Whitchurch and Llandaff Living Issue 63

News | People | Features | History | Lifestyle 

Whitchurch & 

Llandaff Living 

At the heart of the community Issue 63 Aug/Sept '22 

Your multi award-winning community magazine

Distribution: 6,000 copies of Whitchurch and 

Llandaff Living are distributed to retail outlets and 

public places across Whitchurch, Llandaff and 

Llandaff North. 

2 

Inside this issue 

People 

A tribute to 

Derrick Hassan, 

the first serving 

black police 

offi cer in the 

South Wales 

Police 

Resilience 

Creative ways to 

turn the negative 

events in your life 

into positive traits 

for your future 

History 

A look back 

at how P&A 

Campbell's 

steamers left a 

lasting legacy 

on the Bristol 

Channel 

Plan a 

sabbatical 

How a sabbatical 

can help you take 

a step away from 

real life, travel 

the world, and 

recharge your 

batteries 

Autumn deadline: 

10th October 2022 

Published late October 2022 

a: 222 Pantbach Road, 

Rhiwbina, Cardiff CF14 6AG 

t: 07772 081775 / 07974 022920 

w: www.livingmags.co.uk 

e: editor@livingmags.co.uk or 

danielle@livingmags.co.uk 

While every effort has been made to 

ensure the accuracy of the contents, 

the publisher cannot accept any 

responsibility for errors or omissions, 

or for any matter in any way arising 

from the publication of this material. 

Every effort has been made to 

contact any copyright holders. 

Whitchurch and Llandaff Living is an 

independent, apolitical publication. 

No part of this publication may be 

reproduced without the express 

written permission of the publishers. 

Welcome / Croeso 

We're a little late 

with this summer 

issue. Alas, we're only 

human. As the saying 

goes, your health is 

your wealth! 

The good news is 

that we're still here 

and we're back 

bringing you some 

of the finest stories 

to come out of north 

Cardiff. 

We start this issue 

with a feature about 

a man who paved 

the way for so many 

others in the police 

force. We were honoured to 

meet the family of Derrick 

Hassan, the first serving black 

police offi cer in the South Wales 

Police. His remarkable story has 

inspired many others to follow in 

his footsteps. 

They say that tough times help 

build character and while there 

is some truth in that, learning 

the lessons of resilience is 

something we can be aware of 

and use to our advantage. We 

show you how you can convert 

those negative experiences into 

ones that will serve you better in 

the future. 

Summer has always been a 

time to make memories and 

we've taken a look back at 

the famous steamers of P&A 

Campbell that plied the Bristol 

Channel during summer months 

in days gone by. 

Of course, life isn't all plain 

sailing. The current cost of living 

crisis is something that's affecting 

us all and is likely to be with us 

for some time yet. With that in 

mind, we've put together some 

money-saving ideas to help you 

tighten your belt and get you 

through the worst of it. 

The kids going back to school 

doesn't necessarily mean the 

end of summer and we've got 

some little tricks to help you eke 

out as much summer as you can 

get before the autumn storms 

roll in. 

South Wales is peppered with 

wonderful waterfalls and if you 

fancy a day out looking at these 

wonders of nature, we've handpicked 

some of the best. And if 

you'd rather stay at home, we'd 

chosen a few books that you can 

chill out with in the last of the 

summer sun. 

Sabbaticals are becoming 

increasingly popular following 

the stressful days of the 

pandemic. We've given you 

the low down on how you can 

prepare and enjoy one - and 

what to expect when you finally 

take the plunge. 

We also take a look at summer 

gardening and detail a list of 

activities that will keep your 

green space in tip-top condition. 

While the sun still shines well 

into September, now is the 

perfect time to grab yourself a 

late summer barbeque. We've 

got some delicious recipes that 

you can share with family and 

friends. 

North Cardiff is bubbling with 

history and we've uncovered a 

story that might make you sit 

up and take notice. It involves a 

certain King Arthur and the local 

ties to the legend are pretty 

convincing. 

Finally, we've got a short story 

from our award-winning editor, 

Patric Morgan to sign off the 

summer with a smile. 

We've already started working 

on our Autumn issue and we'd 

love you to show our advertisers 

the support they deserve. Local 

businesses form the backbone of 

our communities. 

Enjoy the rest of your summer 

and we'll back in October with 

our Autumn issue. 

Danielle and Patric 

Editors 

@WhitchurchandLlandaffLiving 

www.facebook.com/ 

whitchurchandllandaffliving

National 20mph speed limit to 

officially passed into law 

news 

Welsh Water 

works underway 

Speed limits in built-up areas will 

be reduced to 20mph in Wales 

from next year - a decision that 

has proved controversial to some 

motorists. 

Welsh ministers have argued that 

a 20mph speed limit will lower 

road collisions and noise, as well 

as encouraging people to walk or 

cycle. 

Trials of the reduced limit have 

been taking place in areas of north 

Cardiff over the last few months 

and have divided the motoring 

community. Road users have 

been complaining of signage 

confusion, congestion and stress 

on gearboxes. The complaints also 

include dangerous incidents where 

other motorists who aren't aware of 

the reduced limits have attempted 

Llandaff's loving 

its hedgehogs 

Residents of Llandaff have 

taken steps to help protect 

their hedgehog population after 

concerns about their welfare. 

Posters asking motorists to slow 

down have been placed around 

the streets in an effort to stop the 

animals being run over. Hedgehogs 

only come out at night. 

to overtake the cars sticking to the 

new speed limits. 

The Welsh Parliament passed 

the law in a vote in July. The law 

was backed by Labour and Plaid 

Cymru but opposed by the Welsh 

Conservatives, who claimed that 

the blanket rollout was 'ludicrous.' 

Safety campaigners have argued 

that the chances of someone 

surviving being hit by a car at 

20mph rather than 30mph is 

seven times higher while stopping 

distances are almost halved. 

But some motorists have 

expressed frustration at the rulings. 

"How can we be expected to drop 

the kids to school on a bike?" said 

one angry motorist. 

Scotland is expected to follow suit 

with the speed limits in 2025. 

Hailey Park plans 

published 

Cardiff Council published a Public 

Notice in May, seeking to get the 

views of the public concerning 

the disposal of a number of open 

spaces across the city. 

The proposal included the disposal 

of 59,000m 2 of land at Hailey Park, 

which the council said was an error 

and subsequently apologised. 

Cardiff Council were since in to 

contact with Whitchurch Sports and 

Social Club regarding the buildings 

and the pitches at Hailey Park. 

The council have now decided 

to undertake a market testing 

exercise to give relevant sporting 

organisations a chance to bid. 

Details of the proposals will appear 

on the Council's website. 

Welsh Water is carrying out work 

to expand the sewerage network 

between Danescourt and Hailey 

Park in Cardiff. 

The company says that this is to 

help ensure the network has the 

capacity to be able to deal with any 

increased flows from the Plasdŵr 

Housing development in Radyr 

and help reduce the risk of any 

operational issues. 

"Working closely with our 

designers and the local authority, 

it has been proposed that the best 

solution to manage the additional 

flows would be to build a small 

pumping station within Hailey Park 

which the sewer pipe will connect 

to. 

"The proposed location for the 

pumping station is off Ty Mawr 

Road, opposite the car park. We 

have shared our plans with local 

councillors and the Friends of 

Hailey Park who we will continue to 

work with to ensure information is 

easily available to everyone," they 

said. 

Messages of 

support for Rhod 

Comedian Rhod Gilbert has been 

inundated with goodwill messages 

following his announcement that 

he is undergoing treatment for 

cancer at Velindre Hospital in July. 

"As a proud patron of Velindre 

Cancer Centre, I've trekked the 

world, hosted chaotic quizzes and 

star-studded comedy nights," he 

said. 

"I wouldn't wish this on anyone... 

but who knows, maybe I'll come 

out the other end with a new standup 

show and a 40 minute rant 

about orange squash," he added. 

"Thank you everyone for your 

support over the last few weeks 

and months (and years). I'll be 

disappearing for a while and won't 

be commenting further, at least 

not for now, whilst I focus on my 

recovery." 

3

news 

Cardiff schools 

get £1.3 million 

green investment 

to cut down on 

energy use 

River algae bloom causes concern 

Cardiff Council has invested 

over £1.3 million in energy 

saving upgrades across 11 of 

its primary, secondary and 

Special Educational Needs 

(SEN) schools, as part of its 

work to be carbon neutral by 

2030. 

The initiatives are set 

to drastically reduce the 

council’s operational carbon 

emissions by up to 20% 

across the 11 sites, including 

Llandaff City C.I.W. Primary 

School, Llanishen High 

School, Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg 

Plasmawr, and The Bishop of 

Llandaff C.I.W. High School, - 

as well as save an estimated 

£185,000 a year. 

Cabinet Member for 

Education, Cllr Sarah Merry 

said: 

“Schools form some of 

the largest energy users 

on our estate so upgrading 

technologies within them 

is an important part of our 

energy reduction strategy." 

The investments form part 

of Cardiff Council’s ambitious 

One Planet Strategy – a 

response to the climate 

emergency which aims to 

make the local authority 

carbon neutral by 2030. 

Green Flags 

16 prestigious Green Flags 

have been awarded to parks 

and green spaces managed 

by Cardiff Council, Keep 

Wales Tidy have announced. 

Hendre Lake Park in 

Rumney has become the 

latest park to achieve 

the coveted international 

accolade, which joins the 

ranks of Hailey Park and 

Forest Farm. 

4 

Photo: Lewis Fackrell 

The record-breaking weather this 

summer has caused an alarming 

amount of algae to bloom on the 

River Taff. 

Natural Resources Wales 

confirmed to the media that its 

environment team has attended 

and taken samples from the weir 

at Llandaff Rowing Club, as well as 

locations further down the river. The 

samples ruled out the presence 

New plans 

revealed for 

Llandaff Fields 

Plans for a new community and 

sporting hub at Llandaff Fields have 

been revealed by Cardiff Council. 

The council has appointed 

property advisory firm EJ Hales to 

market the sites for new sport and 

community use with the potential 

for a new cafe being included in 

one of the buildings. The council's 

plans form part of a strategy to 

create value from its considerable 

land and building portfolio across 

the city. 

The site currently includes the 

tennis courts, the bowling green 

and several buildings. 

of the toxic blue-green algae but 

offi cials did say that the algae is 

extremely diffi cult to remove. 

While the algae is not toxic, the 

spokesman said that the algae 

could affect other plants in the river 

as it blocks out sunlight to them. 

The algae will eventually disappear 

when the autumn rains come, 

washing the algae away with the 

heavy rivers. 

Gareth Bale 

returns to 

Whitchurch High 

Football star Gareth Bale returned 

to his roots in June when he visited 

Whitchurch High School for a flying 

visit. 

The Wales captain was filming a 

video about his roots for his new 

club Los Angeles FC, where he has 

signed a one-year deal. 

Bale spent time with students and 

teachers, posing for photographs 

and offering wise words of advice 

for the school's next generation of 

sport stars. 

Bale will be leading Wales to 

Qatar this winter to take part in 

the 2022 World Cup. Wales last 

featured in the tournament in 1958, 

reaching the quarter-finals before 

being knocked out by the eventual 

winners Brazil. They kick off their 

campaign against the USA on 21st 

November. 

Bale last visited Whitchurch High 

School five years ago to donate a 

Real Madrid jersey to add to the 

school's collection of Tottenham 

and Southampton shirts.

Your letters 

WE 

letters 

WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! 

We love to hear what you've been up to 

so send us your letters and photos! 

We'll do our best to print them all. 

editor@livingmags.co.uk 

Have you heard 

about the G1? 

I am contacting you as a 

Whitchurch resident who would 

like to bring to the attention of 

your readers, the G1 Gwaelod-y- 

Garth bus service that connects 

Whitchurch and Llandaff North to 

the Heath Hospital. 

Living in Whitchurch, I only 

found out by chance that this 

service exists. I’m now using the 

bus regularly, as the 13:55 to the 

Heath, from Whitchurch Library 

and the 15:47 return from the 

Heath Hospital coincides with 

Hospital visiting hours. The bus 

avoids taking the car and parking 

in a notoriously diffi cult hospital! 

