Cardiff Times - February 2023

February 2023

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The Chosen screening in Cardiff Cinemas 2nd - 3rd February The talented cast of actors bring each character of the Gospels to life with their own unique interpretation. Once you watch the first episode, the series becomes an addictive watch.

The show is available to watch online through prime or via the VidAngel app and website. It’s been highly praised for its authentic and historically accurate portrayal of the life of Jesus Christ and his message.

Use the following link to book tickets for the Cardiff Screening between 2nd – 3rd February via: http://thechosen-tickets.co.uk

CARDIFF TIMES 5

Loo roll!

byWyn Evans

ability to churn out convincing essays which cannot be detected by their existing anti-plagiarism software. Elon Musk, who was an early investor in the company behind ChatGPT, wrote on Twitter: “It’s a new world. Goodbye homework!”

Back in the dog days of 2022, on the 15th December to be exact, I was listening to BBC Radio 4’s ‘Woman’s Hour’(1), as you do, when Emma Barnett, the programme presenter said this: “We have an essential conversation today coming up between myself and Claudia Winkelman, as it only very recently came to my attention that the way you put the loo roll on the holder, if you have one, is a ‘thing’. I had no idea. I just bung it on. I don’t care if the paper goes over or under. Please tell me I am not alone. But it seems there’s a whole thing. There are articles dedicated to this; there are conversations that have been had that I’ve never known about. Claudia very much believes the paper goes over... and, yes, I still cannot get over that my very best friend has been turning my loo roll around for years in my house, if she deems it on the wrong way, without telling me... Apparently loo rolls, if they go on the holder, are meant to go with the paper going over. I had no idea!” During the discussion a listener phoned in to note that when the patent for the original toilet roll holder was filed, the accompanying diagram showed the paper hanging, wait for it, over.

I hope that you will not think me too, ahem, retentive if I return to this subject below. First I want to tell you about some interesting new software that has recently been in the news. On 5th January(2) the Daily Telegraph ran the following headline: “Goodbye homework! Elon Musk praises AI [Artificial Intelligence] chatbot that writes students’ essays”. ChatGPT, released by the Silicon Valley company OpenAI in November, is a free online service that has alarmed teachers due to its apparent

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This made me sit up! My daughter, The Girl, is in Year 12 and still has homework to attend to; occasionally, I will sometimes help her with the research she needs to do for it. I wondered what to make of this software? Is it a useful teaching aid or a cheater’s charter? Anyone who registers for an account can type questions into it, including requests for essays on any subject, and have them answered by the chatbot’s algorithms. The Telegraph revealed that Ofqual, the exam watchdog for England, is considering whether schools should be given guidance on how to prevent pupils from cheating on coursework with the chatbot. Headteachers said they are planning emergency talks to determine how to respond to the technology. Teachers who marked three ChatGPT answers to GCSE questions in English language, English literature and history said they would score between a grade 4, or standard pass, and a grade 6. I studied English for ‘A’ level and decided to put the software through its paces! I started by asking it whether the software would benefit cheats.

Me: Will academic cheating be easier given the arrival of chatgptai (e.g. essay writing)?

“ChatGPT and other language models have the potential to make academic cheating easier, as they can generate written text on a wide range of topics with a high degree of fluency. However, it’s important to note that these models don’t have their own understanding of the topics they are writing about, they just generate text based on patterns they learned from the data they were trained on.

Many academic institutions are aware of the potential for academic cheating using language models and are taking steps to address this issue. This can include using plagiarism detection software, which can identify text generated by AI models, as well as human evaluations of student work. Additionally, many institutions have strict policies against academic dishonesty, and students caught cheating can face serious consequences. It’s also worth noting that ChatGPT and other language models are tools and like any other tool, it can be used for good or bad. It’s important to use them ethically and responsibly.”

This seems fair enough. Perhaps teachers should set work so that any research is done at home but essays have to be completed in the classroom without the software? Critical-thinking and problem-solving skills must not be undermined by the AI. Next, I thought it

would be fun to see what it could do with poetry. First John Milton, followed by William Wordsworth.

heart There’s a rhythm that never stops A dance of life, a work of art That never, ever flops. It’s a place where anything can happen And anything can be.”

Me: Write me a sonnet in the style of John Milton “In Paradise, I oft have heard the song Of Angels, as they praised the Lord on high, Their voices sweet, and harmonious, and strong, Like music from the spheres that fill the sky. But now, in this dark world, I hear a different tone, A battle cry that echoes through the land, As men and demons fight for what is known, And what is yet to be, with sword in hand. Yet in this struggle, there is still some grace, For in the fight, we learn to be more true, To what we are, and what we must embrace, And in the end, we’ll see our victory due. So let us sing, and fight, and never tire, For in the end, we’ll see our hearts’ desire.”

Me: Write me a sonnet in the style of William Wordsworth “Beneath the blue and cloudless sky, I stand And gaze upon the fields of golden wheat, The gentle breeze that stirs the leaves so sweet And carries with it whispers from the land. The daffodils that dance and sway so grand And fill my heart with joy and pure delight, Their yellow petals shining so bright, A symbol of the beauty that expands.

Nature, thou art my solace and my guide, With thee, my soul is filled with peace and calm, And in thy beauty, I find strength and pride. Thou art the source of my poetic charm And in thy presence, I am truly blessed, Forever in thy beauty, I’ll find rest.”

And finally, Me: Write me a poem in the style of Will Self “In the city of concrete and steel, Where the neon lights burn bright, And the sirens scream with a shrill, I wander in the dark of the night. The streets are filled with the lost and found The broken dreams and shattered lives The souls that wear a permanent frown And the hopes that barely survive. But amidst the chaos and despair, There is beauty to be found, The grit and grime, the soot and air Can be mesmerizingly profound. For in the city’s beating

I then asked the AI software to write me two speeches, one in the style of Tony Blair, the second in the style of Jeremy Corbyn. I won’t reproduce them here but will allow readers to do their own searches. I’m fairly sure that, if asked to guess who these speeches were by, many of us would attribute them to Blair and Corbyn respectively. Very impressive. So there we have it. A piece of technology that will change the world(3). But, I hear you ask, ‘what does the AI have to say about the pressing issue of the moment...?’

“The debate over whether toilet paper should be hung over or under the roll has been going on for years, and ultimately, it is a matter of personal preference. Some people prefer to hang the toilet paper over the roll, as they feel it is more easily accessible and looks neater.

Others prefer to hang it under the roll, as they feel it is more secure and less likely to unravel.

In the US, it’s common for the toilet paper to be hung over the roll, while in some countries in Europe, it’s common for it to be hung under.

Whichever way you choose, make sure to hang the toilet paper in a location that is easily accessible and convenient for everyone who uses the bathroom.”

Until next month, happy hanging!

