Rhiwbina Living Issue 38

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Rhiwbina Living

At the heart of the community Issue 38 Spring ‘17

SPRING Your multi award-winning magazine for Rhiwbina

Contents

What’s on in Rhiwbina

3-4 News 5 Rhiwbina Library 6 Letters 8 Rhiwbeina Primary 12 Eric Heyman

Rhiwbina illustrator 16 Spring Crafts

Get creative at home 20 The Extraordinary

People of Rhiwbina

Our new series 24 Phil Steele

An exclusive interview 28 Edward Hellewell

Rhiwbina's double

bass player 32 Home Interiors

Spruce up your

home for Spring 36 Battle of St Fagans

The deadly clash 40 Gardening 45 Pets Questions 53 Competitions 54 A-Z of Rhiwbina

A light-hearted look

at our village 58 Spring Greens

Tasty seasonal dishes 62 The Monster in the Tree

A story for children

Street Food Festival Rhiwbina Recreation Club Friday 31st March 5pm-8pm Rhiwbina Friends of Tenovus Coffee Morning Canolfan Beulah, Rhiwbina Saturday 1st April 10.30am-12noon Rhiwbina Tennis Club Open Day Rhiwbina Tennis Club Saturday 8th April 1pm Easter Holiday Art Workshop Events Art Workshop, LĂ´n Fach Monday 10th April to Thursday 13th April

Summer Issue deadline: 13th June 2017

Published 23rd June 2017 Distribution: 6,000 copies of Rhiwbina Living are personally delivered by us to every house in the Rhiwbina ward four times a year in line with the seasons. We also distribute to local shops

a: 222 Pantbach Road, Rhiwbina, Cardiff CF14 6AG t: 07772 081775 / 07974 022920 w: www.livingmags.co.uk e: editor@livingmags.co.uk or danielle@livingmags.co.uk While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the contents, the publisher cannot accept any responsibility for errors or omissions, or for any matter in any way arising from the publication of this material. Every effort has been made to contact any copyright holders. Rhiwbina Living is an independent, apolitical publication. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written permission of the publishers.

Winners at the 2014 UK Independent Magazine Awards 2

Open Gardens 89 Pen-y-Dre, Rhiwbina Sunday 4th June 11am-5pm Rhiwbina Food Street Festival Deri Inn, Heol-y-Deri Friday 30th June 5pm-8pm Rhiwbina Summer Festival Rhiwbina Village Saturday 1st July Open Gardens 50 Pen-y-Dre, Rhiwbina Sunday 23rd July 11am until 4.30pm

Welcome / Croeso Welcome to your first Rhiwbina Living of 2017.

Since our last issue, we've been delighted to hear that Rhiwbina Living has been shortlisted for a prestigious Wales Media Award. The awards are a celebration of the finest Welsh media in the country and we are absolutely thrilled to be among the finalists!

It is lovely to see all the flowers finally blooming around our village, signalling the arrival of Spring and sunnier days.

We wanted this issue to really reflect the joy of Spring, and so we have put together an issue that showcases the season and presents a great mix of interviews, news features and stories.

Rhiwbina Living has always been about celebrating our community and the people within it, and this issue we've met with some wonderfully talented residents.

First up is artist and illustrator Eric Heyman. A former firefighter, Eric talks about his life and his art. We also feature Edward Hellewell, who is a double-bassist in the Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra. He reflects on over 60 years of playing the largest stringed instrument in the modern orchestra.

Talent and empathy seem to be characteristics of many of our residents.

In a new series, we speak to some of our remarkable Rhiwbina residents who have been recipients of Queen's Honours Awards. Their stories are inspiring and humbling.

As another year's Six Nations has drawn to a conclusion, we interviewed rugby pundit Phil Steele who has recently published his autobiography.

He talked to us exclusively about his life and his career.

Spring is traditionally a time of

www.facebook.com/ rhiwbinaliving

renewal and regeneration, so we've put together a few ideas from our local advertisers to help you breathe fresh life into your home and to spruce up your home for Spring!

If you're looking to brighten up your home with some homemade pieces, head to our crafts feature, which will also be ideal for occupying the children over the Easter holidays.

Now is the time when gardens start to burst into a cacophony of colour. Local gardener Kevin Revell highlights all his seasonal tips for helping your garden to flourish.

To get out and enjoy that wonderful Spring air, we've got a great walk through Nant Fawr Woods to help you blow away those winter cobwebs.

For our history feature, we tell the story of the Battle of St Fagans. The clash was one of the biggest and deadliest battles ever to have been fought in Wales.

Finally, we've got two great competitions for you this issue. If you fancy winning a delicious meal for two and a bottle of wine, or a luxurious full body aromatherapy massage, head to our competitions page to enter.

You can find all the latest news on our Facebook page and on our website at www.livingmags.co.uk, where you can also subscribe to receive our latest updates via email. It's all free and means you won't miss a story!

As ever, we encourage you to please support our advertisers where and when you can. Local trade is at the heart of our community and without it, our village would not be the same.

See you in the summer!

Danielle and Patric Editors @RhiwbinaLiving

Rhiwbina Living shortlisted for prestigious media award Both Rhiwbina Living and its sister publication Whitchurch and Llandaff Living, have been shortlisted for the Independent Community News Service of the Year Award at this year's Wales Media Awards.

The two magazines are up against each other and the Caerphilly Observer for the award, which is open to publications that are truly independent and not supported by any large commercial enterprise.

Rhiwbina Living was set up in 2007

by Dr Danielle Dummett and Patric Morgan when they moved to Rhiwbina and found it difficult to find out what was going on in an area which had tremendous community spirit. The immediate success of Rhiwbina Living magazine was followed by calls from the Whitchurch and Llandaff area to set up a similar publication for their community, and Whitchurch and Llandaff Living was established just a year later.

Dr Danielle Dummett said:

“We are absolutely thrilled to have been shortlisted for the award and it represents how far our magazines have come since we first launched our publications nearly ten years ago.

To be recognised as a finalist for this award is hugely rewarding.”

The awards evening is a major fund raiser for the Journalists’ Charity, and is a celebration of the very best of media talent in Wales.

The Awards will be presented at a prestigious black tie ceremony hosted by broadcaster Dermot Murnaghan at the Mercure Holland House Hotel, Cardiff on 31st March 2017.

Rhiwbina Street Food Festival set to sizzle in Spring The second Rhiwbina Street Food Festival is being held on Friday 31st March outside the Rhiwbina Recreation Club from 5pm-8pm.

It follows the success of the inaugural Street Food Festival that took place before Christmas.

The latest event will feature musical entertainment, crafts, stalls and even a raffle. There will be free car parking at Rhiwbeina Primary School too.

A third festival will also take place on the 30th June at the Deri Inn, where crafts will be available at the Sam Warburton Suite.

Planning permission sought Plans have been submitted to Cardiff Council to redevelop the site of the former Natwest Bank.

The building, on the corner of both Pantbach Road and Heol y Bont, is currently occupied by Coray and Co. hair salon. The proposed development includes a 3 storey complex, including 3 three-bedroomed apartments and two retail outlets.

Reaction from residents has been

mixed with some saying that the development would be a nice addition to the village, while others have expressed their concern about traffic and parking. The proposal includes 3 parking spaces for the apartments, but none for the retail outlets.

Rhiwbina Civic Society have put forward its view on the proposals, saying that its impact on the village should be fully taken into account.

news

Cartwright Travel do it again!

Rhiwbina travel agency Cartwright Travel has been named as the Top Travel Agency in Wales for the second year running.

The team picked up the award at the TTG Awards on the 13th March.

"We are delighted to have won the Best Travel Agency in Wales for the second year in succession," said Steve Cartwright.

Rhiwbina Gardens open to public Rhiwbina residents will be able to experience the joys of nature this summer when garden gates are flung open for visitors to explore.

Several gardeners are taking part in the Rhiwbina Open Gardens for Charity event as part of the National Garden Scheme.

Gardener Lorraine Nelz told Rhiwbina Living magazine: “We have been opening our gardens for quite a few years, and they are always a huge success, but the more people that know about it the better.”

The National Garden Scheme is the most significant charitable funder of nursing charities in the country, donating over £50 million so far. They help garden owners open their beautiful gardens to the public, sharing their passion and raising impressive amounts of money through entry fees, teas and slices of cake.

Here are the details of Rhiwbina’s contribution to the event: Sunday 4th June 89 Pen-y-Dre, Rhiwbina Open from 11am until 5pm.

Admission price £3, children free.

Home-made refreshments will be available.

Sunday 23rd July 50 Pen-y-Dre, Rhiwbina Open from 11am until 4.30pm.

Admission price £3, children free.

Home-made refreshments will be available.

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news

Squirrels tee off at Whitchurch Golf Club After last year’s highly successful move to Whitchurch Golf Club, Rhiwbina RFC will be holding their annual Golf Day at the club again this year on Thursday 24th August.

This is one the Squirrels’ most important fund-raising events of the year, with all proceeds going towards the development of community rugby at all levels.

The event is open to individuals or teams of four. Anyone requiring details should contact Press Officer John Humphreys on 07779 028722.

It’s been a successful year for all three senior Rhiwbina teams so far.

After a disappointing start, the 1st XV find themselves in third place in the very strong Division 1 East Central, thanks mainly to a winning streak of ten league games.

This year’s captain is local boy Paul Smith, who has led by example on and off the field throughout the season. The 2nds and 3rds are the at the top of their respective Cardiff & District Leagues and both look set to be worthy champions. The Mini and Junior sections continue to flourish, enjoying rugby in a safe and fun environment. Parents with children who might like to play for the Minis or Juniors should contact the club via the website at www. pitchero.com/clubs/rhiwbina.

You can follow the Squirrels on Twitter at: @RhiwbinaRFC.

Festival help Rhiwbina Events Committee is looking for volunteers to help at the Summer Festival. In particular, they are looking for people to help with marshalling duties (usually for an hour). They are also looking for new people to join the committee and bring new ideas.

They can be found on Facebook.

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Residents urged to help support Cardiff’s 2018 Eisteddfod One of the biggest cultural events in Europe is coming to Cardiff in 2018.

For seven days, people from all over Wales will be taking part in competitions in disciplines as diverse as singing, poetry, visual arts, prose writing, brass bands – even clog dancing. This spectacular event is of course, the National Eisteddfod.

Every year, during the first week in August, the National Eisteddfod is sited in a different part of Wales. In 2016, it was hosted by the people of Abergavenny; this year, it’s in Anglesey and in 2018, it’s the turn of our capital city.

The main events are held in a vast pavilion surrounded by smaller tents and stalls where people mill around, meeting old friends and discussing the day’s competitions winners. The events attract more than 150,000 visitors over the course of the week.

Not surprisingly, such a vast enterprise costs money to stage.

A large proportion of this money is raised by appeal committees in the host area. The Rhiwbina and Llanishen Fundraising Committee is one of those dedicated bands of people organising events. The target for Rhiwbina and Llanishen is £30,000.

The fundraising has already started in

earnest with a curry evening raising £700 and a coffee morning raising a similar amount.

Residents are being urged to support fundraising efforts by coming to planned events over the next 18 months: • Fashion Show hosted by Calon Rhiwbeina – 7.30pm, 5th May in Canolfan Beulah– tickets £10 from Calon Rhiwbeina • Côr Caerdydd – 10th May in Bethany Baptist Church, Rhiwbina – with one of Wales’ finest choirs (as featured on Karl Jenkins’ Cantata Memoria album) • Curry Night in the Juboraj, Rhiwbina – 7pm, 26th June and 7pm, 11th September To keep up with the latest news, follow the appeal on: Twitter @apel_rhall and on Facebook.

Local allotments bring a lot of benefits Cardiff Allotment Holders’ Association (CAHA) will be running a stand at the Royal Horticultural Society Show in Cardiff on April 7-9 show in Bute Park.

They are aiming to raise awareness of the 28 allotment sites in the city and to encourage people to apply for vacant plots.

“Many people think that they will have to wait years to get an allotment plot,” said CAHA chair Gareth Holden, an allotmenteer, who is also a Cardiff councillor. “That used to be the case but many allotment sites now have vacant plots and short waiting lists.”

In Rhiwbina, there are two sites: Lon y Deri and Porthamal Road. As they are relatively small, vacant plots are usually at a premium. However there are always vacancies nearby at the Birchgrove, Llandaff North and College Farm sites.

As well as providing fresh produce, regular gardening on an allotment improves health, reduces stress, heart disease and diabetes, leads to fewer falls and less isolation, and gives an

opportunity to make new friends and gain new skills, CAHA says.

Allotment rents can be as low as £5 a month, including a 5% discount with concessions.

The stand in the Discovery Marquee at the RHS show will have largescale maps of Cardiff showing the location of all the allotment sites.

There will be information about each site, the availability of plots and how to apply for one, along with details of local gardening courses and the opportunity to chat to allotment holders.

Find out more at www.cardiffallotments.uk

library

Library Round Up Black River Cardiff author Louise Walsh talked about her novel Black River which covers the aftermath of the Aberfan disaster, examining the role played by Fleet Street and local journalists in reporting the tragedy and its repercussions. We were also delighted to welcome Martin Shipton (Chief Reporter, Media Wales) who joined Louise in a lively and fascinating discussion.

Who Do You Think You Are? Hugh Payne’s Who Do You Think You Are? sessions were very popular. Using research into his own family history, Hugh demonstrated various readily accessible methods of tracing our ancestors.

You can access ‘Ancestry Library Edition’ and ‘Find My Past’ for FREE at Rhiwbina Library. All you need is a library card and your PIN number.

Take Control of Your Health Rhiwbina resident, Peter Lewis, recently led a group discussion Take Control of Your Health. Some of the issues covered included: prevention is better than cure, ways in which type 1 and 2 diabetes can be more effectively managed, and the challenges facing everyone in trying to achieve a ‘lifestyle balance’ of healthy food and healthy exercise - at a cost that everyone can afford.

There was agreement that the discussion should continue in the future, with possible input from healthcare professionals.

Library News

All the latest news and events from Rhiwbina Library

Author’s Talk On 30th March, at 7.30pm, we are hosting a talk by Cardiff author Dr Ritchie Wood.

Ritchie spent over 40 years working abroad, including long spells as a mechanical engineer in the Malaysian tin mining industry. He also worked in the gold and coal mining industries in South Africa, and lectured at a steelworks college in Misurata, Libya.

On retirement, he devoted himself to the academic study of the mining operations of the British tunnelling companies during the Great War. His book Miners At War 1914-1918 – South Wales Miners in the Tunnelling Companies is the result of his research.

Tickets: £2

Dates For Your Diary Jigsaw Library every Saturday morning – 10am to 12.30pm Quiz and a Cuppa sessions: Wednesday 29th March Wednesday 26th April Wednesday 24th May (All at 3.30pm – tickets £2)

GET INVOLVED

If you have suggestions for events or would be willing to give a talk/demonstration on an interesting topic, please get in touch. Most importantly, support Rhiwbina Library by coming along to our events. Why not become a ‘Friend’? Membership is free to all.

Contact Us

Become a ‘Friend’ or if you have any comments/suggestions, get in touch.

Email: friendsofrhiwbinalibrary@ gmail.com or leave your details in the ‘Friends’ box at the library desk.

Website: friendsofrhiwbinalibrary. weebly.com You’ll also find us on Facebook and we tweet @FoRhiwbinaLib

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letters

Your Letters

Tributes to Gordon I would like to use Rhiwbina Living to pay tribute to a Rhiwbina Garden Village stalwart who sadly passed away recently.

Gordon Holten, a resident of Y Groes, was one of those people who had an enthusiasm for life.

Gordon was an active member of the Rhiwbina Civic Society and cared deeply for the Garden Village.

His input was always valuable, whether it was helping with the interpretation board outside Rhiwbina Library, or campaigning for the names of Rhiwbina’s fallen to be added to the war memorial at Whitchurch Library.

Gordon was also a key figure in the Scouts as a former County Commissioner for East Glamorgan Scouts. He will be sorely missed.

Jayne Cowan Rhiwbina

Happy Returns to Mary Clarke Many congratulations to Mary Clarke on her 80th Birthday.

Mary is a key part of Rhiwbina Village and local residents will know Mary for her hard work with the Garden Village Residents Association, Chairman of Partnership and Community Together Meetings (PACT), Flood Warden and huge supporter of charities and good causes.

They describe people as a ‘National Treasure’; well Mary is a ‘Rhiwbina Treasure’ so if you see Mary, pass on your congratulations!

Adrian Robson Rhiwbina

Rhiwbina Bridge Do you play bridge? Or would you like to learn? It’s a great game for keeping the ‘grey matter’ active and for making new friends.

