Cardiff Times August 2021

AUGUST 2021

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CARDIFF TIMES

PUBLISHER Cardiff Times

EDITOR Louise Denning 07903 947594 FEATURES EDITOR Mark Denning 07758 247194 SALES & MARKETING Beth beth@cardiff-times.co.uk CONTRIBUTORS Wyn Evans, Vince Nolan, Sara John, Molly Dutton, Carl Marsh, Michael Fogg, Kellie Williams, Natalie McCulloch, Ralph Oates, Howard Oates

EDITORS LETTER

Welcome Hi All, and welcome to our August issue.

The school holidays are now upon us, and to be honest we haven’t seen much of our two children so far as they have been on holiday with our family or out with their friends! As they get older it becomes easier to manage them in school holidays as they are getting more independent and don’t need entertaining 24/7.

July was a bit of a scorcher weather wise, lets hope we see plenty more sunshine this month, especially as we are going on holiday in the UK soon!

It was lovely to read our children’s end of year school reports last month, considering the disruptions to their schooling over the past year they are both doing very well. What was most pleasing to read was that they both have a positive attitude to school, are polite and helpful, and try their best in most subjects - I don’t know where they get these traits from!

We have our usual interesting and hugely varied mix of articles this month, including a very topical article on judo by Howard Oates, brother of our regular contributor Ralph. With the Olympic Games now in full swing, this article is perfect in explaining what it takes to become a judo player, and how it can inspire the next generation.

Finally, please can you support Mark in his new business venture, MD Pressure Cleaning (see advert inside the magazine). If you need your driveway, patio, decking or any brickwork cleaned, then please give him a call, he is very keen to make this a success so any kind of support would be much appreciated.

EDITORIAL 029 2046 3028 ADVERTISING 07903 947594 EMAIL info@cardiff-times.co.uk WEB www.cardiff-times.co.uk

Please continue to stay safe everyone, and until next month, happy reading.

Louise & Mark

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Who’d be a teenager right now?! byWyn Evans I’m writing this on 23rd July 2021.

My dad died, aged eighty-four, on 23rd July 2012. It was cancer that did for him in the end. Those who pointed out to me that the feelings of loss would lessen with time were quite correct. I still miss the old fella but feel the intensity of his absence less (if you’ll permit me to measure loss or absence by means of an intensity scale).

Instead of the anniversary of dad’s passing reminding me of all the things I miss about him, I’ve been thinking that perhaps there was a blessing in his going when he did.

Had he lived to see this Covid 19 pandemic maybe he would have been afflicted by an extended stay in ICU before effective vaccines had been developed; I can barely imagine his feelings had not his nearest and dearest been able to hold his hand. Or perhaps he would have been locked up in a care home to which hospital patients had been discharged without establishing if they were covid-positive or not. Or maybe he would have been one of those thousands of people with other conditions, such as cancer, that have not been identified early enough for effective treatment, because our NHS isn’t set up to deal with more than one significant challenge at a time?

As it is, I remember a loving, complex, kind, and flawed human being who is daily missed by his kids and family. My daughter, The Girl, who has Down Syndrome, made me laugh this morning.

She’d caught me looking at the picture of my dad holding her (it is reproduced alongside this article). She is fifteen now and was six when he died. “Aah dad, there’s your dad, my taid [grand-dad], holding me! See, I’ve got him filed in my childhood memories”, at which she taps her skull knowingly and gives me a grin, adding “I know you miss him”. This leads me to count my blessings; dad and The Girl had six years together and her memories are good ones.

With The Girl around it is impossible to dwell on stuff for too long; she is always moving on to the next activity, and where she leads so The Boss and I follow, invariably tidying the destruction that follows our daughter around like a whirlwind.

Today she is wearing a circus of colours, an eclectic

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gallimaufry of styles. It’s week one of the school summer holidays and she has determined upon a new rite of passage: spending as many lunchtimes as possible at Coffee Plus on Rhyd-y-Penau Road. “A cheese and ham panini please; a chocolate muffin and an orange juice carton,” she says. (I’ve withheld the inevitable chocolateon-the-chops picture to spare milady’s blushes!)

Next week, the marvellous Miss Emily will be holding two ballet lessons for the Grade 6 examination classes. Last week, the class gave an end of term concert for parents. (I shall not post a photo or video link as there were other girls involved.) But if you could have seen the joy on The Girl’s face; she didn’t stop grinning from beginning to end. It makes all us parents so very proud to see our growing girls in their costumes with their hair done up in ballet buns. In our mind’s eyes, we recall the gawky ducklings they were during their first-ever classes while, in front of us, are these elegant swans they’ve become.

Later that same evening The Boss was getting The Girl started on her daily dose of Doodle maths, at which The Girl shouted at her mum and told her to go away. The Boss replied that she wasn’t going to be shouted at and told The Girl that she was being rude.

An hour or so later our daughter went up to her mum: “can I tell you something please?”, “yes”, “I’m sorry that I shouted and was rude mum”. I love watching our teenager as she learns to self-regulate and attend to others’ feelings.

We draw up a list of tasks that need doing over the summer for the new school term. There are the seemingly obligatory changes to gym kit and uniforms, but these are minor distractions this year. The big issue facing us, the epistemological elephant in the room, is whether The Girl’s upcoming Year 11 at Cardiff High School will mark the end of her school days. School-related options for Years 12 and 13 remain a possibility, but the most likely scenario is that The Girl will complete Year 11 and then move on to Cardiff and Vale College. Where did the time go? All should become

clearer following the Annual Review meetings in the Autumn, which will make decisions and agree to the relevant transition plans. We are excited and nervous equally and look forward to keeping informed our friends and readers at the Cardiff Times and across the world (via my Facebook page https:// www.facebook.com/BeatingDownsBarriers).

Obviously, the powers that be across the UK nations have had an unenviable task trying to manage the, or even ‘a’, coherent response to Covid 19. What began as a mission to ‘protect our NHS’ against a shortage of ICU beds, turned into a plan to vaccinate all at-risk groups (defined variously as over 80s, over 60s, over 40s, clinically extremely vulnerable, those in their 20s and 30s, and most recently, in England, those aged 12-19). There are warring factions – evident in the daily comment pages of every newspaper – between those for whom a single extra Covid 19-related death is too many and those who believe that lockdowns have gone as far as they can; that the virus is now endemic, like flu; and that living with that reality and ending talk of lockdowns, self-isolation and Pinging is the only way to go. All the while, it seems to me that despite or maybe because of these differing approaches, school and college students have had to suffer more than any other group (except perhaps care home residents) resulting in: changes to the syllabus, assessment/ examination, teaching methods, use of lockdowns, and whether or not to vaccinate. We can surely do better for our young people?

The Boss, The Girl and I would like to wish all of you, whether school-child, adult, or grand-parent, a safe and prosperous summer. See you in the new school year!

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Walk for Parkinson's Cardiff Saturday 25 September 2021 Every step connects everyone with Parkinson’s.

By walking together, we’re not alone.

events.parkinsons.org.uk/walkcardiff or 0800 138 6593 Parkinson’s UK is the operating name of the Parkinson’s Disease Society of the United Kingdom.

A charity registered in England and Wales (258197) and in Scotland (SC037554). © Parkinson’s UK

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C reated in RightMarket - 10/5/2021 - 12:16:03

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LANDSCAPES

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Your Pathway to a Degree at Cardiff University

“I was keen on studying pharmacology for a while; however, I just missed out on the necessary A level grades required to study this in Cardiff. After finding the Pathway course, I knew that this was the boost that I needed to be able to earn myself a place to study my chosen subject, at the university of my choice.

Not everyone is ready to study a degree at 18. Sometimes life events get in the way or the timing is simply not right. If you now feel ready to pursue your long-held dream of studying a degree, then our range of Pathways can help you make that first step. Every year we welcome students who have been away from formal education for some time to return to study a part-time Pathway, which then

The course, along with the support received, completely surpassed my expectations. The encouragement from the lecturers combined with the learning materials provided help to enhance our knowledge and belief in yourself to be able to progress on to your degree.”

Molly Hill – Pathway to Medical Pharmacology Simba Chabarika

be eligible for funding via Student Finance Wales, which can help with course fees and maintenance costs. There are a range of subjects available including: Pathways class

leads to undergraduate study at Cardiff University or other universities. You will receive advice and support with your application and, by the time you have completed the Pathway, you will feel fully prepared to start your degree.

Pathway courses are scheduled in the evening and weekends to fit in with your work and family commitments and some courses will be delivered online. If paying for your Pathway is a concern, you may 12 CARDIFF TIMES

Our students regularly keep us updated with their success stories. We hope they will inspire and encourage you to return to the classroom, too:

• Business Management, Marketing and Accounting • English Language, English Literature, Creative Writing, and Philosophy • Healthcare • History, Archaeology, and Religion • Medical Pharmacology • Modern Languages • Journalism, Media, and Culture • International Relations and Politics • Social Science • Translation

was shown my real potential!”

Simba Chabarika graduated from the School of Law and Politics in 2019.

“I would encourage anyone interested in History, Archaeology or Religious Studies to follow my footsteps. Often I hear things such as ‘It’s too late for me’ or ‘it’s just not affordable’ but when I show them the opportunities available, the same opportunities I was given, you can see the aspiration come alive as it did for me.”

Ioan McCarthy graduated in 2019 and Ioan is now studying an MSc in Archaeology at Oxford University For more information visit www.cardiff. ac.uk/learn or email pathways@cardiff. ac.uk

“The Pathway has really prepared me for the degree I am now studying at Cardiff University. I can honestly say I have never been happier, and I am loving studying for my degree and will be on my first placement next month. Being a Fresher at 40 is the best thing I’ve ever done!

Debbie Reeves “I am profoundly grateful to the Pathway and the advice, support and encouragement I received and of course the wonderful team of tutors who prepared us for what was to come in the degree course! The Pathway is a huge inspiration to those who want to further their education. I never thought I was capable of achieving such success until I

Ioan McCarthy

ce

Our students regularly keep us updated with their success stories. We hope they will inspire and encourage you to return to the classroom, too: “I was keen on studying pharmacology for a while; however, I just missed out on the necessary A level grades required to study this in Cardiff. After finding the Pathway course, I knew that this was the boost that I needed to be able to earn myself a place to study my chosen subject, at the university of my choice.

The course, along with the support received, completely surpassed my expectations. The encouragement from the lecturers combined with the learning materials provided help to enhance our knowledge and belief in yourself to be able to progress on to your degree.”

Molly Hill – Pathway to Medical Pharmacology

was shown my real potential!”

Simba Chabarika graduated from the School of Law and Politics in 2019.

“I would encourage anyone interested in History, Archaeology or Religious Studies to follow my footsteps. Often I hear things such as ‘It’s too late for me’ or ‘it’s just not affordable’ but when I show them the opportunities available, the same opportunities I was given, you can see the aspiration come alive as it did for me.”

Ioan McCarthy graduated in 2019 and Ioan is now studying an MSc in Archaeology at Oxford University For more information visit www.cardiff. ac.uk/learn or email pathways@cardiff. ac.uk

“The Pathway has really prepared me for the degree I am now studying at Cardiff University. I can honestly say I have never been happier, and I am loving studying for my degree and will be on my first placement next month. Being a Fresher at 40 is the best thing I’ve ever done!

Debbie Reeves “I am profoundly grateful to the Pathway and the advice, support and encouragement I received and of course the wonderful team of tutors who prepared us for what was to come in the degree course! The Pathway is a huge inspiration to those who want to further their education. I never thought I was capable of achieving such success until I

Ioan McCarthy

CARDIFF TIMES 13

‘And Another Thing...’

Four Tables and Three Hotels

byVince Nolan

stuttering start.

We kicked off at “Fawlty Towers” in Tiverton. In reality, a well-known nationwide chain. Having waited patiently for someone to turn up at reception we were eventually “welcomed” by Lewis. He was to the hospitality industry what Fred West was to women’s rights. He was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Eye contact was non-existent. Liars tend not to make eye contact, which is why I don’t trust pirates half the time, but I digress.