I’m amazed that usually I’m the 

only person on the bus, in both 

directions! No one knows about 

this route – it’s a secret service! 

If this service was routed via 

Velindre Hospital and, or through 

Whitchurch village, many more 

bus stops could be served. There 

appears to be no advertising on 

the bus stops. I want to highlight 

the convenience that this service 

provides. 

Last, but not least, the two 

drivers Paul and Ahmed are both 

friendly and chatty and pleased 

to see folks getting on the bus. 

Ruth Smith 

email 

Author shock 

I was shocked to see you 

recommend a book by Jordan 

Peterson in your Spring issue, 

whom you describe as an 

'acclaimed clinical psychologist'. 

Peterson is a controversial 

right-wing figure, who has been 

accused of misogyny, fascist 

thinking, and contributing to the 

problem of "toxic masculinity". 

Your readers should be aware 

whose book they might be about 

to buy! 

Anna Lewis 

email 

Did Mark Twain visit 

the Wenallt? 

I was wondering as to whether you 

were aware of the visit of Samuel 

Langhorne Clemens, ‘Mark Twain’, 

to Cardiff in the 1800s and his 

potential visit to the Wenallt, 

Rhiwbina? 

I came to discover this from my 

girlfriend who lives in Missouri 

and made me aware of a location 

called Cardiff Hill in the City 

of Hannibal which was Twain’s 

boyhood home town, and is 

immortalised in ‘The Adventures 

of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of 

Huckleberry Finn’. 

Twain himself named this 

location as the vista which strongly 

resembled that of a visit to Cardiff 

in which he looked down our own 

city. 

My basic research has not 

narrowed down the dates of 

the visit, or more importantly 

the rough location where he 

stood looking down over Cardiff 

(although I would assume it was 

the Wenallt, or the Garth). As 

one who was raised and grew 

up in Rhiwbina, and still walks 

the Wenallt, I am intrigued and 

tantalised by this connection 

between our city and that of 

Hannibal, Missouri. 

Stuart Bodman 

Penarth 

Wild flower 

anomalies 

Just received the latest edition, 

and delighted to see the feature 

on wild flowers. As a botanist, I'm 

always pleased when attention 

is drawn to the range of colours 

and shapes that flowers come in. 

However, I'd like to point out a few 

anomalies in your article. 

First, none of the wild flower 

books I have mention such a 

thing as a wild hyacinth. I think 

the illustration is of Camassia (or 

Quamash), which is more often 

grown as a garden pernnial. 

Next, the picture of the common 

dog violet is wrong. Violets are 

related to pansies and share the 

same flower structure. I think you 

may have picked up a picture of a 

bell flower (Campanula). 

Finally, you may have missed 

an opportunity to remind your 

readers that it is illegal to dig up 

any wild flower. Good to see you 

got the right bluebell, though! 

Lyn Owen 

email 

If you have anything you’d like our readers to know about, drop us a line at 

editor@livingmags.co.uk or by letter to 222 Pantbach Road, Rhiwbina, Cardiff 

CF14 6AG. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter 

5

The Man Who 

Changed Everything 

Rhiwbina's Derrick Hassan was the first serving black police officer 

in the South Wales Police. This is his remarkable story 

There's an old saying that reads: 

'Before you judge a man, 

walk a mile in his shoes.' 

Back in 1972, Derrick Hassan was 

walking many a mile around the 

streets of Cardiff - and getting 

judged in the process for doing the 

job he'd only just started. 

But Derrick wasn't the sort of man 

to let the small voices of others 

deter him from his life goals. His 

voice was the one he listened to 

and by doing so, he not only helped 

keep the communities of Cardiff 

safe, but he also stepped in the 

history books forever. 

Derrick's story started in 1947 

during the worst winter snows for a 

generation - he had to be dug from 

his house before he could meet the 

world. The family was based in the 

docks area of Cardiff but they soon 

moved to Ely, where Derrick and his 

two younger brothers grew up. 

Wife Ceri recalls Derrick's early 

years as he tried to figure out what 

he wanted to do with his life: 

"He was very sporty and liked to 

6 

play cricket and rugby. After leaving 

school, he joined the Merchant 

Navy, travelling all over the world 

and visiting places like Africa and 

Asia. When he returned, he started 

a carpentry job, repairing houses for 

the council. He was 23 years old." 

But it was 1972 when Derrick 

decided to join the police force that 

changed his life and the lives of 

countless others who have followed 

in his footsteps forever. 

"Dad Moses was a leading member 

of the Somali community in Cardiff 

docklands," says Ceri. "Moses was 

on the Watch Committee, that also 

included some police officers and 

they were keen to recruit a broader 

diversity of officers." 

Moses asked Derrick and his two 

younger brothers if they would 

like to join the police force. Derrick 

agreed and on October 6th 1972, 

Derrick pulled on the famous 

uniform for the first time. 

"The early days were tough for 

him," says Ceri. "He did get a lot of 

abuse. Derrick was the first black 

officer to serve in the South Wales 

Police and as such, he had no one 

else to speak to about his worries 

or concerns. He had colleagues 

of course but insomuch as his 

situation, he was completely on his 

own - no one else had been in that 

position before." 

But Derrick took it all in his stride. 

"He had flak from the criminals and 

dare I say it, some of his own work 

colleagues at the time. But he stood 

up for himself. 

"In those days, things were a little 

different to the way they are now. 

If an offender was being sent to 

prison for a while, they'd turn to 

Derrick and say 'Can you keep an 

eye on the wife and kids while 

I'm away?' Police officers were 

respected by the crooks, even if 

they were breaking the law." 

Within the force, and even within 

Cardiff's criminal underbelly, 

Derrick quickly became liked and 

respected. He went on to join the 

CID, where he spent most of his 

police career, and where he made

He was firm 

but fair 

he was respected 

by those on 

both sides of 

the law 

some long-lasting memories. 

"He was out on the beat one 

day undertaking door-to-door 

enquiries when a woman opened 

the door, clutched her hand to her 

chest and let out a big gasp of 

shock," recalls Ceri. 

"Derrick asked her what the 

matter was and the woman 

explained that only a few months 

earlier, she had been to see a 

psychic medium who told her 

that she'd soon have a black 

policeman knocking on her door. 

At that point in time, there were no 

black policemen, which is why the 

woman thought that it was such a 

strange thing for a medium to say." 

While Derrick was building a solid 

reputation within policing circles, 

he also set about building his own 

family - a family he was always 

proud of. 

"Derrick and I were introduced 

at the police club that used to be 

situated up the stairs on Queen 

Street," says Ceri. "It was called the 

Blue Lamp and we never looked 

back." 

Derrick and Ceri married and had 

a son and a daughter together 

- Andrew and Aimee, who both 

attended Whitchurch High School. 

"We moved to Rhiwbina in 1995 

and have been here ever since. We 

quickly became integrated into 

village life and Derrick enjoyed 

company of friends, especially on 

the nearby golf courses." 

During his tenure with the police, 

Derrick became a leading figure 

in the Black Police Association 

(BPA) in the South Wales area, 

encouraging others from minority 

groups to become offi cers. 

"He also enjoyed playing cricket 

and was a member of the force's 

cricket team. He enjoyed that 

game for many years," adds Ceri. 

Derrick rose through the ranks to 

detective constable and through 

the years, became an icon for 

young ethnic offi cers. 

"Derrick loved his work. He was 

firm but fair, even allowing one 

man to finish his pint before he 

arrested him!" 

When Derrick picked up his Long 

Service medal, dad Moses told him 

that at first, he didn't think Derrick 

would stick it out. In fact, Derrick 

remained in the force for 30 years. 

In March 2002, Derrick formally 

retired from the police but 

continued to work at the Coroner's 

Offi ce until he was 62. He then 

moved to the Crown Court, where 

he finally retired altogether in 2015. 

After he retired, Derrick enjoyed 

his beloved game of golf and 

socialising with friends and family. 

"We sold the family house, 

downsized in Rhiwbina and bought 

a property in Spain where we 

spent a lot of time together before 

Derrick fell ill," says Ceri. 

Sadly, Derrick passed away in 

April this year. Although he had 

been ill, it still came as a shock to 

his loved ones. 

His children were deservedly 

proud of the man they called Dad. 

"To us, he was just dad and it's 

only recently that we've started to 

understand the significance of his 

place in the world," 

says Aimee. 

"After Dad had gone, 

we had neighbours 

and friends telling us 

that they had no idea 

that Derrick was the 

first black policeman 

in South Wales. He 

achieved a lot." 

Derrick was laid 

to rest in May, with 

full police honours. 

Friends and family 

attended the funeral 

but it was also 

livestreamed so that 

those who he had 

influenced further 

afield could pay their 

respects and say 

goodbye. 

But that's not where 

Derrick's story ends. 

Derrick's life paved 

the way for so many 

other black police 

offi cers, not just here 

in Cardiff, but across 

the UK and beyond. 

In later life, Derrick 

would say that it was 

the disillusionment 

of his young, black 

friends with the 

police that first 

inspired him to join 

the force in the first 

people 

place. 

"They were telling me stories 

about being harassed. We thought 

a black person should join the 

police and break down the barriers 

from within," he once said. 

It is then perhaps, testament to 

Derrick's tenacity and attitude that 

we now live in a fairer place than 

we did when he took his first steps 

on Cardiff's streets as PC Hassan 

- a time when race relations were 

practically unheard of. 

Today, there is positive talk about 

a blue plaque in honour of Derrick. 

"We are currently in talks with the 

right people. It'd be a lovely thing 

to do but it just means that I won't 

be able to live elsewhere!" laughs 

Ceri. 

Derrick leaves behind a legacy 

that will have positive implications 

for generations to come. During 

his life, he was encouraging and 

advisory, a mentor to many. But 

his pioneering work and attitude 

will serve to help countless others, 

both in their careers, and in their 

lives. 

Derrick's legacy will 

be felt for years to come 

7

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purpose 

Finding a sense of purpose in 

your life might seem a bit of 

a luxury but it plays a more 

important role than we might first 

think. 

Life is hard, and with it comes its 

own set of challenges, pain, and 

perspectives. Your story will be 

different to most other people's 

but with that comes the unique 

opportunity to convert them into 

a sense of purpose. 

You may find that you want 

to help those who are going 

through similar situations to the 

ones that you have overcome. 

You can show them how you 

did it, and offer guidance and 

support. How you transform 

your pain into purpose is entirely 

down to you but it might help if 

you get involved with community 

causes or groups that you feel 

drawn to. 

Being connected to others 

helps you discover people that 

share similar values and interests, 

and working with them towards 

a common goal will reignite a 

reason for pushing forward. 

10 

Believe in yourself 

Having confidence to back 

yourself when times are hard is 

crucial to surviving them. 

The fact that you've come this 

far just goes to show that you 

already have great levels of 

resilience. But changing your 

perspective on how you deal 

with them will make things less 

stressful. 

The way that you view yourself 

underpins the success in which 

you deal with life's challenges. 

Reminding yourself that you can 

cope with anything on a daily 

basis will help you believe that 

you can. Give yourself positive 

affi rmations daily. 

Everyone is a critic so while 

people are entitled to air their 

opinions, that doesn't necessarily 

mean that you have no worth. 

How you can use your 

setbacks and pain to 

create a better life 

Maintain friendships 

Keeping your strains and stresses 

to yourself is always going to 

eat you up from the inside so 

it's important to maintain and 

develop a good social network. 

Being able to verbally express 

your problems can make you feel 

better but the beauty of talking 

to people is that they can think 

about your problems differently 

and possibly think of alternative 

solutions. 

Friends will more often than not 

also provide you with positive 

feedback. They will remind you 

that you are doing a good job, 

despite what you think. They 

can see things from an outside 

perspective and they'll be able to 

help talk you through the things 

that are weighing you down.

Welcome change 

Change is an inevitable fact of life 

and the sooner we accept that 

fact, the easier life becomes as we 

move through it. 