Rhiwbina Bridge Club meet in the Memorial Hall, Lon Ucha, Rhiwbina, CF14 6HL on various afternoons and evenings during the week, offering different levels of bridge to suit all standards of play. You will be made very welcome and for some sessions, you don’t need a partner.

See our website www.bridgewebs. com/rhiwbina or phone 07811 509490 for more details.

Roger Wright Rhiwbina 6

If you have anything you’d like our readers to know about, drop us a line at editor@livingmags.co.uk or by letter to our postal address which can be found on the inside front cover

Heol-y-Bont development is not what the village needs I was recently made aware of the planning application for the old Natwest bank on Pantbach Road.

Does Rhiwbina really need another hair salon, coffee shop and three 3- bedroomed flats? I would say that (ironically) we need a bank and a post office more!

Rhiwbina already has several coffee shops and hairdressing establishments, but more worryingly, it also has traffic congestion and parking issues.

Heol y Bont is already seeing increased traffic due to the increasingly popular dance classes at the Scout Hall and the understandably successful Gateway of India. In addition to this, there is now the loss of the parking facilities that were once in the old Natwest bank.

The extra traffic from additional

businesses, associated waste collections and residential accommodation, along with increasingly selfish parking and dangerous driving will oversaturate Heol y Bont and the surrounding area to unsafe levels.

The result could be a small child leaving the Scout Hall being seriously injured.

Name and address supplied

Is there any need for this?

Please could I appeal through your columns to ask for a little consideration from drivers parking in the village and outside our houses. This photo represents just a few that I have taken recently in Rhiwbina.

Apart from causing damage to the local environment, it is just so unnecessary as parking is available in the road. Strangely, the bin men with their huge vehicles, never find the need to encroach on the grass.

Name and address supplied

Rhiwbina Women’s Club Readers may be interested to know of a new club for women in Rhiwbina – Rhiwbina Womens Club.

The club was set up at the beginning of this year by members of the former Beulah WI. The club has monthly meetings at which there is a speaker or a demonstration covering a variety of subjects, such as local history, cooking, crafts and other

subjects of general interest.

The club meets on the third Wednesday of the month at 1.45pm at Canolfan Beulah Community Centre. The annual fee is £35 and we would welcome new members.

Further details can be obtained from Vivien Trew on email: vivien.trew@ gmail.com or call Cardiff 20 913877.

Vivien Trew, Rhiwbina

Chess Club Success

School News

All the latest success stories from Rhiwbeina Primary School Orchestradventure

Great Fire of London

On 10th February, Rhiwbeina School Orchestra (made up of 32 pupils from Years 3-6) went to St David’s Hall for ‘Orchestradventure!’

They enjoyed listening to some well-known pieces of music performed by the Welsh College of Music and Drama Symphony Orchestra.

Year 2 have recently studied the topic of ‘The Great Fire of London’, where they learnt all about how the fire started in Thomas Farriner’s bakery. The children had a lovely day dressing up as their favourite characters from 1666. They made their own bread rolls that were very tasty and used the ‘Green Screen’ to take photographs of each other acting out fire scenarios. They also enjoyed making models of houses, cathedrals and bakeries that have been displayed in the classrooms.

One of the pupils from Year 6 was chosen to conduct the orchestra for the performance of Rossini’s William Tell Overture and did a brilliant job!

Chinese New Year The Nursery children celebrated Chinese New Year with a variety of activities including role playing in their Chinese ‘restaurant’, Dragon Dancing and creating Chinese music to accompany it.

They enjoyed tasting Chinese food including noodles, spring rolls and prawn crackers.

They also enjoyed making lucky money wallets and even attempting Chinese writing! They had fun learning about a different culture.

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Visit to St Fagans Year One went to Gwalia Stores in St Fagans to go back in time and find out what shopping was like in the past.

The children compared Gwalia Store to shopping today by visiting the Co-op in Rhiwbina village and can now talk about the differences and similarities between shopping today and in the past.

The school’s Chess Club participated magnificently in the Cardiff and Vale Schools Chess Competition, held in Cardiff County Council offices in Cardiff Bay on Sunday 13th February.

Despite many being relative newcomers to the game, they all had wins against far more experienced competitors, and Tom and Harrison did brilliantly to come 4th in their respective age groups.

Well done to everyone - the school is very proud of you all!

St David’s Day As in previous years, the junior children enjoyed their Eisteddfod.

The winning house was Briwnant, beating Deri and Wenallt into joint second place by one point, with Nofydd just behind.

The School Bard was one of the school’s talented writers from Year 6.

The infant children also looked splendid in their Welsh costumes and performed a range of Welsh songs in their concert. Many of the pupils participated in their home tasks of creating bunting, Welsh dragons and a Welsh mobile.

schools Year 3 Wenallt trip This half term, Year 3 have been learning all about the Crafty Celts.

They went up to the Wenallt to see if they could find any remains of a Celtic hillfort and to experience the outdoors as the Celts would have.

The pupils collected branches to fix a thatched roof, hunted for a wild boar for their dinner, built a fire pit, fought off some Romans and even had a tribal meeting with the Chief and his wife! They got very muddy but had so much fun learning about Celtic History.

Year 6 Art Gallery visit As part of the Key Stage 2 Art National Curriculum Study, Year 6 visited the Gallery in the National Museum in Cardiff.

Their task was to study a number of paintings and sculptures which focused on Welsh landscapes.

Each group was asked to make a presentation on their chosen piece and to explain the different artistic elements included.

All of the children spoke maturely and with impressive knowledge about each piece. As you can see from the photograph, they are budding art critics!

Hindu Temple visit Year 4 Teambuilding Learning how to work together as a team is an essential skill the children need all the way through their school and working lives.

Year 4 had a fantastic couple of hours creating huge pyramids the height of the school hall from tetrahedrons, made from doweling and elastic bands.

It was good fun and it was wonderful to see the children working so well together.

Many thanks to Doug Corp for organising the activities and for helping everyone to see that the school motto really is true - Together Everyone Achieves More!

A huge thank you to Mr Patel in the Shree Swaninarayan Temple in Grangetown for teaching pupils so brilliantly about the Hindu faith.

The school was very proud of the Year 4 children who listened carefully to Mr Patel and asked lots of relevant questions.

They particularly enjoyed the parting gift of the prashad to enjoy with their lunches. Namaste!

Science studies The school is taking part in the BBC Terrific Scientific programme this year.

Over the course of the year, pupils will be carrying out a number of investigations.

Investigation 1 focuses on the topic Animals, including Humans/My Body.

Pupils are going to be finding out if they are Supertasters. It is thought that 1 in 4 children are supertasters, meaning that they have a more intense reaction to bitter tastes.

Supertasters experience bitter tastes more strongly than other people because they have a higher number of taste receptors within fungiform papillae (the big pink bumps on your tongue which contain your taste buds). This enables you to taste sweet, sour, salty and bitter things.

We danced our way into 2017 after a successful first term with our Bath trip, Rags2Riches, Scooter Safety Courses and Christmas Fayre.

In February, at our Hearts & Heroes Disco, the children danced the night away! It was a great experience for the PTA Team to work with the school and have so much parental involvement to help to make the night such a success.

The Spring and Summer terms this year are showcasing new events in our PTA calendar. We hope that, with support from the school, parents and our wider community, they will be great fundraisers that will help us purchase some new outdoor play areas for our school yards and more.

We rely on the generosity of our wider community to help make each and every PTA event fun, interactive, creative and successful, so take a look at how you can get involved and add some key dates to your diary!

Friday 31st March - Quiz Night Doors open at 7pm, at Rhiwbeina Primary School Main Hall.

Tickets are on sale from the PTA Team and the school office for £2.50 per person so get your teams sorted! (Licensed bar) 17th June - Summer Fete Rhiwbeina Primary School Fields School Lottery It’s never too late to join in our school lottery and become a winner!

Joining is simple and safe and it’s quick to register online. Tickets cost £1 with £25,000 up for grabs EACH week!

Register at www.YourSchoolLottery.co.uk/play Here’s how to get in touch with us: Email: committee@ friendsofrhiwbeina.org.uk Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter. com/FORhiwbeina Facebook: www.facebook.com/ friendsofrhiwbeina We would love to hear from you as we really cannot make our events successful and raise the much needed funds for our school without you. Rhiwbeina Primary does not receive the funding that perhaps some other schools do, so gaining your support really does make a difference.

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St John’s College, Cardiff

A leading independent day school for boys & girls aged 3–18 Choir School to Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral

The Best A Level Record in Wales over 17 Years Top School in Wales in The Sunday Times ‘Parent Power’

ENROLLING NOW!

French Canolfan Beulah, Tuesday 2.15pm. Under 5’s and their grown-ups Rhiwbina Primary* Tuesday 3.30pm. Infants Rhiwbina Primary* Wednesday 3.30pm. Juniors

Spanish Canolfan Beulah, Tuesday 1.30pm. Under 5’s and their grown-ups Rhiwbina Memorial Hall, Tuesday 3.30pm. Ages 5 to 8

Sixth Form Open Evening Wednesday 29 March 2017, 4.30-7pm

Please contact the Admissions Tutor to book your place: Tel: 02920 778936 | Email: admin@stjohnscollegecardiff.co.uk

www.stjohnscollegecardiff.com

* only children from Rhiwbina Prmary can attend these classes

For more info or to book, contact Annie Harding 07866 522 266 annie@frenchtastic.co.uk www.frenchtastic.co.uk/cardiff facebook/frenchtasticannie

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e n i L e n i F a g n i w a r D Rhiwbina’s Eric Heyman is a self-taught illustrator and artist. The former firefighter talks to Rhiwbina Living about his life and work

D

own in Rhiwbina, while the village sleeps, there’s a light on. In a workshop at the bottom of his garden, Eric Heyman is putting the final touches to another of his artistic creations.

“I was brought up on Lon Isa in the Garden Village. I went to Rhiwbeina Primary School and had two wonderful teachers there – Mrs Jones and Mr Thomas. They were very inspirational, not just with my art but in life too. I then went to Whitchurch High School, where I had an art teacher called Mr Reynolds. I spent more time in that art room than anywhere else.”

Eric’s teenage years were to prove a time of bloom for ideas and influence:

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“At that point in my life, I wanted to be a political cartoonist, but the older I got, the more I was interested in the likes of Disney animator Ken Anderson and people like Quentin Blake.

“I remember watching Quentin hosting Jackanory once and he was drawing the characters on the wall as he was telling the story. That fascinated me and always stuck with me. I began drawing cartoons and illustrations and got my first commission from a local lady called Pat Campbell in Rhiwbina. She wanted me to do some illustrations for Rhiwbina Tennis Club and that’s how I earned my first 10 shillings.”

Eric completed his education at Whitchurch High School, but as far

as his art training was concerned, that was as far as it went.

“I’m totally self-taught. I never went to art college and I’ve never had any formal training. Rhiwbina Library

people was a great source of information for me and I’d head there to take out books on anatomy. I was interested in drawing cartoons but I was also wanting to develop my own style.”

For Eric, illustrating was a love that he had to nurture in his spare time, the duties of life beckoning him to other forms of employment.

“I was a Police Cadet for a while when I was younger and almost went into the Royal Marines. In the end, I joined the Fire Service, starting out at Adamsdown Fire Station and ending up based at Whitchurch.”

But his affection for art was never far away: “I did some illustrations for a few of their information guides and started getting into the illustration industry via a friend of mine called Mike Collins.

He was one of the artists who drew the Wolverine character for the Marvel comics. He told me to put a portfolio together, so I did and I sent it off to lots of publishers. I had lots of rejections.

The Welsh Books Council did get in touch however, and wanted me to work on a few projects for children’s books, including work for the Oxford University Press, Sony Pixar and Disney Animation. I was still employed as a firefighter at this point, but a few years before I was due to retire, Emma Ball Ltd contacted me wanting me to work on their greetings card products. I spent about 4 or 5 years creating cards but the main goal I’d set myself was to get a good agent and a big publicity deal.”

Eric is keen to pass on his skills to others, particularly those who are setting out on their own journeys of discovery.

“I’ve run a few workshops at the National Museum Cardiff and I recently worked with the Welsh Books Council at Rhoose Primary School which was great.”

The pull of creation is something that’s driven Eric for most of his life: “I’ve always had an interest in illustration because each one creates a new story. I love being creative and when it comes to sitting down with a blank piece of paper, I try and imagine the story behind what I’m looking to achieve.

It might take me a morning to finish a piece or it might take me a few days. There’ll always be a lot of waste paper hanging around my workshop and sometimes, I like to leave a piece that I’ve worked on

and come back to it a few days later.

“I’ve developed my own style over the years but I take a lot of inspiration from Ronald Searle who was an artist and satirical cartoonist.

He was responsible for the creation of St Trinians School.

My style is more ‘scratchy’, which is achieved through several different techniques that I’ve learned. I use a dip pen, which is almost like one of those old quills that people used to use. I also use a knife to literally scratch away at some of the paint I’ve laid down. I apply this to drawings of trees to help it create that look of depth. I create collages which are interesting because it’s another medium by which I can create scenes.”

Looking ahead, Eric has every reason to be excited: “I’m in the process of developing a few of my own characters.

The main one I’m working on is one called Blue Bear, who I’m hoping to feature in a picture book. Blue

Bear is concerned about the environment and draws other animals in the books. He’s not quite there yet. More than anything I’d like to get a big book deal under my belt. Then I’ll be really happy.”

Flower Lodge Workshops

Our workshops are designed for anyone interested in flowers, from beginners through to the more experienced who wish to refresh their skills. These relaxed half day classes, which are fun and friendly, will be running regularly, focusing on making things appropriate to the season such as seasonal hand-tied bouquets, Easter wreaths and baskets or simply flowers for the house.

Come on your own or as a group! Hens, corporate, birthday - group booking workshops can be tailormade to suit.

Coffee and cake or Prosecco and nibbles, you choose!

For full details and a list of the events planned have a look on our website or checkout our Facebook page.

Weddings · Gifts · Sympathy · Workshops 4 Beulah Road, Rhiwbina, Cardiff CF14 6LX www.flowerlodge.co.uk

02920 627587

127 Heol Llanishen Fach

Rhiwbina, Cardiff

Tel. 02920 625825

We are delighted to present our newest team member & experienced Senior Stylist

Sian ‘Billie’ James New Client Offer : £20 off your first colour with us

Existing Client Offer : Recommend someone new to Timba and you will both receive £20 off your colour T’s & C’s apply

We have been awarded the prestigious title of

Colour Experts

by the Good Salon Guide

SPRING crafts Button Flowers

3D Suncatcher

These beautiful 3D suncatchers are made from nothing more than a cardboard box, some contact paper and some of nature’s little treats.

This first part is best undertaken by an adult: take a cardboard box and with some scissors, cut out ‘frames’ from each of the sides to make windows.

Cut out sheets of adhesive contact paper (available from hobby shops) and stick them into the box so that the sticky side is facing out.

Head out into the garden and pick out some lovely fern, petals, leaves and anything that catches your eye.

Once back inside, add the bits that you’ve brought in to the sticky side of the contact sheets.

Finally, place another contact sheet over the items that you’ve just stuck down to secure them.

Then it’s a simple case of hanging them in the spring sun to enjoy.

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Spring Necklaces What you’ll need Oven bake clay String Skewer Spring flowers Warm up a piece of clay in your hands and roll it out into a flat oval shape and then roll it around your fingers. Pinch the bottom and side closed to make a basic vase shape.

Create two holes in the top of the vase using a skewer. Bake in the oven according to your oven bake clay specifications.

Then allow the vases to cool naturally. Thread your string through the holes, add a small amount of water and flowers.

These are great to keep for yourself or for giving to friends!

What better way of using up Mummy and Daddy’s big pile of left-over wine corks than by making something creative?

You can make these beautiful homemade flowers using a mixture of white card stock, acrylic craft paint, wine corks, rubber bands, styrofoam produce tray (or something flat to pour your paint into), scissors, buttons, green drinking straws (or pipe cleaners or craft sticks) and glue or a glue gun.

Using the elastic band, tie a bunch of corks together. Pour a small mixture of paint colours into the tray and dip the corks into it.

Stamp your corks onto the blank white card and leave to dry. You can then cut around the shapes to make petals and attach green straws to it to make your flower.

crafts Egg Carton Chicks

These cute little Easter chicks are easy to make and all you’ll need is an egg carton, some yellow paint, a black marker pen, some yellow and orange card, and a pair of scissors.

Cut out two portions of the egg carton. Glue a small piece of card to join the two cartons together and to act as a hinge. The two cartons should now open and close like a pair of castanets. Paint the entire object with the yellow paint and leave to dry.

