Rhiwbina Living Issue 57
The 15 year anniversary issue of Rhiwbina Living, the award-winning magazine for Rhiwbina.
The 15 year anniversary issue of Rhiwbina Living, the award-winning magazine for Rhiwbina.
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
News | People | Features | History | Lifestyle | Interiors<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong><br />
At the heart of the community<br />
<strong>Issue</strong> <strong>57</strong><br />
CRAFTED IN<br />
RHIWBINA<br />
CRAFTED IN<br />
of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong><br />
Your multi award-winning magazine for <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>
2<br />
Inside this issue<br />
My Memories<br />
of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
Dianne Bartley<br />
recalls memories<br />
of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> from<br />
the 1940s to the<br />
modern day<br />
Wellness<br />
Creative ways to<br />
cleanse your mind<br />
and set you up for<br />
the challenges of<br />
the year ahead<br />
History<br />
A look back at<br />
some of the<br />
much-loved<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> shops<br />
throughout the<br />
years<br />
Winter walks<br />
Discover the<br />
beauty and<br />
serenity of the<br />
local nature trails<br />
that we have<br />
right here on our<br />
doorstep<br />
Spring deadline:<br />
17th February 2023<br />
Published March 2023<br />
a: 222 Pantbach Road,<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, Cardiff CF14 6AG<br />
t: 07772 081775 / 07974 022920<br />
w: www.livingmags.co.uk<br />
e: editor@livingmags.co.uk or<br />
danielle@livingmags.co.uk<br />
Distribution: 6,000 copies of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong> are<br />
personally delivered by us to every house in the<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> ward four times a year in line with the<br />
seasons. We also distribute to local shops<br />
While every effort has been made to<br />
ensure the accuracy of the contents,<br />
the publisher cannot accept any<br />
responsibility for errors or omissions,<br />
or for any matter in any way arising<br />
from the publication of this material.<br />
Every effort has been made to<br />
contact any copyright holders.<br />
Whitchurch and Llandaff <strong>Living</strong> is an<br />
independent, apolitical publication.<br />
No part of this publication may be<br />
reproduced without the express<br />
written permission of the publishers.<br />
Welcome / Croeso<br />
Welcome to your latest issue of<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong>.<br />
This issue celebrates 15 years<br />
of publication. Over the decade<br />
and a half, we've learned that<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> is packed full of<br />
interesting and amazing people<br />
and their stories. There's a<br />
tale or two to be told behind<br />
every door, and we found<br />
that out when we spoke to<br />
lifelong <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> resident<br />
Dianne Bartley. Dianne recalls<br />
her memories of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
stretching all the way back to<br />
her childhood in the 1940s.<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> was a very different<br />
place back then and her tales<br />
remind us of what a great<br />
community spirit <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> has<br />
always had throughout the<br />
generations.<br />
Dianne also recalls the shops<br />
in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, which have<br />
always been the lifeblood of the<br />
community over the years. We<br />
take a walk down Memory Lane<br />
with a look at our village shops in<br />
years gone by.<br />
And if your memory would like a<br />
challenge, we've created a super<br />
quiz all about <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> to test<br />
your powers of knowledge and<br />
recollection.<br />
As a guide, we like to focus on<br />
the seasons in each and every<br />
issue of our magazines and while<br />
spring is still a little way off, we<br />
can celebrate what winter has to<br />
offer.<br />
Poetry is one of the most<br />
creative ways that we can<br />
express our innermost feelings<br />
and we've collected a series of<br />
winter poems from our readers<br />
to observe the season.<br />
Although staying indoors seems<br />
the natural choice at this time of<br />
year, getting active outdoors is<br />
good for body and soul. We've<br />
put together a collection of<br />
winter walks that you can take<br />
in the south Wales area. They'll<br />
help you feel revitalised and<br />
ready to take on the year ahead.<br />
The start of the new year is<br />
often a time of reflection and<br />
reset. With that in mind, we've<br />
created some wonderful features<br />
that can help you get back on<br />
track as we start another year.<br />
First up, we show you how you<br />
can help cleanse your mind,<br />
which will help you feel calmer<br />
and more in control. We've also<br />
hand-picked some products that<br />
can help you detox, which many<br />
of us feel we need after a heavy<br />
season.<br />
Following the same theme,<br />
we've also gathered together<br />
some delicious detox recipes<br />
which will leave you feeling full -<br />
and cleansed!<br />
Llanishen Fach Primary School<br />
have also been knocking up<br />
some treats in their kitchen. They<br />
tell us how they set aside Fridays<br />
to encourage active learning in<br />
the kitchen for their students.<br />
War artist Dan Peterson takes<br />
us on a journey to war-torn<br />
Afghanistan and we've also got<br />
the story of rugby in Wales to<br />
tie in with this year's Six Nations<br />
campaign. How will Wales do<br />
now that Mr G is back? Let's keep<br />
our fingers crossed.<br />
To sign us off for this issue, we<br />
have an inspiring short story<br />
from award-winning author<br />
Allie Morgan. It's a story of new<br />
beginnings and of hope for the<br />
future.<br />
We've already started work on<br />
our next issue so until then, enjoy<br />
the start to your new year and<br />
we'll see you in the spring!<br />
Danielle and Patric<br />
Editors<br />
@<strong>Rhiwbina</strong><strong>Living</strong><br />
www.facebook.com/rhiwbinaliving<br />
@livingmagazinescardiff
Beulah Road residents and<br />
businesses concern at HGV traffic<br />
news<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong><br />
celebrates 15<br />
years in the<br />
community<br />
Residents and businesses on<br />
Beulah Road have voiced their<br />
concerns about the dramatic influx<br />
of HGV traffic using <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> village<br />
as a diversion.<br />
Large vehicles, including<br />
articulated lorries have been<br />
using Beulah Road after traffic was<br />
diverted away from a bridge on<br />
Caerphilly Road that is undergoing<br />
repairs.<br />
A Council spokesperson told the<br />
press:<br />
"The Council has implemented<br />
on-street signs to direct HGV traffic<br />
along the diversion route, which is<br />
Heathwood Road and Fidlas Road.<br />
However, recent traffic monitoring<br />
indicates that some HGVs are<br />
continuing to travel via Beulah Road<br />
and through <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> village. This<br />
could be due to the bridge height<br />
restrictions on the Heathwood<br />
Split recycling<br />
scheme set to<br />
be rolled out<br />
across Cardiff<br />
Cardiff Council's split recycling<br />
scheme is set to be rolled out<br />
across the city, despite a less-thanfavourable<br />
response from <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
residents that took part in the trial.<br />
Around 4,000 homes in areas across<br />
Cardiff, including <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, took<br />
part in the six-month pilot to gauge<br />
whether the new system would work.<br />
The trial saw recyclables separated<br />
out by residents themselves and<br />
placed into three reusable specific<br />
containers for collection. This<br />
replaced the single-use green plastic<br />
bags that most residents have been<br />
familiar with for many years.<br />
Road/Fidlas Road route.<br />
"To clarify, any vehicle weighing<br />
over 18 tonnes should use the<br />
Heathwood Road/Fidlas Road<br />
route. Any vehicle that is higher<br />
than 14.9 foot cannot use this route<br />
and has to use Beulah Road. The<br />
Council is unable to stop HGV<br />
traffic using Beulah Road, without<br />
an additional Traffic Regulation<br />
Order (TRO) being put in place. Due<br />
to the ongoing road works in this<br />
area, from a network management<br />
perspective, this isn’t feasible<br />
until the road works have been<br />
completed on Caerphilly Road first."<br />
Several businesses have told the<br />
Council that the increase in HGV<br />
traffic has affected trade during<br />
an important time of the year.<br />
Residents has also said that the<br />
noise levels have also increased<br />
since the diversion.<br />
Feedback from the residents<br />
showed that they weren't happy<br />
with the arrangements, with storage<br />
problems being the main issue.<br />
Cardiff Council said that despite the<br />
feedback, the trials had helped with<br />
their recycling targets.<br />
"Kerbside sort recycling will be<br />
rolled out city-wide over the next two<br />
years, as it is the Welsh Government’s<br />
preferred method of collecting<br />
recycling from residents’ homes," said<br />
a Council spokesperson.<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>'s award-winning<br />
community magazine has<br />
celebrated 15 years of<br />
publication.<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong> was first<br />
launched in November 2007<br />
and has gone on to provide an<br />
effective marketing platform<br />
for local businesses, and<br />
something that the local<br />
residents genuinely love.<br />
Co-editor Patric Morgan said:<br />
"When we published our first<br />
issue, we had no idea that we'd<br />
still be here 15 years later. We<br />
are very proud of the fact that<br />
we've been able to continually<br />
produce a high-quality<br />
publication that the community<br />
can be proud of. We are also<br />
proud of the fact that we have<br />
been able to support so many<br />
local businesses during that<br />
time, especially during the<br />
challenges that we have all<br />
faced during recent times."<br />
The magazine has won<br />
awards both at regional level,<br />
and at national level, including<br />
a Cardiff Business Award.<br />
"We've met some wonderful<br />
people along the way, and<br />
have made some lifelong<br />
memories. We will strive to<br />
continue the work to our<br />
best ability on behalf of our<br />
advertisers, and to provide<br />
the <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> people with<br />
something worthwhile to read,"<br />
added Patric.<br />
3
news<br />
Llanishen Fach<br />
park to be<br />
upgraded<br />
The play area at Heol Llanishen<br />
Fach is to get an oak-themed<br />
refurbishment, complete with<br />
acorn and oak leaf shaped features,<br />
in addition to log sculptures,<br />
accessible play equipment, and<br />
new seating.<br />
Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks<br />
and Events, Cllr Jennifer Burke-<br />
Davies, said:<br />
"The play area at Heol Llanishen<br />
Fach is the latest facility to benefit<br />
from our ongoing £3.2 million<br />
programme of investment in parks<br />
and play areas across Cardiff. Once<br />
completed, it should be a fantastic<br />
facility for local families to enjoy."<br />
The designs include a toddler<br />
area as well as a junior play area,<br />
and are designed to appeal to<br />
children from the age of 5 upwards,<br />
encouraging imaginative play,<br />
climbing, education, and physical<br />
activity.<br />
Children with as wide a range of<br />
abilities as possible are catered for,<br />
and play equipment will include a<br />
wheelchair accessible roundabout,<br />
and accessible swings.<br />
The works also include a new<br />
circular seating area, as well as<br />
other additional and restored<br />
seating and bins.<br />
Refurbishment work is due<br />
to commence in January and<br />
is currently expected to be<br />
completed in spring 2023.<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Library<br />
reopens<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Library is set to officially<br />
reopen on 16th January, following<br />
months of renovation to the existing<br />
building. The improved venue will<br />
reopen as a community hub after<br />
closing its doors in April last year.<br />
A Council spokesperson said:<br />
“Community hubs bring more<br />
services and improved facilities to<br />
an area and the plan in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> is<br />
for a strong focus on wellbeing."<br />
4<br />
Residents save up to install<br />
life-saving defibrillator in<br />
their <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> neighbourhood<br />
In light of strain being placed on<br />
the ambulance services in Cardiff,<br />
the residents of Waunfawr Road,<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> and parents from Year 1,<br />
Ton Yr Ywen Primary School, have<br />
raised over £1,300 to purchase a<br />
public access defibrillator that has<br />
been placed for anyone to use, 24<br />
hours a day at the junction between<br />
Caerphilly Road and Maes-y-Coed<br />
Road. The junction is a very busy one<br />
and it is hoped that it will be seen by<br />
as many people as possible.<br />
Sarah, a resident of Waunfawr Road,<br />
told <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong>:<br />
"Having recently lost a colleague to<br />
a heart attack, who had an extended<br />
wait for an ambulance, I wanted to<br />
help do what I could to give anyone<br />
needing a defibrillator in the area the<br />
best chance of survival with early<br />
intervention."<br />
The device gives a high energy<br />
electric shock to the heart of<br />
someone who is in cardiac arrest.<br />
Survival rates for out-of-hospital<br />
cardiac arrests are poor, often<br />
less than 10%. It is hoped that the<br />
defibrillator can help improve those<br />
statistics.<br />
The defibrillator was installed just<br />
before Christmas, and saw many<br />
small businesses donate to the<br />
project.<br />
Waunfawr Road resident Andy, who<br />
also donated £250 (the largest single<br />
donation) from his business Heath<br />
Tyres, said:<br />
"<strong>Living</strong> and working in the area, I felt<br />
that it was important to support this<br />
project. A defibrillator could save a<br />
life one day and that's priceless. Since<br />
Covid, we have developed a strong,<br />
caring attitude in our neighbourhood<br />
and long may it continue. The<br />
residents of Waunfawr Road have<br />
a philosophy of being caring and<br />
helpful, and we were only too happy<br />
to support this."<br />
Chris Saltmarshe, outside whose<br />
shop the defibrillator has been<br />
installed said:<br />
"We have no hesitation in<br />
allowing this valuable asset to the<br />
neighbourhood at our premises. Even<br />
if it only saves one life, it is still one life<br />
and a family that is saved from grief."<br />
Even the local electrician<br />
got involved. Dan from<br />
ForEverythingElectrical said:<br />
"When I heard the plea for a last<br />
minute electrician, I immediately<br />
made space in a very busy week to<br />
get this life-saving bit of equipment<br />
installed and fitted before Christmas.<br />
We are always keen to help out the<br />
community where possible."<br />
Cardiff's air<br />
cleaner than prepandemic<br />
levels<br />
The latest study into air pollution in<br />
Cardiff shows that residents enjoyed<br />
cleaner air across the city throughout<br />
2021 when compared with prepandemic<br />
figures in 2019, a new<br />
report has revealed.<br />
Air quality is monitored on an annual<br />
basis across a full 12-month period<br />
to ensure figures are representative<br />
across a full year. A reduction in road<br />
vehicles is thought to have helped.
