CARDIFF TIMES - MAY 2024

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Llys Cyncoed care home, Cyncoed Dementia Friends event

During this friendly and interactive session you’ll learn more about dementia, how it can affect individuals, and what you can do to help people living with dementia in your community. Book your free space at one of the below events and become an Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Friend:

Tuesday 7th May at 11am

Thursday 9th May at 3pm

Wednesday 22nd May at 3pm

Tuesday 28th May at 11am

Llys Herbert care home, Lisvane

Typical signs of ageing or dementia

Thursday 23rd May, 2pm - 4pm

Listen to dementia specialist Linda Dawes discuss typical signs of ageing and how symptoms differ from dementia, and give guidance on how to live well with dementia.

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My top sporting moments

Inspired by the forthcoming Paris Olympics and Paralympics I thought I’d get ahead of the crowd and write about some of my favourite sporting moments. I need to make one thing crystal clear from the get-go; I am not referring to great moments in sport that have involved me. That would be a very short list indeed. It wouldn’t even be a list; it just wouldn’t be. I did win a couple of amateur chess tournaments back in the day but they don’t even feature in my own top ten, let alone more glorified Goat lists (GOAT: Greatest of All Time). Here we go then, in no particular order.

I have Parkinson’s Disease and that fact means I can appreciate all the more what this man achieved. The memory though is of an event that long preceded my own battle with Parky’s. The sportsman involved was Muhammad Ali. Boxing is not to everyone’s taste, but it demands courage, coordination, strength, speed and skill. Ali was no saint. But from the time he won the 1960 Olympic Heavyweight Championship he refused to let events dictate to him but caught a hold of his own destiny. He fought the draft, went to prison, fought and beat the greatest generation of Heavyweights in some of the most punishing fights ever seen. He appeared on the Michael Parkinson BBC talk show and showed that his brain and his tongue were as fast as his hands and feet. (He got the better of Parky for the first time!)

Lighting the Olympic Flame, Atlanta Games, 19 July 1996. “And look it’s Muhammad Ali” said Barry Davies commentating for the BBC as Ali took hold of the Olympic torch, his arms shaking with Parkinson’s, lit the final lantern and saw the

by Wyn Evans

flame shoot through the air and light the cauldron. The crowd gave an audible gasp then a cheer as they saw who it was. Then you could sense the reaction to his shakes: ‘Would he drop it?’. The bathos would be too much to bear. People across the world held their breath. Needless to say Ali beat Parky’s for the second time. And, for those with the knowledge and memory to recall, this great black man was performing this task in, of all places, Atlanta, Georgia, which had been razed to the ground as part of the U.S. Civil War in November 1864. One hundred years later Atlanta was home to the fight for civil rights. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference was formed in Atlanta in 1957. Led by Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph David Abernathy, they SCLC trained communities in the philosophy of nonviolent civil disobedience and organized voter registration drives(1).

For sports fans of my vintage one of the very greatest athletes was Cuba’s long-legged Alberto Juantorena. He is the only athlete to win both the 400 and 800m Olympic titles, which he achieved in 1976 and, from memory, I believe he won something like 118 successive races. His 400m triumph was (un?!)lucky enough to be immortalised by the BBC’s Ron Pickering, commentating: “And there goes Juantorena down the back straight, opening his legs and showing his class”(2).

The BBC’s Test Match Special (TMS) has been bringing the very best of cricket to our radios since 1957, when ball-by-ball commentary was introduced. There have been too many great cricket matches and individual performances for me to pick one (though if I had to pick one it would be Botham’s Ashes), so I think I’ll highlight a great moment from TMS which stopped the country in its tracks. Of course, I’m referring to Brian Johnson and Jonathan Agnew corpsing as they reacted to Ian Botham getting himself out by failing to step over the wicket, knocking the bails off his stumps. Aggers pithily noted that “he just couldn’t get his leg over”. Corpsing is a no-no for any professional broadcaster, so listeners are faced with the two commentators trying hard to get back on the straight and narrow whilst narrowly failing (“oh do stop it Aggers”, giggles Johnson). It’s infectious stuff and I can only advise you to key in the address (3) to your browser and hear it for yourself. (Incidentally, I hate to debunk a treasured ‘memory’ but there is no record of Johnson or any other member of the TMS team using the immortal line ’the bowler’s Holding the batsman’s Willey’(4).

My next favourite sporting moments are rugby related. Both are so much a part of rugby culture that, surely, for the first, all I need do is type [9:3](5) for it to be clear that it refers to that peerless rugby nation, Llanelli, beating the rugby nation that wears all black. And for the second, all I need do is cite the commentary “…brilliant! Oh that’s brilliant…a dramatic start…what a score!”(6) and you’ll know I’m talking about that game and that try!

No list of favourite sporting moments could omit Usain Bolt and he gave us so much to marvel at. Who can forget the archer pose at the end, the smiling chats with race officials, the evident joy he exuded at his own prowess. I am going to choose his 100 metre gold in 9.69 seconds at the Beijing Olympics, won in world record time whilst slowing down. Remarkable.

I’m going to close with Lloyd Martin. ‘Who’s he?’. Well, he is the youngest person with Down Syndrome to complete the London Marathon earning himself a Guinness World Records title in the process. He also gave an interview to Good Morning Britain during which he said he hoped to become a role model for others. Writing as someone who has a daughter with Down Syndrome I remember when The Girl was born being given an exhaustive list of all the things we should expect her never to be able to do. I do blame the clinicians who were of this stripe as they should have known better. In recent years, however, charities like the Down Syndrome Association, DSUK, Positive about Down Syndrome, 21 Plus and many others have taken the initiative in showing just how talented and able people with Down Syndrome are. That’s why Lloyd’s world record in the London marathon is up there with my favourite sporting moments.

Footnote

1.https://discoveratlanta.com/things-to-do/history/civil-rights/ 2.https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Opening_His_ Legs_and_Showing_His_Class.html?id=HMecpwAACAAJ&redir_esc=y

3.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49UC1VM1Txk&ab_ channel=DMMORDECAI

4.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0a-FOoM9ms&ab_ channel=iDiotFilms

5.Llanelli 9: Seland Newydd 3 (1972) https://youtu.be/ R0Kv9FXqs1k

6.Barbarians 23: New Zealand 11, 27.01.1973

7.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-urnlaJpOA&ab_channel=Olympics

Credit: A Richards Photography

‘And Another Thing...’ Coincidences?

by Vince Nolan

As you English scholars will know, a coincidence is a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection. Well, how about these for very recent causal connections. She Who Must Be Obeyed and I were in the West Country for the weekend (I know, I spoil that Woman). We found ourselves in Bude and I decided I needed a haircut, so I walked into a barbers and was suitably coiffured by a top barber guy who hailed from Auckland, New Zealand. He had married a Welsh girl and they decided that Cornwall was to be home for them. He told us he was about to go to Wales to buy a dog (bred within a few short miles of Chateau Nolan). What were the chances of that? Well, it got stranger. We repaired to a pub in Appledore and were sat by two couples, one from Ledbury and the other from Cirencester. Strangely we were in Ledbury the previous week as the centre picture testifies and in Cirencester the week before that as the picture on the right confirms. Coincidences?

The Asian takeaway in Bude (pictured above) was tres amusing. We did not go in of course, our bodies being temples, but check out the name, phonetically. Very clever. The sharp-eyed amongst you will also have noticed that The Leader of the Opposition is in picture three. If you look very carefully she is also reflected at the bottom of the glass door in picture one. She is in picture two as well but was ensconced in the Tudor timbered toilet on the left. I just cannot seem to shake her off.