Take some small pieces of card, two yellow and two orange, each measuring approximately 1 inch x 1/2 inches. Fold a 1/4 inch flap from the edge, and from the fold, cut into triangles. These will be the chick’s beak and wings.

Take the two yellow cut-outs and using the 1/4 inch flap, glue on opposite sides of the inside.

The triangular portions should be poking out to make the wings.

Do the same with the orange cutouts but with one in the top cup and one in the bottom. This is the chick’s beak. Use the illustration for reference.

Cut out some feet from the orange card and glue to the bottom of your chick. Finally, draw on two eyes with your marker pen.

Homemade Kites

Create a butterfly template by folding a piece of paper in half and cutting out one half of a butterfly shape. When you open the paper, you should have a symmetrical butterfly shape to work with. Templates are also available to download online if you are struggling with this.

Colour in the templates with bright colours. You may want to use pens to do this as paint may weigh your kite down.

Wrap the middle of your butterfly lengthways around a long straw.

You will need to glue this in place to give your butterfly some strength.

Make two holes towards the top of the spine and tie some string here. Bear in mind that you will need to consider how long you want your string to be when taking your kite out.

Take another straw and attach it to the back of your butterfly horizontally so that the two straws now form a cross shape. You can tape this down to secure it in place.

The last thing you will want to do is add some tails to your kite.

Try not to make these too heavy as they will stop your kite from flying. The tails are best made out of crepe paper and stapled to the bottom of your butterfly.

Kites can also be made from old plastic bags. Simply build a frame from wooden skewers (ends chopped off!) and overlay the plastic over the frame.

Kites usually take off best when you are heading into the wind.

Easter Baskets

These beautifully decorated Easter baskets are easy to make and are great to give away as gifts.

You’ll need a small vase or pot, some coloured or patterned (preferably double-sided) paper, some scissors and a glue gun.

Begin making your flowers by cutting out a circle from your card.

The size of the circle will depend on how big you want your flowers to be.

Once you have cut out your circle, begin cutting into the centre of the circle to create a spiral.

Birds on a Wire

Take a blank piece of white paper and paint it blue (or any other colour if you’re feeling daring!) and let it dry.

Cut out bird shapes from coloured or patterned card. Attach a piece of string from one end of the paper to the other. Then glue your bird shapes to the paper so that it looks like they’re sitting on the wire.

Once you have your spiral, push it tightly together from all directions to create a flower head shape. Hold it there for a few seconds and then let go so that the spiral unfurls slightly.

Dab a small amount of hot glue onto the centre bottom of the flower, and press the spiral down into the glue to keep it from unwinding. Repeat for all flowers.

Attach all your flowers to the vase using the hot glue. You can either add a few or cover the vase entirely.

As a final touch, attach a ribbon to the basket and fill it with Easter goodies such as chocolate, eggs and shredded paper.

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The best-kept secret in the industry

Salon pop-up Cyntaf Caerdydd At Coray and Co, we aim to offer you the best possible service in every respect. We believe that the technical expertise provided by our staff should be complemented by excellent customer care.

Established in 1993, we specialise in colour and wedding hair. With our top-to-toe service, we have become one of the most prestigious salons in Wales.

Our loyal clients love coming here and are enjoying the Rhiwbina community, especially our celebrity clients.

Mark Coray, originally from Rhiwbina, graduated in London in November 2004 and was awarded the prestigious ‘Colour Degree Specialist’s Award’ by L’Oreal, placing Coray and Co into the top 1% of L’Oreal Colourists in the UK. As a result, Coray and Co is now the only hairdressing salon in Cardiff qualified to practice these specialist skills to the L’Oreal Degree standard and one of only 300 qualified salons nationwide.

Mark has also represented Great Britain in World Championship standard competitions in both Washington DC and in Tokyo. He offers advice to TV and radio on hairdressing and hair care.

Our Wall of Fame includes weather girl Si­­ân Lloyd, Charlotte Church and Arfon Haines Davies.

238 Pantbach Road, Rhiwbina, Cardiff CF14 6AX 029 2048 1481 | www.corayandco.com

The brook bistro Brunch - lunch - dinner - Sunday lunch Join us at our new independent family bistro in the heart of Whitchurch village

Al fresco dining available on our terrace Dinner served Tuesday–Saturday from 6pm Brunch served Tuesday – Saturday 10am -4pm Two course Sunday roast Two course daytime menu Tuesday - Saturday 12pm–4pm £14.95 12pm–6pm from £12 76a Merthyr Rd Whitchurch Cardiff CF14-1DJ Tel: 02920 619738 Email: hello@thebrookbistro.com Web: www.thebrookbistro.com

2C Waun Y Groes Avenue, Rhiwbina, Cardiff, CF14 4SY Email: info@tyciowellbeing.com Telephone: 02920 626003

R

hiwbina residents have reason to celebrate this spring, with the recent launch of the new wellbeing spa, right here in the village. Tycio Wellbeing started trading on 5th December, after owner Louise Hingley had the inspiration for the spa following her mother’s diagnosis of cancer.

“Before she became ill ,we enjoyed going to spa days and when she got ill, there was nowhere that would give her any kind of treatment outside of the hospital setting to relax her. She lost her hair and her confidence, and wasn’t keen on going out to busy places. I wished that there had been somewhere I could take her that was local, smaller and more intimate, and focused on her specific needs.

“When I realised that there wasn’t any provision, I became inspired to develop this service to fill the gap in the market. Tycio Wellbeing therefore organically evolved from my own experience and aims to bridge the gap between the high street beauty salons and the mainstream chain spas.

Our ethos is to treat people as individuals, to tailor our services to meet their needs and to create a sanctuary that promotes optimum wellbeing, whatever their personal circumstances.”

Naming the spa always had to represent the reasons behind its creation and Louise’s pride at being Welsh, so the name Tycio was chosen, which in Welsh, means ’to prevail’.

“I think especially for people fighting cancer, anything that makes them feel better is a sense

of them fighting; thankfully in our experience my mother recovered and prevailed.”

Louise quickly explains that whilst her mother’s illness was the reason Tycio Wellbeing was established, the spa is aimed at everyone.

“We look after those who want to look after themselves in a nice environment, provide a holistic experience for those going through a hard time to feel more relaxed, and offer a range of more tailored treatments for those experiencing illness in a safe way. Treatments include side by side massages, reflexology, aromatherapy, Indian head massage, waxing, manicures, pedicures and facials.”

The wellbeing element is fundamental to what Louise and her team provide, with a beautifully furnished relaxation room with soothing heated beds and complimentary teas, coffees and juices available. Robes and slippers are provided for treatments over 60 minutes. The treatment beds in the holistic room are similarly heated and height adjustable. Everything in the spa has the customer in mind to promote wellbeing. The spa is decorated to an impressive standard, its colours synonymous with relaxation and calm.

Louise believes that good hygiene is paramount, especially for those clients who may be suffering from various ailments. Towels are washed after every client without fail, slippers are single use and individually packaged, and robes are washed after every use. In the bathroom, individual handtowels are provided and contactless soap is dispensed. Surgical strength disinfectant is used to clean the communal areas.

To continue the Welsh brand, Louise has sourced Welsh products where possible, which are organic, paraben free and as natural as can be. After much research, she chose Earthbound organics (used in the Tycio range of treatments).

Louise was thrilled to discover that these products came from the Brecon area and that many of the ingredients are home grown by the supplier or naturally occurring and handpicked by her. Similarly, Leighton Denny is focused on natural ingredients and is the main brand used for nailcare to promote natural nail health.

Tycio are so confident that people will love their products that they are offering a free cleanse, tone and moisturise. There is no obligation to buy, it is simply a chance to experience the fabulous products for yourself and for the team to extend a warm welcome to the community.

“Rhiwbina has such a fantastic community spirit and a lovely mix of people and businesses, and that’s why we chose this area for our spa. We are keen to get to know everyone and become integrated into the community, and to support village life, local businesses and events.

“To celebrate our first quarter in business, we will be holding an open evening on Friday 31st March from 4-7pm. There will be prosecco, taster treatments, free raffle entry and exclusive offers on the evening.

All are welcome and we look forward to meeting you, and sharing the Tycio Wellbeing experience.”

30% discount off any treatment when quoting RL38 or upon presentation of voucher. Code needs to be mentioned upon booking (online or over the telephone) Offer available until July 15th 2017; can be used any day of the week Discount code can only be used once per customer (new and existing customers). Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer

See our website and Facebook page for more details of the treatments we offer

19

The extraordinary people of Rhiwbina In a new series, we hear from Rhiwbina residents who have been recognised in the Queen's Honours Lists over the years

Janet Jeffries BEM

I

am proud to say that I was awarded a British Empire Medal in the New Year’s Honours list on 31st Dec 2016. The citation said it was for ‘Services to the community, particularly Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people in Wales’.

When one of my sons ‘came out’ to us as gay in 2000, I felt quite upset and anxious and thought it would help me to understand things better if I could speak to a parents’ helpline, but discovered that there was no such provision within Wales.

Through mutual friends, I found Gloria Jenkins from Roath, who has both a gay son and a lesbian daughter, and who was thinking along the same lines as me.

Together we co-founded SPLAG Wales (Support for Parents of Lesbians and Gay men), based very much on our own experiences and with training from an established group over the border.

Cardiff Council generously gave us a grant from their equalities budget and we were soon providing a telephone helpline and organising support groups, as well as meeting families face to face if they preferred. I wrote a bi-monthly newsletter filled with positive stories about LGBT people and related news, and went on to speak at conferences on LGBT issues, participated in equality training courses for the South Wales Police, and took our publicity stall to the

20

Cardiff Mardi Gras and to 6th Form colleges.

Gloria (who nominated me for this award) took a well earned break from the organisation a few years ago, but by then, other mums and dads had joined our committee and we were able to continue the work.

Over the years, we’ve helped many parents to accept their son or daughter’s sexuality, allowing them to continue loving them and being proud of them. The organisation’s aim was always to keep families together by helping parents to accept and understand their son's or daughters’ sexuality, and allaying any fears they may have about their future life.

When parents first learn that their child is gay, they are often frightened that their child will have a lonely and unhappy future, that they will be ostracised by society, and that their safety may be compromised. We can talk through these concerns however, and show them that most LGBT men and women lead very similar lives to those who are straight, and that their sexuality is only a small part of who they are and what they can achieve.

During this time, I was also active in supporting the Lesbian and Gay Christian movement in South Wales, as well as being a governor at Greenhill Special School in Rhiwbina for many years and setting up a boys’ club in Bethany Baptist Church.

Sadly, I had to give up my involvement with SPLAG when I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma a while back, though I continue to take an interest in LGBT issues. I have been receiving exceptionally good treatment at the Haematology Cancer Day Unit at the Heath Hospital, and last year I organised a number of fundraising events for them which enabled all the treatment chairs to be replaced.

To my surprise, the Lymphoma Association awarded me with a

Beacon of Hope award for this, of which I am also very proud.

I didn’t find out about my British Empire Medal until a few weeks before Christmas and I had no idea that I had been nominated for it until I received a confidential letter from the Cabinet Office. I had to keep it a secret for a few more weeks, but felt very grateful for the nomination, very proud and altogether delighted!

My family were particularly pleased to hear about the award as I was quite unwell at the time and it lifted all of our spirits.

I am still waiting to receive my medal which will be presented by the Lord Lieutenant of South Glamorgan, but have been invited to attend a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in June which is very exciting.

Emily Foley MBE

I

received an MBE for services to George Thomas hospice care on 31st December 1999. I volunteered at the hospice on Ty Gwyn Road, in Pen y Lan (which is now in the grounds of Whitchurch Hospital) and set up the first charity shops for George Thomas Hospice, along

people with two other ladies. We set up five shops altogether across Cardiff and Penarth and they are still there, along with an additional one now in Whitchurch.

I saw myself as being involved in the hospice, rather than working there. For three years I was Chairman of the council, but other people spent time being Chairman as well. I first became involved with the hospice through a GP I was working with in the surgery and he told me about the people he looked after with cancer and the care they needed. I was interested in finding out more as I was keen to help in some way - and then it snowballed.

I so enjoyed being a volunteer in the hospice and meeting so many different people.

It was a wonderful service that was provided at the hospice.

People were so caring and gave so much support to those who needed it. Being someone to talk to was so appreciated. As a family, we received first hand care from the hospice when my daughter Catherine was diagnosed with cancer. Catherine was always ready to help with fundraising for them and had always been part of the hospice. Sadly, she passed away two years ago.

All my family were involved in helping with the hospice in some way. They were all supportive; they got involved in activities and were understanding that when I was doing things at the hospice I wasn’t able to be home with them. My late husband John worked hard on helping to set up the shops, along with a lovely neighbour at the time.

So many people helped.

I was told I had received the MBE in a letter. I was delighted, surprised and shocked and had had no idea!

You wonder why you get picked out as different as there were so many other people doing what I did. The letter said loud and clear that you must not tell anyone. I did share the news with John but didn’t say anything to anyone else.

For the presentation of the award, I chose to go to Cardiff Castle and my MBE was presented by Prince Charles, and it was lovely. My husband John, daughters Catherine and Lynne and two sons Gerard and Jonathan and their wives came.

All my family were thrilled. What happens to you in a family happens to you all. It was like we shared the award. My late husband John in particular was so delighted and was always so supportive of everything – he should have had one too!

Les MacNeil BEM

I

received a BEM (British Empire Medal) for my work as a volunteer within the Royal Voluntary servicewhat used to be known as the WRVS, but which now includes men and young lads, hence the change in name.

I have run the trolley at UHW for the past 30 years serving patients whilst they have been an inpatient.

I was project manager for 18 years, but that wasn’t always the case as I was also working part time as a supply teacher at Eglwys Newydd Primary School.

I found out about the award last November but couldn’t say anything until 30th December.

I did tell my husband but didn’t tell anyone else, as I was worried that my daughters might put it on Facebook! I was in bed on 30th December when the New Year’s Honours List was published by the Press and then my phone started beeping with all these messages coming through!

Jayne Cowan had picked up the list and shared it online and then it all went mad with people contacting me! We were in the Juboraj on New Year’s Eve and people were coming up to me and bowing and curtsying.

I went to work in UHW on 2nd January, which was my birthday, and everyone was coming up to me and saying ‘well deserved’. People didn’t expect me to be in but we still volunteer on Bank Holidays as patients still need serving. Everyone was bowing, from cleaners to consultants and it was lovely.

I first got inspired to help out at the hospital when I suffered from bacterial meningitis when I was eight months pregnant with my daughter. It was terrifying and I felt the staff saved both the baby and I, so I wanted to give something back. That’s what started it. So when my daughter was 8 years old and in school, I started working on the trolley.

One of my friends, Angela who I was in junior school with nominated me for an Honours award years ago, so this letter from Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, last December came out of the blue. I was really surprised and pleased, and couldn’t believe it really. If my friend hadn’t persevered and written letters I wouldn’t have got it. To be honest, I think that there should be a fairer system of people getting awards as

it all depends if you are nominated and so many people do such valuable work.

I think the service we provide at UHW is very important. A lot of patients don’t have relatives or visitors that are near and able to visit, for example some patients come from as far away as Pembrokeshire and have no relatives able to visit who can help out. We have been known to go and buy nighties and special magazines for patients who have no-one else to rely on, and go out of our way to help if we can.

My husband got quite emotional when I received notification of the award. My parents have passed away and it’s been lovely to hear people say that my parents would have been so proud. Everyone is really pleased and say it is ‘well deserved’ and ‘about time’. I’ve had lovely letters of congratulations from various politicians in the area and from friends. Many people have seen me in the hospital over the years. But you don’t do it for that, you do it because you enjoy it and you get a real thrill from helping people.

Volunteering is vastly underrated and lots of people won’t do anything for nothing. You do feel privileged that your hard work has been recognised, but there are a lot of people out there that could be similarly rewarded. Jayne Cowan recommended me the same week for the bouquet of the week, but I had had one three years before, so said I'd had enough media attention and so nominated another lady who had done the trolley with me for 17 years – and she was thrilled.

ITV Wales wanted to come and film with the trolley in hospital, but I said no. It would have been disruptive for patients, and I’m not really that sort of person!

I have been invited to have my award presented to me at a mansion house by the Lord Lieutenant of South Glamorgan.

Then there is an invite to the Queen’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in May. I will be taking my husband.

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Yankee Candles New ranges now in stock

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www.cardiffbedcentre.co.uk

The

Secret Shed

Based in the heart of Rhiwbina village, The Secret Shed can help transform your garden into an outdoor wonderland

Among the well-known boutiques and shops of Rhiwbina village, exists a garden centre that is hidden away from the hustle and bustle.

