Cardiff Life - Issue 204

Food/Arts/Entertainment/Shopping/Property ISSUE 204 / JULY 2019 / £3 @CardiffLifeMag

CELEBRATING THE BEST IN THE CITY, PENARTH & THE VALE

BLANKET COVERAGE

PERFECT PICNIC ACCESSORIES

IN PRAISE OF PENARTH FROM THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW

ISSUE 204 / JULY 2019 / PITCH PERFECT

MICHAEL SHEEN ON BRINGING THE HOMELESS WORLD CUP TO CARDIFF FASHION CONSCIENCE FOLLOWING THE TRENDS FOR SUSTAINABILITY

THE ONLY WAY IS ETHICS EXPERT ADVICE ON SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENTS

© W W W.VISIT THEVALE.COM

EDITOR’S LETTER

F

ootball. It’s a funny old game. I used to love it. And then it got brash and branded, and I loved it a lot less.

However the Homeless World Cup coming to Cardiff this July, as championed by Michael Sheen who features on our cover, has me becoming a fan of the beautiful game all over again. Turn to page 14 to hear why this event is so important to Wales’ own Hollywood actor. (And after hearing the man talk so passionately about such a worthy cause, you can now count me in as a fully-paid up member of the Michael Sheen fan club.)

We also meet the many fans of Penarth on page 32, who talk about the beauty, friendliness and community spirit of this gorgeous town. We celebrate the ethical way of life with two fashion specials, both exploring how our clothing choices can be kinder to the planet.

And our regional wealth management experts share their wealth of knowledge on the ethical investing of money. Yes, such a thing is possible!

Stay winning and see you next month!

P

êl-droed. Dyna i chi gamp ryfedd. Roeddwn i’n arfer bod yn hoff iawn ohoni. Ond mae’r hoffter hwnnw wedi pylu gryn dipyn ers i’r gamp ddechrau rhoi mwy o bwys ar frand a delwedd. Ond mae’r ffaith bod Cwpan y Byd i’r Digartref yn dod i Gaerdydd ym mis Gorffennaf, a gaiff ei hyrwyddo gan Michael Sheen sydd ar ein clawr, wedi aildanio fy mrwdfrydedd dros y gamp. Trowch i dudalen 14 i glywed pam y mae’r digwyddiad hwn mor bwysig i’r seren Hollywood o Gymru. (Ac ar ôl clywed y dyn ei hun yn siarad â’r fath angerdd am fater sydd mor deilwng o’n sylw, gallwch gyfrif fy mod innau erbyn hyn yn aelod ffyddlon o glwb cefnogwyr Michael Sheen.)

Yn ogystal, ar dudalen 32, rydym yn cwrdd â’r bobl niferus sy’n dwlu ar Benarth ac sy’n sôn am harddwch, natur gyfeillgar ac ysbryd cymunedol y dref hyfryd hon. Rydym yn dathlu ffordd foesegol o fyw gyda dwy erthygl arbennig am ffasiwn, sy’n archwilio sut y gall ein dewisiadau o ran dillad fod yn fwy caredig i’r blaned.

Ac mae ein harbenigwyr rhanbarthol ar reoli cyfoeth yn rhannu eu holl wybodaeth â ni am ddulliau moesegol o fuddsoddi arian. Ydy, mae’r fath beth yn bosib!

Parhewch i fod yn obeithiol ac edrychaf ymlaen at eich gweld y mis nesaf !

SARAH MOOLLA Follow us on Twitter @CardiffLifeMag Instagram @cardifflifemag

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Issue 204/July 2019 Cover Michael Sheen helps promote the Homeless World Cup, page 14. Picture by Huw Talfryn Walters

featureS

14 SPORT Hollywood actor Michael Sheen helps

explain the importance of the Homeless World Cup coming to Cardiff this summer 32 OUT OF TOWN Seeing things from a Penarth point of view

14

the arts

23 INTRO Donizetti’s classic opera is served up by the

WNO in a doner kebab van

54

24 WHAT’S ON Arts, gigs, comedy, festivals, and family

fun – it’s time to update the events diary

shopping

39 Shopping intro Sophie Allport adds style to

casual outdoor dining

40 Editor’s CHOICE Picnic like a pro

food & DRINK

44 RESTAURANT The score is high for Twenty Nine

Park Place

47 FOOD & Drink NEWS Welsh vineyard with its

own hotel, Bite Returns to Insole Court, and Cardiff students meet Marco Pierre White

lifestyle

50 FASHION EDIT How to wear it green 54 slow fashion Stylist Claire Rees on how to make

a sustainable statement through clothes

56 Health & beauty Our reviewer gets a makeover 59 KEEP FIT 10 tips to easy summer health

Business

71 business insights News, views and interviews

with the region’s professionals

79 CARDIFF LIFE AWARDS Catching up with City

Hospice, who are this year’s Charity Winners

84 wealth management Local experts share

their sound advice on investing ethically

Property

92 showcase Explore a pretty Penarth home

Regulars

8 sPOTLIGHT Find out what’s occurring 29 wYBURN & WAYNE The boys are out on the town 64 scene Fundraisers, awards, parties, and networking 98 CARDIFF lives Meet Prof. Olwen Moseley

Editor Sarah Moolla sarah.moolla@mediaclash.co.uk Managing editor Deri Robins deri.robins@mediaclash.co.uk Senior art editor Andrew Richmond Graphic design Megan Allison Cover design Trevor Gilham Contributors Elsie Chadwick, Emma Dance, Wayne Courtney, John Mather, Claire Rees and Nathan Wyburn Advertising manager Mark George mark.george@mediaclash.co.uk Deputy advertising manager Kate Butterfield kate.butterfield@mediaclash.co.uk Account manager Claire Hawkins claire.hawkins@mediaclash.co.uk Production/Distribution manager Sarah Kingston sarah.kingston@mediaclash.co.uk Deputy production manager/production designer Kirstie Howe kirstie.howe@mediaclash.co.uk Chief executive Jane Ingham jane.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Chief executive Greg Ingham greg.ingham@ mediaclash.co.uk Cardiff Life MediaClash, Circus Mews House, Circus Mews, Bath BA1 2PW 01225 475800 www.mediaclash.co.uk @The MediaClash © All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without written permission of MediaClash.

We’re a Bath-based publisher, creative agency and event organiser Magazines Our portfolio of regional magazines celebrates the best of local living: Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter and Salisbury. We also publish foodie mag Crumbs (www.crumbsmag.com, @CrumbsMag). Agency From the design and build of websites to digital marketing and creating company magazines, we can help. Events We create, market, promote and operate a wide variety of events both for MediaClash and our clients Contact: info@mediaclash.co.uk

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advertising feature

© BBC

SPOTLIGHT

Gavin (Mathew Horne), Stacey (Joanna Page), Smithy (James Corden) and Nessa (Ruth Jones) were last seen on Barry Island sea front

Barry Island It’s been almost a decade since the TV comedy Gavin & Stacey put Barry Island firmly on the map. And now James Corden has delighted the nation, and the residents of Barry, when he took to Twitter to announce a Christmas Day 2019 special of the show he co-wrote with Ruth Jones.

The show ended in January 2010 with a happyever-after filmed on Barry Island beach, with the

Shane Williams, centre, is 1,835 overs and not out

main characters, Gavin (Mathew Horne), Stacey (Joanna Page), Smithy (James Corden) and Nessa (Ruth Jones), eating chips and chatting on a wall in front of Boofy’s: The Codfather of Sole. The fish and chip shop manager, Karen Jones, says, “We’ve had people from Australia and other countries.

They come in and then want to sit on the wall.”

For more: www.bbc.co.uk

© JAMES CORDEN

THIS IS WHAT’S OCCURING

James Corden set Twitter alight when he shared this image on 27 May

Cricket World Cup

HOWZAT!

Cardiff kicked off ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in style on 31 May with a giant cricket catch relay.

The Ultimate Delivery was hosted by the World Cup ambassador, British and Irish Lions and Welsh rugby legend, Shane Williams and covered over 8851 metres, with 1,835 throws and catches.

Shane was joined by more than 542 fielders from local schools, the Cardiff Devils, Glamorgan Cricket Club, local cricket clubs and travelling cricket supporters and non-cricket fans alike, before the ball was presented to the captains of Sri Lanka and New Zealand. He says, “Thanks to the people of Cardiff, the Cricket World Cup has arrived here in style.

The atmosphere was brilliant and it was great fun meeting all these people and celebrating this global event being hosted in Wales. The tournament has got off to a great start on and off the pitch.”

For more: www.cricketworldcup.com

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Car-free Cardiff

STREETS AHEAD Getting into the scooter groove

Car-free means care-free for this young cyclist

Cardiff celebrated going car-free on 12 May with a full city centre road closure in place. The second of its type, and with an estimated 10,000 people reclaiming the streets, it was deemed a huge success with a free cycling festival as a major highlight.

Andrew Gregory, director of planning, transport and environment says, “Lots has happened since last year to improve more sustainable forms of transport; the on-street cycle hire scheme, nextbike, has been a continued success; work is underway on the first of a series of planned designated cycleways; and active travel in schools is proving to be a big hit with pupils and parents.

“We are trying to change the city to be less dependent on car travel, and to do this we need to show people what is possible and how we can do things differently, and this year’s Car Free Day was again, a great way of showcasing this.”

For more: www.cardiff.gov.uk

Welsh Warrior Bonny Jewell, left, meets Wales defender Lily Woodham

Homeless World Cup

© Paul John Roberts

The Wales Women’s Homeless World Cup team, also known as the Welsh Warriors, were given the opportunity to meet the Wales women’s national squad on 4 June. Footballing stars including Natasha Harding, Sophie Ingle and Rhiannon Roberts shared tips on how to prepare for representing your country and be ready for big international matches.

Loren Dykes, Welsh international football player and ambassador for Street Football Wales, says, “The Homeless World Cup is an opportunity for people of any age, gender and ethnicity to come and play sport. Football is for everyone and the Homeless World Cup offers us a chance to get to know men and women who have faced social exclusion and homelessness.

This is going to be a celebration of what we can achieve and, not only is it exciting for the squads taking part, but it is a community festival that will hopefully bring everyone together.”

Turn to page 14 for our chat with the actor Michael Sheen talking about the Homeless World Cup tournament, which takes place 27 July – 3 August in Bute Park, Cardiff.

For more: www.homelessworldcup.org

© Paul John Roberts

PERFECTLY MATCHED

Team work makes the dream work when the Wales international squad met with Wales’ Homeless World Cup players

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sport

LEVEL PLAYING FIELDS Actor MICHAEL SHEEN explains the importance of the Homeless World Cup coming to Cardiff this July Words by Sarah Moolla Pictures by Huw Talfryn Walters

K

nown as the beautiful game, football becomes even more beautiful when the Homeless World Cup comes to Cardiff at the end of July. This, the 17th Homeless World Cup tournament, will take place in a purpose built stadium in Bute Park, with more than 500 players representing over 50 countries travelling to the city to play in the week-long festival of football.

The free event, created to highlight the worldwide issue of homelessness, has helped over one million people worldwide since its first tournament in Austria in 2003 and it was witnessing this positive impact first-hand that prompted actor Michael Sheen to campaign for the last two years to bring this remarkable event to the capital. Newport-born Michael, who found global fame for portraying the likes of Tony Blair, Brian Clough and David

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Frost and is currently starring in Good Omens alongside David Tennant, explains, “I got involved through an organisation called Street Football Wales. They are a Swanseabased organisation who create Welsh football teams and tournaments for people who have experienced homelessness or social exclusion of some kind. They asked would I get involved, and initially I thought, ‘why are people putting their time and energy into football when they could be dealing with the issues directly?’

FOOTBALL IS THE HOOK

“Then I realised the brilliance of the idea, that the football is the hook. You get people in, in a way that you wouldn’t necessarily before. It allows participants to build their confidence, to be part of a team, meeting people from different countries – they build up their social network, their health and well-being can often improve. The football pitch works best when we help each other out – it’s the same in life.

‘Every year there is a Homeless World Cup, in a different country each year. So I went to

Michael has campaigned for nearly three years to bring the Homeless World Cup to Cardiff

“I saw that the Homeless World Cup was able to transform people’s lives”

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one in Oslo, Norway a few years back. That was the first time I went. I travelled with the Welsh teams. That week, it sort of changed my attitude in a lot of different ways really. Partly sitting with the teams, and I started to relate to the stories I was hearing, and then also maybe seeing what it is like for people who are maybe travelling out of their country for the first time.”

For Michael, who turned down the chance to join the Arsenal youth team when he was about 12 due to the distance, there is one particular moment that encapsulates the power of the Homeless Word Cup. “There was this one woman, she has never travelled outside of Wales before. I knew a little of what she’d been dealing with and struggling with in the past and what, in fact, she was struggling with right then, at the tournament. She’d never scored a goal before when she scored her first goal for Wales, for her country, at the World Cup. And seeing the effect that that had on her and afterwards being able to see how it motivated her, how it changed things in her life, I saw that the Homeless World Cup was able to transform people’s lives. The look on her face when she scored a goal and the support from the players and the crowd – it doesn’t matter if you’re Gareth Bale or someone living on the streets of Cardiff – if you put that vest on that says you’re playing for Wales, or representing your country, that changes you – it has a huge effect.”

BRING IT TO WALES

It was witnessing moments like this that also strengthened his determination to bring the games to Wales. “I thought well, why can’t we bring it to Wales? And so that started a two and half year journey. We put a bid in – I wanted to make sure that the Homeless World Cup itself, the actual tournament, gave a great welcome to all the people coming from outside. I thought, we can show them who we are, what we can do, what we value, what’s important to us, and try and make it the best Homeless World Cup ever.”

But it’s not just civic pride or a love of football that has driven Michael in his quest to see the tournament in South Wales. “One of the reasons I was very excited is that it does give us an opportunity to talk about these things – a real platform to be able to engage the general public in discussion about this.

“You’re walking down the street, there’s someone on the street there, you suddenly feel what should I do? A lot of people will say the most valuable thing you can do is just talk to us. These aren’t other people. Every single one of us finds ourselves in need at certain times, need of a bit more support. So engage with people, talk to them. If you decide you don’t want to give someone money for whatever reason, then let that be an inspiration to go and find out more about what you can do. It’s about engagement I think.

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Michael knows the good effects of the tournament continue long after the games have finished

sport

“The football pitch works best when we help each other out – it’s the same in life”

Michael was offered the chance to play for the Arsenal youth team but turned it down

Nothing can beat the honour of representing your country

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THE HOMELESS WORLD CUP FACTS AND STATS

1

The first tournament was in Graz, Austria in 2003. Recent hosts of the annual tournament have included Mexico City in Mexico, Oslo in Norway, Glasgow, and Santiago in Chile.

