bad breath is often a sign of oral<br />
disease. There may be problems<br />
with her teeth at the back where<br />
it’s more difficult for you to look,<br />
or there could be other issues<br />
(like tonsillitis for example).<br />
However, bad breath can also<br />
be a symptom of problems<br />
elsewhere - stomach, lung liver<br />
and kidney problems can all<br />
cause it, so it’s important to get<br />
your cat properly checked out<br />
as soon as possible.<br />
A fellow dog walker was telling<br />
me about her friend’s dog that<br />
died of canine pancreatitis. It<br />
sounds quite scary and I do<br />
worry a lot so I wondered what<br />
signs and symptoms I needed<br />
to look out for with my own dog.<br />
Is it catching?<br />
Pancreatitis is inflammation<br />
of the pancreas, an organ that<br />
produces digestive enzymes as<br />
well as insulin. Symptoms can<br />
vary from mild inappetence to<br />
severe vomiting and intense<br />
pain. Usually patients recover<br />
with intensive treatment, but<br />
occasionally it is fatal. Most<br />
that recover do not suffer any<br />
long-term health effects, but<br />
some suffer recurring bouts<br />
of illness. There is no specific<br />
treatment for pancreatitis, so<br />
therapy is aimed at supporting<br />
the body while it heals, with<br />
intravenous fluids, analgesia and<br />
antemetics. Pancreatitis is not<br />
contagious so there’s no need<br />
to worry on that count. Often we<br />
don’t know what has caused a<br />
bout of pancreatitis, but it can<br />
certainly be associated with<br />
overindulgence in rich food – for<br />
example, stealing a pat of butter.
Julie Morgan<br />
Your Assembly Member for Cardiff North<br />
I hold regular surgeries on Mondays and Fridays,<br />
no appointment necessary.<br />
Mondays at 13a Llangranog Road, Llanishen from 10-11am<br />
Fridays at 17 Plasnewydd, Whitchurch from 12.30-1.30pm<br />
My office is also staffed Monday to Friday.<br />
Please call 0300 200 6241 for an appointment<br />
or get in touch via my website, www.juliemorgan.org.uk/contact<br />
Julie Morgan<br />
Eich Aelod Cynulliad dros Ogledd Caerdydd<br />
Rwy’n cynnal cymorthfeydd rheolaidd ar ddydd Llun a dydd Gwener,<br />
ac nid oes angen gwneud apwyntiad.<br />
Dydd Llun yn 13a Llangranog Road, Llanisien, rhwng 10.00 ac 11.00<br />
Dydd Gwener yn 17 Plasnewydd, yr Eglwys Newydd rhwng 12.30 ac 13.30<br />
Mae staff yn fy swyddfa o ddydd Llun i ddydd Gwener hefyd.<br />
Ffoniwch 0300 200 6241 i gael apwyntiad<br />
neu cysylltwch ar y wefan www.juliemorgan.org.uk/contact<br />
The services we provide:<br />
Taxation<br />
Self-Assessment<br />
Payroll<br />
VAT<br />
Bookkeeping<br />
www.crossaccountingservice.co.uk<br />
02920 653 995<br />
9a Heol y Deri, <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, Cardiff CF14 6HA<br />
PIDGEONS • PIDGEONS • PIDGEONS • PIDGEONS • PIDGEONS • PIDGEONS •<br />
PIDGEONS<br />
Arrange your funeral needs through Pidgeons, Cardiff's family operated<br />
Funeral Company. The company and dedicated staff have over<br />
300 years experience in the profession.<br />
You are assured of the highest level of professionalism from our dedicated staff<br />
• Cardiff's leading Funeral<br />
Company<br />
• We offer a personal service,<br />
sympathetic advice and very<br />
competitive rates<br />
• Pre-arranged funeral plans,<br />
tailor-made to your requirements<br />
• Professionally qualified staff<br />
available 24 hours a day - every<br />
day<br />
PIDGEONS<br />
Our Family Serving Your Family<br />
PIDGEONS<br />
Tel: 029 2022 6604<br />
• Licensed Funeral Directors<br />
• Advice given on possible grants<br />
from DSS<br />
• Air-conditioned service chapel<br />
and offices with no steps or<br />
stairs to negotiate<br />
• The finest Daimler limousines<br />
• Simply the best to meet your<br />
needs<br />
• Eco and Green Funerals,<br />
Traditional Funeral Specialists<br />
J. PIDGEON & SON LTD, 539 COWBRIDGE ROAD EAST, CARDIFF<br />
As professional Funeral Directors, the company subscribes to the Membership of the National Association of Funeral Directors<br />
Online price list and brochure www.pidgeonsofcardiff.co.uk
What our patients<br />
are saying<br />
Welcoming New Patients<br />
Comprehensive New Patient Examination<br />
8 Stage Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment<br />
• X-rays Included • Photographs• 3D Tooth Scanning<br />