Yet it’s more than just a garden centre. Take a look. Garden plants are plentiful here, naturally. So too are garden ornaments and furniture.

But look again. Is that a sci-fi character garden log burner? Wait there’s another one. Oh and look - a VW camper van version too.

Handmade in Wales you say? Impressive.

There are sheds and outbuildings too, and friendly, knowledgeable members of staff who can give expert advice and information.

And then there’s the shop -a treasure trove of gifts for the garden, indoors or even for yourself.

With new additions arriving every week, The Secret Shed is THE place to visit this spring. But can you keep it to yourself?

Rhiwbina Sheds & Fencing We design and manufacture bespoke sheds, cabins, pavilions, fencing, gates, decking, summer houses, log stores and home offices.

Our buildings are built to suit your needs and requirements, whether it be a custom sized shed to fit your garden, a playhouse for your children or that office you’ve always promised yourself.

1c Beulah Road, Rhiwbina, Cardiff CF14 6LT

02920 616921

Phil Steele Broadcaster and public speaker Phil Steele has recently published his autobiography which charts his career and his fight with depression Among the mums, prams and coffees of Whitchurch’s Fino Lounge looms a giant of a man.

Instantly recognisable, Phil Steele makes his way over to the table and places two piping hot coffees down.

"It was black you wanted wasn't it?" he asks.

The broadcaster is promoting his autobiography which was published in December. Such has been the success of the book that it's already gone for a second reprint.

"Where do you want to start?" he asks. "I was born in Ely in 1961 into a staunch Catholic family. I went to Archbishop Mostyn Secondary Modern and left school with 4 A Levels – Geography, Geology, Biology and Guilt!

“I remember watching Wales playing for the first time on an old black and white TV with my Dad in 1968. Bill McLaren was commentating and it was an 11-11 draw against England at Twickenham. I was hooked.

"As a kid, I played rugby in school and regularly went down to watch Cardiff. At the age of about 12, I became a ball boy for Cardiff RFC. I loved everything about it – watching my heroes playing and

24

that winter-greenish smell of the turf and the Deep Heat."

Phil's earliest memories of the game were to have a lasting effect on his career in later life.

"I saw my first Welsh game live in 1973 at Cardiff Arms Park. I was over on what was then the West Terrace.

I’ll always remember it – England came sprinting out first and then there came this overwhelming, rolling crescendo throughout the stands as we waited for Wales. It was almost as if the crowd’s roar was sucking the Welsh players out of the tunnel. And then they appeared in these scarlet jerseys and pristine white shorts. It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

"The second game I went to was THAT Baa Baas game against New Zealand. I’ll always remember it – my ticket was just 30p!”

Phil’s love for the game took him to some of the European capitals that featured in what was then the Five Nations tournament.

“My dad used to work on the railways. I remember getting a train up to Holyhead and a ferry over to Dublin to watch Wales beat Ireland in 1978 to win the 'triple' Triple

Crown. I was still only a teenager then. After the game, among the buzz of the fans, I walked onto the pitch. I walked over to the piece of turf where JJ Williams had scored and picked up a clump of grass.

“The following year, I jumped back on a train and went all the way to Paris. Memories like that stick with you.”

Soon Phil turned from spectator to participant by joining his local club.

“I played rugby for Glamorgan Wanderers Youth and was honoured to win the esteemed Glamorgan Wanderers Youth Tie which you only got if you played 15 games. Money can't buy things like that! We went on a combined tour with Llandaff Rugby Club to Canada.

Here we were, just kids, wearing our blazers and climbing aboard a Jumbo Jet. We thought we were the Lions!

“I had ambitions to play for Wales.

I’d watched the greats playing – the JJs and the Gareth Edwards – and I wanted to be part of that. I went to study Physical Education at the famous Cardiff College of Education in Cyncoed because Gareth, JJ, and many other internationals had gone there. I played through college

people and played against Newport at Christmas 1982 and we had a right drubbing. I think the score was something like 55-15 but I really enjoyed playing at full-back. I ran the ball whenever I could though in hindsight, I probably lacked that killer instinct. I came off thinking that I’d thoroughly enjoyed myself when I should have been beating myself up for the scoreline.

"But one of Newport’s committee came over to me and asked me if I’d like to play for them the following season and I agreed."

Phil sits back in his seat with a big smile on his face.

"There was a captain there by the name of Mike 'Spike' Watkins.

He played for Wales four times at hooker and if there was some way of bottling what inspiration he gave to me, my life would have been a lot easier. He's the only person I've ever met who 'got me'. He understood my personality and knew how to motivate me."

Not long after Phil had joined Newport, he was picked for the Wales B squad. Unfortunately for Phil, he was struggling with a groin injury that seemed to be getting worse.

"We'd not long had the Adidas scandal of the 70s where the company illegally paid some of the game's top stars to wear their boots.

For the Wales B squad, I had to be measured up by Adidas for a kit that would have only ever fitted me. It was a great-looking kit too.

"The day came for us to collect our kits but my injury was worrying me. Spike told me to take a few Ibuprofen, run it off and to go and collect my Wales kit. But my conscience got the better of me. I told them that I was injured and so they refused to give it to me. I felt like I was being too honest. I saw my kit on the table but I ended up skulking away. I never got my kit and I never knew what happened to it."

The injury kept Phil out of action for an entire season but he returned

Iconnect like to to my audience through

empathy

a year later to score a try on his first game back for Newport. Then a couple of months later against his old team Glamorgan Wanderers, more bad luck struck as Phil heard a tearing noise and found out that he'd injured his knee in the seventh minute of injury time.

"I was sent to see the doctor and in those days, they just put you in plaster. I remember waking up at 2am and panicking that I couldn't get the plaster off. It felt like I had a python wrapped around my leg and I phoned my then fiancée and broke down in tears.

"I didn't realise it at the time but I'd suffered a panic attack and went on to suffer deep depression while in recovery. I eventually got back into the game but I was never the player that I was before the injury."

Today, most people will recognise Phil for his jovial pitch side banter on TV and radio. But behind the affable exterior, Phil has struggled with anxiety and depression for over 20 years.

"I was a teacher at the point in my life when I was injured and I remember going to church once and thinking that the priest had a nice life. I decided that I'd become a priest but then started battling with the idea in my head. These conflicts in my mind were driving me crazy and I was eventually put on tablets before I decided to flush them down the toilet.

"I married my first wife Liz in 1985 but I was still struggling with my mental health. They say that when it comes to fear, number three on the list of people's biggest fears is financial ruin. Number two is dying, and number one is public speaking.

More people are afraid of speaking in public than they are of dying. I have done both at the same time and that’s worse!"

Phil's battle with depression has now been documented in his new book, Nerves of Steele, which has already drawn praise from both readers and critics.

"I was approached by St. David's Press to write my autobiography and the first thing I thought was why anyone would want to read a story about me. But then I realised that I had a story to tell - my battle with depression is not an isolated case, and I thought that if the book could help at least one person with their problems, then I would have done something to help."

Phil's book, that was co-written with Merthyr author Anthony Bunko, has already received rave reviews.

Phil takes out his phone and

shows me a message he's recently received from another rugby player who'd read the book and had been inspired by it.

"That makes me very proud," he says beaming.

Phil celebrates his 23rd year as a freelance reporter and public speaker this year. He regularly features on Scrum V and BBC Radio Wales and his style is one that has endeared him to the nation's heart.

"I talk about this a lot in the book but my style is just the way I am.

I don't fear the broadcasting side of things because as far as I'm concerned, I'm only speaking to one person and that's the camera operator. I like to connect with my audience through empathy.

As a former player, I've got an understanding of what their thought processes are. I'd never go ripping into a player who's had a shocker of a game because I know exactly how that feels. I still have that passion for the game that I had all those years ago and I feel that my broadcasting and public speaking is a way for me to feel validated as a person. It makes me feel a bit more in control of my life."

Tragedies in Phil's life have been enough to challenge anyone.

“I lost my mother on Christmas Day in 1985 and then my dad was killed in a road accident in 1988,” he says.

“I also lost my sister to alcoholism when she was just 37 in 2002. Then in 2009, I lost Liz my wife of 24 years to a brain tumour - she was ill for just 6 weeks before her death."

Despite this, Phil now feels more at ease with life: "I consider myself happy now.

I've been well for the past 12 years or so. I met my now wife Kate just before Christmas in 2011 and we got married in 2013. Kate loves her rugby too and we went on the Lions tour for our honeymoon.

"I'm very much blessed."

Nerves of Steele is available from www.st-davids-press.wales in both paperback and ebook format from Amazon and Waterstones

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Since its launch in 1995, Rhiwbina’s Gateway of India has gone from strength to strength, serving delicious and healthy food to the people of Rhiwbina and picking up many awards on the way. But big plans are afoot.

Here’s how the much-loved takeaway is flying the flag for Rhiwbina and our community

O

nly the best is good enough.

It’s a motto that has carried Rhiwbina’s Gateway of India to many successes over the last two decades. But these aren’t just hollow words. Everything about this award-winning takeaway is backed up with distinction and passionfrom the highest quality ingredients through to the personable and friendly service in store.

“It’s this that makes the difference here at the Gateway of India,” says owner Moslaur Rahman. “From the highest quality premium meat to the finest onions we can find, we only ever buy the very best ingredients. We tread our own path with our famous blast-chilled, heat-at-home philosophy which we believe gives you a fresher, more nutritious taste and greater convenience around busy lives,” he says.

The takeaway, which opened in 1995, is a firm favourite for Rhiwbina residents and beyond.

“From the bottom of my heart, it’s been an absolute honour to serve the local community for the last 22 years,” says Moslaur. “I feel humbled to have seen and known so many customers over the years. It’s great to know that the Gateway of India plays a special part in people’s lives, whether we are providing a family meal or catering for bigger functions.”

The business has recently undergone an extensive rebrand to reflect its dedication to the art of Indian cooking.

“We’ve been working with LimeGreenTangerine, one of Cardiff’s leading branding design agencies. They’ve produced a great new look for us that reflects our vibrancy and authenticity to the Indian culture. We’ve also been working with WhirlMedia, who have taken over the marketing and business development.”

The shop itself has also been refurbished to an exemplar standard. Passers-by will have noticed that the takeaway is now more colourful and lively.

“Our shop is now a vibrant and exciting place to visit. Guests can be transported to the way of Indian life thanks to the new projector that continuously shows Bollywood music videos. We’ve even had people up dancing!”

Even the furniture reflects the Gateway’s authenticity - being made from reclaimed Indian wood.

Perhaps one of the biggest recent announcements has been the new delivery service to the local area, which has now been extended to all of Cardiff. At the moment, they are offering free delivery as an initial promotion, before they start a £5 delivery fee.

In addition to this, the Gateway of India will be offering an overnight delivery service to anywhere in the UK. “The food is just as delicious cooked from frozen and it gives other customers the opportunity to experience our much-loved Indian food. Whether it’s local students who are away and missing home, or whether you want to send someone a treat box of yumminess, the new online courier service means that more and more people can enjoy our food.”

The meals are packaged inside polystyrene boxes and insulated with cardboard. A courier picks up and delivers within 24 hours.

The launch of their new website in conjunction with the rebrand has certainly put the icing on the cake. With more and more people using the internet to organise

their lives, a functional and attractive website is a must-have service for any business.

Visitors to the site can browse the extensive menu, order their food online and even set up deliveries.

“Customers can also subscribe to our popular mailing list. We email everyone on our list every Thursday to let them know what delicious specials my wife Ellen has created for the weekend,” says Moslaur.

Ellen’s Specials have become something of an anticipated event and they often sell out well before the weekend finishes.

The food forms the cornerstone of the Gateway’s continued success and Moslaur is passionate about its preparation, its creation and its delivery.

“We go to great lengths to look after your health. From premium fresh Welsh lamb to farm assured Norfolk chicken, every ingredient meets our exceptional standards.

“All our dishes are nutritionally analysed and have a shelf life of 5 days. Our quality, cleanliness, passion, dedication and integrity shines through every dish on our menu. We don’t use any artificial colouring agents and all our rice is grown in the Himalayas.”

Looking after customers’ health is important to Moslaur and he has developed a lowcalorie menu for customers.

“Each recipe is perfected using traditional methods and closely guarded, family recipes developed over decades. Locking in the nutrition giving a fresher flavour just order at your leisure and swiftly heat it up in the oven, microwave or hob when you’re ready to eat.”

The Gateway’s new Grab & Go service allows customers to simply take their chosen meal from the fridge without having to wait for it to be prepared.

For added convenience, the Gateway is now open from 12pm on a Saturday, but Moslaur is always happy to see his customers: “If you’re passing and our lights are on, pop in for some food.

We’ve got plenty of food freshly prepared for you in our new

fridges so it’s simply a case of Grab and Go! Our chefs create the dishes daily and each meal comes in a container that can be frozen, microwaved or even popped in the oven. The eco-friendly containers are made from sugar cane and are biodegradable. Reducing our carbon footprint and doing what we can to be respectful to the environment is important to us.”

Moslaur is also on the look out for more pop up events where he can showcase his food.

“We recently provided the catering at a rooftop cinema event at Jacob’s Antiques. We are proud to have been awarded the Hospitality Award for South Wales for Restaurant of the Year, so we are able to provide excellent catering facilities for events and occasions.”

Ultimately, the love that Moslaur gives to his cooking and his service is reflected back by his patrons and

the community.

“We feel a great sense of pride about the way that the people of the community feel about our takeaway. It goes back to the saying that only the best is good enough and we like to think that Rhiwbina is well deserving of a place like the Gateway of India.”

www.gatewayofindia.co.uk

You can't get much lower than this He’s played in more than 2,000 concerts. Yorkshire born, but now a long-term Rhiwbina resident, Dr Edward Hellewell has a story to tell “My orchestral adventures began in the days of blackouts and rationing towards the end of World War 2. I’d started playing the violin at the age of 7, and by the age of 9, I’d played my first full symphony, sitting at the back of the second violins. It took place in the Memorial Hall in a village in Yorkshire’s Upper Dearne Valley.

“My debut as an orchestra professional came a couple of years later when I was asked to join a local ‘pit band’ accompanying amateur operatic society performances for which I was paid between £1 and 30 shillings for a band call and 5 shows. I was involved with violin

28

competitions too but I never fancied those too much. I did them to keep my parents happy and although I usually ended up in the top 25%, I hated it. A fellow competitor was Rodney Friend and I can’t recall Rodney ever being beaten in a competition. He always performed without music and at the time, I thought what a marvellous memory he must have had. It only dawned on me later that it all came down to the sheer amount of practice he’d put in. Needless to say, he went on to become one of the most outstanding English-born violinists.”

But by the age of 14, Edward had lost interest in the violin.

“I’d realised that violins didn’t have much street cred in the rough and tumble mining and textile district we were living in. I was taking more interest in dance bands, and especially the smaller traditional jazz bands that were getting their own radio broadcasts.

“My violin days ended quite abruptly when I entered a

competition and was placed way down the list of competitors. The adjudicator told me that I needed to work on my technique. He was probably being cruel to be kind, but I was so disgusted that I threw the music away and vowed never to play the violin again. I thought my parents, who were both music lovers and competent pianists would hit the roof but to their credit, they took it with good grace and didn’t try to persuade me otherwise.”

Despite music being part of Edward’s life for so long, he didn’t miss the daily practice.

“I honestly felt a sense of freedom and for several months, I did nothing. Then one evening, I happened to call around to see a friend of mine who was a cornet player. His dad was the conductor of a colliery band, and he was sitting in the corner reading a newspaper. He looked up from reading his paper and asked me: ‘Fancy playing the trombone?’

Up until then, I hadn’t thought of playing a brass instrument but I agreed to give it a go. I was given

people an old, patched-up trombone and I practised hard. The bandsmen taught me a lot. Here they were, working-class collierymen, but also skilled musicians too. I felt like they were teaching me how to be more than a musician - they were also teaching me how to be a grown up.

“I made good progress but some players suggested to my Dad that I would benefit from private lessons. I was taken under the wing of Grenville Richmond, principal trombone of the world famous Brighouse & Rastrick Band. Every Saturday morning for 3 years, I’d have my lesson at Grenville’s parent’s house. Subsequently, three nights a week at Barnsley Technical College after a shift on the coal face eventually won me a County Major Scholarship. During these times I was able to freelance in the brass band, dance band and jazz band worlds.”

Edward went to Leeds University to study mining engineering. He took his love of music with him: “The trombone went along with me and I joined the university orchestra. During the second year, Frank Mumby the conductor came to me saying that they’d lost their double bass player and asked if I’d like to have a go. I told him that I’d only ever played it pizzicato in a dance band. ‘Don’t worry too much about that. You’ll soon pick it up.’ he said.