Footnotes: 1. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001g37w 2. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/01/05/ homework-elon-musk-chatgpt-praises-ai-chatbot-writesstudents/ 3. See also: https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/ how-to-use-openai-chatgpt-text-generation-chatbot/#dtheading-how-to-use-chatgpt

CARDIFF TIMES 7

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8 CARDIFF TIMES

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CARDIFF TIMES 9

‘And Another Thing...’

The Man Who Would Be King

byVince Nolan

I know this is not a political publication but I wanted to share this with you. I have been reading a fine piece of literature. I know that may surprise many of you, but I recognise talent when I read it. Allow me to paraphrase the frontispiece (I have been dying to say that for years): “It is a story of a couple obsessed with their status, financially exploiting their position and manipulating the media to portray themselves as victims.

These Royals, the most glamourous exiles in the world, flitting from sumptuously appointed mansions to luxurious beach residences were spoilt selfish people, obsessed with their image. Their glittering world was riddled with treachery and betrayal.”

Sound familiar? Well you might be wrong.

The book I refer to is The Traitor King written quite brilliantly by Andrew Lownie which charts the lives and loves of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor or Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson. History has a strange way of repeating itself does it not?

Staying with the Severn Crossing. Dragon Radio recently reported that the original Severn Bridge was closed in both directions because of high winds. It struck me as a strange thing to say because it would hardly have been closed in one direction would it, or is it me?

Meanwhile, back in the real world, I was in our local hostelry, The Spare Part, when I witnessed a contretemps (French for contretemps). A customer was unhappy about the meals he had been served and in a conversation reminiscent of a scene from Fawlty Towers it went thusly: “I ordered a rare steak.” “Well Sir it looks rare to me.”

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“No this is medium rare, and it’s supposed to have come with a sauce.” “Sauce is on the way Sir.” “But the steak is overcooked and cold.” “I am sure Chef knows best Sir.” “My wife’s steak is ruined too.” “Well if you bring that back we can cook you two more.”

“And another thing, I ordered two sirloin steaks and these are rump steaks.” “I can assure you Sir, Chef knows his steaks.”

“Oh does he? Well, I am a butcher and I am telling you these are rump steaks.” “I will have a word with Chef Sir but in these big chains he will have just opened the packet and not paid too much attention to its contents.”

“I want my money back.” “No problem Sir. It should be in your account in the next 3-5 days.” “Hang on a minute, you have tried to miss-sell me two dinners which I did not order, which were not cooked to my liking and which were not complete having taken my money in advance which you now cannot refund for many days. At least Dick Turpin had the grace to wear a mask, we’re leaving.”

Talking of intolerance, I am led to believe that the

Wilson who was jointly away called on a St.George Peter’s Rugby Club bus is anybody’s apping skills and picked the little guy term heckler originated from mail the textile trade, where stealing at gunpoint guessconvicted but it wouldofcertainly have caused a major back into the wild. No harm nd him something wrong is called a typo.

So hemp if smacking kids law introduced in Walestoforheckle was to tease oritcomb-out flax or andI say wassomething sentenced toisdeath bya talko? diplomatic incident. ……..well, until next door’s cat got 2022.

Whilst welcomed by wrong it called “Hope tobeing see you again Sir……..

Well there’s ensure that we had properly warmed upmost sincefibres. we didn’t want to pull any drinking TheFurthermore, modern was coined in Dundee realised that our celebration coincided with to So: “Any ofmeaning awould number of subatomic right-minded people will of course bea minimum nothing a typo on the a headstone be Just beten clear: Did you about urologist hanging. refused a pardon inparticles 1833 no pleasing some people, who did he think . Unfortunately, only six ofit us turned up and of wereHe required orhear the in the early 19th century.

As the hecklers toiled in the Stereophonics and Tom Jones being due carrying a fractional electric charge, postulated but bad news for the Cardiff under 14’s a grave error?

Between typos and autocorrect was!”

Alas Chums, a were true s off. I engaged four old-timers who inhad the sold bar have been who(could was eaten bythe bear?

He was meteorologist unting, ifhe Ithe were illegally hunting for story. as building blocks the hadrons.

Quarks at Principality Stadium which from President Andrew Jackson andthe Lederhosen Formation Slap Dancing Ensemble it’s getting harder toof post stuffaread these days.

One the factory, one of athe team would out days’ entionedout ones from the Taff Vale) and asked them whether they fancied having a have not been directly observed but theoretical the City hotels.

The concerts were then (meaty urologist, oh please yourselves). ould I have questionable morels? who will noother longer be slapping each other as tiny mistake and your whole post is urined.

The day I heard on the radio one of the news and others would butt in with constant was executed after Court y tour and free beerand for the afternoon.

Fearing some kind of the honey trap, they tookonthe predictions based theirSupreme existence have cancelled weunless found aathey City centre hotel ofa their routines are given presenters describing bra as an over the The Leader of the Opposition and I were sitting in youpart callfor deer who has lost both onvincing that my offer was genuine.

Cautiously, they agreed to join us.

Picture the interruptions and a stream of “furious debate.” been confi rmed experimentally.”

Ohwanted £80, hurrah!

However, theMinister. fickle finger was The world has taken strangeiftwist –please! at leastWith ruled he could turn ita down he special dispensation byholder our First shoulder boulder which I thought scene, 5pm onasa for sunny ourinsocially local, The Funky Furlough, ng accident?

No eye deer.

And mesons and baryons, we could be of fate (presumably the middle one),this then the parts I collated seem to occupy.

Iquality have been mind Idistanced have some put-downs very clever. to.

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

“I don’t here all night. intervened and cancelled the offi ce lunch Saw this in a local pub on their specials board: reading about proposal for the 2027 Rugby whencomics a lady close byused to usto asked the Barmodern Manager that when Trump dies, I will give which have with day to the Brewery onwill deal us toand wander lonely as some “We leaving Love Local local farms World Cup which prevent any team in “but red I have arthritis, Father,” the drunk said, The Current Mrschampion Nolan informed meclouds thatentrance iffacilities theCaroline toilets were still upstairs.

He ofother course ill the say: “He it isthe today how he aswarmed hecklers: IStreet was at the hairdressers the day for my where four yd) time tried to around Castle and itswas outdoor bar and fisheries.”

All very laudable but the first shirts and green shirtsto playing each other to ensure we had properly up since we didn’t want pull any drinking I usedthat to snore.

Apparently it was my just read in the paper that the Pope does.”

Continuing January scalping when the Jimmy Nail song pensioners who could barely until frostbite got the better of us and forced us confi rmed that they were but I thought this to ato ….wearing make-up and lying in front item on their menu was Mediterranean Olives. because colour blind people often struggle adenoids that adenoid her. then had up and a minimum of ten were required be scles. only six of Ius turned or nk theUnfortunately, other three “Ain’t Nohanging Doubt - She’s Lying” came on thethe “What size of shoe does your mouth take?” stand were seen onto back to a hotel we did not need.

Much fun, but Overheard in the same pub: “Every time we distinguish between the two.