2

The tournament has separate competitions for men’s/ mixed teams and women’s teams, with matches consisting of two seven minutes halves on three specially constructed pitches that measure 22m x 16m.

3

The event is completely privately funded and uses no public funding.

4

Over 20,000 households are homeless or at risk of homelessness each year in Wales.

7

5

8

6

9 10

500 players representing over 50 countries are participating. Each nation brings a full squad of eight players, but only a maximum of four players per team are on-field at one time.

Players can only represent their country at a tournament once as the event’s aim is for the experience to transform a player’s situation.

18 I CARDIFF LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Current defending champions of both the men’s/mixed and women’s titles are Mexico.

The Homeless World Cup operates through a network of more than 70 Street Football Partners to support football programmes.

Entry to the Homeless World Cup is free and open to all.

Games will be broadcast live on YouTube via the official Homeless World Cup channel.

sport REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE

“This is a platform to look at what happens after the football finishes. How can we create real, effective change around the issues of homelessness and social exclusion? This is an opportunity to bring people together, to listen to people, to really learn from the ones who know the most about this, which is those who are experiencing it themselves on the front lines. Whether it’s people who are experiencing homelessness or supporting those who are, this gives us an opportunity to really make a difference afterwards.

“There’s enough of a blame culture around, so first and foremost you have to come at all of these issues with compassion, recognising it’s not about others – it’s about us, us as a nation, we have a responsibility to help each other.”

The Homeless World Cup offers the opportunity for those who have been socially excluded to feel like, and to be, winners

EXTRA TIME

Alongside the football, BBC 6 Music Festival of the Year, Green Man, is coming to Cardiff for the first time to produce ‘The Fair’, an area hosting live music, family friendly entertainment, walkabout theatre, art installations, street food stalls, and debate. Green Man’s famous Little Folk will be providing a galaxy of free and varied workshops, adventures and activities for children.

A debate tent hosted in collaboration with the independent think tank The Bevan Foundation will provide a space for high profile speakers and the public to engage and educate on issues around inequality and injustice and work towards innovative solutions.

There will also be a line up of big names and rising talent from the Welsh music scene, curated by music-lover Michael, who says, “Not only will there be a feast of football, we’ll also be showcasing the best of Welsh music on

our Green Man stage whilst our Bevan tent will provide the perfect setting for the passionate debate and creative sparks that we’re known for.

“Most of all, Cardiff 2019 gives us a huge opportunity. A unique platform to engage people in the issues surrounding homelessness, issues that affect us all – housing, health, particularly mental health, criminal justice and inequality, just to name a few – and to launch initiatives and projects from that platform that can make an actual difference in the lives of those who need it most.” n The Homeless World Cup will take place in Cardiff’s Bute Park, from 27 July – 3 August. The event will be delivered by the Homeless World Cup Foundation in coordination with Cardiff City Council, Cardiff University, Cardiff City FC Foundation, FA Wales, Pobl Group, Office of Michael Sheen, Working Word, Green Man festival, PYST and Street Football Wales.

For more: www.homelessworldcup.org

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the arts s n a p s h o t s o f C A R D I FF ’ S c u lt u r a l l i f e

KEBABS for a TENOR The Welsh National Opera are serving up the Donizetti’s classic comic opera, Don Pasquale, but with a side order of contemporary sauce. Set in and around a doner kebab van, Pasquale’s quest to find a wife to help produce a son and heir to his fast-food empire causes nephew Ernesto, and Ernesto’s girlfriend Norina, to try and trick him. Don Pasquale, which is a smart, funny and powerful collaboration between director Daisy Evans and conductor Stephen Higgins, is performing at Welsh National Opera until 13 July.

For more: www.wno.org.uk

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What’s on 22 June – 27 July

Claudia Williams’ Reading on the Beach can be seen at Martin Tinney Gallery this summer

PLAYS/SHOWS/ PERFORMANCES 26 June – 3 July

the hunchback of notre dame The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama will be performing a musical take on the Victor Hugo story The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Bellringer Quasimodo emerges from his hidden and lonely life in the Notre Dame Cathedral into the outside world. There he meets Esmerelda who changes his life forever. Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama; www.rwcmd.ac.uk

27 June – 3 August

Cardiff open air theatre festival: everyman 19

Attracting over 14,000 visitors the Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival presents a spectrum of performances for all enthusiasts: Shakespeare, musicals, family shows, and a comedy production. This year features Hi-De-Hi, Much Ado About Nothing, Jesus Christ Superstar, and The Little Mermaid. Sophia Gardens; www.everymantheatre.co.uk

28 June

LIFE IN TECHNICOLOUR Experience the 90-strong choir, Technicolour, reimagine the world of The Wizard of Oz as they remix musical theatre with epic harmonies, contemporary sound, and mash-ups.

You’ll hear the music of The Wiz, Dear Evan Hansen, Waitress, The Lion King, Rent, West Side Story, The Greatest Showman and many more

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funky upbeat blends with Dua Lipa, Sia and dance floor classics for a high energy, party-hard disco sound. Tramshed Cardiff; www.tramshedcardiff.com

6 July

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the UK’s premier all male theatre company, invite you to join them this summer to celebrate their 15th year with Shakespeare’s enchanting comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. All together now, ‘Lord, what fools these mortals be!’

Cardiff Castle; www.cardiffcastle.com

7 July

LEA SALONGA IN CONCERT Singer, actress and Broadway

royalty, Lea Salonga, known across the world for her powerful voice, perfect pitch, her Tony Award winning role in Miss Saigon and the critically acclaimed role as Eponine in Les Misérables, is on her first ever solo headline UK tour. Donald Gordon Theatre; www.wmc.org.uk

COMEDY 25 – 30 June

faulty towers: the dining experience In a fully immersive and interactive experience, the characters Basil, Manuel and Sybil will be delivering two hours of comedy and three courses of food amongst much chaos, slapstick and laughter. Wales Millennium Centre; www.wmc.org.uk

what’s on 26 – 27 June

ricky gervais: Supernature Following his most recent stand-up Humanity, the critically acclaimed, phenomenally talented, and comedic Ricky Gervais is back on tour with hilarious new content looking at the absurdity of superstition, magic, and all unsubstantiated beliefs. Motorpoint Arena; www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

3 July

above: Yes we agree Carrie Underwood, you do cry pretty – see the Grammywinning country singer at Motorpoint Arena, 30 June left: James Acaster has done a whole riff on a cold lasagne from 1999, which he performs on 13 July at Donald Gordon Theatre below: Monkey From Phantom of The Opera by mixed media artist Jane Price is currently on display at Off The Wall Gallery

STAND UP FOR SHELTER CYMRU Homelessness is no laughing matter, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun while helping the charity make a difference. Featuring Welsh comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean and 2018’s Britain’s got Talent winner, Lee Ridley (aka Lost Voice Guy).

Glee Club Cardiff; www.glee.co.uk

13 July

JAMES ACASTER “One time I bought a lasagne from the supermarket, heated it up in the oven and ate a bit of it and it wasn't very nice so I put it in the fridge because it felt wrong to dump a whole lasagne in the bin...”

Hear what happens next, and why it inspired the title of the awardwinning comedian’s new show, Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999. Donald Gordon Theatre; www.wmc.org.uk

Music 28 June

the killers This is an opportunity to intimately and exclusively watch the Grammynominated band, The Killers.

The much-anticipated evening promises to be throbbing with their incredible combination of talent, professionalism, and stage presence.

Cardiff Castle; www.cardiffcastle.com

28 June

Il divo: timEless The multi-national classical crossover vocal group is back. They will be performing their greatest hits live and proving just how timeless their talent is, both unwavering and passionate. Motorpoint Arena Cardiff; www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

28 June

Royal welsh symphony orchestra From John Adams’ high-octane opener to the hard-edged styling of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s riffs and refrains, the concert is supercharged

with spectacular energy. Laura Deignan on the clarinet, conducted

by David Jones, allows for the Royal Welsh College Symphony Orchestra to showcase their tremendous and impressive power. St David’s Hall; www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk

30 June

paul weller: sounds of the city Following the release of his brand new live album Other Aspects, Live At The Royal Festival Hall, Paul Weller, will be supported by Miles Kane and Steve Mason in what is sure to be a memorable performance of his well-refined musical talents. Cardiff Castle; www.cardiffcastle.com

30 June

carrie underwood: cry pretty Multi-platinum superstar and seven times Grammy award winner Carrie Underwood will be performing her new sixth studio album, Cry Pretty. She will be joined by the biggest selling UK country act of all time, The Shires, a duo composed of Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes. Motorpoint Arena; www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

1 – 2 July

WESTLIFE The Flying Without Wings singers, Shane Filan, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily and Nicky Byrne, are heading back out on the road again,and with almost 60million record sales and 14 No1 hits, there will be a lot of delighted fans out there. Motorpoint Arena; www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

4 July

GLADYS KNIGHT The Empress of Soul delivers her classics including Midnight Train To Georgia (which was honoured as one of The Greatest Songs Of All Time

by Rolling Stone Magazine); Help Me Make It Through The Night; and the James Bond thriller, Licence To Kill; Motorpoint Arena; www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

13 July

DEPOT IN THE CASTLE Singer Tom Odell and electronic music trio Clean Bandit are the headliners for this city centre party in the Castle. There’s also best of the best in terms of talented local artists; from glitter girls to circus acts, from storytelling to dressing up. Cardiff Castle; www.cardiffcastle.com

14 July

GROOVE ARMADA Multi-million selling, BRIT and

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What’s on Grammy award nominated Groove Armada will bring their stunning live show and unmistakable sound, which includes classics like Superstylin’ and I See You Baby to the beautiful and majestic setting of Caerphilly Castle.

Caerphilly Castle; www.cadw.gov.wales

ART, PHOTOGRAPHY & EXHIBITIONS Until 30 June

FREEDOM SEASON Welsh National Opera presents a curated season rooted in exploring themes of human rights, justice and political imprisonment. Along with an extensive series of talks, discussions and debates, and theatre performances including the poignant story behind the children’s opera Brundibar, which is being performed 22-23 June. There are also exhibitions, an immersive digital reality art exhibition, and community engagement work. For the full programme visit www.wno.org.uk

Until 13 August

SUMMER EXHIBITION A whole range of Welsh artists are on display including Claudia Williams, who has exhibited widely over the last fifty years, and her work features in many important public and private collections. Claudia’s paintings and drawings usually reflect the domestic world of children and grandchildren, family gatherings and seaside trips. She has also touched on more controversial issues, notably the drowning of Tryweryn. Martin Tinney Gallery; www.artwales.com

Until 31 August

SUMMER EXHIBITION A whole range of mixed media artists, from emerging and established names including Jane Price, Jan Gardner, and Sally Tyrie. Off The Wall Gallery; www.galleryoffthewall.com

Until 31 August

BOB DYLAN GRAPHICS He may be best known as a musician, but Bob Dylan is also a renowned artist. His expressive works, demonstrated in the limited edition graphics, capture the artist’s chance encounters and combine the everyday with the extraordinary.

Castle Fine Art; wwww.castlefineart.com

Until 1 September

david nash: sculpture

through the seasons Celebrating fifty years of working in Capel Rhiw, Nash displays his largest and most ambitious collection of work featuring key sculptures from the 1960s to now. From photographs, films and drawings to living sculptures, Nash uses the natural environment to create his unique and striking work which makes him one of Britain’s most important artists.

National Museum Cardiff; www.museum.wales/cardiff/

Until 15 September

Snakes!

This touring exhibition from Blue Tokay explores snakes from live specimens, photographs, and interactive displays. It delves into the mystery and beauty surrounding these creatures in an exhibition that suits all of the family. National Museum Cardiff; www.museum.wales/cardiff/

Until May 2020

THE FOSSIL SWAMP Far back in time before humans... before dinosaurs... there was a different world. This new exhibition reveals a snapshot in time from 300 million years ago, when a vast tropical swamp covered what is now Wales. The Fossil Swamp had monster plants, giant insects, thunderstorms and floods.

Beautifully preserved fossils reveal this world including the huge 3D centrepiece Stigmaria, come from the world-class heritage site at Brymbo in north east Wales.

National Museum Cardiff; www.museum.wales/cardiff/

4 July – 17 August

SUMMER EXHIBITION The summer show gives visitors an opportunity to view work by more than 50 artists, from top selling regular exhibitors to those new to the gallery. Artists include Donald McIntyre, Mike Jones, Tim Fudge, David Barnes, Theo CrutchleyMack, Sol Whiteside and Emma Connolly. The Albany Gallery; www.albanygallery.com

sport

Until 14 July

ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP 2019 Cardiff welcomes New Zealand, Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh, South Africa and the World Cup qualifier champions, Afghanistan. Cardiff Wales Stadium; www.principalitystadium.wales

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above: The Albany Gallery is exhibiting the works of artists including Emma Connolly left: Let’s hope Gladys makes that midnight train to Georgia and gets to Cardiff by 4 July below: Broadway performer Lea Salonga brings her award-winning talents to Cardiff on 7 July

SEVEN DEADLY SINS Comedian LEROY BRITO bares his wicked soul LUST: Who or what do you find yourself lusting after ?

above:

Electronic pop trio Clean Bandit headline at Depot in the Castle on 13 July

Other

29 June – 1 September

AQUA PARK IN WALES Measuring more than 8,000 square metres and featuring 72 obstacles, including climbing walls, and trampolines, this is where all hot, bothered and bored children (and their parents, in fact everybody) should be heading to this summer.

Cardiff Bay; www.aquaparkgroup.co.uk

30 June

mad hatters cruelty free family day This is a dress-up (optional) day of family fun in aid of animal well-being with pottery painting, story telling, and social sharing. There will be various cruelty-free stands ranging from food to jewellery to bath-time luxuries to browse and shop.

The Paget Rooms Penarth, Penarth; www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk

12 July

CAITLIN MORAN LIVE: HOW TO BE FAMOUS Join writer Caitlin Moran for an evening of slightly excessive drinking, and a whole lot of truth about camel-

toes, why the Beatles were secretly girls, the Nineties, #metoo, sexual shame, pornography, how exactly to be famous, and a very, very long, entertaining anecdote about the first time Caitlin took ecstasy. Sherman Theatre; www.shermantheatre.co.uk

13 – 14 July

THE CELEBRITY CUP Many more big name celebrities are representing Wales, England, Scotland and Ireland, including Sky Sports presenter Michelle Owen for Wales, in this spectacular, star studded golfing extravaganza on our doorstep. This fun family event also includes live music and food and bar outlets in the tented village. Celtic Manor; www.celtic-manor.com

20 July UNICORN & PROSECCO FESTIVAL It’s a mythical bubbly adventure with a unicorn rodeo, the world’s largest inflatable unicorn, a unicorn glitter station and other unicorn stuff.

