Rhiwbina Living Autumn 2023

News | People | Features | History | Lifestyle | Interiors
Rhiwbina Living
At the heart of the community
Issue 60
CRAFTED IN
RHIWBINA
CRAFTED IN
Your multi award-winning magazine for Rhiwbina

Inside this issue
Welcome / Croeso
Llanishen Fach
Primary
It's all laughter
and music at
Rhiwbina's School
of Rock
The Road to
Rhiwbina
Nigel Lewis takes
a look back at
the history of
Pantmawr Road
Hibernation
The urge to
hibernate at this
time of year is a
real one - here's
what you can do
about it
Poetry
Seasonal poems
that capture the
time of year -
from local poets
and writers
a: 222 Pantbach Road,
Rhiwbina, Cardiff CF14 6AG
t: 07772 081775 / 07974 022920
w: www.livingmags.co.uk
e: editor@livingmags.co.uk or
danielle@livingmags.co.uk
Distribution: 6,000 copies of Rhiwbina Living are
personally delivered by us to every house in the
Rhiwbina ward four times a year in line with the
seasons. We also distribute to local shops
2
Grand Designs
The history of
the houses and
mansions that
grace South
Wales
While every effort has been made to
ensure the accuracy of the contents,
the publisher cannot accept any
responsibility for errors or omissions,
or for any matter in any way arising
from the publication of this material.
Every effort has been made to
contact any copyright holders.
Whitchurch and Llandaff Living is an
independent, apolitical publication.
No part of this publication may be
reproduced without the express
written permission of the publishers.
Welcome to your Autumn issue
of Rhiwbina Living.
Compared to last year, our
summer this year was a bit of a
non-event. Even so, that hasn't
stopped the dramatic onset of
autumn - and all its glorious
colours and textures. So to start
our celebration of the autumn
season, we're publishing a
collection of seasonal poems
from local poets.
It's this time of year that we
often feel like hibernating. But is
it humanely possible? We look to
answer that question and provide
some practical alternatives
to achieving some sense of
contentment.
Keeping warm is one of our
priorities as we hurtle towards
winter so we've hand-picked
some bits and bobs on our
centre pages that can keep you
toasty.
The garden is one place where
some take solace but even as
life seems to fade with the light,
there's plenty to do to prepare
our green spaces for the cold
season and beyond into next
year. We're here to give you
some guidance. You'll also find
our gardens and parks littered
with seed pods that have fallen
from the trees. And if you've ever
wondered what trees they are,
we've got a handy guide to help
you out.
Llanishen Fach Primary School
certainly know how to make
education fun and we hear about
their School of Rock and how
pupils and teachers alike are
benefiting.
We're also got some wonderful
local features thanks to our
readers. Awen's Nigel Lewis
charts the history of Pantmawr
Road, today a busy thoroughfare;
its history stretches back to
ancient times. We also have a
special feature about the Holm
Islands, the two lumps of land
out in the Bristol Channel. They
may look deserted, but they
possess both an interesting
past and a multitude of natural
wonder.
We take a whistle stop tour
of some finest mansions in
South Wales and coming full
circle back to home, we've
put together some wonderful
autumn recipes for you to enjoy.
Finally, we sign off with a short
story from award-winning author
(and Rhiwbina Living co-editor)
Patric Morgan.
As ever, we'd like to encourage
you to support our advertisers,
without whom, our magazines
wouldn't be possible. Supporting
local trade is vital to keeping our
communities alive so bear them
in mind when you need their
services.
Enjoy the delights of the
Autumn season and we'll see you
in our next issue.
Danielle and Patric
Editors
@RhiwbinaLiving
www.facebook.com/rhiwbinaliving
@livingmagazinescardiff

Llanishen High School announces
£300,000 investment
news
30,000 more
trees planned for
Cardiff’s urban
forest
Llanishen High School has recently
announced a significant investment
in its school facilities to help
students get the most from their
studies as part of the Curriculum for
Wales.
The school has invested over
£300,000 over the last 18 months
through a series of projects and
renovations.
Its most recent renovation project
has been the conversion of a
staff room into a state-of-the-art
strength and conditioning gym.
This has been created to facilitate
the health and well-being of the
school community and enhance the
delivery of the health and wellbeing
portion of the curriculum.
The school has also invested in
new facilities for its expressive
arts courses through technology,
as well as the creation of a music
recording studio to facilitate the
delivery of Music Technology across
all year groups, including GCSE
and A Level. It has also installed a
fully functioning dark room for its
Photography courses, while the
Drama department has benefitted
from new stage lighting and
machinery in the West Wing Hall to
host school productions.
Speaking of the transformations,
headteacher Mrs Sarah Parry said:
“This investment in our school
has never been more important,
particularly in our ageing buildings.
These changes will allow our
students to access different parts of
the curriculum in a very authentic
and meaningful way, giving them
access to very relevant subjects
that will enhance their success
when it comes to exams and
their studies, but perhaps more
importantly, in their personal growth
and development, as lifelong
learners.”
Amongst the developments is
the extension and enhancement
of the school’s polytunnel which
was installed in 2020 alongside its
garden facilities. Allowing students
to plant, nurture, harvest and cook
with their produce, the polytunnel
has supported the school’s
education around sustainability and
healthy eating.
Mrs Parry continued:
“We want to ensure that we’re
providing well-rounded support for
all students who step through our
doors, and we understand that they
have a very broad range of talents
and interests, and success means
different things to all of them.
We’re striving to create an inclusive
learning environment that nurtures
individual growth, and this series
of investments will go a long way
towards supporting that.
“As well as student development,
we also wanted to focus on the
well-being of our staff, which is why
we’ve invested in the creation of
new facilities for our hard-working
teachers to give them a place to
unwind or work uninterrupted.
"Llanishen High School is
passionate about creating a
student-focused environment that
is representative of and caters to,
the community and the individual
needs of its students," she added.
30,000 more trees are expected
to be planted in Cardiff's urban
forest over the next few months
as volunteers join community
tree planting events taking place
across the city.
More than 150 community
events will be held during the
official tree planting season,
which runs through until early
April as part of Cardiff Council's
mass tree planting programme,
Coed Caerdydd.
Established in 2021, Coed
Caerdydd has already seen
volunteers donate 5,000 hours
of their time, helping to plant and
care for approximately 50,000
new trees, spread across every
single council ward in the city.
Cabinet Member for Culture,
Parks and Events, Cllr Jennifer
Burke, said:
"Last year we had 1,356
volunteers helping us with
planting and if we can match that
this year, we could be looking at
80,000 new trees having been
planted in just over three years.
That's great news for Cardiff
and for the planet and I'd really
encourage people to sign up for
one of our planting events; they're
great fun and a great way to
make a positive difference.
"They'll provide important
habitats for nature, make our
city greener, clean the air we all
breathe, and help absorb some
of the climate-changing carbon
emissions we create."
3

news
Rhiwbina Society
announces
winter talks
The Rhiwbina Society continues
its interesting programme of
meetings. The schedule for the
next five months is as follows:
21 November: An introduction
to the South Wales Metro
programme: updates for Rhiwbina,
the Coryton and Rhymney line.
Jessica Clement
12 December: Christmas quiz with
nibbles and drinks
16 January 2024: The history of
the Garden Village and the authors
who lived there – Dr Llion Wigley
20 February: One hundred years of
home movies – Harley Jones.
Meetings are held in the Canolfan
Beulah, Beulah Road, Rhiwbina,
CF14 6AX, starting at 7.30 pm.
Admission is £2 for members and
£4 for non-members.
For further information,
please see their website, www.
therhiwbinasociety.org or their
Twitter or Facebook page – or
phone 07811 509490.
The Society works to preserve
the village atmosphere for which
Rhiwbina is famed, and to foster
a sense of community and civic
pride.
Rhiwbina Hub
offers warmth
and safety
Cardiff hubs and libraries,
including Rhiwbina Hub, are once
again offering a warm welcome
to customers and residents at
this time of year, with the onset of
colder weather.
As temperatures fall and many
people around the city continue
to be concerned about the costs
of heating their own homes
this winter, hubs and libraries
are providing a safe and warm
environment for the public.
4
Waste collection strike action to be
extended to the end of November
The strike action that has affected
the waste collection in parts of
Rhiwbina is set to last until the end of
November.
The union Unite has said that
its members at Cardiff Council
will continue to strike until 26th
November. The workers are striking
over nationally-negotiated pay
awards, causing many areas of
Rhiwbina to experience mounting
piles of green mixed recycling bags.
Food waste and black bin bag
collections will remain unaffected
throughout the extended period of
Reservoir draws
big crowds
The recently-opened Llanishen
Reservoir has attracted more than
100,000 visitors in less than nine
weeks.
The venue reopened in late July
following years of legal wrangling that
nearly saw the reservoirs being turned
into a housing estate.
Built in the late-19th century, Lisvane
and Llanishen Reservoirs are a
Victorian landmark – covering 110
acres of green and blue space and
home to amazing flora and fauna.
The site is a unique natural resource
of significant ecological value,
encompassing two Sites of Special
Scientific Interest (SSSI) for waxcap
fungi and overwintering birds.
Autumn sees a range of activities
taking place, as well as the site's
famous fungi appearing and
flourishing.
strike action, unless Cardiff Council
make any further announcements.
The Council has said that hygiene
waste that cannot be stored safely
can be placed alongside black bin
bags for fortnightly collection. They
also added that they are unable to
take new bookings to collect bulky
items during the period of industrial
action.
Unite members previously rejected
the local authority employers’ pay
offer of just £1,925, which the union
says a real terms pay cut for workers.
St David's Hall
closure extended
Cardiff's St David's Hall could be
closed for up to 18 months while
urgent repair works are carried out.
A report into ‘potentially dangerous’
concrete panels at the venue
recommends that the building’s roof
needs to be completely replaced.
The report was commissioned by
Cardiff Council following changes to
Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
advice on Reinforced Autoclaved
Aerated Concrete RAAC in public
buildings.
Buildings across the UK, including
schools, have been closed after the
HSE declared that properties that
containing RAAC building materials
could be at risk of failure. The report at
St David's Hall noted that a significant
number of the 900 plus panels in the
roof are ‘red – critical’ and others ‘red
– high risk’.