Not criticising Staying with(could the drink, there has always surgery to stopfour my snoring worked. the which ropewho very stupid question.

I would have said something ys. tTomlinson was off.

I engaged old-timers were inthem the bar have been the wireless.

Totally unscripted, the Wales, masked lamppost, for rather we quickly foundthe outseptum that there is asay. limit come here we come here.”

You don’t of support, course but thisattached wouldwe, affect They trimmed (dividing ourto ahow been much snobbery to wine. like: “I don’t know asked by the son of a good friend singers in the chairs and our masked stylists theme: “This is what comes from drinking on an empty rementioned ones from the Taff Vale) and asked them whether they fancied a much mulled wine one can drink before than illumination.

An Canada, Ireland, Tonga, Russia,having South Africa nostrils) with a scalpel which made forfalling more bout sell-buy dates before Indeed, people make a living from it, all started to sway and sing to the music in a over. would andthey Japan.

Thisofhad me intrap, mindthey of that quote when madam was uld write a urology hisair Dad’s head.”afternoon wery tour and free beer forflow. theShe afternoon.

Fearing some kind honey took room and a for better recently Soap on scene reminiscent from The Monty when to book.

I had a neglected to Full factor inof that if who but I am making stand because the ocal supermarket on a Friday nly 3 shops I really from BBC snooker commentator Ted Lowe never…… remember. started snoring, I decided to use earplugs last us butatwe t have the heart to say eulogy me convincing that myso offer genuine.

Cautiously, they agreed to joinwith us.

Picture the they all started dancing the queue the awas rope we wanted toduring take luggage that would be famously said one his commentaries: I’m giving upinof wine, every day, all where you were when they were handing shables that would make the but I can only get one in before she“I wakes mat call with Mark Dacey (on the leS) who isknow thelockdowns. dynamic CEO of s,he Boots and job centre.

Fortunately all sharp implements scene, 5pm on a sunny moved them out to meant.

Anyway, here is £150 extra, airport was £125, extra “And for those ofthat’s who are watching in black who smelled like ayouparking up.

Turns out she doesn’t like on it when I A drunk Pope a month.

No wait, not it.

I’m giving the brains out………getting an extra helping ofup. t I had some doubt whether were forsat a is few short minutes and Colleges.

Itsausage does not need me to suggest the uncanny legroom and choosing our amany further and white, the pink next toseats, the drugs and weekday evening atgreen.” the sidethen brewery got ondowned a bus and the car park shove them up her nose.

Wine every daytaxes all month! without further comment, like in into a musical, mouth.” e Ricky car for the journey home. rope £140.

After this alljust morphed £1037 down next to a priest.

The or Tomlinson or of vice versa. entrance to the Brewery have had months ago aslike aonthe ike tale, (heenough was affectionately everybody went back to their day job Interesting lyric we heard on the wireless before inflight meals and holiday insurance, Not showing off in any EU way but 20+ yearsdrunk's shirt was stained, his se it’s nothing to do with Two people out on the a first date.

“Do you Caroline Street where four nothing had happened.

Lockdown has a lot other day: “Sports bra and aconsequence Maserati car.”

“Do you know, ifbright you wore soundproof trousers such fun.

I think bit I object the most to to is no direct because of before his likeness have toago home school myself watch. time face was full of red tdafi sell-buy dates butaaTAG recent tripKept to my local supermarket nspection ofI bought the packaging answer for but that was very funny. like Merlot Tammy?”

“Yes, but you don’t Who would have thought of that combination? pensioners who could barely I once owned one of the chewed pencils which having to pay extra for luggage.

Two weeks one would hear a word you’re saying.” brilliantly ever since but what I did not know lipstick and he had a halfibyan leader), involved a tripmake the following Monday. In fact I of Covid19.” Perhaps of the thighlight no perishables that gin for fruit and vegwould like Apparently many have including a poet called in Greece, no luggage?

We hanging could each pronounce the “t.”

“Oh, Ok.” Looks at until very recently was Shakespeare that TAG stands for stand were seen onto empty bottle of wine sticking used to his famous works. used Thewrite Leader of The Opposition andI He I were this is why do not run ch Wales play France.

We Dave Cox whom I have just “discovered”. wear 7 T-shirts and pairs of shorts and carry .

So these comestibles heythen would itAvant to the car which for the home.

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

It takes an inordinate amount of skill to supply OT it’smake serious, “Is real face or are you still celebrating Technique Garde is journey a much out ofyour his pocket.

He opened waiter: “Two Merlots for me and Ammy.” listening to Michael Ball on the wireless. a lamppost, for support, rather Intellectual property rules prevent meluggage. toiletries swim gear in our hand todon’t chew it so much that Iand couldn’t whether itquoting was atell pub. a with 20 year relationship better nameissues? for awith watch youon think. in-@me” with 24 hours towas spare.

Waste levels must be astronomical. his and started limes, picked, He interviewing Donny Osmond who do supply Closer inspec@on ofnewspaper the packaging for theEU excitement. minimum of tenpackaged, were required or Halloween?” than illumination.

Andog any of ahis work here but I encourage you to Just bit of laundry as we go and Bob’s your Our friend Dr H has trained her Daisy . A couple of minutes later, he asked theorpriest, "Father, what causes arthritis?"

A in wife sent her and played themaround home and hadhim been appearing in panto at the London 2B not 2B. Staying with the Bard, days gone by, distributed UK A recent WalesOnline article bizarrely claimed look up.

A real comedy genius and hugely nort, for fruit and veg like Tanzania and Argen@na.

So these Staying with food, I have been doing some research into what is no longer manuf In by these days of being sexual transitioning is Bob sit off.

Iloose engaged fourwith old-timers uncle again. afternoon they would , it'swas caused living, cheap, wicked women, too much alcohol, and to bring her a bottle of red wine.

No asurprise Palladium.

Donny was speaking about “Your bus leaves in 10 minutes...

Be under it.” husband aquote romantic ch international weekends.

On that GPs were working 40 confused. months anUK. hour refreshing. red to the shops and put on now my aunty?

I get in order to attract women, I used to use this from the The list is endless but here is a small sample: Pringles (Belgium), Smar@e were in the bar (could have been the n exo@c climes, picked, packaged, taken to the port or airport, pt for your fellow man," the priest replied.

"Imagine that," the drunk muttered.

He never…… remember. former acting mentor of his who told him the really, she’s a Bordeaux collie.

I was sat f?

A phrase overtime.

I we have nodid doubt they are ridiculously So in view of theTerrys increased costs I just (France) text message.

She wrote: “If you are sleeping, send rip (Mike’s fi rst), we it in the y left on the sell-buy date.

It Colman’s English Mustard ( Germany), Chocolate Orange and d to reading his paper.