Being flexible to change stops 

us from wasting energy trying to 

push back against it. Better still, 

change can also provide us with 

new opportunities that perhaps 

weren't there before. It could give 

you an opportunity to improve 

yourself or a situation. You can 

learn new things or develop new 

skills, even if it's the art of being 

more flexible and optimistic. 

For every negative event that 

happens, it will always contain 

a seed of opportunity to make a 

positive outcome. 

Remember that it is not life 

events that shape us. It's how 

we react and deal with those life 

events. We have the power within 

ourselves to affect the outcome. 

Think positively 

Maintaining a positive outlook 

on life, especially when it seems 

that everything is crashing down 

around us, can be very diffi cult. 

Thinking positively doesn't mean 

ignoring the problems of life, 

or daydreaming at the expense 

of practical solutions. It's about 

reminding yourself that whatever 

is going on is temporary, and that 

whatever the setback is, it can be 

fixed. Even in some of the most 

darkest days, there is always hope 

that there are better days ahead. 

A good way to start thinking 

positively is to accept your past 

mistakes for what they were, and 

leaving them in the past. Mistakes 

happen and while we can learn 

from them, dwelling on them 

does no good to anyone. 

Try and view obstacles and 

setbacks as opportunities to learn 

new things. Identify the situations 

that trigger you negatively, and try 

to look at them from a different 

angle. Instead of telling yourself 

that you 'have to', tell yourself that 

you 'get to'. This will help bring a 

sense of gratitude to your life, and 

equip you for other challenges. 

Look after yourself 

Because your physical wellbeing 

is so closely linked to your mental 

wellbeing, taking care of yourself 

physically can help you get through 

life's toughest challenges. And it's 

not just exercise that helps - you 

may want to explore how your diet 

affects you. Improving your diet 

can give you more energy, lift your 

mood and help you think more 

clearly. 

Keep hydrated by drinking plenty 

of water and keeping caffeine and 

alcohol to a minimum. Nourish 

your body with the vitamins and 

minerals it needs and it will reward 

you with more positive moods. Also 

get the sleep that you need. Both 

your body and mind need it. 

Problem solve 

Taking the time to solve a problem 

will give you the confidence to deal 

with the next problem that comes 

along. 

When a problem does arise, count 

to ten to avoid going into panic 

mode. Then reassure yourself that 

you can deal with the problem, 

even if the solution doesn't present 

itself straight away. 

Look at the problem logically, 

without emotion. Then break it 

down and apply solutions for each 

piece in a timely manner. 

wellbeing 

Set and achieve goals 

To begin with, it might be a good 

idea to set yourself a personal vision 

statement, in which you can identify 

core values and aims in life. Doing this 

will help you create a basic roadmap 

for the next few years, allowing you 

to visualise and aim for medium and 

long-term goals. 

It will also help allay your stress 

since you know exactly where you're 

headed, even if temporary setbacks 

creep up in the meantime. 

You'll also feel a great sense of 

achievement when you stop to look 

back at what you've accomplished. 

Improve yourself 

Life shouldn't be about just getting 

through it. It should be about feeling 

fulfilled and making the most of your 

experiences. 

Continuous self-improvement goes 

a long way towards that because it 

enlightens you to new possibilities 

and opportunities. Whether it's 

trying out a new hobby, creating an 

inspirational room, or even starting 

that educational course you've always 

wanted to do, improving yourself 

will give you more confidence to 

overcome the challenges of everyday 

life. 

One clever trick is to write a letter to 

your future self, outlining where you 

want to be and what kind of person 

you want to be. Date and seal the 

letter, and then set about aiming to 

achieve all those self-improvements 

that you've included in the letter. 

11

Outstanding School for Girls 

and Boys aged 3-18 

‘Excellent’ in all five inspection areas. Estyn 2018 

Outstanding opportunities for everyone 

Examination results amongst the best in the UK 

For forthcoming Open Days and an insight into life at 

The Cathedral School, please go to our Virtual Visits page via 

www.cathedral-school.co.uk 

Ignite the spark 

029 2083 8504 

registrar@cathedral-school.co.uk 

www.cathedral-school.co.uk 

 

 

 

| 

 

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whistles and splashes: 

Remembering days out on the sea 

P&A Campbell's steamers once provided memorable days out to 

thousands in the Bristol Channel. Their legacy still lives on today 

The Bristol Channel has always 

been a unique place. 

The Channel is both wide and 

spacious compared to other 

British seaports. It breathes clean 

unfettered air but also takes the full 

fury of the south-westerlies rolling 

in from the Atlantic. The Bristol 

Channel also holds the distinction 

of having the second highest rate of 

tidal fluctuation in the world. 

So when P&A Campbell took the 

decision to set up a permanent 

excursion operation in the Bristol 

Channel in 1888, they faced many 

varied and difficult challenges. 

Early competition was fierce too 

with local excursion companies 

thousands 

were drawn 

to the coast 

by the steamers 

on both sides 

the channel 

14 

realising the potential of the 

Channel’s offerings. 

Campbells built their first ship in 

1891- the Ravenswood, as a rival 

to the popular Waverley, being 

run by Edwards and Robinson. 

The two ships faced off for several 

seasons, both vying for the 

increasing trade walking down the 

gangplanks from the coastal ports 

and piers. Matters came to a head 

in 1892 when the two ships collided 

racing to be the first at Weston 

Pier. 

Campbells were deemed to be 

at fault in the ensuing court case 

but they immediately seized the 

initiative back by purchasing two 

more steamers - the Westward Ho 

and the Cambria. The arrival of the 

Britannia in 1896 saw the inevitable 

collapse of local rivalry and gave 

Campbells the chance to forge full 

steam ahead. 

By the turn of the new century, 

the Bristol Channel had been 

truly opened up as a place of 

opportunities. Sailings to new 

and unusual destinations were 

posted up on billboards at 

piers and harbours around the 

Channel. Summer expeditions 

on comfortable steamers were 

drawing thousands to the coasts 

and the introduction of the Glen 

Avon and the Glen Usk only served 

to bolster Campbells’ burgeoning 

popularity. 

Pleasure steamer outings soon 

came to a prompt halt however in 

an event that heard the sound of 

summer’s light chatter drowned out 

by the dull thunder of guns. 

Campbells’ steamers were quickly 

requisitioned by the Admiralty when 

war broke out in 1914. The Barry 

found herself ferrying troops in the 

Dardenelles campaign. Several of 

the fleet had been sunk and some 

were in such bad shape that the 

scrapyard was its only destination. 

Cardiff Queen in Cardiff Docks 

Top photograph courtesy of Arthur Webster

The Waverley was scrapped soon 

after returning to her home port of 

Bristol. The dark clouds eventually 

lifted and in 1919, the Bristol 

Channel was once again alive with 

the sounds of whistles and the 

splashes of paddles on water. 

The interwar years were generally 

regarded as Campbells’ high 

summer in the Bristol Channel. 

There was great stability in the 

composition of the fleet and the 

choice of days out that the ships 

could offer was inspiring. 

1939 once again saw the steamers 

returning to wartime duties though, 

including the epic deliverance at 

Dunkirk. Many of the fine ships saw 

their final days fighting the Nazi 

machine - Devonia ran aground 

and broke her back; Brighton 

Queen was sunk by an air attack 

and the Brighton Belle struck 

a wreck and sank. The second 

Waverley and Glen Avon were also 

lost in action, and Cambria and 

Westward Ho were scrapped once 

hostilities had ceased. 

The post war era ushered in a 

period of ambition- the Bristol 

Queen and the Cardiff Queen 

were launched in 1946. These two 

magnificent ships majestically 

plied the rivers and waters of the 

Bristol Channel just as the tide 

of enthusiasm was beginning to 

recede from pleasure cruising. 

The early 1950s was a testing time 

for Campbells as the rise of the 

motor car was beginning to take its 

toll. The Ravenswood saw out her 

last season in 1954, Cardiff Queen 

in 1966, and Bristol Queen sadly 

following in 1968 when she set 

sail for her very final sailing to the 

breakers in Belgium. 

Waverley is the last sea-going 

paddle steamer in the world 

Campbells struggled on with 

various motor vessels including 

MV Balmoral, before it too finally 

succumbed to the economic 

pressure and the Channel finally 

fell silent in 1980. It seemed that 

the Bristol Channel would never 

hear the beat of paddles on water 

again. 

However, in 1974, the Scottish 

arm of the Paddle Steamer 

Preservation Society had bought 

paddle steamer Waverley for 

the sum of just £1. Looking to 

increase her financial horizons 

beyond the Clyde where she 

was based, they brought the last 

sea-going paddle steamer in the 

world to the Bristol Channel for a 

few weeks in early 1979. She was 

received with great delight. 

The return of Balmoral in 1986 

was equally as inspirational. After 

searching fruitlessly for many years 

for a support ship for Waverley, 

Balmoral had been found laid 

up in Dundee as a failed floating 

restaurant. 

history 

For many years, both PS 

Waverley and MV Balmoral offered 

excursions across the UK, including 

the Clyde, the Isle of Man, the 

Thames, the South Coast and of 

course, the Bristol Channel. 

Throughout the 90s, Balmoral 

provided the mainstay of the 

summer season in the Bristol 

Channel, with Waverley signing 

off the year's sailings with several 

cruises in October. 

In more recent times, the ships 

have struggled to maintain their 

glory days, both due to the 

economic climate and ongoing 

maintenance costs. In 2019, 

Waverley was withdrawn from 

service due to boiler problems. An 

appeal was subsequently launched 

with a target of £2.3 million to 

recommission Waverley. 

In September 2020, Waverley 

collided with Brodick Pier on the 

Isle of Arran, causing damage to 

the bow. Twenty-four people were 

injured. The ship was carrying 213 

passengers and 26 crew, who were 

temporarily stranded on Arran. 

Even so, Waverley continues to 

provide cruises across the UK to 

this day. 

As for Balmoral, today it is moored 

in Bristol, where an army of 

volunteers are working to maintain 

the ship. Balmoral was awarded 

National Historic Flagship of the 

Year for 2016. 

Today the ship's charity works 

towards restoring Balmoral to 

full pleasure steaming operation, 

where she will shortly be needing 

funds from people to return to 

passenger operation. 

The piers that still stand around 

the Bristol Channel today are a 

testament to PA Campbell's lasting 

legacy, and to the memories of 

summer seasons on the sea. 

Balmoral on the River Avon 

15

How do you clean your ears? 

In my years of being a Hearing 

Audiologist, I have been told many 

stories about what people clean 

their ears with - from the everyday 

cotton swabs to pens, paperclips, 

hair grips, glasses arms, and car 

keys. I’m sure nearly everyone is 

guilty of sticking something in their 

ears they are not supposed to so I’m 

going to explain why the old wives 

tale ‘nothing smaller than your 

elbow’ is so true. 

Our ears are designed by nature 

to be both self-cleaning and selfprotecting 

and that’s why by using 

the wrong cleaning methods, you 

risk causing injury to the ears, 

damaging your hearing, or even 

cause infections. 

Earwax (also called cerumen) is 

necessary for the ear’s self-cleaning 

mechanism to work properly. 

Earwax is manufactured by glands 

in the skin of the outer ear canal, the 

hole through which sound travels to 

the eardrum. Earwax serves several 

important functions. It coats the skin 

of the ear canal, repelling water and 

helping to protect it against injury 

and infection. It also helps to keep 

the skin inside the ears from getting 

dry and itchy. 

In addition, earwax traps dust and 

germs, keeping them from reaching 

the eardrum. Usually, you don’t 

need to do anything to help this 

natural cleaning process unless you 

suffer from an impaction that may 

have to be removed. 

Trying to forcibly remove the ear’s 

protective wax layer or stop an itch 

can damage the delicate skin of the 

ear canal or puncture (put a hole 

in) the eardrum. This can increase 

your risk of infection and lead to a 

permanent hearing loss needing 

either surgery or a hearing aid to 

correct the impairment. So it is 

best to leave the inside of your ear 

alone and not disturb its natural 

environment. This means no cotton 

swabs, no fingers and certainly no 

sharp objects! 

