Cardiff Times - May 2023

May 2023

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CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF WALES’ BIGGEST OUTDOOR THEATRICAL EVENT

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B A N K H O L I D AY S U N D AY 2 8 M AY 2 02 3

BUTE PARK CARDIFF MYTICKET.CO.UK / ORCHARDLIVE.CO.UK / JACKSAVORETTI.COM

May CARDIFF TIMES CONTENTS 5 RAF Benevolent Fund PUBLISHER Rob Budgen Ambassador Cardiff Times

6 Movers and shakers EDITOR byLouise Wyn Evans Denning 07903 947594

10 And Another Thing byFEATURES Vince NolanEDITOR Mark Denning

247194 1507758 In the Word Of bySALES Carl Marsh & MARKETING Beth

22beth@cardiff-times.co.uk Bard in Bed Part Two

by Sara John 30CONTRIBUTORS Fashion Done Your Own Wyn Evans, Vince Nolan, Way Sara John, Carl Marsh, Fogg, Kellie Williams, byMichael Molly Dutton Ralph Oates, Natalie McCulloch, Abell 33Jen Love is All About You

35 Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival 37 SATCol’s Revolutionary Fibersort Technology EDITORIAL

029 2046 3028

38ADVERTISING Tara J Hamer07903 – 947594 Manager Ring Fil at T&S EMAIL & info@cardiff-times.co.uk WEB www.cardiff-times.co.uk Promotions

by Ralph Oates 42 The Hottest New Radio Brand in our Green Green Grass of Home

by Natalie McCulloch 46 Sam Sugarman brings magic to Cardiff and the Vale

by Natalie McCulloch 4

EDITORS LETTER

Welcome Hi All, and welcome to our May edi�on.

Hi All, and welcome to our November issue.

Sadly, we saw passing of acompleting na�onal our last issue but It only seems like the yesterday we were a month has really does fly by.

Covid treasure inmoved April.onTVsince. andTime Radio Presenter Paul seems to be doing it's rounds in schools in Cardiff, especially at O’Grady supported animal human our daughter’s primary school, butrights, luckily, we know of no-one who is seriously ill children’s with the virus.

Thankes. goodness so many on people rights, and chari� His dedica� have received vaccinations. to helping others will be missed by the October is always a quiet month for us in terms of birthdays, chari� es and thegoing many heThis supported. celebrations or just out people in general. could be because we are starting to think about the chaos and non-stop activity that

is the month December and mentally preparing for a Earth hourofalso took place during April. ourselves If certain celebration, or it could just be we haven’t been invited to go anywhere! we all do a �ny bit to help reduce carbon footprint, our planet be a healthier, This month though, we'll bewill celebrating our daughter's birthday.

Not sure what she wants to do or where she wants to go because greener living space for future genera� ons. she keeps changing her mind on ideas to celebrate her big day sounds a bit like her mum! (that was Mark saying that by the Away!). major event taking place this May is

the Wheelchair European Rugby at the And another celebration this month is the book launch of our CARDIFF TIMES Principality wheel-to-wheel talented writer Stadium.

Sara John, Witness who not content with providing us with an incredibly varied number of articles, come has nowtogether turned her hand ac� on as Europe’s top athletes to writing her own book. to become European champions on one of PUBLISHER Cardiff Times Last world’s but not least our famous third celebration to……. the magazine the most spor�goes ng stages. and our talented writers. We have only gone and won a best EDITOR Louise Denning magazine award. It's great to be recognised after these years.

07903all 947594 And fi nally, celebra� ons for the corona� on of and A huge well done to each and every one of our dedicated FEATURES EDITOR inspirational writers, and a pat on the back for us, sometimes all Denning King Charles III, will be centred on theMark bank 07758 247194 the hard work is worth it after all!

SALES & MARKETING holiday weekend of May 6th-8th. Neighbours Beth Please continue to stay safe everyone, and until next month, and communi�es are invited to sharebeth@cardiff-times.co.uk food happy reading.

CONTRIBUTORS and fun during this historical occasion.

Let’s Wyn Evans, Vince Nolan, Sara John, Carl Marsh, hope the sun is shining.

Michael Fogg, Kellie Williams,

Louise & Mark

Ralph Oates, Natalie McCulloch, Jen Abell

Happy reading from all at Cardiff Times.

EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING 029 2046 3028 EMAIL info@cardiff-times.co.uk WEB ww.cardiff-times.co.uk

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Please con happy read

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

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4 4

RAF Benevolent Fund Ambassador Rob Bugden, is taking part in 5 marathons for 5 charities Fund, Cakes for Casualties and Tough Enough to Care.

Rob said: “I’m raising money for these five charities as they have had a profound impact on my life since my accident in 2016. The RAF Benevolent Fund for example is an incredible charity – without it I would not be able to live independently and comfortably like I am now.”

He added: “These charities are not just there for the short term, they’re there for life. Every penny raised will go directly to them and will make a huge difference to people’s lives.”

Rob Bugden, credit Ollie Dixon.

Cowbridge local and former RAF parachute instructor Corporal Rob Bugden, 37, is taking part in five marathons this year for five charities. Rob, who is an ambassador for the RAF’s leading welfare charity, the RAF Benevolent Fund, will be completing all five marathons in his wheelchair.

The RAF Benevolent Fund provides financial, emotional, and practical assistance to serving and retired RAF personnel and their families. This includes grants to help with financial difficulty, mental health support, Airplay youth clubs, and more.

To donate visit: https://justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ robert-bugden-2

The challenge is no mean feat for Rob, who was involved in a parachute accident whilst on exercise in California in 2016, which resulted in life-changing and careerending injuries including a C5 spinal injury, leaving him tetraplegic.

However, Rob has remained determined throughout, and is now aiming to raise £5,000 for his chosen charities by completing the Great Welsh Half Marathon (2nd April), The Great West Run (21st May), Swansea Half Marathon (11th June), Wales Half Marathon (2nd July) and, finally, the Cardiff Half Marathon (1st October). All races are relatively local for Rob, who lives in Cowbridge in South Wales, but there’s also some personal significance, as the Cardiff Half Marathon in 2011 was the first one he ever ran and he knew he wanted to finish the challenge with it.

The RAF Benevolent Fund has been there from the beginning for Rob, including funding travel costs for his family when Rob was hospitalised in America following his accident. The Fund then helped towards a much needed respite break for Rob upon his return to the UK, and funded a fully adapted home which Rob has been living in for the last four years.

As well as the RAF Benevolent Fund, Rob will be raising money for the OppO Foundation, DMRC Benevolent

Rob Bugden training, credit Rob Bugden

CARDIFF TIMES 5

Movers and shakers!

byWyn Evans

The Easter holidays saw us taking advantage of the fine weather. We managed to get up to the Bannau Brycheiniog national park and fire a few (camera) shots off. Incidentally, didn’t the renaming of the Brecon Beacons cause a totally unmerited culture clash? There were any number of comment pieces in the Daily Telegraph more or less predicting the end of civilisation as we know it. A Guardian columnist meanwhile managed to crowbarin each of the following grizzled old tropes: • ‘Some visitors to Wales invoke [this] when they reflect on having walked into a pub or bar: “Immediately,” they say, “everyone started speaking Welsh.” This is taken as an affront, an act of rudeness, exclusion or even aggression. Never is it considered that the Welsh clientele may have been simply speaking their own language in their own country. But that’s OK, she was only being humorous, or was it irony?’

• ‘I’m married to an Englishman whose family once owned a holiday cottage in the county I grew up in (before I burned it down!).’

• ‘Formative experiences of being heckled as a Saes (i.e. an Englishman) by blueeyed, dark-haired Welsh girls.’

• ‘I’ll be curious to know how many street parties will be happening in Gwynedd on the coronation weekend.’

Still, she redeemed herself by pointing out that the name change was merely a case of the national park “…dropping its English language name and scrapping its logo of a fiery greenhouse gas-emitting beacon”.

6 CARDIFF TIMES

This last weekend we followed the winding roads of the Wye valley up past Tintern and crossing back over the Bannau before ending up in Ystradfellte. This was essentially me ‘following my nose’, as dad used to say, so it’s no surprise that it was a long, crooked journey or that we got lost more than once. My, but what a wonderful place we inhabit: the terrain owing its majestic sweep to the glaciers of the last ice age; the mountain ponies and hardy sheep.