The priest, thinking about what he had said, turned to the following: “Theatre is thewill only place where mentioned ones from the Taff “Well, it’sthe night out for him.. and a 82: night offyou for hisHP ( Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Act III, Scene IV, line Ia have also been reading Bob Mortimer’s Recent clue: “Brush under the ehouses delivered toyou the and put on shelves with Ithen don’t know about butshops IVale) love January. stretched at crossword present, but 40 months an hour? told our luggage there be no holidays with She Who Must Be Obeyed the other om the 18th Century Parliament) Sauce (The Netherlands).

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

How long have you had can dream in public.

Your job as an actor is unt of skill to supply goods me your dreams.

If you are laughing, send me your way, athem bus tomonsoon ferry crossing which I alsosmelled strongly carpet 5Dover, and 4.”

Thean answer was over.” autobiography The following the Christmas break sked whether they fancied That’s over three years hour.

The“gloss only way this year.

I’m who dealing withof emotional family.”

ANow drunk like a whilst she sipped a glass wine to deliver that dream” which weand thought was ?"

"Ito don't have arthritis, Father," the drunk said,smile. "but I day just read in the paper that recommend.

Funny, poignant clever, Picture the poor student trying to learn English. urs spare.

Waste levels coupled with my tax return, car service, not straight was to do this would be to time travel so maybe baggage.

Don’t you just hate that situation If you are eating, send me a bite.

If very you are Paris.

I was sitting next to him.

At one for you: “Knock knock.”

“Who’sgot there?”

“LiKle old lady.” ge does." a brewery tour and free beer Here’s for the brewery on a bus and sat “LiKle old la and she said, “I love you so much, you rather good.

Oh yes it is. but enough about me.

In it he recalls a tale “Hello.”

Student – try it in a German accent: “If I they were referring Dr Who. In “Imy world this insurance andto MOT and going into Cardiff when you’re picking up your bags at the “I need you like Van Gogh needed stereo.” had no idea you could yodel.” drinking, send me a sip.

If you are crying, send me med Customs Offi cer came onto oon.

Fearing some kind of honey trap, warp and weft).

Of down next toIluggage a priest.

The about having chronic flatulence asis abetter child understand zis correctly, in ze place you know.

Icourt don’t know how could ever live would be like driving 40 dark hours afirst mile which every morning inatthe and coming back airport, and everyone’s than I was reading about a case where the accused Thanks to my cousin Lawrence for this joke. with theare drink, there hasbut always been ook some convincing that my offer which was both embarrassing and atwork times tears.

Iyours. love you.”

Her husband texted back: “ as id: “Just hold up your passports brushing benease your carpet and zen drunk's shirt was stained, his would be quite slow not unlike towalked I trying amin awas man ofyou awithout certain age so my tolerance threshold does as well it use home in the dark.

It’s like being paradise: ed with the related A worst case scenario. you.”

I said, “Is that you or the wine Iyour into our local bar, The Moaning Monet and ve been doing some research What do youDuring call a Frenchman wearing snobbery attached to over wine.

Indeed, very painful. one particular attack he add shiny paint it.

You British!” was described as “having murderous intent.”

I was ne.

Cautiously, they agreed to join us. negotiate the recent traffic carnage in Cardiff when asked toface embrace new technology.

I was therefore I’mVan in talking?” thebeing toilet, please advise.” come along and count them and par@cularly was full ofon bright red She said, “It’s me talking to the sandals?

Phillipe Flop!

Quickly by a I heart sitting at the end afollowed bar stool. anufactured inI’m the UK. The make a living from it, but I am making Though in the Fall of myalanes Life Isaw Spring intoGogh went thetime Doctors who towe “release Theto last we were atmanaged the airport saw City Centre as they impose bike on the eedthe scene, 5pm on a sunny weekday She Who Must Be Obeyed suggested I download a new app called What3Words. poem what I writ: quite disappointed to learn that this had nothing to do lipstick and he had a halfto me and saidword “I Pringles didn’t know Staying with games, I completed a wordwine.” shouted “Hey Vince do want a drink?” of the lockdowns.

I’m giving up the foryou him.

He quotes the Doctor Summer. secause arest small sample: a pressure” man collapse on the luggage carousel.

He of us. rs, let’s call her Dr naviga@on aid whichasdivides the “Better World into 3empty metre house squaresthan and gives each squar ng at the side entrance to the Brewery puzzle on myNophone and I correctly guessed saying: an a empty bottle of wine sticking very day, all month. wait, that’s not slowly came around.

And finally, this just in, Happy New Year Dear Reader, the Year of the assport and I haven’t got one.”

I with camping. nada), Colman’s English Roses can bedrive red,for Violets are purple.

Just combina@on of three words.

I s@ll about a lot for business, believe it or not Finally, a blessing the drink: God, in his Pipes frozen come Winter I call the plumber. that the word they were looking for was out with Dr R who roline Street where four pensioners shouted back: “No I’ve already got one The Mother-In-Law was lookingHe for car noisy tenant” which I thought was very good. iving up.Sainted Wine every day all month! a man who thinks he’s a piece of luggage out of thanks, his pocket. opened saying.

Ox. Apparently this year is going toHe be lucky g” orChocolate words to as that effect.

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hritis?"

"I don't arthritis, Father," the drunk said, "but I just read in the paper that runk’s shirt washave stained, his face As we when people type n age sohave my observed tolerance CARDIFF TIMES 11 ullPope of bright does."red lipstick and he had as well as it used to -empty bottle of wine sticking out of asked to embrace new

Cardiff Times February - Page 1 Editorial_Layout 1 26/01/2023 17:44 Page 1

FEBRUARY AT ST DAVID’S HALL THIS month can mean only thing and that’s the 40th anniversary of St David’s Hall!

The venue had already been thriving for several months when it was given the Royal seal of approval. On Tuesday 15 February 1983, the Queen Mother officially opened the National Concert Hall of Wales with the unveiling of a commemorative plaque - which is still located next to our Level 3 Stage.

Plus to celebrate the occasion, we will be hosting a day of free activities as a little thank you to our fantastic, loyal patrons on Saturday 18 February including Welsh Music Prize winners Adwaith and The Gentle Good, Cardiff jazz and swing group Year of the Dog, the Mavron Quartet (St David’s Hall Ensemble in Residence) and a Comedy Club featuring hilarious Welsh comic, Robin Morgan. Elsewhere that anniversary weekend is sensational tenor and BBC Radio Wales presenter Wynne Evans (Fri 17 Feb) in Beyond Compare and beloved Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith (Sun 19 Feb) with Nothing in Moderation.

As usual there’s a healthy helping of rock and pop starting with the Grammy Award-winning Richard Marx (Thurs 2 Feb). Tubular Bells - The 50th Anniversary Celebration (Fri 3 Feb) and The Musical Box (Weds 15 Feb) relive the iconic music of Mike Oldfield and Genesis, while there are other huge names in Belinda Carlisle (Sat 4 Feb) and Suzanne Vega (Sun 26 Feb). Our Roots Unearthed season resumes with ‘The Welsh Springsteen’ Martyn Joseph (Tues 7 Feb) and Bellowhead lead singer Jon Boden (Tues 21 Feb), while our contemporary series nightmusic kicks off again with The Ashwell Trio (Tues 14 Feb).