The ear canal is narrow and 

curved, consequently some 

people are susceptible to getting 

blockages of wax, skin, foreign 

objects, debris from infection. If a 

blockage is present, you may notice 

your hearing seems, dull, there may 

be a ringing sound in your ears, 

your ears may feel full become 

itchy or ache. If this is the case, you 

will need to have it professionally 

removed. Microsuction is renowned 

as the most efficient and the safest 

way to remove blockages. 

It is highly recommended by GPs, 

audiologists and ENT consultants. 

Microsuction of an ear canal is 

performed under direct vision 

using a microscope. The ear canal 

is cleared using gentle suction, 

proving to be the most effective 

way to clean the ears reducing all 

risks of infection. 

Micro-Suction and 

Ear Health Check Day 

Thursday 11th August 

Your hearing 

specialists in 

Whitchurch 

Normal cost £55 

Call today as there are 

limited spaces 

... introducing Micro-Suction 

The safest way to clean your ears 

Viney Hearing Care hearing centre in 

Whitchurch, Cardiff offers Micro 

Suction, the SAFEST way to remove 

wax. No more ear syringing 

necessary, as there is no 

longer any need to pump water into 

the ear to remove wax. It is performed 

under direct vision using a microscope 

using gentle suction and instruments to clean the ears. The ear 

canal is narrow and curved and can become blocked with: wax, skin, debris from 

infection and foreign objects. This can cause your hearing to become dull and the 

quickest relief is microsuction. If you are having problems and dull hearing, itchy 

ears, blocked feeling, it could be wax blocking your ear canals. 

Come and have a FREE ear health check to determine if wax is the problem. 

We will use a fibre optic camera to view and assess the condition of the 

ear canal and ear drum. If we find that the ears are blocked 

with wax, microsuction is the safest way to remove it. 

iney Hearing Care 02920 250121 

66 Merthyr Road, Whitchurch, Cardiff CF14 6DJ 

www.vineyhearingcare.co.uk

eat the 

cost of living 

The current cost of living crisis is already starting to impact on our 

personal finances. Here are a few ways to help protect against its 

worst effects and to help you navigate your way through it 

Keep track 

Possibly the best place to start 

is by setting some time aside to 

see where you are currently with 

your income and outgoings. It's 

often surprising how much is 

actually going out of your bank 

account every month once you 

sit down and add it all up. 

It can be daunting facing up 

to the realities of your finances 

but even taking the first step of 

actually figuring out where you 

are will give you some sense of 

achievement and purpose. 

The first thing to do is to figure 

out whether you're earning 

more than you're spending, just 

about breaking even, or sliding 

into trouble. If you are spending 

more than you're earning, the 

first place to start is to cancel any 

outgoings that you don't use or 

can do without. 

Also check what your food 

cupboards are looking like 

before you go shopping. Many 

of us head to the shops without 

checking what we already have 

and end up throwing away items 

in our cupboards that we've 

never used. 

18 

Plan a weekly menu 

Setting a budget for the week 

ahead will help you feel more in 

control and provide you with the 

ability to save money by using food 

more sparingly. 

You'll need to plan all the 

ingredients of each meal so 

that you can take a list to the 

supermarket or order it online. Try 

your best to stick to what's only 

on the list as any little extras will 

soon add up. Don't be afraid to 

give yourself a treat, as long as it's 

included in the weekly menu. 

Vegetables are generally 

less expensive to buy than 

meat and you can bulk out a 

healthy casserole by using more 

vegetables and less meat. Batch 

cooking base sauces also means 

that you can use them for different 

dishes throughout the week. 

Use your freezer 

Food wastage costs the 

average UK household around 

£700 a year, according to the 

sustainability charity, Wrap. 

If you have a freezer, or better 

still a chest freezer, you can 

stock up on meals for weeks and 

months ahead. Freezing food 

that's also approaching its useby 

date will also save you from 

throwing it in the bin. 

While most foods are freezable, 

thawing them may not present 

them in the form that they were 

frozen in so you may need to 

think outside the box when it 

comes to using them. 

Batch cooking and then 

freezing your meals will also 

make the most of bulk buying, 

especially when it comes to 

things like meat and vegetables.

Shop differently 

Savvy shoppers are the ones that 

head straight for the Reduced 

Items section in the supermarket, 

often picking up things that they 

actually need instead of paying for 

full price versions. 

After the reduced aisle, head 

to the frozen and tinned aisles 

next. Goods here tend to be 

less expensive than their fresh 

counterparts and are often 

packed, tinned, or frozen within 

hours of being picked. 

Sell unwanted stuff 

If you take a quick look around 

your home, there is likely to be 

a range of things that no longer 

serve you and can be exchanged 

for cash with someone who needs 

them more than you do. 

Social media market places are 

a good place to sell a lot of stuff 

locally, giving you space and 

funds at the same time. 

Walk where you can 

The rise of fuel costs is something 

that can't be ignored so if 

possible, walk to places instead 

of using the car, especially if it's 

local. Walking is a lot healthier for 

starters, plus you'll be saving on 

both fuel, and the wear and tear of 

your vehicle. 

Dining out 

It's perhaps too easy to suggest 

a blanket ban on eating out, 

especially since many of our local 

eateries rely on our custom to 

keep their doors open. 

But you can save money when 

going out by working with your 

favourite venues. Join their mailing 

lists to receive their latest deals. 

Ordering takeaways directly from 

your local restaurant can also 

save you money on the third-party 

companies that cream off a small 

profit for organising a delivery. 

If you also find that you've overordered 

at the restaurant, most 

venues will be more than happy to 

provide a doggy bag - giving you 

leftovers to munch on later. 

Buy second hand 

Millions of Brits are turning to 

buying second hand clothing 

(Confused.com, 2022) as the cost 

of living crisis bites into day-to-day 

living. 

Buying second hand doesn't 

just save you money. It helps the 

environment by reducing the need 

to create new goods. The fashion 

industry is notorious for sending 

unwanted items to landfill sites, in 

addition to the costs and energy 

used to create the garments in the 

first place. 

If you have little ones, buying preloved 

toys means that you extend 

the life of that toy - and provide 

your youngsters with a good 

example of recycling. 

Second hand goods can be found 

in charity shops plus online listings 

and social media. 

Find a new income 

stream 

Converting your knowledge and 

expertise into an income is a great 

way of boosting your salary. 

If you have any particular skills 

that are needed locally, why not put 

them to good use and generate an 

income from it? 

The internet also provides a great 

way to top up your wages, whether 

it's selling goods or services 

online, or even offering courses in 

your specialist area. Either way, if 

you can't do anything about your 

outgoings, the only way you're 

going to balance it out is to level up 

your income. 

finances 

Save on energy bills 

In normal times, experts would 

be recommending that you look 

around for the best deal when it 

comes to your energy bills. The 

problem that we are all facing is the 

unprecedented rise in costs, with 

more rises predicted in October. 

As a result, most energy companies 

have withdrawn their special offers, 

leaving some households in the 

lurch as we head into autumn. 

If you do foresee trouble ahead, it's 

always best to contact your energy 

company as soon as you can so that 

you can come to some solution. 

Around the home, there are actions 

you can take to help save on your 

bills - turning off unnecessary lights 

and appliances is a good start. 

Making sure that your house is 

properly insulated for the winter will 

also go some way to reducing your 

reliance on energy. Leaky windows 

and poor loft insulation are often 

the main culprits when it comes to 

higher energy bills. 

Save on phone bills 

Most us have mobile phones these 

days and these can be an expensive 

drain on our financial resources. With 

that in mind, it's worth checking your 

current deal to see if you're paying 

over the odds, and to see if there are 

any savings to be made. 

Phone companies are used 

to customers haggling as most 

companies would rather throw in a 

few goodies or reduce a monthly 

tariff if it means that you stay loyal 

to them. Be careful too that you're 

not paying over the odds for internet 

data. Paying for unlimited metering 

when you mostly use Wifi is a classic 

example of customers paying 

through the nose for something that 

they don't need. 

The technology used in mobile 

phones also means that in some 

cases, the specs on some phones 

come close to matching those of the 

more expensive, high-end versions. 

Finally, check to see if you have any 

useful perks in your contract, like 

data rollover. 

19

Guiding 

you home 

Our Specialist Property Solicitors will 

lead you through any complications 

during your property transaction giving 

you valuable advice and ensuring there 

is always light at the end of the tunnel. 

Relax and let us do the hard work. 

Navigating your way through the 

complexities of a property transaction can 

be stressful but our experienced, accessible 

and caring team of lawyers take the time to 

successfully guide you every step of the way. 

Our services include: 

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• Commercial Property 

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Monday - Friday 

9.00am - 5.30pm 

And on Saturdays 

10.00am - 4.00pm 

emyrpierce.co.uk 

Call us today for a detailed Quote; 

02920 616 002

The 

pound 

By a Special Reporter 

Many of you may be wondering 

what is the strange little building 

at the top of Cathedral Close in 

Llandaff village. It’s featured a few 

times in Whitchurch and Llandaff 

Living and we can now reveal that 

it’s finally open. 

A formal ceremony took place 

when The Llandaff 50+ Activity 

Centre for Older People was 

opened by Patron, Baroness 

Finley of Llandaff. She welcomed 

supporters from Cardiff Council 

and local organisations to hear 

presentations from: The Pound’s 

architect, Carolyn Merrifield; 

Llandaff 50+’s Chair, Yvonne Apsitis; 

and Pound Founder and volunteer, 

Tim Egan, explaining the aim, 

purpose and use of the refurbished 

building. Hosted by volunteers, 

everyone enjoyed visiting the 

building and using the courtyard, 

and the rain kept off. 

Two days later, the doors were 

opened for a public celebration. 

Unfortunately, it was the worst 

weather of the summer, so only the 

truly hardy ventured to take the tour, 

but the volunteers all had a very 

enjoyable day as there was plenty 

of cake to go around and good 

friends to talk to. Llandaff Councillor 

Sean Driscoll, cut the ribbon and 

Llandaff Society’s Geoffrey Barton- 

Greenwood compered the event, 

encouraging visitors to take cover 

whenever a storm appeared. 

There were stalls to buy from, a 

Treasure Hunt to puzzle over, as 

well as storytelling from Richard 

Berry, to be heard. At the end of 

the afternoon, there was even a 

spontaneous visit of Welsh folk 

dancers from Gwyl Ifan. Performing 

around the medieval cross, they 

had visited from all over Wales 

and were ending their festival in 

Llandaff. 

If you did miss out on the public 

celebration, then we can tell you 

that the building was offered to 

Llandaff 50+ as a Community Asset 

Transfer on a 99 year lease. During 

more than three long years, the 

charity raised: public awareness; 

community support; Welsh 

government funding; local Pound 

Founders’ funding; a lot of mud 

surrounding a previously-unknown 

Medieval hall house; begging 

letters when covid hit and building 

costs rose; and the hopes of all it 

supporters. 

Finally, due to the unfaltering 

professionalism of visionary 

architect, Carolyn Merrifield of 

Downs Merrifield Architects, and 

the hard work and dedication of 

Mike and Garry from A&N Lewis, 

the derelict little building grew 

into a compact, comfortable and 

welcoming Centre. The decision 

to build for the future was seen 

as a little extravagant at the time 

but, as the future is now here and 

energy prices are soaring, it was an 

insightful decision. 

The efficiency of the air source 

heat pump, heat exchanger, solar 

slates and panels, light tube, 

underfloor heating and rainwater 

harvesting tank are all being 

monitored and explored for use 

in other retrofit properties. The 

Pound is, in fact, the size of a small 

bungalow. 

So, now The Pound is finally open. 

It exists to fulfil the purposes of 

Llandaff 50+ charity which are: 

to help prevent loneliness and 

social isolation in the over 50s, 

and to promote volunteering 

opportunities. The idea is for 

those with skills or a passion for a 

subject, to pass them on to others 

in the community in a sociable 

and friendly environment. There 

are, currently, groups meeting to 

share Tai Chi, Watercolour Painting, 

Weekly Talks, and History Research. 