Your letters
WE
letters
WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
We love to hear what you've been up to
so send us your letters and photos!
We'll do our best to print them all.
editor@livingmags.co.uk
Rhiwbina Queen
I'd just like to say how much I
enjoyed reading the article called
The Rhiwbina Queen.
My aunt Andrea Smillie is in the
picture of the school children.
She only recently passed away.
My mum Susan Smillie and their
parents lived in Charlotte Square,
and their aunt and uncle lived on
Rhiwbina Hill. My dad, Norman
Gooch, and his family, lived and
had their shop on Beulah Road.
I grew up in the 60s and whilst
going to Llanishen Fach School,
my mum would always tell us
about how much it had changed
since she was a girl. Hearing these
descriptions from someone else
who must have known my mum
brought my mum's tales back to
life. She would have loved to have
read this. Thank you.
Joanna Chaisson
email
Is this Primrose
Cottage?
I was born at 'Primrose Cottage',
a thatched cottage on Thornhill
Road.
I had a great uncle who lived
opposite the Traveller's Rest up
on Caerphilly Mountain, and I love
to come up to that area. My Dad
worked at Llanishen Fach Farm
about 1945/1947.
I have seen a photo of a thatched
cottage in a book called 'Rhiwbina'
by Ken Graham and Jim Taverner.
Page 16 shows a photograph
of Miss Criddle (grandmother
of Will Paynter) stood outside a
cottage with a dog. Is this Primrose
Cottage?
I'm currently writing a book about
my life so I am interested in my
early beginnings. I was christened
at Beulah Church and I still have
my birth certificate. My uncle
looked after Llanishen Reservoir
when I was a child and he lived
in a pretty wooden bungalow in
the grounds. Does anyone have a
photo?
As an aside, I enjoy reading
Rhiwbina Living - there is so much
interesting content.
If you or any of your readers can
help me with any of the above in
any way, I would be most grateful.
Thank you.
Peggy Leigh
Caerphilly
5

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CHRISTMAS AT RBC
CHRISTMAS MARKET
DEC 1 ST | 7-10pm
Join us for a festive evening to purchase some
lovely Christmas gifts from various stalls.
CHRISTMAS THROUGH
THE KEYHOLE
DEC 9 TH | FROM 9.30am
Hear the sheep and smell the hay as you visit
the homes of the nativity characters in a multisensory
interactive journey. Trails run every 15
minutes. Book via the calendar on our website -
No charge.
NATIVITY SERVICE
DEC 17 TH | 10.30am
A family celebration of the nativity story. Come
along to see members of the church put their
acting and improvisation skills to use! Children
can come dressed as their favourite nativity
character.
OUTDOOR CAROLS
DEC 17 TH | 4pm
Join us in the car park for a great festive event
with readings, Christmas reflections and plenty
of carols led by the City of Cardiff Melingriffith
Brass Band. Keep warm with hot drinks on
arrival.
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE
DEC 24 TH | 8pm
A night service of reflection, communion and
advent wonder as we look to the coming of
Christmas Day.
CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE
DEC 25 TH | 10am
A celebration of the birth of Jesus!
Rhiwbina Baptist Church, Lon Ucha, CF14 6HL | https://rbc.ac

Llanishen Fach has developed -
and delivers - an innovative and
engaging curriculum all year round
curriculum; with staff and pupils
inspired by the sense of achievement
and enjoyment performing offers.
In the aftermath of Covid, we
were very aware that many of our
pupils had lost the self-confidence
derived from standing up in front of
an audience and presenting. This
being the case, we were very aware
of how pivotal our annual Nativity
performance would be in getting
back on track.
With an eight-week time frame, it
was to be ‘all hands-on deck’. Gaps
in our skills, and/or staff availability,
were plugged by some amazing
professional talent, not to mention a
sprinkling of stardust. Following an
initial round of taster sessions, Key
Stage 2 pupils opted to gain a skill in
one of the workshop activities on offer.
These included: circus skills, ukulele,
set design, contemporary dance
(led by Debbie Chapman of Debbie
Chapman Dancers fame), script
writing, prop making, drama (led by
Cath Last), singing (led by Niall Allen
of Only Men Aloud) and many others.
With the arrival of December, and
a rapidly approaching performance
Music and laughter
fill the air at
Llanishen Fach
Primary School. And
it's all part of their
commitment to their
pupils
Had you been a ‘fly on the wall’ in
Llanishen Fach Primary School last
year, you may well have witnessed a
staff meeting that went a little like this:
Headteacher to a member of staff:
“How do you fancy teaching circus
8
skills next term?”
“I could give it a go; how hard can it
be?”
“And you,” turning to another
member of staff, “ever taught the
ukulele?”
Stunned silence!
Headteacher:
“It can’t be that different to the guitar.
And how about singing, anyone?”
A couple of hands are raised, some
more enthusiastically than others.
“NO, Mr B! I think your talents lie
elsewhere!”
And so Rock School was born!
Like so many things here, Rock
School was a germ of an idea that
soon took hold and grew. Now, one
year on, it is very much part of our

schools
came alive with the sounds of scripts
been practised, songs polished,
instruments tuned, props being
made, and scenery painted. And in
the best tradition of Hollywood, the
‘Rock Nativity’ was a great success,
and we haven’t looked back.
The Spring term saw the Key Stage 2
pupils research, devise, and perform
an extravaganza which took the life
and works of Cardiff-born Roald
Dahl as its theme. In the light of
rave reviews, it came as no surprise
that our younger pupils, and their
teachers, wanted to get involved.
Thanks to additional funds provided
by our PTA, the doors of Rock School
are now open to all.
Since those early days, we now have
an ever-extending talent pool of staff,
many of whom have discovered new
talents or revived skills long forgotten.
So, if a fly were to buzz in today it
would be greeted by joy and laughter
as our younger pupils get to grips
with lyrics, dance moves, and ukulele
chords as we start to plan for this
year’s Nativity performances.
Thanks to the dedication and
commitment of our staff and friends,
we look forward to many more
performances from Rock School.
date, the one afternoon a week of
Rock School expanded to meet the
demand for rehearsal time, as the air
9

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you home
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V0750 - VIL - Christmas 2023 - Cardiff Car Bonnet.indd 1 20/09/2023 15:31
Win a
christmas
party for
8 at the
village
hotel
cardiff
Shake your baubles and swing
your tinsel - the Village Hotel
Cardiff have got a great line up
of Christmas events planned
and you and your friends are
invited!
This year, they're doing
Christmas bigger and better
than ever and you can be in
with a chance of winning a
Christmas Party Night for 8
people, with two bottles of wine
thrown in!
All you need to do to enter
this competition is scan the QR
code opposite.
competitions
Win tickets
to jac
and the
beanstalk
Follow Jac, and climb a beanstalk of gigantic
proportions to Cloudland in the spectacular
family pantomime Jac and the Beanstalk.
Expect laughs, music, special effects, magic
beans and bundles of audience participation
in this giant of a pantomime!
We have the perfect treat for Rhiwbina
Living readers with a pair of tickets up
for grabs for 7pm performance on 12th
December. To be in with a chance of
winning, please answer the following
question:
Which Birds of a Feather star headlines this
year's New Theatre panto?
Please email your answer to competitions@
livingmags.co.uk by Friday 8th December
2023, along with your full name and address,
plus a phone number.
Christmas Party Night
FOR 8 AT VILLAGE!
SCAN QR CODE
TO ENTER
INCLUDES
2 BOTTLES
OF WINE.
Village Hotel Club Cardiff
29 Pendwyallt Road,
Coryton, Cardiff, CF14 7EF
Cardiff.Hub@Village-Hotels.com
11

Fruits of
the Autumn
In a world dominated by convenience foods and fast-paced lifestyles,
the importance of eating unprocessed food cannot be overstated
The widespread consumption of
ultra-processed food is a matter
of growing concern due to its
significant impact on public health.
The health effects of consuming
these products can be profound.
Ultra-processed foods are often
calorie-dense and low in nutrients.
Consistently consuming them can
lead to excessive calorie intake and
contribute to weight gain, which is a
major risk factor for obesity.
A diet high in ultra-processed
foods is also associated with an
increased risk of chronic diseases,
including heart disease, type 2
diabetes, and hypertension. These
foods often contain high levels of
salt, added sugars, and unhealthy
12
fats, all of which can contribute to
these health problems.
The lack of fibre in ultra-processed
foods can negatively impact
digestive health. Fibre is crucial for
a healthy gut, and a diet lacking
in fibre can lead to issues such as
constipation and an imbalanced gut
microbiome.
Emerging research suggests
a potential link between the
consumption of ultra-processed
foods and mental health issues,
including depression and anxiety.
Some ultra-processed foods are
designed to be hyper-palatable,
containing a combination of sugar,
salt, and unhealthy fats that can
trigger addictive eating behaviours.
This can make it
difficult for individuals
to control their
consumption.
Ultimately, by
understanding
the dangers of
ultra-processed
foods and taking
steps to reduce
their consumption,
individuals can take
a significant stride
towards improving their well-being
and the health of society as a
whole.
Why eat whole foods?
Unprocessed food, often referred
to as whole or real food, consists
of natural ingredients that have
undergone minimal to no alteration
during production. This can include
fresh fruits and vegetables, whole
grains, lean proteins, and unrefined
fats. Choosing to incorporate more
unprocessed foods into your diet
offers a multitude of benefits that
not only enhance your physical
health but also contribute to your
overall well-being.
Nutrient density
Unprocessed foods are brimming
with essential nutrients. Fruits and
vegetables, in particular, are rich
sources of vitamins, minerals, and
antioxidants that are crucial for
maintaining good health. When
you consume these foods in their
natural state, you benefit from a
wide spectrum of nutrients that
support various bodily functions.
For example, leafy greens are
packed with vitamins A, C, and

K, while whole grains provide
fibre, B vitamins, and minerals like
magnesium and iron.
Lower in harmful additives
Processed foods often contain
additives, preservatives, and
artificial flavourings that can have
adverse effects on health. These
additives can lead to allergies,
sensitivities, and long-term health
issues. By opting for unprocessed
foods, you eliminate exposure
to these potentially harmful
substances, reducing the risk of
negative health outcomes.
Weight management
One of the most significant
advantages of an unprocessed
food diet is its positive impact on
weight management. Unprocessed
foods tend to be lower in calories,
making it easier to maintain a
healthy weight. Additionally, their
high fibre content helps you feel
full and satisfied, reducing the urge
to overeat or snack on unhealthy
options. This can be instrumental in
achieving and maintaining a healthy
weight.
Improved digestion
Whole foods are typically higher
in dietary fibre, which is essential
for maintaining proper digestive
function. Fibre helps regulate bowel
movements, prevents constipation,
and supports a healthy gut
microbiome. By eating unprocessed
foods, you can improve your
digestive health, reducing the risk of
gastrointestinal issues like irritable
bowel syndrome (IBS).
Blood sugar control
Refined and processed foods often
contain added sugars, which can
lead to rapid spikes and crashes in
blood sugar levels. On the contrary,
unprocessed foods, especially
whole grains and complex
carbohydrates, release glucose into
the bloodstream slowly, providing
a steady source of energy. This is
crucial for individuals with diabetes
or those at risk of developing the
condition, as it helps maintain
stable blood sugar levels.
Heart health
Unprocessed foods are hearthealthy
choices due to their low
levels of saturated and trans fats,
which are often found in processed
and fast foods. Additionally,
unprocessed foods like fruits,
vegetables, and whole grains
contain heart-protective nutrients
such as antioxidants and soluble
fibre. Consuming these foods can
reduce the risk of cardiovascular
diseases, including heart attacks
and strokes.
Enhanced mental health
Research suggests a strong
connection between diet and
mental health. A diet rich in
unprocessed foods, including
omega-3 fatty acids found in fish
and folate in leafy greens, may
reduce the risk of depression and
other mental health disorders.
Moreover, a balanced diet with
a variety of unprocessed foods
supports overall brain function and
cognitive performance.
lifestyle
Long-term health benefits
Choosing unprocessed foods as a
staple in your diet can lead to longterm
health benefits. It reduces the
risk of chronic diseases such as
diabetes, obesity, and certain types
of cancer. Over time, this can lead
to a higher quality of life, increased
longevity, and reduced healthcare
costs.
Sustainability
Eating unprocessed food often
aligns with environmentally
sustainable practices. It reduces
the carbon footprint associated
with food production, as it typically
involves fewer processing and
packaging steps. This supports the
preservation of natural resources
and minimises the environmental
and ecological impact of your
dietary choices.
Improved well-being
Beyond the physical benefits, eating
unprocessed food can contribute
to an improved sense of wellbeing.
Many people report feeling
more energised, less fatigued,
and generally happier when they
adopt a diet rich in whole foods.
The absence of artificial additives
and preservatives can lead to better
mental clarity and higher levels
of satisfaction from the food you
consume. While it may require
some effort to transition away from
processed options, the long-term
rewards for your health and quality
of life make it a choice well worth
considering.
13