“He told me that the bass and its bow were in the practice room and when I got there, I was horror struck to find it larger than I was expecting and worse – it had four strings and I had no idea what they had to be tuned to. In a panic, I rushed down to the nearest music shop where I bought for 2/6d, a 32 page book called How To Play The Double Bass – I still have it today! I reckoned that in no time at all, my virtuosity on the double bass would be guaranteed.

Sadly, progress was disappointing. I warned Frank about this and he told me to simplify the parts just as bass players of old.

“As the opening number, we played Beethoven’s Egmont Overture and with dreadful intonation, I just played what I could. I don’t think Beethoven would have been too impressed with what

I’d done to his work but I did start enjoying the feeling of providing the low notes to the orchestral sound.”

Edward’s gradual move to the double bass came about while he was in his early twenties: “An invitation saw me playing trombone in the Huddersfield Philharmonic. After university, my interest in the double bass continued and I managed to borrow one from a family on the outskirts of Huddersfield. I was getting bored in the trombone section and mentioned the fact that I was interested in the double bass to the orchestra’s section principal. He immediately thrust his Italian Ceruti masterpiece in my direction and asked me to show him what I could do. A few major scales and a few bars of The Elephant and the role was mine!

“Over subsequent years, thanks to a lot of hard work, my competence as a double bass player grew and I was able to play with orchestras in many parts of the UK. I joined the Cardiff Philharmonic in the late 1980s and have been with this excellent orchestra ever since.

“I’m often asked what it’s really like to play in an orchestra. Leaving aside the emotional aspects for a moment, much depends on the physical environment where the concert is taking place. A nice bright air-conditioned concert hall certainly inspires confidence in a musician. Lighting is also an important factor, especially when you’re looking to spot notes and marks on the score, which can be a devil in gloomy surroundings.

“Perhaps the most trying and sometimes depressing venues are churches and cathedrals.

They are often cold and draughty with dreadful lighting. Space restriction can also be an issue.

On the emotional side of things, one can only speak from personal experience. But of that experience, emotions range from elation, to inner calm, sheer terror and boredom. For me, Nimrod from Elgar’s Enigma Variations is very emotional and so beautiful to play that I could almost cry. I’m similarly affected by the slow movement of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto.

“Going away on tour from the orchestra’s main base can also be tiring but it’s usually a fun experience. There’s a lot of lighthearted banter and opportunities to get to know your colleagues better.

“Of course, part of the thrill of live music is that there are no second chances. There is constant pressure

to achieve perfection which can place enormous psychological stress on a performer. A tough mental attitude can help and in some ways, makes us similar to sporting types such as snooker players or golfers.

“Despite their undoubted skills, professional orchestra musicians, in my view, are seriously underpaid. In what other profession do members begin their studies often well before they have reached their teenage years? From thereon, there is no let up either, with working for grades, competitions and auditions. Despite all the uncertainty, the pool of young talent doing the rounds of auditions seeking a permanent orchestral position is huge.”

Edward is very reflective of his decades in music: “Over 60 years of bass playing has taken its toll. 10 years ago I had to undergo an operation on my shoulder to have a chunk of bone removed under general anaesthetic.

“The difficulties of playing the bass stem entirely from its size.

Transporting such a heavy and unwieldy instrument also presents its own problems. There’s the issue of getting the instrument from the car into the concert hall, wherever it may be. Flights of stairs and springloaded doors are a bass player’s nightmare.

“Finally, it is worth noting that the bass is quite physically demanding to play and requires a fair amount of strength, particularly in the fingers, often resulting in chronic arthritis.

For this reason, compared to other orchestral instruments, prolonged periods of practice on the bass are not possible. This excuse can be used to good effect by youngsters who are reluctant to practice.”

To celebrate his long bass playing career, Edward has written a lighthearted and informative book You Can’t Get Lower Than This – Notes from a Veteran Orchestral Bassist which has recently been published

by Graig Press.

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Property Advice with Chambers Estate Agents Tax Relief Changes for Landlords in 2017 During the 2015 Summer Budget, then Chancellor Osborne announced changes to mortgage financial relief that directly affects buy-to-let landlords.

As well as changes to the mortgage financial relief, George Osborne also announced the removal of wear and tear relief and an increase in stamp duty for landlords buying an investment property. The purpose of these changes is to put first-time buyers in a more advantageous position when competing with investors over property.

What will change?

Firstly, the new tax rules will see a 20% flat rate of tax relief introduced for mortgage and finance interest.

Currently, landlords can deduct the interest generated from their mortgage along with other costs before calculating their taxable profit. The profit is then taxed at a marginal rate, the standard rate being 20%, the higher rate of 40% and an additional rate of 45%.

From the 6th April 2017, landlords will no longer be able to deduct mortgage interest costs, but all landlords will be able to deduct 20% of tax relief regardless of what marginal rate they currently pay. Finance interest on loans and overdrafts will be taken into consideration.

Who is affected?

All buy-to-let landlords, home and abroad, will be affected by the tax relief changes. The new scheme will affect all landlords who are paying tax in the UK and rent property in the UK or abroad, and it will also apply to ex-pat or foreign landlords who are letting property in the UK, even if they are managing the property from abroad.

There are investors who will not be tied to these tax changes and they include property companies, commercial landlords, and landlords who manage holiday let businesses.

If you are a landlord who has a portfolio that contains both residential and commercial properties, then it will be your responsibility to split the interest between the categories fairly.

W

alters has evolved in many ways over the decades and this year is no different.

Walters Tš Bach Twt Interiors will be going back to the root of the business that began in the 1970s with the emphasis on interiors.

Wallpaper | Fabric | Curtains | Upholstery | Paint | Blinds | Flooring | Furniture | Home accessories | Gifts

50A Merthyr Rd, Cardiff CF14 1DJ www.tybachtwtinteriors.co.uk 02920 610202

HMRC guidelines for the new tax relief...

The HMRC guidelines for the new tax relief scheme state that finance costs will not be used to calculate taxable property profits. Instead, the new system will first see income tax on property profits along with other income sources being assessed. Following this, any income tax liability will be reduced by a basic rate tax reduction.

This means higher rate tax payers are more likely to have to pay more tax on their property profits, while basic rate tax payers may not see as sharp an increase, if any, though they should have a good understanding of the tax changes.

Chambers Estate Agents have been situated in the heart of Whitchurch village for 25 years and have been managing properties and portfolios for clients since we first opened our doors all those years ago. For expert advice, please contact our property management team on 029 2052 2106 or via email – info@chambersestateagents.co.uk. If you are a Landlord and you are looking for advice on how to increase your portfolio then please pop in and see us. We have a selection of properties available and can advise on likely returns and margin for growth.

Chambers Estate Agents

35 Merthyr Road, Whitchurch, Cardiff CF14 1DB 02920 522106 www.chambersestateagents.co.uk

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From free initial design to completion Loft conversion specialists with 25 years experience in the field Based in Cardiff and covering Wales and the West

Project underway on Pantbach Road, Rhiwbina Check its progress on our website

Showroom: 107 Caerphilly Road, Birchgrove, Cardiff CF14 4QA

02920 628387 w: www.loft-pro.co.uk e: sales@loft-pro.co.uk

Spring is in the air and we’re so excited, we’ve wet our plants!

Get ready…. Get set….

It’s March and gardeners everywhere are poised on the starting blocks, ready to launch into a positive whirlwind of seed sowing, planting, growing and tending, as spring arrives at last. With a visit to Pugh’s, you’ll not only get new season inspiration from the Garden Centre but we also have over 10 additional concessions where you can find just about everything you need for your home, garden and outdoor living in one convenient location.

Set your egg timers – Easter is coming!

Hatching up a plan for the Easter holidays? Make sure to check our Workshops and Events listings on our website as we’ll be running both children’s and adult workshops during April. Visit www.pughsgardencentre.co.uk/workshops-events. If you’re on the hunt for some egg-ceptional Easter gifts, then make sure to pop by our Ty Nant Farm Shop which is currently brimming with treats and gifts for the Easter Holidays, as well as Fresh Welsh Farmers Market Eggs and other fresh local produce.

Open 7 days a week | Pugh’s Garden Village, Ty Nant Nurseries, Morganstown, Radyr CF15 8LB

02920 848 000

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spruce up your home for spring A time for renewal and rejuvenation. Spring offers us the chance to blow away the cobwebs and breathe new life into our homes

1. Hana Eden fabric £33m² This beautiful fabric from Villa Nova depicts clusters of blossoming wisteria hanging in great trails of vibrantly coloured flowers.

From Curtain Raisers, Whitchurch

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2. Glass Ball Hanging Terrariums from £8.99 These hanging displays give a really dynamic look and feel to a room, allowing you to explore new dimensions.

From Pugh's Garden Centre, Radyr

3. New England shelving unit £99 Looking for storage?

This wonderful homely shelving unit comes with an antique white finish and a limed natural wood top.

From Tŷ Bach Twt Interiors, Whitchurch

4. Candlestick holders £14 & £19 Bring a little light into your home this spring with these delightful metal and glass candlestick holders, available in large and small sizes.

From Secret Shed, Rhiwbina

5. Penrose Smoke Mirror £49.99 A wonderful contemporary addition to any home this spring, this mirror has a smoked distressed frame.

From Tŷ Bach Twt Interiors, Whitchurch

home interiors

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7 10

9 6. Flower Posies from £10 Spring flowers always brighten a home. The myriad of colours will enhance any room and add a fresh, natural fragrance to your home.

From Flower Lodge Rhiwbina

7. Handmade Wreaths £14.99 Simple and stylish, these handmade wreaths have been carefully crafted from wood and natural materials.

Can be displayed all year round!

From Secret Shed, Rhiwbina

8. Birlea Sloane Chair £399 Its colourful design means that it is adaptable to fit with most colour schemes and is sure to add vibrance to any room.

From Cardiff Bed & Furniture Centre, Whitchurch

9. Standing Wooden Geese £8.99 These colourful wooden geese have a rustic shabby finish and are painted in pretty pastel colours.

From Tŷ Bach Twt Interiors, Whitchurch

10. Candles and diffusers from £4.99 Add an extra sense to your home this spring with natural candles, diffusers and room sprays beautiful products, all inspired by nature.

From Flower Lodge Rhiwbina

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The Art Workshop Art courses for all abilities

Join one of our friendly classes taught by a team of qualified tutors Drawing Classic and contemporary

Oil Painting The versatile medium Watercolour Bring your paintings to life Printmaking Collograph and linocut magic

Mixed Media Collage, inks, gouache and more

Adult Courses · Young Artists Art Academy (ages 7-12) Half term and Holiday Workshops · Private tuition · Group and Corporate Events

3 Lon Fach, Rhiwbina, Cardiff CF14 6DY For timetable and booking see w: www.theartworkshop.co.uk e: theartworkshop@live.co.uk t:075 61 507638

Heath Park Slimming World Group Saturdays 7.30am & 9.30am Heath Citizens Community Hall King George Vth Drive East Cardiff CF14 4EP

Contact Sian on 07966 034640 for more information

Let us unlock the true potential of what you can be Here at Coco Hair and Beauty, the new you starts with an in-depth consultation with your personal stylist. We will discuss your current hair routine, and together we’ll talk you through our entire experience.

Whether you need a style maintenance or whether it’s time for a complete change, our attention to detail and professionalism remains consistent.

Let our team of style and colour professionals empower you with the beauty and confidence you deserve.

We also aim to harness your inner glow through our range of beauty services including facials, nail care, eye treatments, massage and multiple waxing options.

All tailored to suit your individual requirements, naturally.

Coco Hair & Beauty | 21 Heol-Y-Deri, Cardiff CF14 6HA

029 2061 3321 | www.cococardiff.com

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LUNCH MENU

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ECIAL

SP

SPE

for TWO courses

Elvis will be back: 27.06.17 J.C.Aron, the Juboraj’s favourite Elvis is once again coming to Rhiwbina.

Full 3 course meal and two sets. Contact the restaurant to book your seat.

LY R A

EVE

ONLY

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£10.95 for TWO courses

G MENU

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£7.95

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ONLY

ELVIS IS BACK!

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LUNCH L A

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CARDIFF’S BEST LOVED ASIAN RESTAURANTS

EARLY EVENING Special Early Evening Menu Available 5pm – 6.30pm*

Special Lunch Menu Available 12 – 2pm

The award winning Juboraj serves an authentic lunch

The award winning Juboraj offers a special rate to those who like their meals a little earlier

Not to be missed, with nonvegetarian and vegetarian dishes on the menu there's something for everyone.

Don't forget to leave room for dessert.

This special set rate is available between 5.00pm and 6.30pm from Monday to Thursday only.

Why not treat the whole family to a Juboraj at this special rate?

Choice of Any* Starter Choice of any* Main Course Choice of any* Rice or Nan

Served daily from 12pm -2pm at a special price of just £7.95

*Terms and conditions Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer.

To qualify for this superb dining offer orders must be placed before 6.30pm. Telephone pre-orders are not accepted. NB: Does not include Kebab Platter, King Prawn or Duck dishes, Mixed Tandoori or Juboraj Special Biriyani.

A la carte menu also available at 25% discount 10% optional service charge will be added to bill. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer.

NB This menu is not available between the 10th December and the 31st December

JUBORAJ RESTAURANTS LUNCH | EVENING | PARTIES

11 Heol Y Deri, Rhiwbina : 029 2062 8894 w w w . ju b o rajg ro u p . co m

DON’T FORGE T

RHIW FESTIBINA VAL SAT 1.7.17

The Battle of St. Fagans T

he English Civil War broke out fewer than forty years after the death of Queen Elizabeth I. Her death in 1603 saw the accession of King James VI of Scotland, who became James I of England and Ireland from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24th March 1603 until his death.

Both Scotland and England were individual sovereign states with their own parliaments, judiciary, and laws, though both were ruled by James in personal union.

Almost straight away, James faced the constraints of the English Parliament which were stronger than what he had been used to north of the border.

When James's son Charles succeeded the throne in 1625, there had been relative peace between the three countries of England, Scotland and Ireland. Charles was hopeful that it would stay that way to honour his father's wish of a unified country.

But there was unease at this plan among the Parliamentarians. They were worried that setting up a new kingdom might destroy the old English traditions which had bound the English monarchy. They were also concerned about Charles'

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It was one of the largest battles to ever have taken place in Wales. Over 300 men were killed and over 3,000 taken prisoner. The events of 8th May 1648 in fields near St Fagans played a major part in the history of the UK

marriage to the Roman Catholic, French princess Henrietta Maria.

Friction between Charles and the Parliamentarians grew, both over the nation's financial matters and over military strategies. Charles also attempted to implement his own brand of High Anglicanism throughout the land. Those who objected faced arrest and even violence. When Charles attempted to introduce his brand of religion in Scotland, they were having none of it. Charles eventually backed down and promised not to meddle in Scottish religion again.

But in 1640, Charles attempted to suppress the Scots without Parliament's backing. His armies were repulsed several times, leaving Charles with no option but to recall Parliament to finance the suppression.

Charles and Parliament clashed on many topics and in January 1642, Charles and 400 soldiers set out to arrest 5 members of the House of Commons on the grounds of treason.

The attempt failed and when the group arrived at Parliament to find the five, the Speaker told Charles

that his loyalties lay with Parliament and not with him as King.

After the failure to arrest the 5 MPs, and fearing for his safety, Charles fled to the north of England.

Negotiations between the King and what became known as the Long Parliament proved fruitless, and towns and villages across the country began proclaiming their support for one of the two factions. During the summer of 1642, Charles attempted to acquire arms from Kingston upon Hull.

Sir John Hotham, the military governor appointed by Parliament the previous January refused, and sent Charles and his men scurrying.

history Violence began breaking out in several towns and deaths were beginning to be reported.

The Civil War began to make its presence known in all parts of society. Following his humiliation at Hull, Charles took his troops to Nottingham and raised the royal standard. His supporters began building a large army around it.

Before long, Charles and his army headed south-west towards the Severn Valley where support was believed to be strongest.

At first, things went well for the Royalist cause. They won the Battle of Adwalton Moor and took most of Yorkshire. Then they won the Battle of Powick Bridge in Worcester. They also took a large part of the West Country.

But by the autumn of 1643, the tide began to turn. With the help of the Scots, Parliament won at Marston Moor gaining York and the north of England. Oliver Cromwell's conduct in this battle proved decisive, and demonstrated his potential as both a political and an important military leader.

In 1645, Parliament reaffirmed its determination to fight the war to a finish. It passed the Self-denying Ordinance, by which all members of either House of Parliament reorganised its main forces into the New Model Army, under the command of Sir Thomas Fairfax.