So anyway, coincidences: Two old guys are pushing their shopping trolleys around ASDA (other supermarkets are available). The first guy bumps into the second guy accidentally. “Sorry about that he says. I’m looking for my wife and I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.” The second guy says: “That’s OK, it’s a coincidence. I’m looking for my wife too. I can’t find her and I’m getting a little desperate.” The first says: “Well, maybe I can help you find her. What does she look like?” The second guy says, ‘Well, she is 27 years old, tall, with blond hair, blue eyes,

have questionable morels?

will no longer be slapping each other as their routines unless they are given dispensation by our First Minister.

out the City hotels. The concerts were then cancelled and we found a City centre hotel £80, hurrah! However, the fickle finger

ones from the Taff Vale) and asked them whether they fancied having a free beer for the afternoon. Fearing some kind of honey trap, they took that my offer was genuine. Cautiously, they agreed to join us. Picture the scene, 5pm on a sunny weekday evening at the side entrance to the Brewery on

deer who has lost both accident? No eye deer. when Trump dies, I will give “He is today how he was as President……….wearing make-up and lying in front

(meaty urologist, oh please yourselves).

long legs, and is wearing short shorts. What does your wife look like?” To which the first guy says: “Doesn’t matter, let’s look for yours.”

this in a local pub on their specials board: Love Local and champion local farms fisheries.” All very laudable but the first on their menu was Mediterranean Olives. Overheard in the same pub: “Every time we here we come here.” You don’t say.

intervened and cancelled the office lunch leaving us to wander lonely as some clouds around the Castle and its outdoor bar facilities until frostbite got the better of us and forced us back to a hotel we did not need. Much fun, but quickly found out that there is a limit to how much mulled wine one can drink before falling over.

tiny mistake and your whole post is urined.

was executed after the Supreme Court ruled he could turn it down if he wanted to. No pleasing some folk.

have not been directly observed but theoretical predictions based on their existence have been confirmed experimentally.” Oh please! And as for mesons and baryons, we could be here all night.

news and the others would butt in with constant interruptions and a stream of “furious debate.” With this in mind I have collated some quality put-downs which comics have used to deal with modern day hecklers:

Continuing the rope theme: Soap on a rope Pope on a rope

Out shopping once again and I noticed that our local supermarket was exchanging old novels for certain root vegetables. They call the scheme A Turnip for the Books (sorry).

with Mark Dacey (on the leS) who is the dynamic CEO of Colleges. It does not need me to suggest the uncanny Tomlinson or vice versa. dates before but a recent trip to my local supermarket perishables that would make the following Monday. In fact I would make it to the car for the journey home. What is going EU supply issues? Closer inspec@on of the packaging and veg like Tanzania and Argen@na. So these climes, picked, packaged, taken to the port or airport, then delivered to the shops and put on the shelves with Tomlinson

pensioners who could barely stand were seen hanging onto a lamppost, for support, rather

How long have you had arthritis?” “I don’t have arthritis, Father,” the drunk said, “but just read in the paper that the Pope does.”

“What size of shoe does your mouth take?”

land lightly and stare in at us). I had a particularly difficult deceased fly to remove whose stubbornness in death had probably far outweighed its stubbornness in life. I used the screen washers, an ice-scraper, washing up liquid, a kitchen scourer and a small knife all to no avail. Just my luck to encounter the only bionic fly in the world. However, on closer inspection it became clear to me that it was on the inside of the glass and not the outside. Old age does not come on its

time it tried to other three shops I really and and sausage had enough of home school highlight of the it’s serious, excitement. phrase we 18th Century straight was and weft). Of the related call her Dr Dr R who We recently was pinned.

brewery got on a bus and sat

The world has taken a strange twist – at least the parts I seem to occupy. I have been reading about a proposal for the 2027 Rugby World Cup which will prevent any team in red shirts and green shirts playing each other because colour blind people often struggle to distinguish between the two. Not criticising them of course but this would affect Wales, Canada, Ireland, Tonga, Russia, South Africa and Japan. This had me in mind of that quote from BBC snooker commentator Ted Lowe who famously said during one of his commentaries: “And for those of you who are watching in black and white, the pink is next to the green.”

Wine every day all month!

drunk's shirt was stained, his face was full of bright red lipstick and he had a halfempty bottle of wine sticking out of his pocket. He opened his newspaper and started of minutes later, he asked the priest, "Father, what causes arthritis?" by loose living, being with cheap, wicked women, too much alcohol, and fellow man," the priest replied. "Imagine that," the drunk muttered. He reading his paper. The priest, thinking about what he had said, turned to the apologised: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come on so strong. How long have you had have arthritis, Father," the drunk said, "but I just read in the paper that

“Hello.”

drink, there has always been attached to wine. Indeed, living from it, but I am making a the lockdowns. I’m giving up all month. No wait, that’s not Wine every day all month!

on a first date. “Do you like “Yes, but you don’t pronounce Ok.” Looks at waiter: “Two and Ammy.”

door. Live Radio outdone we note: “Please

the son of a good friend a urology for his Dad’s the heart to say eulogy meant. Anyway, here is (he was affectionately because of his likeness leader), involved a trip play France. We year relationship with played them home and international weekends. On (Mike’s first), we did it in the bus to Dover, ferry crossing was sitting next to him. At Customs Officer came onto hold up your passports along and count them and and said “I didn’t know and I haven’t got one.” I words to that effect. Then, in a World War 2 prisoner of war ducked down into the footwell his coat and mine on top of move, whilst we were both uncontrollably. The Customs the count, missed Mike

“This is what comes from drinking on an empty head.”

Staying with the drink, there has always been much snobbery attached to wine. Indeed, people make a living from it, but I am making a stand because of the lockdowns. I’m giving up wine, every day, month. No wait, that’s not it. I’m giving up.

“I know where you were when they were handing the brains out………getting an extra helping of mouth.”

Two people out on a first date. “Do you like Merlot Tammy?” “Yes, but you don’t pronounce the “t.” “Oh, Ok.” Looks at waiter: “Two Merlots for me and Ammy.”

I once owned one of the chewed pencils which Shakespeare used to write his famous works. He used to chew on it so much that I couldn’t tell whether it was 2B or not 2B. Staying with the Bard, in days gone by, in order to attract women, I used to use this quote from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Act III, Scene IV, line 82:

Argush.” One assumes she meant Argus. found in South East Asia. I suppose there I recently spied an emergency locksmith driving about in a converted ambulance. Still had the blue lights although he is not allowed to use them of course but what a top repurposing idea I thought. Staying with clever marketing I saw a van with Ivanhoe written on the side. No, not Sir Walter Scott’s eponymous hero but a mobile gardener. In related matters I read of someone who had lived a tough life and was described as “Not having had an easy row to hoe” which is a nice way of putting it.

I was at the hairdressers the other day for my January scalping when the Jimmy Nail song “Ain’t No Doubt - She’s Lying” came on the wireless. Totally unscripted, we, the masked singers in the chairs and our masked stylists all started to sway and sing to the music in a scene reminiscent from The Full Monty when they all started dancing in the queue at the job centre. Fortunately all sharp implements were downed for a few short minutes and then without further comment, just like in a musical, everybody went back to their day job like nothing had happened. Lockdown has a lot to answer for but that was very funny.

The Leader of the Opposition and I were sitting in our socially distanced local, The Funky Furlough, when a lady close by to us asked the Bar Manager if the toilets were still upstairs. He of course confirmed that they were but I thought this to be a very stupid question. I would have said something like: “I don’t know when madam was last with us but we moved them out to the car park many months ago as a direct consequence of Covid19.” Perhaps this is why I do not run a pub.

“Do you know, if you wore soundproof trousers one would hear a word you’re saying.”

recent WalesOnline article bizarrely claimed GPs were working 40 months an hour overtime. I have no doubt they are ridiculously stretched at present, but 40 months an hour? over three years an hour. The only way this would be to time travel so maybe were referring to Dr Who. In my world this be like driving at 40 hours a mile which be quite slow but not unlike trying to negotiate the recent traffic carnage in Cardiff Centre as they impose bike lanes on the us.

has trained her dog Daisy to bring her a bottle of red wine. No surprise Bordeaux collie. I was sat with She Who Must Be Obeyed the other day whilst ensure that we had properly warmed up since we didn’t want to pull any drinking Unfortunately, only six of us turned up and a minimum of ten were required or the off. I engaged four old-timers who were in the bar (could have been the aforementioned ones from the Taff Vale) and asked them whether they fancied having a tour and free beer for the afternoon. Fearing some kind of honey trap, they took convincing that my offer was genuine. Cautiously, they agreed to join us. Picture the scene, 5pm on a sunny weekday evening at the side entrance to the Brewery on Caroline Street where four pensioners who could barely stand were seen hanging onto a lamppost, for support, rather than illumination. An afternoon they would never…… remember.