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Free yourself
In a world where we can often feel hard done by, the feeling of
victimisation can lead us into a negative spiral. Here's how to beat it
Many of us are guilty of
having a moan about things
every now and then. Life is
busy and maybe we don't get time
to sit down and relax the way we
want to. Maybe other people seem
to have happier lives than us, have
more success than us, or have
things a little easier than us.
For some of us though, we like to
dwell in the mindset that for some
reason, we were born under a
wrong star, or that we're somehow
getting the short straw more often
than others. The fact of the matter
is that yes, life is unfair. And some
of us get more bad luck than
others. This can lead us to fall into
the mindset that we are somehow
a victim of circumstance.
There are, of course, real victims
in this world. They are the ones
who through no fault of their own,
are caught up in the most awful
situations, often not being able to
escape or make the change they
desperately need.
For the majority of us though, we
like to think of ourselves as victims
for less - because there's a long
queue in the Post Office when
you're in a rush; when they've sold
out of your favourite wine.
We tend to take things so
personally that we begin to think
that the world is out to get us
when in fact, the world is not even
thinking about you. They're more
interested in themselves.
The world isn't out to get you. You
are one of billions of people in this
world who are all trying to achieve
something. The hard truth is that
you're only a victim of your own
mind. And here's how to change
that mindset for the better.
Recognise the
martyrdom
Before you can start on fixing
yourself, you first need to
recognise the martyrdom that's
causing the victim mindset.
When something doesn't go the
way you wanted it to, become
aware of the feelings that this
has caused. Is it the event that
has caused these feelings or is
it your reaction to it? When that
motorist cut you up, were they
doing it because they know you
personally and wanted to hurt
you, or was it because they were
unsure about which lane they
should have been in?
Keep asking yourself these
kinds of questions and then ask
yourself whether you are going
to continue giving permission for
these life events to hurt you. Are
you able to stop these life events
from happening, just to protect
your feelings? Very unlikely. The
next best thing in that case is to
change your reaction to them,
accepting that they happen - to
all of us, not just you. And when
you start moaning about life, try
and listen to yourself objectively.
16

Take responsibility
Many of the things that challenge
us in life can be traced back to
our own decisions. And while
it's easy to blame some of
our circumstances on others,
the fact is that until we start
taking accountability for our
own decisions and actions,
nothing will ever change for the
better because as far as you're
concerned, you're at the behest of
life and its path.
Taking responsibility is therefore
fundamental to improving your
mental health and to overcoming
the victim mentality. We can start
by accepting our own mistakes
and failings, and not trying to pass
the blame onto someone else.
Next, we can stop making
excuses. That's the easy way
out. Making excuses doesn't do
yourself any favours - in fact, it
can come back to bite you on the
backside.
Another way to take
responsibility is to accept the
fact that negative emotions are
inevitable and a part of life. When
we are faced with challenging
circumstances, aim not to react
immediately; try and avoid
jumping into defensive mode
and approach the problem with a
calm, open mind.
All of this doesn't mean
that you have to be harsh on
yourself. Show yourself the same
compassion that you would with a
good friend. Be accountable but
treat yourself with kindness too.
Forgive yourself and
others
As we travel through life, others let
us know how they view us. Teachers,
family members, friends - they all
put labels on us and very often,
these can be harming if we start
believing them.
Constructive feedback is one thing
but when people start judging us
and labelling without the full context
of facts, we can start believing the
things they tell us. We're stupid,
we're lazy, we're clumsy. "What's
wrong with you?" makes us think we
have something seriously wrong.
The more they tell us, the more we
believe it.
So take a step back. Are their views
based on a full understanding?
Probably not. In that case, forgive
them. Forgive yourself too for past
mistakes. We all make them.
Choose to be a victor
William Ernest Henley, in his
famous poem Invictus, wrote:
“I am the master of my destiny, I
am the captain of my soul.”
If you are able to understand that
so much of your life is within your
hands and capabilities, you'll soon
be able to realise that despite the
challenges that are thrown at us,
you are in charge. You can change
things. It's all there waiting for you.
Realising that you are a victor,
and not a victim, is the first step
to achieving freedom of the mind.
The power to have the life you want
is within you. You can be a victor.
Adopt that mindset.
People who have succeeded in
life have found that belief within
themselves.
wellbeing
Take action
Action is the step that takes us out of
our comfort zone. But whether you
like it or not, it is also the key that
unlocks our fears, develops us as a
person, and makes us feel more in
control of our lives. It also helps us
feel less of a victim, and more of a
victor.
If there's something specific that
you'd like to do or change in your
life, speak to someone who's already
been there and done it. Most people
are more than willing to share their
expertise and experience to help you
on your way. There is no shame in
seeking out assistance. Unhappy with
your job? Find out what you'd rather
do instead. Speak to people in that
industry. Don't be afraid to start from
the very beginning - everyone has
been in that position before.
Leaning into the fear and doing it
anyway is how those who succeed in
life get to where they are. They do it
scared and until you can start doing
that, nothing in your life will change.
Putting off the action means that
your fear of making it will grow,
making it harder to achieve. It will also
mean that another day has gone by
where you could have made some
progress towards happiness. Instead,
you're happy to stay within your
comfort zone and to blame others for
your lack of progress.
The time to take action is now, even
if that means doing an element of
planning for the changes you want to
make.
Ultimately, the results of your life are
a product of the thoughts you think,
the decisions you make, and the
actions you take.
Act accordingly.
17

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Find our studios in Lon Fach in the heart of Rhiwbina village.
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A Sensational Season
of Fashion Shows
As the gloomy autumn nights close
in around us, Rhiwbina’s muchloved
boutique Calon Rhiwbeina
has been hosting a season of
fashion shows to bring colour and
warmth to the village.
Calon Rhiwbeina owner Kath
Smith told Rhiwbina Living:
“This season, we’ve been hosting a
series of fashion shows to showcase
our new collections.
“Our shows have provided a
relaxed and fun way to spend a
couple of hours, while helping to
raise money for a good cause at
the same time. Our models are real
women, of all ages and shapes, who
have kindly volunteered to bring our
collections to life – and help inspire
your next wardrobe for the coming
seasons.”
Tickets for the boutique's final
show in November costs £10 each
and this includes a drink or two of
your choice - fizzy or soft drink.
“The best part is that if you keep
your ticket and bring it in-store on
Lôn Fach, you’ll receive 10% off your
purchases in-store,” added Kath.
“October was Breast Cancer
Awareness month and the show
on October 13th marked the
20th anniversary of Cardiff & Vale
Breastfriends, which is a support
group for those with breast cancer,”
said Kath.
"Everyone involved in the group
has had a diagnosis of breast
cancer and their members' ages
range from mid-twenties to mideighties
and beyond. It's been
wonderful to help them and to help
raise awareness of the condition,"
added Kath.
Tickets for the final show are
available from Calon Rhiwbeina on
Lôn Fach in the heart of Rhiwbina
village:
Canolfan Garth Olwg (Pontypridd)
16th November for Eisteddfod
Genedlaethol 2024
This is a sponsored feature
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in this
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now in-store!
Independent Boutique in Rhiwbina
Find us in Rhiwbina village
Park outside the store in Lon Fach Shopping Mews
9-11 Lon Fach
Rhiwbeina
CF14 6DY
www.calonrhiwbeina.com
tel: 07929 239012
email: info@calonrhiwbeina.com

MICHELLE MARSHALL SALON
HAIR - BEAUTY - WELLNESS
The autumn storms may have
stripped the trees of their leaves but
we need to remember that this is all
part of nature's never-ending cycle
of renewal and replenishment.
After what was a largely forgettable
summer, the new season reminds
us that sometimes, going back to
basics is just the tonic we need.
And for us here at Michelle Marshall
Salon, we can certainly bring
renewal and replenishment to your
hair and beauty regime.
"It all starts with our awardwinning
team and we're delighted
to announce that Niamh has now
joined us and brings years of
experience to our beauty salon. Our
apprentice Molly has also stepped
up to become our graduate stylist.
That has left room for Yoyo to
become our new apprentice and
she's so excited to pick up where
Molly left off."
The team is backed up by their use
of high-end products, bringing the
best of beauty to your doorstep.
"As Redken colour experts, among
the most requested hair colour
trends are balayage and ombré,
but we also offer more traditional
highlights and hair blonding
techniques.
"Whatever look you're going for
this season, your hair will be left
with incredible shine and feeling
super strong, healthy and in great
condition," says Sian.
"Much of this is down to our use of
Redken acidic bonding concentrate,
which provides intensive strength
repair from the inside out. It's
perfect for all hair colours and
textures.
"One of our latest additions to our
product range is CND Plexigel,
a gel nail enhancement system
that provides up to three weeks of
strength, length, and shape.
"We fill it, fix it, shape it, and
build it," says Sian. "If your nails are
important to you, this product is
one of the best to bear in mind,
especially with party season on the
horizon.
"With less hours of sunshine, we
can all lose a bit of colour and we
offer year-round spray-tanning if
you need that touch of colour lift
before the Christmas party this year.
It only takes about half an hour and
we always make sure that it's totally
natural looking before you leave our
salon.
"The lack of daylight hours can
also affect your skin on a deeper
level so our LED light therapy is a
popular, non-invasive treatment
that harnesses the power of natural
light to promote visibly radiant,
rejuvenated and refined skin.
"Of course, we offer everything
else you need to look the part so
with party season not too far away,
remember that we are always here
as your personal assistants to help
you glam it up," adds Sian.
"We'll even offer you the use of a
pair of heated booties to keep your
toes warm while we take care of
you!" laughs Sian.
Having come through the huge
challenges of Covid, the team is
now looking forward to providing
the best possible service to their
clients.
"The pandemic has taught us that
spending time with people is a
priority for us. We've shifted slightly
in our outlook and are now focusing
on quality rather than quantity.
We've given ourselves permission
to devote the time and space to
everyone who comes through our
doors."
The team will also be sharing
their renowned expertise to a wider
audience:
"If you want to expand your
knowledge, we are planning a
series of workshops for all ages that
can help you understand how to
take care of your skin. Keep an eye
out on our social media channels,"
says Sian.
A: Beulah Road, Rhiwbina
T: 029 2061 1566
W: michellemarshallsalon.co.uk
This is a sponsored feature