Your letters<br />
WE<br />
letters<br />
WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!<br />
We love to hear what you've been up to<br />
so send us your letters and photos!<br />
We'll do our best to print them all.<br />
editor@livingmags.co.uk<br />
Percy’s Dilemma<br />
I wish to thank everyone who<br />
bought a copy of my children’s<br />
book, Percy’s Dilemma.<br />
All 200 copies that I had printed<br />
have raised £750 for the Tŷ Hafan<br />
Children’s Hospice in Sully.<br />
My thanks also to local shops<br />
and <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong> magazine for<br />
their kind generosity in helping<br />
with sales, as well as schools and<br />
libraries in Cardiff and Penarth<br />
who bought many copies.<br />
Tŷ Hafan and myself thank you<br />
again for your support.<br />
Geraldine Seymour,<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
Recycling Chaos<br />
I was one of the 'chosen' ones<br />
that was selected to trial the<br />
council's new recycling scheme.<br />
The new scheme involves<br />
me placing different types of<br />
recycling into separate bags and<br />
putting them out for collection.<br />
I understand the reasons<br />
behind the trial - harnessing<br />
the collective strength of the<br />
individual.<br />
However, on a practical level, it<br />
just doesn't work. For starters, I<br />
don't live in the biggest of houses<br />
and having to store these bulky<br />
bags is a pain in the backside.<br />
Previously, I was able to store<br />
the green plastic bags neatly in<br />
a kitchen drawer but I now have<br />
to keep these large and unsightly<br />
bags elsewhere.<br />
There have also been problems<br />
when it comes to collection. The<br />
bags are emptied and then left<br />
scattered on the pavement. God<br />
knows how this is all going to<br />
work out when the winter storms<br />
come along. We'll all be chasing<br />
empty bags around the street,<br />
trying to find whose bag belongs<br />
to who. It just doesn't work. Can<br />
we rethink this please?<br />
Cathy Williams,<br />
email<br />
Welsh Blood<br />
Service at WHS<br />
On Thursday, 24th November our<br />
Headteacher, Mark Powell was<br />
very pleased to welcome back the<br />
Welsh Blood Service (WBS). It was<br />
our second Blood Donor Day, the<br />
first being in November 2019. The<br />
original plan was to return every<br />
year, but for obvious reasons that<br />
proved impossible to put in place<br />
in early 2020 and 2021. However, in<br />
April this year we were pleased we<br />
could secure a date in November,<br />
then set about the planning.<br />
Thankfully, a lot of the logistical<br />
planning was in place from 2019,<br />
nevertheless we still underwent<br />
a rigorous process to ensure we<br />
were fit for purpose. It’s a major<br />
operation that the Welsh Blood<br />
Service do often, but we as a<br />
school need to plan accordingly<br />
for the one off event. A month prior<br />
to the day, Paul Chiplin from the<br />
WBS delivered two presentations<br />
at our assemblies for Year 13<br />
and 12 students, which in itself<br />
was very educational. It was<br />
an opportunity for them to ask<br />
questions too.<br />
If you wished to donate, you had<br />
to register for an appointment<br />
slot, via the Welsh Blood Service<br />
website link dedicated to our day.<br />
69 appointments were available<br />
and our 6th Form pupils were<br />
quickly filling them. We later<br />
opened them up to staff and with<br />
a few days to go, all slots were<br />
booked up. Very promising!<br />
It proved to be an extremely<br />
rewarding and successful day. Of<br />
the 69 available appointments,<br />
68 donors attended, 50 were able<br />
to give blood, with 39 of those<br />
50 donations giving blood for<br />
the first time. The Welsh Blood<br />
Service were also impressed that<br />
a remarkable 24 bone marrow<br />
samples were taken too.<br />
Some of our staff were able to<br />
donate, but the overwhelming<br />
majority of donors were Year 13<br />
pupils, and we also had some<br />
from Year 12. Our Headteacher<br />
took the opportunity to pass on<br />
his sincere admiration for our<br />
pupil contribution and the way<br />
they conducted themselves<br />
throughout the day. They were a<br />
credit to Whitchurch High School.<br />
We are very proud to provide for<br />
our community and Wales as a<br />
whole.<br />
The Welsh Blood Service were<br />
very complimentary of the<br />
school, hugely impressed with<br />
the students, and amazed by the<br />
overall results. It was beyond their<br />
expectations.<br />
We still remain the only school in<br />
Cardiff to have a Blood Donor Day<br />
and we look forward to inviting<br />
them back next year.<br />
Mrs Shepstone<br />
Whitchurch High School<br />
If you have anything you’d like our readers to know about, drop us a line at<br />
editor@livingmags.co.uk You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter<br />
5
Your Lawyers, for life<br />
If you feel like you have nothing left to<br />
hold on to, we’ll help you to let go.<br />
Life is not always plain sailing.<br />
If you have decided that you want a divorce, you can trust<br />
our team to guide you every step of the way, ensuring the<br />
best outcome for you, your children and your finances.<br />
Get in touch:<br />
13 Merthyr Road<br />
Whitchurch<br />
CF14 1DA<br />
029 2267 6818<br />
hello@hevans.com<br />
hardingevans.com
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>’s Gateway of India recruits Master Chef from Bangladesh<br />
Only the best is good enough.<br />
It’s a motto that has carried<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>’s Gateway of India<br />
to many successes over the last<br />
28 years. And for owner Moslaur<br />
Rahman, only the best will do.<br />
“I believe in honesty and integrity<br />
and these are the foundations of<br />
our success. Our brand is the most<br />
valuable thing we own, customer<br />
service is our way of life, and our<br />
doors are always open. We bring<br />
you the true flavour of Bangladesh<br />
to you every day.”<br />
And to prove his point, Moslaur has<br />
recently hired Master Chef Rozario<br />
from Dhaka’s esteemed 5 star<br />
Intercontinental Hotel - the best in<br />
Bangladesh.<br />
“I've invested heavily in getting<br />
Rozario here. Everything about our<br />
award-winning takeaway is backed<br />
up with distinction and passion -<br />
from the highest quality ingredients<br />
through to the personable and<br />
friendly service in store.<br />
“It’s this that makes the<br />
difference here at the<br />
Gateway of India,” says<br />
owner Moslaur. “From<br />
the highest quality<br />
This is a sponsored post<br />
premium meat to the finest onions<br />
we can find, we only ever buy the<br />
very best ingredients. We tread our<br />
own path with our famous blastchilled,<br />
heat-at-home philosophy<br />
which we believe gives you a<br />
fresher, more nutritious taste and<br />
greater convenience around busy<br />
lives,” he says. “We also offer frozen<br />
options, which have a shelf-life of<br />
three months.”<br />
The takeaway, which opened in<br />
1995, is a firm favourite for <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
residents and beyond.<br />
“From the bottom of my heart, it’s<br />
been an absolute honour to serve<br />
the local community for the last 28<br />
years,” says Moslaur. “I feel humbled<br />
to have seen and known so many<br />
customers over the years. It’s great<br />
to know that the Gateway of India<br />
plays a special part in people’s<br />
lives, whether we are providing a<br />
family meal or catering for bigger<br />
functions.”<br />
The food forms the cornerstone of<br />
the Gateway’s continued success<br />
and Moslaur is passionate about<br />
its preparation, its creation and its<br />
delivery.<br />
“We go to great lengths to look<br />
after your health. From premium<br />
fresh Welsh lamb to farm assured<br />
British grade A chicken breast<br />
only, every ingredient meets our<br />
exceptional standards.<br />
“Each recipe is perfected using<br />
traditional methods and closely<br />
guarded, family recipes developed<br />
over decades. Locking in the<br />
nutrition giving a fresher flavour -<br />
just order at your leisure and swiftly<br />
heat it up in the oven, microwave or<br />
hob when you’re ready to eat.”<br />
The Gateway is also bringing<br />
back the true<br />
flavour of<br />
Bangladesh by<br />
reintroducing<br />
the popular<br />
Weekend<br />
Specials. And<br />
if that wasn’t<br />
enough,<br />
they have<br />
also started<br />
cookery<br />
lessons where<br />
you can learn<br />
first-hand from their professional<br />
chefs.<br />
“If you’re passing and our lights<br />
are on, pop in for some food. We’ve<br />
got plenty of food freshly prepared<br />
for you so it’s simply a case of<br />
Grab and Go! Our chefs create the<br />
dishes daily and each meal comes<br />
in a container that can be frozen,<br />
microwaved or even popped in the<br />
oven. The eco-friendly containers<br />
are made from sugar cane and are<br />
biodegradable.<br />
“We feel a great sense of pride<br />
about the way that the people of<br />
the community feel about our<br />
takeaway. We would also like to<br />
thank the community for all their<br />
support during the pandemic.<br />
We also want to reassure you<br />
that despite the continuing rise in<br />
production costs, we’re not passing<br />
these on to our customers.<br />
“It goes back to the saying that<br />
only the best is good enough and<br />
we like to think that <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> is<br />
well deserving of a place like the<br />
Gateway of India.”<br />
www.gatewayofindia.co.uk
A recipe<br />
for success<br />
providing the reassurance and<br />
familiarity they needed to readjust<br />
to a very different school life. Bake<br />
Off Friday became an established<br />
and cherished part of the school<br />
week and sustained the class<br />
through the ups and downs of the<br />
Covid period.<br />
Bake Off Friday, with all its<br />
opportunities to develop valuable<br />
life skills, continues to be a<br />
mainstay of our curriculum with<br />
pupils putting our teaching kitchen<br />
to regular use. What we cook<br />
reflects the seasons, class topics,<br />
celebrations, visitors on site, or just<br />
what takes our fancy.<br />
Where we can, we source<br />
ingredients locally, with ‘food miles’<br />
reduced to food metres when it<br />
comes to eggs, thanks to our school<br />
chickens. Autumn brings with it our<br />
apple crop from our Welsh native<br />
apple orchard and an abundance<br />
of blackberries from the school’s<br />
hedgerow so of course, blackberry<br />
and apple crumble is very definitely<br />
on the menu.<br />
Another autumn favourite is the<br />
baking of a harvest loaf, sculpted<br />
from dough and displayed as the<br />
centrepiece of our charity Rainbow<br />
of Hope and The Cardiff Food Bank<br />
donations.<br />
Pasta and tomato sauce is a great<br />
staple, and one that is incredibly<br />
popular with our pupils. In line with<br />
our ethos of showing our pupils that<br />
meals are the sum of a range of<br />
ingredients, Llanishen Fach pasta<br />
doesn’t come out of a bag! Instead,<br />
the children have experience<br />
making fresh pasta, combining flour<br />
with our own eggs and rolling and<br />
cutting into fettuccine, topped off<br />
with tomato and onion sauce and<br />
Bake Off Fridays<br />
The old proverb, ‘the proof of the<br />
pudding is in the eating’ still rings true<br />
at Llanishen Fach Primary School,<br />
but we like to say, ‘the proof of the<br />
learning is in the eating’.<br />
It has been two years since our<br />
pupils were first learning online, with<br />
shared experiences happening over<br />
8<br />
Zoom. And it was at this time that we<br />
established ‘Bake Off Fridays’ where<br />
our pupils with additional learning<br />
needs (ALN pupils) came together<br />
to join in with a Friday cooking<br />
activity from the comfort of their own<br />
kitchens.<br />
In time, Dosbarth Enfys, our special<br />
resource base, attended by our ALN<br />
pupils was welcoming them back<br />
from Covid lockdown, with cooking
grated cheese. Yum! Once we had<br />
pasta sorted, we moved on to pizza,<br />
another favourite of our pupils.<br />
Spring, and in particular the buildup<br />
to St David’s Day, is a great<br />
excuse to dig out some traditional<br />
family recipes and to pass them<br />
on to the next generation of Welsh<br />
cooks.<br />
Welsh cakes are a particular<br />
speciality of Mr Barrett, one of<br />
our ALN teachers, who guards<br />
his recipe closely, only sharing<br />
the knowledge of his two secret<br />
ingredients with his pupils. But<br />
especially for this readers of<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong>, Mr Barrett has<br />
been persuaded to share some of<br />
his Welsh cake cooking tips:<br />
- As they cook, they will rise<br />
slightly, and the edges go a bit<br />
gooey.<br />
schools<br />
- Don’t leave them too long before<br />
turning; they should only just be<br />
firm enough not to fall apart and<br />
definitely should not be cakey. The<br />
cooked side should be light brown.<br />
- As they are cooking on a low to<br />
medium heat, they take a while to<br />
get to this point; be patient. If you<br />
can’t see any rise after about three<br />
minutes then your bakestone is<br />
probably too cool.<br />
One question Mr Barrett can’t<br />
answer definitively is how they<br />
should be served; he goes with a<br />
sprinkling of sugar, but his mother<br />
stays true to her family roots and<br />
spreads with butter. How do you<br />
serve yours?<br />
Throughout the year, a range of<br />
other festivals, both religious and<br />
secular, provide ample opportunity<br />
to get cooking; but first a trip to the<br />
local shops is generally needed, as<br />
shopping trips play an important<br />
part in the learning experience, not<br />
to mention clearing and washingup<br />
and a quick lesson in using the<br />
washing machine.<br />
In fact, if you were to audit one of<br />
our Dosbarth Enfys Bake Off Fridays<br />
for skills acquired, both curricular<br />
and life, the breadth would amaze<br />
you. That is why Bake Off Friday<br />
is so successful and yes, we can<br />
confirm, ‘the proof of the learning is<br />
in the eating’.<br />
the proof<br />
of the<br />
learning<br />
is in the<br />
eating<br />
9
people<br />
The <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Queen<br />
There aren't many people who have witnessed <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>'s transformation<br />
from a quiet hamlet to a bustling village. But Dianne Bartley is one of them<br />
"I can't begin<br />
to tell you<br />
how beautiful<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> was<br />
back in the<br />
day."<br />
When it<br />
comes to our<br />
village, Dianne<br />
Bartley has<br />
seen it all.<br />
From rolling green hills to suburban<br />
splendour, the great-grandmother<br />
has played her own part in<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>'s history.<br />
"I moved to <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> at the age<br />
of three in 1939. My father, Harry<br />
Marjoram, was a golf professional<br />
and my parents had relatives who<br />
sat on the committee of the Garden<br />
Village. The committee kindly<br />
offered my parents a house in the<br />
Garden Village to rent while they<br />
were having another one built. But<br />
then war broke out and building<br />
stopped.<br />
"My mother, Charlotte Marjoram,<br />
was a Llandaff girl and she was<br />
reluctant to move away from<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> so we stayed there."<br />
Dianne recalls her happy<br />
childhood in the village, when<br />
10<br />
things were very different.<br />
"We lived on Pen-y-Dre with<br />
the stream just behind us. It was<br />
fantastic. There were hardly any<br />
cars; you could almost count them<br />
and you knew who owned them.<br />
We were right out in the country<br />
and there were only a few main<br />
roads – the ones in the Garden<br />
Village, Wenallt Road, a little bit of<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Hill, and Pantmawr Road<br />
was just a narrow road with farms at<br />
the bottom."<br />
Life in those days was a lot more<br />
serene than today's <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>.<br />
"We used to whip and top on<br />
the road in Pen-y-Dre because of<br />
course, there were very few cars<br />
around. The library wasn't there<br />
either when we were children.<br />
It was just a little green patch<br />
with trees on it. I don't think we<br />
realised at the time what a beautiful<br />
environment we were in."<br />
Dianne attended Rhiwbeina<br />
Primary School on the outskirts of<br />
the Garden Village.<br />
"The school was out in the fields<br />
and I remember walking there in a<br />
gas mask because the war was on,"<br />
says Dianne. "I think I had a Mickey<br />
Mouse gas mask because I was<br />
small at that time. My<br />
main ambition was<br />
to have a mask in a<br />
brown box because<br />
they were for older<br />
children and mine<br />
was in a black tin.<br />
"Mr Pugsley was the<br />
headmaster and he<br />
was a lovely man.<br />
Miss Price was my<br />
first teacher at the<br />
age of five in 1941.<br />
She would draw beautiful pictures<br />
on the blackboard in chalk.<br />
"We were also taught how to<br />
thread beads onto cotton and<br />
we'd often have to suck the end of<br />
the cotton that had been sucked<br />
by another child the day before. I<br />
distinctly remember there was an<br />
alphabet on the wall and I can still<br />
recite what it said to this day. And<br />
then there would be the milk that<br />
would sit outside in all weathers;<br />
we'd literally watch it curdle during<br />
the summer months."<br />
But the war years were also a time<br />
of fear and worry.<br />
"We had an Anderson Shelter<br />
made from very heavy metal in our<br />
dining room and it almost filled the<br />
room. When the siren went off, our<br />
neighbours would come in to use it.<br />
"Pantbach Road past the Monico<br />
area was bombed and I remember<br />
many times, my Dad would take me<br />
out of bed and put me in the shelter<br />
because the siren had gone off. I<br />
remember there were these huge<br />
balloon-type barrages floating in<br />
the sky to stop the bombers coming<br />
in. All the children in the area were<br />
allocated houses to go into in case<br />
of a bombing, and we had three<br />
children who came in, only once<br />
though on a 'dummy run.'"<br />
Growing up during the war years<br />
brought out the kindness in people.<br />
"Everyone was so caring during<br />
those war years. We had neighbours<br />
who would go and pick raspberries<br />
and make desserts out of them.<br />
They'd shout over to ask if we<br />
wanted any. Because of the rations,<br />
everyone shared what they had and<br />
there was a deep concern about<br />
everyone else.