The Cardiff Classical Series continues as the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales (Sun 12 Feb) are joined by virtuoso violinist James Ehnes for a spellbinding performance of Brahms’ Violin Concerto, while the Philharmonia Orchestra (Sat 25 Feb) joins forces with the world’s hottest cellist, Sheku Kanneh-Mason for a captivating interpretation of Ernest Bloch's Schelomo. Our classical offering doesn’t stop there as the Royal Welsh College Symphony (Weds 8 Feb) returns with vibrant selections from Sibelius, Grace Williams and Douglas Lilburn.

Plus, there are serene Lunchtime Concerts from cello and piano duo Maciej Kułakowski & Jean-Sélim Abdelmoula (Tues 7 Feb), and acclaimed Cardiff organist Jeffrey Howard (Tues 21 Feb).

Opera fans are in for a real treat with the stunning grandeur of Verdi Aida (Weds 1 Feb), and TEDxCARDIFF (Sat 11 Feb) comes to its biggest ever venue with inspiring talks and ideas worth spreading. Last but by no means least is Julia Donaldson’s magical tale Zog (Weds 22 - Thurs 23 Feb) with four fun-filled shows live on stage - the perfect way to keep your tiny tots entertained during the half-term holidays!

Cardiff Times February - Page 2_Layout 1 26/01/2023 12:03 Page 1

THE MUSICAL BOX 15.02.23

RICHARD MARX Songwriter 02.02.23

PRUE LEITH Nothing in Moderation 18.02.23

VERDI AIDI 01.02.23

ADWAITH St David’s Hall 40 Celebration 18.02.23

WYNNE EVANS Beyond Compare 17.02.23

PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA + Sheku Kanneh-Mason 25.02.23

ZOG Live On Stage 22.02.23 - 23.02.23

BBC NATIONAL ORCHESTRA & CHORUS OF WALES 12.02.23

MARTYN JOSEPH Roots Unearthed 07.02.23

TEDxCARDIFF 2.30pm & 6.30pm 11.02.23

SUZANNE VEGA Songs & Stories 26.02.23

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

MORE WAYS TO MOVE Whether you’re interested in visiting a few times a month or looking for all-inclusive access to activities more than once a week, you’ll find many ways to move at a price that works for you at your local Better leisure centre. Reduced prices are available for off-peak access, juniors, seniors and eligible concessions.

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Better is a registered trademark and trading name of GLL (Greenwich Leisure Limited), a charitable social enterprise and registered society under the Cooperative & Community Benefit & Societies Act 2014 registration no. 27793R. Registered office: Middlegate House, The Royal Arsenal, London, SE18 6SX. Inland Revenue Charity no. XR43398.

PAY AS YOU GO

Pay As You Go is a great choice for all ages who prefer a flexible option to visit occasionally, each month. As a non-member, you can simply pay per visit every time you work out with us. Alternatively, with a Better Pay As You Go membership you’ll pay a one-off annual fee and benefit from discounted rates (up to 30% saving) on activities, at participating locations.

FIND US ACROSS CARDIFF:

• Eastern Leisure Centre • Penylan Library & Community Centre • Fairwater Leisure Centre • Star Hub • Llanishen Leisure Centre • Western Leisure Centre • Maindy Centre Start your journey today. Join at better.org.uk/cardiff

Better is a registered trademark and trading name of GLL (Greenwich Leisure Limited), a charitable social enterprise and registered society under the Cooperative & Community Benefit & Societies Act 2014 registration no. 27793R. Registered office: Middlegate House, The Royal Arsenal, London, SE18 6SX. Inland Revenue Charity no. XR43398.

In The Words Of

by Carl Marsh

any newly found prosperous voters from voting for Welsh Labour. Sadly we won’t know, as the M4 relief won’t happen. We’ll just be getting loads of fancy new cycle lanes [to drive past]…

TV REVIEW Kaleidoscope - Netflix

I hope all of you are well and getting into 2023 as best as possible.

January has been a bit quiet - as it always is - but I did get invites to a couple of film premieres in London, although I didn’t go: one I didn’t fancy, whilst the other I could not make. The one I wanted to go to was for a film called ‘Plane’, which stars Gerard Butler. It looks decent. I have plans to get over to London a lot like I used to, but this time only for stuff I want to do, if other commitments don’t clash, instead of going to the opening of every ‘barn door’ like I may have thought I did in the past! Some people like that lifestyle, and some believe it will improve their social status. I have news for them… it won’t unless you have something to offer through natural talent, press [media] or financial gain.

INTRO RANT This month, the bargain basement show that’s ‘Love Island’ is back on your screens. No matter how much ITV make out that it’s nice, not judgemental and against body shaming AND meant to depict a good mix of society - it’s none of these. So tune in, and tell me how many fat/obese contestants are in it. I’ll take a nap until someone wakes me up.

How many of you were aware that the Welsh NHS is the worst out of all the four nations in how it’s run, funded and waiting times? You might not know if you read a particular “news” website! Wales is devolved. And what about the M4 relief road that was scrapped? It would have brought more business and prosperity to those living in Wales and over the border regions. It’s like the powers that be don’t want that. One can suspect it could diminish 16 CARDIFF TIMES

Like most offerings these days, I saw that this was trending at number one in the Netflix charts. So, we [my family] started to watch the teaser trailer.

The concept is mad. You can watch the episodes in any given order or non-linear for those that like big words. But you get the same outcome. Netflix randomly selects which order you watch. Just go with it. It is a heist thriller set in New York. It’s a great watch, but I can only give it 4 stars out of 5 as I felt it lost its way after the fifth episode, a little after such an epic start. I don’t think it would matter in what order I watched them. But I have to be honest.

Do give it a watch, and see what you think. I hope more shows are set up like this. I really do.

INTERVIEWS My first chat is with Suzanne Vega. She was the first female singer to headline Glastonbury [1989] and is also the only one to have had to wear a bulletproof vest since a deranged fan threatened to kill her. How times have changed for the former, perhaps less so for the latter. She’s at St David’s Hall - 26th February.

The next chat is with Brendan Murphy, bringing his stand-up comedy show ‘Buffy Revamped’ to the New Theatre on 7th February after his successful run at the Fringe in Edinburgh in 2022. Buffy first aired in 1997, lasting 144 episodes over 7 seasons.

Brendan has condensed all that down in his routine to about 70 minutes! It’s very, very funny. And you don’t have to be a fan of Buffy, but it helps! Not aimed just at adults aged 14 plus, although under that age is by parental guidance.

Have a great February, and see you all next month!

Carl Marsh Twitter - @InTheWordsOf_CM YouTube - InTheWordsOf

Carl Marsh And with you, yourself added to that mix, as I know you’ve never learned to read music, very unorthodox!