Enjoying what now passes for post-lockdown freedoms, the Current Mrs Nolan and I repaired to our local hostelry, The Nobody Inn, in search of Four Tables and Three Hotels ale (on my part) and a good fight on hers. We were Enjoying what now passes for post-lockdown freedoms, the Current Mrs Nolan and I bothtosorely disappointed. pub ofwithout anyandreal repaired our local hostelry, The Nobody Inn,A in search ale (on my part) a good fight on hers. We were both sorely disappointed. A pub without any real ale and nobody to ale and nobody to fight.

Having been fingerprinted, fight. Having been finger-printed, temperature tested, DNA tested, ANPR tested etc we were shown to our pre-booked seat. DNA Fast-forward an hour ANPR and we hadtested to move to etc another temperature tested, tested, table and then another. This was all about the pub trying to accommodate walk-in punters we were shown to our pre-booked seat. Fastforward an hour and we had to move to another table and then another. This was all about the pub trying to accommodate walk-in punters who needed bigger tables than those available. Finally, we were offered a fourth spot by which time we had moved more times than your average Pickford’s Removal Van. As the sun was shining and lockdown wasn’t in place (allegedly) we decided to have three days off work (for this year) to add to the 5 we had off last year and so North Devon beckoned. Despite what you may have read, we have not returned to “normal” and possibly never will. We were unable to book 4 successive nights anywhere in the same village/premises and so had to be creative in our bookings. We stayed at 3 different hotels in three different villages. Much fun eventually after a 14 CARDIFF TIMES

Lewis asked for my name like he was booking me into a Prisoner of War Camp. I was going to give my rank and serial number but that would have confused him further. He then turned to The Leader of the Opposition and said, “And what’s your name love?” which he then proceeded to misspell. He added, “I see you haven’t booked breakfast and you can’t now because we are fully booked.” He then explained to me like he was talking to a sixyear-old about how to use the door card to turn our room light on. We only had one bath towel between us which we did not discover until shower time the next morning. Ever the former boy scout, I suggested we use one side each.

We left the evil clutches of “Lewis” but not before I had received a satisfaction survey email from him. I don’t know about you but sometimes I think swearing is much better done on the spur of the moment and verbally rather than in writing after a period of calm reflection. Nevertheless, I gave it my best shot. However, we did manage to pitch up at a local Tapa’s Bar with plenty of outside space and no booking required. They too had no real ale, so I became a lager lout for the afternoon. They also had no food since they had stopped serving during the pandemic. In truth, it should have been called a Bar rather than a Tapas Bar. Nonetheless, our host proved to be a really good guy and allowed his patrons to buy food locally and eat it at his tables, so we had an Italian lunch at a Spanish Bar in England, which was nice.

Old age is something that has crept up on me of late with two classic “senior moments.” The first

servatory is so big that we couldn’t pinpoint together t because it sounded like our next door ng hbour was messing about in his garden. A few oud bang rs later a sparrow introduced itself to us which tntents have flown in when the patio doors were n.

Being man, the hunter, I used my instinctive iling, king and trapping skills and picked the little guy worktop nd released the can in him back into the wild. No harm e………………..well, until next door’s cat got

and we were nowhere on the ferry. came near to holding the TherePresidential was no Customs inspection in France as record for issuing pardons. we had already been inspected and we were off tothree for the first time theyears other of day unique In the early theand US,the some acts Paris.

We repeated the people smuggling exercise word location I was looking for was “You Are of treason, piracy and rebellion were Lost!” on the fault way back.

Quite what would have happened Design or user error? forgiven. My favourite involved a man if Customs had found Colonel Gaddafi stowing Talking of intolerance, I amClub led towas believe that the Wilson who jointly away called on a St.George Peter’s Rugby bus is anybody’s term heckler originated from the textile trade, where stealing mail at gunpoint guessconvicted but it wouldofcertainly have caused a major to heckle was to tease or comb-out flax or hemp and incident. was sentenced to death by diplomatic Yard) to ensure that we had properly warmed up sincefibres. we didn’t wantmodern to pull anymeaning drinking opened The was coined in Dundee Just to be clear: Didrefused youorhear about the urologist hanging.

He a pardon in 1833 muscles. Unfortunately, only six of us turned up and ainminimum of ten were required the the early 19th century. As the hecklers toiled in andvisit still was off. I engaged four old-timers who were have been the who(could was eaten by a bear?

He was a meteorologist ying with hunting, if I were illegally hunting for in the bar fromone President Andrew Jackson andthe days’ the factory, of the team would read out aforementioned ones from the Taff Vale) and asked them whether they fancied having a could (meaty urologist, oh please yourselves). hrooms, would I have questionable morels? and others would buttSupreme in with constant was executed after Court brewery tour and free beer for the afternoon. Fearingnews some kind of the honey trap, they took the ven how The Leader of the Opposition and I weredebate.” sitting in With , what do you call a deer who has lost both some convincing that my offer was genuine. Cautiously, they agreed to join us.

Picture the interruptions and a stream of “furious ruled he could turn it down if he wanted scene, 5pm on a sunny ourinsocially local, The Funky Furlough, spooky in a hunting accident? No eye deer. this mind Idistanced have collated some quality put-downs to.

No pleasing some folk. weekday evening at theyou side had How long have arthritis?”

“I don’t whencomics a lady close byused to usto asked the Barmodern Manager ve asdecided that when Trump dies, I will give which have deal with day entrance the Brewery on have to arthritis, Father,” the drunk said, “but I if the toilets were still upstairs.

He of course eulogy.

I will say: “He is today how he was as hecklers: Street where as exactly time itthat triedwe tohad properly warmed Caroline Yard)the to ensure upjust since wein didn’t want to pullthe anyPope drinking read thefour paper that does.”

Continuingconfipensioners who could barely rmed that they were but I were thought this to be a sident……….wearing make-up lying muscles. only sixinoffront us turned up and a minimum of ten required or the ker. I drank theUnfortunately, other three and “What size of shoe does your mouth take?” stand were seen hanging onto there has always Staying with the drink, the rope very stupid question.

I would have said s. Amen.”

Ricky visitTomlinson was off. I engaged four old-timers who were in the barsupport, (could have been thesomething y reasons. a lamppost, for rather been much snobbery attached toknow wine. like: “I don’t s recently asked by the son of from a good theme: “This is what comes from drinking on an empty aforementioned ones thefriend Taff Vale) and asked them whether they fancied having a than illumination. An written about sell-buy dates before Indeed, people make a living from it, afternoon they would when madam was ine if I would write a urology for his Dad’s head.” brewery tour and free beer forSoap the afternoon.

Fearing some kind of honey trap, they took on but I am making a stand because of the p to are mysome local on offer aeulogy Friday ere only 3supermarket shops I that really never…… remember. but wethe ral. I didn’t have the heart to say convincing my was genuine.

Cautiously, they agreed tolast joinwith us.usPicture a rope lockdowns.

I’m giving up wine, everyhanding day, all “I know where you were when they were st no perishables would the great withthat Mark Daceymake (on the dynamic CEO of pecsavers, Boots and scene, 5pm on a sunny moved them out to knewZoom whatcall he meant.

Anyway, here is leS) who is the A drunk who smelled like that’s a Pope on a month.

No wait, not it.

I’m giving the brains out………getting an extra helping ofup. day.

In fact I hadand some doubt ofdrugs Colleges.

Itsausage does not whether need me to suggest the uncanny ecs and weekday evening at the side brewery got on a bus and sat the car park many tt IGroup wrote: Wine day all month! mouth.” ke ittotoactor the car for the journey home. ropepub awaiting down nextevery to a priest.

The resulted in me being sat in the wrong has Ricky Tomlinson or vice versa. ago.

They did a survey and found there were entrance to the Brewery you, butMike I have had of months ago as aon avourite tale, (heenough was affectionately on because do Anna with only EU to find that I drunk's shirt was stained, his lunchit’s withnothing my greatto chum 9,000 of them and they camedate. over in swarms.”

Two people out on a first “Do you Caroline Street where four “Do you know, youred wore soundproof trousers no consequence wn as Gaddafi because his likeness We don’t have to home school face was of if bright had booked another venue which she wastrip patiently Me:full “Who counted themdirect and how did they know Ken about sell-buy dates before but a recent to my local supermarket Closer inspection of of the packaging like Merlot Tammy?”

“Yes, but you don’t pensioners who could barely I once owned one of the chewed pencils which one would hear a word you’re saying.” lipstick and he had a halfsat at.

The same week I was preparing a fish they did not count the same ones more than once? of Covid19.”

Perhaps e former Libyan leader), involved a trip when highlight of the aled no perishables Monday.

Instand fact Iwere riesalmost ofthe origin for fruit andthat vegwould like make the following pronounce the “t.”

“Oh, Ok.” Looks at seen hanging onto bottle of wine and chip supper for She Who Must Be Obeyed (I empty Furthermore, I sticking always thought that bees swarmed Shakespeare used to write his famous works. used this is why I He do not run supply good aris to watch Wales play France.

We Argentina.

So these comestibles whether theythen would it to theI had car also for the home.

What is going one journey day“Is leSthat on the sell-buy date.

It takes an inordinate amount ofDad: skill to for an MOT it’smake serious, real face or are you still celebrating out ofyour his pocket.

He opened waiter: “Two Merlots for me and Ammy.” really do spoil that woman). purchased and geese gaggled, but I could be wrong.”

“In acouldn’t lamppost, forwhether support,itrather to chew on it so much that I tell was a pub. developed a 20 year relationship with in-@me” with 24 hours to spare.

Waste levels must be astronomical. his newspaper and started n exotic climes, picked, packaged, a rather cheeky tartare sauce to accompany it. the end, they decided to leave them alone because Halloween?” othing to do with EU supply issues?

Closer inspec@on of the packaging ent along for the excitement. and a minimum of ten were required or than illumination.

Andog Daisy Our friend Dr H has trained her reading.

A couple minutes later, he asked the "Father, what causes arthritis?"

Rather thanofleave the sauce on the hob to attract who needed bigger tables than those available. we were offered asent fourth A in wife her spot if Finally, they shot them, they would only come back.”by ench side and played them home and 2B orpriest, not 2B. Staying with the Bard, days gone ort orthe airport, distributed around UK es of origin for fruit and veg like Tanzania and Argen@na.

So these Staying with food, I have been doing some research into what is by, no longer manufactur visit was off.

I engaged four old-timers afternoon they would "Mister, it'setc caused by loose living, being with cheap, wicked women, too much alcohol, andofRemoval to bring her a bottle red wine.

No surprise flies prior to heating it up, I put it and the Me: “If I shot something it would not come back “Your bus leaves in 10 minutes...

Be under it.” on which time we had moved more times than your average Pickford’s Van. husband aquote romantic yen ondelivered French international weekends.

On to the shops and put on in order toThe attract women, Ihere used to use this from the UK. The list isport endless but is adead small sample: Pringles (Belgium), who were in the bar (could have been the cul@vated in exo@c climes, picked, packaged, taken to the or airport, contempt for your fellow man," the priest replied.

"Imagine that," the drunk muttered.

He never…… remember. saucepan in the microwave for safekeeping. account of it being and, in any case, they areSmar@es (Ca really, she’s a Bordeaux collie.

I was sat kew-whiff?

A phrase we text message.

She wrote: “If you are sleeping, send particular trip (Mike’s fi rst), we did it in the h one day left on the sell-buy date.

It Colman’s English Mustard ( Germany), Terrys Chocolate Orange (France) returned reading his paper.

TheIpriest, thinking about what had said, turned tofor thewhich food came and went, and found the saucepan a protected species meant shooting them aforementioned ones from the Taff Vale) “Well, it’s aShe night out him.. and night off forand hisHP (Hous Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Act III, Scene IV, linea 82: nd UK warehouses then delivered to the shops and put he on the shelves with As to the sun was shining and lockdown wasn’t in place (allegedly) we decided to have three with Who Must Be Obeyed the other comes from the 18th Century Parliament) Sauce (The Netherlands).