"We'd often know who was ill<br />
based on whether their bedroom<br />
fires were lit, which didn't happen<br />
that often because of the shortage<br />
of coal. We once had a telegram<br />
that was passed down the street to<br />
Mrs Jones and we were all worried<br />
as telegrams were only ever sent<br />
in the event of a marriage but more<br />
often than not, bad news from the<br />
frontline.<br />
"We were allowed to pick<br />
bluebells and primroses back<br />
then so neighbours would often<br />
bring some to your house from the<br />
Wenallt.<br />
"Christmas was pure magic. I<br />
had my first taste of peaches and<br />
pineapples one year. They had<br />
come from tins that the American<br />
soldiers had handed to the villagers<br />
as they marched down Heol-y-Deri.<br />
My mum had put them away for<br />
Christmas."<br />
Dianne's parents eventually moved<br />
away from the Garden Village to a<br />
house near the Butchers Arms.<br />
"Everything past the Butchers<br />
Arms was just all fields. Ty Gwyn<br />
Road and Heol Iscoed weren't built<br />
and near the pub; where there are<br />
now bungalows, there was a little<br />
cottage with a small duck pond<br />
outside."<br />
The fields stretched all the way up<br />
to Wenallt Road in the north, and<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Hill in the west.<br />
"The Deri pub was still a farm<br />
back then, run by Farmer George.<br />
My husband’s parents owned the<br />
Deri Stores opposite; it was a tiny<br />
little shop and they just sold a few<br />
things. After the war had ended,<br />
they did start selling ice-cream.<br />
"I remember people used to come<br />
down from the Wenallt and you<br />
could see them with sticks. They’d<br />
pick primroses and tie them to<br />
these sticks, and they’d come past<br />
the shop, happy and laughing."<br />
Village life back then was a world<br />
away from the hustle and bustle of<br />
today.<br />
"I remember the<br />
shops. There was<br />
Beads the Chemist;<br />
Miss Llewellyn had<br />
a tiny shop selling<br />
children’s clothing<br />
and wool. There<br />
was Rayboulds and<br />
there was Lloyds the<br />
sweet shop. Then<br />
we had Grooms the<br />
greengrocers.<br />
"On Heol-y-Deri, there<br />
was a bungalow that<br />
was Tanner's Dairy and<br />
it had an entrance on<br />
the side. They sold<br />
cream, eggs and milk. Then on<br />
Beulah Road, there was Jones the<br />
Chemist and Goochs.<br />
"The village also had memorable<br />
characters. There was Arthur Davies<br />
who ran Wilsons and he was quite<br />
formidable. Then there was 'Copper<br />
Lewis', the local policeman who<br />
lived on Heol-y-Deri. If we saw him,<br />
we'd all respect him."<br />
As Dianne grew into a young adult,<br />
her life would change too.<br />
"There were two main hubs in<br />
the village when I was younger<br />
- Beulah Church and the Scouts.<br />
Beulah Church thrived back in<br />
those days - it was bursting at the<br />
seams. My parents were Church<br />
of England but I went to Beulah<br />
because my friends went there and<br />
I was also a Sunday School teacher."<br />
The Scouts were the other major<br />
force in the village, based at the<br />
Scouts Hall on Heol-y-Bont.<br />
"I met my future husband when I<br />
was in Girl Guides. I must have been<br />
around the age of 11 or 12 when<br />
they decided to do a pageant. He<br />
was 7 years older than I was. I was<br />
dressed as Pocahontas and he was<br />
dressed up as Capt. John Smith and<br />
we were put together. The other<br />
girls were envious of me because I<br />
was the only one to be set up with<br />
a boy."<br />
The Scout Hall quickly became<br />
one of the main focuses of the<br />
village.<br />
"My husband was a Scout Master<br />
and pantomimes became the big<br />
event in the village. We had a Scout<br />
Master who’d come over from<br />
Yeovil. He had a wonderful singing<br />
voice and he produced the first<br />
panto and brought in these girls<br />
with beautiful voices. He even hired<br />
costumes from London.<br />
"He eventually went to Africa so<br />
my husband and his brother took<br />
over running the pantomimes. I<br />
became a Fairy Queen around the<br />
age of 16 and we thought that we<br />
were chocolate because we were<br />
chosen to go<br />
with all the<br />
boys.<br />
"These shows<br />
went on for<br />
years, and<br />
always took<br />
place the<br />
week before<br />
Christmas. They<br />
were so much<br />
fun. We were<br />
eventually<br />
asked to go to<br />
the Prince of<br />
Wales Theatre<br />
to perform.<br />
"Beulah had<br />
a youth club<br />
and a Sunday<br />
School too at<br />
that time and<br />
as there were<br />
no TVs, that<br />
is what we<br />
did. That was<br />
my life until I<br />
got married<br />
in 19<strong>57</strong> at<br />
the age of<br />
20. Out of<br />
the Scout<br />
group, seven<br />
couples got married – five in one<br />
year, and two the following year."<br />
But as in all aspects of life, the<br />
incessant march of time and<br />
change began to shape <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>.<br />
"By Beulah Church, you used to<br />
be able to see the stream. And as<br />
children, we used to put leaves in<br />
there and watch them come out<br />
the other side of the bridge. It’s now<br />
built up beyond measure so you<br />
can't do that anymore.<br />
"The village started to spread. Heol<br />
Llanishen Fach got built and it was<br />
all different from then on. Peny-Dre<br />
was extended and people<br />
complained when the half-made<br />
footwalks on Heol-y-Deri were<br />
covered in tarmac and made into<br />
proper pavements.<br />
"I can remember distinctly when<br />
Pantmawr Estate was built - there<br />
was uproar! Manor Road at that<br />
point was hardly a road at all."<br />
Dianne left the village ten years<br />
ago when she downsized:<br />
"My husband died and I stayed in<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> for five more years but the<br />
house was too big for me. I’m cosy<br />
where I am now.<br />
"I have such fond memories of<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> as it used to be; but I also<br />
find it hard - if I sit down and think<br />
too much, I feel really sad.<br />
"I think back to the times when<br />
we'd run to the bridge on Pantbach<br />
Road and breathe in the smoke<br />
coming from the steam trains as<br />
they passed underneath. And the<br />
times we'd go to the Monico on<br />
weekends. They were wonderful<br />
times."<br />
Having produced two children,<br />
five grandchildren, and two greatgrand<br />
children, Dianne's performing<br />
legacy still lives on through her<br />
daughter Debbie, who runs Debbie<br />
Chapman Dancers - in the same<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Scout Hall in which<br />
Dianne used to perform.<br />
"The place has hardly changed in<br />
all these years," says Dianne. "It's<br />
nice to know that some things stay<br />
the same."<br />
11
YOURS SOONER THAN<br />
YOU MIGHT THINK<br />
THE MAZDA SUV RANGE. CRAFTED IN JAPAN.<br />
AVAILABLE NOW<br />
When you feel the need for change, the last thing you want to do is wait. Fortunately, your next Mazda SUV is<br />
available for delivery sooner than you might think. Each Mazda SUV is crafted in Japan, features the purest expression<br />
of driver feeling, and our award-winning Kodo design language. You can choose between the All-New<br />
Mazda CX-60 Plug-In Hybrid, the compact and stylish Mazda CX-30 or the award-winning mid-size Mazda CX-5.<br />
Find out more at VICTORIA PARK MAZDA on 029 22744434<br />
or visit www.victoriaparkmazda.co.uk.<br />
DRIVE TOGETHER
YOURS SOONER THAN<br />
YOU MIGHT THINK<br />
THE MAZDA MX-5 RANGE.<br />
AVAILABLE NOW<br />
The exhilarating experience of driving a Mazda MX-5 has captivated countless hearts, but its undeniable<br />
appeal is equally thanks to that iconic look. With beautiful proportions, flowing lines and dramatic contours,<br />
our Kodo: the Soul of Motion design captivates your senses before you even step inside.<br />
Feel at one with the iconic Mazda MX-5 - the world’s bestselling two-seater sports car. The ultimate in<br />
convertible cars. With excitement and wind-in-your-hair thrills guaranteed or the Mazda MX-5 RF<br />
- Combining ultimate sophistication with all the thrills and excitement of MX-5, the RF adds a touch<br />
of refinement to this iconic sports car!<br />
Find out more at VICTORIA PARK MAZDA on 029 22744434<br />
or visit www.victoriaparkmazda.co.uk.<br />
DRIVE TOGETHER
sport<br />
the story of<br />
Welsh<br />
rugby<br />
Cardiff has been home to Welsh rugby for more than a century. This is the<br />
story from its roots in the late 1800s through to the modern game<br />
Sport divides and it unites. As far as<br />
Welsh culture goes, rugby is part of<br />
its very soul.<br />
Sport goes a long way back in<br />
Welsh history. In fact, the earliest<br />
documented source for a group<br />
ball game in Great Britain actually<br />
comes from Wales. Historia<br />
Brittonum (The History of the<br />
Britons), written in the ninth century,<br />
depicts group ball games after the<br />
Romans had left Britain. Cnapan<br />
was a Celtic medieval form of<br />
football around that time. The<br />
sport was one of the ball games<br />
traditionally played to celebrate<br />
Shrovetide and Eastertide within the<br />
British Isles.<br />
Rugby union is believed to have<br />
reached Wales during the 1850s,<br />
when the Reverend Professor<br />
Rowland Williams brought the<br />
game with him from Cambridge to<br />
St. David's College, Lampeter. The<br />
college fielded the first Welsh rugby<br />
team later that year. In September,<br />
1875, the South Wales Football<br />
Union was created ‘with the<br />
intention of playing matches with<br />
the principal clubs in the West of<br />
England and the neighbourhood –<br />
the rugby rules will be the adopted<br />
code.'<br />
Rugby union spread throughout<br />
the industrial south Wales valleys<br />
not long after, brought there by<br />
former college students who had<br />
played the game during their<br />
education away from home in<br />
England. At a time when soccer was<br />
flourishing in other parts of the UK,<br />
rugby union was taking Wales by<br />
storm. By 1892, there were 70 rugby<br />
clubs in south Wales alone, and by<br />
14<br />
1905, Cardiff had over 200 known<br />
teams.<br />
The Welsh Rugby Union was<br />
formed in 1881 to help facilitate the<br />
game more formally and out of the<br />
many clubs that were being formed,<br />
there rose some of the larger clubs<br />
throughout south Wales, such<br />
as Cardiff, Swansea, Llanelli, and<br />
Newport. Known as the 'Big Four';<br />
these clubs led the way in the<br />
game's development.<br />
It's been argued that the game's<br />
popularity could be down to the<br />
fact that rugby had originally<br />
been embraced by the betteroff<br />
students that attended the<br />
universities in the south and the<br />
west of the country. It would also<br />
explain why rugby never gained the<br />
same affection in the north of the<br />
country.<br />
South Wales was also a heavily<br />
industrialised part of the UK, and its<br />
workers were traditionally involved<br />
in more manual labour. This meant<br />
that they already had a physical<br />
advantage over other players who<br />
were perhaps in more white-collar<br />
work. Rugby was embraced by the<br />
working class as it gave them a<br />
sense of identity.<br />
At a more local level, many clubs<br />
were also being created from<br />
work places and social groups. As<br />
industrialisation spread and the<br />
towns and cities expanded, so too<br />
did the number of clubs popping up<br />
in the communities.<br />
Here in the capital, Cardiff Rugby<br />
Football Club was founded in 1876<br />
following at meeting at Swiss<br />
Hall, Queen St. The club was<br />
the amalgamation of two clubs,<br />
Glamorgan and Cardiff Wanderers,<br />
and their first competitive game<br />
took place against Newport at<br />
Wentloog Marshes in December of<br />
that year.<br />
The club's home games were<br />
initially played at Sophia Gardens<br />
but they subsequently relocated to<br />
Cardiff Arms Park, named after the<br />
nearby pub.<br />
Originally the Arms Park had a<br />
cricket ground to the north and a<br />
rugby union stadium to the south<br />
and the first spectator stands<br />
appeared at the ground during<br />
1881–1882. That same season also<br />
saw the first Welsh international<br />
match taking place, and the team<br />
included four players from Cardiff<br />
Rugby Football Club.<br />
It wouldn’t be until 1890, and their<br />
seventh attempt, that the Welsh<br />
national team achieved their overriding<br />
ambition and finally beat<br />
England. The team's first Triple<br />
Crown came in 1893 and was the<br />
launch pad for the first ‘Golden Era’,<br />
when Wales dominated the world<br />
game.<br />
They won Triple Crowns in 1902<br />
and 1905 and were also runners-up<br />
in the 1901, 1903 and 1904 Home<br />
Nations Championship. They won<br />
the title in 1906 and even beat the<br />
touring Australian team in 1908.<br />
In 1905, Wales played New<br />
Zealand in what has since become<br />
known as 'Gêm y Ganrif' or 'The<br />
Game of the Century'.<br />
The game was part of the New<br />
Zealand 'Originals' tour, where they<br />
played 35 games. By the time the<br />
All Blacks arrived in Wales, they<br />
hadn't conceded a single point
in their previous 600 minutes of<br />
rugby. They had systematically<br />
demolished many of the best<br />
English clubs and had also put<br />
Ireland, Scotland, and England to<br />
the sword, without conceding any<br />
points to Ireland and England. Many<br />
thought that Wales would succumb<br />
to the All Blacks' dominance.<br />
On match day, the New Zealand<br />
players performed the Haka, which<br />
the Welsh crowd respected by<br />
falling silent. Not to be outdone<br />
however, Welsh player Teddy<br />
Morgan began a rousing rendition<br />
of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, directed<br />
back at the All Blacks after they had<br />