There’s also 20 different types of prosecco, along with DJs and street food. Unleash the rainbow. Tramshed Cardiff; www.tramshedcardiff.com n

Holidays! We’ve recently got married and are looking at honeymoon destinations. Some of which are way out of our price range. I only thought that hotels went up to 5 stars but I’ve seen ones that go to 7 stars, which is utterly ridiculous.

GREED: What should you be cutting down on?

Chocolate. I love chocolate and I need to cut down because I think that I may be addicted.

Wow, that’s the first time that I’ve admitted that. My name is Leroy and I’m addicted to chocolate.

I think that I’ve made the first step towards my recovery.

GLUTTONY: What one thing could you happily eat or drink until you burst?

Chocolate ice-cream, for the reasons detailed above. Plus in my public confession, I’ve added the glory of ice-cream.

Unfortunately due to being lactose intolerant I would literally burst if I ate any ice cream.

SLOTH: What should you be really putting your back into right now?

Writing! As a comedian and

writer I always feel guilty about not writing enough and worrying that the competition are writing these wonderful shows. However when we meet up the reality is very different, I usually find that they’ve been involved in a ‘Twitter beef’ for the last two days.

WRATH: What/who makes you angry?

People – I’ll be a little more specific though. Stupid people who speak with such convincing conviction but have done zero research on the issues and try to position themselves as experts.

That and Love Island.

ENVY: Who, or what, are you jealous of ?

As a father I’m really jealous of those lucky people who have this mythical thing called a ‘lie-in’. My eldest child is 19 so I haven’t had a lie in since 1999.

PRIDE: What’s your proudest achievement?

My three kids, and the time I walked straight passed the ice-cream van without even stopping.

Leroy is currently hosting the comedy supper clwbs at ffresh.

For more: www.wmc.org.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I CARDIFF LIFE I 27

T H E A L B A N Y G A L L E RY

ANDREW HOOD, DAVID GROSVENOR, DAVID KNIGHT, THOMAS HASKETT 6th June – 29th June 2019 www.albanygallery.com 74b Albany Road, Cardiff, CF24 3RS | T: 029 2048 7158 | E: info@albanygallery.com Gallery open: Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sundays and Bank Holidays 11am-4pm

CJCH SOLICITORS is an award winning, leading Welsh legal practice with over 140 staff across four offices in Cardiff, Barry, Bridgend and Blackwood. With 12 practice areas, the Firm offers extensive services in both personal and business law.

2018 Financial and Professional services company of the year – Cardiff Business Awards

CJCH’s business law services include: Commercial property | Corporate law Employment law and HR services Contract law | Mergers and acquisitions Intellectual property | Litigation Anti-piracy and licence compliance Dispute resolution | Mediation 2019 Legal and Financial Business of the Year – Cardiff Life Awards

From left to right: Gareth Thompson Commercial Property & Corporate Law, Ana Kocmut-Saunders Intellectual Property, Max Wootton Employment Law, Debt Recovery, Litigation, Stephen Clarke Intellectual Property, Anti-Piracy & Licence Compliance, Debra Spedding Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Graeme Davies Litigation, Dispute Resolution, Contentious Probate, David James Commercial Property & Conveyancing, Charlotte Bardet Intellectual Property

Email: commercial@cjch.co.uk | Tel: 0333 231 6405 | Web: www.cjchsolicitors.co.uk | Williams House, 11 – 15 Columbus Walk, Cardiff, CF10 4BY

WYBURN & WAYNE Cardiff’s dazzling answer to Ant & Dec, Morecambe & Wise, or more accurately Edina & Patsy, giving you their take on what’s been HOT in and around our city

2 become fun!

L

et’s be honest here – meeting Dame Shirley Bassey has to be the equivalent of meeting Welsh royalty. And we were in absolute awe recently as we got the chance to be in the presence of the Queen of Wales. We were invited along to the gala dinner at City Hall to celebrate her receiving Freedom of the City by Cardiff Council. The ball was in aid of Noah’s Ark, the Cardiffbased charity that raises money exclusively for the Children’s Hospital for Wales, of which Dame Shirley is patron.

Nathan presented her with a golden portrait, which she absolutely loved. Her exact words were “Oh my God, that’s stunning – I know just where I’m going to hang that.” (Not that we

Tell us boys, what is it you want, like really, really, want?

were hanging off her every word or anything…) She also took the time to sign another portrait, which was later auctioned raising an incredible £1,750 for the charity. The evening was wonderful, compered by the Welsh TV presenter Gethin Jones and the Cardiff councillor Joel Williams, with entertainment from our buddies, the male voice choir Only Men Aloud. The whole event was equal to, if not better, than anything Buckingham Palace could do. To be a part of such a special evening was a huge honour for us.

Speaking of Dames, the dame of Rupaul’s Drag Race, the US impersonator, actor and comedian, Charlie Hides came to town. She performed at The Golden Cross and went down an

Dame Shirley meets two diamonds

Sitting down to help the walkies

absolute storm. Known for her amazing celebrity impersonations including Cher and Madonna – she did not disappoint. If we could ‘turn back time’ we’d get ‘into the groove’ all over again with this star act.

We also had the pleasure of hosting Big Walkies Live again for RSPCA Cymru. We loved live dj’ing and entertaining the crowds ahead of the walk. We also fell a little in love with all the leading pooches, all with a ‘tail’ to be told!

There were hundreds of dogs of all shapes and sizes, plus their canine companions, enjoying the scenic walk routes, event village and our music (of course!) all helping out raise funds for such a wonderful organisation.

Theatre wise, the wonderfully camp Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat came to the Wales Millennium Centre fronted by Union Factor’s Jaymi Hensley who was a dreamboat in the lead role. Jaymi, and his

pitch perfect vocals, brought just the right level of sparkle, charm, and cheek to this high-energy, slightly bonkers, toe-tapper of a musical. Also deserving of special mentions are the appearance by Elvis, the hilarious brothers, and that incredible coat which took up most of the stage at one point.

Also taking up most of the stage were the legends that are the Spice Girls. They absolutely rocked the Principality Stadium on that bank holiday Monday. We totally embraced them spicing up our lives once more and were in full Spice spirit, sporting a Union Jack t-shirt and leopard print jacket.

One of us was Ginger Spice and the other Scary Spice, but we aren’t going to let you know which was which, and no answers on any postcards please!

To keep up to date with Wyburn & Wayne follow them on Facebook, Twitter @WyburnWayne and Instagram @wyburnandwayne

www.mediaclash.co.uk I CARDIFF LIFE I 29

HAMPTONS PENARTH Set over two floors in a beautifully converted former Victorian market and meeting hall, Hamptons is a haven of unique, design-led occasional furniture, lighting, home interiors and gifts. If you simply need a beautiful greetings card or something gorgeous for the home we’ll be delighted to assist you.

10 Ludlow Lane, Penarth, CF64 1EA Tel: 029 2070 5391 www.hamptonspenarth.co.uk

JUST COASTING Sarah Moolla falls for the charms of Penarth and ďŹ nds out the residents are also pretty smitten with this delightful seaside town

Impressive views along the Penarth esplanade

32 I CARDIFF LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

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out of town

Windsor Parade is a shopper’s delight

Andy Bradshaw and Peter Knowles love being part of the Penarth community This is how much Sian Fox loves Penarth!

A

wander around Penarth is like a trip down memory lane. There’s an olde worlde seaside charm that’s reminiscent of a feelgood episode of the show set in the 1950s, Heartbeat. Much of the housing was built a century and a half ago as retirement homes for the owners of South Wales’ coal mines and steelworks, and to this day it emanates that unruffled, worry-free vibe. From the manicured and expansive green of Alexander Park, to the step-back-in-time Windsor Arcade, there’s a friendly village feel everywhere you go. However should something be troubling you, then a jaunt along the Penarth Pier, which was originally constructed in 1898, should briskly rejuvenate and restore the spirits. But don’t take our word for it. Here we speak to a few of those lucky people who have made Penarth their base…

Owner of Foxy’s Deli and Café, Sian Fox says, “I was working in London where I met my husband (Mr Foxy!) – he wanted to open a deli and I wanted to move back to Wales. We drove around the Cardiff area and fell in love with Penarth. 17 years later, and I think we made the right decision! Professionally, Penarth has a great business network – traders meet up regularly and we have a forum to share ideas and advice. There is so much to get involved in including our own Italian lessons. I would also recommend the restaurants, Tony’s Taste of Italy.”

“People in Penarth seem to love living here. There is a real sense of community and people take pride in where they live”

Andy Bradshaw and Peter Knowles, owners of Hamptons, the interior design, gifts and accessories store, say, “We live in the town and being able to walk to work is a huge privilege. People here are very loyal to their local shops and as a retailer we benefit enormously from being a part of this.

“We get all our fruit and veg from Windsor Fruit in the Windsor Arcade, brilliant cheese from Fauvette on Glebe Street, reflexology from Claire Viader, if we need flowers we pop into Andrea’s or Lily Pad – both on Glebe Street, and Griffin Books is a must for holiday reading.

The Pier and Pavilion are a must-see for visitors, as is the whole of the seafront – yachts, boats, and brilliant views across to Somerset. Penarth Head Park is a bit of a hidden gem and, as the highest point in South Glamorgan, it has the most amazing views up to the Severn Bridges and across to Hinkley Point. Cosmeston Lakes has beautiful walks as have the parks in the town – it’s always worth strolling down through Alexandra Park when heading to the seafront “On a personal level, it’s a wonderful place to live with great local shopping, places to eat, superb walks with our dogs Max and Daisy and a real sense of community. People in Penarth seem to love living here – as do we. There is a real sense of community and people take pride in where they live. From the litter pickers on the beach to people who shop locally rather than always driving to the supermarket, people genuinely care and want to make a difference and to help make Penarth a better place to live and work.”

www.mediaclash.co.uk I cardiff LIFE I 33

out of town

Jamie Price is a co-owner of Quality Carpets Direct who have been based in Penarth for five years. He says, “The town centre is bucking the negative trends of many high streets around the country, and is well supported by the locals which keeps it thriving and makes it a pleasant place to trade from. I live in Cardiff Bay and we regularly walk around the barrage and up to the town to use the coffee shops and bars.

I love tapas at Bar 44, tea from The Washington, and for a very special occasion to dine at the Michelin-starred James Sommerin. The DIY store Wasons have been great – they are a Penarth pillar trading for many years and we work well together. They are very supportive and very nice people who can’t do enough for customers and community.

Claire Turner is a sales manager and associate with the property consultants and estate agents, Savills who are marketing the old Penarth Robert Smith Garage, which has been renovated and renamed The Moorwell. She says, “Penarth is a much sought after suburb where an influx of revitalised spaces blend with the familiar Victorian seaside charm. The town offers ideal amenities for new movers to the area and a strong incentive for current residents to stay local. Despite being a town, Penarth has a village feel with a very strong community spirit.

This is exemplified by the many local cultural activities, such as the history society.”

Owner of the eponymously-named jewellery design business, workshop, and gallery, Anne Morgan says, “I’ve recently moved to only a few streets from the beautiful Victorian Penarth Pier. It’s great to stroll on with an ice cream any time of the year. During the Victorian era, Penarth was a highly popular holiday destination, promoted nationally as ‘The Garden by the Sea’. My walk to work takes me along the old rail track that used to take the people of Penarth by rail to Lavernock, and then on to day trips to Barry Island.

“Where we now live is where the trains used to turn around. I love the history of Penarth and how it developed from a small village to a thriving town. The rail line stops in the town now and no longer goes anywhere else. But you can still walk or cycle all the way to Cosmeston Lakes. Or you can walk to the train station and take a train to Cardiff.

Penarth is the perfect location and gives you the best access to whatever you fancy.

“Work-wise, the people here are all so supportive of the independent businesses in Penarth. The traders recently came together to celebrate Plastic Free Penarth where Colin Jackson, a great customer of ours along with his sister Suzanne Packer, presented awards to businesses that have managed to cut out three plastics in their workplace. It was a great event that gave us all an opportunity to pat ourselves on the back and lead the way.”

34 I cardiff LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

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Jamie Price regularly enjoys strolling around Penarth

Views out of Penarth Marina

this image: Savill’s Claire Turner explains why buyers are attracted to the town; below left: Mehmet Yildiz praises the positive attitude of the community; below right: Anne Morgan is fascinated by the town’s history

David and Richard Baker say Penarth is a fantastic place to both work and live

“I love the history of Penarth and how it developed from a small village to a thriving town”

Richard and David Baker are the father son team, and partners of the estate agents and chartered surveyors, David Baker & Company.

Dad David says, “50 years ago, I was working for a gentleman called Frank Powell in Cardiff, and had just passed my exams. Frank had a shop available to rent in Penarth, and suggested that we take the rental and open a business together. I borrowed some money from my mother and the rest is history. Penarth is a fantastic place to live and work. It is a lovely small coastal town with loads going on, plenty of places to eat and drink and a variety of well run sports clubs.”

Richard says, “For a bit of luxury, I would always recommend Holm House. I got engaged there and the views over the Bristol Channel from our room were to die for. You can’t beat the view of the Channel on a sunny day.”

Penarth has a robust retail area

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© w w w.visit thevale.com

Mehmet Yildiz, owner of the Turkish restaurant Keyif, says, “We have been here for 12 months now and I love this town. The community has been so supportive, and we are so delighted to be given this chance to express and demonstrate just how good Turkish food can be. The whole of Penarth has such a positive and welcoming atmosphere. I think the beautiful views, the fellow local traders, and the friendly residents all help with this.” n

The pier was originally built in 1898

The Penarth secret contact book Anne Morgan Jewellery; www.annemorganjewellery.com Bar 44; www.bar44.co.uk The Boat House in Sully; www.theboathousesully.co.uk The Bottle Shop; www.thebottleshops.co.uk The Captain’s Wife; www.vintageinn.co.uk Cosmeston Lakes Country Park and Medieval Village; www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk David Baker & Co; www.davidbaker.co.uk David Lush Butchers; www.davidlushbutchers.co.uk Etc…; www.etc-penarth.com Fauvette; www.fauvette.co.uk Foxy’s Deli and Café; www.foxysdeli.co.uk Gin 64; info@gin64.co.uk

Hamptons Penarth; www.hamptonspenarth.co.uk Holm House Hotel; www.holmhousehotel.com James Sommerin Restaurant; jamessommerinrestaurant.co.uk Keyif; www.keyif.co.uk The Ocho Lounge; www.thelounges.co.uk Quality Carpets Direct; www.qualitycarpetsdirect.com Tony’s Taste of Italy; www.tonyspizza.co.uk Viader Vitality; www.viadervitality.co.uk The Washington; www.waterlootea.com Wasons hardware store; tel: 029 2070 3915 Windsor Fruit; www.penarthfruitveg.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I cardiff LIFE I 35

SHOPPING LIVE WELL, BUY BETTER

OUT TO LUNCH Don’t eat like a bird, eat with the birds. Find your favourite outdoor spot – your own garden will do if you’re pushed for time – and adorn it with these Sophie Allport picnic accessories which includes rug, cooler bag, and melamine bowls and plates.