Staggering. man and apologised: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come on so strong.

How long have you had nate amount of skill to supply goods me your dreams.

If you are laughing, send me your ashioned way, a bus to Dover, ferry crossing and sauce many days later.

I console myself with could be a little tricky.”

They say a little knowledge and asked them whether they fancied family.”

Ayear drunk who smelled like a days off work (for thisisFather," year) to the"but 5 we had off last and so North Devon she sipped ainglass of wine arthritis?"

"Ito don't have arthritis, theadd drunk said, I day just read in the paper that the fact that growing old mandatory butto growing awhilst dangerous thing and this case itold was lethal. ith spare.

Waste omething not straight was smile.

If is you are eating, send me a bite.

If and you are then24 onhours to Paris.

I was sitting nextlevels to him.

At Here’s one for you: “Knock knock.”

“Who’s there?”

“LiKle lady.” having a brewery tour and free beer for the brewery got on a bus sat “LiKle old lady w and she said, “IGogh love you so much, you the Pope does." beckoned. may have“Iread, weyou have not returned to “normal” and up is optional.Despite what you“Hello.” need like Van needed stereo.” nomical.

“I had no idea youFinally, could drinking, sendI yodel.” me adown sip. you are send me er, aafternoon. uniformed Officer cameofonto Fearing some kind trap, (from thepossibly warpCustoms and weft).

Of next toI or acrying, priest.

The if you haveIfnot read heard about know. don’t know how could ever live never will.

We wereI honey unable to bookabout 4 successive nights anywhere inaccused the same was reading alove court case where the She and I took to the hills and recently visited Makenzy Beard, a 14-year-old Swansea schoolgirl Staying with the drink, there has always been they took some convincing that my offer was your tears.

I you.”

Her husband texted back: “ as bus and said: “Just hold up your passports drunk's shirt was stained, his I creative am a man of certain age so my tolerance doesorwork as well it used to e confused with related you.”

IWe said, “Isthreshold that the wine I walked into our local bar, The Moaning Monet and food, I have beenthe doing some research village/premises and so hadIndeed, to be inawithout our bookings. stayed at 3you different hotels Bach Country inagreed Tredegar pictured who took up painting during lockdown, Iwas have a much Bryn snobbery attached Park to wine. was described as “having murderous intent.”

I was genuine.

Cautiously, they to join us. par@cularly when being asked to embrace new technology.

I therefore heartened I’m in the toilet, please advise.” slonger and Ito). will come along and count them and face was full of bright red talking?”

She said, “It’s me talking to the saw Van Gogh sitting at the end on a bar stool.

I had manufactured inexhibiting The inmake three different villages.

Much eventually after a stuttering here.

Once again, beginning my nice surprise for you.start.

She has a rare talent. Her people a living from it,the but UK. I amno making a fun to Picture the scene, 5pm on a sunny weekday She Who Must Be Obeyed suggested I download a new app called What3Words.

This quite disappointed to learn had to dothat lipstick and henothing had a half” Mike me and saidseated “I Pringles didn’t know shoutedwine.”

“Hey Vince do this you want a isdrink?” generosity, we were in giving the new painting of athat farming neighbour so striking stand because of the lockdowns.

I’m up waterside but here is a to small sample: bour ofturned ours, let’s call her Dr naviga@on aid which divides the World into 3 metre squares and gives each square au evening at the side entrance to the Brewery We kicked off at “Fawlty inwatching Tiverton. reality, aDear well-known chain. empty bottleinnationwide of wine sticking the customers it is going be displayed London wine, every day, all month.

NoEnglish wait, that’s not Happy In New Yearto Reader, the Yearat ofthe theRoyal needed a café/restaurant passport and Iwatching haven’t gotTowers” one.”

I camping. with (Canada), Colman’s combina@on ofFinally, three words.

I s@ll drive about a lot for business, believe it or not and a blessing for the drink: God, ingot his one sarties walking out with Dr R who on Caroline Street where four pensioners He shouted back: “No thanks, I’ve already the geese.

Academy of Arts this summer.

Alas, intellectual it. I’m giving up.

Wine every day all month!

Having waited someone turn up at reception eventually outwe of were hisgoing pocket. opened this toHe be lucky “oh spiffi ng” orChocolate words to patiently that effect.for Then, inassured a toOx. many), Terrys Orange that Apparently this system would beyear much more than using our sat nav. I used goodness, sent theis grapes, tohis cheer both property rights prevent us accurate from duplicating her who could barely stand were seen hanging ear.” radio presenting.

We recently Finally, sad news, my friend David has lost ID. his newspaper and started “welcomed” by Lewis.

He was to the hospitality industry what Fred West was to women’s Two people out on a first date.

“Do you like the Ox representing diligence, persistence ne reminiscent of a World War 2 prisoner of war HP (Houses Parliament) Sauce (The Dad of and son (of about 8-years-old) were thechatting. firstwith @me the other day and the unique three word loca@on I was picture here but look her up.

A real artist. great and small. Little fools will drink too looking for was “ onto aTammy?” for support, rather than Merlot “Yes, but don’tDad: pronounce reading.

AHe couple ofyou minutes later, he asked the priest, "Father, what causes arthritis?" oor where alamppost, note was pinned. was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in fault a room full ofgoing rocking chairs.

Eye contact Itrights. went something like this: “Those geese Now he isAdios just Dav. Are Lost!”

Design or user error? and honesty.

Not for be Trump’s year ape story, Mike ducked down into the footwell Staggering.

Amigos much and great foolsto none at all. My round. illumination.

An afternoon they would the "Mister, “t.”

“Oh, Ok.” Looks at waiter: “Two come from Canada, so they are called Canada Au revoir Mes Amis it's caused by loose living, being with cheap, wicked women, too much alcohol, and was non-existent.

Liars tend not make eye contact, which is why I don't trust pirates half cel at foot of door.

Live Radio then is it? to me and I piled his coat and mine on top of Merlots for me and Ammy.”

Hasta La Vista Chums never…… remember.

Geese.” Son: “I know.”

Dad:man," “Canada ispriest 6,500 replied. "Imagine that," the drunk muttered. He or you: contempt “Knock knock.”

“Who’s there?” for your fellow the the time, but I digress. ded.”

Not toDrto be outdone we I told him not move, whilst were both miles away and theyher flywe over.”

“It isn’t. moreof red wine. No surprise T Our friend H to has trained dog toThe bring herIt’s a bottle ” “Little old 3,500 lady who?”

“Ilike had noMe: idea returned reading his paper. priest, thinking about what he had said, turned to the A drunk who smelled aDaisy brewery got like and I didn’t think they stowed away on uced to laughing uncontrollably.

The Customs ed the following note: “Please really, she’s a Bordeaux collie. I was sat with She Who Must Be Obeyed the other day whilst o el.” on man and apologised: "I'm sorry, I didn't come onaso strong. of How haveI you a aLewis bus and sat down next tolike a priest. asked for my name he was mean booking into Prisoner Warlong Camp. was had going ship.”

Dad: “They tried to cull them some years to me walked the bus, did the count, missed Mike

"I don't have arthritis, Father," the would drunk said, I just read in the paper that Thearthritis?" drunk’s shirt was stained, his face to give and serial number but that have"but confused him further.

He then f a certain age my so rank my tolerance CARDIFF TIMES wasthe fullPope of bright red lipstick andOpposition he had and said, “And what’s your name love?” does." turned to The Leader of the which he 15 not work as well as it used to a half-empty bottle of wine sticking out of proceeded to misspell. en beingthen asked to embrace new He added “I see you haven’t booked breakfast and you can’t his Staying pocket.

He opened newspaper and with thewedrink, there has always beenexplained to me like he was talking to a sixnow because arehis fully booked.”

He then

© Kate Knight

Army Cadets is for young people who are up for adventure, enjoy an adrenalin rush, like working with others, want to challenge themselves and, most importantly, like to have fun.

FUN

#NoFilter

r u o y g n i v i L best life?

Who can join

?

Army Cadets is a well kept secret – it’s fantastic, but not many people know about it.

Army Cadets do things like ...

•

Adventurous training

Does your social feed make you feel you’re missing out while others seem to be having good times with friends?

•

Learning to navigate

•

Developing survival + first aid skills

•

Learning to safely use a weapon

•

Summer camps

•

Joining a band

You might be interested in finding out about a group of young people who are making life happen off-screen ...

•

Kayaking, climbing + mountaineering

•

Making life-long friends

... they’re Army Cadets – and they’re living life #NoFilter

no filter.indd 2-3

© SSI Peter Russell

What’s the deal with Army Cadets?

Army Cadets is all-inclusive – you just need to be aged 12 -18.

Will I have to join the Army later?

How does it work?

You aren’t expected to join the Army after being an Army Cadet, it’s simply an organisation for young people who want to live an awesome no-filter lifestyle.

Cadets join a group called a detachment.

That’s your Army Cadet crew who you get to know well through your adventures.

You bond with each other by taking part in activities and spending time at summer camp and on expeditions.

Done any Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards? That’ll give you a flavour of the expedition element of Army Cadets. In fact, the expedition training and DofE are aligned so you can do your DofE through Army Cadets at a fraction of the price you’d pay anywhere else.

How often would I go?

Detachments meet one or two evenings a week and do adventurous training and camps on weekends and during school holidays.

What does it cost? Cadets pay a very small annual subscription for their uniform and access to incredible adventures. Weekends and camps are heavily subsidised; money shouldn’t be a barrier to joining.

Read more

11/01/2021 14:46:24

© Kate Knight

© SSI Peter Russell

What’s the deal with Army Cadets?

Army Cadets is for young people who are up for adventure, enjoy an adrenalin rush, like working with others, want to challenge themselves and, most importantly, like to have fun.

Who can join

?

Army Cadets is a well kept secret – it’s fantastic, but not many people know about it.

Army Cadets is all-inclusive – you just need to be aged 12 -18.

Will I have to join the Army later?

How does it work?

You aren’t expected to join the Army after being an Army Cadet, it’s simply an organisation for young people who want to live an awesome no-filter lifestyle.

Cadets join a group called a detachment.

That’s your Army Cadet crew who you get to know well through your adventures.

You bond with each other by taking part in activities and spending time at summer camp and on expeditions.

Done any Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards? That’ll give you a flavour of the expedition element of Army Cadets. In fact, the expedition training and DofE are aligned so you can do your DofE through Army Cadets at a fraction of the price you’d pay anywhere else.

How often would I go?

Detachments meet one or two evenings a week and do adventurous training and camps on weekends and during school holidays.

What does it cost? Cadets pay a very small annual subscription for their uniform and access to incredible adventures. Weekends and camps are heavily subsidised; money shouldn’t be a barrier to joining.

Read more

11/01/2021 14:46:24

© Carl Recine

BOOST your future

Being an Army Cadet is not just about adventure, it’s also about investing in your future by learning a wide range of skills and, if you want, gaining qualifications.

Cadets develop courage, self-discipline, respect, loyalty, integrity and commitment.

ll

A recent study revealed that being a cadet improves wellbeing, confidence, resilience, independence and employability.

•

STEM camp

•

Summer camps

•

Community activities

•

Parades on Armistice Day

•

Adventurous training in the UK and abroad

•

Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards

us

se

THINGS YOU COULD GET INVOLVED IN:

R er Pet © SSI

INTERESTED IN BEING AN

ADULT VOLUNTEER? Army Cadets is run by adult volunteers from all walks of life. It’s an opportunity to inspire the next generation of citizens, take part in outdoor adventures and even gain new qualifications and skills. If that sounds interesting, we’d love to hear from you. Find out more on the website below.

JOIN THE ADVENTURE ArmyCadets.com/NoFilter

no filter.indd 4

11/01/2021 14:46:28

In The Words Of

by Carl Marsh

Being not really a review as I have not finished watching them all, but seeing as these are pretty fresh to Netflix, and with the first one being brilliant, I thought I’d recommend them. If you can think along the lines of Scream, Friday the 13th and Halloween all mashed into three films.