can we hibernate now please?
While it's tempting to cwtch and sleep through the dark months
of autumn and winter, can humans really hibernate?
Hibernation is the way many
animals survive cold winters,
especially when food sources are
so scarce. Many animals don't have
the option to migrate to warmer
climes so migration is their best
option of survival.
In order to survive their
hibernation, animals will fatten
themselves up as much as they can
during the warmer months. They'll
also find a place to stay during
their hibernation. Their place of
residence during the winter months
needs to be a safe one since they
could be vulnerable to predators.
They'll spend their time getting
their beds comfy and cosy, but also
hidden from view so that they are
safe.
This all sounds wonderful,
especially when we as humans are
faced with colder and darker nights.
The appeal of this makes us long
to cuddle up in a warm place and
22
sleep through to spring. But is this
at all possible?
Recent studies have shown that
our ancestors did at least try, even
if they weren't that successful.
A study of human skeletons
unearthed in a Spanish cave called
Sima de los Huesos – the Chasm of
Bones showed that early humans
possibly attempted to hibernate.
The deep shaft where the
skeletons were found is home to
a huge number of fossils, where
archaeologists have discovered
thousands of skeletal remains that
are around 430,000 years old.
The study explained that bears
utilise specialised metabolic
processes that protect their bodies
during their winter sleep. However,
if bears don't stock up on the right
nutrients before they bed down for
the winter, they can wake up in the
spring with a host of diseases.
The study at Sima de los Huesos
showed that this is likely what
happened to our human ancestors
who attempted to replicate the
hibernation process themselves.
Lack of Vitamin D, which we get
directly from the sun, would have
also caused bones to become
brittle during the winter months.
When we think of hibernation, we
often think of an extended period
of sleep but this isn't exactly how
hibernation works. Animals instead
experience what's called torpor,
the physiological state of metabolic
depression, in which the body's
temperature, breathing, and energy
expenditure drop. There is no
evidence to show that humans are
capable of doing this.
Instead, scientists have discovered
that humans need more sleep
during the winter, and whether
you're an early bird or a night owl,
all human sleep is regulated by the
sun.

A 2023 study has shown that
humans experience more REM
sleep during the winter. REM (Rapid
Eye Movement) sleep is the part of
sleep where most of our dreams
happen and is known to be directly
linked to the circadian clock, which
is affected by changing light. The
study showed that during winter,
humans get on average, 30 more
minutes of REM sleep each night
than they do during the summer.
This is most likely because of the
reduced number of daylight hours
we receive in winter. This in turn
affects our circadian rhythm and
makes our bodies produce more of
the ‘sleep hormone’, melatonin.
The reduction in Vitamin D can
also affect our immune system,
leading to us getting illnesses and
ailments.
If humans are to ever truly
hibernate, it's not just the effect on
the body's metabolism that needs
to be taken into account. The brain,
which is hugely sensitive to lack
of oxygen, would also need to be
protected during any hibernation
because of its lack of nutrients and
blood.
Science has shown us that
hibernation reduces and
reorganises the synaptic
connections that form the basis
of our memories. It's possible that
the brain could become damaged
if it's not properly restored via the
mechanisms of sleep.
At present, scientists don't fully
understand how the process of
torpor or hibernation begins in
animals; the animal kingdom seems
to know how to do this safely
and naturally. Humans, on the
other hand, would need artificial
assistance to begin a hibernation
process, something which has
never been tried before.
The craving for warmth and comfort is an instinctive thing
How To 'Hibernate'
Settle down in your
'sett'
As autumn envelops us, it's
important to get our 'sett' ready to
see us through the winter. Get out
the blankets, the cushions, the big
jumpers. Stock up on the logs if
you have a burner, and put up the
heavy curtains if you need to.
Sleep
If we can't hibernate properly, we
should at least listen to what our
bodies are telling us as autumn
creeps upon us.
If you feel tired, that's probably
because you are tired, and staying
up late for the sake of it isn't going
to benefit anyone. Getting an early
night allows your body to get the
rest it needs (and is telling you it
needs) and allows you to conserve
What Bryn Glas may have looked like
home
energy that you'll need to keep
warm.
Cwtch up
Crawling under layers of blankets
is often a comforting experience
but it could also mean that you're
colder than you think you are. Your
fingers and toes, nose, and ears
can be clues as to whether you're
feeling the cold more than you
should be so if these are cold, get
that blanket and snuggle up well.
Eat properly
This time of year is perfect for
warm, hearty meals and that
makes it the ideal opportunity to
get some proper food down you.
Root vegetables are available
in abundance and most can
go into a casseroles or stews.
Nourishing your body properly will
provide you with the nutrients and
fulfilment that your body craves at
this time of year.
Get outside
Daylight hours are limited during
this time of year so making the
most of it means you can get that
all-important Vitamin D while you
can.
If you're struggling for time to get
outside, schedule it and make it
a priority. Build outdoor time into
your routine.
Find solace
Winter is often the time of parties
and social gatherings but if you
feel that you need to get away
from people, that's perfectly fine.
Never feel obliged to be the one
having to fill your social diary just
because you're invited.
23

2
1
3
4
AUTUMN warmers
1. Women's boots
With their faux fur collar
and tough suede/nylon
mesh uppers, these chunky,
yet lightweight boots look
as toasty warm as they
feel. 400-gram insulation
keeps your feet snug and
dry, even in the biggest
puddles.
2. Hot water bottle
Classically designed
from durable rubber, this
bottle offers perfect, swift
salvation from any winter
chills, as well as helping to
alleviate aches, pains and
cramps in times of need.
Guaranteed to warm the
coldest of hearts.
3. Herringbone
pattern mustard
heated throw
Using Intelliheat+ LED
digital control, this clever
electric blanket warms up
in just five minutes and
offers six different heat
settings to keep you toasty,
but never too hot.
4. Aran Woollen Mills
green head band
This gorgeous head band
is made from 100% super
soft Merino wool. Its cable
knit pattern is inspired by
the traditional Aran sweater
and is made in Ireland.
Perfect for those cold
autumn walks.
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skelliggiftstore.com
24

5
6
home
7
8
5. Ceramic portable
heater
The ceramic element of this
heater keeps the heat 30%
longer, so there is a less
waste of energy to warm
up over and over again. As
a result, it uses less energy
to generate more heat than
traditional heaters.
6. Amber low bar
lights
A box of twelve attractive
wax filled amber bowls
which have a long burn
time of up to seventy five
hours. They make great low
bar lights, which give off
an amber glow, which will
make your home cosy!
7. Men's gilet
As soon as you put the
Diablo Hooded Down gilet
on, you won't want to take
it off. It delivers welcome
warmth with lightning
speed and a bottom hem
adjustment helps protect
your warm inner core when
you're out in the cold.
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8. Coffee mug
Featuring a rotating lock
mechanism for secure
sipping and double-walled
technology to protect your
hands from the heat, this
mug will keep your on-thego
coffee warm for up to
4 hours. Perfect for those
winter walks!
25

AUTUMN LEAVES
Autumn leaves through air are
falling
On breezes soft but soon to chill
To make a cloak on ground to lay,
Of colour mixed in fabric thick,
Of curls, of bends, of withered
veins
To set about in moment's rest
Before a wind along to sweep
To scatter more those would to
stay,
To upward raise a swirling veil
Which may to carry yet wider still
And of a hollow there to pause
That many their way to lose,
And there at last to final stay,
Their life's last hours now then
lost
The tree that bore them dark and
bare
As autumn's face it does to
shade.
David Morris
Llandaff North
THE STORM
"It's time to hibernate," she said,
And she grabbed the blanket
And we snuggled down
While the storm did its worst.
Jane Vincent
Rhiwbina
Seasonal
Poems
GOLDEN LEAF
Golden leaf in my hair,
a gift from the old birch tree.
I gently pull it away and stare
at its wonderful symmetry:
a straight line with a series of Vs
blown to me on an autumnal breeze.
An army of leaves the colour of gold
adorns the grass but will turn to dust
and many more will lose their hold
to decay, as everything must
yet it grants me pleasure, however brief
to caress...a fallen golden leaf.
Guy Fletcher
Rhiwbina
THE MOON
With a face like clocks in halls,
her beams caress the village walls,
And churned up plains
And roofs and lanes,
And through bedroom panes
Onto those who came
To release their pain.
Lea Thomas
Llandaff North
26

poetry
Poems penned by the local community
GOLDEN TREES
It is one of those alluring autumnal mornings:
sky a pre-Raphaelite blue
with the sleepy moon still visible
and the welcome sun leisurely rising.
Trees guard the Victorian library,
I sit outside the coffee shop and stare
at vibrant golden leaves swaying in the fresh air.
Branches dance in the gentle breeze,
a few leaves flicker to the ground,
the first of a mighty battalion
as shade from a tree dances
on the plinth of the sombre soldier.
Great storms will soon arrive but I allow
myself to relax...if only for now.
Guy Fletcher
Rhiwbina
A CHILD'S EYE
That wondrous look of sweet surprise
Seen only in young children's eyes,
On first standing, from a crowd
Sway, sway yet do not fall
Seeing their first rainbow form
See the lightning flash in their first storm,
Or seeing their first snowfall
Or hearing their first cuckoo call.
They see jewels on a frosty lawn
For they see with the eyes of a newly born.
Look at a winter's star-strewn night
Look through a young child's eyes
And you will see - Heaven.
B Leonard
Rhiwbina
WHAT REMAINS?
THE VIEW FROM
CHURCH ROAD
A land of water power, coal, and
steam
To set great wealth in store for
chancers few.
A sham division, and a hard
regime;
The wheel turned that others
might accrue
And build, and plan. Track's
carriages and trucks
Soon marked the bounds askew.
above; below;
By brick and stone, an ever
changing flux
of terrace; yard; the lawn; the
portico.
Now whitest render grows about
these grounds.
Baronial gates and railing cock a
snook
At some, for ev'ry painted sill
dumbfounds,
And ev'ry quoin, bright, casts a
slight rebuke.
But cross the bridge, and never
see a drive,
where prize hydrangeas in front
gardens thrive.
Nigel Phillips
Whitchurch
27