Recent crossword clue: “Brush under the carpet 5 and 4.” The answer was “gloss over.” Picture the poor student trying to learn English. Student – try it in a German accent: “If I understand zis correctly, in ze first place you are brushing benease your carpet and zen you add shiny paint over it. You British!”

sell-buy dates before supermarket on a Friday that would make the some doubt whether the journey home. nothing to do with EU inspection of the packaging fruit and veg like these comestibles picked, packaged, distributed around UK the shops and put on the sell-buy date. It skill to supply goods spare. Waste levels doing some research manufactured in the UK. The small sample: Pringles Colman’s English Chocolate Orange Parliament) Sauce (The knock.” “Who’s there?” who?” “I had no idea my tolerance as it used to

minimum of ten were required or off. I engaged four old-timers the bar (could have been the aforementioned ones from the Taff Vale) them whether they fancied brewery tour and free beer for the Fearing some kind of honey trap, some convincing that my offer was Cautiously, they agreed to join us. scene, 5pm on a sunny weekday side entrance to the Brewery Street where four pensioners barely stand were seen hanging lamppost, for support, rather than An afternoon they would remember. smelled like a brewery got sat down next to a priest. shirt was stained, his face bright red lipstick and he had bottle of wine sticking out of

Interesting lyric we heard on the wireless the other day: “Sports bra and a Maserati car.” Who would have thought of that combination? Apparently many have including a poet called Dave Cox whom I have just “discovered”. Intellectual property rules prevent me quoting any of his work here but I encourage you to look him up. A real comedy genius and hugely refreshing.

one day leS on the sell-buy date. It takes an inordinate amount of skill to in-@me” with 24 hours to spare. Waste levels must be astronomical. Staying with food, I have been doing some research into what is no longer the UK. The list is endless but here is a small sample: Pringles (Belgium), Colman’s English Mustard ( Germany), Terrys Chocolate Orange (France) Parliament) Sauce (The Netherlands). Staggering.

“Is that your real face or are you still celebrating Halloween?”

I see the 20 mph debate rears its ugly head once more. According to one newspaper report this has cost me and you some £34m to date or £11 per head for everyone in Wales, hurrah. If you are ever caught speeding try this for a defence: “We’re rotating on the Earth’s axis at 750 mph and revolving around the Sun at 67,000 mph, moreover we’re moving, in relation to other galaxies, at 490,000 mph. So my question is Your Honour, in the strictest meaning of the word ‘speeding’, are we not all in a sense guilty?” Alternatively, it may be safer to take your own legal advice.

The Leader of The Opposition and I were listening to Michael Ball on the wireless. He was interviewing Donny Osmond who had been appearing in panto at the London Palladium. Donny was speaking about a former acting mentor of his who told him the following: “Theatre is the only place where you can dream in public. Your job as an actor is to deliver that dream” which we thought was rather good. Oh yes it is.

“Your bus leaves in 10 minutes... Be under it.”

“I need you like Van Gogh needed stereo.”

A wife sent her husband a romantic text message. She wrote: “If you are sleeping, send me your dreams. If you are laughing, send me your smile. If you are eating, send me a bite. If you are drinking, send me a sip. If you are crying, send me your tears. I love you.” Her husband texted back: “ I’m in the toilet, please advise.”

Our friend Dr H has trained her dog Daisy to bring her a bottle of red wine. No surprise really, she’s a Bordeaux collie. I was sat with She Who Must Be Obeyed the other day whilst she sipped a glass of wine and she said, “I love you so much, you know. I don’t know how I could ever live without you.” I said, “Is that you or the wine talking?” She said, “It’s me talking to the wine.”

“Well, it’s a night out for him.. and a night off for family.”

Here’s one for you: “Knock knock.” “Who’s there?” “LiKle old lady.” “LiKle “I had no idea you could yodel.”

I was reading about a court case where the accused was described as “having murderous intent.” I was quite disappointed to learn that this had nothing to do with camping.

Sainted Mother-In-Law was looking for car insurance now that her stunt driving days are managed to find a reasonable policy, it out and paid for it. She in turn kindly reimbursed me with this immortal covering “Thank you, the Monet is in the bank.” I course countered this with “There was really need to give me a priceless impressionist painting but thank you anyway.”

Staying with word games, I completed a word puzzle on my phone and I correctly guessed that the word they were looking for was Hadron as in the Hadron Collider. Having no clue what this was really all about I decided look it up. I wish I hadront bovvered (see what I did there): “Any member of a class of subatomic particles that are built from quarks and thus react through the agency of the strong force. The hadrons embrace mesons, baryons and their many resonances.” Trouble then wanted to know what a quark was.

Thanks to my cousin Lawrence for this joke. What do you call a Frenchman wearing sandals? Phillipe Flop! Quickly followed by a poem what I writ:

Roses can be red, Violets are purple. Just saying.

“Why should I laugh?’ asked the old man. ‘Madness in youth is true wisdom. Go, young man, follow your dream, and if you do not find the happiness that you seek, at any rate you will have had the happiness of seeking it.” Good stuff again from Scottish poet and novelist Andrew Lang.

Finally, sad news, my friend David has lost his ID. Now he is just Dav.

A drunk who smelled like a brewery got on a bus and sat down next to a priest. The drunk's shirt was stained, his face was full of bright red lipstick and he had a halfempty bottle of wine sticking out of his pocket. He opened his newspaper and started couple of minutes later, he asked the priest, "Father, what causes arthritis?" caused by loose living, being with cheap, wicked women, too much alcohol, and for your fellow man," the priest replied. "Imagine that," the drunk muttered. He reading his paper. The priest, thinking about what he had said, turned to the apologised: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come on so strong. How long have you had "I don't have arthritis, Father," the drunk said, "but I just read in the paper that does."

I walked into our local bar, The Moaning Monet saw Van Gogh sitting at the end on a bar stool. shouted “Hey Vince do you want a drink?”

I have also been reading Bob Mortimer’s autobiography which I also strongly recommend. Funny, poignant and very clever, but enough about me. In it he recalls a tale about having chronic flatulence as a child which was both embarrassing and at times very painful. During one particular attack he went to the Doctors who managed to “release the pressure” for him. He quotes the Doctor as saying: “Better an empty house than a noisy tenant” which I thought was very good. Presumably this was in the days before the Doctors were working 40 months an hour.

I am a man of a certain age so my tolerance threshold does work as well par@cularly when being asked to embrace new technology. I was therefore She Who Must Be Obeyed suggested I download a new app called What3Words. naviga@on aid which divides the World into 3 metre squares and gives each combina@on of three words. I s@ll drive about a lot for business, believe assured that this system would be much more accurate than using our sat the first @me the other day and the unique three word loca@on I was looking Are Lost!” Design fault or user error?

Adios Amigos

Finally, a top bathroom tip: Never leave your pile ointment next to your toothpaste!

Happy New Year Dear Reader, the Year of the Ox. Apparently this year is going to be lucky with the Ox representing diligence, persistence and honesty. Not for going to be Trump’s year then is it?

Finally, a blessing for the drink: God, in his goodness, sent the grapes, to cheer both great and small. Little fools will drink too much and great fools none at all. My round.

He shouted back: “No thanks, I’ve already got ear.”

Hasta la Vista Amigos

Hasta la Vista.

With all this travelling around the country, it is perhaps inevitable that our windscreen attracts many flying creatures which become rapidly dead as they hit the glass at 70 mph (or 20 mph where they

Hasta La Vista Chums

Yamas Chums

have observed when people type

MUSIC FOR YOUR MIND

PRINCIPALITY

ROOFTOP ADVENTURE

The groundbreaking partnership between Principality Stadium and aerial adventure experts Wire & Sky will transform Cardiff’s skyline, attracting an even broader audience to the world-renowned must-visit venue, celebrating the legendary home of Welsh rugby.