In her latest collection, Garden Birds, Sophie has captured the beauty of five British birds including the thrush, woodpecker, blue tit, wren, and bull finch, and set them on a duck egg blue background. Prices start at £5.50.

Stockists for Sophie Allport are Hamptons of Penarth,10 Ludlow Lane, Penarth. Tel: 029 2070 5391; www.hamptonspenarth.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I CARDIFF LIFE I 39

LUXURIOUS SOY CANDLE, £17.50 Gently but firmly deter the wasps and flies from your outdoor feast with notes of frosted lavender, wild musk and a fresh citrus From The Goodwash Company; www.goodwash.co.uk

SALT & PEPPER MAGIC SHAKERS, £8.50 Designed to sprinkle a little seasonal magic to your Scotch egg From The SHO Gallery and Shop, Womanby Street, Cardiff; www.thesho.co.uk

LIFE’S A PICNIC

In celebration of national picnic day on 1 July, we suggest you take this outside

DESERT FLEUR CUSHION, £35 South American folk art meets Scandi modern for a little outdoors on-the-ground comfort From Sian Elin; tel: 0203 2870577; www.sianelin.com

PICNIC HAMPER AND BASKET, £139.95 Napkins, cutlery, corkscrew and built-in cooler compartment.

Just add champers, nibbles and you’re good to go From The Place For Homes, Sutton Road, Llandow, Cowbridge; www.theplaceforhomesltd.co.uk

FLOWER JUG, £29 Moroccan inspired decorative ceramic jugs keeps your al fresco entertaining civilised From Athena Interiors; 47 Llandowlais Street, Cwmbran; tel: 07513 912 043; www.athenainteriors.co.uk

40 I CARDIFF LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

ED’S CHOICE STAINLESS STEEL STRAWS PACK OF 4, £9.95 Functional, eco-friendly and won’t absorb flavours or odours From Lisa Valentine Home; www.lisavalentinehome.co.uk

LARGE SERVING PLATTER, £74.95 Made from sustainably sourced Mango wood and ideal for piling up the sliders, canapés and crusty breads From The Place for Homes, Sutton Road, Llandow, Cowbridge; tel: 01446 772927; www.theplaceforhomesltd.co.uk

BAMBOO COFFEE CUP, £14 It says it’s a sustainable, compostable bamboo coffee cup but it works for wine too From ProCook, Pughs Garden Centre, Morganstown; tel: 029 2084 3967; www.procook.co.uk

JONNY’S SISTER PERSONALISED DECKCHAIR, £120 Perfect for that personalised post-picnic snooze From John Lewis, The Hayes, Cardiff; tel: 029 2053 6000; www.johnlewis.com

MELIN TREGWYNT BLANKET WITH ST DAVID’S CROSS DESIGN, £165 Because if you’re going to picnic with a blanket make it Welsh From Home By Kirsty; 64A Glenroy Street, Cardiff; www.homebykirsty.com

www.mediaclash.co.uk I CARDIFF LIFE I 41

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Acting for the best!

HIJINX is changing the lives of people with learning disabilities

W

e are Hijinx, a pioneering charity based in Cardiff.

Our work is changing the lives of learning disabled and autistic people across Wales.

We cast Hijinx actors in our unique and highly acclaimed inclusive theatre shows, which tour the globe and help to change society’s perception of disability.

We train 70 adults with learning and developmental disabilities, including autism, Asperger’s and Down’s syndrome, to become professional actors. Our drama training at Hijinx Academies in Cardiff, Prestatyn, Carmarthen and Aberystwyth cover a range of skills. These include acting for screen and television, role play, contemporary dance, and improvisation.

Each Hijinx Actor has 700 hours of training a year with the best directors, choreographers and performers working in the UK. These Academy sessions raise their aspirations, confidence and help to prepare them for independent living and a working life.

42 I CARDIFF LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

“YOU BUILD TRUST IN YOURSELF. THERE ARE NO LIMITS TO WHAT YOU CAN ACHIEVE WITH HIJINX. I’VE LEARNT THAT YEAR ON YEAR.” HIJINX ACTOR, ASPERGER’S SYNDROME

In Cardiff we run community theatre projects for everyone regardless of ability or training, under the banner of Hijinx Pawb: • Drama Foundations. A weekly course for adults with more complex disabilities.

• Youth Theatres. For anyone aged 16-25 years old.

• Odyssey. An inclusive mixed ability adult community theatre group, now in its 20th year.

Every Christmas the youth theatre and Odyssey join forces to perform at the Wales Millennium Centre. This is only made possible thanks to local support. Running a Hijinx Academy costs £35,000 a year, a youth theatre costs £6,000 a year and the community theatre Christmas show costs £15,000 a year.

Your donation, however small, will help to give a young person or adult with a learning disability and/or autism the best chance of leading a fulfilling and happy life through theatre: www.hijinx.org.uk/donate. ■

You can help by supporting Hijinx: www.hijinx.org.uk/donate To find out more about Hijinx contact vanessa.davies@hijinx.org.uk or call 02920 300331 a @hijinxtheatreb Hijinx Theatre x @hijinxtheatre

TWENTY NINE PARK PLACE

Sarah Moolla finds the city centre townhouse turned pub is a gastronomic delight

T

he obvious description for Twenty Nine Park Place would be a gastropub, but I think that might be doing the place a serious disservice. Where once the term meant solid hearty food served with originality, imagination and with a pinch of boldness, all too often now it’s an umbrella term used for mediocre venues who present lazy menus that simply prefix their every day Weatherspoon-style staples with words like ‘in-season’ ‘local-produce’ ‘original gourmet’, so they can charge you triple the price. But this city townhouse turned pub, with views across the park and City Hall, and with its funky upbeat interior (think teal walls, pink velvet chairs, exposed brickwork, gilted mirrors and eclectic artwork) is way more than that – it is a proper gastropub in it’s earliest, truest definition.

44 I CARDIFF LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

There’s a choice of five starters and the reading of each one deliciously eclipses the one that went before.

My companion (who happens to be my hollow legged 12 year-old son) has to double check they’ve not served a main as his starter. It’s a bed of cumin-speckled wild rice with a mound of honey-glazed pork belly which is sticky, meaty, softly shredded and plentiful, topped with a basil pesto drizzled fresh salsa, and thin ribbons of crisp green watercress. It’s perfect, the textures and tastes, the fat with the crunch, the flakes with the smooth – they all work so harmoniously, with a clash of the forks, it is gone in minutes, followed by the regret it should have been savoured. There’s another regret coming my way – I’ve ordered the mushroom soup. And I greedily slurp up every deep, earthy, gutsy mouthful. I even go so far as to thickly butter the slabs of accompanying oven-warm homemade bread, which I then use to wipe clean the

restaurant

bowl of every drop of this intensely creamy starter. Then it hits me – I have made a restaurant reviewer’s rookie error. I’m full. I’m happily, delightfully, totally stuffed.

And the main is yet to come.

Luckily I relax in the knowledge I have brought along the son with the hollow legs, the one who can eat for Wales. His main is charred chicken with smoked garlic croquette, sprigs of sprouting purple broccoli, chunky salsa verde and is presented with a go-faster stripe of emulsified red pepper sauce slashed across the plate. It’s a great combination that hits all the right notes: the chicken is white, sweet and moist; the broccoli adds bite; and the croquette is fat, fluffy and garlicky enough to span the whole meal, because there is nothing worse than running out of croquette half way through. My main is the hake, wild garlic potato cake, bacon, mushroom and peas ‘bonne femme.’ I ask, and it seems ‘bonne femme’ means cooked the simple way, but I’m still not sure what that means, other than the peas taste sublime. (I do worry, once the pseudo-gastro pubs get wind of it, they’ll be adding it to their repertoire of food ‘descriptions’). The hake is firm and fleshy and mildly fishy and works well with the lardons of salty bacon and pops of garden-fresh peas. There’s ample potato in the comforting form of two hefty, layered rounds. No-one could ever accuse this place of being stingy or cutting corners. They dish up weighty, groaning plates of delicious food, which demand to be eaten, because you don’t want to leave room for regret.

I’d like to say to you at this point, we are so full, we politely decline dessert but vow to be back to try them out. But we don’t. We loosen our belts, and we order dessert. I have the utterly Instragrammable smorgasbord of honey parfait, honey meringue, honey jelly, white peach sorbet and white chocolate. Singularly all gorgeous but together they don’t quite work – it’s too many exquisitely subtle tastes in a confined space. But my son’s sticky ginger cake, with ginger beer sorbet, flapjack crumb and toffee sauce is something we still talk about, like a family friend who lives abroad. We often think of them, we always miss them, and we can’t wait to see them again. n

“The honeyglazed pork belly is sticky, meaty,and softly shredded” Dining details Twenty Nine Park Place, Cardiff. tel: 029 2115 7605; www.knifeandforkfood.co.uk/twentynine Opening hours Seven days a week 12pm1am, except Sundays, 10am-7pm Chef Steffan Bonifay Type of food served Modern European gastro, including sharing steaks and vegan specials. We hear their brunch is the stuff of legends Covers 120, plus outdoor seating at the front and back Prices Starters £6.50-£9, Mains £12-£29, Desserts £6.50-£7.50 Drinks Extensive wine selection, prohibitionstyle cocktail menu, and plenty of draft choices including nine craft beers Disability access Yes in the bar area Service and atmosphere A welcoming and contemporary city space with A1 service

www.mediaclash.co.uk I CARDIFF LIFE I 45

FOOD & DRINK NEWS Llanerch Vineyard now has a hotel at its heart

The Bite festival under the gaze of Insole Court

HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE The UK’s first vineyard hotel has opened its doors in Hensol in South Wales, just 20 minutes from Cardiff. The two-storey Llanerch Hotel is the result of a £2million investment by Ryan Davies, owner of Llanerch Vineyard, which is home to the awardwinning Cariad wines.

Ryan, who took over the vineyard which is one of the oldest in Wales, in 2010, says, “Across Europe, wine hotels are very popular and we wanted to bring that unique experience to South Wales.”

Llanerch has now become the largest commercial vineyard in Wales, harvesting up to 12 tonnes of grapes and producing around 10,000 bottles of Cariad (which means sweetheart or dearest in Welsh) annually, and attracts visitors from around the world with its award-winning restaurant and bar, unique marquee and lodge wedding venues, on-site cookery school owned by Angela Grey and wine tasting and vineyard tours.

For more: www.llanerch-vineyard.co.uk Ryan Davies, owner of Llanerch Vineyard

BITE SIZED Bite returns to Insole Court on the 27 July, with the focus once again squarely on the food – no fancy branding, and no trendy food trucks to distract Every dish costs £3 from the provenance and quality of what people are eating, or the skill of the people who cooked it.

Last year’s inaugural event welcomed more than 10,000 people to the gardens of Insole Court mansion in Llandaff, where they could sample food made by 30 of South Wales’ top chefs and restauranteurs and with every single dish priced at just £3 .

This year’s event, which sees more 10 more chefs, and two more bars, has also looked at ways to improve on its sustainability. Festival founder Phill Lewis, who is also co-owner of Dusty Knuckle restaurant in Canton, explains, “We want to limit singleuse materials at the festival, so this year, we¹ll be providing reusable, Bite-branded cups for use at the bars on the day. These can also be taken away as a little souvenir to be used again and again.”

For more: www.facebook.com/bitecardiff

MAKING HIS MARCO Cardiff cookery and hospitality students were recently given the chance to meet Marco Pierre White at his city Steakhouse Bar and Grill recently.

Students Leuan Jones, Emily Church, and Nia Williams of Cardiff and Vale College were given a tour of Marco’s restaurant and kitchen atop the Hotel Essentially this is Indigo Cardiff, before meeting the about Marco celebrity chef during his exclusive Wine & Dine event at the venue. Each had a chance to chat to the TV chef and was later gifted a signed copy of his latest cook book, Essentially Marco.

Tony Awino, hospitality lecturer at Cardiff and Vale College, says, “This was a fantastic opportunity for our students to meet one of the UK’s top chefs and restauranteurs. Leuan, Emily and Nia were wonderful ambassadors for the college and I’m sure this is an experience they’ll hold dear for many years to come.”

For more: www.mpwrestaurants.co.uk

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YOU WEAR IT WELL

The new trends shaping fashion these days are not colour, cloth and haute couture but sustainability, ethics and social justice FEEL-GOOD FASHION

With sustainability being at the forefront of everyone’s mind, ethical fashion has never been higher on the agenda. If you’re looking to do your bit, you don’t have to forfeit style, but just choose more wisely.

KEEP IT CASUAL

When it comes to ethical brands, M&S is a high street leader. Since launching its Plan A initiative that commits to tackle the climate crisis, waste, resources and health, the brand has received over 100 awards including ‘Most Ethical High Street Clothing Retailer’ by Ethical Consumer magazine. The brand’s Cotton Edit range is 100 per cent sustainably sourced, and these pure cotton casual shorts (10) and pure cotton button detailed vest (3) are the absolute perfect pair for the summer months. H&M is also becoming more sustainably aware, having launched the Conscious Exclusive range this year featuring a range of plant and tree print themed dresses.

Opt for this gorgeous lycocell-blend flounced dress (4) for a fashionable summery look. Or, grab a pair of these super trendy Jacquard-weave trousers (8), made from recycled polyester and bang on trend.

MAKE IT LAST

As a founding member of the Ethical Trading Initiative, Monsoon the brand has been named for its efforts to be ethical. Try this Fae fit and flare dress (2), perfect for a summer evening look. Alternatively, this bright blue Billie culotte jumpsuit (1), adds a touch of colour.

Vivienne Westwood also contributes to the sustainability movement, with Dame Westwood’s motto being ‘Buy less, choose well, make it last. This bright red Infinity top (9) will be sure to make you stand out and can be paired with this incredibly stylish court bomber jacket (6) time after time again.