Cromwell would be his secondin-command and LieutenantGeneral of Horse. In two decisive engagements - the Battle of Naseby on 14th June and the Battle of Langport on 10th July the Parliamentarians effectively destroyed Charles' armies.

Charles was eventually handed over to the English Parliament by the Scots and was imprisoned, marking the end of the First English Civil War in 1646.

However, a series of Royalist uprisings throughout England and a Scottish invasion occurred in the summer of 1648.

Here in Wales, Parliamentarian troops were also feeling aggrieved that they had not been paid for several months. Furthermore, they were feeling uneasy that Parliament was ringing the changes in leadership. The troops feared that they would be disbanded without pay. These fears soon became realised and in April 1648, they staged a Royalist rebellion under the command of Colonel John Poyer, the Governor of Pembroke Castle. He was supported in his cause by Major-General Rowland

Laugharne, his district commander, and Colonel Rice Powell.

Poyer refused to hand over his castle to his successor Colonel Fleming, publicly declaring his loyalty to the King. He claimed that he had personally helped finance the defence of Pembroke, and that his claims for reimbursement had been met with silence.

Poyer refused to hand the castle over until the arrears were paid. Early in March, Parliament passed an ordinance declaring that Poyer was to be considered a traitor unless he surrendered the castle to Fleming. Encouraged by Royalist agents, Poyer's response was to attack and rout Fleming's forces. His action led to widespread opposition to disbandment among the Welsh troops and encouraged a Royalist insurrection in South Wales.

Eventually, the Parliamentary commander in South Wales, MajorGeneral Laugharne, also switched sides and took control of the rebel army.

Parliament faced a major rebellion.

It was decided that Sir Thomas Fairfax would dispatch around 3,000 professional troops and cavalry, under the command of Colonel Thomas Horton to South Wales.

Laugharne’s army meanwhile had swelled to 500 cavalry and 7,500 volunteers. Most of these were just armed with clubs and billhooks.

Laugharne began his march on St Fagans. What he didn’t know was that Horton had got there before him and was awaiting reinforcements from LieutenantGeneral Oliver Cromwell. Laugharne was keen to defeat Horton before backup arrived and after a short skirmish, Laugharne decided to launch a surprise attack on May 8th.

Shortly after 7am, Laugharne sent 500 of his infantry to attack the Parliamentary outposts. The infantry were easily beaten back by the well-drilled Parliamentary soldiers.

The battle soon descended into guerrilla fighting with Royalist troops attempting to ambush their enemy. Before long though, the

A portrait of Oliver Cromwell superior training and numbers of cavalry in the Parliamentarian ranks soon told and they began advancing at the Royalists. Panic set in among the Royalist camp.

A last ditch attempt to rally the Royalist forces – a cavalry attack led

by Laugharne himself – failed and within just two hours, the Royalist army had been routed. 300 Royalist troops had been killed and over 3000 taken prisoner, the remainder fleeing west to Pembroke Castle with Laugharne and his senior officers. Here they endured an eight week siege before surrendering to Cromwell’s forces.

The Site today The Battle of St Fagans between Parliamentary and Welsh Royalist forces took place on 8th May 1648 'on the rising ground at the west side of the Rhydlaver brook, where it bears the name of Nant Dowlais and crosses the road which leads from St Fagans to St y Nyll, the little bridge over the brook.'

The present bridge is at grid reference ST 10440 77910; an earlier bridge, shown on the first edition of the Ordnance Survey 25in map, was some 30m to the north east at ST 10466 77928.

Several skeletons, some small cannon balls, and a pike have been uncovered in the area.

Nearby mounds are also said to be related to the battle.

37

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5 Easy Ways Your Garden Can Increase the Value of Your Home with Jones Battye

You may be surprised to learn that about 30% of all defects we discover during home surveys are in the garden. Well-maintained outside space can increase the value of your home by as much as 20%, or £60,000 based on the average UK house price, and yet it is often the most neglected and forgotten part of our homes. There may be many reasons for this, but there are a few easy things you can do to increase value and more importantly, to increase your own enjoyment of the space.

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We have a large range of vegetable 3 plants and flower plants. We also ba g s o f stock loose seeds, award-winning c ompos t fo r hanging baskets, a full range of £1 2 composts, greenhouse glass and perspex, perennials, shrubs, fruit trees and much much more. Visit our website for more details or call. Bring your children to see our army tanks!

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1. Keep things simple – it doesn’t have to be fancy and you don’t need to be the next Alan Titchmarsh to make a real difference. Most of us lead hectic lives and a lowmaintenance garden is very appealing.

2. Consider the balance between your house and garden. As an example, family homes need family friendly gardens and generally that means lawn to play on and no ponds or dangerous steps or drops. A safe garden is high on the list of requirements for parents with young children. In contrast, young professionals generally don’t want the bother of a lawn but are looking for attractive seating areas and entertaining space.

3. Get the main structures right before all the pretty bits. Wonky garden walls, rotten fencing, over-grown hedges and cracked retaining walls are all common defects and can be very off-putting to potential purchasers.

4. Sheds are now officially cool and a well-cared for one is much in demand. Out-buildings offer valuable additional living space and increasingly are not just for storing the lawn mower, but have a variety of lifestyle uses including home offices, teenage dens and outdoor kitchens.

5. Everyone loves a well-designed terrace that extends the living area of the house outside. So, keep your paths and terrace weed-free and in good order, grow easy, attractive evergreen plants, such as buxus, in pots and consider paving instead of decking as it has a much longer lifespan.

So, whether you are selling or staying this Spring, or if your outdoor space is large or small, as the weather improves, perhaps it’s time to consider rediscovering the hidden value in your home.

For professional advice, property valuation and RICS Home Surveys, give us a call on 02920 625433, visit www.jonesbattye.com or pop in to see us at 5 Heol y Deri, Rhiwbina, Cardiff

colours

of spring

Splashes of garden colour are usually associated with autumn.

Kevin Revell explains why we don't have to wait until then

T

he arrival of spring in the garden is epitomised by the blossom-laden, bare branches of trees and shrubs. But something else stirs; the arrival of fresh new foliage is another notable spring event. The fresh apple-green of the hedgerow hawthorn is mirrored in our gardens by an ever-changing verdant tapestry in a rich palate of shades of green, played out day by day before our expectant eyes. So far so green; it is undoubtedly the dominant colour in the countryside and garden and it may be a restful, calming colour. Occasionally though, it is nice to see a flash of gold in the sun, or a dash of purple adding weight to a familiar view.

Many variegated plants such as holly, Ilex aquifolium ‘Silver Queen’ or spotted laurel Aucuba japonica ‘Gold King’, can brighten a shaded corner and give some light relief to the overwhelming dull green twilight.

Of course, some will maintain that green is the natural colour of plants and that anything else is garish or unnatural. While it is true that most are derived from the propagation of chance mutations of unusually coloured shoots of more normal looking parent plants, these unruly offspring can be unstable and

40

the coloured plants often revert back to their original green colour.

Admittedly the garden should be predominantly green – any attempt otherwise would just seem tasteless and odd, but variety is the spice of life and some coloured plants will provide the counterpoint by which other greens are judged.

Many plants exhibit colourful foliage changes in the autumn but why wait until then? There are a number of plants which offer bright foliage from spring through the summer, and often into the autumn too. The finest of these are listed below, having stood the test of time and found to be good garden performers all in the best possible taste.

Top Five Plants With Colourful Spring Foliage Berberis thunbergii ‘Orange Rocket’ – Barberry

Many of the deciduous barberries exhibit attractive foliage colour, from the purple ‘Atropurpurea’ to the golden ‘Maria’ but the everchanging tones of ‘Orange Rocket’ along with its compact, upright habit make it a must for any garden.

It also makes a good choice for

growing in a pot. The brightness of the early orange foliage in spring gradually becomes suffused with burgundy, before turning shades of cerise in autumn - this really is an essential shrub for any garden.

The pale, yellow flowers, although not showy, are borne in profusion and are attractive to bees. The resultant small, flask-shaped red berries in autumn are attractive to birds and festoon the bushes like tiny Christmas baubles, but the blackbirds rarely wait for Twelfth Night before removing them.

gardens Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Variegata’ – New Zealand Lemonwood

Choisya ternata ‘Sundance’ – Mexican Orange Bright golden evergreen foliage is at a premium in the garden but this increasingly popular plant has it in spadefuls. Aromatic foliage which smells of orange blossom, and fragrant white spring flowers are another reason to select this plant.

Slower growing than the original green form, this variety rarely gets too large but can be controlled at 1.5 metres. A sheltered, sunny position is preferred as the tips can be nipped by frost and scorched by strong sun, but a light clip will soon result in fresh regrowth. This is an excellent plant to contrast with other evergreen plants in shades of green and makes a cheerful subject for a large patio planter or pot. Try teaming it with one of the coloured forms of Berberis for a dazzling display over a long period of time.

Photinia fraserii ‘Red Robin’ – Photinia This may be a common sight in many gardens but the sheer audacity of new foliage in spring is hard to beat. New foliage erupts in a blast of molten red, only to cool and return to the dull green later in the summer. The plant can be tricked into a second spring if the foliage is cut back as soon as it fades.

Usually found lurking at the back of borders, it deserves to be given a more prominent spot and is also an ideal plant for hedging and screening, achieving a substantial 3-4 metres in height. It will need cutting back several times a year to keep it in check though. A good mulch with organic matter and a dose of fertiliser in spring will ensure that it remains in top condition year after year.

A relatively uncommon plant in our gardens but one that should be planted more widely. The regular forms inject a note of sea green into the garden but the bright variegation of this form makes it an excellent choice alongside solid greens such as viburnums or laurels. It is at its most intense in early spring when the newly emerging leaves sing out to announce their arrival. Small purple-brown flowers have to be sought out but you won’t miss their honeyed scent as it drifts on the early summer breeze. A relatively tall, narrow shrub at 3-4 metres, smaller forms such as the purple ‘Tom Thumb’ and olive green ‘Golf Ball’ are a more modest 1 metre high and more suitable for planting in tubs and containers, having equally interesting coloured foliage.

Spiraea bumalda ‘Magic Carpet’ – Spiraea

Orange is an uncommon foliage colour in the garden. This is a dwarf form of Spiraea that bears reddish new growth that fades to orange before turning acid yellow later in the year. The ever-changing spectacle makes it one of the most popular plants in garden centres and also displays good autumn colour. At less than 30cm high, this compact form is ideal for pots and containers having a long season of interest, and will not swamp other plants if grown in the border. Even the dormant stems in winter have a twisted sculptural form; this is truly a plant for all seasons. Hard pruning will keep the foliage fresh, although this is one plant which will not grow too big for its surroundings.

Kevin Revell is Plant Area Manager at Caerphilly Garden Centre

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Tucked away in a quiet corner of Llandaff, St. Michael's Centre is fast becoming the international conferencing centre of choice.

With its unique historical setting, upto-date conferencing facilities and quality accommodation, St Michael's Centre really can offer the complete package Llandaff is full of surprises but none more perhaps than St Michael's Centre, nestled quietly within the familiar buildings of the village.

Owned by the Church in Wales, this Grade II listed building is fast-becoming an international destination for groups looking for a unique meeting and conference venue.

The St Michael’s site in Llandaff has historically been the centre of residential ministry training for the Church in Wales. However, on 1st July 2016, following broad consultation across the Church in Wales, the St Padarn’s Institute, a new Training Institute to lead all ministry training in the Church in Wales, was formed. At the same time, the St Michael’s College site at Llandaff transformed to become the St Michael’s Centre, offering conferencing, meeting, hospitality and accommodation facilities to the wider market.

Although the St Padarn’s Institute continues for the time being to have a base at St Michael’s Centre, their footprint is much reduced and increasing elements of their training previously based there are now delivered at a local level across Wales, making available the wide range of facilities in the truly unique setting of the Llandaff site.

The Centre is proving popular with international guests and in the next few months, it will host groups from the US, Sweden and New Zealand.

It recently hosted a celebration lunch following the historic consecration of Joanna Penberthy as the new Bishop of St David’s.

The centre owes its existence to the generosity of the Talbot Family of Margam. Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot JP, had sufficient estate derived from his ancestors to enable him to bequeath several million pounds in property and stocks to his three daughters. It was his disabled daughter Olivia who as a major benefactor of the Anglican Church in Wales, had the idea for the creation of a theological College in Wales in the Diocese of Llandaff and donated a substantial amount of money for its creation and its running costs.

On St David’s Day 1892, the college was opened by the then Bishop of Llandaff, Richard Lewis.

Today, the venue offers a unique atmosphere among a mix of historic buildings. Behind the façade is a tranquil site that offers beautiful architecture and up-to-date technology.

The Centre holds 6 conference rooms and can facilitate anything from short meetings to residential conferences. There are 32 en-suite

bedrooms available too, including double, twin and family options. All rooms are serviced daily and have wifi, tea and coffee making facilities, towels and bed linen.

On site catering can offer guests continental breakfast in the mornings through to buffets and three-course meals throughout the day. St Michael's seeks to use local supplies where possible and is proud to support the Fairtrade Foundation.

St Michael’s has been part of the Llandaff community for over a century and they already welcome local community groups and host family events at the centre. The venue can be hired for a one-off meeting, or can be booked for regular events over a period of time.

And if it's a bit of peace and quiet that's needed, step out into the tranquillity of the beautiful gardens, where the central lawn is bordered by well-tended flower beds.

The Centre is on direct transport routes from Cardiff city centre, located near the M4 and also has free on-site parking.

Above all, versatility and diversity are the key aspects of the venue, with the ability to cater for anything from birthday parties through to full conferences. Its distinct atmosphere and environment make St Michael's Centre a true sanctuary where events and business can be impeccably accomplished.

A: 54 Cardiff Road, Llandaff, Cardiff CF5 2YJ T: 02920 563379 W: www.stmichaelscardiff.co.uk E: info@stmichaelscardiff.co.uk

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pets

Your pet questions answered

Chris Troughton is clinical director of Heath Vets. He’s here to answer all your pet questions. If you’d like to ask Chris a pet-related question, drop us a line I was shocked to find out that a colleague of mine feeds raw chicken wings to her dog. I’d consider that dangerous on several levels, but she assures me that she's been doing it for years without any problems.

Who’s right?

Feeding raw meat to dogs is a subject that provokes great controversy among animal health experts and pet owners.

Advocates of the practice claim it is natural and that some of the 'goodness' of the meat may be damaged by cooking. On the other hand, others are very concerned about the health risks.

One of the reasons for cooking our food, particularly chicken, is to sterilise it: cooking kills the bacteria on the surface and in the meat. Without cooking, bugs such as campylobacter and salmonella are present which could cause illness in anything - human or animal that eats it. Remember that raw meat is not fresh (as in recently killed) but has been slaughtered at an abattoir, then passed through a distribution supply chain to arrive in the shop. This provides many opportunities for contamination.

So when giving raw chicken to a dog, you are hoping that it is not contaminated, or that his digestive system is able to cope with any bugs present. However, dogs are no more resistant to campylobacter or salmonella than people, and we do see them with these illnesses from time to time.

In addition, having eaten raw chicken, the bacteria could be present in the dog's mouth,

and could be spread over his coat when he's licking himself.

Humans can then be infected by simple social contact with the dog. This is particularly a risk with children, elderly people and anyone with a poor immune system (for example, chemotherapy patients).

So I would be very cautious about feeding raw chicken or any other raw meat, and just because an incident has never yet happened to your colleague, it doesn't mean it never will!

I’ve been treating my dog for the last six months for ear mites but I’m concerned that nothing seems to be happening to make it any better. What else could it be?

Ear mites are tiny parasitic spider-like creatures that infect the ear canals of dogs and cats.

Symptoms are usually itchy ears with a profuse dark, dryish waxy discharge. Often in longstanding cases there will be secondary infection with bacteria or yeasts.

It's usually quite easy to get rid of ear mites, if proper prescription medicines are used.

So the first thing to do is get your vet to check the ears and see if there really are ear mites present, or if there is some other ear problem going on.

If they are there, the vet will be able to give you effective treatment, but there are a couple of potential pitfalls to avoid: • Firstly, ear mites lay eggs which take about 4 weeks to hatch out. The eggs cannot be killed, so it's important to continue treatment until all the eggs have hatched and

the mites killed - in other words, at least 4 weeks of treatment is needed.

• Secondly, ear mites can easily pass to other dogs and cats in the home if they spend time close together, so all the pets in the house need to be treated simultaneously, even if they aren't showing symptoms.

Is it possible that cats can get heart disease? I had a cat a few years back who just fell asleep one day and never woke up. My vet at the time said it could have been heart disease and I’ve always wondered how much truth there was in what she said.