You’ll probably have hit the nail on the head!

Interviews

So, the summer is with us, and at this very moment, I am sitting in my dining room roasting hot as this heatwave isn’t to my liking. No doubt some of you will like it hot, I don’t. Although most of us are staying in Wales this year, it’s an excellent time to be here. You can give me a skiing holiday any time of the year - that’ll do me just fine. Hahaha.

I know that some of us may dare to venture abroad, but with all the uncertainties of what different countries require with paperwork, COVID-19 testing certification, ridiculous disparaging charges (England charge less than Wales for tests); it’s no joke that most of us are staying put in Wales. Nobody wants to risk going abroad by returning financially wiped out to prove we are healthy!

I need to mention the sport I love the most [football], and by having my fingers crossed that all the games in Wales will be at full capacity come the start of the season, or as close to it.

I just don’t know what the rules are. And the rugby internationals are back in October, and I can’t see them being held to a half-full stadium.

But then again, would Mr D dare not to please the Welsh voters in jeopardising the attendance numbers?

TV/Films Fear Street Part 1: 1994, Part 2: 1978 and Part 3: 1666 - Netflix - available now.

20 CARDIFF TIMES

I’ve got two interviews for you this month, and both are musicians. One of the singers is celebrating over 20 years in the industry, whilst the other has gone back to a partnership set up just over 20 years ago, but then ceased.

Proud Mary was the first band signed to Noel Gallagher’s Sour Mash record label and toured with Oasis, The Stereophonics and Ocean Colour Scene. They also had a number one album [The Same Old Blues], and they are touring in September, where they will be performing that debut album in its entirety for the first time. I spoke to lead singer Greg Griffin who was calling in from a quite sunny, San Diego, California.

Coloursøund is a partnership of The Alarm’s Mike Peters and The Cult’s Billy Duffy. Having met and formed after at a chance meeting when they had time on their hands back in 1997, they released a self-titled album, called Coloursøund, but then went back to the bands we knew them for. Now, thanks to Lockdown, Coloursøund II has been written and only just been released.

Mike Peters gave me a call from a very sunny, Prestatyn.

That’s all, folks!

Until next month; do watch out for the sun in August!

Fight the Power!

Twitter - @InTheWordsOf_CM Facebook - @InTheWordsOf YouTube - InTheWordsOf

Proud Mary The Manchester band, Proud Mary, will be appearing at The Globe in Cardiff on Saturday 11th September this year. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of The Same Old Blues album will be the first time the band has played it live in its entirety. I had a long-distance phone call with lead singer Greg Griffin, who now lives in San Diego, USA. Carl Marsh It’s twenty years since The Same Old Blues came out, so was it always the plan to do something around this milestone, or was it an idea mustered up due to the last 18 months of being stuck chiefly at home? have not done anything (as Proud Mary) together for years, but we’re all good. We like each other’s company, and we’d still go out for dinners or stuff like that. But then, when we’ve had a break, we’d go back out again [performing as Proud Mary].

Many people in Manchester bands, or in fact in all bands anyway, forget how much they like each other, but they don’t reach out. They don’t bother, but we’ve always been close. People think we had split up before, but we never have. We’ve just done different things.

Carl Marsh It sounds like you never had any pressure to write album after album, like most bands would have been expected to, had you not been signed to Noel Gallagher’s Sour Mash?

Greg Griffin - Proud Mary No, we had our manager and our agent that was talking about it. And, you know, we’re very proud of that record, but we’d never played it in its entirety. We were meant to do it last year, but it got pulled due to all this COVID stuff, but the great thing about Proud Mary is that we might not do anything for a year, but we’re alright. We are all talking to each other, and we’re still best mates, so there was no reason it wouldn’t get done. Obviously, it’s been delayed, as you know, but we always stick together, and there’s always the next thing that we’re planning on doing.

Greg Griffin - Proud Mary We’ve been really lucky because we got a lot of big exposure, but also, we were on Noel’s label, so we didn’t get all that pressure. We got some because that’s how it goes when you’re working with them [Oasis] boys; there are negatives and positives, but we are pretty good at handling pressure. We are Proud Mary, and that’s one of the reasons why we got signed. We are alright. And we could pick fun out of all the jealously that was flying about back then! [Laughs] Proud Mary will be appearing at The Globe in Cardiff on Saturday 11th September.

Carl Marsh What’s the secret then Greg, because I know with (most) Manchester bands, we all know about the trials and tribulations that have gone on with bands falling out mostly about money?

Greg Griffin - Proud Mary I think that friendship is the main thing. And Paul Newsome and I have always been best mates. He’s like my brother. Also, when you need a break from doing some stuff, it’s something that we all recognise (if a break was needed). We’ve had breaks before where we

CARDIFF TIMES 21

Mike Peters - Coloursøund When you mention Mike Peters, instantly, we all think about The Alarm (and rightly so). When anyone thinks about Billy Duffy, you’d be a strange music fan if you didn’t know 100% he was from the band, The Cult. Rewind to 1999, and when you have two musicians with a bit of time on their hands, you get the project that was/is Coloursøund, with an album of the same name. Then fast forward to 2020/1 - and yes, we all had a lot of time on our hands - Coloursøund II was created and is now out. Mike called me from Prestatyn.

again. I was sat in a hotel room somewhere. And an email popped in just before I was going out. And it was from Billy [Duffy], and it says: “Hey, Mike, I’ve got this riff. And it made me think of Coloursøund. So what do you think?” And as soon as I heard that, I thought, wow. It was a fantastic riff.

Carl Marsh Did you sleep on it, or did you get to work on what Billy had sent?

Carl Marsh It must be good to be back with Coloursøund, as the fans have been craving this second album for roughly, perhaps, 20 odd years? [Laughter] Mike Peters - The Alarm Yeah, it has got to be the longest follow-up in history, but it’s been worth the wait, I can tell you that.

Carl Marsh The first track to be released on the new album is Paradise, and the first words you sing are: “Let this be the start of something beautiful.” And the song is for those wanting real music. Was this song selected as your first release of the new album because of those lyrics?

Mike Peters - The Alarm Yeah, it was. That was what sort of kick-started the project

Mike Peters - The Alarm I actually played it back on my computer, recorded it (all) on my phone, played along to it, then sang words to come up with the chorus. And I sent it straight back to him. He then sent me another one a day later, saying that it was a bit heavier, asking what I thought of it. We then decided, “Let’s go again”, it felt right. It was pretty instinctive.

Carl Marsh Was this all pre-lockdown(s)?

Mike Peters - The Alarm It wasn’t upon us at that time, but it was almost. I think we just thought as we’d already had some discussions about changing dates and rescheduling tours for The Alarm and The Cult, so in a way, it just allowed a bit of space for us to work as Coloursøund. And Billy was on his way back to Britain, and he just said, “Look, why don’t we work on these songs together because the tours are getting cancelled.”

We both felt that we just wanted to keep playing as much as we could as we were both two guys who like playing music.

We also like to play football or go hiking in the mountains or play the guitar. We don’t need a day off from those things because it’s not like a job to us; it’s our hobby gone berserk.

[Laughs] And Billy was like, “Look, I’m getting to the point where I don’t want to stop. I just want to play and play with people I enjoy and also each other’s company.

And to make music.

Life’s too short.”

Coloursøund II is out now.

22 CARDIFF TIMES

How support for living costs is helping people in Wales take up part-time study

Learning is for life and should be accessible to everyone. That’s the mission The Open University has had at its core for over 50 years.

From our inception, we’ve continuously explored new ways to bring the best quality university education direct to people’s homes wherever they live - whether that was via the late night BBC TV broadcasts, posting books, floppy disks and DVDs in the post, or producing the latest online content, webinars and interactive tutorials.

As the UK’s leading distance learning university, we’re very aware that many of us have multiple commitments to balance; whether it’s being parents, or carers or having to hold down a job at the same time as wanting to study. We feel this shouldn’t be an unscalable barrier to achieving your ambition. Learning with us is flexible, meaning our students can study at their own pace, alongside everything else they have in their life, supported every step of the way by their tutor and our dedicated Wales-based support team.

Photo from unsplash.com

“I have to admit, without the funding I wouldn’t be able to do the course I am currently doing.

I’d like to become a foundation phase teacher.

I’d like to teach children from the age of four to seven – that’s the age range. They’re beginning to learn, their brains are like sponges, storing all the information.’

If someone was interested in studying with the OU, I’d tell them to go for it. Seek as much advice and help as possible. I’d recently suggested it to one of my friends. I said, ‘send off for a prospectus, see if there’s a course in there that suits you, and then ‘phone Student Finance Wales, and see what you can get”.

More recently many of our students have benefitted from additional financial support from the Welsh Government. New part-time undergraduate students can get a grant of up to £4,500 per year to help with the costs of everyday living whilst studying. The amount you can get is based on household income and the number of credits you study each year. As well as the grant, which doesn’t need to be paid back, you can also get a top up maintenance loan.

We offer over 200 highly respected qualifications in a wide range of subjects which you can study at a pace that suits you. Whether you want to study for a certificate in Business Management, or a degree in Law or train to become a teacher with our PGCE, there’ll be something to inspire or challenge everybody. If you’ve never considered getting back into education before, there’s even a range of Access courses which provide a taster of university study and can help refresh your learning skills and build your confidence.

One student to benefit from the new funding is Joanne Davies from south Wales, and is originally from Kent. Joanne is studying a BA honours degree for teaching, and is a parent of a 17 year old, 8 year old and 7 year old.

Visit openuniversity.co.uk/funding to find out more about the funding for part-time students in Wales and to see all of the courses and opportunities waiting for you at The Open University. Register by 9 September to start studying this autumn.

CARDIFF TIMES 23

24 CARDIFF TIMES

MENTIS Liverpool DJ MENTIS (ft Kate Wild) Releases ‘EXCUSES,’ the first big dance smash of the summer

Liverpool DJ/artist Mentis has teamed up with vocalist Kate Wild to release his debut single ‘Excuses’ via Columbia Records UK. ‘Excuses’ features spaced out vocals, thumping kicks and a catchy M1 synth top line, reminiscent of classic 90s house anthems. The debut track is destined to be the soundtrack of summer.

The debut single is climbing all the charts right now (as well as being massively reactive on Shazam) – ‘Excuses’ has already hit No.1 on the Apple Dance trending chart, as well as featuring in the iTunes Top 40, the Shazam Top 40, the Apple Music UK chart and also entering the Spotify viral chart. As well as being featured on BBC Radio 1’s Party Anthems, the track has also enjoyed further big radio support from Capital Dance (playlist), Kiss FM (playlist), Kiss Dance (playlist) & many other BBC Radio 1 shows.

Kate Wild, who provides the vocals for the record, has previously been featured on tracks by ShiftK3y, Hot Since 82, Luciano & Low Steppa.

We caught up with Mentis and asked him how it felt to be behind the first big dance smash of the summer; Is it weird to hear ‘Excuses’ blasting out of so many radios, right across the country? Can you believe it has all happened so quickly, with this being your debut single?

“It feels great to finally get this single out there properly and to hear it all over the radio already - the support has been unbelievable.”

You’re from Liverpool, right?

“I’m a born & bred Liverpool lad who went to school in Kirkdale and spent many a night clubbing in Cream nightclub.”

Tell us about the brilliant video for ‘Excuses’, which features your single’s lyrics blown up and plastered across various iconic Liverpool landmarks (Tate Liverpool, Liverpool Museum & St Johns Beacon etc).

“I think it probably confused quite a lot of people in Liverpool, to be honest!”

Did it feel good to be able to show off some of your hometown’s beautiful buildings and architecture though?

“You know, it has been amazing to see my lyrics blown up huge and plastered across the city these past few weeks. I’m very proud of my city” What are your plans for the summer?

“I’m really hoping to play as many summer festivals as possible in the next few weeks. And I’m already working on the next single too”.

You must be really pleased that clubs are finally able to reopen?