Unfortunately, my Parkinson’s was in the ascendant and we didn’t feel we could follow the river walks to the magnificent waterfalls. But we shall be back this summer for sure.

Given its appearance in the previous paragraph maybe I should update on the current state of my Parkinson’s.

First, however, for any newbies, I was diagnosed with Parkie’s back in 2016 and I will occasionally comment here about its progress. Unfortunately, its progress can also be measured by my decline. It really doesn’t help much to learn that Billy Connolly, the Scottish comic, Michael J Fox, the American actor, or the late Mohammed Ali also have/had Parkinson’s. What is of greater interest is that six quite well known present-day friends and celebrities have the disease and have banded together to create a weekly Saturday podcast which they call “Movers and shakers: a podcast about life with Parkinson’s.” Each week, this group of friends discuss their experiences with Parkinson’s; the highs and lows, trials and tribulations, and the unexpected changes that have popped up over the years.

The six are: Rory Cellan-Jones, Mark Mardell and Jeremy Paxman (all ex-BBC), High Court judge Sir Nicholas Mostyn; screenwriter and stand-up comedian Paul Mayhew-Archer, and the businesswoman Gillian Lacey-Solimar. Erudite, illuminating and interlaced with gallows humour, this is an entertaining, moving and educational show. It reflects how different personalities square up to setbacks – with Paxman ribbed for his rage at the lack of medical progress and Mayhew-Archer for his Tiggerish optimism. They meet in a pub in Notting Hill and they all seem prepared to be honest about their condition and feelings. If you or a loved-one have Parkinson’s I strongly recommend that you give these podcasts a listen. It’s fascinating to hear about new techniques and the effects of Deep Brain Stimulation. Or being moved by the programme about coping, or surprised by another about lesser-known symptoms of Parkie’s.

As far as my symptoms go the three most annoying pains-in-the-butt are: posture in the lower back leading to a constant ache and problems walking; a runny nose that pleases itself when it’s in the mood and switches itself on and off without reference to my views on the matter; and a sudden need to lie down and crash out. In fact, that’s how I’m feeling right now, so it’s so long from me for another month. I hope you and yours stay healthy or, at least, able to cope.

Footnote 1. https://www.theguardian.com/ commentisfree/2023/apr/21/bannaubrycheiniog-welsh-national-park-toryculture-war-brecon-beacons 2. https://www.instagram.com/ moversandshakerspod/

CARDIFF TIMES 7

Cardiff Times - May_Layout 1 20/04/2023 12:21 Page 1

BBC NATIONAL ORCHESTRA OF WALES 17.05.23

MEET & BEAT THE BEAST feat. Mark Labbett 04.05.23

GRETCHEN PETERS Roots Unearthed 23.05.23

AN AUDIENCE WITH LIVERPOOL LEGENDS 19.05.23

ALYSSA EDWARDS Becoming Alyssa 03.05.23

GOGO PENGUIN Everything is Going to Be Ok 24.05.23

ANTON DU BEKE & FRIENDS 07.05.23

THE HALLÉ feat. Sheku Kanneh-Mason 20.05.23

KATIE MELUA Love & Money 09.05.23

THE CARPENTERS SONGBOOK 13.05.23

THE ELVIS YEARS The Story of The King 21.05.23

LUCIE JONES & The Fulltone Orchestra 05.05.23

Cardiff Times - May (2)_Layout 1 20/04/2023 13:04 Page 1

TOMMYINNIT Annoying at First 22.06.23

DEXYS The Feminine Divine 13.09.23

SIR RANULPH FIENNES Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know 27.09.23

FOIL, ARMS & HOG Hogwash 29.09.23

PHIL WANG Wang in There, Baby!

03.06.23

BBC CARDIFF SINGER OF THE WORLD 10.06.23 - 18.06.23

HASBRO STARS LIVE 02.07.23

WELSH PROMS 08.07.23 - 14.07.23

BBC NATIONAL ORCHESTRA OF WALES 01.06.23

FASCINATING AÏDA The 40th Anniversary Show!

16.09.23

LUCY WORSLEY On Agatha Christie 05.09.23

‘And Another Thing...’