• Oral Cancer Screening JUST £45<br />
We offer affordable dentistry in ground floor, state-of-the-art<br />
facilities with free parking. We also provide free check-ups for<br />
under 6s and free consultations for everyone else. Pop in for a<br />
coffee with one of our team and a tour around the practice!<br />
We pride ourselves on how we care for our nervous patients, from<br />
the moment you step through the door. None of the sights, sounds<br />
or smells will remind you of any past bad experiences. We do<br />
Dentistry, Differently. For those that have a severe dental phobia,<br />
we can also offer SEDATION to make treatment much more<br />
comfortable for you.<br />
Exceptional service from Emily<br />
the Dental Hygienist and Imran<br />
the Principal Dentist. Very<br />
impressive top of the range<br />
equipment. Lovely relaxing<br />
environment. Both Emily and<br />
Imran were attentive, explained<br />
everything thoroughly and put<br />
me at ease throughout. Highly<br />
recommend.<br />
Louise<br />
The surroundings are 5 star!<br />
The treatment is 5 star! I’ve<br />
found my happy place!<br />
Sian<br />
DIRECT ACCESS Hygiene appointments available<br />
High Gloss Diamond Polish - you can book to see our Hygienist<br />
without having to see one of our Dentists first<br />
**Affordable monthly VIP membership plans<br />
and 0% Finance available**<br />
General care & family dentistry • Sedation • Wedding<br />
packages • Teeth whitening • Teeth straightening •<br />
Veneers, crowns & bridges • Dental implants • Emergency<br />
dental care • Dentures • Facial aesthetics<br />
Look out for our<br />
Grand Opening Party<br />
in the coming weeks!<br />
Mon-Thur 8am-8pm<br />
Fri 8am-2pm<br />
Sat 9am-1pm<br />
(Phone Lines 24/7)<br />
02922 679 999<br />
www.clovesdentalcare.co.uk<br />
165 Pantbach Road, <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, Cardiff CF14 1TZ<br />
#YourSocialDentist
outdoors<br />
10 things<br />
to do<br />
outdoors<br />
in<br />
Autumn<br />
6 1. GO FOR A WELLY WALK<br />
We may grumble at the autumn weather but<br />
there's actually something very uplifting about<br />
wrapping up warm and enjoying the new smells,<br />
sights and sounds. If you've got a pair of wellies,<br />
you've got no excuse to get out there!<br />
8 2. COLLECT CONKERS<br />
There's a fascination in looking for conkers. You'll<br />
always be on the lookout for bigger and better. And<br />
when you're fully loaded up, it'll be time to take<br />
them home and decide which ones you are going<br />
to thread onto old shoelaces.<br />
65 3. FIND SOME BATS<br />
Late summer and early autumn is mating season for bats.<br />
They migrate from their summer habitat to new sites where<br />
mating occurs and where they seek out places to hibernate<br />
for the winter. They also focus on building up reserves of<br />
fat, which will help them through the colder months. Torpor<br />
also begins, where bats lessen activity to save vital energy.<br />
6 4. COLLECT PINE CONES<br />
Heading into the forest, you'll find plenty of pine<br />
cones on the ground. You can use these for craft<br />
projects nearer to Christmas so if you find any that<br />
are damp, it'll be worth storing them so that they<br />
are dry when you come to use them. If you find any<br />
still attached to its branch, keep these too as they<br />
will add some variety.<br />
54
5 5. GO SCARECROW<br />
SPOTTING<br />
Often the stars of harvest festivals, you can spot<br />
scarecrows doing their work in the fields in autumn.<br />
It's worth taking a camera to document any that<br />
you do see but be careful not to encroach on<br />
private property or damage any crops nearby.<br />
8 6. GO APPLE PICKING<br />
Make the most of harvest season by visiting a local<br />
orchard and picking some juicy apples. There's<br />
nothing better than enjoying the crisp autumn air<br />
and heading home with a bag of fruit - perfect for<br />
baking tasty apple pies.<br />
65 7. PLANT SPRING BULBS<br />
Garden centres will be bursting with spring bulbs at this<br />
time of year because now is the time to plant them. You are<br />
best getting them done between October and December,<br />
after which, the first frosts tend to arrive. Go for plump, firm<br />
bulbs and aim to plant within a week of purchasing as you<br />
may find that they start sprouting. Always remember to<br />