CALL: 02920 763211
Wills – why Lifetime Planning is so important.
WE DISCUSS WITH RACHAEL MCCARTHYJONES,
ASSOCIATE SOLICITOR, TEP
Tell us about your firm...
JNP Legal Solicitors has been serving clients and local communities across
South Wales for over 40 years.
As a firm, we focus on law for individuals, with services including Wills and probate, lasting powers of
attorney, estate administration, crime, residential property, family law, children law, civil litigation and
personal injury.
The team at JNP Legal is a collective of experienced, dedicated and professional solicitors and support
staff, who are passionate about delivering exceptional service and value for money.
Why would you recommend that people don’t delay when it comes to making their Wills?
If you do not have a Will, the intestacy rules determine who inherits your estate. This may result in your
estate passing to people that you did not intend to provide for. It is a common misconception that a
co-habiting couple will automatically inherit from one another. This is not the case under the intestacy
rules. Furthermore the intestacy rules only recognise biological and legally adopted children. Therefore if
you wish to provide for a co-habiting partner or step-child it is important that you make a Will. If someone
is unmarried and has no living relatives, with no valid Will in place, their estate could pass to the Crown.
By having a Will in place, it will be both clear who is to inherit and what they are to receive, whether it is
money, property or other possessions. This should not only offer peace of mind but also avoid uncertainty,
which is often the catalyst for arguments that arise between family members after a death.
What advice would you give those who are looking to sort out their Wills?
Whilst the thought of making a will might be a daunting prospect for some, the pros of doing so greatly
outweigh any cons. All adults should make a Will, and should review it to consider if it needs updating.
We never know when life can change unexpectedly, and it is important and reassuring to have your
affairs in order. Some people prefer to opt for ‘do it yourself Wills’ rather than instruct solicitors. However
the laws and regulatory requirements surrounding the making of a Will can be complex. By instructing a
solicitor you will have peace of mind that your Will is an accurate legal document devoid of the errors
that can lead to disputes and costly legal arguments.
Lifetime Planning Team
jnplegal.org
52 Station Road, Llanishen, CF14 5LU
Experienced solicitors supporting the South
Wales community for over 40 years

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02920 615719 info@cardiffbedcentre.co.uk
Open Mon-Fri 10am-5pm Sat 10am-4pm
www.cardiffbedcentre.co.uk

The
holm islands
Out in the Bristol Channel are two small and very different islands.
Both Steep Holm and Flat Holm serve as a testament to the
enduring beauty and resilience of our planet's wild places
The Bristol Channel is known
for its unique geography and
rich maritime history. Within
this channel lie two remarkable
islands that have captivated the
imaginations of locals and visitors
alike for centuries: Steep Holm and
Flat Holm. These islands are small
in size but monumental in terms
of their natural beauty, ecological
significance, and historical
importance.
Steep Holm and Flat Holm may be
geographically close to each other,
but they each possess distinct
characteristics that set them apart.
Steep Holm: The
Rugged Gem
Steep Holm, also known as
Steepholm, is the smaller and
more rugged of the two islands,
measuring only about 48 acres
in size. It lies closer to the Welsh
coast and is characterised by its
steep cliffs, which give the island
its name. These cliffs, formed from
Carboniferous Limestone, provide
a dramatic backdrop to the island's
unique flora and fauna.
30
Geology and Geography
Steep Holm's limestone cliffs have
been carved by the relentless
forces of the Bristol Channel,
making it an exceptional geological
site. The island also features several
sea caves, further adding to its
geological appeal. Its cliffs provide
important nesting sites for sea birds
like gulls and razorbills, making it a
paradise for birdwatchers.
Wildlife
The limestone soil of Steep Holm is
home to a variety of plant species
adapted to its harsh conditions.
You can find species like wild leeks,
rock samphire, and sheep's fescue,
which have evolved to thrive in
this unique environment. The
island's plant life supports a diverse
ecosystem of insects and other
invertebrates.
One of the most significant aspects
of Steep Holm's ecology is its
bird populations. The island is a
designated Site of Special Scientific
Interest (SSSI) due to the large
colonies of sea birds that breed
here. Guillemots, kittiwakes, and
fulmars find shelter and nesting
sites in the island's cliffs, making it
an essential breeding ground for
these species. Visitors can observe
the sea birds during the breeding
season, often flying overhead or
perched on the cliffs, providing a
memorable wildlife experience.
Human History and
Settlement
Steep Holm's history is as rugged
as its cliffs. It has seen periods
of human habitation dating back
thousands of years. Evidence of
prehistoric activity, including flint
tools and burial mounds, has been
found on the island.
However, it was during the
medieval period that Steep Holm
saw significant human settlement. A
priory was established on the island
in the 12th century, and remnants of
this monastic community can still
be explored today.
During the 19th and early 20th
centuries, Steep Holm was used
for military purposes. Fortifications
were constructed to protect against
invasion, and these structures can

still be seen by visitors. The island
played a role in both World War I
and World War II, making it a living
testament to the region's military
history.
Today, Steep Holm is managed by
the Kenneth Allsop Memorial Trust,
a charitable organisation dedicated
to preserving the island's natural
and historical heritage. Visitors can
take guided tours of the island
to learn more about its history,
ecology, and conservation efforts.
Flat Holm: The Peaceful
Sanctuary
Compared to its rugged neighbour,
Flat Holm is aptly named for
its relatively flat topography.
This island covers an area of
approximately 35 acres and is
located closer to the English coast.
It offers a stark contrast to Steep
Holm's cliffs, providing a peaceful
sanctuary for wildlife and a rich
history waiting to be discovered.
Geology and Geography
Flat Holm is primarily composed of
Carboniferous Limestone, much like
Steep Holm. However, the island's
flatter landscape has made it
suitable for farming in the past, and
evidence of agricultural terracing
can still be seen.
Flora and Fauna
Flat Holm boasts a remarkable
variety of plant species, including
wildflowers like pyramidal orchids,
kidney vetch, and yellow rattle.
The island's diverse flora attracts
numerous pollinators and other
insects.
One of the most notable features
of Flat Holm is its substantial rabbit
population. These introduced
rabbits have thrived on the
island, contributing to its unique
ecosystem. The rabbits are a key
factor in maintaining the grassland,
which, in turn, supports various
bird species, including breeding
populations of lesser black-backed
gulls and herring gulls.
Human History and
Settlement
The history of Flat Holm is deeply
intertwined with its strategic
location. Over the centuries, the
island has been used for various
purposes, including as a quarantine
station during the 19th century
cholera epidemics and as a defence
outpost during times of conflict.
The island's prominent features
include a lighthouse, which is still
operational, and a series of military
buildings, some of which are open
to the public as a museum.
One of the most famous historical
moments associated with
Flat Holm is the 1897 meeting
between Marconi and Preece,
who carried out some of the
earliest experiments in wireless
telegraphy on the island. This event
marked a significant milestone
in the development of modern
communication technology.
In recent years, conservation
efforts on Flat Holm have been
instrumental in preserving and
enhancing the island's natural and
cultural heritage. Managed by the
Flat Holm Project, the island has
been designated as a Local Nature
Reserve (LNR) and is open to
visitors who can explore its unique
history, flora, and fauna.
Conservation and
Environmental Significance
Both Steep Holm and Flat Holm are
recognised for their environmental
importance. They are protected not
only for their unique geological and
ecological characteristics but also
for their significance as breeding
grounds for sea birds.
The islands are home to a range
of bird species, many of which
are threatened in the wider UK
context. Guillemots, puffins,
razorbills, and kittiwakes all rely
on the islands' cliffs and sea caves
as safe breeding sites. These
populations play a crucial role in
the conservation of these species,
An abandoned building
on Flat Holm
particularly as their mainland
breeding sites become increasingly
threatened by human activities and
environmental changes.
In addition to the bird life, the
islands also provide a haven for
seals. Both common and grey seals
can be spotted in the surrounding
waters, offering visitors the
opportunity to see these marine
mammals in their natural habitat.
The islands' flora, including their
unique plant species, contributes
to their ecological significance.
Preservation of these species is vital
for maintaining the islands' delicate
ecosystems and supporting the bird
populations that depend on them.
Visiting the Islands
places
Visiting Steep Holm and Flat Holm
is a unique experience for those
looking to explore the natural
beauty and historical intrigue of
these islands. While both islands
offer guided tours, there are some
important considerations for visitors.
Access to both Steep Holm
and Flat Holm is restricted due
to their protected status. Visitors
can arrange guided tours through
the respective organisations that
manage each island. These tours
provide a unique opportunity to
explore the islands' natural beauty
and learn about their history and
conservation efforts.
The best time to visit the islands
is during the spring and summer
months when the weather is milder,
and the flora and fauna are at their
most active. However, it's essential
to check with the island authorities
for tour availability and any seasonal
restrictions.
31

Grand Designs
Scattered across south Wales is a number of historic mansions and
manors that reflect our ever-changing and industrial heritage
Dyffryn House
The present Dyffryn House
was built in 1893–94 under the
ownership of John Cory, the 19th
century coal-owner and shipowner.
Thomas Mawson, a wellknown
landscape architect and
first president of the Institute
of Landscape Architecture,
was commissioned to design a
garden to complement the new
house; landscaping began in
1894 and was completed in 1909.
The National Trust took over
the running of the estate in 2013.
The gardens host a number
of different styles inspired by
countries from all over the
world, from an Italian influence
in the Pompeiian Garden to the
rainforest-like quality of the
plants in the Exotics Garden.
32
Photo: Elliott Brown
Llancaiach Fawr
Located just to the north of the
site of the former Llancaiach
Colliery in the heart of the
Rhymney Valley in South Wales,
is Llancaiach Fawr Manor, a Tudor
manor house. It is thought to
have been built around 1530.
The Manor is considered to be
one of the most important gentry
houses to have survived from
the 16th and 17th century period.
It was heavily involved in events
surrounding the English Civil War
and was designed to be a place
of self-contained refuge if it was
attacked.
It was eventually converted into
a farmhouse and in 1990, was
re-opened as a living museum.
Visitors can see the property as
it would have looked in 1642. It is
considered to be haunted.
Tredegar House
Tredegar House is a 17th-century
Charles II-era mansion on the
southwestern edge of Newport.
For over five hundred years it
was home to the Morgan family,
later Lords Tredegar, one of the
most powerful and influential
families in the area.
The earliest part of the building
dates all the way back to the 15th
century. It was originally built
of stone but in the mid 1600s,
William Morgan decided to
rebuild the property using red
brick, giving it the distinctive look
we see today.
Newport County Council took
over the property in 1974 and was
taken over by the National Trust
in 2011.
Photo: Phillip Halling

