CARDIFF LIVES
“I couldn’t do anything which involved sitting at a desk all day – I absolutely love being out on site in my hard hat and boots!”
Caroline Vanner The head of residential sales and development for Savills Cardiff talks coats, coffee and her Radyr roots Hi Caroline! Tell us a bit about yourself… I’ve worked in the property sector for my whole adult life and I love it – especially in Cardiff where the city is changing and evolving all the time. It’s an inspiring place to live. I thrive on being to help a wide sector of people and love that I’m involved in so much regeneration across the city. Where in Cardiff do you live and what makes it special? I currently live on the western outskirts but my roots remain firmly in Radyr. Despite travelling a lot when I was younger, our family always kept a home there and my mother, sister and close friends are all still there. I spend most weekends at the little Italian in the village or the new wine bar, which is equally enjoyable! What has been the highlight of your career so far? It’s difficult to measure projects against each other as each scheme I’ve worked on has brought something new and I get attached to developments in different ways
and for different reasons. That said, there is always a joy in helping my clients and buyers make a fresh start in a new home or deliver the best scheme they have ever built or just advising the industry on what to build next. My role is massively varied and very rewarding. Who would you invite to your dream dinner party? I have a wonderful close circle of girlfriends and we regularly all get together on weekends to put the world to rights. If we could invite some strong opinionated women to debate with us – let’s say Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama and Victoria Beckham – that would make for an interesting night. Who would play you in a film about your life? I’ve been told al lot over the years that I remind people of Meg Ryan. I’m never sure how to take that! What job would you be terrible at? I revel in the fast-paced, everchanging nature of my job and wouldn’t enjoy a repetitive role!
90 I CARDIFF LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
I couldn’t do anything which involved sitting at a desk all day – I absolutely love being out on site in my hard hat and boots! What’s on your bookshelf at the moment? I enjoy the challenge of being a professional woman in an industry dominated by men and find a lot of inspiration in books such as The Power by Rhonda Byrne and We: A Manifesto for Women Everywhere by Gillian Anderson. I also love autobiographies for a holiday read – delving into other people’s histories and viewpoints is always an eye-opener. What’s your guiltiest pleasure? Red Wine and cheese. I’m not a big foodie but I love popping in to one of the amazing delicatessens in the city centre and selecting a few treats for the cheese board and popping open a bottle to unwind. I love entertaining also so will always try something new with my friends. What’s your favourite piece of clothing? Not a single piece but a type – coats. I am perpetually cold and am therefore naturally drawn to additional layers. I have all kinds, from workwear trenches and duffels to denim and biker minis. I also love my winter boots! There is nothing better than a lovely walk or bike ride around one of our lovely parks in Cardiff on a crisp autumnal day. What’s your earliest childhood memory? My father was a captain in the Merchant Navy and I was fortunate enough to travel
extensively with my family when I was younger, and roaming the ships with my twin sister and getting into mischief is one of my earliest memories. I could never sit still or read a book quietly. I would always be climbing something or breaking something! Favourite places to eat/drink and shop in Cardiff? Coffee is an essential food group to me and Cardiff has a fantastic selection of independent coffee shops and tea houses such as Milk & Sugar and Coffi Co. They are also great for informal client meetings over breakfast or brunch. Tell us about a secret/ underrated Cardiff spot we might not be aware of… Cardiff has so many varied districts and suburbs, I think I’ve proved I’m partial to Radyr but I’ve also been known to do a military boot camp in Bute Park. We can take for granted having a beautiful green lung right in our city centre and there are a whole host of fun and quirky activities to enjoy in all of our city parks. We’d better let you get on…. What are you doing as soon as you’ve done this? As the UK’s fastest growing city, Cardiff is a residential development hotbed at the moment, between live site sales management, meeting with new clients to discuss upcoming proposals, consulting on architectural and interior design and signing up for our office charity Spinathon, I’m definitely going to need that coffee today – or a glass of something cold! n www.savills.co.uk