plant the bulbs with its top facing upwards.<br />
8 8. GO ON A GHOST HUNT<br />
It's the season of Hallowe'en and the darkening nights<br />
provide the perfect setting for a ghost walk.<br />
There are plenty of organised walks at this time of year<br />
but if you want to do it yourself, make sure that you put<br />
safety first and seek permission if you are looking to<br />
venture around private property.<br />
65 9. FEED THE BIRDS<br />
Although birds tend not to struggle for food in the<br />
autumn, it's worth preparing your garden now for<br />
the lean times ahead during winter.<br />
Placing a few bird feeders around now will help<br />
let the birds know where they can get food in<br />
the winter months. Fat balls are a good source of<br />
energy for birds and these can be hung from trees<br />
if you have any. You can make these yourself from<br />
kitchen scraps and suet if you like. Serve small<br />
portions to avoid them going off or attracting rats.<br />
6 10. WATCH AN AUTUMN<br />
SUNSET<br />
Watching the sun go down is one of life's great pleasures<br />
and autumn often throws up some spectacular ones.<br />
Prepare some flasks of piping hot tea, head out to find<br />
a good spot and make sure that you're there about 15<br />
minutes before the sun's due to go down. It will go down<br />
quicker than you think. Then head home for dinner.<br />
55
The Art Workshop<br />
Art courses for all abilities<br />
Join one of our friendly classes taught<br />
by a team of qualified tutors<br />
Half-Term Hallowe’en Art Workshops<br />
Mon 28th / Tues 30th / Wed 31st October<br />
5-7 year olds: 10am-11am/11.30am-12.30pm £10<br />
7-13 year olds: 10am-1pm £18<br />
All materials included<br />
Adult Courses · Young Artists Art Academy (ages 7-12)<br />
· Drawing · Oils · Textile Art · Acrylics · Watercolours ·Printmaking<br />
3 Lon Fach, <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, Cardiff CF14 6DY<br />
For timetable and booking see<br />
w: www.theartworkshop.co.uk<br />
e: theartworkshop@live.co.uk<br />
t:07947 003111<br />
House Clearances<br />
2nd<br />
time around<br />
2nd Time Around<br />
specialise in<br />
house clearance<br />
We provide a professional and<br />
friendly service for full or part<br />
clearance, attics to cellars.<br />
We also offer the following services:<br />
• Reports for probate purposes<br />
• Valuations & advice on selling at auction<br />
• Auction service<br />
• Cleaning service<br />
• Sympathetic handling of deceased’s estates<br />
• Small removals & deliveries, nationwide<br />
• Rubbish removal<br />
• Recycling<br />
We comply with current legislation; we are waste<br />
management registered and have public liability insurance.<br />
House Clearance Specialists<br />
www.houseclearancecardiff.com<br />
Contact: Jan Richards<br />
T: 02920 692704 M: 07715 622406<br />
E: janrichards4@hotmail.co.uk<br />
W: www.houseclearancecardiff.com<br />
A Great Place To Call Home<br />
At Sunrise of Cardiff it’s our mission to provide the highest<br />
standard of personalised residential or dementia care<br />
and support for the elderly, delivered by a highly-trained<br />
professional and compassionate team.<br />
Located within the suburban location of Cyncoed, our homelike<br />
interior and picturesque landscaped garden provides the<br />
backdrop for a range of en-suite rooms and suites, many with<br />
kitchenettes, which are perfect for either singles or couples.<br />
Combined with freshly prepared nutritious home-cooked<br />
meals and a variety of daily activities and social outings, it’s<br />
no surprise that Sunrise is a UK leading care home provider.<br />
Join us for complimentary refreshments at our<br />
Friendship Café every Thursday at 2.30pm.<br />
Sunrise of Cardiff<br />
127 Cyncoed Road, Cyncoed,<br />
Cardiff CF23 6AF<br />
029 2167 2244<br />
SunriseCardiff.co.uk<br />
CARDIFF<br />
ADV_CAR_0919_WhitchurchLlandaff_01.indd 1 09/09/2019 11:47
Summer's End<br />
"We need to get you home now.<br />
Your mother will be waiting for you."<br />
Paul took Eve's small hand and led<br />
her out of the forest and into the<br />
late summer sunshine.<br />
"Why do I have to go Daddy? I<br />
don't want this day to end." Eve<br />
looked up at her father. Paul could<br />
see the sadness in his daughter's<br />
eyes. He saw it every time he had to<br />
take Eve home.<br />