In addition, there are Heritage 

Room Volunteers, a new venture 

where trained volunteers will help 

visitors to Llandaff by explaining the 

local history, giving directions to 

the restaurants and coffee houses, 

or even pointing out the Cathedral, 

hidden in the valley. 

The days when the volunteers 

are there, have also become little 

gatherings for locals, keen to hear 

the latest news or pass on a bit of 

gossip. All things to help build the 

community and ensure people feel 

that they belong. 

The Pound is an innovative model 

to test whether ‘older’ people can 

provide activities for ‘older’ people 

and is being carefully observed 

by Welsh Government and Cardiff 

Council. So, with energy, eco, 

education and exercise, The Pound 

is truly a Centre for the future. 

If you would like to volunteer or 

attend an activity session, you can 

complete the form available from 

volunteers in the Heritage Room, 

contact info@llandaff50plus.com, 

post to: Llandaff 50+, 2 Cathedral 

Close, Llandaff, Cardiff CF52ED, or 

drop a note into the mailbox. 

More details are on the website: 

www.llandaff50plus.com 

21

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02920 617700 www.thewhitchurchclinic.co.uk 

KEEP ACTIVE 

AS A FAMILY 

Now is the best time to get the whole family active! 

Llanishen Leisure Centre offer sessions which allow 

children to accompany their parents to get fit and 

healthy together. 

Discover a class, gym workout or pool session 

you can all enjoy by visiting 

better.org.uk/llanishen 

Better is a registered trademark and trading name of GLL (Greenwich Leisure 

Limited), a charitable social enterprise and registered society under the 

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HAVE A MOVIE NIGHT IN 

THE GARDEN 

There's something 

special about watching 

a movie outdoors and 

late summer gives you 

the perfect mix of warm 

weather, darkening 

nights and the chance 

to catch up with friends 

and neighbours who'll be 

back off holiday. 

Project your movie onto 

a simple screen and add 

sound and drinks! 

EXTEND your summer 

As Autumn approaches, it's easy to switch off from the summer vibes. 

Here are a few ways to make that summer feeling last a little longer 

KEEP SUMMER ON YOUR PLATE 

Summer doesn't have to be a 

season - you can also find it on 

your plate. 

Keeping your meals light and 

nutritious will also help stave off 

those sluggish feelings you get 

after eating heavy meals. Eating 

fruits and vegetables that are rich 

in beta-carotene and antioxidants 

will also help keep your tan and 

also help keep your skin hydrated 

from the inside. 

VISIT THE BEACH 

Perhaps the best time 

of year to visit the beach 

is just after the kids go 

back to school. You 

still get the gorgeous 

weather but the beaches 

are a lot quieter. 

Grab a portable 

barbeque and a cool box 

of drinks and spend a 

few hours watching the 

sun go down. The perfect 

way to make more 

summer memories. 

GARDEN READING 

Getting lost in a good 

book is a great way 

to while away a 

sunny afternoon 

when there's no 

one around. 

The garden is 

an ideal place 

to pack away 

your troubles, 

put your feet 

up, and to 

forget about 

the world for a 

moment. 

24

wellbeing 

PACK A PICNIC 

The cooler days of late 

summer are the ideal times to 

pack a picnic - no sunburn, less 

bugs, but all the gorgeousness 

of the bright weather. Just 

remember to pack a cardi - just 

in case! 

SWIM IN THE SUN 

Swimming in the 

sunshine shouldn't 

only be reserved for 

holidays. If you can get 

the chance, and while 

the summer sun is 

still shining, aim to get 

swimming outdoors. 

Not only does it help 

promote better sleep 

and improve circulation 

and metabolism, it also 

helps creates a sense 

of happiness and helps 

improve mental health. 

As we move into 

autumn, cold water 

swimming can boast the 

same benefits. 

PLAY OUTDOORS 

Going back to school 

doesn't mean that 

playtime at home should 

switch to indoors. 

The start of the school 

year isn't overloaded 

with homework and 

coursework so let the 

kids play outdoors. It'll 

help them sleep better! 

HOST A GARDEN PARTY 

Make the most of the evenings by hosting 

a late summer garden party. It'd be a great 

opportunity to catch up with friends and family 

before we roll into the darker days of autumn 

and winter. 

GET ON YOUR BIKE 

This is the perfect time of 

year to get on a bicycle 

and visit new places. The 

fierce heat of the sun 

will be a little tempered 

by the cooler winds but 

the rumbles of the rough 

autumn storms are still 

some way off. 

Do plan for your journey, 

especially if it's going to 

be an extended one. Make 

sure that you stay hydrated 

and use sunscreen if it's 

a sunny day. Lightweight 

clothing offering plenty of 

ventilation will also help in 

the late summer heat. 

25

Water 

features 

South Wales is rich in 

waterfalls. Slip on your walking 

shoes, pack a flask, and take 

time to admire these calming 

wonders of nature for free 

Melincourt Falls 

Situated in the Vale of Neath, 

Melincourt Falls sits at the end of a 

short walk from the car park. 

It has been drawing visitors to the 

site for over two centuries, and it has 

been said that the falls inspired the 

artist JMW Turner to paint them. At 

over 80 feet high, the falls certainly 

catch the eye as they plunge off 

Melin Court Brook, a left-bank 

tributary of the River Neath. 

Considered one of the easier of 

the Welsh waterfalls to visit, the 

experience is further enhanced by a 

gentle stream that gurgles through 

the vegetation. 

The falls can be accessed from the 

public footpath that sits on the B4434 

Resolven to Tonna Road. It's situated 

about a mile south of Resolven. 

Henrhyd Falls 

The path leading to the highest 

waterfall in South Wales is 

maintained but even so, it is best 

to treat it with caution as it does 

get hilly and wet in places. 

Its 90 feet drop marks it out 

as one of the finest in what is 

considered 'Brecon Beacons 

Waterfall Country.' The falls 

occur where the small river Nant 

Llech drops over the faulted 

edge of a hard sandstone known 

as the Farewell Rock. 

The area was surveyed 

by the Canadian geologist 

William Logan in the 1800s. He 

discovered early fossilised trees 

that are now on display outside 

Swansea Museum. 

If you're a fan of Batman, you 

might also recognise it from the 

2012 film, The Dark Knight Rises, 

staring Christian Bale, Anne 

Hathaway, and Tom Hardy. 

Sgwd yr Eira 

Translated from the Welsh, 

meaning Waterfalls of Snow, 

Sgwd yr Eira is one of the most 

well-known waterfalls in South 

Wales. 

It is located on the Afon 

Hepste and is part of the Four 

Falls Walk that sits between 

the villages of Ystradfellte and 

Pontneddfechan. 

The falls are famous for having 

a footpath that leads behind the 

falling water, although this can 

be closed after periods of heavy 

rain. 

You can take a 2.5 mile walk 

from Pontneddfechan to the 

falls, passing through woodland 

on a series of footpaths with 

some moderate climbs on the 

way. 

26

Caerfanell Falls 

Along the upper reaches of the 

Caerfanell River, and its tributary 

Nant Bwrefwr can be found a 

series of around 20 waterfalls 

over a two-mile stretch. 

Caerfanell Falls is one of the 

largest in the vicinity, and is easily 

accessible from one of the area's 

offi cial car parks. The river and 

the surrounding cascades are 

renowned for their clear waters. 

The falls are also a popular 

destination for visitors and 

walkers all year round. 

Sgwd Ddwli Isaf 

Meaning 'Lower Gushing Falls' 

in Welsh, Sgwd Ddwli Isaf is a 

pretty waterfall on the Nedd 

Fechan in Brecknockshire, 

and one of several celebrated 

falls on that stream. 

Located in the famed 

Waterfall Country, these falls 

drop about 30ft in two tiers, 

and are sometimes referred 

to as the Rainbow Falls, 

due to the rainbows that 

sometimes appear when the 

Sgwd Einion Gam 

outdoors 

Also known as ‘the fall of the crooked 

anvil’, Sgwd Einion Gam is located deep 

in the heart of Waterfall Country. And 

with a 70ft drop, it is the second-highest 

waterfall in South Wales. 

Its location is challenging to get to, 

meaning that it's one of the lesser 

visited waterfalls in the area. You can 

leave the car at the visitors centre at 

Pontneddfechan and follow the Elidir 

Trail Route to the falls. 

conditions are right. Fossils of 

ancient plants can also be made out on some of the smoother rocks but 

these can become dangerously slippery when wet so take care. 

Visitors can make their way to the falls from the Waterfall Centre, which 

has plenty of parking and provides a great base for hiking and walking in 

the area. 

Blaen-y-Glyn 

While not the biggest of 

waterfalls, Blaen-y-Glyn near 

Tredegar, still has the power 

to impress those that visit it. 

The trail to the falls can be 

a challenge and should only 

be attempted on drier days 

when the rocks aren't as 

slippery. The walk starts near 

the north end of Talybont 

Reservoir below Cerrig 

Edmwnt, and takes about two 

hours to complete. 

Clydach Gorge 

The River Clydach flows from the 

southern slopes of Llangattock 

Mountain to the River Usk near 

Gilwern, a journey of around six miles. 

About two miles of this is what's 

known as Clydach Gorge, a deep 

valley steeped on either side by 

wooded slopes. The area contains a 

number of caves as well as a handful 

of waterfalls. 

Walkers will also encounter disused 

railway tracks and abandoned 

buildings, a nod to the area's industrial 

past. 

Pistyll Rhaeadr 

Pistyll Rhaeadr is an enchanting 

waterfall in the Berwyn 

Mountains, just inside the 

Welsh border, west of Oswestry 

and Shrewsbury if you fancy 

a day trip. And at 240ft high, 

it is Britain's tallest singledrop 

waterfall and has been 

captivating those that visit it for 

generations. 

The falls are a great excuse 

to explore the surrounding 

Berwyn Mountains and the falls 

themselves have selection of 

nearby amenities, including 

tearooms and accommodation. 

27

MARTIN BAYFIELD’S 

RUGBY LEGENDS 

07.10.22 

BOYZLIFE 

Old School 

02.10.22 

NOEL FITZPATRICK 

The Supervet 

10.11.22 

NEIL WARNOCK 

Are You With Me? 

06.09.22 

VARNA INTERNATIONAL BALLET 

Coppélia, The Nutcracker & Swan Lake 

17.12.22 - 31.12.22 

DON MCLEAN 

American Pie 50 th Anniversary 

11.09.22 

QUEEN MACHINE SYMPHONIC 

feat. Kerry Ellis 

18.09.22 

MILKSHAKE LIVE 

12.30pm & 3.30pm 

26.10.22 

KIM WILDE + CHINA CRISIS 

Greatest Hits 

22.09.22 

OMID DJALILI 

Good Times 

09.09.22 

WOMAN TO WOMAN 

feat. Rumer 

11.11.22 

AN EVENING WITH 

MONTY DON 

24.11.22

THE PAPER PALACE 

On a perfect August morning, Elle 

Bishop heads out for a swim in the 

pond below 'The Paper Palace' - her 

family's holiday home in Cape Cod. 

As she dives beneath the water she 

relives the passionate encounter 

she had the night before, against the 

side of the house that knows all her 

darkest secrets, while her husband 

and mother chatted to their guests 

inside. 

So begins a story that unfolds over 

twenty-four hours and fifty years, as 

Elle's shocking betrayal leads her to 

a life-changing decision. 

Tender yet devastating, The Paper 

Palace has been described as 

'a masterful novel that brilliantly 

illuminates the tensions between 

desire and safety; the legacy 

of tragedy, and the crimes and 

misdemeanours of families.' 

SUMMERbooks 

If you're looking for engaging books to read 

while you sit in the sun, here's our handpicked 

selection for this season 

books 

FOUR THOUSAND WEEKS 

An uplifting, engrossing and 

deeply realistic exploration of the 

challenge of making the most 

of our time. Rejecting the futile 

modern obsession with 'getting 

everything done,' it introduces 

readers to tools for constructing 

a meaningful life by embracing 

rather than denying their 

limitations. 