finished their Haka. Other Welsh<br />
players joined in and the watching<br />
crowd added their voice. It was<br />
the first recorded account of a<br />
national anthem being sung at an<br />
international sports fixture.<br />
It has also been argued that the<br />
singing of the anthem helped Wales<br />
take a famous win over the All<br />
Blacks, the New Zealanders' only<br />
defeat on their tour. Wales scored<br />
the only try of the game, winning<br />
3-0. New Zealand player Bob<br />
Deans had gone close to scoring<br />
a try but the referee deemed that<br />
he had touched down too short<br />
and the try was disallowed. The<br />
foggy conditions also added to the<br />
confusion of the onlookers.<br />
1911 saw the final Home Nations<br />
Championship format, which<br />
Wales won, and they also won in<br />
the following year when France<br />
joined what became known as the<br />
Five Nations tournament. Wales<br />
scooped a Grand Slam in 1911 and<br />
it would be another 40 years before<br />
Teddy Morgan<br />
they would achieve one again.<br />
Following the First World War,<br />
the Welsh national team fell into<br />
decline. A national recession led to<br />
many players emigrating away from<br />
the country to find work. The player<br />
drain continued until the economy<br />
recovered in the early 1930s, and<br />
Wales won their first Five Nations<br />
title for a numbers of years, in 1931.<br />
The Five Nations was suspended<br />
during the Second World War and<br />
the 1940s and 50s saw a mixed<br />
bag for the Welsh team. Their<br />
dominance had waned and it<br />
wouldn't be until the late 1960s,<br />
when Wales recruited world-class<br />
players like Barry John, Mervyn<br />
Davies, and Gareth Edwards, that<br />
the Welsh team began chalking<br />
up victories. During 1969 and 1979,<br />
Wales lost only seven of their<br />
games and dominated the game in<br />
the northern hemisphere.<br />
Wales hosted New Zealand again<br />
at Cardiff Arms Park in November<br />
1978, and lost 13-12 in another<br />
controversial scenario. Wales<br />
were leading the game with a<br />
few minutes to go when New<br />
Zealand lock Andy Haden dived<br />
out of a line-out in an attempt to<br />
earn a penalty. The penalty was<br />
awarded and replacement New<br />
Zealand fullback Brian McKechnie<br />
successfully kicked the goal.<br />
It was later discovered that<br />
Haden admitted that he and Frank<br />
Oliver had pre-agreed to jump out<br />
of the line-out should they find<br />
themselves in difficulty.<br />
As key players left the national side<br />
during the early 1980s, the team<br />
once again slipped into decline.<br />
Often referred to as 'the barren<br />
years', apart from the occasional win<br />
against the odds, including a Five<br />
Nations title and a first-ever win<br />
against South Africa in 1999 under<br />
Graham Henry, Wales struggled to<br />
maintain any consistent form.<br />
Following Henry's departure in<br />
2002, fellow New Zealander Steve<br />
Hansen took over the role of coach.<br />
Under his leadership, the WRU<br />
restructured the game in Wales,<br />
adding five (which would later<br />
become four) regional teams that<br />
sat on top of the traditional clubs.<br />
In 2005, Wales won a famous<br />
Grand Slam under Mike Ruddock. It<br />
had been 12 years since Wales last<br />
beat England and a long-range kick<br />
from Gavin Henson set them on<br />
their way to a first-round win over<br />
the Old Enemy and set the side up<br />
for their clean sweep.<br />
Their success proved shortlived<br />
however and Mike Ruddock<br />
stepped down as national coach<br />
halfway through the 2006 Six<br />
Nations campaign. He was replaced<br />
by former Llanelli coach Gareth<br />
Jenkins but Wales's poor showing<br />
at the 2007 World Cup meant that<br />
Jenkins lost his job.<br />
His replacement was New<br />
Zealander Warren Gatland and his<br />
first match was against England at<br />
Twickenham in 2008. Wales hadn't<br />
beaten England there since 1988<br />
but went on to win the game 26-19.<br />
Wales didn't stop there, beating<br />
all-comers in the tournament and<br />
winning another Grand Slam.<br />
Wales reached the semi-finals<br />
of the World Cup for the first time<br />
since 1987 in 2011, but narrowly lost<br />
to France, despite being down to 14<br />
men for most of the match. Wales<br />
won further Grand Slams in 2012<br />
and 2019.<br />
Gatland left Wales in 2019, only to<br />
return in 2022 after coach Wayne<br />
Pivac's tenure proved frustrating for<br />
both players and fans.<br />
15
Specialist Glaziers with over 35 Years Experience<br />
Repairs & Renewals<br />
Experts in the repair of windows, doors and conservatories<br />
uPVC Products<br />
We offer a full range of quality replacement uPVC products<br />
Bespoke Mirrors<br />
Supplied and fitted<br />
Secondary Glazing<br />
A less costly option to reduce noise & heat loss<br />
029 2048 6797<br />
contact@wrightglass.co.uk www.wrightglass.co.uk<br />
Rated 4.9/5 over 164 reviews (Oct 2022)<br />
Serving your<br />
local community<br />
CARDIFF BED &<br />
FURNITURE CENTRE<br />
Your local furniture store<br />
Beds • Sofas • Dining Sets •Home Delivery<br />
We will collect and dispose of replaced items<br />
SALE NOW ON!<br />
20% off selected<br />
display stock<br />
47 Merthyr Road, Whitchurch, Cardiff CF14 1DB<br />
02920 61<strong>57</strong>19 info@cardiffbedcentre.co.uk<br />
Open Mon-Fri 10am-5pm Sat 10am-4pm<br />
www.cardiffbedcentre.co.uk
Guiding<br />
you home<br />
Our Specialist Property Solicitors will<br />
lead you through any complications<br />
during your property transaction giving<br />
you valuable advice and ensuring there<br />
is always light at the end of the tunnel.<br />
Relax and let us do the hard work.<br />
Navigating your way through the<br />
complexities of a property transaction can<br />
be stressful but our experienced, accessible<br />
and caring team of lawyers take the time to<br />
successfully guide you every step of the way.<br />
Our services include:<br />
• Residential Property<br />
• Commercial Property<br />
• Landlord + Tenant<br />
• Wills and Estate Planning<br />
• Estate Administration + Probate<br />
• Lasting Powers of Attorney<br />
1 Heol-y-Deri, <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>,<br />
Cardiff, CF14 6HA<br />
Monday - Friday<br />
9.00am - 5.30pm<br />
And on Saturdays<br />
10.00am - 4.00pm<br />
emyrpierce.co.uk<br />
Call us today for a detailed Quote;<br />
02920 616 002
Great<br />
reductions off<br />
AW22<br />
Spring/Summer ‘23<br />
now in-store!<br />
Independent Boutique in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
Find us in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> village<br />
Park outside the store in Lon Fach Shopping Mews<br />
9-11 Lon Fach<br />
Rhiwbeina<br />
CF14 6DY<br />
www.calonrhiwbeina.com<br />
tel: 07929 239012<br />
email: info@calonrhiwbeina.com<br />
The Art Workshop Art School<br />
Courses and workshops in Drawing, Oils, Acrylics, Watercolours, Printmaking, Textile<br />
Art and more. Suitable for adult beginners and improvers. Teens Art Group, Junior Art<br />
Academy for age 7-12. Learn in our bespoke studios with qualified artist tutors.<br />
Find our studios in Lon Fach in the heart of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> village.<br />
3 Lon Fach, <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, Cardiff CF14 6DY<br />
For timetable and online booking see<br />
w: www.theartworkshop.co.uk<br />
e: info@theartworkshop.co.uk<br />
t: 07947 003111
wellbeing<br />
Make a list of your<br />
proudest achievements<br />
uways<br />
to beat<br />
Imposter<br />
Syndrome<br />
Imposter Syndrome is defined as<br />
'the persistent inability to believe<br />
that one's success is deserved or<br />
has been legitimately achieved<br />
as a result of one's own efforts or<br />
skills'. Here's how to free yourself<br />
of it and to thrive.<br />
Visit your younger self<br />
Take a minute to dwell on your<br />
achievements, no matter how small.<br />
Think about how far you have come.<br />
Picture yourself, ten, twenty years ago.<br />
What were you doing then? How far<br />
have you come since? What have you<br />
learned in that time? Jot them down in<br />
black and white so they feel real.<br />
One powerful way to gain perspective is to visit your young self and<br />
speak to them.<br />
Clear your schedule for 15 minutes. Turn your phone off. Take yourself to<br />
a quiet room and lie down. Close your eyes and take a few minutes to let<br />
yourself settle. Focus on your breathing. When you feel fully relaxed, in<br />
your mind, take yourself back to a comfortable place in your childhood.<br />
Wherever you find yourself, gently sit down alongside them and<br />
introduce yourself. Get talking to<br />
them. Ask them what they’d really<br />
love to do when they grow up.<br />
It’s quite probable that they’ll tell<br />
you that they’ll want to do what<br />
you are doing now when they<br />
grow up. You can tell them that<br />
that’s what they’ll do in their future<br />
life. You’ll tell them all the amazing<br />
things you’ve managed to achieve<br />
so far.<br />
Accept that you can’t win everything all the time<br />
It’s good to be reminded that it’s a physical possibility to win everything<br />
all the time. It’s equally important to<br />
remember that failure is part of life.<br />
Failure is part of learning. It’s part of<br />
developing and seeing failure as part<br />
of that process will remind you that<br />
you can’t go winning at everything.<br />
The fact that you are making mistakes<br />
doesn’t show that you are necessarily<br />
bad at anything. In fact, it shows that<br />
you are at least trying.<br />
Perfect doesn’t exist.<br />
Remember that no one<br />
is perfect<br />
Believe it or not, despite what<br />
society presents to us, there is<br />
not one perfect person in the<br />
world. Because, what is perfect?<br />
The constant pursuit of<br />
perfection can leave you feeling<br />
exhausted, both emotionally<br />
and physically. Cut yourself<br />
some slack when you’ve<br />
performed to your best ability.<br />
Allow yourself to congratulate<br />
jobs well done.<br />
Recognise your areas<br />
of expertise<br />
Everyone has their own strengths<br />
and weaknesses and it's<br />
always good to remind yourself<br />
that directly comparing your<br />
vulnerabilities to someone else's<br />
strengths does not mean that<br />
they are better than you.<br />
Don't ask yourself if you are<br />
clever. Ask yourself what you are<br />
clever at. You will have strengths,<br />
just as much as you will have<br />
weaknesses. But that's normal.<br />
That's human.<br />
Acknowledge your weaknesses<br />
but celebrate your expertise.<br />
19
MEDITATE<br />
Meditation gives you new<br />
perspectives on stressful<br />
situations. It also promotes<br />
tolerance and patience, as<br />
well as build better ways to<br />
deal with stress.<br />
JOURNAL<br />
Expressing your<br />
thoughts, especially in<br />
the written form, allows<br />
you to empty your<br />
mind of thoughts that<br />
can otherwise become<br />
stagnant. This method<br />
of self-expression<br />
allows you to transfer<br />
your fears and worries<br />
from your head to a<br />
page. It also allows you<br />
to reflect and monitor<br />
your feelings, and<br />
identify any factors<br />
that are affecting your<br />
moods.<br />
USE MUSIC<br />
In a world of uncertainty, we<br />
are all looking for ways to<br />
manage our emotions. Music<br />
is a great way of keeping our<br />
emotions in check, whether<br />
we use it to calm ourselves, or<br />
to provide us with energy and<br />
strength. Mindful listening can<br />
even help you resynchronise<br />
you with your body to reduce<br />
stress.<br />
You can also use music<br />
to provide an alternative<br />
to traditional meditation,<br />
with slow repetitive sounds<br />
providing a wonderfully<br />
relaxing soundtrack for your<br />
mind.<br />
MINDCleanse<br />
Giving your mind a blast of detox can help set up your year ahead.<br />
Here are some ways to de-clutter your mind and give you head space<br />
GET QUALITY SLEEP<br />
Sleep is nature's healing<br />
process and making sure<br />
that we get enough of<br />
it will help lower your<br />
risk of serious health<br />
problems like heart<br />
disease and diabetes.<br />
Getting quality<br />
sleep also keeps our<br />
emotions in check and<br />
improves brain function,<br />
allowing us to deal with<br />
stressful situations more<br />
effectively. Aim to get<br />
yourself between 7 and<br />
8 hours of quality sleep<br />
every night.<br />
EMBRACE THE OUTDOORS<br />
Spending time in nature has been found to help<br />
with mental health problems such as anxiety<br />
and depression. Connecting with the natural<br />
environment can bring calm to<br />
muddled minds, especially<br />
when combined with<br />
the active aspects of<br />
walking or running.<br />
Being outside in<br />
natural light can<br />
also be helpful if<br />
you experience<br />
seasonal affective<br />
disorder (SAD),<br />
which affects people<br />
during the darker<br />
months of the year.<br />
20
wellbeing<br />
ZONE OUT<br />
Taking a few moments to<br />
switch your mind off can<br />
prove beneficial for your<br />
mental health. Grab a few<br />
minutes to simply look out<br />
of the window or at a fixed<br />
point on a wall. Let your<br />
mind wander wherever it<br />
takes you. It'll help refresh<br />
your mind.<br />
TIDY YOUR ENVIRONMENT<br />
Keeping your home neat and tidy is not easy, especially if you have<br />
children. But de-cluttering and tidying your house helps to promote a<br />
positive mental attitude and can also leave you feeling more energised.<br />
Having one area of your life that feels under control can also have a<br />
positive impact on other areas of your life so take small chunks of time a<br />
day to organise your environment.<br />
DIGITAL DETOX<br />
Many of us have a<br />
deeply connected<br />
relationship with our<br />
digital devices, which<br />
takes us away from<br />
being in the present and<br />
can affect our moods.<br />
Ditch the digital, even if<br />