"Mummy wants you back so you<br />
can have your tea."<br />
In truth, Paul didn't want to take<br />
Eve back either but since the split<br />
from Beth, both parents had to<br />
play by the rules. Both father and<br />
daughter had enjoyed a wonderful<br />
day together. It had started with an<br />
early breakfast at the local café.<br />
At the age of 8, trying out her first<br />
cooked breakfast was something of<br />
a treat for Eve but she still couldn't<br />
get her head around eating savoury<br />
food first thing in the morning.<br />
"These aren't exactly Coco-Pops,"<br />
she'd mumbled as she tucked into<br />
her baked beans.<br />
After breakfast, they jumped into<br />
the car and headed out to the<br />
beach a few miles away. Paul had<br />
packed some food into a cool bag<br />
and they spent the day digging<br />
holes and burying Eve's Barbie dolls<br />
up to their necks. They spent most<br />
of the day on the sands but Paul<br />
knew that he had to have Eve back<br />
home early for teatime - she was<br />
back to school the next day.<br />
As one last treat, he parked the car<br />
up at a woodland park near home,<br />
and they had gone exploring in the<br />
nearby forest.<br />
They pretended that they were<br />
detectives looking for spies. Eve<br />
had found some clues - a scruffy<br />
58<br />
old football, a pencil that had been<br />
split in two and some acorns.<br />
“Look at this one!” Eve called. She<br />
held up a bright shiny acorn.<br />
“It’s huge!” replied Paul.<br />
“I’m keeping that one,” said Eve,<br />
popping it into the pocket of her<br />
summer dress.<br />
"These clues will lead me all the<br />
way to the spies!" she exclaimed,<br />
walking off.<br />
Paul looked at this young girl,<br />
stepping over logs and walking<br />
through muddy puddles with her<br />
sandals on. He was going to miss<br />
her so much. Since the split from<br />
Beth, he'd begun plans to start a<br />
new life on his own on the other<br />
side of the world. He knew he<br />
wouldn't get days like this again.<br />
"Oh, look at that dog!" remarked<br />
Eve. Up ahead, charging through<br />
the forest, a small brown and cream<br />
dog came bounding over towards<br />
them. In its mouth was a green<br />
tennis ball. Walking briskly behind<br />
the dog came a woman dressed in<br />
a strappy top, a pair of jeans and a<br />
big pair of Wellington boots.<br />
She was about the same age as<br />
Paul and she certainly caught his<br />
eye. He'd seen her before in the<br />
village several times.<br />
The dog reached Eve and ran<br />
around her feet playfully. It dropped<br />
the tennis ball at their feet, in the<br />
hope that they would throw it. Eve<br />
clung to Paul, excited, but not quite<br />
sure if the dog would nip her.<br />
The woman finally reached Paul<br />
and Eve, a little out of breath.<br />
“Sorry about her. She just wants to<br />
make new friends,” she said.<br />
Paul looked at the woman. All of<br />
a sudden, he felt very shy. She was<br />
pretty. Very pretty. There was a<br />
slight flush in her cheeks and Paul<br />
couldn't take his eyes off her as she<br />
wiped the hair from her face.<br />
Eve bent down and finally gave the<br />
dog a stroke on her head.<br />
"She's gorgeous isn't she?" said<br />
Eve.<br />
Paul was still captivated by the<br />
woman.<br />
"Yes. She is," he replied. The<br />
woman caught him looking at her<br />
and for a second, they got lost in<br />
their own world as they passed<br />
each other on the small forest<br />
pathway.<br />
Paul turned to watch her walk<br />
away, hoping she'd turn back.<br />
"Bye bye doggie," said Eve as the<br />
dog went scampering away. As the<br />
dog caught up with her, the woman<br />
turned and smiled at Paul before<br />
disappearing into the forest.<br />
"She was nice wasn't she?" said<br />
Eve. Paul was still smiling inside.<br />
He turned to head out of the forest<br />
when Eve suddenly noticed the<br />
dog's tennis ball still lying at her<br />
feet.<br />
"Oh no. The dog's left her ball!" she<br />
cried, bending down to pick up the<br />
damp and scraggly ball. "I'm going<br />
to give it back to her," she said.<br />
"Ok," replied Paul rather hesitantly.<br />
Eve dashed off up the forest path<br />
where the woman and dog had<br />
gone and within seconds, she had<br />
disappeared totally.<br />
Immediately, Paul regretted<br />