THE LIDO 

This Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller centres 

around a woman called Rosemary, who has 

lived in Brixton all her life - but everything she 

knows is changing. Only the local lido, where 

she swims every day, remains a constant 

reminder of the past and her beloved 

husband George. 

But when the lido is threatened with closure, 

local journalist Kate decides to help. 

MENOPAUSING 

Menopause 

affects every 

woman, and 

yet so many 

approach it with 

shame, fear, 

misinformation or 

silence. 

This groundbreaking 

book 

will equip women 

to make the 

most informed 

decisions about 

their health and 

their lives. 

HOW TO BE CONFIDENT 

Now, more than ever, we are 

so often lost within a cycle of 

negativity – from comparing 

ourselves to others and 

doom scrolling on social 

media, to a paralysis 

of choice and chasing 

external gratification that 

does nothing to nurture 

authentic happiness. We 

need confidence to master 

our true ambitions, realise 

our genuine strengths, and 

achieve the life we need, 

but might not know we 

want. Here's how. 

29

Plan your sabbatical 

With some careful planning, a sabbatical can be a life-affirming and 

soul-nourishing experience. Here are some useful tips 

Defi ne what success looks like to you 

Taking yourself away from your current life is a big deal so you'll want to 

have some sort of definition of what you're looking to achieve by taking a 

sabbatical. 

Are you looking to heal from something? How would a sabbatical play a 

part in that? Are you looking for inspiration in some form? Maybe you're 

seeking a purpose in life. How will a sabbatical help you on your return? 

Think about what you'd like to come back with in terms of personal 

development. Try and put into words what success might look like to you. 

It'll help with your planning and post-sabbatical reflection. 

30 

Think about why 

you'd like to take a 

sabbatical 

Planning something as big and 

as important as a sabbatical 

will take some thorough 

planning. And while there are 

some general steps to follow, 

remember that you have 

different needs to those who 

have perhaps gone before you. 

Start by thinking about the 

reasons why you are wanting to take a break. These reasons can help 

underpin your entire experience and help shape your time away. 

Are you wanting to get away from your current life? Are you looking to 

recharge your batteries? Or are you wanting to return to your life with a 

fresh new perspective on everything? 

Whatever your reasons, get them down in black and white so that you can 

start formulating your sabbatical. 

Make a wish list 

This is the part where you can really let 

your hair down and decide what sort of 

things you'd like to experience. 

It's often a good idea to catch up on 

travel documentaries or do some travel 

reading. You can even spend time online 

discovering potential places to visit and 

things to do - and creating a Pinterest 

board if that works for you. 

Whatever you decide, make the list as 

long as you like. You can always trim it 

later. 

Create a sabbatical 

fund 

None of this sabbatical will be 

possible without the ability to 

fund yourself while you are away. 

You may need to look at your 

current financial circumstances 

and figure out how it is going to 

be possible. You may need to 

consider renting out your house 

on a short-term deal if you don't 

have the funds up front. 

There will also need to be an 

element of financial planning 

to ensure that you are able to 

support yourself for the duration 

of the sabbatical. The last thing 

you want to do is stress about 

money when you're attempting 

to develop yourself. 

With this in mind, creating a 

budget should help you on your 

way. Things to consider are travel 

costs, accommodation costs, 

food and drink, as well as day-today 

living expenses. 

Come to a figure for a daily 

budget and you can bear that in 

mind while you are away.

lifestyle 

Plan the best times to travel 

Now that you've got some ideas together, it's time to 

start planning in earnest. One of the first things you'll 

need to factor in is when you're looking to travel. What 

season will the places you want to visit be experiencing? 

Are there any local weather phenomenons that you need 

to be aware of? 

Be aware too that seasonal factors also play a part 

in cost as the busier places are, the more places can 

charge for accommodation. You may want to travel 

outside of peak season if you don't want to feel crowded. 

If you are planning to visit a few locations, try and plan 

your travel there too. You don't want to be left stranded. 

Book your time off work 

Planning early is key here and the earlier, 

the better. 

Broaching the subject with your employer 

is something that you will need to do and 

getting them onside is something that 

you'll know best. Some businesses need a 

few weeks or even a few months to sign off 

a sabbatical so work with them on this. 

Once you do book the time off, that's the 

moment that your sabbatical will start to 

feel more real as you'll have made that 

commitment. 

Start your travels 

Finally, you can start to live 

the dream that you've been 

imagining in your head. 

With careful planning, your 

sabbatical can be a life-affi rming 

and rewarding experience. 

Try and keep in mind the 

reasons you laid out for taking 

this break - and enjoy yourself. 

Pulling it all together 

Getting the green light from your employer is when you can start firming up 

your plans and making definite arrangements. 

Start to keep all your bookings in one place - you may want to start a 

folder when you can keep all your travel documents and bookings. Don't 

forget to look up travel insurance too and keep these documents safe. 

You'll have some idea of the structure of your plans so it's always worth 

booking the main elements first as some travel experiences may need to 

be booked well in advance. Flights and accommodation should be the first 

planks of your sabbatical that you'll want to lay down. 

Once your main elements are booked and confirmed, you can start 

creating an itinerary and populating all the dates and times with the things 

that you've booked. Any other smaller activities can then be slotted in 

around the main parts. 

If in doubt, it's often worth speaking to a travel specialist, who will know 

the ins-and-outs of the logistical challenges. 

31

The Glassmith Wales are transforming local homes with their stunning splashbacks. 

We spoke to owner Dez Foster about how glass is proving to be the king of kitchens 

Home owners around Cardiff are 

discovering that glass is adding 

a dazzling touch of class to their 

kitchens and bathrooms. 

Dez Foster, owner of Glassmith 

Wales, says that glass is becoming 

a popular feature in kitchens and 

bathrooms for both splashbacks, 

wallcoverings and worktops - and 

for more than one reason. 

“Apart from the fact that they look 

absolutely fantastic when installed, 

there are other great reasons why 

glass is becoming the product of 

choice. 

“Granite and tile surfaces allow 

mould, bacteria, and mildew to 

thrive. Glass on the other hand, 

is naturally resistant to bacteria 

and water, promising a safe and 

hygienic environment for you and 

your family.” 

32 

We can create a new 

look for your kitchen 

As well as the hygiene benefits of 

using glass in your house, Dez also 

highlights the practicalities of using 

glass in the family home. 

“Food splashes in the kitchen can 

be cleaned up effortlessly; likewise 

soapy tide marks and toothpaste 

smears can be wiped away easily in 

the bathroom,” he adds. 

Unlike tiles, glass does away with 

annoying grout lines that need to be 

repeatedly cleaned and maintained. 

Glass offers a continuous smooth 

surface with the ability to cover up 

to 3.6m lengths in one piece. 

“You can let your imagination run 

wild with colour and can even have 

images, patterns or texture added 

to the glass,” says Dez. 

“Made of toughened glass, the 

splashbacks are five times more 

resistant than any other splashback 

material, which is great news 

when it’s being used around a heat 

source, or with heavy pots and pans. 

“Their resistance to moisture is 

also a big bonus when being used 

in the bathroom. They make great 

splashbacks for the sink or fantastic 

shower panels,” says Dez. 

Dez is particularly proud of the 

products he and his team are 

installing in homes across Cardiff: 

“Having worked installing bespoke 

kitchens for twenty years, it became 

obvious that there was a gap in 

the market for people wanting to 

spruce up their kitchens without 

having to spend a small fortune on 

renewing the whole room. I realised 

that glass created a fantastic 

Perfect for kitchens, 

utilities and bathrooms 

feature and could be installed 

seamlessly into existing kitchens. 

“I knew that I could help people 

fall in love with their kitchens again. 

Starting off surveying and installing 

myself, I now employ a small team, 

all based locally, and my wife also 

works alongside us, whilst caring for 

our five young children. 

“We are a family business, taking 

pride in customer service, helping 

our clients achieve the feature 

they’re looking for whilst sticking 

to their budget and providing an 

exquisite finish.” 

And you don’t have to take Dez’s 

word for it either. The Glassmith 

Sponsored feature

Wales are consistently rated 

‘excellent’ on Trustpilot, the trusted 

review platform that provides 

genuine feedback on local 

businesses. 

A recent customer reviewed The 

Glassmith Wales on Trustpilot, 

saying: 

“We are so happy with our 

mirrored splashback, it has 

totally transformed our kitchen 

and we have received so many 

compliments! We would 100% 

recommend, as the service has 

been amazing!” 

The business has gone from 

strength to strength since its 

launch, and Dez hopes to be given 

the opportunity to showcase his 

team’s craftsmanship in more 

homes across Cardiff. 

“Since founding the business, we 

have diversified into installing glass 

worktops, bespoke glass shower 

enclosures, glass balustrades and 

even glass partitioning,” says Dez. 

“Glass splashbacks are often the 

stand-out feature in a kitchen and 

are real conversation starters. 

“Whether our customers fancy a 

flat colour, a tinted mirror, a textured 

finish or even an image printed on 

the glass, they can let their creative 

streak go wherever it takes them 

- and we’ll happily run alongside 

them. So, whether we’re revitalising 

an existing kitchen or helping finish 

off a kitchen re-fit, we handle both 

our glass and our customers with 

care. 

“All-in-all, glass, with its natural 

resistance to almost anything and 

its incredible strength, will offer 

superb, long-lasting protection for 

your home,” adds Dez. 

If you’re interested in receiving a 

quote or learning more about what 

we do, please email us at 

enquiries@theglassmithwales.co.uk 

or visit our website 

www.theglassmithwales.co.uk 

We create bespoke 

shower enclosures 

What the customers say... 

get in touch 

........................................................................ 

t: 07791 415772 

w: theglassmithwales.co.uk 

e: enquiries@theglassmithwales.co.uk 

We are the suppliers 

and fitters of choice for 

several kitchen firms 

across the UK 

33

Arthur 

Did King Arthur 

walk our land? 

The legend of King Arthur has fascinated generations of historians. 

But is there any truth in the myth of the man and his kingdom? 

In the sacred stone walls of Llandaff 

Cathedral sits a large stained glass 

window. The window is a three-light 

window with standing figures of 

each saint, with scenes below. But 

on closer inspection, the scenes 

depict someone you'd probably not 

expect to see. 

The windows depict scenes of 

King Arthur, the legendary leader of 

the Celtic Britons in battles against 

Saxon invaders in the late 5th and 

early 6th centuries. 

The question remains - why is he 

depicted in a Cardiff cathedral? 

The answer could lie several miles 

from the iconic cathedral. Just north 

of the city lies a field and its history 

could hold an astonishing secret. 

Still popular today, the Arthurian 

legend came out of South-Eastern 

Wales into France, via the Normans, 

in the 12th century. The depiction 

of Arthur still resonates - romantic 

visions of knights sitting around 

Round Tables, dashing around and 

rescuing damsels in distress. 

Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia 

Regum Britanniae, completed in the 

early 12th century, provides the first 

narrative account of Arthur's life and 

introduced him to the world. 

Geoffrey had been commissioned 

34 

to write his account by Robert 

of Gloucester - the book is even 

dedicated to him. Having been 

commissioned to write the book, it 

was inevitable the Geoffrey wanted 

to please his patron. 

And so Arthur and the stories that 

surrounded him soon filtered down 

into society. For many centuries, 

Geoffrey's book was accepted as 

fact without question. It has only 

been more recently that it has 

come under more scrutiny. 

With the narrative came a place 

that will forever be associated with 

King Arthur - Camelot - a mythical 

place where chivalry and honour 

went hand in hand with peace and 

social justice. Absent in the early 

Arthurian material, Camelot first 

appeared in 12th-century French 

romances and, eventually came 

to be regarded as the wonderful 

capital of Arthur's kingdom and a 

symbol of the Arthurian world. 

The stories that revolved around 

Camelot place it somewhere in 

Great Britain although its exact 

location was never revealed. 

In more recent times, scholars 

have dismissed Camelot as a work 

of fiction, its deliberately vague 

details seemingly perfect for

history 

romantic writers of the time. 