Suzanne Vega Yes, exactly. Yeah, it’s unorthodox. [Laughs] I sort of have to invent my own systems with things because the normal technology or the standard techniques don’t always work for me. You know, but it’s never hindered me. I’ve always been able to figure out how to get across; sometimes, it takes a little time. But you know, I love what I do, and it’s been very successful.

Carl Marsh Carl Marsh With you performing again in the UK, which is something you’ve done extensively over the years but are you able to recollect any good times performing in Wales?

Did it raise any eyebrows in the early days when you’d got that recording contract, as your way isn’t the straightforward way of writing music?

Suzanne Vega

Suzanne Vega

Yeah, I did raise eyebrows. I remember some of my rejection letters [Laughs]. I got a great rejection letter from A&M Records. I think they rejected me twice before they finally came around and gave me the record contract.

They said: “You know, she’s interesting, but she’s got no sense of melody”. And, of course, we had ‘Cracking’ on the demo tape. So you know, I thought it was kind of wilful that they were not quite getting the point of the song ‘Cracking’. And this was before rap and spoken word had taken off. This was sort of 1982/1983. I think I was sort of prescient in that style, and they weren’t seeing it right then, but you know, that all worked out over time.

They signed me in 1984. The [debut] album came out in 1985. And it sold a million copies worldwide. They were expected to sell 30,000. Now it’s gone on to sell; I don’t know how many. It’s probably on Wikipedia. So, yeah, there you go.

Oh, God. Yeah. It’s where I had my first successes. And I’ve toured the UK more times than I can tell you… all the little towns.

Suzanne Vega - St David’s Hall - February 26th (Sunday).

Suzanne Vega Gosh, you know, I’ve toured the UK a lot. So to kind of remember my specific memories of Wales... I mean, my main connection with Wales is just John Cale [The Velvet Underground]. I had opened for him a few times, and he opened for me a few times, especially at the beginning of my career. We had the same agent. So I have some dim memory of playing in a sports hall, you know, in the 80s.

And since then, as I said, I’ve been through the UK many times, so it becomes a little bit of a blur.

Carl Marsh I wouldn’t be far wrong in saying that the UK is like a second home for you, musically.

Carl Marsh And this new tour, is it a stripped-back affair with just you on the stage or with a few other musicians with you?

Suzanne Vega It’s Jerry Leonard and me. He is my musical director. He’s Irish. We’ve worked together for 20 years now. He used to be David Bowie’s musical director when he was alive and touring. So, that’s the show, it’s the two of us, and he plays the guitar. He plays in a very unusual way. He’s like a full band, but he does everything on guitar. And I play the guitar and sing.

We make a good team because I have this variety of songs and song styles. I go from very intimate folk songs to things that are more rock’ n’ roll. He’s really versatile.

He’s got a natural gift, not just for playing the guitar, he works with loops and technology to create bigger sounds that are very dynamic. And nothing is pre-recorded. It’s all created in the moment.

CARDIFF TIMES 17

Carl Marsh I presume Spike is your favourite character from the show, hence why you chose him as your main narrator as the show’s headline is ‘Seventy minutes. Seven seasons. One Spike.’?

Brendan Murphy Yeah, I think I was initially looking for someone who is a core part of the crew but is also a bit of an outsider. So, someone that could potentially retell the whole story but from a slightly different point of view. You get that from whoever you went with, you know, except for maybe Buffy; although we don’t see the TV series exclusively through her eyes, she can sometimes be flawed. But Spike starts as an antagonist; he becomes a reluctant ally, and then he becomes a romantic interest. He becomes once again a very troubled, complicated character in terms of the relationship he has with Buffy, and then ultimately finds redemption and becomes kind of the hero of the piece. It’s a fascinating narrative arc whilst he is also a very fun character being a sort of cockney punk vampire that’s lived over, you know, 160 years. So that was always nice. And also, like, what a great wardrobe. It’s simple. It’s classic.

performance and sent some of the Buffy fans along to see it.

So it was a nice little bit of synchronicity there.

Carl Marsh I was about to ask you if any of the cast had seen it, but you answered the question before I asked it!

Carl Marsh You’re mid-tour right now, heading to Cardiff on February 7th, but I know you trialled this show at Edinburgh Fringe. A fair amount of people reading this won’t know that it’s just tons of different shows going on all the time, and you can see a different act back-to-back throughout each, and every day it’s on. So my question is, did you attract loads of Buffy fans, just comedy fans, or a mixture?

Brendan Murphy Oh, yeah, definitely a sort of 70/30 split of people that were already like true hardcore Buffy fans, and the rest were people just having a go at something thinking, “Oh, yeah, that’ll be fun”. It’s because it’s also got that 90s nostalgia thing. You might have seen just a few episodes and go: “What, one person doing all seven seasons in just over an hour? All right, come on. Let’s go and have a look”. But yeah, thankfully, it was a fun response. There was also one of the original Buffy actors, Tom Lenk, who plays Andrew in the series, which is a brilliant, funny character. One of the trio of bad guys in the penultimate season. He was up there doing another comedy show and very kindly told people about my

Brendan Murphy Well, he hasn’t. He hasn’t seen the show. I think we’re aware of one another. And we had a bit of a back and forth [on social media], but as of yet, none of the original cast has been to see it. We’ll see if we can tick them all off one by one. [Laughs] Carl Marsh And lastly, what was your biggest challenge when trying to get it all condensed into, say, 70 mins, as you’ve got 144 episodes of the show to have had to re-watch for your source material? You probably could have done a show for at least 3-4 hours, as a bare minimum!

Brendan Murphy Oh, absolutely. Yeah. I think my first draft was probably about three and a half hours, and I had to chop it right down because, obviously, who’s got that much time? You might as well watch the bloody series [Laughter] if you’re going to sit in the theatre for that long. Who knows, one day, I might be able to do the extended writers cut edition [Laughs]. But yeah, it was tricky.

Buffy Revamped - New Theatre - February 7th (Tuesday).

18 CARDIFF TIMES

FRIDAY 6 MAY 2023, 8PM

shermantheatre.co.uk 029 2064 6900

HALF-TERM AT TECHNIQUEST: TIME TO FEED THEIR CURIOUSITY If you’re planning a visit to Techniquest for February half-term, then you’ll be treated to the weird and wonderful world of Bubbles and Blasts. Find out how bubbles are made, what happens when they’re filled with different gases and discover why they are actually a kind of sandwich – although definitely not one you should eat! To book for this exciting live science show, simply add the option to your general admission ticket when you book online.

The Planetarium will also be running the ever popular Star Tours, so you can stay warm and dry as you explore the night sky. The new 4K projector brings the cosmos into sharper focus than ever before so it’s well worth a visit if you’ve not been for a while.

Or perhaps popping on a lab coat and goggles is more to your taste? In which case, keep an eye out for the option to book a hands-on workshop in the newly refurbished Lab instead. Brighten up your day by taking a look at colour changing chemicals, how colours appear under UV light and even catch a glimpse of coloured fire!