leaving her go. As the minutes<br />
went by, his anxiety slowly gripped<br />
him. He thought he should go look<br />
for her but just then, his phoned<br />
buzzed. He took it out of his pocket<br />
to read the message that had just<br />
arrived.<br />
"Don't be late. Bx" read the
message. Paul didn't bother<br />
replying. He was more worried<br />
about his missing daughter. He<br />
quickly put his phone back in his<br />
pocket and as he looked up, much<br />
to his relief, Eve came leaping back<br />
through the forest with a big smile<br />
on her face.<br />
"I shouldn't have let you go like<br />
that," Paul said.<br />
"I was ok. I'm a big girl now and<br />
I followed the path. The dog was<br />
happy to have her ball back."<br />
"We need to get you home now.<br />
Your mother will be waiting for you."<br />
And just like that, their day was<br />
over. Their summer was over.<br />
As the couple made their way<br />
across the field to the car, Paul<br />
cast his mind back over the last six<br />
weeks. Together they recounted all<br />
the things they had done together -<br />
the visit to the castle on that boiling<br />
hot day; the sleepover where they’d<br />
stayed up late watching cartoons;<br />
the time they flew a kite and it hit a<br />
man on the head; that time they'd<br />
taken shelter from a summer storm<br />
in a shop doorway. This would be<br />
Paul's final summer in Wales for a<br />
long time.<br />
Eve reached up and placed her<br />
hand in his as they strode across<br />
the field together. In the sky,<br />
towards the west, a large grey cloud<br />
lumbered overhead.<br />
"Looks like rain. Autumn's on its<br />
way," said Paul.<br />
Eve ignored him. “Do you have to<br />
go away?” she said.<br />
Paul took a big breath. Every time<br />
she asked, it wrenched his heart.<br />
“I haven’t decided yet. I’ve got<br />
nothing here. Apart from you of<br />
course.”<br />
“Am I not enough?”<br />
Paul stopped in his tracks. He<br />
realised the enormity of what he<br />
had just said. He felt like he’d just<br />
crushed her. He crouched down,<br />
took both of Eve’s hands in his<br />
and looked into her eyes. In that<br />
moment, he envisioned saying<br />
goodbye at the airport. And it was<br />
too much to bear.<br />
“I’m so sorry. Yes of course you are<br />
enough.”<br />
“Then you'll stay?”<br />
Paul smiled and paused. “Yes. Yes<br />
I will stay.”<br />
Eve threw her arms around him.<br />
It was one of those hugs that only<br />
daughters can give. Paul stood<br />
up, lifting her up and carried her<br />
towards the car, her arms still<br />
around his neck.<br />
The journey back to Eve’s house<br />
was a quiet one. Paul wasn't sure<br />
that Eve believed him when he told<br />
her he'd stay. He'd promised many<br />
things in the past but never fulfilled<br />
them. He considered turning the<br />
radio on but decided that he’d<br />
only be doing that because he was<br />
uncomfortable with the silence.<br />
He glanced at Eve in the rear view<br />
mirror. She was looking out of the<br />
window. And she was still clutching<br />
the battered old football; still<br />
clinging on to the day.<br />
By the time they arrived at Beth’s,<br />
the night was closing in. Paul put<br />
his arm around Eve as they headed<br />
down the side of the house to the<br />
side door that led straight into<br />
the kitchen. From the look at the<br />
steamed up windows, it looked like<br />
tea was on the hob.<br />
A shape appeared in the glass at<br />
the door, before it opened and Beth<br />
stood there, apron wrapped around<br />
her.<br />
“Oh hi,” she said. “Come on in.” Eve<br />
stepped inside with her mother and<br />
then turned to Paul.<br />
“Can you wait just two minutes?”<br />
asked Eve. “I just need to get<br />
something for you.”<br />
“Yes, of course.”<br />
Paul was tempted to pull the door<br />
closed but thought that it would<br />
appear rude. So he stood there<br />
awkwardly and waited as the rain<br />
finally started to fall from the sky.<br />
He felt the warmth of the kitchen<br />
seeping out, wrapping itself around<br />
him. A gust of wind blew a few dead<br />
leaves around his feet. In the dark,<br />
he could only feel them as they<br />
rattled around his shoes.<br />
He peered into the kitchen. A waft<br />
of warm casserole drifted out and<br />
although Paul no longer ate meat, it<br />