Cats certainly do get heart disease, and on rare occasions this manifests as sudden death. Cats are very good at hiding signs of ill-health by modifying their lifestyle, so a cat with covert heart disease might become more inactive so that he doesn’t put any strain on his heart. You could easily have missed that symptom, particularly if he was getting older. Look on the bright side – that was a peaceful way to go!

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walks

A spring in your step Nant Fawr Woods

Starting point Wild Gardens Road Roath, Cardiff Nearest postcode: CF23 5QX

S

tarting off at the bottom of Wild Gardens Road and facing Roath Park lake, go left and head to the end of the road where it meets Lake Road East. Turn left and make your way up to the roundabout.

Go over the roundabout and onto Llandennis Road, making your way past Cardiff High School on your right. Before you reach the 'oval', you will see a tarmac footpath on the right. Take this path. The school will now be on your right and Nant Fawr will be on your left.

Where a path crosses, continue straight ahead into Wood’s Covert (part of the Nant Fawr Woods) and follow the broad unmade path as it goes through the wood to reach Rhydypenau Road.

Take the kissing gate that is on the opposite side of the road but slightly to your left, and follow the path to a T-junction. Turn right here onto a path that leads into Nant Fawr Woods. Follow this path to a further kissing gate.

Go through this and take the kissing gate opposite which allows access to a path following the perimeter of the reservoirs. The straight path goes down a dip, which in wet weather can be a deep lake, so an alternative path through a grove of trees has been created.

Follow the path along the reservoir side (about halfway along there is a viewing platform giving a fine panorama over the water to the Graigs, north of Lisvane) to reach a stile.

Cross the stile and go straight over the field to reach a further stile at the far end which gives access to a sunken lane. Turn left and follow the lane to reach a field, over a stile and keeping field boundaries on your

left. Continue through another two further fields to reach a kissing gate giving access to a lane. Turn left and almost immediately come out at a mini-roundabout just below Lisvane Church and the Griffin Inn. Turn left and follow Lisvane Road to the railway bridge by Llanishen Station. On the other side of the bridge, immediately turn left down a lane that after about 100m reaches open ground. Follow the track between the open area and the railway to reach Fidlas Road.

Turn left under the bridge and turn left after Yapps Garage into Usk Road. After 150m, this swings round to the right and becomes Towy Road. This too swings to the right (becoming Ewenny Road).

Look here for a concealed path on the left which provides access to Rhydypenau Park.

Follow the path down towards Nant Fawr Woods and the kissing gate onto Rhydypenau Road.

To retrace your steps back to Wild Gardens Road, cross the road, veering slightly left to reach the path through Woods Covert. Follow the path to reach Llandennis Road.

Turn left and follow the road to the roundabout which marks the top end of the Wild Gardens and proceed through the Wild Garden to reach your start point in Wild Garden Road.

Llanishen Reservoir before draining

Llanishen Reservoir is a Victorian construction and one of the reservoirs created as part of the Taff Fawr scheme for supplying water to Cardiff. It was completed in 1886. It forms part of the Nant Fawr Corridor from the top of Roath Park to the countryside beyond Cyncoed.

The reservoir was used for water supply until the mid-1970s when it became redundant. It was then used for leisure activities and for 'topping up' the adjacent Lisvane Reservoir until it was drained completely.

After buying Hyder plc, its new owner Western Power Distribution (WPD), proposed to redevelop the reservoir site, but after a series of objections from national governing bodies, the County Council, local residents and both local and national politicians, this was blocked. In 2013, WPD sold both Llanishen and Lisvane reservoirs to the CELSA Group.

In January 2016, Welsh Water acquired both Llanishen and Lisvane reservoirs from the CELSA Group on a 999-year lease, which allows Welsh Water to use both reservoirs for water supply and recreational purposes, while also allowing CELSA UK to continue to take its water supply from the Lisvane reservoir.

Welsh Water began work to repair the reservoir and to bring it back up to a high standard in July 2016.

Their work includes tree clearance and replacing the boundary fence, which has been eroded or vandalised over time.

You can keep up to date with the regeneration at: www.reservoir-action-group. blogspot.co.uk

Please take appropriate steps to ensure your own safety and the safety of others. This includes wearing the clothing suitable for the environment and familiarising yourself with the Countryside Code. Living Magazines is not responsible for your safety. Route courtesy of Ramblers Cymru.

47

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CRAIG WILLIAMS MP Working hard for Cardiff North SS GERIES ACRO DROP-IN SUR N TH O CARDIFF NOR NINGS R O M SATURDAY PPOINTMENTS ONE-TO-ONE A ON FRIDAYS SURGERIES ‘SKYPE’ VIDEO THE WEEK THROUGHOUT

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To make an appointment or for more information on my next drop-in surgery, please contact me:

Office of Craig Williams MP, Unit 5, Heol Llanishen Fach, Rhiwbina, Cardiff, CF14 6RG 029 2240 1350 craig.williams.mp@parliament.uk www.craigwilliams.wales @Craig4CardiffN fb.com/Craig4CardiffNorth

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Sales and purchases Remortgages Lease extensions Purchases of freehold interests Deeds of gift Help to Buy purchases Equity releases Commercial leases Transfers of equity Landlord and Tenant issues

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Recliner Chair Centre

An award-winning, family firm, established for over 40 years

We all have a favourite place to sit in our homes, whether it’s our seat at the dinner table, our spot on the sofa, or the plush chair in the living room.

Unfortunately, for many of us, there comes a time in our life when our favourite chair no longer gives us the support we need. That's where the Recliner Chair Centre in The Heath can help For more than 40 years, the Recliner Chair Centre has been providing the UK with the highest quality electric and leather recliner chairs. The story behind the business reveals the true extent of its first-class customer service.

“We’ve been in these premises for 35 years and been in business for 40,” says owner Alun Williams proudly.

“I was always interested in going into a business that would utilise my knowledge and love of engineering, as that is what I studied for my degree. Mechanical furniture is a combination of art and engineering as the mechanisms are so precise."

Alun started the business by using mail order, advertising in publications like Country Living and Farmer's Weekly, and drove all over the country delivering to his customers. " I was one of the first to bring rise and recliners into the UK and helped develop this product for a number of manufacturers in Wales

and England. Our experience and knowledge has resulted in us claiming to be the UK's leading showroom retailer of the vast differences and ranges of actions used on this type of chair."

At first, the chairs were made in Talbot Green but as it wasn’t deemed a safe place for their customers to visit, Alun decided to look for a showroom.

"We finally found our spot here in Heath after I visited someone in UHW and saw a For Sale sign on the building. It was exactly what we were looking for and gave us a presence in the local community."

But in 2002, the team were dealt a huge blow when during work on an extension to the roof, a gable wall collapsed onto the joists of the first floor.

"We had no support from our insurance company and were told to take the building down to its bricks and mortar. We had received permission for our extension but now needed permission to demolish and rebuild the entire property!"

Despite the adversity, Alun and his team were determined not to be defeated and found ways of keeping customers happy.

"We traded out of portacabins at the front of the building. The rebuild took two years but ultimately enabled us to showcase more products," says Alun reflectively.

The floor area is now able to showcase over 100 products and more lift and recline chairs than anywhere else.

"We used the opportunity to move to major brands. We embraced Parker Knoll, Sherborne, Celebrity and Cintique, but stock all major brands for optimum choice."

Every chair on display has to 'earn its place' by showing a different

31 St Anthony Road, Heath Cardiff, CF14 4DF

variation of size and mechanisms.

"Lift and recline chairs now account for over 80% of our business and over the last six years, we have also sold the wonderful Sherborne motorised bed in all its variables. The bed essentially uses the same generic type of linear motors on which our expertise is founded - crossing the disciplines of engineering and upholstered furniture. I think this is why any new customers usually give us a pyramid of recommendations and therefore further sales," says Alun.

Their genuine commitment to customer service is backed up with the fact that members of staff don't receive commission on sales.

"We have heard terrible stories about people buying chairs at obscene prices or with a free offer of a bed, but if something goes wrong, there's often no ongoing support. Our team can offer their extensive knowledge about the products we display including the variety of rise and recline chairs available. Sue has been here for 20 years and Chris for well over a decade.

"It’s in our nature to look after our customers. We've been here for such a length of time that we see people again and again over the years. It's lovely to deal with people and have that ongoing relationship with them."

029 2052 0808 www.reclinerchaircentre.co.uk

Eleanor Sanders

‘ Your Independent Voice for Rhiwbina ‘ Over the past five years, it has been a privilege to help and support so many across Rhiwbina with a variety of issues.

My knowledge and experience of Rhiwbina is gained from spending over 20 years living here, as well as serving as a school governor and your Local Councillor.

There are many highlights from the past few years, including taking on the Council and winning when they threatened to pull out of Rhiwbina Library; recognising the strength of feeling as I chaired the meeting with over 350 residents (and hundreds more outside unable to get a seat inside) and agreeing to hold a Community Poll, opposing the closure.

We won a stay of execution for our library and if elected, I commit to once again fight to keep this vital resource open for all ages across our community. Visiting the library and seeing all the community groups that meet there regularly convinces me that it is essential it stays open as a council-led library.

As governor at Llanishen Fach school, I have also been very pleased to see the amazing work carried out by all staff.

In 2015, I was appointed as ‘Wellbeing Governor’ where I am able to use my skills and experience from my previous nursing career to be the ‘listening ear’ in the school.

I chair the organising committee Rhiwbina Village Events for both the summer and winter festivals. It also gives so many charities the opportunity to showcase their work. To help these organisations, I have recently launched the Rhiwbina Community Network, seeking to bring together all the many organisations, events and resources. If elected on May 4th: • I commit to continue to provide that independent voice for residents, free from any political party politics.

• I will work hard to keep our library open.

• I will work across Rhiwbina with partners to reduce isolation and loneliness felt by many older residents.

As your local Independent Councillor, if I can help in any way please contact me on 07802 225425 or Eleanor.sanders@cardiff. gov.uk Twitter: @IndependentRhi1

This is Jane. She’s busy cleaning her oven!

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t thelebrating their 2 year

C

anniversary in the village, Michelle Marshall Salon have every good reason to be full of good cheer.

Stylists Tiegan and Jess have now qualified for their Hairdressing Apprenticeships. They were presented with a bouquet of flowers each to celebrate their achievement. The pair are now offering a Cut and Blow Dry from £25 as a 6 month promotion to celebrate their success.

T

he last two years have brought many accolades to the Rhiwbina-based salon.

Finalists in the Cardiff Lifestyle Awards in November, they also went on to win their category at the Welsh Hair & Beauty Awards 2016. They were also the first people in Cardiff to be awarded Colour Expert by the Good Salon Guide, as a 5-star salon.

R

eflecting on their time in the village to date, they have crammed a lot in: “We headed up Cardiff Fashion Week in October, along with team members from the salon,” says Michelle. “Miss Universe GB also approached us to create beautiful hair for the finalist at this prestigious pageant. Myself, Kaye and Tiegan along with 6 other stylists from around the UK made the pageant a huge success. The contestants looked fabulous and we would like to think we had a part in helping the winner achieve her success! Each contestant also received a goody pack from Redken to keep them looking great after the show.”

L

ooking ahead, there’s still more to come from this flourishing salon. As hair sponsors for Wales Next Top Model 2017, the salon will also be taking part in Cardiff Fashion Week in October.

H

aving been firmly established here in Rhiwbina for the last 2 years, the salon has become a much-loved part of the community: “We have been donating to and supporting local charities and events as it is important for us to be integrated into village life. We were very proud to become sponsors of the Rhiwbina Ladies Football Team. We would like to thank our customers for their loyal support over the past two years. Going forward into our third year, our philosophy remains for all our guests to have a relaxing, enjoyable experience and to feel like they are the most important person on each and every visit.”

T

he salon has achieved remarkable success in the last two years – who knows what the next year will bring?

A: 12 Beulah Rd, Cardiff CF14 6LX T: 029 2061 1566 W: www.michellemarshallsalon.co.uk

Win a threecourse meal and a bottle of wine at the Brook Bistro The Brook Bistro opened in September last year and has already earned itself a reputation for great food and fantastic service.

The independent restaurant in Whitchurch is open Tuesday to Sunday, serving up hearty brunches and lunches until 3pm and a mouth-watering evening menu from 6pm to 10pm.

Their evening menu offers everything from 8oz 28 day aged Welsh fillet steaks, through to panko breaded fillet of hake with sea salted thick cut chips, minty mushy peas and chilli tomato

sauce. Sunday lunches have proved very popular among locals and visitors from nearby villages too.

Vegetarians are also catered for with great options across all of their brunch, lunch and evening menus.

The Brook Bistro have teamed up with Rhiwbina Living to offer you the chance to win a delicious threecourse meal for two and a bottle of wine.

All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning this delicious prize is to answer the following question:

When did the Brook Bistro first open its doors?

Email your entries to competitions@livingmags.co.uk by midday on 14th April. You can also enter by post by sending a postcard with the correct answer to our address on the inside front cover of the magazine. Remember to include your contact details!

Offer is for a three-course meal and a bottle of wine for two people, to be taken on a Tuesday-Thursday. www.thebrookbistro.com Good luck!

Win a full body aromatherapy massage at tycio wellbeing If you are looking for a little pampering, Rhiwbina’s Tycio Wellbeing could be just the thing you’re looking for.

Tycio Wellbeing is a friendly, caring and professional spa that offers beauty and holistic therapies that are suitable for everyone.

Their wide range of treatments include manicures, pedicures, massages, aromatherapy, facials, reflexology and waxing.

They offer a great spa experience using the best therapists to deliver a relaxing service - all done in an empathic environment that wholly promotes wellbeing.

The spa includes a nail room, a relaxation room and a holistic room - all designed to relax you and make life feel that little bit easier.

Owner Louise Hingley told Rhiwbina Living:

“We have now been officially open for business for 3 months and we cannot believe how fast it has gone and just how wonderful and welcoming everyone has been to us. We have had some amazing feedback and reviews during this time.

“We offer an exceptional personal service, an enhanced hygiene regime and access to a relaxation room along with a selection of holistic and beauty treatments.

“Our spa is open to everyone and our experienced therapists will tailor treatments to suit individual needs and offer after care and advice.”

Here’s your chance to win a wonderful Full Body Aromatherapy Massage worth £55. Essential oils are blended to suit your individual needs, whether it’s citrus oils

to uplift and refresh, or gentle frangipani and rose to relax the body and mind.

To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is answer this simple question: In which month did Tycio start trading? (answer can be found within the magazine) a) November b) December c) January Closing date for entries is Monday 1st May. Entries should be emailed to louiseh@tyciowellbeing.com and will need to include the entrant’s full name, address and a contact number. Treatment needs to be taken by 30th June 2017.

53

feature

A-Z

An

of Rhiwbina Rhiwbina is a place that’s steeped in both history and folklore. This is an A-Z of the people, places and quirks that make our village unique and special

Andrew Davies

Andrew Wynford Davies, writer of numerous screenplays and novels is best known for House of Cards and A Very Peculiar Practice, as well as his adaptations of Vanity Fair, Pride and Prejudice, Middlemarch and War and Peace. He was made a BAFTA Fellow in 2002 and was brought up on Lon-y-Dail.

Birchgrove

One of the most popular debates between residents is where Rhiwbina officially ends and where Birchgrove officially starts. Or where Birchgrove officially starts and Rhiwbina officially ends. Where is this mysterious border? Can anyone stick some signs up for us?

Cliff Smart

His garage once sat where Clos Yr Ardd now resides. The garage, known as Smart’s Tea Rooms for a while, sold Austin cars from the early 1900s onwards. It was also a petrol station for a time. If you’re old enough to remember Smart’s Garage, you can consider yourself a Rhiwbina stalwart.

54

Daffodils

If you’re lucky enough to be walking through Rhiwbina in spring, everywhere you look, you’ll see bright yellow daffodils. Lots of them were planted by children of the community back in the 1980s.

Estate Agents

Howard Jones

The big-haired singer was one of pop’s biggest acts back in the 1980s with hits like New Song and Like to Get to Know You Well. A classicallytrained musician, Howard grew up on Heol Llanishen Fach and went to Llanishen Fach Primary School.

Rhiwbina boasts some of Cardiff’s finest estate agents. Is it something to do with the fact that Rhiwbina is such a desirable area to live in?

Festival

Winter or summer? Which one do you prefer? It’s not a hard decision.

Go on. Winter or summer? Actually, it is a hard decision. Winter’s so cosy yet summer’s so much fun. Difficult choice isn't it?

Garden Village

The first houses in Cardiff’s only Garden Village were completed in 1913. An opening ceremony to mark the occasion took place in Y Groes on the 13th July and involved many of the workers who had built the houses. It’s now an official conservation area.