SKIN DEEP

Being ethical doesn’t only apply to fashion – it’s just as important for beauty brands to follow suit. The Body Shop is leading the way by implementing the Ethical Trade programme that ensures workers are completely free from exploitation. Try Body Shop’s incredible Oils of Life Cream (7) that blends three seed oils from around the world and is made to revitalise your skin. If you’re looking for body wash, go for the moisturising, soap-free Shea shower cream (5) that will leave your skin feeling nourished and cleansed.

All items available at St David’s Dewi Sant in Cardiff or online at the time of writing. To keep up to date with the latest trends, news and offers, see St David’s on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @StDavidsCardiff or by visiting www.stdavidscardiff.com

50 I CARDIFF LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Top £29.50, Shorts £35, Bra £12, Belt £25, all M&S

FASHION 3

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7

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SHOPPING LIST 1. Billie culotte jumpsuit, £70, Monsoon 2. Fae fit and flare dress, £110, Monsoon 3. Pure cotton button detailed vest top, £12.50, M&S 4. Lyocell-blend flounced dress, £39.99, H&M 5. Shea shower cream, £2, Body Shop 6. Court bomber blue, £890, Vivienne Westwood 7. Oils of Life cream, £26, Body Shop 8. Jacquard-weave trousers, £24.99, H&M 9. Infinity top, £265, Vivienne Westwood 10. Pure cotton casual shorts, £17.50, M&S

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www.mediaclash.co.uk I CARDIFF LIFE I 51

ADVERTISING FEATURE

ADVERTISING FEATURE

In the beginning, there was light From up-lighting to spot lights, EMA LIGHTING share their illuminating tips on how to light up your life

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usiness owners, property developers and interior designers, we're talking to you! Your brand, style and your message is conveyed through every element of decor you choose.

Lighting creates the foundation to a perfect space and should never be a last thought. That's why we want to share some of our most simple and unique lighting tips with you.

TIP 2.

TIP 1.

Spot lighting is a great way to highlight elements within your space, adding charm to any environment. This doesn't necessarily mean installing spotlights, instead use your lighting to bring attention to a feature wall, specific architectural elements or a few key possessions.

This simple method lets your space speak for itself. Wall mounted lights symmetrically placed on a chimney breast or a simple table lamp placed in abandoned fireplace will add warmth, sophistication and elegance to any room.

Lighting can be used to highlight a room's size and shape. Up-lighting is a great way to create the impression of a larger and taller space. By up-lighting a single wall you can create the feeling of grandeur, spaciousness and freedom.

On the other hand, low hanging pendants, cluster lighting and well selected table lamps will naturally draw your attention in and create a cosy and warm atmosphere even in the biggest of spaces.

TIP 3.

We work closely with businesses and interior designers to make sure every project is managed perfectly. Our extensive lighting collections and amazing sourcing capabilities allow us to find the perfect lighting options for every project. If you're looking to freshen up your business, home, or embarking on a lighting project, let the experts assist you. Pop into to one of our showrooms today, give us a call or visit our website and be inspired today. â–

Our third and final tip. Less is always more. Aim to keep your colour scheme and material finishes consistent throughout your design. Mismatching colours and finishes can confuse the eye and even make a space uneasy or uncomfortable. Although eclectic pieces can work, we recommend simplicity and consistency, creating the ultimate elegant lighting design.

EMA Lighting, Ocean Way, CF24 5HH 029 2033 6665 | www.emalighting.co.uk

Beautiful handmade kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms and more...

3 Bessemer Close Workshops, Cardiff CF11 8DL Telephone: 029 2023 3308 www.chalkhouseinteriors.co.uk

xx I CARDIFF LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

slow fashion

STOP FAST FASHION, AND START SLOW SHOPPING

CLAIRE REES, the Cardiff-based sustainable fashion stylist shares her tips on taking a more mindful approach to how we get dressed

H Five steps to help CLOTHES change

1

First, have a sort-out Identify gaps. Could you pack for a trip this weekend without any shopping? If not, start slowly creating a wardrobe you love, without using fast fashion. This won’t happen overnight.

2

Ask yourself what matters to you. Do you care about trends?

Moving away from that mindset can be freeing. You might even be happier wearing a personal ‘uniform’.

3

Make a fashion notebook List the brands that align with your values (see Fashion Revolution’s Fashion Transparency Index) and research fabrics.

Beware ‘greenwashing’ (where a company or practice appears more environmentallyfriendly than it is.) Visit your local tailors (Jalo & Stitch in Canton opens at 7am, for example.)

4

Set yourself a target Perhaps you’ll only buy one new item per season, to start. Tell your friends and family. Ask them not to buy you clothes.

5

Go easy on yourself As we know by now, to make change, we need millions of people doing zero waste imperfectly.

opposite page, clockwise from top left: Clothes from Dati, a reworked fashion label by Sarah Valentin and Julia Harris of The Sustainable Studio; Anna Stone is a volunteer at the Safe Foundation Ethical Boutique on Whitchurch Road; upcycling done Dati-style; Sarah and Julia are launching Radical Fashion Week this year; Claire Richards of Delicious Monster Tea whose t-shirts use organic cotton

ow many pairs of jeans do you have? Now, take a look at the label in one of your dresses or shirts.

What’s it made from, and where?

Awesome. You’re now a mindful fashion consumer. That’s how easy it is to begin the journey into taking yourself off the fast fashion treadmill for good. And it’s something none of us can escape, because the way we’re shopping for fashion right now is exploiting workers’ human rights, and wrecking the planet.

According to WRAP (the circular economy and resource efficiency experts), £140million worth of clothing goes into landfill each year, and brands are over-producing to meet our demand for new trends. Cheap, man-made fibres like polyester can be energy-intensive to produce, and washing them releases microfibres – the largest form of plastic pollution, killing fish and sea animals.

Fashion’s dirty secrets are creeping out in the open. Last summer, Burberry admitted it had burned £28.6million of unsold stock in 2017, to protect the brand’s exclusivity. (France has now outlined plans for a ban on this practice by 2023.)

Thankfully, our collective spending power and how loudly we talk about the alternatives can make huge change.

In Cardiff, there’s a growing sustainable fashion movement helping consumers to move away from the choices we may have made in the past – when shopping for something new every Saturday night was the norm.

The Sustainable Studio is a collaborative workspace off Dumballs Road, run by sisters Julia Harris and Sarah Valentin, founders of upcycled fashion label Dati. This year, they’re launching Radical Fashion Week, to create a platform for ‘sustainable fashion designers and those who want a more transparent clothing industry in Wales.’

Tickets for their free Fashun Swap event in April, as part of Fashion Revolution Week, went in hours. Fashion Revolution Week is a global event set up in response to the deaths of more than 1,100 people when Rana Plaza factory building in Bangladesh, which supplied high street stores, collapsed six years ago.

Sophie Rae runs zero waste store, Ripple, on

Albany Road in Roath, where, alongside the refillable bulk foods, you can also buy ethical fashion, like organic dungarees by Lucy & Yak. Sophie says it’s everyone’s responsibility to ask questions about where our clothes come from.

“Someone is paying for the price for the cheap, throwaway fashion that fills our high street chains,” says Sophie. “Rarely do we actually have to buy new clothes. The joy of curating a wardrobe that’s filled with natural fibres and skilled craftmanship, not only helps the planet but respects the lives of the workers who made them.”

Claire Richards, of Delicious Monster Tea which hand-embroiders personalised t-shirts in Cardiff, agrees. She says, “When I started the business three years ago, I was going to the Post Office with all these orders and I thought – I’m pumping so much out. So I did an audit [you can find the results on her website] and switched to organic cotton, which consumes less water and no chemical pesticides or harmful fertilisers.”

And what can we, the consumers do? The value of unused clothing in wardrobes has been estimated at around £30 billion. We all have more to wear than we think. As a personal stylist, I challenge myself to find 10 ‘new’ outfits in the wardrobe of every client. We can turn dresses into tops (try a bodycon dress under a fit and flare skirt); wear a too-small button-up dress as a kimono over jeans and a t shirt; turn clothes backwards; go to clothes swaps and rediscover the city’s glorious charity shops (The Ethical Boutique on Whitchurch Road; and Ty Hafan in Whitchurch are some of my favourites.)

The online rental market is another option.

Girl Meets Dress lets you hire from 4,000 designer dresses from £19, or Hirestreet rents brands from ASOS to Zara, from as little as £6. Claire Richards, who plans to introduce second-hand fabrics to her brand, loves the mindfulness of sustainable shopping. “Slow shopping is an exciting adventure,” she says. “When you’ve taken the time and you’ve found something that’s perfect for you, it’s like winning a treasure hunt.”

“£140million worth of clothing goes into landfill each year”

For more: Claire Rees is a former fashion editor-turnedsustainable personal fashion stylist and PR who offers home wardrobe edit sessions; www.clairereesmedia.com

www.mediaclash.co.uk I CARDIFF LIFE I 55

health & Beauty

The professional touch

I

Emma Dance gets the Belle, Bella treatment and is made up with her make over!

think I missed the lesson when the other girls learned to do their hair and makeup. If all that’s required is a smudge of some fairly neutral eyeshadow and a lick of mascara I’m set.

And I can pull my hair into something resembling a pony tail when I go to the gym. But anything more than that – forget it. I’ve never mastered the art of curling anything more than a few strands of hair at the front, I’m simply not safe with a liquid eyeliner, and once I tried applying some false eyelashes, but frankly the least said about that débâcle the better.

Most of the time, that’s fine. I’m a fairly low maintenance kind of girl, with a low maintenance kind of lifestyle so my au natural style works. Sometimes, however, a bit of glamour is required and that’s when I need some professional help. Thanks to the recently opened Bella Beauté makeup room upstairs at Belle Toujours, I could get my hair and makeup done all under one roof, so I head to the Pontcanna salon for a bit of a pamper sesh.

It’s a genuinely gorgeous space – all natural light and big ornate mirrors, and there’s a cheerful, buzzy atmosphere which makes me

56 I CARDIFF LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

feel instantly at ease.

First up is the taming of the tresses. I’m blessed with lots of thick hair, so much in fact that hairdressers have been known to recoil in horror at the task at hand when I’ve asked them to curl it. (Once a stylist was so daunted by the idea she had to beg one of her colleagues to help. True story). Not so at Belle Toujours though.

My stylist simply happily agrees when I ask for some beachy waves and deftly sets to work, and in what felt like no time at all my uncared for locks are shining and gently curled.

Hair done, I head upstairs to the very pink and girly Bella Beauté makeup studio to let Sophie work her magic. The only time I’d ever had my makeup done professionally before was for my wedding, but this time I give Sophie pretty much carte blanche to do whatever she feels would make me look my best for my uberglam event that evening.

I can’t see myself in any mirrors while she works, so as she adds products to my face and eyes (including a set of false eyelashes) I have

no idea how my makeover is progressing.

When the time for the big reveal comes, for a split second I don’t recognise myself. Sophie has added a real glow to my skin, but it is my eyes that really stand out with a flash of vivid green under my lower lid – something I would never had had the courage to do myself.

The look is out of my comfort zone for sure, but after the initial surprise wears off, I actually really love it – especially how thick and full my lashes look.

And it has given me the confidence to experiment a bit more with some different colours (even if it is only in the comfort of my bedroom). Those lashes though – I’ll be leaving them to the professionals. But that’s just another reason for a return visit. n

“I actually really love it – especially how thick and full my lashes look”

A blow dry for long hair at Belle Toujours starts from £27, and a VIP makeover with lashes at Bella Beauté costs £40.

For more: www.belletoujours.co.uk and www.bellabeaute1.com

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Book in for a free consultation in our private room 175 Kings Road, Pontcanna, Cardiff, CF11 9DF 02921 321211 / hello@gojihair.com www.gojihair.com / T I F gojibarbers *Terms & Conditions: One offer per person, cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer, appointments must be made before 31st July.

PERFECT FIT KEV FOLEY

2

Eat every three hours You don’t need to consume a full meal every three hours, but it is best to eat regular healthy meals and snacks. Why? Because when you get hungry, your blood sugars drop, you lose your inhibitions and you’re far more likely to make bad food choices.

Keeping on top of your hunger makes decision making easy.

Summer living Fitness trainer KEVIN FOLEY shares his top ten tips to feeling fit and fab this summer

T

he summer season is almost here, bringing with it the promise of warmer weather, holidays in the sun with your friends and family, and the dreaded thought that you’re not ready for your swimsuit.

But please don’t worry, there is still time using these top ten tips

1

Drink three litres of water per day Boring but true. And do you actually do it? Staying hydrated will not only help improve mental and physical performance but it will also suppress your appetite, leading to fewer calories being consumed.

Also, people can often mistake thirst with being hungry and fi nd themselves eating way more calories than they actually need.

3

Eat vegetables every time you eat Simply put you can eat a lot more volume of fruit and veg for the same amount of calories than other foods. Not only that but they are packed with nutrients and will eliminate the need for excess grazing.

4

Eat lean protein each time you eat In addition to eating fruits or vegetables with every meal, aim to eat protein every time too. High protein foods take a long time to digest, meaning they will keep you fuller and more satisfied for longer. Eating sufficient protein will also help boost your metabolism. Protein combined with a good portion of vegetables is the best way to reduce your calories without going hungry.

5

Eat ‘bad’ carbs only when you deserve to Some carbohydrates, like fruits and vegetables, you can have whenever you want.

And if want to eat a carb that’s not a fruit or a vegetable – this includes things like rice, pasta, potatoes, bread – you can – but it’s best to save it until after a bout of activity. So if you fancy a jacket potato tonight be sure to do a quick workout or go for a walk fi rst.

6

Ditch the calorie containing drinks Keep any drinks you consume to noncalorie ones. Fruit juice, alcoholic drinks and fi zzy drinks are all high calorie drinks, which can ruin your weight loss efforts. Your best choices are water, black coffee and green tea.

7

Plan meals for tomorrow Preparing your meals and snacks in advance will make it far less likely that you’ll have to grab food on the go or make bad food choices. Having food prepared will mean that there is no excuse for you to make the wrong choice. Don’t rely on will power.

8

Increase activity levels No time for the gym, then no problem – focus your efforts on increasing your daily activity. You can monitor this with a fitbit or by using an app on your phone. Try taking the stairs instead of the lift or park a little further away from your office so you can increase your steps. Setting a goal of around 10,000 steps per day is a great way to provide a little self accountability.

9

Add bodyweight exercises into your day Bodyweight exercises such as squats, press ups, lunges and dips are a great addition to your day, especially if you struggle to fit exercise into your busy schedule. They are ideal because they require no equipment and minimal space meaning you can burn body fat without even leaving your house.

10

Start an exercise program The best way to get and feel fit is to apply the tips above with a consistent, challenging exercise program. Consistent – aim to do some exercise 3-5 times each week. Challenging – if you want to see results then ensure you’re progressing each and every week. This can be through intensity or by introducing new exercises that keeps your body guessing.