Spaces are limited in both the Planetarium and the Lab, so make sure you don’t miss out by adding them to your booking as early as you can.

On the exhibition floor, you can try your hand at virtual surgery, create digital fireworks, pilot a submersible ROV, feel the full force of a hurricane or the tremor of an earthquake, test the suction of the vacuum chair, compete with friends to launch the air-propelled rockets or dock a spacecraft - and much, much more. With over 100 great interactive exhibits and puzzles to discover, there’s plenty to keep curious minds captivated over the holidays.

Half-term at Techniquest is always a popular time, so book ahead online at techniquest.org to avoid disappointment. And if you can’t make it then, or would prefer to visit at a time that’s a little quieter than it tends to be during school holidays, Techniquest is also open every weekend throughout February and March.

20 CARDIFF TIMES

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Dates are filling up fast for 2023, especially Fri & Saturdays 24 CARDIFF TIMES

What is this sound in my ears?

Many people experience some form of TINNITUS in their ears or head, this can in fact take many forms. It could be ringing, humming, buzzing, high pitch whistling, pulsing, rushing and even music. It can be constant or intermittent, in one ear or both or even feel like it’s in your head. With such a wide variety of sounds, each patient can experience Tinnitus differently.

Learning about Tinnitus

Although, tinnitus is a common condition, the causes and symptoms can vary. Each Tinnitus patient is Unique and it is crucial that you are treated individually and have your own unique care plan.

For the majority of patients, Tinnitus is subjective which means only you can hear it.

It can keep you awake at night, it can be soft or extremely loud and change throughout the day, it can be a gradual onset or something that happens suddenly.

What causes tinnitus?

Tinnitus is a symptom, not a disease. Although there are many possible causes, some people can develop tinnitus for no apparent reason.

Exposure to loud sounds Natural aging process

Sudden impact noises

Injuries to the head or neck

Tinnitus and the brain What is Tinnitus?

So whatGuide is it that to creates perception of sound when there is none present? helpthat you understand

Tinnitus is notyour a tinnitus disease but a symptom. and manage Sound waves travel through the ear canal to the middle and inner ear.

Hair cells in the inner ear help transform the sound waves into electrical There are many possible causes and some signals which then travel to the brain. The brain translates the signals into people can develop tinnitus for apparent meaningful information so you can interpret the sounds youno hear. When hair cells get damaged, the brain doesn’t receive the accurate signals it needs. reason. arethere some of the Causes?

As seen on theWhat previous page, can be different causes to why your hairEar cells get damaged and subsequently lead to tinnitus. Sometimes, the cause is wax, Exposure to loud noise, Natural aging not related to inner hair cells. process, Sudden impact to noise, Injury to head or neck, Medication, Stress.

Is Tinnitus affecting your life?

Whatever the cause of Tinnitus, it can have a significant impact on yourHairlife and day-to-day cells in the inner ear activities. Do you suffer with Tinnitus? Would you like to have a Tinnitus Consultation and Experts suspect that, in many cases,together? tinnitus relates to the brain trying to treatment plan put adapt to a loss of hair cells. The brain misinterprets the reduced signals from the ear, resulting in a perception of sound, or tinnitus.

Reaction to medication

Emotional distress

FEBRUARY 6th is TINNITUS week and How you think about your tinnitus can influence your emotional reactions.

The brain may interpret the sound tinnitus harmful your we encourage youofto getas something in touch totobook well-being. When you respond to tinnitus as a threat, you become stressed and anxious. your FREE Tinnitus consultation either in our Sketty branch OR The stress and anxiety you feel canon make01792 the sound of204886 tinnitus seem even more bothersome. This is an understandable and human reaction. our Whitchurch branch on 02920 250121. #tinnitusawarenessweek2023

7

CARDIFF TIMES 25

Alan Rudkin

by Ralph Oates

came into the world on the 18th of November 1941 and was brought up in Dingle, Liverpool.

Rudkin had three attempts at winning world honours each time against outstanding champions. To make his task even harder was the fact that he had to venture into the title holder’s country. In truth Rudkin never had it easy in his championship bids. Rudkin’s challenges could rightfully be labelled a mission impossible. It would be true to say that lesser men than Rudkin had won a world title during their careers. It isn’t always about talent; it’s about getting the breaks and being in the right place at the right time.

Boxing fans will recognise the name Alan Rudkin, a fighter from Liverpool who was a world class bantamweight fighter who during his career won the British, European and Commonwealth titles. The said list of titles held by Rudkin more than confirmed that he had a very successful professional career. However the championship which Rudkin strongly desired was the one which eluded him the world title. It seemed that the Liverpool fighter was not fated to add the global crown to his name try as he may. Now you may wonder why is Rudkin, a fighter from Liverpool, mentioned in this column? Well, he is given a mention because he was actually born in Wales. This situation came about when Rudkin’s pregnant Mother was evacuated from Liverpool during the course of the second world war. Rudkin

Images Credit: Derek Rowe

26 CARDIFF TIMES

Rudkin’s first attempt to win the title took place on the 30th of November 1965 against the reigning title holder Fighting Harada at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan. Rudkin was considered the underdog in the contest, and it was viewed that he would leave the land of the rising sun a well beaten fighter. This was understandable since Harada was one tough fighter who’s experience far exceeded that of his opponent. It looked as if it was a case of putting the student in with the master and rarely does the student get the better of the master if at all. However the British challenger was not fazed by the champion and surprised many by pushing the Japanese fighter hard and did not look out of his league in his title bid. Rudkin lost a 15 round points decision but in so doing received a great deal of praise for his impressive showing in the contest. Harada was also a former world flyweight king.

So the stage was set, Olivares form was well known he was a destroyer in the ring and considered to be very special - a potential great. No one tipped Rudkin to win, let alone last the full 15 rounds against the Mexican champion. The pessimism proved to be more than correct when the Briton was easily stopped in two rounds by the powerful Olivares who’s heavy punching brought a halt to his challenge.

On the 25th of January 1972 Rudkin had his last professional fight against Johnny Clark who was a young dangerous opponent. (In his previous contest Rudkin had lost his European crown when outpointed by Spain’s Agustin Senin by a points decision over 15 rounds). It was wondered by many if Clark, who had lost in his last attempt to win the British and Commonwealth crowns from Rudkin on the 21st of April 1970 by a stoppage in round 12, would now get his revenge and defeat Rudkin. However after a hard fought 15 rounds which had the fans on the edge of their seats with excitement, the Liverpool boxer did enough to retain his titles on points, the venue being the Royal Albert Hall in Kensington, London. Rudkin thus bowed from boxing out on a winning note against Clark, a very good competitor who had no quit in him.