it's for an hour a day.<br />
ENJOY THE PEACE<br />
Our lives have become<br />
a jumble of noise and<br />
stress so making the<br />
most of quiet times<br />
is an absolute must<br />
if you are looking to<br />
calm your mind.<br />
Whether it's indoors<br />
or outdoors, spend<br />
ten minutes in total<br />
silence to help simmer<br />
your mind down and<br />
promote calmness.<br />
TALK TO FRIENDS<br />
AND FAMILY<br />
Often the first casualties<br />
when you are struggling<br />
are friendships. It's all too<br />
easy to withdraw from<br />
socialising but connecting<br />
with trusted friends can<br />
have a therapeutic and<br />
positive benefit.<br />
The simple act of talking<br />
to friends and family<br />
means that you are<br />
emptying your head of<br />
your worries and giving<br />
yourself a chance to get<br />
rid of your built-up stress.<br />
It will also help validate<br />
your feelings and in some<br />
cases, provide you with<br />
some perspectives that<br />
you've not yet perhaps<br />
considered.<br />
Talking to friends and<br />
family will also serve to<br />
remind you that people do<br />
care about you, and that<br />
you are loved, and this will<br />
help calm your mind and<br />
make you feel happy.<br />
21
The Magic<br />
Flute Mozart<br />
Blaze of Glory!<br />
Chwefror 23 February –<br />
Mawrth 18 March<br />
Archebwch nawr ar yganolfan.org.uk<br />
Book now at wmc.org.uk<br />
wno.org.uk/operas<br />
Rhif Elusen Gofrestredig | Registered Charity No 221538
MICHELLE MARSHALL SALON<br />
HAIR - BEAUTY - WELLNESS<br />
Here at Michelle Marshall Salon,<br />
we’ve got an affection for the<br />
Swedish way of life. It’s a country<br />
that always performs well on the<br />
happiness index and the reason for<br />
that is their ferocious dedication to<br />
actually enjoying their lives. They’ve<br />
got their work-life balance in order<br />
and they are obsessed with taking<br />
care of each other and themselves.<br />
Lagom is a word they use that<br />
translates as ‘just the right amount’.<br />
Lagom är bäst is also a popular<br />
Swedish proverb, that means<br />
‘enough is as good as a feast’. And it<br />
all makes sense.<br />
You see, while we all dash about<br />
trying to juggle our busy lives, the<br />
Swedes take the right approach to<br />
life and do things that are ‘just the<br />
right amount’. And it makes them<br />
happier as a result.<br />
For instance, they treat massages<br />
like we do haircuts. For them, it’s<br />
part of their monthly wellness<br />
routine, something that’s ‘just the<br />
right amount’. And at our <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
Beauty Salon, our experienced<br />
beauty therapists are ready to<br />
provide you with a little Swedish<br />
way of life by offering you our<br />
range of popular beauty treatments<br />
including massage, facials, nails,<br />
brows and lashes, spray tanning<br />
and more on a regular basis.<br />
Taking good care of yourself<br />
isn’t being selfish. Think of it as an<br />
investment in yourself - and yes,<br />
you deserve some regular, longterm<br />
self-care, even at this early<br />
part of the year, when the sun is in<br />
short supply.<br />
LED light therapy is a popular, noninvasive<br />
treatment that harnesses<br />
the power of natural light to<br />
promote visibly radiant, rejuvenated<br />
and refined skin. A favourite<br />
treatment of celebrities, LED light<br />
therapy involves the application of<br />
beneficial wavelengths of light into<br />
the skin’s deepest layers to energise<br />
our cells.<br />
One treatment alone will instantly<br />
energise the skin cells to revitalise<br />
a dull and tired complexion but<br />
booking yourself in for regular<br />
therapy will leave you looking and<br />
feeling better long-term.<br />
We offer LED light therapy as a<br />
standalone treatment or alongside<br />
our Dermalogica facials. Our fully<br />
qualified team will assess your skin<br />
and recommend the best products<br />
for your particular skin concerns.<br />
Our ongoing treatments also<br />
include massage therapy.<br />
Whether it is to unwind, tackle<br />
sore muscles, or simply to enjoy<br />
some regular, relaxing me-time<br />
(yes, you are allowed!), we offer<br />
a variety of massage treatments<br />
and techniques that will leave you<br />
feeling wonderfully refreshed.<br />
And looking ahead, our friendly<br />
and qualified staff are here to help<br />
guide you through another busy<br />
year, including spray tanning and<br />
waxing for the summer months.<br />
And of course, you can still top<br />
all this off and look fabulous by<br />
experiencing the original Michelle<br />
Marshall Hair Salon, where we<br />
offer cuts, colourings, Racoon<br />
international hair extensions,<br />
Keratin smoothing treatment, and<br />
in-salon hair treatments such as<br />
Acidic bonding concentrate, K-18,<br />
and Kerastraight moisture mask,<br />
all designed to give you hair that is<br />
shiny, strong, and healthy.<br />
Our customers always come<br />
first. We always put your needs<br />
first, delivering a service which<br />
is relaxed, friendly, responsible,<br />
professional, and personal.<br />
If you’d like to embrace the<br />
Swedish attitude to life, and a<br />
happier you, we are here for you.<br />
A: Beulah Road, <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
T: 029 2061 1566<br />
W: michellemarshallsalon.co.uk<br />
This is a sponsored post
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
reset & refocus<br />
1. Lemon Oil<br />
Miaroma 100% Pure Lemon<br />
oil creates an uplifting<br />
mood, its refreshing and<br />
powerful aroma will help<br />
to alleviate the feeling of<br />
worry and combat negative<br />
emotions. It can also help<br />
lift your mood and fight<br />
exhaustion.<br />
2. Weighted sleep<br />
mask<br />
This sleep mask is<br />
designed to improve<br />
both your sleep and your<br />
mood. The soft, snagfree<br />
materials provide<br />
guaranteed 100% blackout<br />
for total relaxation.<br />
3. Soho Skin<br />
The clay formula combines<br />
with salicylic acid to<br />
help clear pores and<br />
improve the appearance<br />
of enlarged pores. This<br />
face mask also contains<br />
plankton extract to help<br />
minimise the look of<br />
blemishes.<br />
4. Wow Tea<br />
Inspired by the ancient<br />
healing system of<br />
Ayurveda, Wowtea Detox<br />
washes away toxins,<br />
speeds up the metabolism,<br />
extracts water weight from<br />
the body and makes your<br />
skin visibly clean, smooth<br />
and rejuvenated.<br />
hollandandbarrett.com<br />
mantasleep.uk<br />
spacenk.com<br />
wowtea.co.uk<br />
24
5<br />
6<br />
wellbeing<br />
7<br />
8<br />
5. Detox Candle<br />
Awaken your senses and<br />
clear the mind with the<br />
Detox Candle. This deeply<br />
uplifting and invigorating<br />
product is a blend of eco<br />
soy wax and therapeuticgrade<br />
essential oils.<br />
Contains only natural<br />
ingredients.<br />
6. Skinfood<br />
Nourish, protect and<br />
cleanse all in one go with<br />
this superfood cleanser.<br />
Packed with natural<br />
ingredients, including<br />
beetroot and turmeric,<br />
this nutrient-rich face<br />
wash cleanses pores and<br />
balances the skin.<br />
7. Juicer<br />
Whether you’re looking<br />
to increase your intake of<br />
plant-based vitamins and<br />
minerals, enjoy real juice —<br />
with no sugar or additives,<br />
or simply sip on something<br />
tasty, the Nutribullet Juicer<br />
lets you make it exactly how<br />
you want it, right at home.<br />
8. Pillow Mist<br />
Wake up refreshed with an<br />
award-winning bedtime<br />
mist, proven to improve<br />
your sleep from the first<br />
night. The tranquil blend<br />
of organic lavender, vetiver<br />
and mandarin essential oils<br />
promote a sense of calm<br />
for a peaceful night.<br />
yougibotanicals.com skinspace.co nutribullet.co.uk<br />
nealsyardremedies.com<br />
25
feature<br />
15<br />
years of<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
<strong>Living</strong><br />
Fifteen years ago, two friends decided to create a magazine for<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>. The pair reflect on their last decade and a half<br />
On a sunny August day in 2007, two<br />
long-time friends sat down with a<br />
blank A4 note pad and a pen in a<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> garden. They didn't know<br />
it at the time, but it would be the<br />
start of a journey that's taken them<br />
to every corner of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> village -<br />
and into the glare of stage lights at<br />
award ceremonies.<br />
It all seems<br />
like a long<br />
time ago<br />
now and for<br />
co-editors<br />
Patric<br />
Morgan and<br />
Dr Danielle<br />
Dummett,<br />
the<br />
magazines<br />
have<br />
become<br />
an integral<br />
26<br />
part of their lives.<br />
"Creating and sustaining a<br />
successful publication against so<br />
many odds has been very hard<br />
work," says Patric.<br />
"While other publications have<br />
the support of a large team behind<br />
them, the fact that we are fiercely<br />
independent has meant that<br />
we've done all the work ourselves<br />
- everything from writing and<br />
designing, through to supporting<br />
our advertisers and hand-delivering<br />
the magazines door-to-door<br />
throughout <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>. We live and<br />
breathe the magazines every day of<br />
our lives."<br />
There have been many challenges<br />
along the way, starting with the very<br />
first issue which was published way<br />
back in 2007.<br />
"From the outset, we decided<br />
that the magazine had to be a<br />
high quality publication," says<br />
the magazines other co-editor,<br />
Danielle. "It needed to have relevant<br />
and readable features that readers<br />
would relate to. With that in mind,<br />
we planned on having our first issue<br />
out in time for Christmas."<br />
With no funding or financial<br />
backing behind them, the pair<br />
visited the local shops to source<br />
advertising to fund the first issue.<br />
"The initial response wasn't quite<br />
we had hoped for. We had one<br />
shop owner who told us that<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> had a magazine back in<br />
the 1980s and that it never worked<br />
because they couldn't get enough<br />
advertising; then we had someone<br />
telling us where to go with the<br />
words 'Don't you know there's a<br />
bl**dy recession on?'.<br />
"It wasn't until we visited Paul and<br />
Mags in Serenade that we got our
very first advertiser. Paul smiled at<br />
us and said 'Count us in.' Once Paul<br />
was in, everyone wanted to go in!"<br />
With funds raised to finance the<br />
first issue, <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong> was<br />
officially launched in November<br />
2007. But there were more<br />
challenges ahead.<br />
2008 proved to be a tough year.<br />
While Danielle was working fulltime<br />
as a Clinical Psychologist,<br />
Patric was working full-time as a<br />
teacher but also holding down four<br />
other jobs that filled his evenings.<br />
"We worked on the magazines<br />
whenever we could – usually in the<br />
small hours," says Patric.<br />
But worse was to come. The<br />
second issue was published in<br />
March and as they had done with<br />
their first issue, they entrusted a<br />
company to do the deliveries for<br />
them.<br />
"About a week after the deliveries<br />
were finished, we started getting<br />
phone calls from local advertisers<br />
who said that they hadn’t received<br />
their copy. Since they lived locally,<br />
they should have had one so we<br />
started getting concerned. We did<br />
some digging around to find that<br />
only 12% of our stock had been<br />
delivered. Two battered boxes<br />
containing what was left of our<br />
magazines was handed back to us."<br />
"We really felt that we’d let<br />
our paying advertisers down,"<br />
says Danielle. "While we sought<br />
expensive legal advice, we decided<br />
that we’d run all of the spring<br />
advertisers in our summer issue<br />
at cost to ourselves. Before we<br />
could make any decisions from<br />
a legal point of view however, we<br />
were floored by news that Patric’s<br />
teenage sister Alice had a rare form<br />
of aggressive cancer in her knee.<br />
"She spent nine months in hospital<br />
having chemotherapy and surgery,<br />
and had to learn how to walk again<br />
following an operation to give her a<br />
replacement knee. Danielle's stepdad<br />
also died suddenly in October<br />
that year, just as Alice was starting<br />
The magazines won Community Business of the Year<br />
at the Cardiff Business Awards in 2017<br />
to recover.<br />
"2008 did have its good points. In<br />
November that year, after much<br />
demand, we launched our second<br />
title – Whitchurch and Llandaff<br />
<strong>Living</strong>."<br />
In 2010, Patric left his teaching<br />
post for good to concentrate solely<br />
on the magazines.<br />
"Everything we do has all been<br />
self-taught," says Patric. "Back in<br />
the early days, we were producing<br />
the magazines on a bashed up<br />
computer and using Microsoft<br />
Publisher. We'd then upload all our<br />
pages onto a memory stick and it'd<br />
usually be about 4 or 5am by the<br />
time we hand-delivered it to our<br />
printer who lived in Y Groes.<br />
"After our disaster with the<br />
deliveries on <strong>Issue</strong> 2, we decided to<br />
do them all ourselves - something<br />
we still do to this day. For the first<br />
few years, I never had a car so<br />
I literally had to carry each box<br />
individually to different parts of<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, deliver its contents and<br />
then go all the way back home to<br />
get another box."<br />
But every year that passed meant<br />
another year to hone their skills and<br />
improve the product.<br />
In 2014, <strong>Living</strong> Magazines picked<br />
up two prestigious awards at a UK<br />
awards ceremony. And in 2017,<br />
they were crowned Community<br />
Business of the Year at the Cardiff<br />