Cyfarthfa Castle
Cyfarthfa Castle is a castellated
mansion that was once the
home of the Crawshay family,
ironmasters of Cyfarthfa Ironworks
at Merthyr Tydfil.
The castle was designed in 1824
by the architect Robert Lugar for
William Crawshay II, and built at
a cost of approximately £30,000
using locally quarried stone.
Despite its appearance of a
fortified building, it is in fact a
house built in the style of a large
mansion. It includes a large
kitchen, a bake house and dairy,
a billiard room, a library, and a
mixture of reception rooms.
After the Crawshay family left
the castle in the late nineteenth
century, the building was
converted into a museum and art
gallery on the ground floor and
a school on the upper floors in
the early 20th century. It is still in
operation today.
The building also included a
brew house, an ice house, and
a range of storage cellars that
used to be home to over 15,000
individual bottles of wine.
Photo: John WIlson
Treowen
Treowen sits between Monmouth
and Raglan and is a Grade I listed
mansion.
Antiquarian Charles Heath wrote
of it in 1787:
"Over the entrance is a stone
square with the armorial bearings
of nine different noblemen and
other characters of high rank in
this County. A correspondent
dignity pervades the whole
of the interior. A staircase two
yards wide, of 72 steps, with
balustrades, the newels on the
quarterspaces two feet round,
the whole in solid oak, which still
remains perfect, stands unrivalled
in the Kingdom.”
His words still ring true today and
the property is used for holidays
and events.
All photographs used in this feature have been found in the public domain
Photo: Gareth James
Margam Castle
Margam Castle, is a late Georgian
country house built for Christopher
Rice Mansel Talbot. Designed by
Thomas Hopper, the castle was
constructed in a Tudor Revival
style over a five-year period, from
1830 to 1835. It sits within Margam
Country Park.
The house was built during
1830–40 at a cost of £50,000 and
used sandstone from nearby Pyle
quarry. Listed Grade I as a mansion
of exceptional quality, the castle
is home to some spectacular
features, including the vast
staircase hall and octagonal tower.
Until 1942, the Castle and estate
remained in the ownership of the
Talbot family when it was acquired
by a local landowner, Sir David
Evans Bevan, and subsequently, by
the County Council in 1974, when it
was in a ruinous state.
The castle is now in the care of
Neath Port Talbot County Borough
Council.
Newton House
Standing at the heart of the Dinefwr
estate is the Grade II listed Newton
House, not far from Llandeilo.
The residence was a family home
for over three hundred years to
the descendants of The Lord Rhys,
the powerful Prince of the Welsh
Kingdom of the Deheubarth.
Dinefor Castle was built during
the 12th century and the first
Newton House was originally
built during the medieval period
at some distance from the castle.
The current Newton House was
completed in 1660 under the
command of Edward Rice. Turrets
and battlements were added
during the 1700s to romanticise the
property.
During the 1970s, after a period
of turbulence, the estate fell into
disrepair, but Newton House
was restored by CADW and
The National Trust before being
reopened in 1990.
days out
Picton Castle
Further afield, down in west Wales,
Picton Castle is a medieval castle
that was built at the end of the 13th
century by a Flemish knight.
Situated near Haverfordwest, the
building is unusual in that it was
a former working castle that was
transformed into a stately home in
the 18th century. It was originally
built in 1280, at the behest of Sir
John de Wogan. It was passed down
through the generations and in the
late 1490s, became the centre of
the Philipps family estates. Sir John
Philipps, who inherited the castle,
Photo: Heigeheige
remodelled the building and created
a new entrance which remained until
the 1820s.
The castle remained in the Philipps
family until the end of the 20th
century when its owner donated it
and its grounds to the Picton Castle
Trust, a registered charity.
Insole Court
Llandaff's Insole Court is a Grade
II Listed Victorian Gothic mansion
built for wealthy businessman James
Harvey Insole, and dates back to
1855.
The Insole family lived on the site
from 1856 to 1938 and had extensive
coal-mining interests across the
South Wales coalfield,
The original building was designed
by W G & E Habershon. After its
many uses throughout the year, the
mansion fell into disrepair and was
closed in 2006 on health and safety
grounds. Following a long campaign
by The Friend of Insole Court, Insole
Estate Residents Association and the
Llandaff Society, it was re-opened in
November 2008.
Photo: Alan Hughes
33

Join us for
our next
event
Llys Herbert care home,
Lisvane
Carers wellbeing café
First Wednesday of each month
2pm - 4pm
Come along to our monthly carers café and join
other local family carers, share your experiences
and make new friends. Our friendly team will be
on hand to give helpful advice and answer any
questions you may have.
Trusted to care.
To attend please call
029 2168 2532 or email
jenny.ashton@careuk.com

You &
Your
Health
We don’t really consider our hearing health until something
feels wrong but is this the right way to think about it?
Your hearing is a very important
sense. It allows you to
communicate with loved
ones, appreciate your favourite
sounds and process the world
around you.
Your ears and your brain work
together to provide a soundscape
of every environment you’re in,
even when you’re asleep. Your ears
collect the sound but it’s your brain’s
job to interpret it. If our hearing
changes then our ears aren’t
collecting all the sound that our
brain needs to work properly.
Hearing loss is a major public
health issue; it is the third most
common physical condition after
arthritis and heart disease and
currently, there are more than 10
million people in the UK with some
form of hearing loss. However,
because hearing deterioration can
be gradual, it takes the average Brit
10 years to recognise that they have
a problem and finally do something
about it. This time lapse can have
some severe health and social
consequences.
Gradual hearing loss can affect
people of all ages and depending
on the cause, it can be mild or
severe, temporary or permanent.
There are many causes of hearing
loss such as our genetics, aging,
noise exposure, medications,
illness, viruses (including COVID)
and many more. The most common
form of hearing loss is Presbiacusis
and it relates to aging.
When hearing deteriorates,
understanding speech becomes
difficult. We lose clarity, voices
become muffled, and we can begin
to muddle the beginning and ends
This is a sponsored feature
of words. We might then start to
make mistakes, get the wrong
end of the stick or ask people to
repeat themselves. It can become
difficult to hear in restaurants, work,
meetings, social situations, and
watching television. This can cause
frustration, upset and reluctance
to socialise in those ‘difficult’
environments.
If hearing loss is caught in its early
stages, there is a lot we can do to
help; the longer we ignore it, the
more difficult this becomes. Treating
hearing loss will not only help us
to hear better but it also helps
with our balance, our ability to tell
which direction sounds are coming
from, our short term memory
processing, and the real icing on the
cake - it helps to slow our hearing
deterioration which prevents
cognitive changes. We get our eyes
and teeth checked on a regular
basis to flag up any underlying
issues; we need to add hearing to
this maintenance list.
Most types of hearing loss can be
We Need You!
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making listening easier for the
brain. This will be a month’s
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wellbeing of patients using Real.
Oticon Real is the world’s first
corrected with the use of hearing
aids. But how do hearing aids work?
Hearing aids should, put simply,
help you to hear all you need, and
comfortably. We understand that
it is essential to give your brain
as much sound information as
possible in order to hear properly.
Research has demonstrated that
the brain needs access to a full
sound scene in order to focus and
hear clearly. By helping the brain to
process sound in the most natural
way, we will better help reduce the
health and life problems associated
with untreated hearing loss.
We need to do a better job of
looking after our hearing, and in
turn keep our brains and balance
healthy. It takes less than an hour to
assess your hearing health, and the
sooner a hearing loss is detected,
the better.
If you would like to arrange a free
hearing assessment, please call
our Whitchurch branch on 02920
250121.
hearing aid to give the brain the
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For all enquires, call
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the road to rhiwbina
Pantmawr Road today is a busy road and thoroughfare but its story
is rooted in ancient history. Nigel Lewis walks us back in time
By Nigel Lewis
I don’t know about you, but I’m
endlessly fascinated by our
local history, looking at old
maps, discovering who were the
local families and characters of
yesteryear, and how different life
was back then.
At Whitchurch Library, AWEN have
a Reminiscence Group, meeting
every month, for folk who simply
enjoy learning and sharing the
history of the old parish.
A mysterious cardboard box
recently turned up at the library
from the Heritage Library in
Cathays for AWEN to look at. It was
a battered box containing ‘stuff’
collected over the years, probably
the contents of forgotten shelves
36
in an old cupboard in the storage
rooms somewhere.
It contained bits of local maps, old
photographs, books, directories,
old ledgers, and more recent
press cuttings of local stories. It
would take months, probably years
to catalogue, but a real curiosity
and simply fascinating to explore.
We recently spent an enjoyable
Reminiscence session spreading
lots of the information from the box
onto six tables pushed together
with over 25 folk, just ‘digging in’!
From the box, the local directories
are a particular treasure, dating
from the earliest in 1866 until 1937.
They list all of the people living in
the parish, the householders, the
gentry and clergy, the farmers and
their families, shops and traders,
industry; and in the later directories,
the names of the local streets and
who lived there.
It’s hard enough to imagine the
area before the busy roads we have
today, the railway lines and bridges
which define the area, and the
hundreds and hundreds of houses
and bungalows everywhere.
Road names have always been
important, to understand where we
live and to negotiate what routes
we can use to pop to the shops,
or to get to the other side of the
area. In today’s Rhiwbina, we have
Heol-y-Deri, Beulah Road, Ty’n-y-
Parc Road, Pantbach and Pantmawr
Roads, plus dozens of others, the
smaller side roads and cul-de-sacs.
Pantmawr Road is a case in point,
running from the old Hollybush pub
Sketch: Nigel Lewis