Someone’s Halo is Slipping byVince Nolan

Those of you old enough to remember The Saint (aka Simon Templar, aka Roger Moore) might like the common theme in these pictures. One is a Saint and the other isn’t. In related matters, many of you will be familiar with the old song: “Stranglers in the Night” by Bert Kaempfert, made famous by Frank Sinatra. By a strange coincidence Frank used to sing an advert for Halo Shampoo in the early 1950’s but I digress (look it up if you don’t believe me and no, I am not that old).

I was thinking more along the lines of rejuvenating the song for a new retail opportunity for a well-known supermarket:

So the Easter break is now a dim and distant memory.

However, the Current Mrs Nolan and I managed to walk 40km in 4 days at various places across South Wales. These included canals and beaches. We saw two pet cats on leads being cycled around by their owners and a dead badger. We told Son and heir, Tom. He had a walk to see wild White Tailed Deer on a beach in New York. Where did it all go wrong for him?

“Stranglers in the night, exchanging glances…………….Lidl did we know, love was just a glance away a warm embracing chance to pay, less!”

Staying with supermarkets and a well-known chain ending in “O,” it was Easter and I thought I would treat She Who Must Be Obeyed to some strawberries. I know, there is no end to my generosity. On arrival at Nolan Towers, I made a closer inspection of the merchandise and it transpired that the punnet only contained 8 of the little red blighters. That worked out at 34 pence per strawberry. They were called Fandango and came from Spain. I can only think that they must have been flown here by private jet. What a rip-off unless of course you know better?

Staying with Spain, our new rescue dog only understands Spanish. He’s Espanol (see what I did there?)

10 CARDIFF TIMES

Old age does not come on its own. I have just spent the last five minutes trying to delete a full stop on my computer screen only to find it was a speck of dust.

Sad. Only bettered by being in a restaurant toilet the other weekend waiting for the hand dryer to turn itself on when I eventually twigged that it dispensed paper towels! It seems to me that the older I get, the earlier it gets late.

t-mindedonly people will of course nothing Furthermore, would a typo on the a headstone be Just tohanging. beten clear: Didrefused you about urologist a pardon inpostulated 1833 rtunately, six ofit us turned up andbeabeing of wereHe required orhear the inminimum thedue early 19th century.

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

Between typos and autocorrect engaged four old-timers who were the sold bar have been who(could was eaten bythe bear?

He was meteorologist if Ithe were illegally hunting for inhad at Principality Stadium which as building blocks the hadrons.

Quarks from President Andrew Jackson andthe erhosen Formation Slap Dancing Ensemble it’s getting harder toof post stuffaread these days.

One the factory, one of athe team would out days’ dout ones from the Taff Vale) and asked them whether they fancied having a the City hotels.

The concerts were then have not been directly observed but theoretical (meaty urologist, oh please yourselves). questionable morels? ohave will no longer be slapping each other as tiny mistake and your whole post is urined. news and others would butt in with constant was executed after the Supreme Court nd free beer for afternoon.

Fearing some kind of the honey trap,Asthey took and weunless found City centre hotelin predictions socket. itbased hurls byon thetheir man, existence he snatches ithave from the This has the been puzzlinga me: Do they peruse Peru? tllcancelled ofa their routines they are given The Leader of the Opposition and I were sitting in deer who has lost both ng that my offer was genuine.

Cautiously, they agreed to join us.

Picture the air and hands it back to her.

“This is so embarrassing,” Just asking. interruptions and a stream of “furious debate.” for £80, hurrah!

However, the fi ckle fi nger been confi rmed experimentally.”

Oh please!

The world has taken a strange twist – at leastWith ruled he couldsays, turn it down if he wanted cial dispensation by our First Minister. the woman and she pops her eye back in place. scene, 5pm on a sunny our socially local, The Funky Furlough, cident?

No eye deer. of fate (presumably theis middle one),this then And as for mesons and baryons, we could be the parts I collated seem occupy.

Iquality have been mind Idistanced have some put-downs Our Poet Laureate Simon Armitage.

Whoin knew?

“I’m sorry to have to disturbed you. Let me buy dinner to.

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

“I don’t intervened and cancelled the offi ce lunch here all night. w this in a local pub on their specials board: reading about a proposal for the 2027 Rugby Not easy to rhyme anything with his name.

Simon and to make it up to you.

May I join you?”

He nods.