Business Awards. They were up<br />
against some big names like the<br />
Wales Millennium Centre and Big<br />
Learning Wales.<br />
"To be recognised as Community<br />
Business of the Year for the<br />
whole of Cardiff meant so much<br />
to us, especially since we were<br />
approaching our tenth year," says<br />
Patric. "The judges commended us<br />
for our passion for the magazine<br />
which we feel because of the<br />
contribution it makes to the<br />
community."<br />
But then of course, the world got<br />
turned upside down in early 2020<br />
when the pandemic struck.<br />
"Like all other small businesses<br />
across the world, Covid hit us really<br />
hard. Most of our advertisers were<br />
forced to close, meaning that for<br />
a while, we couldn't fund any new<br />
issues of the magazines. Due to the<br />
novel nature of the virus, we were<br />
also unsure as to whether we were<br />
safe to hand-deliver magazines<br />
door-to-door. Were we putting our<br />
readers at risk and were we putting<br />
ourselves at risk? Frustratingly, we<br />
had to wait and see.<br />
"Eventually, with the rollout of the<br />
vaccines, and things starting to<br />
open up, we were able to publish<br />
some issues. Combined with the<br />
decline of the economy, very little<br />
in the way of government support,<br />
plus some serious health issues of<br />
our own, we somehow managed<br />
to come through. It's had a knockon<br />
effect, both in terms of the<br />
magazines' schedule, and on our<br />
emotional health but we're getting<br />
ourselves firmly back on track so<br />
that we can provide the awardwinning<br />
service that we've been so<br />
proud of."<br />
The pair are now planning<br />
another year of publications for the<br />
residents of the village.<br />
"After fifteen years, you'd think<br />
that we would run out of stories<br />
to publish but that's the beauty<br />
of speaking to people in the<br />
community - there's always a gem<br />
of a tale to tell.<br />
"One of the biggest things that we<br />
have learnt over the fifteen years is<br />
that there lies a story behind every<br />
door in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>," says Patric. "The<br />
everyday people we see around<br />
our village all have a story to tell.<br />
And in a way, it has been our duty to<br />
document these for generations to<br />
come."<br />
27
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>'s shops<br />
of yesteryear<br />
Our local businesses are the heartbeat of our community.<br />
Here are some memories of the village shops from times gone by<br />
Gooch's 1960s<br />
Estate Office, date unknown<br />
Jones the Chemist<br />
Thomas & Evans 1940s<br />
Milk queue 1980s<br />
28
memories<br />
Beulah Road pre WW2<br />
Mrs Scott and Mrs Wilson<br />
Arthur Davies, date unknown<br />
Heol-y-Deri 1990s<br />
29
• Child Care Law<br />
• Conveyancing<br />
• Employment Law<br />
• Family Law<br />
Service. Expertise. Community.<br />
• Litigation<br />
• Personal Injury Claims<br />
• Probate, Wills & Trusts<br />
Call Robertsons today on<br />
029 2023 7777<br />
www.robsols.co.uk<br />
law@robsols.co.uk<br />
DOUBLE GLAZING REPAIR SERVICE<br />
* Broken Glass<br />
Replacement<br />
* Misted Glass<br />
Replacement<br />
* Faulty/Broken<br />
Hinges, Locks, Doors,<br />
Handles<br />
* Patio Door Problems<br />
* Draughty/Leaking<br />
Windows, Doors,<br />
Conservatories<br />
* Catflaps, Letterboxes,<br />
New Door Panels<br />
* Stained Glass<br />
Repairs and<br />
Replacements<br />
* Glass/mirrors of all<br />
types cut to size<br />
* uPVC New<br />
Windows/ Doors<br />
Installed<br />
* Upgrades to Locks<br />
and Handles<br />
* Fascias, Guttering,<br />
Cladding<br />
* Shop Fronts<br />
For a free quotation by a reliable,<br />
competitive company, please feel<br />
free to get in touch<br />
UPVC WINDOWS AND<br />
COMPOSITE DOORS<br />
Composite doors are<br />
a great choice if you<br />
are thinking about<br />
replacing the doors<br />
in your home. They<br />
offer excellent energy<br />
efficiency and are<br />
available in a range of<br />
colours and designs to<br />
suit your budget. With<br />
a choice of glazing<br />
options and styles,<br />
we are sure to have<br />
the right door for you.<br />
Our UPVC windows<br />
and doors come in a<br />
range of styles and<br />
colours and conform<br />
to insurance standards.<br />
All new installations<br />
have an insurance<br />
backed guarantee.<br />
Decostains@aol.com<br />
www.doubleglazingrepairscardiff.co.uk<br />
Unit 3 Western Business Centre, Robert St, Ely, Cardiff , CF5 5AS<br />
(formerly of Western Avenue, Llandaff)<br />
02920 566694
FULL OF<br />
FLAVOUR<br />
All the meals on our<br />
extensive menu are packed<br />
full of flavour, cooked<br />
to perfection and served<br />
with care by our highly<br />
experienced staff.<br />
Juboraj <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> has been serving up<br />
these incredible and authentic meals for<br />
over thirty years. When you visit us for<br />
lunch, evening meal or a party, or order<br />
a takeaway or delivery, we put all this<br />
experience into every dish.<br />
SPECIAL LUNCH MENU*<br />
12-2pm ONLY £9.95 for two courses<br />
Monday to Saturday (Friday lunch closed)<br />
EARLY EVENING MENU*<br />
5-6.30pm Mon-Thu ONLY £14.95 for two courses<br />
AVAILABLE<br />
NOW<br />
ONLINE ORDERING AND RESERVATIONS<br />
*Terms and conditions apply with some limitations<br />
to the menu. See website for details.<br />
www.juborajrhiwbina.com<br />
ORDER ONLINE<br />
OR CALL 029 2062 8894<br />
11 Heol Y Deri, <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
CF14 6HA | 029 2062 8894
people<br />
If you happen to see a man walking<br />
around <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> with an easel<br />
under his arm, his name is most<br />
likely Dan Peterson.<br />
Dan follows in the footsteps of<br />
Welsh artists Frank Brangwyn<br />
and Augustus John, who once<br />
documented the First World War<br />
as war artists. Dan is now just one<br />
of two official war artists in Wales<br />
today. And it was in 2011 that Dan<br />
spent a month in Afghanistan with<br />
the Queen's Dragoon Guards,<br />
known as the Welsh Cavalry,<br />
capturing their life, their struggles,<br />
and their work. In a world of smart<br />
phones and instant imagery, Dan's<br />
original art captured the essence of<br />
the work carried out over a century<br />
ago by Brangwyn and John.<br />
But Dan's story starts right here in<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>.<br />
"My wife Caroline and I have had<br />
connections with <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> over<br />
many years. As early as the 1930s<br />
my grandfather, Jack Peterson<br />
(fighting name Petersen), a famous<br />
boxer back then, used to run<br />
through <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> as part of his<br />
training and earlier still, he was<br />
32<br />
Dan Peterson is only one of two official war artists in Wales. The <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>based<br />
artist tells the tale of his time documenting the war in Afghanistan<br />
a Boy Scout and Scout Leader<br />
with 1st <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Scouts. He was<br />
awarded the King’s Scout Award<br />
there.<br />
"When Caroline was little, she used<br />
to visit her aunt and uncle who lived<br />
on Groes Lôn."<br />
Dan's love of creating visual art<br />
stretches back many years.<br />
"My first job was as a trainee sign<br />
writer back in the days when signs<br />
were still mostly painted by hand.<br />
In fact, the gold leaf lettering on<br />
the shop front that we now run was<br />
painted by Adrian of Fresh Graphics<br />
in Tudor Lane, who was my mentor<br />
and work colleague nearly forty<br />
years ago.<br />
"I bumped into Adrian when<br />
working with specialist joiner,<br />
Lazron Matia, a past resident of<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, who was making some<br />
beautiful bi-fold doors for me in his<br />
workshop.<br />
"After my trainee role, I then<br />
worked as an illustrator for the<br />
Heritage Coast in the Vale of<br />
Glamorgan before going to the<br />
Cardiff School of Print to study<br />
graphic design and printing."<br />
Dan's formative years included<br />
plenty of corporate work in the field<br />
of graphic design, creating powerful<br />
visuals for businesses across the<br />
country.<br />
"From there, I spent years in that<br />
field," says Dan, "first for Cardiff<br />
University and then a number of<br />
design agencies across the city
efore starting my own agency on<br />
Museum Place in 2002.<br />
"All this time, I kept up with the<br />
illustration and artwork, illustrating<br />
a number of books and producing<br />
comic strips and cartoons here<br />
and there. Then in 2009, Caroline<br />
pointed me towards a degree<br />
course in Illustration that had just<br />
started in Cardiff School of Art and<br />
Design and so the move back to<br />
illustration and art fully began."<br />
It would be a decision that would<br />
steer Dan's career away from the<br />
city - and into possibly the most<br />
dangerous place on earth at that<br />
time.<br />
"I enrolled on the course and then<br />
remained at the school teaching<br />
on the same course for a number<br />
of years after that. It was during<br />
my time there that I discovered<br />
War Art with a rich history of artists<br />
accompanying the armed forces<br />
during times of conflict.<br />
"When I learned that the practice<br />
still existed and with 14 years of<br />
Territorial Army experience with<br />
7th Parachute Regiment Royal<br />
Horse Artillery behind me, I knew<br />
what I wanted to do. So, after a<br />
lengthy process of research and<br />
communications with a number of<br />
Army regiments, I found myself in<br />
Helmand Province Afghanistan in<br />
the winter of 2011.<br />
"The Regiment felt that a War<br />
Artist could help them capture the<br />
feelings and experiences of their<br />
time in a way that photographs<br />
could not. So after months of<br />
preparation, form filling, phone<br />
calls, visa requests and Hostile<br />
Environment Training, I found<br />
myself on a Cyprus Airways flight<br />
out of Brize Norton.<br />
"Many hours later and after a<br />
lengthy stop at a place called<br />
Minhad, near Dubai UAE, I climbed<br />
onboard a C130 Hercules aircraft<br />
and flew in darkness into Camp<br />
Bastion, where I was met in the<br />
early hours by the Media Ops team."<br />
Dan's own TA training helped him<br />
slot into the challenging everyday<br />
life of the army.<br />
"I was embedded with the 1st<br />
The Queen’s Dragoon Guards, The<br />
Welsh Cavalry, and joined them for<br />
a month as they conducted patrols<br />
and combat operations across<br />
Helmand.<br />
"When I first got there, they weren't<br />
so sure of what I was doing there,<br />
and how I'd fit in. But within about a<br />
week, I was out patrolling on foot.<br />
A few weeks later, I was out on<br />
operations with explosions going<br />
off all around me and bullets flying<br />
over my head."<br />
Some of the soldiers thought that I<br />
was a bit crazy.<br />
"They told me 'You must be<br />
mad, sir, carrying a pencil and not<br />
carrying a weapon.' But I told them<br />
that's what they were there for - so<br />
that I can look, and they can look<br />
after me."<br />
It was often during the soldiers'<br />
down times that Dan got to see the<br />
real characters behind the uniforms,<br />
and to sketch them.<br />
"Those are the moments that<br />
mattered; it's that time after the<br />
frenzied action that's taken place,<br />
in which they can contemplate<br />
what's just occurred. It was my job<br />
to capture that moment.<br />
"There were places and moments<br />
I'll remember forever. As we drove<br />
through the notorious town of<br />
Gareshk in open top armoured<br />
vehicles called Jackals, each with<br />
a top gunner armed with either a<br />
50 cal machine gun or a 40mm<br />
cannon, I kept my eyes peeled for<br />
the grenades that have, in the past,<br />
been thrown into the vehicle from<br />
within the crowds that throng in<br />
the busy market places. Gareshk<br />
itself was like a bizarre medieval<br />
bazaar with fruit and veg stalls right<br />
next to blackened oily motorbike<br />
garages. The people walk the litter<br />
strewn dirt tracks and pathways<br />
often burdened with great bundles<br />
of goods, from sticks and reeds to<br />
dirty yellow plastic containers, oily<br />
spare parts and scrap.<br />
"During my time with the group,<br />
as well as dealing with bullets<br />
and IEDs (Improvised Explosive<br />
Devices), I drew pictures and made<br />
paintings that have been published<br />
in books and exhibited throughout<br />
the UK and Europe."<br />
Dan's talents have also earned him<br />
a number of awards along the way,<br />
including the Lord Mayors Award<br />
for Design (Swansea 2004), Cardiff<br />
Design Festival (2012), the Best<br />
of Welsh Design Award (Winner<br />
Illustration), the Linda Kitson<br />
Prize (2013), and AAS (2013 Highly<br />
Commended). He also became the<br />
artist behind the first pack of Welsh<br />
Political Figures collectible playing<br />
cards.<br />
"Since Helmand, I have produced<br />
reportage illustrations for the<br />
Royal Navy, rescuing refugees and<br />
migrants off the coast of Libya in the<br />
Mediterranean, the British Council,<br />
the BBC and UNHCR in places like<br />
Refugee Camps in Bangladesh,<br />
and for the NHS in the Dragon’s<br />
Heart Hospital, the Covid Hospital<br />
that was built within the grounds of<br />
the Millennium Stadium during the<br />
pandemic."<br />
For someone that likes to keep<br />
his hands busy, Dan has also taken<br />
on a dream that had been floating<br />
around his head for many years:<br />
"I opened my own shop in 2021<br />
after spending a year renovating the<br />
place."<br />
It seems that the Peterson legacy<br />
that stretches back over a century<br />
will continue in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> for some<br />
time yet.