For more: B Fit Personal Training; www.bfitcardiff.com

www.mediaclash.co.uk I CARDIFF LIFE I 59

advertising feature

50 ways to leave your lover?

The experts at BERRY SMITH LAWYERS can offer advice on all aspects of private client law, including marriage annulment

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elebrity press has reported this week that Nicholas Cage’s marriage to Eika Koike came to abrupt end on 31 May when the judge in Clark County, Nevada, granted the divorce just over two months after they were married on 23 March 2019.

The couple had been married only four days before Nicholas Cage applied for annulment, arguing that he 'lacked understanding of his actions in marrying [Koike] to the extent that he was incapable of agreeing to the marriage'.

It is being reported in the press that this was due to him being too drunk to give consent to the marriage at the time of the wedding. His application for annulment was not successful with the judge, instead, granting a divorce to his wife.

When a party to a marriage applies for an annulment, they are asking the court to grant an order that the marriage was void (the marriage is treated as never happened) or voidable (the marriage is treated as if it had existed up until the

decree absolute).

In England and Wales, you cannot petition for a divorce until a period of at least one year has elapsed from the date of the marriage. However, there is no waiting period for applications for annulment and it is possible to file an application in this country any time after the wedding ceremony.

If you make an application for annulment of the marriage, it must be on one of the provided grounds, some of which are:a) The parties to the marriage are too closely related (i.e. siblings are unable to marry); b) Either one of the parties to the marriage is under 16 years, or, where they are 16 or 17 years, consent was not given by the responsible parent/guardian; c) One party to the marriage, is already married (the criminal offence of bigamy). d) The marriage was not consummated owing to one party’s ‘wilful refusal’;

e) The marriage was carried out under duress; or f) Absence of valid consent.

In law it is presumed that parties to a marriage have given valid consent, unless they can provide evidence to the contrary. If a party to the marriage can show that they were, during the wedding, too drunk to give valid consent then the court may grant an annulment (the marriage being voidable). n

Applications for annulment are, by their nature, complex. If you have any questions about the process, or financial implications of annulment, please feel free to contact our team on 029 2034 5511.

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We are always looking to hear from talented individuals who would like to work for MediaClash, presenting advertising opportunities and marketing solutions across our portfolio of fantastic magazines and events. We are a growing business and anticipate there being various opportunities over the next few months.

If you would like to join our continuing success story please email your CV to steve.hawkins@mediaclash.co.uk or give us a call anytime on 01225 475827 for a chat about the company, our magazines and available positions.

www.mediaclash.co.uk

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Going for a song Why hiring ONLY BOYS ALOUD for your event will not only do your business good, but you’ll be doing good for charity

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ooking for some fantastic entertainment for your corporate event or awards ceremony?

Nothing can beat arranging for the world-famous Only Boys Aloud to appear and deliver a show-stopping

performance.

A recent client who organised a prestigious event in Cardiff says, "I have to say it was an absolute phenomenal performance and literally brought the house down. Those kind of events NEVER end in a standing ovation, however everyone was simply blown away. To have members of our Executive Committee taking pictures at a dinner like this is completely unheard of. The feedback has been incredible from so many stakeholders and has left us in a very strong position for 2020 – utterly magical."

We believe Only Boys Aloud are guaranteed to make an impact – and by booking them, so are you! But not only that, you’ll also be doing good for the community by booking them – The Aloud Charity is run on donations and funding from grant-giving organisations and by involving them, you will be helping to transform lives through music. Your fee may be used for many things, from bus fares to rehearsals or buying a lad his first tie for a nerve-wracking performance. You or your

company will be helping to provide opportunities for young people from absolutely all walks of life to meet others from perhaps an entirely different upbringing or background to their own, which is hugely enriching. Those we help will enjoy a truly memorable experience and you’ll also be making your function a truly memorable one too... ■

To find out more please contact Julia@thealoudcharity.com The Aloud Charity, Unit 1, Regents Court, Nettlefold Road, Cardiff, CF24 5JQ Tel: 029 2048 1715; www.aloud.cymru

SCENE

AC ROSS C A R D I FF, O N E SH I N D I G AT A T I M E

Simon Williams and Kerrie-Anne Mruk

Ioan Jenkins and Carole Green Matthew Wordley, Alys Carlton, and Duncan Hamer

THE DIRECTOR’S CUT

© CARDIFF MET

Amanda Kruger, James Curran, David Evans, Lloyd Powell, Marc Pollentice, Tim Kelland, and Sarah Jones

The IoD Wales Director of the Year Awards, now in their ninth year, was held at Sophia Gardens Stadium on 17 May. Around 300 guests attended the event, which was compered by ITV Wales’ Carole Green. Lunch was followed by the 13 awards announcements, all of whom will be considered for the national UK-wide awards held in the autumn.

Angela Hughes, Huw Rossiter, and Christina Hawkins Karen Birch, Ita Mciel-Jones, and Rosie Sweetman

64 I CARDIFF LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Photos by Huw John www.huwjohn.com

MS Society Wales

Zoe Sweet, Jo Hicks, Niki Bedford and Christine Jones

SOCIETY

Brady Smith, Kieran and Paul Eccles-Miller Bruce Richards, Melitta Williams and Nicola Richards

Spelling out the location Mia Evans and Keiran Williams

PLENTY AT TWENTY

voco St David’s Cardiff recently marked its 20th birthday at the end of April, by inviting around 180 guests to celebrate with champagne, canapés, a three course meal and entertainment.

Since opening, the Cardiff Bay venue has welcomed more than 1.4million guests and been the backdrop to 1,400 weddings.

Photos by Morgan James Photography; www.morganjamesphoto.co.uk

Catherine Price, Lorna Perry and Sinead Egan-Thomas

Lisa Marie Brown and Sam Zamen

Josh Navidi and Elle Holley

www.mediaclash.co.uk I CARDIFF LIFE I 65

Claire Reardon, Jo Price, Gloria Fan, Alaina Morgan, Melissa Young, and Megan Black

Chloe Smith

Natalie Price, Helen Davies and Megan Dobbs

Laura Davenport and Vanessa Sanders Amy Penketh and Llinos Metcalf

WINNING WOMEN

Karen Thompson and Sarah Williams

Cardi's Angel Hotel recently hosted an event to raise funds for Velindre Cancer Care, as well as to celebrate International Women’s Day. Around 100 guests were treated to a three course lunch, drinks reception, with talks from young local businesswomen, Shakira Obaid and Chloe Smith, and from a former Velindre cancer patient talking about her inspirational recovery journey.

Photos by Yony Choi Photography www.yonychoiphotography.blogspot.com

Shakira Obaid

66 I CARDIFF LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Natalie James and Bryony Fenton

Kim Pedlar

SOCIETY

Nathan Wyburn, Minister Des Kitto and Wayne Wyburn

Beautiful, tasty and money-making

PIECE OF CAKE

Vanessa Beercroft and Chris Rankin

St Andrew’s URC Church in Cardiff was the venue for the Roath Bake Off 2019 on 11 May. Hosted by Cardiff Life columnists Nathan Wyburn and Wayne Courtney, and sponsored by CPS Homes, the rising cakes raised money for the church roof. The fun event also helped push the final total to an incredible £10,000. www.standrewsurccardiff.co.uk

Joanna Bumme and Pixie Perez

IT’S A DATE Giovanni Malacrino held a special viewing party on 28 May to celebrate his appearance on the Channel 4 show First Dates at his Park Place restaurant. Alongside his invited guests, diners watched the action from big screens, with £5 per booking going to the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital.

Photos by Matt Horwood

Rosalind Watkins, Claire Rees, Steve Deakin, Scott Brown, Giovanni Malacrino, Shanaz Roshan, Loredana Filice, Tony Filice, Kelly Brown, and Lewis Evans XxxxRees and Elin Lewis Claire

Loredana and Tony Filice

www.matt-horwood.com

Giovanni helps serve his guests

www.mediaclash.co.uk I CARDIFF LIFE I 67

advertising feature

Rightacres Central Quay

Building for the future Leah Mullin, head of residential development at Knight Frank Cardiff, reveals why the capital is on the edge of a boom in demand for residential and rental property

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wo new sectors in the world of residential property development have come to the fore in recent years – the growth of the private rented sector (PRS), and build to rent (BTR).

PRS is the sector of accommodation owned by private landlords across the UK and BTR is professionally-managed rental accommodation, usually built at scale in purpose-built blocks.

We have seen the proportion of households renting privately in Cardiff climb from 22% in 2001 to more than 60% by 2017, but none of it so far has been in the kind of purpose-built, professionally managed stock – BTR – that had proved so successful in London, Manchester and Birmingham.

Now Cardiff is on the cusp of becoming the PLATFORM_ Dumballs Road

UK’s next major BTR housing hub, as it brings together all the ingredients it needs to attract the necessary investment.

There is no doubt that Cardiff has a great story to tell to investors, who are looking for long term returns and are seeking out the opportunities afforded in the expanding PRS market.

First there is its growing profile as a great place to live and work. We know that younger workers are taking advantage of the increased flexibility of renting as a tenure which allows moving between locations without any of the costs associated with buying or selling a property.

And our research shows that 40% of the 70,000 higher education students in Cardiff plan to stay in Cardiff after they qualify – that rates in the top five when compared with rival cities – so there will be plenty of demand for quality rented accommodation.

Those qualified students are part of the reason Cardiff is set to be the UK’s fastest growing UK core city – expected to outpace all other major UK cities – over the next decade, according to Experian. With its location as the closest European Capital Centre to London, the significant infrastructure and transport improvements it has planned and an undersupply of residential accommodation both privately and in the PRS sector, Cardiff presents an incredibly compelling BTR opportunity.

As a result, Cardiff’s residential investment sector is gaining traction in the UK with the city now attracting significant interest. Both developers and investors are earmarking Cardiff as an area for growth.

So far, plans have been granted for a number of opportunities, and it is anticipated that the sector could deliver over 3,000 new homes over the coming decade thus providing the capital with a diversity of housing product and helping ensure talent is retained.

A high quality pipeline is beginning to emerge at this critical time, and this will be vital in supporting continued growth in the local economy and population.

The city certainly has the demographics and economic prospects to support the concept, and we are now starting to see strong interest from domestic and foreign funds to acquire stable assets in the city. n

Knight Frank, 3 Assembly Square Britannia Quay, Cardiff, CF10 4PL T:029 2044 0138; www.knightfrank.com www.mediaclash.co.uk I CARDIFF LIFE I 69

BUSINESSINSIGHTS CARDIFF GETS SERIOUS The Botanist will bring fab cocktails to the city

How a bustling foodie Church Street might look

Quote of the issue

“THE AWARD HAS SINCE BEEN ON A TOUR OF CARDIFF” Find out on page 79 which Cardiff Life Award has been doing the rounds

The Big Number

SUPER FOODS!

Pho specialise in Vietnamese street food

Cardiff’s Church Street set to be home to a host of new bars and restaurants

A

whole host of exciting new bars and restaurants are heading to Cardiff’s newest city centre development. Church Street, the popular pedestrianised cut-through between the High Street and St. Mary Street, looks set to be a hive of trendy new eating venues.

Lined up so far to be a part of the four level unit is The Botanist, which serves food along with its famous boundary-pushing cocktails such as

Cardamom & Orange Spritz and Rhubarb & Sage Spritz, and will be set out over two floors.

Also on board are Pho, a street food Vietnamese restaurant; Mowgli, founded by former barrister Nisha Katona, who specialise in healthy and vegan Indian cuisine; and the acclaimed burger place, Honest Burgers who, along with Americanstyle big burgers, serve up vegan burgers made with Beyond Meat topped with vegan smoked gouda.

£253K How much was raised for Cardiff’s Marie Curie. Turn to page 73 for the full story

The development, which is still being worked on, is due to open this summer and is helping establish Cardiff as a foodie capital.

For more: www.coark.com

For advice on every leading brand and model, from a leading independent family practice.

Scott Wroe and Jonathan Beeks offer appointments and consultations throughout the week so you have peace of mind knowing that if any problems arise we are here to help; we have the time and expertise to ensure you get the very best results from your hearing aid.

If you would like more information or would like to arrange an appointment, please contact us on:

02920 707760 or call into 10 Royal Buildings, Stanwell Road, Penarth, CF64 3ED. www.scottwroe-hearingcentre.co.uk

FULLY EQUIPPED MICROSUCTION EARWAX REMOVAL CLINIC

INDEPENDENT

HEARING AID CENTRE & EARWAX REMOVAL CLINIC We provide a truly personal service and aftercare, all of which come with a competitive pricing structure and comprehensive aftercare service.

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© cl are price photography

TV’s Sara Edwards with senior partner Mark Loosemore

LAW OF THE LAND Loosemores Solicitors has won the Commercial Law Services of the Year award at the inaugural South Wales Law Awards. The event was recently held at the Bear Hotel in Cowbridge and was hosted by the Welsh television and radio presenter, Sara Edwards.

Founder of the South Wales Law Awards, which were launched to shine a light on the truly outstanding and inspirational work that the law community in South Wales does, Wesley Skene says, “The South Wales Law Awards would like to congratulate Loosemores Solicitors on winning

INSPIRING NEWS Helen-Corsi-Cadmore and Lynn Abhulimen have joined Inspire Me, the Cardiff-based award winning people development company that specialises in corporate employee engagement, workplace happiness and wellbeing. Helen is the Operations Guru and Lynn, the Client Happiness and Brand Guardian.

Founder of Inspire Me, Andrea Callanan, says of the appointments, “Growing up with three cultural influences, Lynn has curious mind, a creative flare, a high quality of work and a unique ability to create new opportunities with a solutions based approach.

“Over five years Helen and her business partner created 200 jobs in the local economy and turning over £6million plus across nine stores. Helen has joined Inspire Me in a senior leadership capacity looking after operations helping to drive forward business growth.”

For more: www.andinspireme.com

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‘Commercial Law Services of the Year’ at the inaugural South Wales Law Awards.

“The judging process was keenly contested and it was difficult for the independent judging panel to pick a winner. The standard of the South Wales Law community is incredibly high, with immensely talented practices throughout.

“Plans for 2020’s awards are well underway for what will be another tremendous night for the South Wales Law Community.”

For more: www.loosemores.co.uk

Inspire Me’s founder Andrea, centre, with new recruits, left to right, Helen and Lynn

business insights These women have walked on fire for a good cause

Movers and shakers etc

GOOD Group EFFORT Nell Brunwin

GETTING AHEAD

Nell Brunwin, who has five-years high level experience in the hair restoration industry, is the new clinic manager for Head Quarters Hair Transplants, the hair loss specialists in Cardiff.