The whencomics a lady close byused to usto asked Barmodern Manager when Trump dies, I will give which have dealthe with day Pie I suppose but that’s been done before. entrance to the Brewery onwill conversationalist, woman is which a stimulating stunningly usMan toand wander lonely as some clouds e leaving Love Local champion local farms World Cup prevent any team in “but red I have arthritis, Father,” the drunk said, if the toilets were still upstairs.

He of course :ensure “He is today how he was as pretty and the man finds they have a lot in common. hecklers: IStreet was at the hairdressers the other day for my Caroline where four time itthat tried to around the Castle and its outdoor bar facilities fisheries.”

All very laudable but the shirts and green shirts playing each other we had properly warmed since we didn’t want to pull any drinking Quick puzzle for you to make sure you first are stillup awake: just read in the paper that the Pope does.”

He gets her phone number and says: “You are the Continuing January scalping when the Jimmy Nail song pensioners who could barely until frostbite got the better of us and forced us confi rmed that they were but I thought this to be ato aring make-up and lying in front m on their menu was Mediterranean Olives. because colour blind people often struggle My fishy relative (4 letters).* most charming woman I’ve ever encountered.

Are you up and a minimum of ten were required or eUnfortunately, other three only six of us turned “Ain’t Nohanging Doubt -guy She’s Lying” came on thethe “What size of shoe does your mouth take?” stand were seen onto this nice to every you meet?”

“No,” she replies. back toina the hotelsame we did not need.

Much fun, but erheard pub: “Every time we distinguish between the two.

Not criticising Staying with(could the drink, there has always the ropewho very stupid question.

I would have said something linson off.

I engaged old-timers were inthem the bar have been the “You just happened tothis catch my eye.”

Sorry. wireless.

Totally unscripted, we, the Wales, masked ahow lamppost, for support, rather we quickly foundfour out that there is asay. limit to me here we come here.”

You don’t of course but would affect been much snobbery attached toknow wine. like: “I don’t by themulled son ofwine a good friend singers in the from chairs and our masked stylists theme: “This is what comes drinking on an empty ntioned ones from the Taff Vale) and asked them whether they fancied having a much one can drink before falling than illumination.

An Canada, Ireland, Tonga, Russia, South I had an email inviting me to this conference the Africa sell-buy dates before Indeed, people make a living from it, all started to sway and sing to the music in a over. other day: “Subsidy Control Law: Shaping New afternoon they would and Japan.

This had me in mind of that quote whentrap, madam te a urology his Dad’s tour and freeforbeer forSoap the afternoon. some kind of honey theywas took onhead.”Fearing scene reminiscent from The Full Monty when Developments into Solution-Focused Answers for Your but I am making a stand because of the upermarket on a Friday shops I really from BBC snooker commentator Ted Lowe never…… remember. last with us butatwe envincing the heart to say eulogy that my offer was genuine. Cautiously, they agreed join us.

Picture thewho Clients.”

Snappy title to ain’t it?

Ithe didn’t go. they all started dancing inof queue the a rope famously said during one his commentaries: lockdowns.

I’m giving up wine, everyhanding day, all “I know where CEO you were when they were es would the with Mark Daceymake (on the dynamic of otsthat and jobI overheard centre.

Fortunately sharp implements scene, on a day. sunny them out to meant.

Anyway, here is leS) who is the this inayou a 5pm pubmoved theall other Lady to older “And for those of who are watching in black A drunk who smelled like onthe a brains month.

No wait,forthat’s not it.minutes I’m giving out………getting an extra helping ofup. dand some doubt were downed a few short and then bloke in passing: “Hiya, how are you?”

He: “I have ges.

Itsausage does not whether need Pope me to suggest the uncanny and the pink nextcar to the weekday evening atgreen.” the side brewery gotwhite, on a bus and satis the park many been a plumber for 44 years and it kills your knees.”

Wine every dayThe all month! without further comment, just like in a musical, mouth.” the journey home. rope down next to ahepriest. yfor Tomlinson or of vice versa.

Off went leaving the months lady flabbergasted. would entrance to the Brewery had ago asI like aon e, (heenough was affectionately everybody went back to their day job Interesting lyric we heard on the wireless have “I didn’t his ask your occupation, but I have the s nothing to do with EU drunk's shirt wassaid stained, Two people out on a first date.

“Do you Caroline Street where four nothing happened.