Seasonal<br />
Poems<br />
WINTER<br />
AMONG THE<br />
TREES<br />
Among the trees<br />
that hid us from the world,<br />
kept our secrets,<br />
hushed<br />
and hidden.<br />
The warmth has faded now.<br />
And winter earth is wrapped in<br />
bleak browns and blacks.<br />
But among the trees<br />
Our love glows.<br />
Those kisses<br />
That melt away<br />
The outside reality<br />
Will linger in our souls<br />
Forever.<br />
And when we are gone<br />
There will remain our story<br />
That lived<br />
And breathed<br />
Among the trees.<br />
34<br />
Alec Harvey<br />
SCARLET<br />
EMBRACE<br />
Beneath the darkness of a winter sky,<br />
When icy rain disturbs the pools of mud,<br />
And roaring gales, engendered by the sea<br />
Compel the grey and heavy clouds to rage<br />
And veil the fading sunlight’s cheerless eye,<br />
Behold the sad procession of the reeds,<br />
Entombed within the river’s turgid flow!<br />
They sigh and shiver, quiver in the wind<br />
And whisper with convulsive restlessness<br />
The secrets of a green and fertile past,<br />
Of fish and sunlight through the water-weeds –<br />
A season full of summer’s birds and rain<br />
And light, caressing breezes from the south.<br />
Yet now, in melancholy drab and brown,<br />
They bow beneath the eastern wind and hail.<br />
Beneath a bank of weeping willow trees<br />
They sign and whisper in the winter breeze.<br />
Anne James<br />
Her voice sings melodies of folk<br />
whose black wings once soared<br />
these icy slopes,<br />
blessing love not too forgotten<br />
for hope that harmony<br />
might live again.<br />
Now, let her weep sorrow<br />
across frown-frozen brows,<br />
bow your heartstrings<br />
to glide through the tears,<br />
and call up your song<br />
to ghost the chill breeze.<br />
As your fingers play<br />
the opus of their eulogy,<br />
warm our souls<br />
with this gifted babe,<br />
wrapped safely in the scarlet<br />
embrace of memory.<br />
Colin Ward
poetry<br />
THE STAR<br />
It's settled<br />
The snow<br />
Woven in<br />
Icy threads<br />
I've never been this cold<br />
How many people<br />
Will die?<br />
Is all I can think of.<br />
Take the glass from your eye.<br />
It's time to go back.<br />
Share heat<br />
Put the homeless' sleeping bags in the dryer<br />
I don't have one<br />
My clothes take a week to dry<br />
Feed them<br />
WINTER SOLSTICE<br />
Heavy boots crunch on crisp grass,<br />
blizzard flakes fall from pink hue sky<br />
as Winter announces its arrival.<br />
Patricia M Osborne<br />
Google your nearest food bank and send them a fiver<br />
Inside old people shiver<br />
Boilers stay silent, no coal fires,<br />
While people in threadbare blankets sleep on their sofa,<br />
How can they survive this winter<br />
We need money to migrate, but we have nothing.<br />
Those alone.<br />
It's when you get too cold, you can't think.<br />
No one wanted you for the holidays, means no one wanted you at all.<br />
You stop trying to call.<br />
How many people will die?<br />
How many people will die?<br />
Jessica Milner<br />
ANGELS IN THE<br />
SNOW<br />
Once so long ago<br />
When I was a child<br />
Energetic and a little wild<br />
I woke up to a sight<br />
Most wondrous to behold<br />
Oh what a wonder<br />
I shouted<br />
“wake up sister mine!”<br />
“Look outside! It’s wintertime!”<br />
We squealed in plain delight<br />
At a sight<br />
so marvellous and thrilling<br />
so beautiful and bright<br />
A blanket of sparkling diamonds<br />
Two young girls<br />
From a country full of warmth<br />
Witnessing<br />
for the first time in our lives<br />
A winter wonderland<br />
And so<br />
With gloveless hands<br />
Daring, brave and bold<br />
We ran out to the cold<br />
arms stretched out wide<br />
We laughed and cried<br />
In awe of that which stunned us<br />
We spun circles round and round<br />
Until we crashed onto the ground<br />
The two of us now grown<br />
We made angels in the snow<br />
AR Stone<br />
35
Winter<br />
Walks<br />
The south Wales area has<br />
an abundance of natural<br />
places to see Winter in all<br />
its glory<br />
65 1. THE GARTH<br />
Why go to all the trouble of getting to and up Peny-Fan<br />
when the Garth offers its own magic closer to<br />
home? You can start your winter walk in Pentyrch<br />
and reach the summit in less than half an hour. The<br />
views from the Garth's ridge are worth the effort.<br />
6 2. ABERGAVENNY<br />
The Abergavenny to Govilon route takes you past<br />
Abergavenny Castle and Castle Meadows before<br />
crossing the River Usk and heading under the<br />
Heads of the Valleys Road to Llanfoist. Passing<br />
canals and wharfs as you continue to Govilon, the<br />
return route brings along the old railway line.<br />
5 3. USK LADY HILL<br />
Starting at Twyn Square, this walk takes in the woodland<br />
and farmland of the local area. As well as Usk Castle, it<br />
also takes in the site of the Battle of Pwll Melyn (which is<br />
also known as the Battle of Usk), a battle that took place<br />
between the Welsh and English in May 1405 as part of the<br />
Glyndŵr Rising.<br />
6 4. NANT BRYNGLAS<br />
The Nant Brynglas Circular Walk is a 2.5 mile walk<br />
that can be started either at Coity or Brackla. It<br />
takes in the quaint villages of Coity itself, as well<br />
as Coychurch, and can be completed in around<br />
two hours - just about long enough to clear the<br />
cobwebs before heading home to thaw out and<br />
warm up.<br />
36
5 5. TALYBONT FALLS<br />
There's something magical about waterfalls at<br />
this time of year. The crystal cold water leaves<br />
you feeling somehow refreshed and the walk at<br />
Talybont Waterfalls in the Brecon Beacons will<br />
reward you with this feeling plus forest tracks and<br />
extensive views of the ridges of Craig Y Fan Ddu<br />
and Cwar Y Gigfran.<br />
8 6. THE WENALLT<br />
outdoors<br />
Situated north of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>, the Wenallt is a<br />
favourite for walkers and dog walkers alike, and<br />
takes in acres of woodland and forests. There are<br />
even abandoned caves to be spotted.<br />
65 7. SALMON LEAPS WALK<br />
Recently featured as one of ’20 of the UK’s most beautiful<br />
woodlands for winter walks' in The Times, this gorgeous<br />
winter walk includes a glacial valley and the Cwm George<br />
Iron Age hill fort. Starting in Dinas Powys, the walk takes<br />
you through fields and forests. You can also take the<br />
diversion that leads to Caerau Hill Fort and the ruined<br />
church that overlooks the west side of Cardiff.<br />
8 8. COSMESTON<br />
Cosmeston Country Park features two lakes formed<br />
by flooding disused quarries. The lakes attract many<br />
waterfowl throughout the year and the trail will take you<br />
around the lakes, trees and picnic areas. Some areas are<br />
designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest, protecting<br />
the rare and diverse plant and animal species.<br />
65 9. KEEPER'S POND<br />
High on a hill near Pwll Du, Blaenavon, you can find<br />
The Keeper’s Pond, also known as Pen-ffordd-goch<br />
Pond or the Forge Pond.<br />
The large pond was originally built in the early<br />
19th century to provide water for Garnddyrys Forge,<br />
which started production in 1817. After the forge<br />
was dismantled during the 1860s, the site quickly<br />
became a local beauty spot. It also became known<br />
as Keeper’s Pond after the gamekeeper of the<br />
grouse moors who lived in a cottage nearby.<br />
6 10. CAERPHILLY MOUNTAIN<br />
The short walk from Caerphilly Mountain to the Black Cock<br />
Inn and back again via the mountain top affords you<br />
stunning 360 degree views of woodland, Caerphilly Castle<br />
- and on a clear day, far over the Bristol Channel. Starting<br />
from the mountain car park, you can complete the walk in<br />
under two hours, taking in the rolling hills, gurgling streams<br />
and plenty of fresh air.<br />
37
Free<br />
Delivery<br />
8KG Washing Machine<br />
Was £549<br />
Now<br />
£489<br />
5 Year Parts & Labour Warranty<br />
Free Install And Disposal<br />
9KG Tumble Dryer<br />
Was £649<br />
Now<br />
£599<br />
14 Place Setting<br />
Dishwasher<br />
Was £699<br />
Now<br />
£649<br />
VAST SHOWROOM FULL OF QUALITY APPLIANCES AT INCREDIBLE PRICES.<br />
WE OFFER A FULL DELIVERY AND INSTALLATION SERVICE INCLUDING REMOVAL OF YOUR OLD APPLIANCE<br />
Budd Electrical<br />
120 Caerphilly Road, Cardiff<br />
CF144QG<br />
5 Year Parts & Labour Warranty<br />
Free Install And Disposal<br />
5 Year Parts & Labour Warranty<br />
Free Install And Disposal<br />
SHOWROOM AT BIRCHGROVE, CARDIFF<br />
(Near Heath Hospital)<br />
Tel 029 2069 1286<br />
www.buddelectrical.co.uk<br />
New Year<br />
New Home?<br />
Put it in our<br />
expert hands<br />
Llanishen • Merthyr Tydfil • Nelson<br />
Your local specialist property solicitors<br />
www.jnplegal.org
If you or someone you know is<br />
new to wearing hearing aids, it<br />
can take a while to get used to<br />
them.<br />
Using hearing aids can allow<br />
you to engage in meaningful<br />
conversations with friends<br />
and family more easily. Many<br />
hearing aid users experience<br />
more profound interactions with<br />
their loved ones and find it more<br />
enjoyable to participate in social<br />
gatherings. So while not all<br />
change is seamless, it can take<br />
can a while to get used to it.<br />
Here are a few quick tips on<br />
how to embrace your new world<br />
with your hearing aids:<br />
● Use them consistently. The<br />
true benefits of hearing aids are<br />
only achieved through frequent<br />
use.<br />
● Speak to people. The act<br />
of conversation is such a<br />
rewarding experience for new<br />
hearing aid users.<br />
● Journal your experiences.<br />
Keeping track of your new<br />
experiences serves as a great<br />
tool, both for you and your<br />
hearing care professional.<br />
Get a good start to<br />
life with hearing aids<br />
this coming year<br />
● Rechargeable<br />
● Connect to iPhone or Android<br />
● Wireless accessories available<br />
● Tinnitus relief option<br />
www.vineyhearingcare.co.uk
You think you know <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> well? Time to get your brain into action and to<br />
take on our big quiz and see how much you know about your local area<br />
6 1. <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Memorial Hall<br />
was officially opened in which<br />
year?<br />
a) 1953<br />
b) 1958<br />
c) 1961<br />
6 2. The legendary <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
Twmpath is what exactly?<br />
a) an 11th century Norman<br />
motte<br />
b) a 12th century castle ruin<br />
c) a 13th century burial site<br />
6 3. Which iconic <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
building served as an Air Raid<br />
Warden's Post in WW2?<br />
a) Beulah Church<br />
b) Smart’s Garage<br />
c) The Wendy House<br />
40<br />
6 4. The 2011 Dr Who Christmas<br />
Special was filmed in which street<br />
in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>?<br />
a) Charlotte Square<br />
b) Heol-y-Deri<br />
c) Y Groes<br />
6 5. <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>’s Monico cinema<br />
played its last film in which year?<br />
a) 2002<br />
b) 2003<br />
c) 2004<br />
6 6. Which historical figure has<br />
connections with the <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
area?<br />
a) Henry VIII<br />
b) Charles II<br />
c) Oliver Cromwell<br />
6 7. <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong> Magazine<br />
was launched in which year?<br />
a) 2009<br />
b) 2008<br />
c) 2007<br />
6 8. Which famous British<br />
actress used to live in the Garden<br />
Village as a child?<br />
a) Angharad Rees<br />
b) Dame Maggie Smith<br />
c) Helen Mirren<br />
6 9. Football superstar Gareth<br />
Bale once played for which school<br />
side?<br />
a) Llanishen Fach<br />
b) Eglwys Newydd<br />
c) Hawthorns<br />
6 10. Which <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> road<br />
used to be called Homfray Road?<br />
a) Beulah Road<br />
b) Heol-y-Deri<br />
c) Pen-y-Dre<br />
6 11. Which legendary rock<br />
band once sponsored <strong>Rhiwbina</strong><br />
Squirrels rugby team?<br />
a) Def Leppard<br />
b) Iron Maiden<br />
c) AC/DC<br />
6 12. Which local musical<br />
group can justifiably claim to be<br />
the oldest band in Wales?<br />
a) City of Cardiff (Melingriffith)<br />
Brass Band
) Cardiff Arms Park Male Choir<br />
c) Caerphilly Male Voice Choir<br />
6 13. Which 80s musical star<br />
was brought up on Heol Llanishen<br />
Fach?<br />
a) Simon Le Bon<br />
b) Rick Astley<br />
c) Howard Jones<br />
6 14. Which historical Welsh<br />
prince is said to have been killed<br />
in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>?<br />
a) Iestyn ap Gwrgant<br />
b) Gruffydd ap Llywelyn<br />
c) Owain Glyndŵr<br />
6 15. Which famous screenplay<br />
and novel writer grew up in the<br />
Garden Village?<br />
a) Russell T Davies<br />
b) Andrew Davies<br />
c) Gareth Evans<br />
6 16. Which <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> park<br />
was originally destined to be a<br />
residential cul-de-sac?<br />
a) Parc-y-Pentre<br />
b) Caedelyn Park<br />
c) Llanishen Fach Park<br />
6 17. In which year did Sam<br />
Warburton make his senior Welsh<br />
debut?<br />
a) 2008<br />
b) 2009<br />
c) 2010<br />
6 18. What was the name of<br />
he world-famous sheep who<br />
lived in a house with his owner in<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>?<br />
a) Shaun<br />
b) Timmy<br />
c) Nick<br />
6 19. Which legendary Welsh<br />
footballer once owned a sports<br />
shop on Heol-y-Deri?<br />
a) John Charles<br />
b) Ian Rush<br />
c) Dean Saunders<br />
6 20. What was the name<br />
given to the <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> tearooms<br />
that used to be situated on the<br />
present-day Clos-Yr-Ardd?<br />
a) Simples<br />
b) Smudges<br />
c) Smarts<br />
6 21. What is the nickname<br />
given to the stream that runs<br />
through <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>?<br />
a) The Bloody Brook<br />
b) The Babbling Brook<br />
c) The Cold Brook<br />
6 22. Outside which wellknown<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> building will you<br />
find a 'benchmark', traditionally<br />
used to calculate mean heights<br />
above sea-level?<br />
a) The Wendy House<br />
b) Beulah Church<br />
c) Rhiwbeina Primary School<br />
6 23. What was the name of<br />
the former cricketer and sports<br />
commentator who grew up in<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong>?<br />
a) Alan Shearer<br />
b) Alan Sugar<br />
c) Alan Wilkins<br />
6 24. What was the name of<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> <strong>Living</strong>'s now-retired<br />
mascot who would frequently be<br />
seen at village festivals?<br />
a) Sammy<br />
b) Squishy<br />
c) Squidgy<br />
6 25. In which year did<br />
<strong>Rhiwbina</strong> railway station first<br />
open?<br />
a) 1911<br />
b) 1921<br />
c) 1931<br />
6 26. How many schools are<br />
there in <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>?<br />
a) One<br />
b) Two<br />
c) Three<br />
For answers, head to<br />
www.livingmags,co.uk/quizanswers<br />
41
detox<br />
delight<br />
The start of the year is always a great time to renew health<br />
commitments. Here are some delicious ways to get back on track<br />
Superfood<br />
smoothie<br />
handful of fresh kale<br />
handful of rocket<br />
handful of mixed berries<br />
1 orange, peeled and chopped<br />
a few mint leaves<br />
thumbnail-sized piece of ginger<br />
chia seeds<br />
honey<br />
two ice cubes<br />
☐<br />
☐ Wash all the ingredients and set<br />
aside some berries, a slice of orange,<br />
and chia seeds. Place the rest of<br />
them into a blender and blitz until<br />
smooth.<br />
☐ Pour the smoothie into a tumbler,<br />
leaving an inch or two from the top.<br />
☐ Drizzle the honey along the edges<br />
of a tumbler and scatter a small<br />
amount of chia seeds around the rim.<br />
☐ Pile up the remaining berries, chia<br />
seeds, and the slice of orange on the<br />
top. Garnish with a few mint leaves.<br />
☐ Experiment with various<br />
ingredients but always aim to make<br />
at least two thirds of your ingredients<br />
vegetables. All-fruit smoothies<br />
are high in sugar content and can<br />
damage your teeth.<br />
42
Pan-roasted<br />