SCALE blends adrenaline-fuelled activities with panoramic views across South Wales and beyond. From taking in a bird’s-eye view from the newly installed ‘Crow’s Nest’, 60m above the Stadium floor, to zip lining across the roof canopy and abseiling back to ‘Base Camp’, visitors are invited to test courage and conviction against the backdrop of Wales’ vibrant capital.

“We are thrilled to announce the opening of SCALE in line with Principality Stadium’s 25-year anniversary. Our rooftop attraction in the heart of Wales merges the excitement of adventure sports with the rich heritage of our iconic stadium,” said Welsh Rugby Union CEO Abi Tierney.

“This new attraction showcases the beauty of Cardiff and our world-class venue from a unique vantage point,” said SCALE General Manger, Claire Jenkins

Public bookings for SCALE are now live. Adrenaline junkies can book the climb and, for those feeling daring, choose to add on the ZIP and DROP at the point of booking.

“Having developed rooftop adventures on a number of iconic venues including Anfield Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, we’re delighted to expand our offering to the Welsh capital and allow the public to see Cardiff from a totally new perspective,” said Andy Broad, Managing Director of Wire & Sky.

Choose a climb-only route and bolt on the zip and drop at point of booking. Alternative climbs will run when the stadium bowl is in use for events.

For more information and to book your adventure, visit scalethestadium.wales

SCALE PRICES:

Climb - £44

Climb & Drop - £59

Climb & Zip - £74

Climb, Zip, Drop - £89

UP THE CLEDDAU AND INTO THE HEART OF THE COUNTY

by Sara John

A Journey back in time

This month I have chosen to write a “travelogue” if I can be that grand about a wonderful day out my husband and I enjoyed some years ago when we lived in Pembrokeshire. Travelling by road was always enjoyable, locals knew the ‘Timetable’ for the best times to do so, carefully avoiding the ‘milking hours’ twice a day and heavy rain (the ditches at the sides of the roads were shallow and full of pine cones, leaves, and hedge-cuttings, and therefore liable to flood in stormy weather).

If you have not yet discovered the exceptional beaches, great walks, first class seafood and friendly locals then I would recommend setting aside a few days to do your own exploring and if possible fit in a trip up the Cleddau. You may well then become smitten, especially by Pembrokeshire. If you are able, plan a “midweek weekend’’ then peruse a local road map and grab a welcome guide that would have been prepared with you in mind! And set off.

A brief word of warning. Driving into Pembroke town one hot day I was surprised to see a number of stationary vehicles ahead of me. Jumping out of the car to see what the holdup was about I heard loud and cross sounding mooing. The cows were being moved, they did not want to move and did not see the point of it or understand what purpose it would serve. One of the cows had a clever idea, “follow me” she mooed to her chums, and she turned sharp right to trundle down the line of, by now hot parked cars and their travelers. She swiftly selected a very full car of assorted ages who had (foolishly) opened all their windows. Mrs

Cow, I did not know her first name and you might not appreciate that all newly born cows are christened by the farmer and blessed with a nice name by the daughter of the house when they are very small. Frequently the name will be a traditional Welsh name such as Gwenllian, Angharad or Morfydd. Mrs Cow managed to get her head in through one of the open windows. She did not enjoy a Welsh welcome but in fact was frightened off with a loud panic-stricken female screaming. The moral to this tangent? If livestock are being dealt with stay out of the way. If you meet cows in a field on your explorations give them a very wide berth. They can cause serious injury, after all you are invading their home space.

On a fine and sunny day in July some years ago thirty Friends of the Pembrokeshire National Park set off on one of Mrs Potter’s Excellent Expeditions, as it would have been called in earlier times. It was a wonderful trip, we travelled in a flotilla of boats, sailing down the Haven under the bridge, rather than driving over it, then back up the Cleddau estuary to see the “other side” of the ancient settlements on its banks. It was truly an opportunity to explore the busy waterway that was once the main access into Haverfordwest.

Haverfordwest or Haver Fjord (meaning a corn inlet) was first used by a group of Viking Pirates who settled in the region in the 8th century. It lies at the highest navigable point on the Western Cleddau. Haverfordwest like so many busy quays on the waterway, such as the smaller settlements of Hook and Lawrenny, were victims when the bulk of the sea trade was killed off with the coming and subsequent rapid expansion of the railways, in 1853.

Our journey began at Neyland, where the grand statue of Mr Brunel (by Rhondda sculptor Robert Thomas) stands as a tribute to his attempt to create an embarkation point to the U.S.A. Our journey then continued with a detour, down the estuary, towards the open Irish Sea. Afterwards we turned around and then sailed up the Cleddau in the direction of Haverfordwest. Sliding silently past Lawrenny, Llangwm and Hook, so much gentler travelling on the water than on a tarred hard road. I began to wonder if the view from this “other” dimension could also be extended back in time, into the past.

In earlier times the estuary would have been packed with shipping carrying cargoes of oysters, coal, limestone, and, with ferries weaving their way across the estuary. There would have been people on pleasure boats like ourselves and important visitors arriving by boat at the large waterside estates.

We passed fairytale medieval Benton Castle, perched on its promontory on the steep cliffs of the western bank. Described in a letter to Edward LLwyd in 1693 as, “Benton Castle formerly said to be haunted, upon which account seldom visited, where they say the Devil would often appear in the shape of a black mastiff dog, and sometimes lie by the fire,

but mostly in the vault or the cellar, to guard some hidden treasure there”.

A little further on we were reminded, by our Captain, that industry had come early to the Cleddau Estuary with coal mining around the Land shipping area offering employment to miners from the seventeenth century. Land shipping is one of the earliest areas which shipped out coal and culm in barges and small sailing vessels, output was said to have reached ten thousand tons a year by the early years of the nineteenth century. As one would expect, Land shipping Colliery was the biggest in the county in terms of manpower. It is claimed that the Garden Pit, as it was known, close to Land shipping Quay was sixty metres deep. Forty lives were lost there in a disaster in 1844, some authorities suggest it was the first great national coal disaster.

In the past, vessels travelling downstream with their cargoes of coal and culm would pass the boats coming upstream bringing shop goods, limestone, fertilizer, and timber to the area.

The river carried smal, black-tarred rowing boats, used for ‘compass’ fishing which can still be seen today. Previously, barges and brigs, ferries, small and large sloops, schooners, and ketch boats all went about their business on this busy vital waterway.

On the eastern bank, a little further on and back in the present, the outline of Coed Canlas came into view. A property well established when Henry Tudor returned from France to lay his claim to the throne of England and the rallying place for his supporters from that part

of Pembrokeshire. The property now being renovated – again – it boasts walls that are nine feet thick, and it was large enough in the seventeenth century to attract taxation for “ten hearths”. The house was rebuilt on the old foundations in 1718.

Three miles south of Haverfordwest on the eastern bank of the estuary, the old ruins of the ancient mansion of Boulston could be seen, a considerable property that was three stories high and with thirteen hearths and extensive cellars. It passed to family members who were resident in Norfolk and was abandoned as a residence in 1715. Set further back on the high ground is Boulston Manor, built in 1797 by Major Dudley Acland, and still a family home.

Christopher Webbe, Gent, staying at the Havens, St Brides from 1880 to 1881 wrote a series of letters to his friend Humphrey Holdfast of Great Yarmouth which were subsequently published. These are interesting for his curiosity, detailed comments, and the fact that nothing had been noted in print of the parishes of Pembrokeshire since Fenton’s book circa 1810.

Especially interesting are his notes on what he calls ‘Langum Women’. He writes, “Fisherwomen, wearing short petticoats and jackets sometimes, pea-jackets, or “my man’s jacket”, as they would inform you if you asked them, a style of dress which leaves them free and unencumbered for travelling, as they call ‘walking’, bearing on their backs panniers frequently full of fish for sale. He goes on, “burdens of fish and oysters going from door to

door. Their husbands are kept under strict petticoat government, and you would hear a man described familiarly as ‘Jenny Palmer’s man’. It has sometimes happened that a man being asked his name, would, without any idea of fun, reply, - “Jenny Morgans by my own name but Jenny Thomas by my wife.” Their normal term of endearment is, “My honey.” A contemporary painting of one of these “Langum Women” is on permanent display in Tenby Museum. Webbe’s writing brings them back to life.