Lockdown has a lot to no other day: “Sports bra and aconsequence Maserati car.” you know, ifbright you wore soundproof trousers been a had pest controller for 44 years, I kills your bees.” direct ecause of before his likeness to home school face was full of red buy dates butsee** a recent trip“Do to my local supermarket tion of And the saypackaging what you answer for but that was very funny. like Merlot Tammy?”

“Yes, but you don’t Who would have thought of that combination? pensioners who could barely I once owned one of the chewed pencils which would hear word saying.” Perhaps lipstick and he a had a half-you’re of Covid19.” leader), involved a tripmake theone ght of the erishables that following Monday.

Instand fact Ihave or fruit and vegwould like Apparently many including a poet onto called We were in our local hostelry, The Friendly Fox and pronounce the “t.”

“Oh, Ok.”hanging Looks at were seen empty bottle of wine sticking Shakespeare used to his works. used Thewrite Leader of famous The Opposition andI He I were this is why do not run les play France.

We a little boy of about 6 years of age was eating with Dave Cox whom I have just “discovered”. hese comestibles ould it to the car for the home.

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

It takes an inordinate amount of skill to supp en it’smake serious, your real face or are you still celebrating out of his pocket.

He opened “Twotoaproperty Merlots for on me and Ammy.” listening Michael Ball the wireless. lamppost, for support, rather his parents. He had plumped for the Fox Burgerwaiter: Intellectual rules prevent me quoting to chew onfoxes it so much that Istarted couldn’t whether it was atell pub. year relationship in-@me” with 24 hours towas spare.

Waste levels must be astronomical. his and s, picked, packaged, asked his with Dad ifCloser it was made which Halloween?”

He interviewing Donny Osmond who h EU supply issues? inspec@on ofnewspaper the packaging he excitement. mum ofand ten were required orfrom than illumination.

Andog any of hisDr work here but I encourage you to we thought was beautifully naïve.

Having said this, Our friend H has trained her Daisy ple of minutes later, he asked theorpriest, "Father, what causes arthritis?"

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

A real comedy genius and hugely you may remember Oscar Wilde’s description of fox and vegliving, like Tanzania and Argen@na. these Staying withwomen, food,So I have been doing some research into what is no longer man suitoff. engaged fourwith old-timers afternoon they would used

by Iloose being cheap, wicked too much and to bring her alcohol, a bottle of red wine.

No asurprise Palladium.

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

Be under it.” hunting with hounds as “The unspeakable in pursuit husband aquote romantic ernational weekends.

On GPs were working 40 months anUK. hour refreshing. o the shops and put on in order to attract women, I used to use this from the The list is endless but here is a small sample: Pringles (Belgium), Smar n the bar (could have been the @c climes, picked, packaged, taken to the port or airport, our fellow man," the priest replied.

"Imagine that," the drunk muttered.

He never…… remember. of the uneatable.”

I resisted the temptation of bringing former acting mentor of his who told him the really, she’s a Bordeaux collie.

I was(France) sat and H phrase we rtime.

I the have no doubt they are ridiculously text message.

She wrote: “If you are sleeping, send ike’s fi rst), we did it in the on the sell-buy date.

It Colman’s English Mustard ( Germany), Terrys Chocolate Orange little lad up to speed on such matters.

Tallyho! ading his Thebut priest, thinking about what he had said, turned tofor the following: “Theatre is theIV, only place where oned ones from the Taff Vale) “Well, it’s night out him.. and a 82: night offyou for his Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Act III, Scene line Ia have also been reading Bob Mortimer’s Recent crossword clue: “Brush under the es then delivered to40 the shops and putfox on the shelves with tched atpaper. present, an hour? with She Who Must Be Obeyed the other Years ago, I attended amonths rally to protest against e 18th Century Parliament) Sauce (The Netherlands).

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

How long have you had can dream in public.

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

If you are laughing, send me your bus to Dover, ferry crossing which I also strongly carpet 5hunting and 4.”

The answer was “gloss over.” when onean of the so called came up toautobiography them they fancied at’s overwhether three years hour.

Thehunters only way family.”

A drunk who smelled like a day whilst she sipped a glass of very wine to deliver thatFunny, dream” which weand thought was have arthritis, Father," the drunk said, "but Itried just read in the paper that poignant me and said: “Don’t knock hunting, until you’ve itrecommend. clever, Picture the poor student trying to maybe learn English.