salmon with<br />
pomegranates<br />
500g fresh salmon<br />
300g asparagus<br />
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil<br />
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses<br />
salt and pepper<br />
2 tbsp pomegranate juice<br />
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce<br />
a few mint leaves<br />
thumbnail-sized piece of ginger,<br />
grated<br />
pinch of dried pepper flakes<br />
1 garlic clove, minced<br />
fresh basil and chopped spring onions<br />
to serve<br />
☐ Preheat the oven to 220°C. On<br />
a large baking sheet, place the<br />
asparagus, olive oil, and scatter with a<br />
pinch of salt.<br />
☐ Toss in the mixture well to evenly<br />
coat and place the tray in the oven<br />
and roast for 15 minutes.<br />
Detox<br />
breakfast<br />
2 free range eggs<br />
1 avocado<br />
cucumber<br />
100g prawns<br />
100g shrimps<br />
salad leaves<br />
walnuts<br />
green olives<br />
handful of tomatoes<br />
lemon, quartered<br />
☐ While that is cooking, mix<br />
the pomegranate molasses,<br />
pomegranate juice, sweet chilli sauce,<br />
ginger, garlic, and a pinch each of red<br />
pepper flakes and salt in a small bowl.<br />
☐ Remove the asparagus from<br />
the oven and add the salmon to<br />
the middle of the pan. Spoon the<br />
food<br />
pomegranate glaze over the salmon<br />
and transfer back to the oven. Roast<br />
the salmon for 10-20 minutes to your<br />
preference.<br />
☐ Top with pomegranate seeds,<br />
chopped spring onions, and chopped<br />
basil.<br />
☐ Prepare the prawns by holding<br />
on to the prawn tail in one hand and<br />
with your other hand, twist the head<br />
and pull it away from the tail. Peel<br />
away the shell of the prawn, starting<br />
from the underbelly. Finally, with a<br />
sharp knife, make a shallow incision,<br />
1–2mm deep, down the length of the<br />
back of the tail to reveal the prawn's<br />
intestinal tract. It should appear<br />
as black but can sometimes be<br />
translucent. Remove this and discard<br />
it. Do the same for the shrimps.<br />
☐ Cook the prawns and shrimps in a<br />
pan over a medium-high heat with a<br />
splash of oil.<br />
☐ Layer the salad leaves and add the<br />
tomato, walnuts, olives, cucumber,<br />
and lemon.<br />
☐ Poach the eggs, add to the plate<br />
and serve.<br />
Sponsored feature 43
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy<br />
Helping to bring balance back into our lives<br />
● For Couples and Individuals<br />
● Relationship difficulties, Conflict resolution, Anxiety,<br />
Depression, Addiction<br />
● Melanie Coles, PG Dip Counselling (CBT), Registered<br />
MBACP (Accred)<br />
● Level 2 trained in Gottman Method Couples therapy<br />
T: 07980 183933<br />
E: melaniecolescbt@gmail.com<br />
w: www.cardifftherapist.co.uk<br />
For a free no obligation quote please contact<br />
0800 298 3686 I info@tr33.co.uk<br />
www.tr33.co.uk<br />
Based in the Thornhill area<br />
Providing full tree, grounds<br />
and estate maintenance and<br />
landscaping services.<br />
We’re very proud of what we do for our clients and like most<br />
people who work in nature we spend a lot of time on our<br />
knees in one way or another. This is always humbling.<br />
Now, whether you call it humility or respect or admiration<br />
for nature, if you’re looking to work with a company that<br />
cares about these things TR33 could be what you’re after.<br />
INSYNC TRAVEL<br />
To book an appointment<br />
Email: travel@insync-pharmacy.co.uk<br />
02920 755682<br />
Consultations include:<br />
Full risk assessments<br />
Travel vaccinations<br />
Anti-malarials<br />
Up-to-date travel advice<br />
Insync Pharmacy, 67 Thornhill Road,<br />
Llanishen, Cardiff CF14 6PE<br />
FULL PRICE LIST AVAILABLE ONLINE OR ON REQUEST<br />
House Clearances<br />
2nd<br />
time around<br />
2nd Time Around<br />
specialise in<br />
house clearance<br />
We provide a professional and<br />
friendly service for full or part<br />
clearance, attics to cellars.<br />
We also offer the following services:<br />
• Reports for probate purposes<br />
• Valuations & advice on selling at auction<br />
• Auction service<br />
• Cleaning service<br />
• Sympathetic handling of deceased’s estates<br />
• Small removals & deliveries, nationwide<br />
• Rubbish removal<br />
• Recycling<br />
We comply with current legislation; we are waste<br />
management registered and have public liability insurance.<br />
House Clearance Specialists<br />
www.houseclearancecardiff.com<br />
Contact: Jan Richards<br />
T: 02920 692704 M: 07715 622406<br />
E: janrichards4@hotmail.co.uk<br />
W: www.houseclearancecardiff.com
Freeview aerials<br />
Freesat & SKY dishes<br />
WIFI<br />
CCTV<br />
Professionally installed<br />
by your local and experienced<br />
NVQ 2 Qualified Engineer<br />
Mark Jones<br />
07836 265259<br />
18 Twyn y Fedwen, Whitchurch, Cardiff CF14 1HU<br />
www.accurateaerials.com<br />
info@accurateaerials.com<br />
INSYNC PHARMACY<br />
EAR WAX REMOVAL<br />
FULL ASSESSMENT<br />
AND TREATMENT<br />
PHONE, EMAIL, OR ASK<br />
IN-STORE FOR<br />
AVAILABILITY AND<br />
PRICES<br />
67 THORNHILL ROAD<br />
LLANISHEN<br />
CARDIFF<br />
CF14 6PE<br />
02920 755682<br />
WWW.INSYNC-PHARMACY.CO.UK<br />
NHS /Private patients welcome<br />
Welsh Eye Care Service (WECS)<br />
Low Vision Service Wales<br />
On-site glazing and repairs<br />
All types of contact lenses<br />
Wide range of excellent value frames from<br />
budget to designer brands<br />
Sunglasses<br />
Friendly husband and wife team<br />
Varilux specialist<br />
Quality eye care in the Heart<br />
of <strong>Rhiwbina</strong> Village<br />
3a Beulah Road, <strong>Rhiwbina</strong>,<br />
Cardiff CF14 6LT 029 2061 1283
the wolf moon<br />
A<br />
drop of condensation rolled<br />
down the glass and pooled<br />
on the windowpane. Charlie<br />
watched it as it made a damp spot<br />
on the wood and tutted. Lifting his<br />
cigarette to his lips, he took a long<br />
drag and looked back to the glaring<br />
screen of his laptop.<br />
'And it was there that Jonah<br />
decided he must…’ he read aloud.<br />
‘Must what? Must what, Charlie?’<br />
He was halfway through his<br />
third novel and for the life of him,<br />
he couldn’t seem to slip back<br />
into writing the way he used to.<br />
Since September, he had chained<br />
himself to this desk, missing out on<br />
birthdays, reunions, even Christmas<br />
parties just to hit his February<br />
deadline. But for some reason, the<br />
words just weren’t coming.<br />
The moonlight shone in through<br />
the window, bathing his small study<br />
in a wintry glow. It was almost<br />
midnight but he refused to close<br />
the curtains, hoping inspiration<br />
would somehow strike from the<br />
quiet scene below. Rows of slanted<br />
rooftops reflected the moon’s<br />
beams back up to the sky. Nothing<br />
moved. Nothing murmured. No<br />
46<br />
inspiration would strike here tonight.<br />
Pushing his chair back, Charlie<br />
stood and started to pace. With<br />
no other light in the room, he<br />
moved in and out of the moon’s<br />
gaze, enjoying the way the beams<br />
danced on the rim of his glasses.<br />
Why was it so hard to write this time<br />
around? The first two books had<br />
simply jumped from his fingertips to<br />
the keyboard and become instant<br />
hits with readers around the world.<br />
Perhaps it was because it was the<br />
last one in the trilogy but this one<br />
was just not working.<br />
Downstairs, he heard his wife<br />
turning off the TV, her slippers<br />
shuffling across the floor as she<br />
started to make her way up the<br />
stairs. How long had he been sitting<br />
here? Five hours? And the most<br />
he’d written was 100 words. At<br />
least three hours had been spent<br />
deleting sentences that just didn’t<br />
work, over and over again. He<br />
couldn’t disappoint his fans, he just<br />
couldn’t.<br />
‘Charlie?’ he heard Georgie’s<br />
familiar voice call.<br />
‘Yes, love?’<br />
‘I’m going to bed.’<br />
‘I know, I know. I’m just thinking-’<br />
‘Have you seen the moon tonight?’<br />
she said, climbing the couple of<br />
steps up to his attic room.<br />
‘No,’ he replied to the closed door.<br />
‘Oh, you should see it,’ Georgie<br />
said. ‘You’d like it.’<br />
Charlie stopped pacing, aware of<br />
his wife hovering on the top step.<br />
He should ask her in, tell her to<br />
come and look at the moon with<br />
him. He knew he should and yet,<br />
if he did, it would take him ages to<br />
get back on track. Not that he was<br />
going anywhere at the moment.<br />
‘It’s called a Wolf Moon,’ Georgie<br />
said, quietly. ‘Because of the wolves<br />
howling in the winter.’<br />
‘Nice, love. I’ll have a look later.’<br />
There was a quietness between<br />
them as he gazed up at the moon<br />
outside his window. She would<br />
know he had already seen it. She<br />
knew he never closed the curtains<br />
when he was writing.<br />
Realising she wouldn’t be invited<br />
in, Charlie heard her turn and start<br />
to descend the stairs.<br />
‘Goodnight then, love,’ she said. ‘I<br />
won’t disturb the genius at work.’<br />
‘Goodnight, Georgie,’ he replied. ‘I
won’t be much longer.’<br />
Her footsteps faded away and<br />
Charlie was left with the Wolf Moon<br />
and an unfinished sentence that<br />
was haunting him. Somewhere<br />
along the line, he’d lost his love<br />
for the stories he was creating.<br />
His publishers had promised his<br />
readers that each book would be<br />
bigger and better than the last -<br />
more epic battles, more nail-biting<br />
cliffhangers. More, more, more.<br />
And now here he was, writing about<br />
a man called Jonah that he didn’t<br />
even care for. It had all become so<br />
detached from the original story<br />
he wrote - a love story, essentially.<br />
Holding the backspace key down,<br />
he watched the letters disappear<br />
from the page.<br />
‘Sorry Jonah,’ he sighed. ‘I’m<br />
making a mockery of you.’<br />
Georgie’s faint cough from the<br />
floor below made him stop. He<br />
wished he could go down to be<br />
with her instead, but the publisher’s<br />
deadline sat heavy on his shoulders.<br />
What was it she’d said? A Wolf<br />
Moon? What was all that about?<br />
Clicking away from his third book<br />
and on to the internet icon, Charlie<br />
brought up the search bar and<br />
typed in ‘wolf moon.’ Thousands<br />
of results came back, telling him<br />
that the bright January moon<br />
was named after the wolves who<br />
howled at it in the depths of winter,<br />
on the search for food. The famine<br />
and the feast - he could tell them<br />
a thing or two about that, Charlie<br />
chuckled to himself. The name of<br />
the Wolf Moon had Celtic origins,<br />
said one website - derived from<br />
Native American tribes said another.<br />
What would it have been like to<br />
hear those howls in the dead of<br />
night? An icy cold January night, no<br />
less.<br />
He shivered to think of it.<br />
The first full moon of the year. How<br />
was it January already? He thought<br />
back to the text he’d received from<br />
his oldest friend, Jerry. ‘Happy New<br />
Year, mate. Have to try and get<br />
together soon - I’m forgetting what<br />
you look like.’<br />
He’d rolled his eyes when he got<br />
that one. It was the same story<br />
every year when he was trying to<br />
get a book finished. Nobody said<br />
anything when he was at every<br />
summer BBQ, but miss a few<br />
months in the winter to keep to your<br />
contract and suddenly, you were<br />
the devil incarnate for not being<br />
around.<br />
His father had been the same,<br />
missing out on time with friends<br />
and family. As a baker, he’d been<br />
the one person everyone had<br />
come to for their fresh loaf and<br />
some sweet treats. He’d go to bed<br />
early to rise before the sun and<br />
start baking all over again. They’d<br />
hardly see him over Christmas while<br />
he was out delivering goodies to<br />
people around the neighbourhood,<br />
but he’d always be back in time<br />
for Christmas dinner with all the<br />
trimmings. You have to do what<br />
you have to do to get by, Charlie<br />
told himself. Even if it meant staring<br />
unhappily at a screen for a few<br />
hours.<br />
The problem was that this book was<br />
just going deeper into a rabbit hole<br />
that he needed to escape from.<br />
He wasn’t writing to satisfy his own<br />
hopes and dreams anymore, he was<br />
writing for his publishers who made<br />
demands on him. And that wasn’t<br />
why he started creating stories<br />
in the first place. The characters<br />
had all become a little too<br />
predictable; they weren’t allowed<br />
to be contradictory as real people<br />
often are. They had become onedimensional<br />
caricatures instead,<br />
and while the story had taken them<br />
on adventures to far-flung corners<br />
of the world, it just wasn’t the same<br />
as the original.<br />
Charlie sighed and rubbed his tired<br />
eyes. He couldn’t go back and start<br />
again now…could he? Make this a<br />
book he was actually proud of? Do<br />
Jonah some justice?<br />
A bird flew past his window, jolting<br />
him out of his stupor. The moon<br />
was still there, watching him suffer<br />
with the consequences of his own<br />
actions.<br />
‘Oh shush,’ he said to it. ‘You don’t<br />
have to deal with problems like this.’<br />
He remembered gazing out the<br />
window of his dad’s van at a full<br />
moon when he joined him on his<br />
deliveries one year. Trays of bread<br />
slid from side to side in the back<br />
as they came to the end of their<br />
rounds.<br />
‘Sun will be up soon, boy,’ his father<br />
said. ‘Just a couple more to do and<br />
you’ll have to be off to school.’<br />
‘Moon’s still out,’ Charlie replied.<br />
‘Full moon too.’<br />
‘Oooh yes,’ his dad said. ‘What a<br />
beautiful sight.’<br />
They pulled up at Mrs Hardy’s<br />
house, light from the small kitchen<br />
pouring out onto the front garden.<br />
Opening the back of the van,<br />
Charlie pulled out a tray with a loaf<br />
of bread and some freshly baked<br />
scones on top.<br />
‘Come on then, lad. Don’t ring the<br />
bell, you’ll wake her baby.’<br />
His father’s hand on his back,<br />
Charlie was guided up the path and<br />
they both knocked gently on the<br />
door.<br />
‘Oh hello, you two,’ Mrs Hardy<br />
whispered. ‘Thank you so much -<br />
this smells delicious. Let me get<br />
your money.’<br />
‘You’re more than welcome,’<br />
Charlie’s father said quietly, as she<br />
tiptoed back into the hall.<br />
‘You two must be exhausted<br />
before the day even begins,’ she<br />
replied, placing the money into his<br />
father’s hand.<br />
‘Ah, well we love it, don’t we<br />
Charlie?’<br />
Charlie nodded enthusiastically<br />
back at his father.<br />
‘Do what you love and you’ll never<br />
work a day, eh?’ Mrs Hardy smiled.<br />
‘Exactly. You take care now, love.<br />
See you next week.’<br />
They walked back to the van, and<br />
Charlie felt his father’s hand ruffling<br />
his hair. What his dad had said was<br />
true. He did love it. They climbed<br />
back into the warmth of the van and<br />
Charlie’s dad whistled as they set off<br />
back home.<br />
Charlie smiled to himself as he<br />
recalled it now. One of those core<br />
moments that stuck with him for<br />
years. Looking back at his screen,<br />
his eyes scanned the plan for this<br />
chapter. What was he doing? None<br />
of it made sense. According to<br />
his agent, it was what the public<br />
expected after two books that had<br />
been real page-turners. It was The<br />
Grand Finale.<br />
But it wasn’t him. It wasn’t his<br />
characters. It had all turned into<br />
a bit of a pantomime, and it just<br />
wasn’t real anymore. No wonder it<br />
had been so painful to write.<br />
‘Forget it,’ he sighed. ‘I’m not doing<br />
it.’<br />
Opening a brand new document,<br />
he wrote ‘Chapter 1’ at the top, Mrs<br />
Hardy’s sage advice ringing in his<br />
ears. ‘Do what you love and you’ll<br />
never work a day.’<br />
Charlie picked up his whisky and<br />
held it up to the moon.<br />
‘Here’s to new beginnings,’ he said<br />
to it.<br />
And then he began to write…<br />
‘Jonah looked up at the icy Wolf<br />
moon…’<br />
By Allie Morgan<br />
short story<br />
You can find more of Allie's work at<br />
allie-morgan.com<br />
47
www.cardiffwindows.com<br />
02920 692690