on the turnpike road, eastwards
to Rhiwbina, crossing the A470 to
end at the mini-roundabout at the
bottom of Wenallt Hill. It must have
been an ancient route, with a proper
Welsh name and probably a long
(and forgotten) history.
Imagine my surprise then to
discover that the name ‘Pantmawr
Road’ was only used from the 1920
directory. Earlier directories c.1900
have a different name. It was once
called ‘Rhubina Road’, and not only
that, it was much longer. Starting at
the Hollybush, it crossed between
Whitchurch and Nant-Walla/Rhyd-
Waedlyd, past Deri Farm and all the
way up the hill to Rhiwbina Farm.
We know that Rhiwbina Farm is
probably over a thousand years old,
but the old drovers’ routes from
the north to the Hollybush and on
towards Llandaff must be even
older; I wonder how old the name of
Rhubina Road might be?
All of the local farms (now mostly
forgotten) had easy access to this
road, and in addition to the pub,
Rhubina Road had an old forge,
gentry houses, and the first nonconformist
chapel in the parish. The
route was a natural magnet for the
few houses and cottages along its
way.
Rhubina Road was probably no
more than a winding track with
verges, stone boundary walls and
hedgerows enclosing many of the
The old oak tree outside the Deri could be over 500 years old
adjacent fields. It probably had
passing places for the occasional
farm carts, and most likely, in the
dips where the track became
muddy and almost impassible in
the winter months.
What did these farm buildings and
cottages look like hundreds of years
ago? Most likely with stone-built
walls and either thatched or stonetiled
roofs, and with tiny windows.
The sketch shows how Deri Farm
might have looked like in the years
before the Tithe Map. The famous
blasted oak on the bend of the road
could itself be over 500 years old!
And of course, just to the south of
the Deri was a mill, a scattering of
isolated cottages and a meandering
stream, and an even narrower track
history
south, then called Deri Road.
So why did Rhubina Road change
its name? By the time of the 1920
directory, the railway had arrived
and the centre of the village had
moved to Beulah Corner. The main
routes were now to the south via
the improved Pantbach Road, and
Ty’n-y-Parc and Ty Wern Roads. So
perhaps the importance of Rhubina
Road had diminished.
Pantmawr was an important farm
along the way and maybe became
a waymarker instead. Perhaps the
old name was simply forgotten.
Does anyone know?
Nigel Lewis is a member of AWEN@
thelibrary (awen.cymru@gmail.com)
An aerial view of Heol-y-Coed and Whitchurch Golf
Club with Pantmawr Road to the right
37

nature
What's
that seed?
As summer fades away for another year,
here's how you can identify the different
types of trees from the seeds that lay
scattered at their feet
6 1. OAK TREE
An acorn usually contains one seed within a
leathery shell, which sits within a small cupule. It
can take anywhere between 8 to 24 months for
an acorn to mature and they rely on small animals
such as squirrels for dispersal.
8 2. SILVER BIRCH
Silver Birch is a pretty tree, often referred to as
the 'Lady of the Woods'. The seeds are dispersed
by the wind when the female catkins begin to
disintegrate. They are tiny nutlets with two wings
and can travel on the wind up to one mile from the
parent tree.
65 3. SPRUCE TREES
Spruce tree seeds grow in cones, but unlike the wider,
woodier pine cones, spruce cones have thinner scales,
which makes them more flexible. They are also longer
and thinner than pine cones, The cones protect the
seeds contained inside and open to release them when
conditions are right for germination.
6 4. HORSE CHESTNUT
With their spiky cases, and shiny, mahoganylike
seeds, the horse chestnut seeds are often
sought out by children to play conkers on the
school playgrounds. Historically, horse chestnut
seed extract was used for joint pain, bladder and
gastrointestinal problems, fever, leg cramps, and
other conditions.
38

5 5. SYCAMORE
Sycamore pods are symmetrical V-shaped wings
with rounded ends that narrow towards the seeds.
The seeds themselves are 5-10mm in diameter and
the wings grow to between 20-40mm long. You'll
often see them fluttering to the ground in graceful
pirouettes, turning upside-down to allow the
heavier seed head to be the first point of contact.
8 6. BEECH
The seeds of beech trees are referred to as 'masts',
with particularly seed-heavy years known as mast
years. The seeds are shiny brown and triangular in
cross section, almost like a wedge, with one or two
contained within each prickly husk.
65 7. HORNBEAM
The common hornbeam is a deciduous, broadleaf tree
which has pale grey, fluted bark, and sometimes a short,
twisted trunk which develops ridges as it gets older. They
can live for more than 300 years.
The green catkins in spring give rise to the small-winged
nuts in the autumn. Hornbeam seeds are small, and are
cupped and surrounded by three-lobed papery wings.
8 8. ASH
Ash seeds, also known as 'samaras' or 'keys', develop
through late summer and autumn, and hang from branches
in large bunches until they fall from the tree during the
winter. Each 'key' is around 5cm long and turns the colour
of a brown paper bag when it's ripe. They have sometimes
been pickled and eaten throughout Europe and Asia.
65 9. ELM
English elms are hermaphrodites, meaning both
male and female reproductive parts are contained
within the same flower. Flowers are dark pink to red
and hang in tassels, appearing in spring.
Once they’ve been pollinated by the wind, the
flowers develop into tiny-winged fruits, known as
'samaras', which are then dispersed by the wind.
English elms once dominated the British landscape
but its population has been ravaged by Dutch Elm
Disease since the 1960s.
6 10. HAWTHORN TREE
The hawthorn is a thorny plant that produces berry-like
fruits, which are sometimes referred to as 'haws'. Haws
are not technically berries because they contain stones,
similar to plums. The haws can be eaten raw but can cause
mild stomach upset. They are most commonly used to
make jellies, wines and ketchups. The common hawthorn
fruits have a single seed, whereas the fruits of the Midland
hawthorn variety have two seeds.
39

The Autumn
Autumn
Garden
is a time for
clearing away the
summer and preparing
for a new year ahead.
Here's an autumn
checklist for the
busy gardener
Prepare your
garden for frosts
Preparing a garden for frost
is crucial to protect delicate
plants from the harsh, cold
temperatures. To shield your
garden from frost's icy grip,
identify the expected frost date
in your area.
Prior to the frost, trim any dead
or weak branches to reduce
the plant's vulnerability. Cover
sensitive plants with frost cloths,
old bedsheets, or even plastic
sheeting to create a barrier
against the cold. Additionally,
apply a layer of mulch to
insulate the soil and retain heat.
Watering your garden before
the frost can help raise the
soil temperature and reduce
damage.
40
Clean up leaves
Raking up the leaves helps
maintain the garden's overall
health by preventing the leaves
from suffocating the grass and
plants underneath, allowing
them to receive sunlight and air.
Additionally, leaf removal can
reduce the risk of mould and
disease that thrive in damp,
decaying foliage. Lastly, a tidy
garden enhances its aesthetic
appeal and safety, minimizing
slip hazards and creating a more
inviting outdoor space.
Sow a new lawn
Sowing a new lawn in autumn
offers several advantages.
The cooler temperatures and
consistent moisture create
optimal conditions for seed
germination.
Begin by preparing the soil
through tilling and adding
compost. Select grass seed
suitable for your region's climate.
Broadcast the seed evenly and
lightly rake the soil surface.
Water thoroughly, keeping the
soil consistently moist.
The grass will establish strong
roots during the autumn,
providing a lush, healthy lawn in
the following spring.

Autumn pruning
gardens
As leaves turn vibrant hues and temperatures drop, it's the ideal time
to trim back overgrown branches and shrubs.
Pruning not only enhances the garden's aesthetics but also promotes
healthier growth in the spring. Removing dead or diseased branches
and shaping plants can prevent winter damage and encourage robust
regrowth.
Timing is key; late autumn, when plants enter dormancy, is perfect
for this essential garden maintenance.
Planting bulbs
Planting bulbs in the garden during
autumn is strategic and rewarding.
As the temperature cools, it's
the perfect time to nestle tulips,
daffodils, and crocuses into the soil.
These hardy bulbs establish roots
during the colder months, ensuring
a burst of colourful blooms in the
spring.
Remember to choose a welldraining
location and bury them
at the recommended depth for
optimal results. Come spring, your
garden will be awash in vibrant,
cheerful blossoms, welcoming the
warmer days ahead.
Planting trees and
shrubs
Planting trees and shrubs in the
garden during autumn offers
several advantages. The cooler
temperatures and increased
moisture create ideal conditions
for root development, ensuring
stronger and healthier plants in the
long run.
Autumn planting also minimises
stress on plants, giving them
a head start for the following
growing season.
Prepare your
garden pond
Start by removing debris like
fallen leaves and dead plants,
as decaying organic matter can
release harmful gasses. Consider
using a pond net or skimmer to
make this task easier. Trim and
prune any overhanging branches
to minimise leaf and debris
accumulation.
Next, invest in a pond de-icer or
aerator to maintain a hole in the
ice, ensuring oxygen exchange for
fish and other aquatic life. If you
have fish, reduce feeding as their
metabolism slows down in cold
temperatures. Finally, clean and
store your pump and filter indoors
to prevent freezing and damage.
Proper winter preparation will help
your garden pond thrive when
spring arrives.
Create leaf mould
Leaf mould is a valuable and eco-friendly
resource for gardeners. Collect fallen
leaves in the autumn when they're at
their peak. Choose a dry, well-ventilated
spot for the process.
Start by creating a leaf pile or using a
large plastic bag with some holes for
aeration. Shredding or chopping the
leaves can speed up decomposition.
Moisten the leaves and then cover
the pile with a tarp to keep them from
blowing away. Over the course of 6-12
months, microbial activity will break
down the leaves, transforming them into
a nutrient-rich humus that's excellent for
improving soil structure and moisture.
Plant evergreens
Planting evergreens in your
garden during autumn offers
numerous benefits. As the leaves
of deciduous trees fall, evergreens
provide year-round colour and
structure, lending visual interest
to your landscape. Autumn is an
ideal time to plant them, as the
soil is still warm, encouraging
root establishment before
winter. Evergreens also provide
valuable shelter for wildlife, aiding
biodiversity in your garden.
In cooler months, their dense
foliage can act as a windbreak,
reducing heat loss and protecting
more delicate plants. They also
contribute to air purification,
offering an invigorating and
calming fragrance to the garden.
41

Autumn
pies
It may be cold outside but these autumnal pies will provide you with
comfort and warmth - perfect for those cold, stormy evenings
Autumn
harvest pie
250g plain flour
3/4 tsp salt
125g Trex
4 to 6 tbsp cold water
6 large eggs
1 tin of pumpkin
250g packed brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp each ground cloves, nutmeg
and ginger
250ml evaporated milk
☐ Preheat the oven to 230C°. In
a large bowl, combine the flour
and salt; chop in the Trex until the
texture is crumbly. Gradually add
the water, tossing the mixture with a
fork until the dough forms a ball.
☐ Divide the dough in half. On
a floured surface, roll out each
portion to fit a 23 cm pie plate.
Place each crust in a plate; trim the
crust to a few centimetres beyond
the edge of the plate. Then flute the
edges.
42
☐ For the filling, beat the eggs in
a large bowl. Add the pumpkin,
brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, cloves,
nutmeg, and ginger; beat just until
the mixture is combined. Gradually
stir in the milk and then pour the
mixture into the crusts.
☐ Bake your pie for 10 minutes.
Then reduce the oven setting to
180°C; bake the pie until a knife
inserted in the centre comes out
clean, usually around 40-45 minutes
longer. Cool the pies on wire racks
for one hour.
☐ Refrigerate for at least 3 hours
before serving. Refrigerate any
leftovers that you have.
☐ You have the option to decorate
your pie, either with cream, or you
can create mini pumpkins from any
leftover pastry. Create small balls
and score the edges to do this.