Waste levels straight was ospare. would be to time travel so smile.

If you are eating, send me a bite.

If you are .on't I this was sitting next to him.

At Here’s one for you: “Knock knock.”

“Who’s there?”

“LiKle old lady.” ewery tour and free beer for the brewery got on a bus and sat “LiKle ol dear boy” then smugly walked off. So, next day and I did. but she said, “I love you so much, you rather good.

Oh yes it is. " enough about me.

In it he recalls a tale “Hello.”

– try it in a German accent: “If I y Student were referring to Dr Who. In my world this “I need you like Van Gogh needed stereo.”

His head is now on our wall.

“I had no idea you could yodel.” drinking, send me adown sip.

If next you are me Customs Offizis cer cameofonto Fearing some kind trap, and weft).

Of toI could acrying, priest.

The about having chronic flatulence asever asend child understand correctly, inhoney ze afirst place you know.

Icourt don’t know how live uld be like driving at 40 hours mile which I was reading about a case where the accused Thanks to my cousin Lawrence for this joke. he drink, there has always been ome convincing that my offer Saw this picture the other day a Cardiff pub. which was both embarrassing and atwork times tears.

I love Her husband texted back: “ as ust hold up your passports brushing benease your carpet and zen drunk's shirt was stained, his uld be quite slow but not unlike towalked Iintrying am awas man ofyou aSad certain age soyou.” my does aswine well it u hare the related without you.”

Itolerance said, “Isthreshold that you or the Iyour into our local The Moaning Monet and een doing some research What do you callbar, a Frenchman wearing demise Department Store in St. Mary Street ry attached toof Howells wine.

Indeed, very painful.

During one particular attack he add shiny paint over it.

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

I was autiously, they agreed to join us. otiate the recent traffic carnage in Cardiff par@cularly when being asked toface embrace new technology.

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CARDIFF TIMES 11

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STAGE 6 FILMS PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH LIONSGATE A KINGDOM STORY COMPANY PRODUCTION “JESUS REVOLUTION” JOEL COURTNEY JONATHAN ROUMIE KIMBERLY WILLIAMS-PAISLEY COSTUME ANNA REDMON EDITOR JOHN PUCKETT ANNA GRACE BARLOW AND KELSEY GRAMMER CASTINGBY JILL ANTHONY THOMAS, CSA AND ANTHONY J. KRAUS, CSA SUPERVISORMUSIC KEVIN EDELMAN MUSICBY BRENT MCCORKLE DESIGNER DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION PRODUCED EXECUTIVE

BY KEVIN DOWNES JON ERWIN ANDREW ERWIN DARYL LEFEVER DESIGNER AIMEE HOLMBERG PHOTOGRAPHY AKIS KONSTANTAKOPOULOS, GSC PRODUCERS TONY YOUNG JON GUNN JOSHUA WALSH JERILYN ESQUIBEL THEBASEDBOOK ONBY ELLEN SANTILLI VAUGHN AND GREG LAURIE SCREENPLAYBYJON GUNN & JON ERWIN DIRECTEDBY JON ERWIN AND BRENT MCCORKLE © 2023 Jesus Revolution, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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In The Words Of

by Carl Marsh

which makes a point of having an actor giant - Jack is 6’5” in the books, and Tom Cruise is 5’7”!

Taking the role of Jack Reacher is Alan Ritchson; he had a similar upbringing as his character, moving around many times as the son of a USAF Chief Master Sergeant, albeit Reacher is the son of an Army guy.

And Alan is 6’3”, so, not too far off the height. Although a relative unknown, he plays the role so well, and it’s no wonder the books’ fans are and have been ecstatic about the performance and show. It’s pretty violent, slightly tongue-in-cheek fun, also. Season two is incoming—a fantastic show.

INTRO RANT Am I the only one to believe that the Western World has started to eat itself alive? Anybody that knows me will acknowledge that I don’t hold back when it comes to… well, the powers that be and the clowns that follow every word the TV newsman/woman says. And this darn Emergency Alert thingy, now they couldn’t even get that right! Please enlighten me as to why it was needed, as the last time I checked, no tsunami or earthquake had occurred on our shores, ever!