Following his description of the estuary that was our playground, just for a day, Webbe ends with these words, “Of this river a long account ought to be written, but I feel I lack the powers of description to qualify me for the task: at all events at present, we must let it go by”.

The group certainly enjoyed the trip in the (then) present day, and for some of us, also back in time.

I cannot recommend these little-known parts of West Wales more highly as inner (or landward) Pembrokeshire is often ignored by visitors in favour of the wonderful coastline. The air is clear and fresh, history abounds, there are lots of ancient buildings, ruins, and castles to see and glorious views of undulating countryside in myriad shades of green.

If this article has whetted your appetite, then make enquiries with local tourism outlets regarding the availability of trips on the Cleddau estuary.

Cardiff M.A.D.E Gallery

The Associates present Rub & Roll 26 April - 1st June 2024

The culmination of 4 months of exploratory printmaking using non- toxic techniques - above and below the plate surface, with a core group of 5 exhibiting artists; including mentors Sarah Garvey, Lisa Chappell alongside the participant artists Bella Kerr, Kate Shooter and Eleanor Whiteman.

After 4 months, these artists have worked alongside each other learning how to take an image apart and reconstruct it. Starting with a poem, they established the foundations of their visual quest. Through adding, separating, etching, scoring into plates, they have watched with frustration and wonder how exploring mark marking through the application of a process can engineer access to more than just the surface.

Printmaking has involved excavations, additions, fixing the illusory, to explore through the very process the ability to touch a private inner space and somehow articulate that, on the paper - a transference of elements which form a version of the tale.

They have absorbed and learnt collagraph (adding to and taking away of the surface) using drawing as incision, painted mark and areas which interact with the inking uo, a whole new process.

The aim set by Sarah, was for each artist to make an edition of one image; the ability to commit and repeat, an exercise in what printmaking can by definition fulfill, and a test of skill.

The show will highlight the original artist printing plates, and exploratory one-off prints, alongside the selected and curated highlights within the display.

Through the stages of the journey, it is hoped to inform and reveal the journey that each have taken in arriving at this point.

Eleanor Whiteman, engaged with landscape, talks of the project in a language that mirrors geological process; of attrition, deep shifts and moving away from the literal to an imagined play of landscapes which exist in the memory of place framed by deep time.

‘This process of disassembling and reassembling felt intimidating yet intuitive and in retrospect represents the larger ideas of landscape I’ve been seeking to explore. The images became more about formal relationship, pattern, form, and colour; observed and remembered.’

For Bella, the plate surface became a stage where marks worked like rolling presences playing out their energies despite the grid which sought to anchor or measure. For her a chance to explore the intensity of drawing, the text acting as players: “testing thoughts and gathering in stray threads from past work.”

For Kate, the uncompromising aspect of print-making techniques, allow a freedom to “Provide the quiet scaffolding for ideas to take flight.” Also, providing “a greater appreciation of my own personal landscape of mark making.”

For Sarah Garvey, the lead artist and mentor of the group, she was able to reflect on her own ambitions within image making, particularly the cross overs between her paintings and what each process brings; hinged on the relationship of a figure within described spatial locators, windows, tables, beds within the home, and being on the edge or above this; hovering on the point of disintegration.

‘This felt like a lived idea, since becoming a mother but also an adult, I struggle to maintain physical and mental integrity. My body edges/boundaries are semipermeable.’

As an observer and gatherer of the thoughts and imagery each of the associates have moved along during the short space as associate maker / artists, I am certain that each artist has been challenged and held by the process, to swim out further than they thought possible, gaining a new view of their position relative to the shore.

Both Associates projects have been supported through the CREATE programme fund through the Arts Council of Wales.

In The Words Of by

Carl Marsh

May 2024

I hope all is well and this dismal weather isn’t getting you all down in the dumps! Summer is soon upon us; it is… surely, it must be!

Last month, I reviewed the new album by The Libertines, and I’m glad that my belief in its ability to go to number one in the album charts would happen. And it did. I do hope some of you got to listen to it.

I love doing my interviews, yet sometimes, lastminute spanners get thrown into the works. I have three for you this month.

Regarding the one chat I’m omitting this month, it’s because the gig has already sold out! I’ll hold it back till the summer, as the comedian [Laura Smyth] is at the Glee in September.

TV REVIEW

Fallout - Amazon Prime Video

This is quite a rarity; I’ve watched a TV series based on a popular video game I’ve never played! I saw the trailer a while back, and if I’m brutally honest, I wasn’t impressed as I thought it would be some mediocre show like previous offerings by Amazon Prime Video such as ‘The Wheel of Time’, ‘The Rings of Power’ and ‘Tales from the Loop’. I found these all to be box-ticking garbage with poor actors and story writing. If you catch my drift, I thought they’d all been recent Disney shows! I decided to watch ‘Fallout’ on a whim, and I am so glad I did. It reminded me of the Paul Verhoeven classics, ‘Total Recall’, ‘Robocop’ and ‘Starship Troopers’; I don’t mean in the storyline, but in how it’s gung-ho and does not take itself too seriously.

Starring Kyle MacLachlan, Walton Goggins, Ella Purnell and many more quality actors, this is addictive viewing. Brace yourself in for a bingewatching session. It’s what I did!

FILM REVIEW

American Fiction - Amazon Prime Video

Jointly satire and drama, it tells the story of Thelonious Monk” Ellison, a somewhat frustrated writer whose books don’t sell well, yet the ones that do sell profit on offensive and historical tropes from “Black” entertainment. “Monk” writes an outlandish “Black” book under a pen name to annoy those at his publishers - and his agent - and it backfires.

Jeffrey Wright plays “Monk” so well that he got an Oscar nomination for this role. In all fairness, Wright excels in this role much more than he’s done before. This is also Cord Jefferson’s directorial debut - he wrote it, too. As a director, I hope he’s given the freedom to work on future projects like he has with this one. It’s for a film that shouldn’t have worked out as well as it has. It has. The only minor gripe I have is with that ending. It stays with you, but… just watch it.

Enjoy May! Carl Marsh

Interview with Michael Franzese

Words by Carl Marsh

When you’re sitting in front of a screen awaiting your interview with an ex-Mafia boss, you don’t mind that he’s a few minutes late! Michael Franzese apologises for his lateness, which is caused by computer issues. Since leaving prison, he’s turned his life around and continues to deter people from a life that he once had. He can be considered an inspiration by putting his new family before his old family and walking away from that life, even if he needed to watch his back for years!

Carl Marsh

I’ve read that you only gave up the lifestyle in the Mafia due to meeting your future wife. Was it that instant a decision?

Michael Franzese

Well, you know, it was a combination of two things. As you probably know, I was a major law enforcement target back then. I had 18 arrests. I had five criminal trials. I had, you know, three racketeering cases. So they really wanted me, and what I noticed in the early to mid-80s, when the racketeering laws came into effect, the government was using them very effectively. Guys were getting convicted and going away for 100 years, 70 years, 50 years. And, you know, I was the youngest of these guys, and I said, “They’re gonna give me 200 years”. That was number one. Number two was that I also saw many guys becoming informants. So, I knew this life was really in trouble. And at the same time, I met my wife, and I’ve always said “that” life is just horrible for families. Families get destroyed all the time, including my own, not my wife and kids, but my mother, father, brothers and sisters. As I said, I met this young girl and fell in love with her. But am I going to marry her and put her through the same thing that every other [Mafia] family goes through? So, it was

a combination of those two issues happening at the same time, and I decided I gotta walk away. I got to try to get out of this. But at the same token, I didn’t want to hurt anybody. I wasn’t looking to join the government. They put a lot of pressure on me, but that’s not what I wanted. So it was it was a tough time.

Carl Marsh

Your father didn’t take it well; he’d signed off on a hit to take you out. Did you even speak to him about it before, during or after?