“Oh yeah – I’m planning on lots of shows in clubs too. It’s going to be a busy summer I reckon” Mentis (ft Kate Wild)’s ‘Excuses’ is out now via Columbia Records UK, available to download & stream via all digital platforms - watch the video at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=HsaKYmBgDn0

CARDIFF TIMES 25

KEEP IT – JUST IN CASE!

by Sara John

All I said to my son was, “If you have that man’s name and number handy I will ring him directly about my problem.” This was in the hope of getting some ‘Expert Assistance’ for the sort of matters technical that my son had benefitted from recently.

“Oh! You cannot do that” son responded from a very high horse indeed, “Why ever not?” I enquired, “you will be invading his privacy” he explained.

“But, he is not a retired Professor writing his memoirs at Jesus College Oxford and up against a deadline! He is the Customer Relations Bloke in the shopping centre at EE or OpenReach or The Post Office or British Telecom, or whatever they call themselves this week. He is SUPPOSED to answer the phone. I am a CUSTOMER and I want an explanation for being overcharged and then undercharged, and now the THING is not working at all, it does not even light up. What are they playing at? Anyway, what did you say it was called again? A bag-telephone? A walkabout phone?”

“Well, I expect one of the reasons for me not ringing them is that I will only get a disembodied voice telling me to email them any Wednesday, but only between eight am and ten past eight. Anyway, they prefer not to deal with pseudo-hysterical lady customers who refuse to listen and start laying down the law (or rather the law as I see it) to them about mobile phones/apps/clouds/tablets/Skype/ Face Time and why, if they can get a whole camera inside a slimline mobile-thing, surely to goodness they can produce printed directions, or an instruction booklet, preferably with bold drawings and diagrams for all the people over a certain age who can actually still READ.” “But can never find their specs,” son added swiftly.

“Mum” he continued, “you have letters after your name, WHY can’t you use your mobile phone?”

“I have no handbook,” I said, “there always used to be a handbook. Every time you purchased a) a toaster, b) a sewing machine, c) an iron, d) a radio, e) table lamps, f) an electric-mixer, in fact, anything that actually DID something, you also unpacked a booklet congratulating you on your choice of product and promising you a lifetime of freedom from a) untoasted toast with ungrated cheese, 26 CARDIFF TIMES

b) nothing to wear, c) badly creased shirts (gents only), d) total silence, e) easy ways of lighting up your house so that it looked like nine people were at home, after dark, in different rooms (useful if you lived alone and was of a nervous disposition) and f) your hand mixed ingredients for your weekend sponges refusing to abandon their lumpy bits.

“Mum,” he chided sympathetically, the Festival of Britain is over, the trimmings for the Coronation have long since come down, things have moved on, the Channel Tunnel has been in operation for some years, remote controls are widespread, I could go on and on.”

“Nowadays,” I responded dreamily dipping into the past “you cannot buy Five Boys Chocolate, Blancmange Powder, Angelica, Plush Nuggets, Palm Toffee, and beautiful fruit in Palmers, at the bottom right-hand side of St. Mary’s Street, all arranged in large wicker baskets. They closed years ago. No nice cup of coffee or an ‘epicure open granary bread sandwich in the Kardomah, in fact, no Kardomah, no loose biscuits, no chair backs, no Zambuk ointment. No David Morgans, Marments, Evan Roberts, Alders, Seccombes, C&A, British Home Stores, Richard Shops, Wallis.

People must be walking around town naked.”

Son came up with a good suggestion, “What about all those cardboard boxes in the old playroom, in the attic and in the garage? All marked, ‘Do Not Touch’, ‘Just in Case’, ‘See Me - first’? What do you have in there? Can we go and see? Let’s have a change of scene. The past is another country.”

I agreed an attic rummage was in order, and there might even be a chance of boxes being opened.

Secretly, inside my head, I knew I was a hoarder, not the sort seen on television programmes, but I recognise that I have difficulties in throwing things away that MAY come in useful at a future date. I blame Hitler and rationing and whoever it was who invented U-boats - and Three Cheers for whoever it was who insisted that in the future we should grow sugar beet in Britain and not rely on sugar cane from the West Indies. Could we say the same

about bananas? After all, there are now vineyards everywhere. Could they be grown in Devon and Cornwall? Rationing and coupons and shortages and queues and rising prices were the stuff of my, and everybody else’s childhood. A topic for another time perhaps?

All I am saying is that my grandmother had a goodly store of just about everything - long before the War apparently - just in case!: one of her sayings, often repeated when she saw me leaving food on my plate or wasting anything, was, “You will come to want my girl” delivered with all the fervour of a life long God-fearing Welsh Baptist.

A few minutes later we were at the top of the house sharing a sense of expectation and childlike excitement. The bookshelves, such as they once were, had files of newspaper cuttings marked Cookery: - (the newsprint was now light brown with age and, glancing at the recipes garnered from the Guardian of long ago - were mostly vegetarian.

From Woman’s Own - mostly custardy puddings, and House and Gardens - mostly comprising ingredients not yet widely available in Wales. All, we quickly decided, were destined for the green recycling bags we had brought upstairs with us.

A good start.

Another file marked Medical Matters with notes of children’s, (all now adults,) weights and heights and dates for jabs. Files of fashion cuttings were allocated with associated items to a fashion student who lived nearby. The Great Plans file was next, which was stuffed with cuttings, measurements and house plans drawn up, in my writing “to scale.” There were Reference items and Research material, all in Bankers’ Boxes so full you could hardly lift them. And, what were they referring to?

What was the research for and what was it about?

Hard to recall now. The box marked Ideas had only a few scraps of paper with headings such as ‘An answer for Rising Damp?’, ‘What to do about the green sofa?’, ‘Unloved china?’, and other forgotten questions, but NO answers.

The file labelled ‘Most Excellent Ideas’ when opened was empty.

I looked around, my son was quietly reading copies of his early fanzines; written, printed and distributed by him when he was still at school. “We had better keep these,” he suggested. I counter suggested that if he wanted them, he should take them home CARDIFF TIMES 27

to his pristine apartment, but he reckoned they were “safer” where they were. I wondered whether there had been a lot of burglaries in his part of Bath recently, ruthless criminals breaking in and stealing handwritten notebooks with ideas for Dr Who scripts?

Clearing away other peoples’ stuff is clearly easier than dealing with your own.

I looked at the shelves with jam jars of nails of assorted sizes (galvanised or regular), and small boxes of assorted batteries (leaking dangerously and condemned as useless). Small sample tins of paint, large bottles of turpentine (whatever were they for?), boxes and boxes of photographs of unrecognisable places, totally never-seen-before people, nameless tropical flowers, birds and butterflies and a whole box of pictures of previous and past cats, but only of their back legs, tails and fluffy hindquarters as they rushed off about their business, too impatient to wait for me to obey the camera owner’s (my husband) instruction to “wind on.” A wide collection of ‘could come in handy one-day items was still on other shelves waiting to be assessed.

Over the other side of the attic, there was a lot more stuff. Son was busy investigating even more black files mostly label-less, the labels having long since dried up and dropped off. “You should have all this stored on your computer” he suggested.

“Good Idea” I replied flicking through a Spanish copy of fashions, Pret-a-Porter, that I bought around 1995. Still in pristine condition and useful for ideas. By now I had moved my plan well away from “throw out now” to a gentler version of “big, general tidy up.” Son shouted with delight, “I have just found your workbook from 2003. It starts with notes on how to declutter, how to find things easily and how to recycle to save the planet and avoid Clutter Anxiety, which apparently is gripping the nation. I think you should reread it, Mum, it might come in useful.”

“So that is where it is!” I exclaimed with relief, “I have been looking for that. Let’s go downstairs and have some refreshments. Oh! And I must tell you about my latest letter to the press.” “Can’t wait” says Son, in, I thought to myself, a less than enthusiastic voice.

Downstairs there was tea, title-tattle-tales, more tea 28 CARDIFF TIMES

and apple tarts.

“I cannot wait any longer” states son, “tell me about your letter, did they print it?”, “Oh yes. Letter of the Week and in a leading Sunday newspaper. Again.”

I said passing a copy to him. He read it out in his ‘on the phone to the London office voice’.

Dear Sirs, Shaming Prudent Oldies Recently a number of articles have appeared in the press accusing the older generation of jeopardising the future of this country by not releasing their accumulated wealth into the economy. Instead, apparently, they have been enjoying fat pensions, living in homes too large for them, saving their money, and not spending enough. They should be moving to smaller homes, buying more in the marketplace and generally priming the economy to aid the next generation.

These articles accused me and many, many others of my age group of being “in pursuit of the holy grail of wealth” (a mixed metaphor if ever I have read one). In addition to this crime, we were being held responsible “for wanting to keep saving even as we moved into our eighties and nineties.”

How dare we? Such irresponsible behaviour!

We must be ashamed of ourselves?

Or are we? For one, I am not.

It has taken me a lifetime of hard work to accumulate sufficient funds not to have to screw up the courage to open my bank statement: I now take a taxi when I wish: I can have the lobster lunch; I can buy a new hat even though I am not getting married again.

I grew up in South Wales after the War and benefitted from the Marshal Plan, Mr Beveridges’ report (as a child I thought it was about how good Ovaltine was for you, their adverts were everywhere) and Rab Butler’s Education Act. The background to life was in black and white: there was a poverty of experience and poverty of opportunity.

There was also the backdrop of staunch nonconformity and left-wing politics, in fact in

that location, being left-wing was considered middle of the road.

For me there were no bicycles, no holidays, no telephone, no car, and, almost until I was on my way off to Grammar School, many goods were still either unavailable or still rationed.

But at Sunday School there were tales of bushels and talents, there were stories of wise and foolish virgins. I listened. I learnt.

There was a first-class Public Library within easy reach. I persuaded both my parents to join so I could use their lender’s tickets as well as my own, I read everything. I learnt a lot. But it was still a toss-up on a wet winter’s evening between a 3d bus ride or getting soaked while enjoying a bag of chips and walking home through wet gaslit streets.

Like many of my cohorts, I worked all my life and beyond retirement age. A good job meant I could help provide comfort for my parents while they were still able to enjoy it, modest though their needs were. All those old-fashioned values of thrift, ‘no waste’, ‘make do and mend’, ‘do not borrow’, even

worse, ‘owe money’, are still very much part of my way of life. Because of that I, and others, are berated for putting something away for security, emergencies, minor operations and treats. Are we now to be blamed for the economic circumstances this country is in? If we had not saved previously when we could do so, there would be fewer sources for the younger generation to borrow from. Thirty years ago, policies to permit young people, often students with no income, to have credit cards soon became the norm.

One journalist writing recently mentions that ‘older savers resist spending some of their pension’. That is simply because we lived through hard times, and, we were told about even more difficult circumstances from our parents and grandparent’s experiences. Now we do not know what is ahead of us so, thank goodness we were prudent.

Yours etc etc “Gosh mum!” said Son. “Really, really Good. It has made me cry. Now I understand why you have difficulty throwing things away. More tea please.”

CARDIFF TIMES 29

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Fashion Done Your Own Way

by Molly Dutton

week and move towards a less restricted society, I felt that it would only be right to remember that the effects of the previous lockdowns still affect many individuals and I want us all to help overcome that in some small way. This article, for that reason, is all about self-care and how we can all look after ourselves and find our own hidden weapons against the struggle of the pandemic.

What a week. As the heatwave seems to have completely taken over the usual British weather, the dreary mood that plagued us all in January seems to have shifted entirely. Controversially, I have always loved the Autumn months much more than the summertime, purely due to my love of Christmas and my birthday (selfish reasons, I know). It has also been much easier for me to find comfort in the comfortable and warm fashion and beauty items of the colder months, with no interference from extreme temperatures that render turtlenecks unwearable for an entire season. This all being said, over the last two years in which life has changed so much due to the COVID pandemic, I have begun to see the positive effects of summer.