After rebuilding by getting more solid victories under his belt Rudkin was given another shot at the title. Once again Rudkin had to pack his suitcase and get his passport ready to travel. This time the destination was Australia where he crossed gloves with the then champion Lionel Rose at the Kooyong Tennis Stadium in Melbourne. The bout took place on the 8th of March 1969. Rose was a clever boxer who had produced the goods to take the title from Fighting Harada on the 27th of February 1968 with a shock 15 round points victory at the Nippon Budokan. Rose was no easy touch and was not likely to surrender his crown easily to the visitor from the UK. Some boxing pundits were optimistic about Rudkin’s trip down under feeling that this time his efforts may well prove successful since he had the boxing skills to topple the champion by outpointing him over the scheduled 15 rounds. Rudkin performed well, often giving the champion a few worrying moments during the exciting encounter. Rose however proved to be a worthy title holder and much to the disappointment of UK fans hung on to his crown with a points decision and won the Briton’s Commonwealth title which at the time was also on the line.

During his paid career in the ring Alan had an impressive record of 50 contests; winning 42 and losing 8. Rudkin was a well-respected fighter who served boxing well during his time in the ring. Rudkin was awarded the MBE in 1973, an honour he richly deserved. Alan sadly passed away on the 22nd of September 2010 at the age of 68 years.

Had Alan Rudkin been boxing in another era it is more than possible that he would have captured a world title.

A third opportunity to win the crown if indeed it could be called an opportunity took place on the 12th of December 1969 when Rudkin met Mexico’s Ruben Olivares. The champion was a powerhouse with fearful punching ability.

The contest took place at the Forum Inglewood in California, USA. It’s often said that three’s a charm. Meeting the Mexican was in no way a charm. Olivares had ripped the championship from Lionel Rose with a devastating display stopping the Australian in five rounds of a slated 15 on the 22nd of August 1969 at the Forum, an arena where Olivares was well at home. It was clear from the first bell that Rose was not going to last the distance with his challenger and would be going home to Australia without his title.

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The Covid Chronicle – a stitch in a troubled time…

by Natalie McCulloch

It’s safe to say that the COVID-19 pandemic brought many changes and challenges to our nation which forced people into a state of lockdown, adaptions and redistribution of time. For some people this meant acquiring new working patterns, new hobbies and even completely new ways of living day to day.

The nation saw a surge of people engaging in creative activities such as sewing scrubs, making masks and upcycling household goods. The reasons for this were varied, from finding meaningful occupation of time, offering practical support to others (i.e. NHS PPE), fulfilling a desire to learn new skills and assisting general wellbeing.

From a wellbeing perspective the benefits of engaging your creative side are well documented, including calming the mind, reducing stress and as a general coping mechanism when things in daily life get too much. In fact, research suggests that engaging in creative activities like sewing, can help to raise dopamine levels - the ‘feel good hormone’. Even better is doing such activities as a collective group, in person or online, as this helps combat the loneliness and isolation that many feel in modern day society, especially since COVID-19 began.

Alongside the benefits of creativity and time with others, the benefits of journaling are well documented, suggesting

that simply writing things down can help to ‘clear the mental clutter’ and establish a clearer mindset as well as providing a record of important happenings and events.

Considering these things it’s no wonder that projects such as ‘The Covid Chronicle’ are a huge success and something to be celebrated and commended.

The ‘Covid Chronicle’ is a unique project of a London based artist Wendy Bliss which is being aptly referred to as a modern-day Bayeux tapestry and aims to create a lasting record of the pandemic through the medium of tapestry.

In 2020 artists everywhere were invited to make and donate a fabric panel which illustrated their understanding/ experience of the pandemic on the understanding that it would be stitched together with others work for exhibition.

The response to this invite was massive with an incredible 15 countries around the world joining in resulting in a moving masterpiece measuring 36x1 metres!

Wendy Bliss, the creator of this artwork recalls “…once the panels arrived, everyday became like Christmas as there was a parcel of delights to open,” which far exceeded the 100 panels she aimed to acquire.

Every panel is uniquely interesting and features a small blurb which details the distinct experiences everyone had of a time in our lives which shook the nations norm.

“Literally stitching my own story to that of others seemed like a perfect antidote to the disconnect I felt.” Naomi Adams, a participating artist deduced.

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Diana Springall, an author and art collector told The Covid Chronicle media team that “To have recognised that this pandemic was worthy of recording by seeking an international response through interpretation of thoughts was unique in itself, but to have collated and organised the resulting testaments with needle and thread is a triumph.

The work clearly demonstrates mental creativity and agility from all those who have so skilfully stitched their memories transposing them into a moving and unique work of art.”

One local participant, Anne-Maria Salmon ‘Bee’, found out about this project on Instagram and decided to join in.

“I’ve never done anything like this before, but I wanted to honour all those, who like I did, got out their sewing machines to help at the height of the pandemic. There were so many individuals and small groups of home sewists around the world that did this , not wanting or expecting any recognition but just did this to help where they could . I wanted them to be recognised for their contribution no matter how small or large.” Bee explained.

Amazingly, not only did Bee get involved herself, she also shared the quest amongst her local community. “I helped a small sewing group called Cardiff and the Vale Sewing Community. None of us had met, we were just volunteers, organised over the internet via Facebook.

COVID-19 was a difficult and frightening time for everyone.

The community spirit in people was awakened, with many people volunteering help where help could be given, this was a way of me giving back to my community in a safe and creative way.”

window as many other children did at the time.

Bee’s panel was inspired by her own lockdown experience of “days spent sewing in the garden in the sunshine with the sparrows hopping around and singing away in the background and my trusty little Janome sewing machine that had worked so hard that it too deserved to be recognised.”

And Bethan Ash, who runs the art gallery in Neath where the final project currently resides, whose panel entitled ‘no more black’ illustrated her own reflections of the pandemic being like ‘black negativity slowly spreading and overcoming the resonant colour in our lives’.

Other panels came from Welsh fabric artist, Sarah Bliss, depicting a copy of her granddaughter’s rainbow painting that was done to support the NHS and went into the

Squares came from around the globe and each fabric artist wrote a few words about their piece which is published on the website and in a brochure that can be bought at the exhibition www.thecovidchronicles.org Initially the idea was to auction the squares in aid of MIND, but this changed as the artists made it clear they felt the work made a stronger statement together. A donation will still be made to MIND thanks to a sale of textile hearts made by the artists for Riverside Studios, but fittingly, it has been agreed that The Covid Chronicle itself will be donated to Chelsea & Westminster Hospital who would like to display it in their public foyer spaces in Fulham & Twickenham as a mark of thanks to all NHS staff who made so many personal sacrifices during the pandemic.

Luckily for us Cardiff folk, this super display currently resides locally in the Studio 40 contemporary arts studio in Neath from 14.01.23 until 25.02.23. Further information can also be found on the website or Facebook group.

Whether you’re a keen crafter yourself, a historian or just someone whose life has been touched by the pandemic, this display is worth putting on your ‘must see in 2023’ list. I am certainly keen to put it on my own!

CARDIFF TIMES 35

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