Michael Franzese

I told him I was going to walk away; he didn’t quite get that and didn’t understand how that would happen. And nor did I know. There’s no blueprint for trying to do that. He wasn’t happy because he thought something was going wrong with my son. Is he going to hurt people? But I told him that’s not my goal, and I don’t want to do that, and I’m looking to hurt anybody. I’m just looking to preserve our lives here. So, he was upset for a while. You know, we didn’t actually speak person-to-person for about ten years. Because of the government they were really putting pressure on me and putting my name on the witness list of other cases that were coming up like I was going to be testifying, but then I never showed up. So, people started to see something wrong in that scenario that I wasn’t really cooperating. There was a lot that went on. It took time for people to understand that I had walked away, which was bad, and you can’t do that, you know; my boss was very upset. So was my dad, but I’m not hurting anybody. So you know, that was a 10-12 year process of making that happen.

‘The Re Made Man TourThe Michael Franzese Story’ Tuesday, May 14th, The Globe Cardiff

Interview with David Emanuel

Regarding UK fashion designers, none could come close to having the most viewed piece of clothing on the planet. I’m talking about Princess Diana’s wedding dress! Porthcawl bornand-bred David Emanuel now finds himself - and his new collection - back at Bonmarché, this being his second venture with them. I chatted with David via video link before he went to the Cardiff store premier of his new collection, but I had to ask him about Princess Diana.

Carl Marsh

When you - and your former wife - were designing the wedding dress, how did you deal with all that press interference?

David Emanuel

With great difficulty! Before news had gotten out that we were designing the dress, life was easy and quiet, and our workplace was calm. But… once our names were linked to the dress, it was as if we were the most watched premises in the World!

Words by Carl Marsh

I remember in some newspapers that they were making presumptions about the dress’s colour or design. And I knew the reporters searched through our rubbish bins a few times daily. So, to have some fun, I used to cut up some old bits of fabric in a different colour from the actual real dress to see which newspaper would ‘guess’ the colour! [Laughs]

Carl Marsh

That sounds like something that she would have appreciated! Didn’t she call you on that wedding day thanking you for all you had done?

David Emanuel

Yes, she did. It was later that afternoon, just as I was about to lock up the studio in Mayfair. I very nearly didn’t answer it, but it was Diana! She had to tell me that she and Prince Charles loved it, and the whole family did. And all I kept saying to her was, “You should be going off on your honeymoon!”. For her to do that on perhaps the most important day of her life just showed the lady that she was.

Please visit Bonmarché in Cardiff for the David Emanuel Collection.

It’s not very often in these filtered-down comedy times on terrestrial TV that I find anything funny. Yet, with Mammoth on BBC Two/BBC iPlayer, I laughed out loud quite a bit. If you don’t know, Mike Bubbins plays ‘Tony Mammoth’, a PE teacher from the 1970s who was frozen in ice while on a school skiing trip, who is discovered in the present day and becomes a PE teacher now. I chatted with Mike via Zoom video.

Carl Marsh

Some of us grew up watching comedies from the 1970s/80s that wouldn’t get commissioned today. Yet, I know you want to make this comedy show play on a few traits from a bygone era, but it’s a very fine line with comedy today.

Mike Bubbins

Very fine. The thing that I’m most pleased about with it… and obviously I’m biased, is that I think we’ve tread that line spot on because if you take away all the controversial stuff that he [Tony Mammoth] might say, all the outdated ideas that he has, then you haven’t got a fish out of water comedy. You’ve just got a bloke in

a tracksuit. But by the same token, he’s got to do the wrong things for the right reason. He’s the sort of person that would open the door for a woman but wouldn’t pinch her bum on the way through. It’s getting that balancing act of him having those sensibilities whilst not getting stuff.

It’s not that he disapproves of things like in the scene with Mali Ann Rees [‘Lucy Manford’] when he finds out she’s in a same-sex relationship and she’s got a girlfriend. He doesn’t know how to react. He only knows one lesbian, as it wasn’t as public as it is now. So, all he knows is Billie Jean King. And whenever he talks to her, he talks about Billie Jean King, and she keeps saying, “Stop talking about Billie Jean King!”. But he’s trying to say, “You’re a mate, and I get it. I accept you”. Yet, that’s his only point of reference. [Laughs]

All three episodes of Mammoth are now available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Interview with Mike Bubbins Words by Carl Marsh

For that early morning cuppa.

For when ‘7 across’ has you stumped.

For peace. For quiet.

For when a custard cream tickles your fancy.

For a hand to hold when it all feels too much.

For when you fall in love, again.

For that fit of giggles after a serious chat. For “namaste”.

For that homely feeling, even though you just moved in.

For every moment, we’re here.

CHRISTOPHER McEWEN

by Ralph Oates

Second part of interview with Christopher McEwen. Chairman of Pembroke Dock Amateur Boxing club.

Ralph Oates

Who is your favourite female boxer?

Christopher McEwen

I have two, the first being Christy Martin the Coal Miner’s Daughter. The first woman to be on a ppv boxing card. This event took place on the 16 March 1996 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was on the same promotion which saw Mike Tyson regain the WBC world heavy-weight title from Frank Bruno by way of a three-round stoppage. Christy went through so much with her trainer, she is an incredible tough woman with a granite jaw and thunder in her two hands. Christy was inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame in 2016 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2020.The second being Hannah Rankin who grew up on a farm in the middle of nowhere in Scotland. She held down three jobs so she could get through university doing music.

Hannah then took up white collar boxing in her twenties before turning profession-al, thus not having the support that an amateur boxer would have when, going through the ranks. Winning two world titles hence creating history in Scotland. She is just an incredible boxer.

Ralph Oates

Who do you feel in the history of boxing is the best world heavyweight champion?

Christopher McEwen

Mike Tyson the youngest man to win the world heavyweight title at the age of 20 years, 4 months and 23 days. Tyson took the WBC crown from holder Trevor Berbick stopping him in round 2 at the Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas on the 22 November 1986. It was a sensational victory for Tyson.

Ralph Oates

What was the best world heavyweight title you have seen?

Christopher McEwen

The Mike Tyson v Michael Spinks contest which took place on the 27 June 1988 at the Conven-tion Hall in Atlantic City. Tyson successfully defended his world heavyweight titles, IBF, WBA, and WBC against Spinks knocking him out in round 1. It was felt prior to the fight that Spinks would give Tyson a tough night.

Ralph Oates

Who now do you feel has the potential to become a future boxing star in the UK?

Christopher McEwen

Fabio Wardley who at the time of this interview is the British and Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion, Adam Azim the European super-lightweight title holder, Ellie Scotney who holds the IBF world super-bantamweight title, Lauren Price the British welterweight champion, Ben Whittaker who is going to reach title status in the near future and Caroline Dubois who holds the IBO lightweight crown and looks capable of winning further titles. I think there is some exciting talent in the UK.

There’s a big change happening in boxing and it’s really going to be exciting watching it unfold.

Ralph Oates

At the moment there are four major professional world boxing organisations WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO. Do you feel boxing would be better having just one organisation? Or do you see an ad-vantage with their four.

Christopher McEwen

I would say just leave it as it is with the four major organisations.

Ralph Oates

What changes would you like to see in boxing amateur and professional?

Christopher McEwen

I am hoping that World Boxing will take over from AIBA. World Boxing has all the changes that all of us have been asking for some considerable time. So, if World Boxing becomes the lead in boxing regarding the amateur code, then we are in for an exciting future of boxing. A change is clearly coming.

Ralph Oates

Do you have a favourite boxing film?

Christopher McEwen

The Hurricane the 1999 movie which starred Denzel Washington who gave an outstanding performance as Rubin Carter.

Ralph Oates

Apart from boxing which other sports are you involved in?

Christopher McEwen

I used to teach football; I trained my sons football team. I just love all sports.

Ralph Oates

Do you have any hobbies?

Christopher McEwen

I was a chef in the armed forces. I carried on in this capacity when on civvy street. If I am not teaching boxing I love being in the kitchen. I love food and bringing people together.

Ralph Oates

What is the best advice you have ever been given?