still smelt homely.<br />
Beth's new man busied himself<br />
around the kitchen, folding a tea<br />
towel and bending down to open<br />
the oven. A great plume of steam<br />
escaped and whooshed up to the<br />
ceiling. He placed the casserole pot<br />
down and laid the tea towel next to<br />
it.<br />
Paul’s eyes lingered on the tea<br />
towel. He cast his mind back to<br />
the day both he and Beth bought<br />
it. They’d made a casserole that<br />
day too. In fact, it was the first meal<br />
they’d cooked together in their new<br />
home. That was when they had a<br />
lifetime of dreams ahead of them.<br />
Things didn't turn out quite as<br />
they'd hoped.<br />
Beth appeared back at the door.<br />
“You ok?”<br />
she asked,<br />
drying<br />
a plate<br />
with a<br />
piece<br />
of<br />
short story<br />
kitchen towel.<br />
“Yes thanks,” replied Paul.<br />
"Good," said Beth, disappearing<br />
back into the kitchen.<br />
Eve reappeared.<br />
"This is for you," she said, handing<br />
Paul a small envelope. He looked at<br />
it and smiled. Then he put it in his<br />
pocket.<br />
"Thank you." He crouched down<br />
and the pair embraced one last<br />
time.<br />
"Thank you for a lovely day," said<br />
Eve. "You're the best."<br />
He didn't feel it but even at 8 years<br />
of age, Eve always knew how to<br />
make Paul feel better about things.<br />
As he made his way to the car, he<br />
pulled his collar up to the wind and<br />
the rain. He opened his car door,<br />
flopped in and put his hands on the<br />
wheel.<br />
As the rain gently pit-pattered on<br />
his windscreen, he thought about<br />
the summer. He thought about Eve,<br />
his wonderful daughter. And he<br />
wondered whether he really could<br />
leave her to start a new life in New<br />
Zealand on his own. He thought he<br />
could escape the past but in reality,<br />
he would be escaping his present.<br />
He reached into his pocket for his<br />
car key but instead found the small<br />
envelope that Eve had given him.<br />
He took it out.<br />
It was a small white envelope with<br />
a big lump in the middle, stuck<br />
down with twisted bits of Sellotape.<br />
Paul carefully opened it and<br />
peered inside.<br />
He took out the first item - an<br />
acorn. It was the big shiny one that<br />
Eve had found in the forest.<br />
Then he reached in and carefully<br />
pulled out the other item - a small<br />
scrap of paper. It had been carefully<br />
folded over so Paul unfolded it.<br />
In Eve's own handwriting, it read:<br />
“Her name is Mary and this is her<br />
number.” Underneath was a mobile<br />
telephone number.<br />
“She says she’s free tomorrow<br />
night and she'll leave her doggie<br />
at home with his ball if you fancy a<br />
drink together.”<br />
Paul smiled for a moment. He read<br />
it a second time.<br />
"Thank you Eve," he said.<br />
“Thank you.”<br />
Then he started his car<br />
and drove off into the<br />
night.<br />
59
Providing full tree, grounds<br />
and estate maintenance and<br />
landscaping services.<br />
We’re very proud of what we do for our clients and like most<br />
people who work in nature we spend a lot of time on our<br />
knees in one way or another. This is always humbling.<br />
Now, whether you call it humility or respect or admiration<br />
for nature, if you’re looking to work with a company that<br />
cares about these things TR33 could be what you’re after.<br />
For a free no obligation quote please contact<br />
0800 298 3686 I info@tr33.co.uk<br />
www.tr33.co.uk<br />
1 st<br />
Choice<br />
• Building & Property<br />
Maintenance<br />
• Interior & Exterior<br />
Painting<br />
• Wallpaper Hanging<br />
• Carpentry & Decking<br />
• Patios<br />
• Plumbing<br />
Painting &<br />
Decorating<br />
Specialists<br />
City & Guilds Qualified<br />
• Varnishing<br />
• Small Building Work<br />
• Tiling<br />
• UPVC Gutters &<br />
Downpipes cleared<br />
(of all rubbish, debris,<br />
moss etc)<br />
• Public Liability<br />
Call Gary on<br />
02922 472160 or 07717 154011<br />
garywoldfield@hotmail.co.uk<br />
Vibrant<br />
Gardens<br />
• Regular lawn mowing<br />
• Professional garden maintenance<br />
• Lawn feed, weed and moss control<br />
• Hard surface jet washing<br />
• Scarification and power raking<br />
• Hedge and shrub pruning<br />
• Driveway weed and moss control<br />