I have rarely discussed mental health in this article as, surprisingly, it is not an easy topic to weave into the wider world of fashion; the fashion industry often promotes mental health campaigns and works with large charities such as ‘Mind’ to guide people of all ages, however the fashion garments themselves (the main focus of many of my articles) are rather tricky to connect to mental health directly.

I mention this as we enter the hottest season of the year because I, myself, along with many others, suffered rather a lot in the winter pandemic as a result of the short, dark days and the ongoing fears surrounding Christmas and other family-oriented events. The effect of being locked down in January surprised me but taught me a huge amount about self-care and finding contentment in the smallest of places; in my case, fashion and styling became a main source of enjoyment in my days, with mood boards, drawings and photos taking up a lot of those dreary hours. As we bask in the sun this 32 CARDIFF TIMES

For reasons that I can’t possibly explain, trying on everything you own that has been residing in your wardrobe is quite literally the most therapeutic experience you can give yourself. If you’re anything like me, ‘the wardrobe’ is a bit of an unspoken word in the household, only referred to in time of necessity and nothing more. Quite truthfully, mine is stuffed to the brim with jumpers, cardigans, dresses (that I probably wore to a wedding once and am unlikely to wear again), and so many shoes that I would be embarrassed to count them. In a few of my previous articles, I have discussed how to de-clutter and rehome all those unneeded clothes and, whilst I do enjoy the process, it is not exactly the most up-lifting activity to complete when you’re having a bad day. Instead, I would wholeheartedly

suggest that you go through your wardrobe selecting your favourite, or least favourite items, and style them with the hoards of accessories that are lying about. When I finish putting together one outfit, I like to take a photo and add it to my ‘potential outfit’ folder that contains a range of possibilities for future events (yes, there is even a section for popping down to the pub). Rather than allow your amazing bundle of clothes to overwhelm you, I have always found that this method shows you what can be done with each item and helps overcome the panic that sets in place before a big night out.

Skincare has always helped me find some kind of inner peace even in my most stressed moments.

Although I have reduced my skincare routine over the summer months, as I find that moisturiser does the trick for most things, there is still so much relaxation that can be achieved through a good old skincare day. Facemasks are extremely useful in destressing, as they almost force you to lie still and take a couple of minutes out of your day whilst they dry. There are so many available on the market at the moment that I can imagine it would be quite confusing to a new skincare apprentice; sheet masks are the most refreshing and easiest option as they require no scrubbing to get the facemask

off - you simply peel it off and you’re done. I am always partial to a cream facemask as I find that they soothe the skin which seemingly soothes the mind as well; I have returned to the Boots’ cucumber cream face mask for the last couple of years now and it has continually impressed me every time. Recently, the beauty community has also endorsed the use of gel eye patches, a pair of small, gel under eye pads that seem to lift the tension underneath the eye and create brightness.

I had to trial the product myself for this article as I couldn’t possibly recommend something without testing it myself and I was overly impressed. The product that I bought from ‘The Range’ in their beauty aisle was cucumber scented and very effective at cooling my under-eye area, once again forcing me to close my eyes and relax for fifteen minutes. I think that the underlying appeal of such items is that they make sure that you prioritise yourself for that short time and allow yourself to slip off away from any stress or business.

This week, whatever you’re doing, please take a moment to check in with yourself and, if possible, pop on a facemask and sit for a short time; life can get overwhelmingly busy, and we never notice it happening.

CARDIFF TIMES 33

Level 42 are returning to play a show in Cardiff Eighties band will be playing Cardiff in October

by KellieWilliams

Popular jazz-funk band Level 42 are back and returning with a UK and EU tour after the 2020 tour got rescheduled.

It’s a hot, sunny day in the Isle of Wight, sat in his speedos and raring to dive into his private pool after the interview, the lead singer and bassist of the band Mark King said, “We do a tour every two years but because of covid, we had to postpone it.”

Mark said that after weeks working with an orchestra in London, one musician got a positive test and the whole production came to a halt.

He was really shocked that fans didn’t “cash in their ticket” after the 2020 tour got cancelled. The pandemic hit everyone financially, but the tour still remained sold out.

After an uninspiring lockdown, Mark is desperate to reunite with his band mates to get creative and feel inspired.

“We’re all together for a month, we all look forward to it! Before you know it, you’re on the last three shows” he said.

The band will be bracing Cardiff on Tuesday 26 October 2021. “We’ve played Cardiff many times,” said Mark, as he reminisced on his time playing with Welsh singer Cerys Matthews.

Pre-show prep With seven guys travelling by tour bus across the UK and EU, Mark said that falling out, arguments, and fighting is a thing of the past. “We only really

fought in the early days of the band, everyone has their space to go and enjoy the place [they’re visiting], and personally, I try not to be annoying!” he chuckled.

Another way the band members stay busy when living under one another’s feet is to get adventurous with the juice maker provided by the catering company. Keeping their energy up, one ginger and kale juice at a time.

After the much-needed vitamin juice, Mark admitted to being partial to a pre-show nap, “Before the show it’s normally very quiet, I tend to nod off for half an hour in the dressing room because we know after the show there will be a big party.”

Proud of his dedicated fans, he said, “We’re living the dream, hand on heart I just love playing a live environment, the response is so immediate… Me and the guys are so looking forward to getting back in the saddle, our fans are eager to see us and have a great time after the pandemic. I’m so ready! Let’s go!”

The band aren’t focusing on releasing new music, not anytime soon, but the next box set is being released soon via Cherry Red Records from the Polydor years, dated 1985 to 1989. Following the release of the second box set will be a 1990 to present day box set to get your hands on.

CARDIFF TIMES 35

Changing the way to protesting one embroidered canary at a time Cardiff crafters protest against climate change their own way

by KellieWilliams When you think of a protest, your imagination visions a march through the streets of the capital, however, Martine Brown, a proud supporter of changing the way we treat the planet, and an advocate for government change against global warming, has been organising groups of peaceful protesters to craft their way to change.

The 54-year-old from Heath, Cardiff is a member of the Birchgrove women’s institute, and is eager to approach Cardiff’s MPs in a more friendly way, to get the group’s voice heard.

On Saturday the 10 of July, the ‘climate craftism’ group used their love and passion for arts and crafts, to design and lead a peaceful protest around their artsy talents.

The ‘Canary Craftivists’, as they’re known, took to Bute Park to create and make several handmade yellow canaries made by stitching, sewing, knitting and embroidering yellow fabric into the canary-pattern design.

Dedicated to their ‘gentle protest,’ the group, consisting of seven ladies, one male and a child were all dressed up in yellow canary outfits. Each craftivist, even its youngest member sported a yellow cape, to represent the wings of the small bird, gaining the attention from fellow park goers and tourists, who were keen to take pictures of the group dressed up in the bright yellow shades.

The climate ambassador and organiser of the gathering, Martine, said, “We aim to get the community talking and spread the word on the importance of climate change. It was surprising because nobody asked us why we were all dressed up in yellow

because we looked quite unusual,” she laughed. “But yeah, for a busy day in the park, no one asked what we were doing.”

Once crafted, the plan is to deliver the small handmade canary to every Cardiff MP via post with a hand-written letter explaining why the canary was gifted and sent to the individual MP. “We thought gifting the MPs with a present is a nicer and more receptive way of getting attention because everyone likes a beautiful gift. The canary is nice for them to have and keep in their office to remind them about the action towards climate change,” said Martine.

Why canaries?

The canary emblem has a very special and significant message behind its yellow wings. The canary bird was decided by the ladies to represent its small, angelic physical appearance, yet in the past, the canary played a crucial job role in helping warn miners underground in coal mines of any dangerous pollution, such as carbon monoxide.

36 CARDIFF TIMES

The canary will urge each MP to use their position to encourage stronger and faster action to tackle global warming locally, nationally, and encourage the Government to act as bold hosts of this year’s UN climate change summit that is taking place in Glasgow in November.

The summit is a crucial event, bringing world leaders together to discuss plans to create a cleaner, greener planet, and a better future for the next generation.

The flock of women advocate for introverts and those who are quiet and shy, yet who still hold a big heart for standing up for what they believe in. A new way forward for peaceful protesting, that could potentially seek action being taken in a more efficient and effective way.

One craftivist Barbara Moore, who attended the Bute Park dress up and craft protest with her granddaughter said, “As a grandparent, climate change and protecting our planet is something very close to my heart. I feel passionately [that] we owe it to future generations to protect our precious world. This quiet, kind and creative way of campaigning with one of my grandchildren at my side, is my way of doing

something positive and productive”.

The group’s organiser, Martine, concluded, “It sometimes feels like the only way to create change is to stand up and fight for the world we want to see.

To march under giant banners and shout to have our voices heard. But that doesn’t sit comfortably for a lot of women in our local WI [women’s institute]; So crafting for change felt like the perfect way to encourage our MPs to push for more urgent action on the climate crisis.”

The group have no ‘gentle protests’ lined up for the rest of the year, however leader Martine said that the group are so passionate, that she is sure an event will pop up in the coming months.

Interested in joining the peaceful craftivist group?

Martine welcomes newcomers to join the flock for their next ‘gentle protest.’ Men are welcome to join the WI in some of the campaigns and activities locally and nationally. If you’re interested, visit the Women’s Institute website on: https://www. birchgrovewicardiff.org/#page-top Or visit the Facebook page on: https://www.facebook.com/ Birchgrove-Cardiff-WI-109047497459526/

CARDIFF TIMES 37

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Against the Odds

by Ralph Oates

If you had watched the Steve Robinson story in a film you would have been forgiven for thinking that it was a little far-fetched. A little over the top. A fighter with just a couple of days’ notice, being given a chance to challenge for the WBO world featherweight title.

Even if you accepted that the opportunity might well have presented itself under certain circumstances, the possibility of him actually winning the crown, especially in his opponent’s hometown, was really stretching it a little too far; yet the situation did arise.

John Davison was set to challenge Ruben Palacio for the WBO world featherweight crown; however, the Columbian failed his medical and was unable to fight and was stripped of the title. To save the championship promotion, the WBO allowed Robinson to step in with just a couple of days’ notice to contest the vacant crown. The bout took place on the 17th April 1993 at the Northumbria Centre, Washington in Tyne and Wear. No one expected the Welshman to win the title.

It was meant to be Davison’s night of glory. He was boxing at home in front of his home fans and looked to be a sure-fire winner. Prior to this bout, Davison had won the vacant British featherweight crown on the 10th September 1992 knocking out Tim Driscoll in seven rounds of 12, and he had also won the WBC International title in the same division during the course of his career. Davison had failed twice to win the European title but, nevertheless, he was a talented fighter with a record of 15 wins and three defeats coupled with a steely determination to win, which did not bode well for Robinson’s chances.

The Welshman had a slate of 23 bouts winning 13 losing nine and drawing one. At first sight, Robinson’s record did not look too good; certainly not one which cried out a future world champion. The Welshman’s first professional bout took place on 1 March 1989, which resulted in a points win over four rounds against Alan Roberts. The men Robinson later faced were not cherry-picked, he often shared the ring with boxers who were very accomplished. This all added to his ring education.

There was going to be a coronation whereby a new king was to be crowned but surprisingly it did not turn out to be Davison as was generally expected. Even with the fans bolstering his every effort with raucous support, Davison was not able to get the better of

44 CARDIFF TIMES

the man in front of him. Robinson put in a class performance to confound many who felt that his defeat in this bout was a foregone conclusion. The Welshman was able to nullify and counter the punches which were being sent in his direction from his opponent. Davison tried to assume control, but his efforts were falling short with Robinson being that one step ahead of him during the battle. Robinson took a well-deserved points decision over the scheduled 12 rounds, and with it, the championship, hence becoming the first Welshman since Howard Winstone who had won and lost the WBC crown in 1968 to hold a version of the title. This was a shock whereupon Robinson came through to upset the massive odds which were heavily stacked against him. The upset win was likened to the world heavyweight title bout which took place on the 13th June 1935, where at the Madison Square Garden Bowl Long Island City, Queens in New York USA challenger James J. Braddock outpointed defending champion and fellow American Max Baer over 15 rounds to take the title, hence dubbed The Cinderella Man. Baer was the overwhelming favourite to retain the championship in this match. No one thought for one minute that

Braddock would defeat Baer So it was no surprise when Robinson was also given the same nickname as Braddock after his victory over Davison.