Christopher McEwen

Always be humble and always be kind. When I was in the RAF my SGT at the time was Les Hotson who said, ‘look around and watch people, if they are doing something good copy them’. Watch others always learn to be the best version of yourself. I take that advice with me in everything I do. He also said faint heartedly ‘never poke a Bengal Tiger with a pointy stick’. Also, ‘you can’t soar like an eagle if you fly with Turkeys’. In his own words just surround yourself with good people. He really had a lot of sayings.

Ralph Oates

What are your future ambitions?

Christopher McEwen

The growth of our boxing club, plus more community projects. Supporting more clubs to be inclusive. There is a future for inclusion boxing and to be able to be involved with World Boxing. BBC Iplayer hidden disabilities, has two streaming documentaries which I am involved with and hopefully still being part of Hannah Rankin’s team.

Ralph Oates

Have you been happy with what you have achieved so far?

Christopher McEwen

Yes, I am. The past year has been a very good one. At the start of 2023 I had the honour of being invited to 10 Downing Street to discuss inclusion Boxing. I later went to Brazil and Tanzania to teach inclusion. I also won a Veterans award for my work in the community. Then I won the Pem-brokeshire volunteer award for my work in the community. Teaching inclusion boxing to the largest Disability school in Pembrokeshire. I am Just about to start in the star college the of largest Disability college in Britain. I was also involved in a BBC DOCUMENTARY hidden disabilities. Just about to do another two with two large streaming services. I also walked Hannah Rankin into the ring for her title fight on the magnificent 7 fight night on TNT. I am a very lucky man.

Christopher is a man who through boxing is doing a great deal of good to help others and should be highly commended.

Cardiff Times wish Christopher the very best with his endeavours in the future.

With more than 35 different traders under one roof it is easy to while away an entire afternoon at this welcoming destination - you can even enjoy a coffee at the onsite coffee shop.

Here at The Pumping Station you will find so many wonderful examples of clothing, jewellery, antiques, furniture and home furnishings from the Victorian era right through to modern day, there really is something here for everyone.

Social care initiative Two Generations Homeshare has appointed Rob Rinder as its first celebrity ambassador

The world champion boxer, Mohammad Ali once said that “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth”. With the cost-of-living crisis in full flow and purses feeling the strain, imagine if you could replace rent with a small support fee and help someone with good deeds around the home!

Well, thanks to the innovative organisation ‘Two Generations’ you may be able to do just that!

‘Two Generations’ work with single people of all abilities, ages, and genders to join forces to improve the lives of others to help tackle loneliness.

‘Two generations’ offer a unique service to pair up: -

•People who pay a support fee in place of rent (paid by the sharer) and have a small amount of time every week to offer support to someone in need.

•With someone (usually with disabilities or an older person) who has a spare room and would benefit from the companionship, skills, or security of having someone living with them.

Why does this scheme exist?

As a houseowner you may benefit from having someone there overnight for company, having someone to share a meal with or play a game of cards. You might need help to do small household

By Natalie McCulloch

chores like mowing the lawn or helping with cleaning.

As a house sharer you may benefit from the social aspect of living with someone else, the feelings of satisfaction from helping others as well as the financial relief of paying approximately £300 PCM.

It is important to note that this differs from having/ being a professional carer. Professional carers can do personal care/medications etc. whereas ‘Two generations’ home sharers are about companionship and support with a few household chores thrown in too!

Safety and suitability of both parties play an essential part of this house share scheme which is where “Two Generations” service overseeing the matching of people, is crucial.

They oversee a range of checks for suitability and safety with both house sharers and homeowners to ensure everyone is, and feels, safe and that they are benefitting from the service.

Two generations believe that money shouldn’t be a barrier to a homeshare so please don’t let financial status be a barrier.

Contact them, in confidence, to discuss potential options open to you.

contact@twogenerations.co.uk 03333 447738

https://twogenerations.co.uk/contact www.Livetwogether.com

High quality care in Cardiff

At Care UK’s Llys Cyncoed and Llys Herbert care homes in Cardiff, we’ll support you to continue living your life the way you choose while delivering award-winning care in a place you can call home.

Our highly trained teams are experts in providing high quality care, from residential and dementia care, to short term care.

A lifestyle tailored to you

At our homes our teams are passionate about supporting you to enjoy a fulfilling life. We’ll learn all about your interests and preferences so we can create a fully personalised lifestyle plan that you’ll enjoy whether it’s gardening, cheese and wine socials, or playing chess.

Everything under one roof

Llys Cyncoed and Llys Herbert offer luxurious facilities, including cafés, hair salons, cinemas and beautiful landscaped gardens.

Our chef-led kitchen teams are passionate about providing high-quality food using fresh, local produce, and there’s always a choice of nutritious and delicious dishes at every meal.

Hear what relatives have to say

We recognise the importance of friends and family staying involved in their loved one’s care and lifestyle plan, and our regular relative meetings are a popular opportunity to ask questions and share any feedback.

Trust us to care

At Care UK, we’ve been delivering high-quality, person-centred care for over 40 years. We pride ourselves on the transparency of our care quality and fee information – ensuring you can trust us to care from that very first step of your journey with us.

To find out more about Llys Cyncoed please call 0330 822 6781 or email elisabeth.may@ careuk.com

To find out more about Llys Herbert please call 0330 822 6781 or email jenny.ashton@careuk. com

Llys Herbert care home Ty-Draw Road, Lisvane, Cardiff, Glamorgan CF14 0AW careuk.com/cardiff

Llys Cyncoed care home

127 Cyncoed Road, Cyncoed, Cardiff, Glamorgan CF23 6AF

100+ hands-on exhibits

Live science shows

Star Tours

KLA Lab workshops

OPEN 10am – 5pm every weekend & throughout the May half-term holiday

Stratospheric Fun at Techniquest

There’s a lot going on at Techniquest this month and if you’re planning to visit over the early May Bank Holiday weekend you’ll be in for a treat that’s out of this world…

Our World from Space runs from Saturday 4 to Monday 6 May and includes Star Tours in the Planetarium, live science show Technispace: Blast Off in the Science Theatre, and the chance to craft your own mini satellite prototype in an exclusive hands-on workshop in the KLA Lab. There’s also a special 3D film being shown in the Planetarium called We The Guardians that uses satellite images of the earth to show the impacts of climate change, and a 3D film experience from Astro Cymru in the Learning Hub, where guests can ask a real life astronomer questions at the end.

Later in the month, the half-term holiday features live science show Bubbles and

Blasts, alongside Cosmetic Chemistry workshops for anyone aged 9 or over in the KLA Lab.

So, as well as enjoying the 100+ hands-on exhibits at the iconic science discovery centre, visitors can add any of those activities to their entry tickets when booking ahead online - which is definitely recommended as spaces fill up quickly!

To find out more and to book tickets visit techniquest.org.

The Cost of Kindness

By Kamalagita Hughes

I worked in the towns of Greater Manchester for 10 years. Many were ex-mining communities where people loved rugby, had workman’s clubs and male voice choirs. They reminded me of my home – the Rhondda Valley.

The brutal murder of Brianna Ghey, the teenager who died in Warrington last year, showed the worst that can happen in any community and why kindness is so important. Esther Ghey, Brianna’s mother, has launched a campaign called Peace in Mind, which has fundraised for local schools to receive mindfulness training for staff and pupils in order to grow kindness, resilience, and empathy. Esther’s campaign has moved and inspired me.

I was a pupil at Treorchy Comprehensive School (TCS) in the 1980s. Back then it was a place where you didn’t want to stick out because differences wouldn’t be tolerated. You can imagine my delight when I read that the school was taking fifty children to the Pride March in London as a celebration of LGBTQ+ in 2022.

I’m now a Mindfulness Coach working with school heads, staff and pupils to improve

mental health and the author of The Mindful Teacher’s Handbook: How to step out of busyness and find peace. Mindfulness is the faculty of being present, so you can find calm, re-focus and take a step back from everything that’s happening. I’ve taught mindfulness to hundreds of teachers across the country. The Rhondda still has a tangible sense of community, but it suffers all the problems that go with being a post-industrial area: poverty, lack of jobs and prospects, and the fear and hopelessness this can bring. I wanted to give something back to the community I love, so with a group of local heads, I embarked on an ambitious project to introduce mindfulness into schools.