Regular Mowing<br />
& Gardening Service<br />
Everything you<br />
need to have that<br />
well-manicured<br />
garden<br />
Call Stuart on 07779 132149 for a free quote<br />
www.vibrant-gardens.co.uk<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong><br />
<strong>Issue</strong> 49 (Winter)<br />
Booking deadline<br />
8th November<br />
Published<br />
27th November<br />
Whitchurch and<br />
Llandaff <strong>Living</strong><br />
<strong>Issue</strong> 56 (Winter)<br />
Booking deadline<br />
4th November<br />
Published<br />
20th November
Freeview aerials<br />
Freesat & SKY dishes<br />
AccurateAerials<br />
WIFI<br />
CCTV<br />
improving reception since 1979<br />
Professionally installed<br />
by your local and experienced<br />
NVQ 2 Qualified Engineer<br />
For the design, supply and installation<br />
of aerial, satellite and internet TV services,<br />
call your local Registered Digital<br />
Installer (RDI)<br />
Mark Jones<br />
07836 265259<br />
18 Twyn y Fedwen, Whitchurch, Cardiff CF14 1HU<br />
www.accurateaerials.com<br />
info@accurateaerials.com<br />
ID: 18266724<br />
NHS /Private patients welcome<br />
Welsh Eye Care Service (WECS) / PEARS<br />
accredited<br />
Low Vision Service Wales accredited<br />
On-site glazing and repairs<br />
All types of contact lenses<br />
Wide range of excellent value frames from<br />
budget to designer brands<br />
Sunglasses<br />
Friendly husband and wife team<br />
Varilux specialist<br />
‘Optician of the Year’<br />
at the 2015 Macular<br />
Society’s Annual Awards<br />
for Excellence<br />
3a Beulah Road, <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>,<br />
Cardiff CF14 6LT 029 2061 1283<br />
Tel: 07836 265259<br />
DOUBLE GLAZING REPAIR SERVICE<br />
* Broken Glass<br />
Replacement<br />
* Misted Glass<br />
Replacement<br />
* Faulty/Broken<br />
Hinges, Locks, Doors,<br />
Handles<br />
* Patio Door Problems<br />
* Draughty/Leaking<br />
Windows, Doors,<br />
Conservatories<br />
* Catflaps, Letterboxes,<br />
New Door Panels<br />
18 Twyn Y Fedwen, Whitchurch, Cardiff, CF14 1HU<br />
www.accurateaerials.com<br />
Email:accurateaerials@gmail.com<br />
* Stained Glass<br />
Repairs and<br />
Replacements<br />
* Glass/mirrors of all<br />
types cut to size<br />
* uPVC New<br />
Windows/ Doors<br />
Installed<br />
* Upgrades to Locks<br />
and Handles<br />
* Fascias, Guttering,<br />
Cladding<br />
* Shop Fronts<br />
For a free quotation by a reliable,<br />
competitive company, please feel<br />
free to get in touch<br />
UPVC WINDOWS AND<br />
COMPOSITE DOORS<br />
Composite doors are<br />
a great choice if you<br />
are thinking about<br />
replacing the doors<br />
in your home. They<br />
offer excellent energy<br />
efficiency and are<br />
available in a range of<br />
colours and designs to<br />
suit your budget. With<br />
a choice of glazing<br />
options and styles,<br />
we are sure to have<br />
the right door for you.<br />
Our UPVC windows<br />
and doors come in a<br />
range of styles and<br />
colours and conform<br />
to insurance standards.<br />
All new installations<br />
have an insurance<br />
backed guarantee.<br />
Decostains@aol.com<br />
www.doubleglazingrepairscardiff.co.uk<br />
Unit 3 Western Business Centre, Robert St, Ely, Cardiff , CF5 5AS<br />
(formerly of Western Avenue, Llandaff)<br />
02920 566694
One Pot<br />
Wonders<br />
The simplicity and delight of a slow-cooker is best savoured shut away<br />
from the world on a cold autumn night. Here are our favourites<br />
Skirlie Stuffed Mushrooms<br />
4 large flat mushrooms<br />
4 spring onions<br />
1 leek<br />
25g butter/vegan alternative<br />
4 leaves of fresh sage<br />
2 sprigs of fresh thyme<br />
1 sprig of fresh rosemary<br />
400ml water<br />
200g oats<br />
salt and pepper to season<br />
mushroom. Add 100ml of water to your slow cooker<br />
and put the lid on. Don't worry too much if all of the<br />
mushrooms don't fit on the floor of the cooker. They<br />
can be slightly stacked up.<br />
☐ Cook the mushrooms on a high setting for 2-3 hours,<br />
or on a low setting for 4 hours.<br />
☐ Serve with kale or cabbage on the side.<br />
☐ Clean and scrub the mushrooms but do not peel<br />
them. Remove the stalks and chop finely. Put the<br />
chopped stalks to one side.<br />
☐ Line your slow cooker with baking liner and place<br />
your mushrooms onto it.<br />