For more: www.hqhairtransplants.com

SKY HIGH

A volunteer team from Cardiff have been named Fundraising Group of the Year by the terminal illness charity Marie Curie at their second annual Fundraising Excellence Awards ceremony in London. The awards, held in May, celebrate the many people who have dedicated hours of hard work and commitment to support Marie Curie through various fundraising activities.

The Cardiff fundraising group, which formed in 2012, was nominated for the award after raising an incredible total of £253,895.55 for the Marie Curie Cardiff and the Vale Hospice and the

Hospice at Home services, through various events including fashion shows, tea parties, a fire-walk, and skittles nights.

Meredith Niles, Marie Curie’s director of fundraising and engagement, says, “The Cardiff fundraising group are such an inspiration – they have gone above and beyond for the charity.”

Chair Rhian Diggins adds, “We’re always trying out new ideas for fundraising, and we’re never afraid to get stuck in. We’ve got a great team of people who all play such a big part in what we do.”

For more: www.mariecurie.org.uk

Advertising agency The Media Angel was ‘highly commended’ at The Drum Awards 2019 in London on 3 April. The Penathbased agency were second to Volkswagen UK in the media planning or buying category, and found themselves finalists alongside Vodaphone, Samsung, and WaterAid. Director Alison Debono, says,“We are beyond thrilled that we have been recognised at the prestigious awards against national and global brands.”

For more: www.themediaangel.co.uk

Tenovus Cancer Care’s Hazel Sweeney with Andrew Bound of Berry Smith

HOT STUFF

The Cardiff-based Thermal Compaction Group (TCG) has been awarded £426k by Innovate UK to develop its work in the recycling of medical waste material, which can generate income for the NHS. TCG director, Thomas Davison-Sebry says,“With this latest support we can prevent even more single use NHS plastics from entering landfills or incineration.”

For more: www.tcg.ltd

DUTIES OF CARE Berry Smith has just been appointed by Tenovus Cancer Care as its new legal representative.The award-winning law firm has been chosen by the Welsh charity to oversee its legal affairs following a competitive tender process completed at the end of 2018.

Hazel Sweeney, financial director, of Tenovus Cancer Care, says, “We are excited to be starting

this new chapter with Berry Smith. At Tenovus Cancer Care, we believe that everyone should have equal access to cancer treatment and support and having the right resources and partnerships at our disposal is an essential step towards making this a reality.”

For more: www.berrysmith.com; www.tenovuscancercare.org.uk

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BUSINESS INSIGHTS

understanding what’s out there is a good idea and picking a realistic budget. It is also about prioritising the things that are important and will make a difference to you. For example, are you a microwave master, or a Sous Vide chef ?

What jobs were you doing before Kutchenhaus Cardiff?

I’ve been in the kitchen industry for 13 years; starting as a builder and then moving onto kitchen fitting.

After getting married and starting a family, I decided to move into retailing as a kitchen showroom manager, thinking this would help my work/life balance. ...and did it?

Admittedly this didn’t go quite to plan! I found myself more and more engrossed in the work and enjoying success along the way, including multiple awards and recognition within the industry. After nine great years, I felt that it was time to realise my dream of opening a business and, after thorough research, I decided Kutchenhaus was the right fit.

SHAHAB BARI

Shahab, the design consultant and director of Kutchenhaus Cardiff, the German kitchen supplier and the retail arm of Nobilia, talks about starting out as a builder, the success of the franchise model, and suffering from ‘designer’s curse’ when it came to designing his own kitchen

Tell us a little about Kutchenhaus – what is the company’s background?

Our production company was founded over 70 years ago, specialising in fitted kitchens since 1945. Kutchenhaus has been in the UK since 2004, and we opened Wales’ first showroom in 2018. The firm is the world’s largest kitchen manufacturer, producing over 3,000 kitchens a day globally, and despite its size and success, it is still familyowned with no shareholders.

What is your own kitchen like?

Having designed thousands of kitchens, this year I finally set myself the challenge of designing my own; call it the ‘designers curse’ but making choices for my own home is much more difficult that making them for other people! I’ll admit that I’m the world’s worst shopper, so this decision has been a long time coming!

After all that, how would you describe the final result?

I’ve gone for a warm modern look, crammed full of tech and ambient lighting… however my wife had her say too, so I didn’t get everything I wanted!

“THE STORE TEAM ARE A PRETTY TALENTED BUNCH” Any immediate events in pipeline for Kutchenhaus?

We are gearing up for Grand Designs in the Birmingham NEC this coming October. We’ve been at the show for several years, where we showcase our latest ranges and meet other industry professionals.

What does being a franchise mean for your business?

It’s great for us as we get to be in control of our projects from start to finish; we aren’t reliant on big call centres or red tape, allowing us to give a personal local service, but with the support and backing of a global outfit. Our buying power and simple supply chain means we offer better value over other mainstream retailers.

Who’s the team at Kutchenhaus Cardiff?

The store team are a pretty talented bunch and come from artistic and creative backgrounds too, with jobs including portrait painting, gallery prep-technicians, design consultants, and set running for BBC’s Merlin and Doctor Who. What do you advise your own clients to think about when designing their dream kitchen?

Changing a kitchen is usually a big project, so spending some time

And the long term plans?

Plans are in motion to open another showroom in South Wales; we want to showcase our new bathroom and bedroom ranges, alongside a wider range of kitchens and appliances. Kutchenhaus aim to grow to 100 stores nationwide over the next three years, with six planned for this year.

For more: Kutchenhaus Cardiff, Lower Level, Queens Arcade, Cardiff, CF10 2BY tel: 029 2023 5562 www.kutchenhaus.co.uk

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BUSINESS INSIGHTS

Can you tell us a little about Knight Frank’s background?

Knight Frank was founded in 1896. The business now employs 18,170 people and has 523 offices in 60 countries. The Cardiff office was opened 20 years ago. Knight Frank prides itself as globally informed with local expertise. We aim to provide best in class advice utilising the Knight Frank experience and network of contacts throughout the globe. ...and what areas does it cover?

We cover a range of disciplines including agency, investment, valuations, building surveying and project management, property management and residential land consultancy.

MATT PHILLIPS

Cardiff born and bred Matt, who is the managing partner of the Cardiff office of Knight Frank, the worldwide consultancy that advises on commercial and residential property, talks property, politics, and plans in the pipeline

How might you describe your key clientèle?

We do a lot of work with property developers. Property development by its very nature involves a lot of vision, risk taking, and tenacity as well as sometimes taking a long time! Therefore, our clients tend to be very driven and focused.

How are these current political events impacting on the property market?

The political uncertainty does effect business confidence, which then impacts on occupiers, development finance and decision making.

However, we seem to have had the backdrop of political uncertainty for so many years now, that a lot of businesses have grown immune to the events at Westminster.

“A LOT OF BUSINESSES HAVE GROWN IMMUNE TO THE EVENTS AT WESTMINSTER” Are there negative perceptions about the work you do?

It frustrates me at times that developers can be viewed negatively and as greedy. I don’t think it is fully appreciated the amount of risk that is involved and for every successful development I can ensure you there are many that wither on the vine.

You deal in property, but what are your own offices like?

I am glad to say that we practice what we preach. We moved our offices last summer to No 3 Assembly Square in Cardiff Bay – the offices are open, light, with plenty of breakout space and we have adopted an environmentally friendly policy.

Can you tell us about any immediate plans coming up for Knight Frank?

We are shortly about to embark on a new service line which is offering advice on commercial business rates which will further bolster our ability to offer clients a holistic service.

Are you from Cardiff yourself?

Yes, I am Cardiff born and bred.

I was brought up in PeterstonSuper-Ely, lived in Pontcanna for 20 years, and have now returned to the Vale. I went to school at Bishop of Llandaff.

What are the highs you’ve experienced in your line of work?

There are so many highs, including the fact it has been really exciting to play a part in the growth of Cardiff in recent years. We have been involved in some fantastic place changing developments including Central Square, Capital Quarter, and Cardiff Waterside. ...and any lows?

The main low of late is how the role the political backdrop creates uncertainty, which can prove

frustrating as it is an element outside of our control.

Where do you see the business in a few years time?

We currently have a team of 20 people. I do not see us growing massively in terms of numbers, but we will ensure that we remain the adviser of choice, across all the disciplines.

For more: Knight Frank, Assembly Square, 3 Britannia Quay, Cardiff. tel: 029 2049 2492; www.knightfrank.co.uk

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BUSINESS INSIGHTS

CARDIFF LIFE AWARDS 2019 CITY HOSPICE

© STUDIO 87

Liz Andrews, chief executive of City Hospice talks about the Cardiff charity’s role in providing medical, nursing and end of life care to patients and support to their families You won! Congratulations!

Tell us about your reaction on the night…

I attended the event with Rachal Minchinton, our head of income generation [pictured above right, with Liz], who, after City Hospice was announced, whispered to me, ‘have you written a speech?’ The answer was a resounding ‘no’, but I think our excitement for the win came through when we were up on stage. It was wonderful to hear the charity spoken about with such enthusiasm amongst a packed audience of leading businesses.

How did you celebrate? And where is your award now?

I came into work extra earlier on the Friday morning to catch the clinical team before they left for a busy day of caring for our patients.

They were all thrilled, and really touched that our collective efforts had been recognised. The Award has since been on a tour of Cardiff, visiting our six charity shops so that we could celebrate the win with our volunteers. It is currently on display at our centre, Ty Hosbis in Whitchurch, Cardiff.

City Hospice is a charity, can you fill us in on the background, when it started up etc?

The charity was established 35 years ago to provide community palliative care for the people of Cardiff. City Hospice (originally George Thomas Hospice Care) was established because of the generosity of the wonderful people of Cardiff, ensuring that we can care for people throughout the city.

CHARITY WINNER Sponsored by

Please talk us through some of the amazing work you guys do...

City Hospice is the only at-home palliative care provider for the city of Cardiff. We support people through such difficult times; however our focus is also on life – enabling people to have the best quality of life for as long as possible.

It is to help people enjoy time with their families. We see around 90 new patients every month.

What are the common misconceptions about City Hospice’s work?

City Hospice is a bright, vibrant and welcoming centre – not always what people expect. And we are not a bedded unit. When people hear the word ‘hospice’, this usually

“THERE IS A LOT TO CELEBRATE AT CITY HOSPICE”

conjures images of hospital beds and wards. Instead City Hospice delivers care within people’s own homes. Research shows that this is where the majority of patients wish to stay, and so we work very hard to ensure a patient’s wishes are adhered to. We also help organise social activities, training sessions, and complimentary therapies, including music therapy, reflexology and hypnotherapy.

What do you think it is about your organisation that helped it win the Cardiff Life Award?

Our tag line is ‘Caring for Cardiff’, and this is our role. We offer counselling for our patients and their family members whilst a patient is still with us, and after their death we continue to support family members with our counselling service. We provide pre- and postbereavement counselling to children whose mum, dad or grandparent has died.

It must be hard dealing with children who are grieving…

One child from our child bereavement group said that they felt better knowing exactly what was going to happen to their loved one and didn’t feel alone because other children were going through the same thing. This is testament to the dedication of our counselling team who make sure each child is helped in a way that’s individual to them.

Is there someone that you admire and try to learn from?

Our patients inspire us. Every person we care for is totally unique,

you also hear the most inspirational stories, by the people that we have supported through the death of a loved one.

Do you sometimes take your work home with you? And if so, can that be a challenge?

Our clinical team are exceptional and true professionals, but yes, we can all be touched by a story or a patient’s circumstances. However there are many positives to our work – it is a privilege to offer care to someone, plus we can support families through the most trying of times. We also see our wonderful volunteers and supporters helping to make our work possible – there is a lot to celebrate at City Hospice.

Any fundraising plans in the immediate pipeline?

The hospice needs to raise a total of £2million to keep providing its specialist services. This summer we are launching our new campaign ‘Donate a Day’. It costs £150 for our exceptional nurses to provide a day of palliative care; we are asking our supporters to sponsor a specific day of nursing care by making a donation. The date they choose can be a special anniversary or a day of celebration. We hope the pride that we feel for our work, can be shared with these special fundraisers.

For more: City Hospice, Whitchurch Hospital Grounds, Park Road, Whitchurch, Cardiff. Tel: 029 2052 4150; www.cityhospice.org.uk

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WEALTH AND HAPPINESS Whether you care about the planet, politics, or social welfare, local experts advise on how you can invest for the greater good, and see your money grow

WEALTH MANAGEMENT What about the performance of these types of funds?

Ethical funds have the potential to perform well over the long-term, but their performance will differ to that of more conventional funds.

If areas that ethical funds can’t invest in are performing well, ethical funds could under perform compared to unrestricted funds. But ethical funds could do well if these areas suffer a setback.

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER CRAIG PALFREY OF PENGUIN WEALTH, tel: 029 2045 0143; www.penguinwealth. com We’re thinking about ethical investment, but where do we start?

W

e know money doesn’t grow on trees but is there a way of investing your money and helping the planet grow, and securing a brighter future for the next generation? More and more people are considering the option of ethical investment – they want to know where and how their money might be invested, and whether it supports their principles. Wealth management doesn’t have to be just about stakes, returns, and profits any more, because with the right help, it can be about ensuring your views and beliefs are reflected in your investment choices MARLENE OUTRIM, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF UNIQ FAMILY WEALTH, tel: 029 2078 2330; www. uniqfamilywealth. co.uk

Where should we go for advice on ethical and socially responsible investments?

We go to the experts on this subject. As it stands, the challenge of diversifying a sustainable and ethical portfolio can be complicated. There are lots of factors that will affect a company’s performance over the long term, which is why it’s also important to invest with a talented fund manager.

Are you seeing a rise in people asking about this sort of investment?

Yes, but it’sw not a huge rise. Typically, younger people are more interested. Usually people want to know their money is doing something good.

However this is an area that is sure to grow as we’re all thinking more about our impact on the wider world – the war on plastic is a good example of greater awareness, and this is feeding through into investment choices.

The internet has several fantastic tools for you to research ethical investments. However we have come across several funds which now label themselves as ‘socially responsible’, but when we’ve dug a little deeper, we have uncovered that their underlying investments are very questionable. This is why we would always recommend that you sit down with a professional.

Who is best suited to investing sustainably and ethically?

Are you seeing a rise in people asking about this sort of investment?

Sustainable and ethical investment is suitable for all investors who wish to reflect their values in their investments, this is regardless of age or wealth.

How do you help determine what people want from their investments?

Sustainable or ethical investing means different things to different people, so we get them to fill in an ethical questionnaire. We need to be sure that they are clear on the difference between ethical and sustainable, and how strongly they feel about these issues.