I spoke to Jennifer Ford, Head of Treorchy Comprehensive School, and asked what had attracted her to getting involved in this project:

“It started with the new Curriculum for Wales and the fact that we had an expanded scope of Health and Wellbeing on the curriculum.” In Wales, we have a word – Cynefin – which means something like connection and belonging. “You can feel the Cynefin as you drive into the Rhondda Valley, but with the opportunity of a new curriculum, I wanted to

make changes. It made me reflect on what it meant to belong and challenged me to think boldly about how to implement this,” Jennifer told me.

Before Treorchy, Jennifer was head of a school in Swansea and brought in an empathy programme, based on science, in which the pupils explored empathy-rich texts. “It’s that powerful concept of walking in another’s shoes. How do children do this when perhaps they have a limited understanding of diversity and difference? It’s something we need to teach.” Now the Treorchy schools cluster is an empathy cluster, and they collaborate closely, prioritising this work. “We’ve all seen worse behaviour, including online behaviour, since the pandemic,” she says. “The lockdown meant that children lost out on structure and social interaction in formative years.“

So how does mindfulness fit in?

“We need to give pupils the chance to pause, take stock and process their emotions and impulses or the potential actions they are taking,” Jennifer explains, “We need to teach them how to respond rather than react.”

This isn’t a quick win. It needs time and resources. To start with, I worked with the Treorchy cluster heads, using a mindfulness programme endorsed by the National Academy of Education Leaders in Wales. This gave the heads a solid understanding of what mindfulness was and how to use it, but also gave them a safe space where they could explore the challenges they faced and how to process them. Then I ran mindfulness courses for three groups of teachers and teaching assistants from across the secondary and primary clusters. Evidence shows that teachers ‘create the weather’ in the classroom – the way they act establishes the atmosphere in the room. Studies show that teachers who practice mindfulness create calmer and more focused learning environments and pupils are more comfortable with sharing their true thoughts and feelings. One teacher commented at the

end of the course, “My approach is calmer and more restorative. I’m not reacting to children and situations in a stressed and annoyed way anymore.” Another teacher commented, “Mindfulness has shown me that we can help children be in the right frame of mind to learn and be happy.”

The next step is training the staff to pass on mindfulness skills to the pupils. “We can do this because we’ve got the time available in the curriculum,” says Jennifer. Sustainability is key and of course, there is resistance. “This is a case of winning hearts and minds,” Jennifer says; but she is determined to achieve it. “There’s a lot of fear in society at the moment but staff, parents and pupils need to understand that mindfulness and empathy aren’t light and fluffy.”

The Rhondda still has so much to offer. By making sure that we teach future generations about the importance of mindfulness and valuing kindness, I believe we pass on the qualities at the heart of any true community.

Kamalagita Hughes is a Schools Mindfulness Coach based in South Wales and author of The Mindful Teacher’s Handbook: How to step out of busyness and find peace.

https://www.crownhouse.co.uk/the-mindful-teachers-handbook. Find her on Twitter/X: @kamalagita and on Instagram: @kamalagitalotus.

Jennifer Ford is a Headteacher at Treorchy Comprehensive School. Find them on Twitter/X: @TreorchyComp.

Dysgwch iaith newydd dros

yr haf

Byddwn yn darparu amrywiaeth o ddosbarthiadau sgwrsio yr haf hwn, gan gynnwys:

Ffrangeg

Eidaleg ◗ Sbaeneg

Chinese

Wcreineg

Mae ein cyrsiau byr, dwys a diddorol yn cael eu haddysgu gan diwtoriaid sy'n siaradwyr brodorol, ac mae’r cyrsiau yn amrywio o lefelau dechreuwyr i uwch.

Cymerwch ran yn ein cystadleuaeth i ennill

lle am ddim ar gwrs.

Mae'r telerau a'r amodau llawn i'w gweld ar ein gwefan.

www.cardiff.ac.uk/learn/summer-languages

Ffôn: 029 2087 0000

We will be providing a variety of conversation classes this summer, including:

French

Italian

Spanish

Chinese

Ukrainian

Our short, intensive and enjoyable courses are taught by native-speaking tutors and range from beginners to advanced.

Enter our competition to win a free course.

Details and terms and conditions are on our website.

www.cardiff.ac.uk/learn/summer-languages

Telephone: 029 2087 0000

Beth am ddysgu iaith yr haf hwn?

Mae Dysgu Gydol Oes ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd yn cynnig cyrsiau iaith dwys ym mis Mehefin a mis Gorffennaf i roi hwb i’ch sgiliau sgwrsio.

Byddwn yn cynnal dosbarthiadau wyneb yn wyneb yn y Dsieinëeg, Ffrangeg, Eidaleg, Sbaeneg ac Wcreineg* dros wythnos neu bythefnos a fydd yn cael eu harwain gan diwtor arbenigol sy'n siaradwr brodorol, a hynny mewn ystafell ddosbarth groesawgar, llawn anogaeth.

Bob blwyddyn rydym yn cael adborth cadarnhaol gan ein myfyrwyr iaith “Rydw i wedi bod wrth fy modd â’r Ffrangeg ers ei hastudio ar gyfer lefel ‘A’ ddiwedd y 1960au. Ro’n i’n cymryd yn ganiataol fy mod yn weddol rugl yn yr iaith o hyd, ond tua chwe blynedd yn ôl, fe fu’n rhaid imi gydnabod bod safon fy iaith heb fod fel yr oedd yn arfer bod. Felly fy benderfynais i chwilio i weld sut y gallai Prifysgol Caerdydd fod o gymorth i mi. Wedi i mi fod ar sawl cwrs, a dau ymweliad â Nantes ar y rhaglen cyfnewid ar gyfer oedolion, sydd yn rhaglen na allaf ei chanmol ddigon, rwy’n hapus yn siarad yn agored yn y dosbarth unwaith eto.

Maggie Smales

I ddathlu, rydym yn lansio cystadleuaeth a gallwch ennill cwrs am ddim. I ymgeisio, mae angen i chi gwblhau arolwg byr iawn sydd ar gael ar ein gwefan, ac mae’r telerau ac amodau ar gael yno hefyd.

Gallwch ymrestru ar-lein. Rydym yn edrych ymlaen at eich croesawu chi, a’r unig beth sydd ei angen arnoch yw eich diddordeb mewn iaith a’r brwdfrydedd i’w dysgu gydag eraill.

*Bydd y cwrs Wcreineg yn cael ei gyflwyno ar-lein.

https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/cy/part-time-courses-for-adults

029 2087 0000

Learn a language this summer

Lifelong Learning at Cardiff University are providing intensive language courses this June and July to accelerate your language conversation skills.

We will be running Chinese, French, Italian, Spanish and Ukrainian in-person* classes over one or two weeks which will be led by an expert native-speaking tutor in a welcoming and encouraging classroom.

Every year we receive positive feedback from our language students ‘“I have always loved French since I studied it at ‘A’ level in the late 1960s. I took it for granted that I could maintain a level of fluency, but about six years ago, I had to acknowledge that standards were slipping. So I looked to the university to rescue me. Several courses later, and two visits to Nantes on the adult exchange programme, which I can’t praise too highly, I am once again happy to speak out in class.”

Maggie Smales

To celebrate, we are launching a competition for you to win a free course. To enter you need to complete a very short survey which is available on our website where terms and conditions can also be found.

You can enrol online. We look forward to welcoming you and believe all you need is an interest in a language and the enthusiasm to learn it with others.

*Ukrainian will be delivered as an online course.

www.cardiff.ac.uk/learn/summer-languages

029 2087 0000

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Showroom Open: Monday - Friday 8am - 6pm

CARDIFF/CAERPHILLY: 02920 508770 | SWANSEA: 01792 359244 NEATH PORT TALBOT: 01639 607426 | MOBILE/TEXT: 07939 479561

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