☐ Finely slice the spring onions and leek. Over a<br />
medium heat, melt the butter in a frying pan until it<br />
is soft. Add the chopped mushroom stalks and the<br />
herbs, mixing them well so that the chopped stalks are<br />
covered. Add in the porridge oats, allowing them to<br />
toast for about 3-4 minutes when they will start to smell<br />
nutty.<br />
☐ Stir in the water, 50mls at a time. Your mixture should<br />
absorb the water and swell up. If it starts looking too<br />
much like porridge, stop adding the water. Remove<br />
from the heat and season well with salt and pepper.<br />
☐ Spoon your mixture into the mushrooms, packing<br />
it in tightly to the edges to maintain the shape of the<br />
62
Beef bourguignon<br />
3 tbsp vegetable oil<br />
1½ kg stewing or braising steak, cut into small chunks<br />
2 large onions, chopped<br />
2 carrots, chopped<br />
2 celery stalks, chopped<br />
2 bay leaves<br />
2 thyme sprigs or rosemary sprigs<br />
3 tbsp plain flour<br />
750ml bottle red wine<br />
1 beef stock cube<br />
1 tsp caster sugar<br />
2 tbsp tomato purée<br />
100g unsmoked bacon lardons<br />
6 small shallots or baby onions, halved or quartered<br />
300g closed cup mushrooms, halved or quartered<br />
mashed potatoes or crusty bread, to serve<br />
recipes<br />
☐ Turn the slow cooker to low and heat the oil in a large frying pan. Season the meat and fry for 3-4 minutes in<br />
batches until browned all over. Transfer to a plate.<br />
☐ Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pan and fry for 5-10 minutes until soft. Add the herbs and flour and<br />
cook for another 2 minutes. Pour a splash of the wine into a bowl, then add the stock cube, sugar and tomato<br />
purée and mix to form a paste. Scrape the paste into the onion mix and pour in the remaining wine. Bring the<br />
mixture to a bubble, then transfer to the slow cooker. Stir in the browned beef and simmer on low for 6-8 hrs.<br />
About 35 minutes before serving, fry the bacon, shallots and mushrooms for 5-8 minutes until caramelised and<br />
the veg is starting to soften, then tip into the slow cooker. Simmer the stew gently on high for 30 minutes.<br />
Slow cooker<br />
ultimate curry<br />
1 tbsp vegetable oil<br />
1 large onion peeled and chopped<br />
3 chicken breasts boneless and<br />
skinless, diced<br />
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced<br />
1 large piece of ginger about the size<br />
of your thumb, peeled and finely<br />
chopped<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
½ tsp ground black pepper<br />
3 tsp hot chilli powder<br />
1 tbsp ground coriander<br />
½ tbsp cumin<br />
1 tbsp curry powder<br />
1 tsp paprika<br />
1 tsp cinnamon<br />
240ml chicken stock<br />
400g tinned chopped tomatoes<br />
2 tbsp tomato purée/paste<br />
2 tsp sugar<br />
400ml can full-fat coconut milk<br />
To Serve:<br />
Rice, chopped coriander and finely<br />
chopped chillies<br />
pepper, chilli powder, ground<br />
coriander, cumin, curry powder,<br />
paprika and cinnamon.<br />
☐ Stir to coat the chicken and cook<br />
for 1-2 minutes.<br />
☐ Add in the stock, tinned<br />
tomatoes, tomato purée, sugar and<br />
coconut milk.<br />
☐ Stir, bring to a gentle bubble<br />
then pour into your slow cooker and<br />
cook for 3-4 hours on high or 5-6<br />
hours on low.<br />
☐ Take the lid off and give<br />
everything a stir (the oils will have<br />
risen to the top, so you can spoon<br />
most of it out, or just stir it back in).<br />
Sprinkle with coriander and serve<br />
with rice.<br />
Cucumber raita<br />
½ cucumber<br />
a pinch of sea salt flakes<br />
1 x 150g pot natural yogurt<br />
1 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves<br />
☐ Peel the cucumber and coarsely<br />
grate it onto a board. Take a handful<br />
and squeeze out the excess juice<br />
over a sink; transfer to a bowl.<br />
Repeat the squeezing process with<br />
the rest.<br />
☐ Season the cucumber with the salt,<br />
and stir in the yogurt and mint. Cover<br />
and keep in the fridge until serving.<br />
☐ Preheat your slow cooker to high.<br />
Heat the oil in a large pan (or the<br />
slow cooker if it has a sear function),<br />
add in the onion and cook on a<br />
medium heat for 5-6 minutes until<br />
softened.<br />
☐ Add the chicken and cook for 3-4<br />
minutes until just sealed.<br />
☐ Add in the garlic, ginger, salt,<br />
63