What sort of questions do you ask?

The questions involve negative screening – what they don’t want, and also positive screening – what they do want, as part of their portfolio. We are looking for answers that line up with people’s principles or views. We usually give a list of issues that people might want to avoid and those they require, on a scale of 1-5.

How is the ethical provenance of these businesses established?

A good place to start could be a company’s annual reports. When doing so, we might want to think about whether their business activities have ethical impacts, and also who their customers and suppliers are. A company’s website is also a good source of information.

Some will help you screen for socially responsible investments.

We are experiencing a massive rise in people asking about our ethical solutions. We believe there are several factors for this but mainly it’s being caused by a change in attitude towards this type of investing. Take renewable energy for example, over the past 10 years the shift in attitude towards this has drastically changed, and increasing numbers of people wish to support this over the more traditional means. In turn, this has seen funds invested in renewable energy rise, making investing within a fund supporting this, much more attractive than it has ever been.

What sort of questions do you ask to help establish what people want?

What is important to you? A simple question, but one that more often than not spirals in to a deeper conversation, which helps us as financial planners, understand what they ultimately wish to achieve. This then allows us to build a plan, individual to them, linking their goals, their values and their finances together – then we can apply ethical investing criteria to their pension/investment to support the long term plan.

How do you help manage people’s expectations on their investments?

We truly believe that communication is key.

This means educating our clients right from the very beginning and ensuring that they have a real understanding of their investments

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wealth management throughout their financial journey with us, whether they invest traditionally or ethically.

What is your review process of possible ethical and sustainable investments?

One key element our investment committee factor in to our review process of our ethical funds, is that we take into consideration the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. This comprises of 17 goals set by the UN, which include things such as zero hunger, gender equality, and clean energy. Our investment committee use these goals as a framework and will identify how our funds are making an impact against these 17 goals. Through a quite in-depth analysis, and working with the fund managers, we are then able to present to our clients not just the performance of their investment but also how their funds are making a wider positive impact.

Don’t these sorts of funds under perform?

There is a common misconception that ethical investing will mean a sacrifice in the performance of your portfolio. We are very keen to dismiss this myth. Research undertaken by Cambridge Associates suggests positive impact funds may actually outperform conventional funds.

Philip Payne, managing director and financial consultant at Mulberry Wealth Management, tel: 029 2002 3333; www. mulberrywealth.co.uk

How do I initially go about finding out more about potential ethical and socially responsible investments?

An online search is probably the best starting point. There are a plethora of funds and solutions available but identifying key words or issues will definitely help funnel the options before then looking to speak with an adviser.

Is it a demand from clients that is causing a rise in this sort of investment?

Yes, people are interested, but investment managers are also taking the lead as there is definitely more of a collective interest. They are looking to differentiate their offering and be proactive in presenting these ideas and themes. Even if investors don’t have outright strong opinions, there is a general mood to invest knowing you are making some impact.

How does the market define ethical and socially responsible investing?

The market tends to use three grouping; Ethical, Sustainable & Responsible and finally ESG or ‘Ethical, Social and Governance’.

With ethical you start more with negative

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screening. This is typically when an individual is looking to avoid companies in certain industries such as tobacco or armaments.

Alternatively, Sustainable & Responsible and ESG, looks at positive screening or companies that are making a conscious effort in areas of importance, such as clean energy or reducing plastics and waste in their operations.

How are the provenance and credence of these businesses monitored? Both in the short term, and the long term?

The world of social media plays a big part in this. Negative opinion on a company or practice can be brought under the spotlight very quickly. More than ever before companies need to aware of their social impact and footprint on the environment as they can quickly be challenged and opinion posted widely. In the longer term, companies will build a reputation around their stance and positioning on these issues, and investors are more likely to support and invest in positive businesses.

How do these sorts of companies perform? Are they becoming increasingly more viable?

Performance depends on several factors.

Avoiding certain sectors or industries like defence or oil and gas will mean you may underperform the market at certain times so investors need to be conscious of this.

Investing ethically often means more small or medium sized businesses are included as they meet the specific criteria. This can mean increased volatility but can also lead to exciting returns and out-performance if the company introduces, for example, a new technology or cost saving idea, that immediately improves the bottom line.

How do you manage people’s expectations on returns?

Nobody doubts areas such as clean energy and electric cars are the future but investing in companies in these areas can be volatile in the short term. The ultimate winners in these industries may be companies that haven’t even started trading yet. If an individual doesn’t have the capacity to accept this increased risk or potential underperformance, then they should consider other complementary investments or collective funds and indices such as FTSE4Good tracker, so then the risk is spread.

“Companies need to be aware of their social impact and footprint on the environment”

and there is also great material on public websites such as United Nations Principles of Responsible Investment – guides, videos, learning modules. St. James’s Place produce The Responsible Investment Committee Annual Report, along with ad hoc articles in the quarterly Investor Magazine.

What sort of questions will an advisor ask to help steer people in the right direction?

For advisors and clients meeting for the first time, it is important to understand the client’s financial objectives and whether there are any additional beliefs that might need to be considered alongside these financial objectives. These can be drawn out through direct questions such as ‘Are you looking for a financial return only?’ or ‘Are you looking for a financial return plus something else, such as ‘do less harm’ or ‘making a positive impact on the world?’.

How do you manage people’s expectations? And does it help sometimes to guide them in a different direction?

Individuals’ personal motivations are often very different to each other, and this is certainly the case with the ethical considerations for our investments. As with many areas of our consumer life, finding the right approach may mean trying to find the closest fit to our preference, as opposed to finding the exact fit.

It is all too easy to offer the perfect solution for a client; however, any solution may involve some element of compromise. Understanding a client’s financial and non-financial goals for their investments is always the first step in this process, and then it is easier to match the goals with the available options.

Aaron Hawkins, director and chartered financial planner at HawkinsThomas Wealth Management,

tel: 0844 384 3028; www.hawkinsthomas.co.uk

Why do you think there is increased interest in this sort of investment?

Clients are becoming more aware and wanting to know more about where their money is invested. This is also being driven by the intergenerational wealth transfer we are witnessing, and the pressure from younger generations around global issues such as climate change and diversity.

How do we initially go about finding out about, and researching, ethical and socially responsible investments?

Start with a conversation with an adviser

How are the provenance and credence of these businesses determined? Both in the short term, and are they being monitored long term?

Today, there are a plethora of firms that do independent assessments of companies’ ESG (Ethical, Social and Governance) performance. One of a number of methodologies are then used to rate a company’s ESG performance. Over the years, as companies are required to collect and report on a broader and deeper set of ESG metrics, the data sets have improved considerably. For example, even five years ago, it was unusual for companies around the world to report accurate and meaningful carbon footprint data, or diversity data. However, today, this information is much more prevalent and accurate.

Are they becoming increasingly more viable as good performers?

There is a growing body of evidence that suggests companies with good ESG principles tend to mitigate risk better, and seize opportunities better than those with poor ESG credentials. n

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www.pablack.co.uk Prestige homes from Peter Alan

Ty Cudyll, Pen Y Waun, Pentyrch ÂŁ595,000 EPC = D pa black Whitchurch 02920 612328

Detached four bedroom executive style family residence with stunning panoramic views over pretty Pentyrch Village extending across to open country side and the channel, magnificent large and lovely landscaped gardens with truly breath-taking views across rolling fields and country side. New bespoke 29ft x 29ft open plan kitchen, breakfast room and family room. 17ft x 17ft lounge, 3 stunning bathrooms, gas heating wit new boiler, composite grey double glazed windows, 1 ft study/snug. Atrium style entrance reception hall with large gallery landing, picture window with high ground views, must be seen!

www.pablack.co.uk Prestige homes from Peter Alan

Bishops Road, Whitchurch ÂŁ595,000 EPC = D pa black Whitchurch 02920 612328

Gable fronted four bedroom semi-detached hall to hall house of character. Full of stunning period features including a charming entrance reception hall and original character freplaces, superb and imposing front lounge, parisian style fixture shutter blinds, large combined utility room & cloak room, sitting room with contemporary log burner, 22ft kitchen & breakfast room, stylish contemporary modern family bathroom, large and private sunny rear gardens. Truly lovely location fronting quiet bishops road which is a cul de sac, must be seen.

BLESS THIS HOUSE Elsie Chadwick finds a Penarth family home on Rectory Road is something very special 92 I CARDIFF LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

A

lot of beautiful properties pass through these pages. Some are sleek, modern, and slightly spaceage. Others are of the roses-roundthe-door, country cottage variety.

Some are jet-set lifestyle with swimming pools and helipads. They can fuel daydreams of minimalist living and clean white sofas; or chocolate brown Labradors around the Aga; or offering to collect Justin Bieber for champers and a catch-up. But then the voice of reason pipes up – ‘you’re far too fond of eating onion ring crisps to live so neatly.’ ‘You’re allergic to the country and your head would hit those beams anyway.’ ‘And you are not a gazillionaire who knows Justin Bieber. I repeat, you are not a gazillionaire.’

But that doesn’t mean the dream is over for your dream property – sometimes the seemingly ordinary can be the extraordinary, like this impressive Victorian semi-detached found on the prestigious Rectory Road in Penarth.

The four-bedroomed Woodlands home is approached via an electric gated driveway, with plenty of space for

property

cars. The front door opens onto a generous and impressive hallway with a gorgeous original herring-boned wooden floor and dado rail. The living room has a bay window to the front perfectly framing that much coveted sea view. There’s also much to admire inside thanks to the thoughtful and intelligent modernisation, which has managed to retain much of the original charm including a fireplace with wood burning stove and surround. The sitting room also boasts ornate original detailing and a further fireplace framed by a beautiful mantelpiece.

As a family home, the built to last quality has been given priority, especially in the kitchen. There is a bespoke luxury hand painted Harvey Jones kitchen featuring Silestone and timber worktops, Quooker tap, and quality appliances including a range cooker with extractor, double sink in the island, a dishwasher, and ample storage. The kitchen has been extended providing an open plan feel with bi-fold doors opening onto the garden. There is an ample utility room fully plumbed for a washing machine and tumble dryer, a downstairs WC and rear lobby with access to the rear garden. Under the main staircase are steps down to a fantastic basement with plenty of room for storage, with

one of the rooms already set up as a cinema room.

To the first floor are three bedrooms, the master with sea views and en suite facilities. The two bedrooms to the rear are serviced by a luxurious family bathroom with a modern suite comprising roll-top bath, walk-in shower, WC and vanity wash hand basin. To the second floor is a suite including a seating area, bedroom with amazing sea views and shower room. If needed, this could be re-configured to become two bedrooms.

Outside, there is a landscaped and manicured front garden with lawn and wall and hedgerow borders. The rear garden has a large seating area and lawn with a detached coach house at the rear and access to Rectory Lane. And if you wanted to expand the property, planning permission has been granted for a single storey side extension comprising a porch and home office, and a two storey garage and hobby room over, fronting onto the rear lane.

One of the major players making this an ideal home is, of course, its seaside location. Rectory Road is situated in the heart of the coastal town of Penarth, more of which you can read about on page 32 in our Penarth special. n

House numbers Bedrooms 4 Coach house 1 Square feet

3,424

Bathrooms

3

Guide price ÂŁ1.150m For more: Savills Cardiff, 5th Floor, 2 Kingsway, Cardiff. tel: 029 2036 8900; www.savills.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I CARDIFF LIFE I 93

CARDIFF LIVES

“My teenage years were spent pubcrawling around Pontcanna on a Friday night” I was very reluctant / bad at sport in school and wasn’t good

at catching and throwing, which pretty much led to being last to be picked in team sports.

At 11 I did a cycling proficiency course, which I excelled at, first time I had

PROFESSOR OLWEN MOSELEY The Dean of Cardiff School of Art and Design, and Professor of Design Industry Engagement, talks pub crawls, cycling and throwing pots Professor Olwen Moseley graduated from the Central School of Art & Design in 1983 and worked in London for several years, before returning to South Wales to work in the community design and education sector.

She joined the School of Art & Design at Cardiff Metropolitan University (formerly UWIC) in 1996, and became Dean in 2015.

In the same year Olwen was awarded the title of Professorial (Personal Chair).

In 2005 and 2009, she was named by Design Week magazine as one of the ‘Hot Top 50’ most influential people in design.

I was brought up in Rhiwbina with my brother,

spent my childhood outdoors up the Wenallt and sailing in Pembrokeshire. Our holidays were sailing to Ireland, Scotland and Brittany.

My teenage years were spent pub-crawling around Pontcanna on a Friday night.

I loved school, but was traumatised by maths

and thought of myself as lazy. However I was saved by some creative ability and loving other subjects particularly English, biology, art and design, and also participating in drama productions.

98 I CARDIFF LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

scored highest at pretty much anything. That started a life long love of cycling. I cycled everywhere as a student in Cardiff and London and that’s continued. I’m a keen road cyclist, and our holidays revolve around cycling. Long distances or city cycling, I’m very happy on a bike.

Exploring Cardiff by bike is the very best way of getting around. Planning a route that’s

a combination of cycling and a food tour with plenty of stops for refreshment, would be my recommendation for any visitor.

The worst job I ever had was

selling Betterwear door-to-door one summer. I kept waking people up who were on night shift by knocking doors during the day. Good products, but I was rubbish at selling.

Currently I am learning to throw pots – we run evening

classes for everyone at the school of Art & Design called Cardiff Open Art School (COAS). So far, I’ve rediscovered life drawing, and experimental printmaking.

Now it’s my second term of throwing, which is fascinating.

It’s physical and learning a totally new skill is mind bending.

I’m proudest of the work done as a joint effort; Cardiff

Design Festival which was, and now is again, a group of people with a common interest wanting to make things happen, such as getting a Keep Wales Tidy river clean up group going locally.

And I’m proud of the creative community we have at Cardiff School of Art & Design.

Looking at the city through a different filter is always good. We had a Cardiff Type

Hunt, which can be found on Instagram #cardifftypehunt, during the Design Festival one year, documenting all the interesting lettering that helps tell the history, and reveals the uniqueness, of the city.

I recently went to Venice to see the Sean Edwards, Wales in Venice, exhibition.

He’s a member of staff with us so a doubly proud moment and it was also the most memorable exhibition I saw.

The last meal I ate out in Cardiff was at Seren Diemwnt

in Llandaff village. They deserve more attention.

My life’s motto would be if it’s

worth doing...just do it – don’t wait for the perfect moment or conditions. And also, don’t worry twice – you can waste your life and be miserable about things that never happen – bad news will find you soon enough if it’s coming. n

For more: www.cardiffmet.ac.uk