Iestyn ap Gwrgant

The last ruler of the Welsh kingdom of Morgannwg. It’s believed he met his demise in a battle near the modern-day Butcher’s Arms.

Juboraj

Joobs. Joobie. However you say it, it still means one thing - a cracking curry house that will forever be synonymous with Rhiwbina. The village just wouldn’t be the same without it would it?

Knitting

Someone, somewhere in the village is at it. Like a fiend. Every so often, parts of the village are adorned with knitted wool. Last year, it was Rhiwbina’s trees. What will it be this year?

Llanishen Fach

The place has got a Post Office, a convenience store, a newsagent, several hair dressers, a butchers, a takeaway and even a café! Who said that she shops in Llanishen Fach were the forgotten ones in Rhiwbina?

Mary Clarke

The village owes a great debt to Mary Clarke. If there’s anything worth knowing about Rhiwbina, Mary will know about it.

Neighbours

Or friends as we like to call them.

Owain Doull

“When I was growing up, a lot of my friends lived in Rhiwbina so I’ve got a lot of fond memories of after school, tearing around on our bikes around Rhiwbina near the tennis courts, not far from where my Mamgu lives,” Owain Doull told Living Magazines last year.

He'd just won Olympic Gold in the Team Pursuit in Rio alongside his teammates Sir Bradley Wiggins, Steven Burke and Ed Clancy.

Rhydwaedlyd Brook

This brook meanders its way through Rhiwbina without a care in the world. Until the new flood defences were built, its presence would be felt when it rained heavily.

It also reportedly once ran red with the blood of those injured and dying in the battle cost that Iestyn ap Gwrgant his life. If you ever hear it being referred to as the Bloody Brook, it could either be reference to the battle, or it’s just burst its banks again.

Squirrels

A common sight throughout Rhiwbina, especially on a Saturday afternoon down at Caedelyn Park when you get to see 15 of them knocking lumps out of the opposition.

Twmpath

The small ancient earthwork, near the summit of Wenallt Hill, suggests that there was a settlement at Rhiwbina in the Iron Age. Not to be confused with the other lump of earthwork a few hundreds yards away at Coed y Wenallt. That’s just a man-made hill formed when the M4 was dug out of the hillsides.

United Reformed Church

More commonly known as Beulah, this well-known church opened in February 1891. At first, only Sunday morning services were entirely in Welsh, while the afternoon Sunday School and the evening service were mainly in English. In 1898, for an experimental period of three months, morning sermons were preached in English and at the end of that year, it was decided to make this a permanent arrangement.

Village

Pantmawr

For many years, the good people of Pantmawr would write to us and ask if we could deliver copies of Rhiwbina Living to their area. In 2016, we began doing just that.

What they didn’t tell us was how hilly Pantmawr is. Boy oh boy!

Queues

Currently known as Heol-y-Deri.

feature

land extends into other woodlands to the north west – Cwm Nofydd, designated as a Local Nature Reserve, and Fforest Ganol – a Site of Special Scientific interest.

The area is a well known local beauty spot and a popular site for picnics in summer. In spring there are displays of bluebells and other spring flowers throughout the woodland. It’s also the home of Rhiwbina Living mascot, Squidgy Squirrel.

X

Erm. Nope. Can't think of anything.

Y Groes

We have it on good authority (see Mary Clarke) that the trees that line the way into Y Groes once bore the names of the first borns who lived in the square when it was built.

Z

Nope. Nothing here either. No idea why we even thought an A-Z would be a good idea. Maybe we'll do a Puzzles Page next time.

noun 1. a small community or group of houses in a rural area, larger than a hamlet and usually smaller than a town. Think that sums us up quite nicely.

Wenallt

The Wenallt is an area of semi natural ancient woodland. The

55

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Constituency News with Julie Morgan AM

Banking in Rhiwbina March 10th was the first anniversary of the NatWest mobile banking service in Rhiwbina. I lobbied hard to stop the closure of the NatWest branch in the village and met with bank officials to keep up pressure on the bank about this. They agreed to provide a weekly mobile service, which I would encourage as many people to use as possible so that it remains viable in the future. The bank is outside Nest on Thursday mornings from 10.40am for two hours.

Tel: 07988 835301

With over 18 years experience

In the Senedd It has been a very busy time in the Senedd and I’ve contributed to debates including on Brexit, the Wales Bill, dementia and higher education.

I also held a debate on behalf of constituents and the many families around Wales who have been affected by the contaminated blood scandal of the 1970s and 80s. I received cross-party support in calling on the UK Government to hold a public inquiry into the scandal.

I have attended a variety of events in the Senedd including the launch of a report which brings the setting up of a Youth Parliament for Wales a step closer.

I was also pleased to support the LGBT history and icons event. One of my constituents helped set up a support group for parents in 2001 and I was able to mention her in the Senedd debate on this. I was also pleased to meet a founder of Stonewall Cymru, Gloria Jenkins, at the event.

Last, but not least, I was thrilled to be invited to tour the BBC’s Roath Lock Studios in Cardiff Bay in January and see the sets of Casualty, Pobl y Cwm and Doctor Who .

The success of the studios has created more jobs for people from Cardiff and the surrounding area, and the BBC has a good track record of taking on local apprentices who have found work at the studios afterwards. And of course it was a thrill to go into the Tardis and onto the set of Casualty (I’m a fan). The studios open occasionally to the public for one-off events for fans – keep an eye on my social media as I will post about this when I hear the next date.

How to get in touch If you have any concerns or issues please contact my office on 029 2061 4577. I can also be contacted via Twitter @juliemorganlab and email julie.morgan@assembly.wales.

SPRING spring GREENS

treats Make the most of the fresh spring vegetables on offer and cook up some healthy and tasty meals

Cream of Asparagus Soup 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced 3 bunches of asparagus, chopped into thirds (reserve a few of the heads for garnish) 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped 2 teaspoons dried rosemary 1 head of cauliflower, chopped into florets

1.4l vegetable broth (low sodium, if possible) 475ml water juice of 1 lemon 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 2 tablespoons soy creamer (optional) salt and pepper to taste 5–6 shallot bulbs, very thinly sliced olive oil spray 100g raw hazelnuts

· Heat the olive oil in a large

pot over a medium heat for one minute. Add the fennel seeds and fry them, stirring occasionally until darker in colour. · Add the garlic and sauté for about one minute before adding the leeks. Sauté the leeks for about 2-3 minutes until fragrant.

Add the asparagus, parsley, and rosemary. Mix to combine. If it begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, add a couple of tablespoons of water to deglaze the pan. Sauté for about 4-5 minutes. Add the cauliflower, vegetable broth, and water.

Cover the pot and bring the soup to a boil. Once it is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and leave the lid partially off to let the steam escape. Let the soup simmer for about 20-25 minutes, until the cauliflower is very tender. · While the soup is simmering, if you reserved any asparagus heads to garnish the soup with,

put them in a microwave-safe container with a 1/2 teaspoon of water, cover and microwave for 20-30 seconds. Remove from the microwave, uncover and set aside. · Once the soup is done cooking, remove the soup from the heat. Add the lemon juice and nutritional yeast. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until completely smooth.

Alternatively, you can blend the soup in batches in a standing blender, being mindful of trapping too much heat in the blender and causing it to burst. · Once the soup is smooth, add the soy creamer (if using) and add salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with toasted hazelnuts, asparagus heads, and crispy shallots. Serve warm.

· For the crispy roasted shallots, preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a small baking dish with parchment paper. Place the shallots in the baking dish.

Lightly spray with olive oil, then top with salt and pepper. Roast the shallots for 18-20 minutes, stirring about 3 times to prevent overcooking.

· For the toasted hazelnuts,

place the hazelnuts in a small pan and heat at a low-medium heat. Toast the nuts, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, for about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

recipes

SPAGHETTI ALLA PRIMAVERA

sPRINGTIME STRAWBERRY SALAD

6 tbsp olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 170g button mushrooms, quartered 340g asparagus tips, blanched 340g small broccoli florets, blanched 170g frozen peas, blanched 1 small courgette, quartered lengthwise, cut to 1" lengths and blanched 450g spaghetti, cooked al dente 240ml double cream 200g cup grated Parmesan 2 tbsp unsalted butter salt and pepper, to taste 340g cherry tomatoes, halved 2 tbsp thinly shredded basil 170g lightly toasted pine nuts

For the salad

· Heat 5 tablespoons of oil

in a 12" skillet and set over a medium heat. Add 2/3 of the garlic and cook until it's golden - about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook them until golden - about 3 minutes. Add the asparagus, broccoli, peas, and courgette and cook for 3 minutes. Add the pasta, cream, Parmesan and butter. Season everything with salt and pepper and toss to combine before transferring to a platter. · Bring the remaining oil and garlic, tomatoes and basil to a simmer over a medium heat; pour over pasta; garnish with nuts.

1 large bunch of spinach, stems removed, roughly chopped 200g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 340g snap peas, stems trimmed 500g chopped strawberries 1 handful of pea shoots 8-10 asparagus spears olive oil spray salt and pepper to taste 85g roughly chopped pistachios

with olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. · Roast in a preheated oven for 10 minutes, turning them once halfway through to ensure even cooking. Remove from the oven and let them rest until they are cool to the touch. · While the asparagus is in the oven, make your dressing.

Use a whisk to thoroughly mix together all the ingredients except the poppy seeds. Once the dressing is thoroughly mixed, add the poppy seeds. Cover and chill until ready to use. · In a large bowl, combine the spinach, pea shoots, strawberries, snap peas, chickpeas and the slightly cooled asparagus. Add about half of the dressing. Toss everything to combine them together and then divide amongst the bowls. · Top with the chopped pistachios and serve immediately.

For the lemon poppy seed dressing 60g fresh lemon juice 2 1/2 tablespoons coconut nectar 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil (or other mildly flavoured oil) 1 teaspoon dijon mustard pinch of salt 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

· Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line

a baking sheet with parchment paper. · Chop the asparagus into quarters and spread the asparagus spears out on the baking sheet before lightly spraying

59

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Celebrating our 16th year in the heart of Rhiwbina village

C3 Chiropractic Clinics

Our team of chiropractors are qualified and experienced members of the British Chiropractic Association (BCA), the Royal College of Chiropractors (RCoC), and are registered with the General Chiropractic Council (GCC). They work within a professional setting, utilising the latest equipment and techniques in order to provide effective diagnosis and treatment. We pride ourselves on having informed and satisfied patients. Each chiropractor is constantly updating their skills in order to provide the best possible patient care.

Chiropody/Podiatry

Our chiropody/podiatry clinic located within C3 Chiropractic clinic, located in the heart of Rhiwbina Village is now in its sixth year and continues to go from strength to strength, providing a variety of professional foot care treatments for residents in Rhiwbina and North Cardiff. Our team is qualified to degree level and members are registered HCPC health care professionals.

223-225 Pantbach Road Rhiwbina, Cardiff CF14 6AE

Meet your friendly C3 Team Rainer Wieser

Chloé Stamper

Chiropractor at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Paralympic Games and World Championships, Rainer is very experienced in working with international Premier League footballers, professional golfers, athletes, coaches and company executives. He is registered with the General Chiropractic Council and is a member of the British Chiropractic Association.

Chloé graduated in 2006 with a first class honours degree from the Welsh Institute of Chiropractic, at the University of Glamorgan, having previously gained a degree in psychology. Chloé is also a certified Cox® Technic flexion-distraction and decompression practitioner. She is registered with the General Chiropractic Council.

Lia Biancheri

Kate Mosedale

Lia graduated with first class Honours in 2006.

Lia obtained her postgraduate certificate in Chiropractic from the Welsh Institute of Chiropractic in 2008. She currently enjoys her role as a Clinical Supervisor at the Welsh Institute of Chiropractic. She is qualified in British Medical (western) Acupuncture, sports taping technique and Sacro-Occipital technique.

Kate graduated with a Masters Degree from the Welsh Institute of Chiropractic at the University of Glamorgan in 2009 after four years of full-time study, achieving the award ‘Clinician of the Year’. She is a member of the British Chiropractic Association and the British Medical Acupuncture Society. Kate also has a special interest in acupuncture.

Lynne Griffiths

Laura Dommett

Lynne graduated with a first class honours degree in Podiatric Medicine from Cardiff Metropolitan University.

A former nurse, she is also a registered member of the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, and registered with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Lynne is a thorough clinician who aims to provide the highest level of care, through implementation of evidence based practice.

Laura graduated with a first class honours degree in Podiatric Medicine from the University of Wales, and she also has qualifications in local anaesthesia, pharmacology and first aid. Laura is a registered member of the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists. Laura believes that good foot health is vitally important in maintaining a full and active life and in remaining mobile and independent.

02920 627888 www. c3chiropractic.co.uk

short story

The Monster in the Tree

A short story for children by Evie Loynton and Patric Morgan

A

nnabel loved to walk her dog around Rhiwbina.

She loved it so much, that on weekends, she’d often wake Mummy and Daddy early to ask if she could take Baxter out.

“But it’s raining,” Mum would say hopefully.

“No it’s not,” Annabel would reply and tug on Mummy’s arm.

Annabel’s favourite place to take Baxter was Parc-y-Pentre. She liked it there because Baxter could run around and meet other dogs. He could also chase squirrels if he saw them.

The only problem with Parc-yPentre was 'the tree'.

“What’s wrong with the tree?” asked Dad as they made their way through the park with Baxter.

“There’s a monster in it,” said Annabel. Dad laughed.

“A monster? What makes you think that?” he said as they got close.

“Shh,” said Annabel and stopped Dad getting any closer to the tree.

Up ahead, a lady was walking along with her dog. Annabel wanted to see if the Monster in the Tree was going to get her.

Sure enough, as Annabel watched, the Monster in the Tree stuck out one of his long brown arms and tripped the lady up. She almost fell to the floor.

“See!?” cried Annabel. “Did you see that? The monster got her!”

Dad had seen the woman trip but he wasn’t sure it was a monster that caused her to fall.

“That wasn't a monster!" he said.

"But if there is one, I'm going to find it.”

“NO!” cried Annabel.

“It’s ok,” said Dad. You’re with me.

I’ll fight him off if he comes out. So

62

will Baxter. He's a brave dog.”

Annabel thought for a minute. She felt safe with Dad. He would never put her in any danger. She thought about the time he’d pulled her back from an angry dog in the park once.

“Do you think we’ll see him?”

Annabel asked.

“There’s only one way to find out!” said Dad and he took Annabel’s hand tightly.

The woman who had tripped had moved away, probably heading home before anybody saw her.

As Annabel and her Dad got closer, they looked carefully at the bottom of the tree in case the monster jumped out at them. Baxter was using his nose to sniff out trouble.

“Can you see him?” asked Annabel.

“No,” said Dad. The pair got as close to the tree as they’d dared. At the base of the tree, there was a slight opening and out of it came a tangle of roots and small branches.

“I think that woman tripped over one of those branches,” said Dad reassuringly. He pointed to a long branch that was dancing around in the wind.

“So there’s no monster?” asked Annabel.

“I can’t be sure. We’d need to have a closer look.”

“NO!” shouted Annabel. She was too close for comfort already.

“Come on,” said Dad. “If he comes out, I’ll fight him off.”

Annabel put her trust in Dad once again and the trio stepped forward.

As they got ever so closer, they could hear a low humming noise.

“I can hear it!” whispered Annabel.

“Shh,” said Dad. She was right.

There was definitely some kind of noise coming from the tree. Dad

was becoming more and more convinced that there was a monster in the tree after all.

“How did you hear about this monster?” asked Dad. “Everyone was talking about it in school,” said Annabel.

“I’m going to take a look inside,” said Dad. “NO!” yelled Annabel.

“I’ll be fine,” replied Dad. “Now you stay well back.”

Annabel couldn’t watch as Dad crept forward towards the tree with Baxter.

The humming noise was getting louder and louder and before long, the pair were stood right in front of the hole at the base of the tree.

Dad crouched down and took a look. Nothing. He looked around and picked up a small stick that was lying next to him. Carefully, he put the stick in the hole and wiggled it around.

Before he knew it, a whole swarm of angry, buzzing bees came whooshing out of the tree and over Dad’s head.

“Ruuuuunn!” said Dad, covering his head and rushing to save Annabel.

They ran all the way home as fast as their legs would carry them and the bees finally flew away.

Over tea, Annabel explained the entire story to Mum: “So you see, there was no monster, but Dad did meet the Evil Bumble Bee Queen.”

“I fought her off bravely though didn’t I Annabel?” said Dad. “Erm. No Dad. You ran off like a big scaredy-cat.”

Mum looked at Dad. “Just eat your tea Daddy,” she said.

Dad didn’t say another word.

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