After all the deserved plaudits from the boxing media, it was time for Robinson to get geared up and thus get back into the ring to get on with the serious business of defending the title. While Robinson looked to be a worthy champion, he had to prove that his title win over Davison was not a fluke. A number of critics felt that while Robinson did well to win the crown, they didn’t expect him to reign for too long. In truth, Robinson was still very undervalued by many experts.

In the months to come, Robinson showed the critics that he was a worthy champion and was a busy titleholder, hence not keeping the title in cold storage.

Robinson made seven defences of the crown, defeating challengers like Sean Murphy, Colin McMillan, Paul Hodkinson, Freddie Cruz, Duke McKenzie, Domingo Nicolas Damigella and Pedro Ferradas. These victories elevated his status in the eyes of the boxing world.

Robinson was clearly red hot, but there was a cold front on the horizon moving in fast by the name of Prince Naseem Hamed from Sheffield - a talented boxer who was acknowledged as being more than a little bit special in the sport. Hamed had compiled an undefeated record of 19 victories, 17 coming inside the distance by way of a knockout or stoppage, so it was evident that Hamed had punching power to go with his boxing skills. Hamed had won the European championship in the bantamweight division later relinquishing the crown to move up a division to add the WBC International super-bantamweight bauble to his name. Hamed was even catching the eye of the fight fans in the USA. He was a star who was burning bright.

Robinson was up against it and many pundits favoured the challenger to punch his way to the title despite this being his first contest in the featherweight division.

However, Robinson had a great deal of experience on his side having mixed with fighters of a high calibre during his period in the punch-for-pay ranks, and he had now compiled a record of 21 wins, 9 defeats and 1 draw. Robinson had been written off many times before in his career and proved the experts wrong time after time. The Welshman was ready to turn the odds upside down once again and confound those who bet against him. On the night of the 30th September 1995 at Cardiff Arms Park, the confident challenger didn’t put a foot wrong in a performance which defied all logic and belief. The fans gave Robinson every encouragement willing him on to victory. Hamed however showed both his incredible speed of punch and ability to dodge many of the blows which were aimed in his direction by the

champion. Robinson was a craftsman and had in his time fought a number of fighters with various different styles along the way. It was more than apparent that those fights had not prepared him for the man who was now sharing the ring with him. In truth, it appeared that Hamed would be a puzzle for any fighter to solve let alone the Welshman. Robinson just could not tame the fighter in front of him, try as he may, and was a well-beaten fighter when the referee stepped in to stop the bout in round eight of a scheduled 12 to bring an end to the Welshman’s reign as world champion.

Stopped for the first time in his professional career Robinson, a proud warrior, had to come to terms with this loss and had to rethink his future. While defeat was a bitter blow for the Welshman, he could take some consolation in the fact that Hamed was an exceptional fighter, a man who would go to become a major champion in the division adding the IBF, WBC and IBO versions of the title to his name.

This was not the end of the line for Robinson he continued his career with a degree of success. In his tenth bout after losing to Hamed, the Welshman faced Manuel Calvo on 30 April 1999 to contest the vacant European featherweight title. The contest took place at the Leganes, Comunidad de Madrid in Spain. This was a bout’ Robinson could easily have lost. However, the Welshman fought well and collected the title when he outpointed his Spanish opponent over 12 rounds.

This put Robinson back on the map and it was a step hopefully towards another world title chance in the future. Sadly, another crack at a world title did not materialise. After a further three winning bouts disaster struck. Robinson lost his next six fights in a row which convinced him that it was time to call it a day. Robinson can look back proudly on an excellent career and is rightly respected by boxing fans for his ability inside the ring. During his time in the punch-for-pay ranks, he had comprised a record of 51 fights, winning 32, losing 17, with 3 drawn. Robinson won the Welsh Area, WBO Inter-Continental, European and WBO world featherweight titles. Steve Robinson was a credit to boxing both in and outside of the ring.

Ralph Oates is a former amateur boxer who has maintained his interest in the sport by writing a number of boxing books over the years.

He is an historian on the sport and a former boxing consultant for Guinness World Records. Ralph was a regular contributor to the British Boxing Board of Control Yearbook for 18 years.

His latest book can be purchased here: A Question of Boxing www.jmdmedia.co.uk

CARDIFF TIMES 45

CARDIFF TIMES 47

Allotted ‘you’ time

by Natalie McCulloch

Throughout the pandemic many people turned to the great outdoors as a source of meaningful occupation, activity, structure and escapism. Not only have many public green spaces seen increased footfall, the interest in gardening and allotments has noticeably increased. A survey by Lakeland Furniture showed that “While an average of 1,800 searches per month are made in the UK for “gardening for beginners:” (with typical seasonal variations anyway), April 2020 brought 5,600 such searches”.

That’s certainly a possible positive amongst so many negatives of the past year!

• Reduced carbon footprint by growing food locally thus cutting down on need for airmiles.

• Increased skill set: learning new skills, teaching others through your knowledge and actively seeking opportunities to discover new green areas.

So it’s a huge win for all involved!

Gardening has always been a popular past time, we only have to look at the amount of gardening programmes, magazines and products on the market to see that, but potentially the lockdown has given more of us the chance to enjoy, envelope ourselves and explore our local green spaces and our desire to be green fingered!

If you, like myself, get a little green with envy at not having a garden on your property, perhaps it could be worth investigating the options of allotments?

Getting out in the great outdoors has a magnitude of documented benefits which you are most likely aware of including: • Better physical health (i.e. improved fitness, lower blood pressure, more exposure to vitamin D), • Increased ability to focus and lower stress levels - “Gardening is cheaper than therapy and you get tomatoes!”

• A decreased sense of loneliness if in a public space or involving others even if via blogs or zoom!

And some possibly lesser known benefits of becoming green fingered or green minded such as: • Increased youthfulness - a study in the Netherlands actually showed that “every 10% in exposure to green space translated into an improvement in health equivalent to being five years younger, with similar benefits found by studies in Canada and Japan!” (The King’s Fund 2021).

• Benefits to the environment of having people respecting and tending to it and happier wildlife if their environment is being cared for.

48 CARDIFF TIMES

Did you know that Cardiff Council is responsible for 28 allotment sites with over 2,500 tenanted plots?

If you would like to be considered for a plot of your very own then please don’t hesitate to contact them so your interest can be registered and your name added to the waiting lists. www.outdoorcardiff.com/ get-involved/allotments.

Now is a great time to start as August actually sees the 19th annual ‘National Allotments week” (9th – 15th) which aims to help ‘plot the future’ by celebrating the contribution that allotments make to a ‘sustainable future’. Imagine a future where people can meet their own needs without compromising the ability of the people in the future to meet their own needs…

National Allotment week was started 2002 as a way of raising awareness of allotments and the role they play in helping people to live healthier lifestyles, grow their own food, develop friendships and bolster communities. The campaign week is still thriving 19 years later and interest in growing your own fruit and vegetables has never been stronger since the WW2 Grow for Victory campaign.

Keen allotment owner Frank, aged 70 told me “I love my allotment, it provides structure to the day, gives a sense of purpose and achievement and the opportunity to socialise and exercise.”

Mum of 4 Amy, aged 36, explained “The allotment was given to my husband and I as a wedding gift and has been both a challenge and a pleasure to attend to over the years. We had no idea about anything to do with gardening prior to this and us being furloughed certainly showed us what a lifeline having a space to channel energy into, see progress through and spend quality time together, is. Plus, the kids love it as much as we do and have learnt to appreciate the hard work that goes into putting the fresh food on their plates.”

Allotments are increasingly popular amongst all age groups but they are nothing new, in fact

evidence points to them having been in existence for hundreds of years! The allotment type we recognise today has its roots in the Nineteenth Century, when land was given over to the labouring poor for the provision of food growing. There is certainly still a lot to be said for how economical, enjoyable and diverse home-grown produce can be too!

Allotments have been a lifeline for many during the covid 19 pandemic due to being a place where they could exercise during lockdown and spend time safely distanced but in company with like- minded souls. For plot-holders who were shielding and unable to visit their plots - some allotment communities have stepped up and helped to keep on top of the weeds and harvest crops.

In recognition of the importance of this ‘growing’ trend, in 2018 the UK Government produced a 25 Year Environment Plan, which acknowledges that connecting people to their environment will also improve their health and well-being. So don’t delay in becoming a valuable part of this process today!

The National Allotment Society offers a wealth of information and resources for anyone keen to find out more or engage their inner Monty Don or Charlie Dimmock! https://www.nsalg.org.uk

CARDIFF TIMES 49

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CARDIFF TIMES 51

Protect Your Wealth

Dealing with Estate Administration: A Step-by-Step Guide

by Michael Fogg

Estate which also determine who inherits from the Estate. The general rule of thumb is that the closest relative is the person who inherits, and also who is responsible for the administration.

Following a very busy month in July, which meant I was unable to devote time to writing an advice article, this month I am concentrating on Estate Administration. This is, in essence, the work which needs to be undertaken when a loved one passes.

What is Estate Administration?

Estate Administration is the phrase usually used to describe the work to finalise the financial and personal matters left when a person dies. It can be simply broken down into four or five phases, which can be detailed as follows: 1. Arranging the funeral; 2. Valuing the Estate; 3. Obtaining legal authority (if required); 4. Paying off any Estate debts; 5. Distributing the Estate to beneficiaries.

Who is responsible for administering the Estate?

Before commencing the Estate administration process, you need to be sure that you are the correct person to deal with the Estate. This means searching for your loved one’s Will. The people nominated in that Will as the Executors are responsible for finalising the Estate – although it is important to note that if you are named as an Executor you do not have to do the work but can instead renounce your Executorship (to give up your right to deal with the Estate) or reserve your power in favour of another Executor who will take the lead instead of you.

Should there be no Will, then there are rules set down by UK Government (the “Intestacy Rules”) to determine who is responsible for administering the 52 CARDIFF TIMES

Arranging the funeral This is often done by a close relative, although does not need to be done by the Executor or Administrator. It is worth noting, that in the vast majority of cases, the first thing which is taken from the Estate assets are the funeral expenses (unless the Estate is insolvent, in which case it is advisable to speak with a funeral director about this before instructing funeral arrangements to take place).

Valuing the Estate The Estate is valued at the date of the deceased’s death. The Estate value is determined by everything that the deceased legally owned, minus everything that the deceased legally owed. Assets could include Real Estate property, bank and building society balances, National Savings Bonds, life policies, pension policies, investments, stocks and shares, and ownership of private companies, as well as personal possessions (legally called chattels). Debts could include mortgages, loans, credit card balances, and overpayments due back to organisations, as well as utility bills.

Obtaining legal authority (if required) Legal authority to deal with an Estate is commonly referred to as ‘Probate’. Probate, or a Grant of Representation, is a Court Order which instructs any interested party to follow the instructions of the Personal Representative (“PR”) of the deceased.

The PR is usually an executor of a Will, or a legal next of kin where there is no Will.

Probate is granted by the Probate Registry of the High Court, and at present can take 2-3 months to be issued after the application has been made.

It is only necessary to get Probate if you have been asked to provide it by an organisation, which controls some of the deceased’s assets. If one organisation asks to see Probate, there is a good chance that all other organisations will want to see it as well. This is because it protects them against a claim that funds had been given to the

wrong person as they were following the explicit instruction of a Court Order.

determined by the Will, should there be one, or by the Intestacy Rules if there is not one.

If Probate is needed, then any Inheritance Tax (“IHT”) due from the Estate will need to be put in hand before the Grant is issued.

What do I do next?