However, work by local historians 

in recent years have stumbled 

across a site that could give 

credence to the idea that Camelot 

did exist - and that it was right here 

in north Cardiff. 

In 1995, a documentary called 

Wales: History in Bondage was 

released, focusing on what 

they described at 'the English 

destruction and cover-up of Welsh 

history.' 

The documentary was headed 

by Professor Lee Pennington, 

President of the Ancient Kentucke 

Association in the United States. 

It also included footage from the 

Welsh historian, Alan Wilson, who 

had spent decades researching 

Arthurian legends. 

The film delved into very real 

possibility that Camelot did exist - 

and what's more - it was situated 

in what is now a field just north of 

Rhiwbina. 

The site's location would have 

given the King of Glamorgan an 

ideal position within the kingdom, 

having extensive views over the 

Bristol Channel and England, as 

well as Ynys Rhonech (Steep Holm) 

and Ynys Echni (Flat Holm). The 

panorama stretches all the way to 

Penarth (is Penarth Head 'Arthur's 

Head'?). They would have been 

able to see any threat coming from 

the English side from miles away. 

Inland, the site would have been 

protected too, having not been far 

from Caerleon, and to the west, the 

there was 

english 

destruction 

and a cover-up 

of welsh history 

dense woods of Cefn Mably. 

Surrounding what would have 

been a castle was a series of forts, 

encircling the main construction. 

It's very possible that castle stood 

at the centre of the site. 

As Alan Wilson points out in the 

documentary: 

"There was definitely a marriage 

here in 1453 so the castle was still 

standing then. Below the castle 

was Yellow Wells Farm, so-called 

because of the sulphur springs 

there. 

"It is well-known in Welsh history 

that this site was the number one 

place for the Glamorgan kings," he 

adds. 

The name Camelot could derive 

from the Welsh word Caermelin, 

meaning Yellow Fort. This backs 

up what Alan Wilson is referring 

to when he talks about the nearby 

Yellow Wells Farm. 

And Arthur's links to Wales 

don't end there. Further regional 

archaeological evidence exists 

to support the notion that Arthur 

did exist. Caerleon's Roman 

amphitheatre has been known as 

the site of King Arthur's court since 

the 12th century. 

In 1405, it was the French Army 

that landed at Milford Haven 

to support Owain Glyndŵr in 

his uprising against the English 

Crown. The army marched to 

Caerleon, where according to the 

anonymous historiographical text 

Chronique Religieux de St Denys, 

they visited 'The Round Table'. The 

Round Table in fact would have 

been the Roman amphitheatre 

of the legionary fortress of Isca in 

Caerleon. 

Geoffrey of Monmouth had 

identified Caerleon as the court 

of King Arthur in his fictional epic, 

the History of the Kings of Britain 

in 1136. This identification, not far 

from the area where he grew up, 

has been described as 'the fruits 

of a lively historical imagination 

playing upon the visible remains 

of an imposing Roman city'. Some 

parts of Roman Isca was still 

standing in the 13th century. 

Some half dozen Welsh Stone 

Age megaliths are called 'Arthur's 

Stone', and his name has also 

been given to an Iron Age hillfort 

on the Clwydian Range, Moel 

Arthur, near Denbigh. According to 

one tradition, King Arthur and his 

knights lie sleeping in a cave below 

Craig y Ddinas, Pontneddfechan, in 

south Wales. 

Whatever the truth is, it's out 

there somewhere. And it's probably 

right beneath our feet. 

Gustave Doré's illustration of 

Camelot from Idylls of the King 

(1867) 

35

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The Summer 

Garden 

38 

Feed your plants 

The summer months can 

be tough on your plants as 

they deal with both heat and 

summer storms. Most plants 

continue to grow throughout 

summer, following on from their 

initial development in spring. 

Container plants especially 

exhaust their nutrients quickly 

and will need replenishing with 

plant food. 

A general purpose plant food 

should be suitable for most 

plants but if you are growing 

fruit or vegetables, make 

sure that your plant feed is 

appropriate to your needs. 

Feed little and often instead of 

big, infrequent doses during 

the growing season and stop 

feeding at the end of summer. 

Hydrate your 

garden 

Around the villages on dusty 

summer mornings, you'll often 

hear the soothing hiss of gardeners 

watering their gardens. And they 

do it at this time of day for a very 

good reason - this is because it's 

typically cooler at these times of 

day, which allows the water to 

soak down into the soil, keeping 

it moist for longer. There is less 

evaporation at night too, since the 

temperatures are lower. 

Water them slowly and at the 

roots. New plants require less 

water more frequently and older, 

more mature plants do great with 

heavier waterings at less frequent 

intervals. 

Maintain your 

lawn 

All lawns need sunlight, 

good drainage and moisture. 

Continuous hot weather 

can affect the health and 

appearance of your grass and 

in conditions like this, consider 

reducing your mowing schedule 

to maintain at least some 

moisture in your lawn. 

Weeds are also often the bane 

of most gardeners' lives and 

the best way to keep on top of 

these in your lawn is to mow. If 

the weeds are more prevalent, it 

might be worth using herbicide 

on it to eradicate them. 

Either way, keeping your lawn 

watered will allow it to flourish 

during the summer months.

Keep deckings and patios clean 

gardens 

While we tend to focus on the greener areas of the garden, let's not 

overlook the harder areas where perhaps we spend more of our time. 

Decking and patios can quickly accumulate dust and dirt and a 

regular sweep or hose down will help keep it looking clean and tidy. 

If you have patio furniture, it's also a good idea to pack this away 

when not in use. Umbrellas can become bleached by the sun and 

also dry it out, leaving it tatty. Store your cushions in the garage or 

shed until they're needed and use furniture covers if you have any. 

Tidy up your 

furniture 

Garden furniture really can make 

the difference when it comes to 

the appearance of your garden. 

Tired-looking pieces can affect 

the appeal of your outdoor space 

so if you can afford it, invest in a 

smart-looking dining set or seating 

set-up. 

If that's not an option this summer, 

you can always spruce up some 

of your older pieces, especially if 

they are still functionable. Wooden 

items can be tidied up with a lick 

of paint or even sometimes all your 

furniture needs is a good old clean. 

Improve your 

drainage 

Heavy use of a garden, particularly 

the lawn, will lead to the soil 

compacting, making it hard for 

any excess water to drain away. 

This can lead to pools of water 

collecting in areas where the water 

has no place to go. 

The simplest way to avoid this 

problem is to take a garden fork 

and to prod holes in the soil to 

aerate it. This is usually best done 

in spring or autumn months when 

the soil is more malleable. 

Prune your shrubs 

Summer is the season to prune 

back your spring-flowering shrubs. 

It'll help encourage larger crops 

from your fruit trees and bushes. 

For shrubs, remove any stems 

that have been killed during the 

spring frosts. Prune off growth that 

has just finished flowering down to 

an outward facing bud and remove 

entirely any branches that are 

damaged or causing damage to 

other parts. 

When it comes to fruit trees, the 

aim is to create space that will 

allow more light and air in through 

the tree, giving the fruit a chance to 

flourish. Pruning out excess growth 

will help the fruit and the tree. 

Control the weeds 

If the plants in your garden are 

flourishing, it's a good indication that 

the weeds are taking advantage 

of the summer conditions and 

flourishing too. 

Weeds will absorb some of the 

much-needed nutrients needed for 

your garden plants so it's essential 

to keep on top of them. Little and 

often is probably the best way to 

go during the hotter months, and it 

will save you a bigger job later in the 

year. Try not to turn up the soil too 

much as this will lead to the natural 

moistness evaporating. 

Deadhead summer 

flowering plants 

If you have any time to spare, 

taking the time to deadhead the 

flowers in your garden will provide 

you with an abundance of colour. 

Any flowers that are dead, dying, 

or producing seeds should be 

picked off, just below the flower 

head. This encourages the plant 

to create more flowers. As soon as 

the flower's appearance begins to 

fade, you'll know that you should 

be deadheading it. 

The act of deadheading isn't 

an essential one during the 

summer months. Instead, it's 

often used to make the garden 

more aesthetically pleasing. Don't 

fret too much if you are too busy 

working on other areas. 

39

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Ultimate Beef 

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450g ground beef 

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 

30g onion chopped 

1 egg, beaten 

1 tbsp barbecue sauce 

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp pepper 

☐ In a large bowl, mix all ingredients 

together well until they are blended. 

☐ Get your barbeque on the go. 

While that's firing up, form 4 round 

burgers patties with the mixture. 

☐ Grill the patties for around 12-14 

minutes, turning once during the 

cooking. Do not squash the burger 

with your spatula as it will force out 

the fat that it needs to cook. 

☐ About a minute or two before the 

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42 

Quick-andeasy 

Tomato 

Relish 

1kg diced, ripe on-the-vine plum 

tomatoes 

2 diced red onions 

150ml extra virgin olive oil 

2 grated garlic cloves 

3 tbsp small capers 

3 tbsp chopped parsley 

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 

☐ In a mixing bowl, toss together 

1kg diced, ripe on-the-vine plum 

tomatoes, 2 diced red onions, 150ml 

extra virgin olive oil and 2 tsp flaky 

sea salt. Tip onto a baking tray and 

place under a hot grill for 5-10 mins 

or until charred. 

☐ Tip the mixture back into the bowl. 

Stir in 2 grated garlic cloves and 3 

tbsp small capers and leave to cool 

for 10 mins. 

☐ Stir in 3 tbsp chopped parsley and 

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar. 

☐ Place in the fridge until cool and 

serve when you are ready. 

Grilled 

halloumi with 

fig jam 

400g fresh figs 

4 dried figs, roughly chopped 

2 x 250g blocks halloumi 

olive oil for drizzling 

1 star anise 

125g caster sugar 

juice of 1 lemon 

a few fresh basil sprigs 

2 tbsp runny honey 

☐ Set 4 fresh figs aside, then roughly 

chop the remaining figs. Put the 

chopped figs in a pan with the dried 

figs, star anise, caster sugar, lemon 

juice and 75ml water. Pick the basil 

leaves and place to one side. Add 

the stalks to the pan and bring to the 

boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 

the mixture for 20-25 minutes, stirring 

occasionally, until it is dark and thick. 

Remove the basil stalks, adjust the 

seasoning to taste and season with 

lemon juice and the sugar. Keep the 

figs warm. 

☐ Set your grill to high. Score the 

blocks of halloumi in a criss-cross 

pattern, roughly 2cm deep. Drizzle the 

halloumi with olive oil and place on 

a baking tray under the hot grill until 

they are browned. This should take 

between 6-8 minutes. 

☐ Cut the remaining figs into wedges. 

Put a few spoonfuls of the jam onto a 

serving platter and then top with the 

halloumi as soon as it’s ready. 

☐ Drizzle the plate with honey and 

serve with the chopped fresh figs and 

the basil leaves that you set to one 

side earlier.

Marinated 

pork kebabs 

500g pork shoulder diced 

200ml natural yoghurt 

1 tsp cayenne chilli pepper 

2 chillis, finely chopped 

1/2 lemon (or lime) juice and zest 

3 garlic cloves crushed 

salt and pepper 

fresh coriander, chopped 

fresh mint, chopped 

1 or 2 green peppers, cut into large 

chunks 

wooden skewers, soaked in water 

for at least 15 minutes 

food 

☐ Place the diced pork into a bowl 

along with the lemon, garlic, chilli 

and herbs. 

☐ Mix in the natural yoghurt and 

cayenne pepper; add salt and 

pepper to taste. 

☐ Cover and place in the fridge for 

2 - 3 hours to marinate. 

☐ When ready to cook, remove the 

skewers from the water and place 

the pork and green pepper on them. 

☐ Cook under medium grill for 15 - 

20 mins or place on barbeque. 

Grilled 

salmon 

4 salmon fillets, skin on 

olive oil for cooking 

lemon to garnish 

For the marinade 

85ml soy sauce 

2 tsbp lemon juice 

3 tsbp honey 

2 tsbp olive oil 

2 minced garlic cloves 

☐ Place the soy sauce, lemon 

juice, honey, olive oil, and minced 

garlic into a ziplock bag. Mix the 

contents of the bag to blend 

together. 