Apple pie
300g plain flour, plus extra to dust
200g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
1 .4kg Bramley apples, peeled, cored and cut into 2cm
(¾in) pieces
100g caster sugar, plus extra to sprinkle (optional)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
75g sultanas (optional)
1 medium egg, beaten
double cream, to serve
☐ ☐Put the flour, 175g of the butter and a pinch of salt
into a food processor and pulse until the mixture
resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 3-4tbsp very cold
water and blend again until the pastry just about
comes together. Tip onto a work surface, bring
together and wrap in cling film. Chill for 30 minutes.
☐ Put the apple pieces into a large frying pan
together with the remaining butter, the sugar, and the
cinnamon. Cook gently for about 10 minutes until the
apples are just tender and the pan is nearly dry. Add
the sultanas if required and leave to cool completely.
☐ Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan), gas mark 6, and
place a baking sheet on the middle shelf to heat. Dust
a work surface with flour and roll out ⅔ of the pastry
and use it to line an 8 inch round x 3¾in deep spring
form cake tin. Spoon the cooled apple mixture into
the tin, level off, and then fold the excess pastry over
Blackberry pie
200g plain flour
280g icing sugar
pinch of salt
115g chilled butter cut into cubes
4 tbsp egg (1 egg and 1 egg yolk beaten together)
400g fresh blackberries
2 tbsp semolina
20g grated white chocolate
1 tsp sugar
Left over egg white and 1-2 tsp granulated or demerara
sugar
☐ ☐Put the flour, salt, sugar, and chilled butter into a
food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles
bread crumbs. Add the egg as the mixture is blending
to allow the dough to form a ball. Wrap the ball in cling
film and chill for 30 minutes.
☐ Lay out one sheet of cling film on your worktop and
recipes
the apple mixture. Roll out remaining pastry as before,
until it's larger than the base of the tin. Put the tin on
the pastry and cut round the base. Lay the pastry
circle on top of the apple mixture and press the edges
down.
☐ Cut a small cross in the middle of the lid to allow
steam to escape. Brush the top of the pie with beaten
egg and sprinkle over some sugar, if required. Put the
tin into the oven on the heated baking sheet and bake
for 35-40 minutes until the pie is golden.
put half of your pastry in the centre. Lay another sheet
of cling film over the top and roll out the pastry with
a rolling pin. When the pastry is large enough to fit
into a pastry tin, chill the pastry for a few minutes and
then remove the top layer of cling film. Turn the pastry
over and mould into the pastry tin. Chill for a few more
minutes before removing what is now the top layer
of cling film. Trim off the edges then repeat with the
second piece of pastry – keep it in the plastic and pop
it into the fridge.
☐ Take the pastry lined tin then sprinkle the semolina
over the base then add the blackberries followed by
the grated white chocolate and sugar.
☐ Heat the oven to 200 degrees fan with a baking
sheet on the middle shelf. When the oven is at
temperature, take your pie from the fridge and brush
with the left over egg white then sprinkle with the
sugar. Slide the pie onto the hot baking sheet.
☐ Bake for 25 minutes until the pie is golden brown.
Take from the oven and allow to cool down for at least
20 minutes before cutting. A slice of this pie is perfect
with vanilla ice-cream, fresh cream or custard.
43

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Autumn's
Light
Anne Hodges had been
coming to the Wenallt since
she was a youngster. It
was late afternoon as her wellies
crunched through the leaves on the
winding path. Scattered across the
forest floor were shiny conkers and
plump, pregnant berries. Broken
twigs, torn from the branches
during the great storm that had
passed through the previous week,
lay littered along the sides of the
path.
The carefree memories of summer
had now faded and the late
afternoon sunshine filtered through
the golden leaves. As Anne wound
her way through the generations
of trees, she took a big lungful of
fresh autumn air. Up ahead, her
two grandchildren were scurrying
about, leaping through the mud and
leaves.
Anne liked to reminisce as she
walked, but her thoughts were
suddenly cut short.
"Hello!" came a small voice from
behind her. Anne spun around to
see a young girl, maybe 12 years of
age, standing a few metres away
down the path. Anne recognised
her instantly. “It’s me!” called the girl.
"Oh, hello again," said Anne. "How
are you today?"
The girl began walking up the
incline towards Anne. "I'm doing just
fine. What are you up to today?"
Anne smiled. She enjoyed
chatting to the girl. She reminded
her of herself. "I'm out with the
grandchildren today," Anne replied.
"They're off school, I'm doing some
babysitting, so I thought I'd give
them some fresh air."
"It's gorgeous up here, isn't it?" said
the girl as she approached Anne.
Anne hadn't seen the girl for a
46
while. Every time she saw her, she
looked the same - a rather tall,
lanky girl with red hair like Anne's.
She wore a simple green dress and
her hair in plaits. Her large pair of
wellies rode up to her knees.
"Aren't you cold?" asked Anne.
"I don't feel the cold," replied the
girl as she arrived at Anne.
"I like coming here throughout the
year," said Anne. "It's nice to be able
to see all the different seasons and
everything changing. Do you want
to walk with me?"
"That'd be lovely," said the girl. "I
promise not to go on about boys
this time though."
Anne chuckled. "You can talk
about whatever you want. I love
being reminded about what you've
been up to. My memory's not what
it used to be!"
The pair began walking, their
feet crunching the bronze leaves
underfoot. The amber autumn sun
carved through the trees and lit the
path in front of them.
Up ahead, just off the forest
path, Anne's grandchildren were
exploring the forest bed.
"What are their names?" asked the
girl.
"Violet and Barney," said Anne.
"Lovely names."
"They're good kids. I remember
doing the exact same thing up here
when I was their age."
The girl smiled. "Yes. Me too. I
was up here with Mum...". The girl
stopped smiling and looked down
at the forest floor. She went quiet
and Anne felt something wasn't
quite right.
"Are you OK?" asked Anne.
"I'm fine."
Anne stopped in her tracks and
looked at the girl. She was still
looking at the floor.
"What's up?"
"Nothing. I'm fine."
Anna sighed. "I know that face. I've
seen it before. What's bothering
you?"
The girl looked up at Anne.
"Promise not to tell anyone?"
"Of course."
"It's Mum. I'm worried about her."
"What are you worried about?"
"Since Dad's gone, she's been
trying to be both parents. She's
trying to work and look after us
and there's no one helping her.
I'm worried for her." The girl's gaze
wandered into the forest.
Anne smiled a tight smile. "I
understand. It must be hard."
"She gets so stressed, trying to do
it all. And sometimes it feels that
she doesn't have the time to be her
true self."
"Look at me," Anne ordered gently.
The girl looked back at Anne.
Anne smiled a wide smile.
"Everything's going to be OK. I know
it doesn't look like it right now, but I
promise you, it'll all be OK."
The girl didn't look convinced.
Anne continued.
"Do you remember when I was
going through a bad patch and
you once told me that everything
was going to be OK? Do you
remember?"
The girl nodded.
"Well. Look at me now. Here
I am, able to walk through the
woods with my two beautiful
grandchildren."
Their moment was broken by a call
up ahead.
"Nan! Come on! Who are you
talking to?" called Barney. Violet
stood next to him, both waiting for
Anne's response.

short story
Anne looked at the girl and smiled.
"He's such a character," she said to
the girl. "They both are!"
"Nan!" called Barney again.
"I'm coming now," reassured Anne.
Barney stood there for a few
moments, looking back at his
grandmother. He finally gave
up, shrugged his shoulders to
Violet, turned, and continued his
exploration on the forest floor.
Anne and the girl set off again
behind the children.
"Do you remember that time when
we saw fairies here?" asked the girl.
"Oh yes!" said Anne. "How could I
forget that? They weren't far from
here, were they?"
The girl pointed to a dense
gathering of trees far into the forest.
"Yes. I think they were over there
somewhere. Do you still believe in
them?"
"Of course!" beamed Anne. "Just
because I'm older, doesn't mean
that I don't believe."
"Would you still like to be my age?"
asked the girl.
"I'm not sure. In many ways, it was
easier at your age. But I've met a lot
of incredible people, done some
amazing things, and made lots of
wonderful memories along the way.
You've got a lot to look forward to."
"That's lovely," said the girl.
"Do you know what the strange
thing is?" continued Anne. "A
different version of you exists in the
minds of everyone you'll ever meet
or interact with. Unfortunately, that
version is sometimes not the best
version. Sometimes, that's just the
legacy we leave. And sometimes,
we need to accept that and do
better. We could disappear in an
instant and that version of yourself
is the one that people will be left
with. Do your best every day and
don't waste time beating yourself
up about your mistakes. We all
make them. We learn nothing from
success - just the failures."
The girl smiled. "Thank you." The
pair walked on in silence for a
while before the girl posed another
question for Anne.
"Do you have any regrets?"
"Only that I avoided being my
authentic self for so long," replied
Anne. "I did what everyone
expected of me. I always remember
Aunty Joan persistently asking
whether I had a boyfriend or
whether I was getting married. She
kept asking me but do you know
what? It was none of her bloody
business what I was doing with my
life!
"You can't change the people
around you but you can change
the people around you," Anne
concluded. The girl pondered
over that for a moment before its
meaning dawned on her.
"Yes. I like that. I'll try and
remember that."
Evening was falling and the colder
air seeped through to Anne's skin.
She zipped her big coat up to her
chin.
"I'd better go," said Anne. "The kids
have raced ahead. I'll lose them at
this rate and it’ll be dark soon. I've
got a nice beef joint cooking in the
oven for when we get home. The
kids love that."
"That's OK. It's been nice catching
up with you," replied the girl. "I'll
head back this way," she said, and
began walking back down the path
where they had come from. "Maybe
we'll catch up again at some point
soon?" said the girl, stopping to say
goodbye.
"That'd be nice. I enjoy our little
chats. Before you go," said Anne, "I
want you to know that you'll be OK.
There will be tough times, of course.
Life isn't meant to be easy. But you'll
do just fine. When life does get
tough, just remember that every
storm passes. There will be those
who just want to take from you. Free
yourself from those people. You'll
find yourself a wonderful husband,
you'll have some amazing children
- and then, one day, you'll end up
with these." Anne pointed to Barney
and Violet, far off in the distance.
Up ahead on the forest track, a
large twig in his hand, Barney had
stopped and was looking back at
his grandmother. She was standing
entirely alone, looking way down
the darkening forest path behind
her.
"Come on Nan. Who are you
talking to? There's no one even
there!" he called, his words
bouncing off the trees and
evaporating into the cool evening
air.
Anne cast one last lingering look
at the girl. It was like looking at a
younger version of herself. In many
ways, it was.
"I kept telling you everything would
be OK in the end, didn't I?" called
the girl as she walked off.
Anne smiled, and then nodded.
"Yes. You did. I should have
listened to you."
Anne turned back to her
grandchildren to answer Barney's
question. She smiled.
"Just talking to myself," she mused.
By Patric Morgan
47

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