Should you find yourself in need of advice on how to deal with an Estate which requires administration, you can deal with it yourself, or you could ask a professional to assist you in completing the administration. Should you ask a professional to assist, they could charge you a percentage of the gross Estate value, or based on the amount of time that it takes them to do the work. Alternatively, they could charge a fixed fee for the work, which motivates them to help you get things concluded as promptly as possible. This final method is the way that Trusting Willpower charges for our assistance.

Paying off any Estate debts When the PR has been able to collect in all the assets of the Estate, they then need to pay off the Estate’s debts. There is a specific order in which these debts should be paid off, and the PR should be careful not to pay off debts that are chased incredibly pro-actively as it may be that these are not secured against any assets, and not a ‘priority’ or ‘preferential’ debt which take precedence over ordinary unsecured debts.

Likewise, all taxes (IHT, Capital Gains Tax and Income Tax are the usual ones to consider) should be paid before the Estate is finalised.

Distributing the Estate to beneficiaries When all Estate debts, and administration costs (for example, utility bills for a property owned by the Estate during the administration process) have been paid off, the final step is to distribute the Estate to the beneficiaries. This again is

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03/06/2015 11:47

Judo the Gentle Art

by Howard Oates

sport of Judo into the world back in the 19th century. Of course, wrestling has long been an Olympic sport, but many do not consider this fine fighting sport a martial art in the purist sense. It took until 1972 before Judo became a core Olympic sport for men and amazingly not until the Barcelona Games in 1992 until ladies had the opportunity to compete for Olympic medals.

Judo is one of the rare fighting sports where there is no intention to injure the opponent to score an outright win. This makes the sport safe for children. As they grow up into adults it is possible to win with strangles and armlocks but even at the highest level such moves are applied with increasing pressure to force a submission and there is no intention to cause injury or damage to the opponent.

If time travel were possible on arriving at a school playground in the 1960s if you were to ask 100 children to name a martial art, it is likely 65% would say Judo and 35% Karate. Fast forward to the present day you would be presented with an assortment of fighting styles, such as Taekwondo, Aikido, Kung Fu, Jiu Jitsu, indeed the list of martial arts seems endless and the percentage of children choosing Judo or Karate would be much lower. Despite the upsurge in various forms of martial arts Judo remains one of the most popular and would still score high if not so much as many years ago.

So what separates Judo from the rest of the pack? Well for a start it was the first martial art to be inducted into the Olympic Games.

In 1964 the Tokyo games first introduced the sport quite fitting as it was Jigoro Kano, a Japanese gentleman who introduced the

The most dynamic side of Judo can be seen in the vast amount of skill required to throw an opponent on to the back to score the Judo knockout, what is known as an Ippon, or the skill required to hold someone on their back for 20 seconds.

Unlike so many sports it is possible to assess your progress through a grading system. The main governing body for Great Britain, the British Judo Association, starts with a white belt before progressing through red, yellow, orange, green, blue and brown before trying to win the coveted black belt. There are even different levels of black belt too. As such children and parents can see real progress through a structured grading system.

Of course, Judo is known as the gentle art because it uses force against itself yet anyone who has engaged in a competitive contest will tell you different, it is anything but gentle and requires strength and stamina and even though a Judo contest will range CARDIFF TIMES 57

from just 2 to 4 minutes depending on age, after a day’s competition an athlete can be left exhausted and aching from areas of the human body one did not know existed.

Indeed, at higher level competitions there is such a method of finding a winner known as the golden score. If a contest is level both athletes must compete until there is a winner, and sometimes a contest can last 20-30 minutes. In Judo we do not tend to refer to a match with an opponent as a fight but rather a contest.

Unlike professional Boxing, Judo has just one world governing body, the International Judo Federation and as such just one world champion per weight and just like the tennis circuit there are Grand Slam and Grand Prix tournaments around the world. If you are fortunate enough to represent your country, there is a considerable level of world travel involved. There are some very small lesser governing bodies but as they do not have the control over Olympic ranking points little notice is taken of them and all the top athletes fight with the IJF. Unfortunately, the rules of Judo can be confusing, despite many efforts by the IJF to simplify them over the past 20 years, it can be disconcerting to the uninformed viewer who sees a referee penalise a player just because he has taken the same side of an opponent’s jacket for longer than 4 seconds or so without attacking or for stepping outside the coloured mat area. However, the rules have been developed over many years in a bid to make the sport more dynamic and viewer friendly.

Sadly, the rewards of a sport that demands so much dedication of an athlete are not reflected in the financial returns and there are few players that can retire on their career earnings, nor does it appear do the same media offers get presented to retiring judo players as many other sports like tennis or soccer where successful players are already set financially for life.

58 CARDIFF TIMES

Perhaps the very fact that judo players, sometimes known as judokas perform a sport simply because of their love of that discipline reflects the ethics and respect of the thousands of judokas across the world who walk on a judo mat for a contest at a major event knowing there is no hiding place and no going home in a Porsche should they lose in an embarrassing manner.

The profile of Judo has once more been lifted by its inclusion as a core sport into the second biggest multi-sport games in the world, the Commonwealth Games to be held in England in 2022. Judo has figured in three previous Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh in 1986, Auckland 1990, Manchester 2002 and more recently in Glasgow in 2014 where the pride of Welsh Judo Natalie Powell took a brilliant Gold medal at under 78kgs defeating 2012 London Olympic Silver medallist Gemma Gibbons of England. Welshman Mark Shaw took a fine bronze in the over 100kgs category. The reason a non-core sport can pop in and out

of the Commonwealth games is because the host country can drop and include a sport that they are either good or bad at, but with Judo now being designated a core sport its survival within the games seems safe, at least for the foreseeable future.

Unlike the Olympics where the four nations fight as one representing Team GB the Commonwealth games give opportunities for Wales, Scotland Northern Ireland and England to select athletes to represent the country giving more opportunities to players.

Anyone contemplating taking up Judo or finding a club for their children should contact the Welsh Judo Association for advice or a list of registered clubs but beware the sport can be addictive as I, the father of Great Britain double Olympian and double European medallist found out. When you enrol your children in a sports club the journey you are embarking on may take you on a roller-coaster ride to every continent on the planet. The story of how the purchase of a magazine advertising educational night classes changed the life of a complete family Discover how Oates, supported by a can now be read in “Colin Oates Accidental judo-crazy family, smashed his way to being Olympian.” the British number-one under-66kg player If after reading the book you are brave for nearly a decade before qualifying for the enough to take your son or daughter to a Olympics. At London 2012, Oates defeated Judo club the Welsh Judo Association can an ex-world champion and was only stopped be contacted at Sport Wales National Centre by the eventual gold medallist. At Rio 2016, Sophia Gardens Cardiff CF11 9SW Tel No. he faced the heartbreak of an early exit but 44 292033495 office@welshjudo.com was soon appointed a Great Britain elite Howard Oates has co-written two judo tutorial coach. This is a genuine David and Goliath story where the underdog comes out on top. books, Colin Oates Judo: Getting Started and Colin Oates Judo: Groundwork. He has This book is an inspirational story and will appeared numerous times over the last two help anyone who may doubt their ability to decades on the BBC and ITV, and various never give up on a dream! Cardiff Times radio stations, in relation to his involvement rates the book 5 stars in judo.

The book can be purchased through Amazon Howard’s latest book has recently been at £14.99 or through any major bookstore. published: Colin Oates, a Judo Journey Accidental Olympian is the uplifting story of a judo athlete who wasn’t afraid to dream big.

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REFURBISHMENT LOFT CONVERSION we offer a full building service where we will bring to life the LOFT CONVERSION At Vencer we have the experience & knowledge in all Buildingdesigns Control thatDesign have been created by ourselves & you&the client. in all At Vencer we have the experience knowledge aspects of thefor design and buildbalanced process. We provide a NEW BUILDS Vencer has forged a reputation beautifully aspects of the design and build process. We provide a NEW BUILDS service thatlight begins with your tastes, idea & finishes with us spaces that focus on natural and clients whether Planning Permission service that begins with your idea & finishes with us PROJECTS thisCOMMERCIAL be endlessly classic or refreshingly modern.

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StructuralFREE Design & Calculations addition.

ONLINE ESTIMATING GENERAL ON ANY FREEADVICE ONLINE ESTIMATING TOOL TOOL REFURBISHMENT Architectural Design from initial ideas through to completion. Following our design,

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Vencer are to a • General Advice on an Initial Ideas DESIGN PERMISSION Vencer+ PLANNING are dedicated dedicated to providing providing a & Budgeting • General Advice on an Initial Ideas & Budgeting

professional service, • high-quality Architectural Design CONSTRUCTION IF REQUIRED professional & &DESIGN high-quality service, •customer Building Control Design FOR BUILDING REGULATIONS ensuring that satisfaction • Building Control Design • Architectural Design

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always STRUCTURAL DESIGN & CALCULATIONS • Planning Permission always achieved. achieved.

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The Projects we the work completed, I With With all all the work completed, I Design & Build: would like to express our sincere

BUILDING + CONSTRUCTION • Structural Design & Calculations • Structural Design & Calculations

would like to express our sincere

www.vencerconstruction.com www.vencerconstruction.com www.vencerconstruction.com

thanks thanks to to you you and and your your team. team.

• Extensions We are absolutely delighted with We are absolutely delighted with • Newbuilds our new home. We will happily our new home. We will happily recommend • Loft Conversions recommend Vencer Vencer to to our our friends and family • Renovation friends and family - Diane, a full renovation of & Refurbishment - Diane, a full renovation of

Ask Ask about about our our free free design service design service T&C’s T&C’s apply. apply.

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CONTACT CONTACT

Office: 02920 023323 Office: 02920 023323 Office: 023323 07515 273069 David: 07917 665310 Office: 02920 02920Thomas: 023323 Thomas: 07515 273069 David: 07917 665310 Thomas: 07515 79, 273069 Tŷ Mawr Rd, Llandaff North, Cardiff CF14 2FP Thomas: 07515 79, 273069 Tŷ Mawr Rd, Llandaff North, Cardiff CF14 2FP Email: enquiries@vencerconstruction.com David: 07917 Email: enquiries@vencerconstruction.com David: 07917 665310 665310 02920 023323 #Vencer #vencervision Email: enquiries@vencerconstruction.com #Vencer #vencervision Email: enquiries@vencerconstruction.com

ONTACT Office: 02920 023323

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The Projects we Design & Build: The Projects we Design & Build: • Extensions • Extensions • Newbuilds • Newbuilds • Loft Conversions • Loft Conversions • Renovation & Refurbishment • Renovation & Refurbishment

ACCREDITATION ACCREDITATION

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Email: enquiries@vencerconstruction.com

mas: 07515 273069#Vencervision David: 07917 665310 #Vencer #Vencer #vencervision #Vencer #vencervision Tŷ Mawr Rd, Llandaff North, Cardiff CF14 2FP

Company number: 11502188 VAT number: 311 0933 51 Company number: 11502188 VAT number: 311 0933 51

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   No job too big or too small !! 

 

66 CARDIFF TIMES

   

    

SUCCESS IS AFFORDABLE GET UP TO £4,500 FUNDING TOWARDS LIVING COSTS ON OUR PART-TIME COURSES* *Eligibility rules apply for financial support.

MAE LLWYDDIANT YN FFORDDIADWY CEWCH HYD AT £4,500 TUAG AT GOSTAU BYW AR EIN CYRSIAU RHAN-AMSER* *Mae rheolau cymhwysedd yn berthnasol ar gyfer cymorth ariannol.

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COFRESTRWCH ERBYN

9 SEPTEMBER

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The Open University is incorporated by Royal Charter (RC 000391), an exempt charity in England & Wales and a charity registered in Scotland (SC 038302). The Open University is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in relation to its secondary activity of credit broking.

Ymgorfforir y Brifysgol Agored drwy Siarter Frenhinol (RC 000391), sef elusen eithriedig yng Nghymru a Lloegr ac elusen gofrestredig yn yr Alban (SC 038302). Awdurdodir a rheoleiddir y Brifysgol Agored gan yr Awdurdod Ymddygiad Ariannol mewn perthynas â’i gweithgaredd eilradd o froceru credyd.