☐ Add the salmon to the bag 

and cover with the marinade. 

Leave the salmon in the bag and 

put in fridge for 24 hours. Repeat 

the process with the remaining 

salmon fillets. 

☐ Remove salmon from fridge 30 

minutes prior to cooking, allowing 

the marinade to drain away. 

☐ Grill salmon skin-side up 

until golden brown (around 3-5 

minutes). Then grill other side, 

adding left-over marinade. 

43

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Autumn 2022 

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Shop Local 

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Price Match Guarantee | Super Service | Expert Knowledge | Contact-Free Delivery 

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petrichor 

"Just bloody move, will you?" 

Dan Williams was running late. 

After driving around the car park 

five times looking for a place to 

park, he'd finally spotted the 

reversing lights glowing on a Fiat 

Panda. Dan had stopped his car and 

backed up to allow the Panda to 

reverse out. But its driver was still 

sitting there, seemingly oblivious to 

the situation behind him. 

"For God's sake man! Come on! I'm 

giving you the space!" Dan yelled, 

holding out the palm of his hand. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Dan 

spotted a car creeping around the 

car park, most likely drawn to the 

Panda's reversing lights like a moth. 

Worse still, the air con in Dan's 

ageing Toyota had packed in on the 

hottest day of the summer so far. A 

bead of sweat rolled down Dan's 

forehead, down his nose and 

dropped silently onto his lap. 

Finally, after a full minute, the 

Panda began to budge backwards. 

Painfully slowly, the driver - an old 

man - reversed out. He gingerly 

raised his bony hand to thank Dan, 

before clutching around to find first 

gear. He eventually found it and 

drove off at a snail's pace. 

Dan swiftly moved his car into the 

vacant space and turned his engine 

off. He reached over to pick up his 

bag from the passenger seat but as 

he pulled it towards him, its 

contents spilt out and into the 

passenger's footwell. Dan growled. 

"God. I hate my stupid life!" he 

scowled, reaching over to scoop up 

his textbooks and pens. He dumped 

them all into his bag and yanked 

open his car door to get out. 

Unfortunately, he'd only left himself 

a few inches from the car next to 

him and his door hit the car next to 

46 

his with an almighty thump. 

It was a good five minutes before 

Dan had finally repositioned his car 

and hot-footed it across the car 

park of the hospital. He hurriedly 

walked through the automatic 

doors of the entrance and out of the 

searing summer sun. He 

approached the desk where a 

young nurse was sitting. 

"Hi. My name's Dan and I'm here to 

tutor Ollie." 

"Ah yes," replied the nurse. "You're 

the GCSE English teacher, right?" 

"That's it. A bit late, I'm afraid. It's 

been a nightmare. Traffic's terrible 

and I couldn't find anywhere to 

park." 

"Oh no. That's not good. Ollie's just 

through that door and down the 

corridor. Last door on the left. I'll 

buzz you in." She pointed to the 

door, which Dan approached and 

opened. He'd been hoping that the 

air-conditioning at the hospital 

would have offered him some 

respite but the corridor was hot and 

airless. A stuffy children's hospital 

ward was the last place he wanted 

to be on a hot summer's afternoon. 

A few of the doors along the 

corridor were open and Dan 

instinctively peered in as he passed. 

In one room, a child was curled up 

asleep and in another, a child was 

sitting in her chair, watching her 

iPad. Neither of the children had 

hair. 

Dan arrived at the last door on the 

left and tapped on the small 

window. 

"Ollie?" 

"Come in," came a voice from 

inside. Dan pushed down on the 

heavy handle and opened the door. 

Ollie was sat up in bed, looking at 

his laptop. He looked up as Dan 

opened the door and smiled. Ollie's 

teeth looked off-white compared to 

his pale face and on his head, he 

wore a black bandana. His lack of 

eyebrows made his bright blue eyes 

look like saucers. 

"Hi buddy. Are you ok?" asked Dan, 

shifting into the room. 

"Do I look ok?" replied Ollie. 

Dan couldn't tell whether Ollie was 

being sarcastic or genuine. 

"I'm Dan, your new English tutor." 

"Cool. Come on in." Ollie beckoned 

Dan in, closed his laptop and placed 

it on his bedside table. 

Dan looked around the room for a 

place to sit. The obvious place 

would have been the chair next to 

the bed but it was strewn with 

clothes and wires. Instead, he 

spotted a plastic chair and pulled it 

over to sit alongside Ollie. 

"Thanks for coming. How long are 

you here for?" asked Ollie. 

"An hour." 

"An hour?" 

"Yep. You can learn a lot in an hour," 

replied Dan confidently. 

"What will I be learning today?" 

"Well, it's more of a kind of getting 

to know you lesson this one. I can 

find out a bit more about you and 

you can find out a bit more about 

me. To see if we can work together." 

"Ok. That sounds cool," said Ollie. 

"Where do we start?" 

"I thought it'd be a good idea for 

you to jot down a short 

autobiography to get us going. That 

way, I can get to know a bit about 

you and assess where you are with 

your handwriting ability too." 

"You want me to hand write it?" 

"Are you able?" 

"I do everything on my laptop 

these days." 

"I'd prefer it if was hand-written so

that I can see the standard of your 

cursive writing." 

"You mean joined-up writing?" 

"Yes." 

Ollie pursed his lips before 

agreeing. "You got pen and paper?" 

he asked. 

Dan opened up his bag before 

realising that he didn't have any. 

"Erm. Actually. We'll have to use 

your laptop. I forgot to bring paper." 

"That's ok," replied Ollie, pulling his 

laptop onto his lap and opening it. 

"Sorry," said Dan. "It's been one of 

those days. I'm just so tired. I just 

wish I could stay in bed all day." 

Ollie looked up from his laptop, 

raised a non-existent eyebrow and 

looked quizzically at Dan. 

"Gosh. I'm sorry," said Dan, closing 

his bag uncomfortably and popping 

it under his seat. "Ok. I'll give you ten 

minutes to come up with a short 

autobiography. Just tell me a bit 

about yourself." 

"Ok." 

Ollie opened up a new document 

and started typing. For Dan, it was 

the first chance he'd had to catch 

his breath all day. He gazed around 

the room. A half-eaten rice pudding, 

a jug of water and an open pack of 

Jammie Dodgers biscuits. 

After ten minutes, Dan took the 

laptop and sat in silence while he 

read. He read out Ollie's last 

sentence: 

"I'm going to make it out of here 

and make the most of my life for my 

friends that never made it." 

Dan looked up at Ollie, who was 

pouring a small bottle of lemonade 

into his mouth. 

"I like that. Positivity is good. Are 

you a positive person?" 

Ollie opened his mouth to answer 

but instead of an answer, out came 

a thunderous belch that swept 

through the room and bounced off 

the clinically cream walls. 

Ollie looked at Dan quite stunned 

and then exploded into laughter. He 

clutched his tummy, scrunched up 

his face and squawked like some 

kind of dinosaur. Dan couldn't help 

but laugh with him and for several 

minutes, they collapsed in laughter. 

Every time they looked at each 

other, they'd start again. 

"Jeez. Where did that come from?" 

asked Dan finally. 

"From the depths of hell! I felt like I 

was in The Exorcist!" shrieked Ollie, 

his eyes watering. It took a good 

few minutes for them to gather their 

senses. Dan hadn't laughed like that 

for years. His stomach ached. All 

that laughter for just one perfectlytimed 

burp! 

"And just for clarity," said Dan, "a 

burp is not an answer. Right. Where 

were we?" 

Dan put on his serious face and 

looked at the laptop again. "Ah yes. 

Tell me about the watch you're 

wearing." 

Ollie raised his wrist and showed 

Dan his watch. It was a small black 

Casio with a plastic wristband. 

"My friend Paul gave it to me," said 

Ollie. 

"That's kind," said Dan. 

"Yeah. Paul was admitted to this 

place the same day as me. He gave 

me this watch before he left, and 

told me to make the most of my 

time." 

"When was he discharged?" 

"He wasn't." 

Dan felt a dagger in his chest. 

"I'm so sorry." 

"That's ok. That's why I'm grateful 

that I'm still here every time I open 

my eyes." 

"It can't be easy." 

"Nothing is. But hey. I've got a roof 

over my head, room service, a TV, a 

laptop, and foxy nurses giving me 

TLC all day. And it's all for free. I'm 

pretty blessed really." 

Dan smiled. "I'm sorry I moaned 

about my life when I first got here." 

"Hey man. We've all got troubles. 

Yours are just different to mine." 

"True." 

"Did you always want to be a 

teacher?" asked Ollie. 

"Not really. I kind of fell into it." 

"What did you want to be?" 

"I wanted to become a novelist." 

"What's stopped you?" 

"The bills that come through my 

letterbox. I just don't get the time." 

"I've got all the time in the world. In 

fact, I've got too much time on my 

hands. Want to swap?" 

Dan had to think about his reply. 

Ollie sensed Dan's discomfort and 

picked up the packet of biscuits. 

"Want a Jammie Dodger?" he 

asked. 

"Thanks." 

Dan took a biscuit and bit into it. 

He took his time chewing it to avoid 

having to answer any further 

awkward questions. 

"I was thinking earlier," said Ollie. "If 

you had to flip a coin and heads 

makes your life better, and tails 

makes it worse, would you toss the 

coin?" asked Ollie. 

And for the next 45 minutes, the 

pair discussed life, death and 

everything in between. 

Before he knew it, Dan looked at 

the wall clock and realised his hour 

was done. 

"That's it for today, I'm afraid. That 

went quickly!" 

"Thanks. I enjoyed that." 

short story 

Dan stood up. 

"It's so hot in here. Can you open 

the window before you go please?" 

asked Ollie. Dan reached over and 

pulled at the window handle next to 

him. 

"You need to give it a good whack," 

said Ollie. 

The window finally creaked open, 

just as a few large spots of rain 

appeared on the pane. 

"It's raining! I'm so glad!" exclaimed 

Dan. The rain pit-pattered on the 

window and for once, a cool breeze 

drifted into the room. Ollie closed 

his eyes and inhaled deeply 

through his nose. 

"Mm. Smell that. Petrichor," said 

Ollie, his eyes still closed. 

"Petri-what?" 

"Petrichor. The smell of the rain 

after a dry spell. It comes from the 

Greek words 'petra', meaning stone, 

and 'ichor'. In Greek mythology, 

'ichor' refers to the golden fluid that 

flows in the veins of the immortals." 

"Oh," replied Dan, impressed. "I 

never knew that," he said, packing 

up his bag. 

"You can have that one for free. 

Impress your students with it." 

"I might just do that." 

Ollie tutted and gently shook his 

head. "Sheesh. Call yourself an 

English teacher?" 

Dan laughed. Ollie had a point. 

"Same time next week?" said Dan. 

He picked up his bag and slung it 

over his shoulder. A quick fear that 

he might come back to an empty 

bed flashed through his mind. 

"Yep. Look forward to it," replied 

Ollie. And with that, Dan left the 

room and headed back down the 

corridor. He passed the children in 

their beds, fighting their own battles 

alone. Dan knew he had his children 

to go home to and tonight, he'd hug 

them a bit tighter and a bit longer. 

The automatic doors trundled 

open and Dan stepped out under 

the entrance's shelter. He took a 

look out into the rain, gurgling in the 

drains and soaking into the parched 

earth. He closed his eyes and took 

in a chestful of the cool, clean air. It 

flowed through every vein in his 

body, refreshing and vitalising every 

sinew along the way. 

"Petrichor," he said to himself. 

"Through the veins of the 

immortals." He thought about his 

novels. And he knew he had to 

make them happen before time 

robbed him of the opportunity. 

He smiled calmly and took the car 

keys out of his pocket. 

He'd learnt a lot in an hour. 

47

windows.com 

www.cardi 

02920 692690 

Info@cardiffwindows.com 

Unit 8 

Fieldway 

Heath 

Cardiff 

CF14 4HY

Whitchurch and Llandaff Living Issue 63

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