Let’s be honest with ourselves; one would probably notice an earthquake, and trying to outrun a tsunami… #pointless. Some might think it’s for those that don’t watch the TV newsman or woman. I don’t. But I use my own eyes, ears, and some social media, but mostly, common sense.

And back to my earlier salient point that “They” couldn’t even get the ‘Alert thingy right’ in that most of my village didn’t get the alert! These people on my village WhatsApp, who, in the majority, are over 60, thus maybe not have the latest phone - this is what they told me. It also appears it went off at 1 am this morning for some who didn’t get it at 3 pm on Sunday!

I turned that garbage off a couple of weeks ago. Again, pointless. You’d think the un-elected Prime Minister had some… no, wait…best not to go there, Carl.

TV REVIEW Reacher - Amazon Prime OK, I am slow to the party here, but I am glad I had a lovely holiday away and finally got to watch Reacher.

Like all of us, we are spoilt for choice via our streaming sites suppliers versus the trash we are forced to pay for via that TV Tax, I mean licence. Reacher, based on Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series of books, and after a couple of films starring Tom Cruise, we get the series

INTERVIEWS Four, yes, FOUR interviews this month.

Ben Fogle - Monday, May 15 - New Theatre, Cardiff Ben is one of the UK’s best-loved TV bods. An author, too, along with loads of other things. Such a lovely chap to talk with. Catch him in Cardiff by getting a ticket, as only a few remain!

Dream Wife - Saturday, May 20 - (Celebrate This Place Festival) Tramshed, Cardiff.

A band that doesn’t hold back on the lyrics and message they want to send out. I had a Zoom video with all three members.

Leftfield - Friday, May 26 - The Great Hall, Cardiff University Students’ Union.

Dance music fans will know and respect Leftfield. If you are not a dance music fan but watch the TV, you will know many a tune from Leftfield thanks to adverts using their music or in films/TV shows. I spoke to founding member Neil Barnes on the phone.

The Young’uns - Wednesday, May 31 - Acapela, Pentyrch Anyone that’s a fan of folk music will know and love The Young’uns. And playing at a venue like Acapela will only add gravitas to the performance. I chatted to Sean Cooney via phone.

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

Carl Marsh Twitter - @InTheWordsOf_CM YouTube - InTheWordsOf

CARDIFF TIMES 15

What’s the premise for this tour, as you’ve done a lot over the last 23 years or so?

wide range of examples I will hopefully weave into a very entertaining two hours will make this show so different and eclectic.

Ben Fogle

Carl Marsh

It follows on from my last tour called: ‘Tales from the Wilderness’, which focused on the big adventures like Everest, rowing the Atlantic, and living as a castaway. And this will touch on bits of those, but it will focus on people who have gone to live in the wild and our relationship with the wild. So, it’s really going to focus on my series ‘New Lives in the Wild’, behind the scenes - it’s going to be about how we find the people, if I go back to revisit the people, what we learned from the stories, the most surprising, the funniest, the most moving or all of those things. And yes, it’s going to be a kind of journey around the world to various wild places, from Chernobyl, in Ukraine, to the green line in Cyprus, by way of people who’ve gone to live off-grid all around the world and hopefully give people some inspiring ideas of what they could do themselves.

Ben Fogle

Carl Marsh

Carl Marsh I do recall watching the one in Cyprus. I thought that was pretty fascinating. I’m ex-military and know much about Cyprus and the base there.

And for you to go into that UN Buffer Zone, which was as if time stood still, the zone or Green Line is still heavily policed by the Greeks and Turkish troops. Quite a unique experience as Nicosia is the last divided city in Europe.

Ben Fogle I didn’t know if I was daring, but I love going to unexpected places and meeting people.

So whether it’s Slab City, a kind of informal homeless settlement in California, or the Buffer Zone in Cyprus, I like going to places and exploring our relationship with those places.

So my kind of focus is usually the wild and the wilderness. And Cyprus, I thought, was fascinating because this vast area has been left almost abandoned by people because of conflicts. And, in the tour, I’ll also touch on the Falkland Islands, a place I’ve been to many times, and to see what happens when there has been conflict or warfare and what happens to those wild places with the rewilding; what our relationship is with them. And I think that the 16 CARDIFF TIMES

One of my favourite episodes of all of your shows was when you went to Restoration Island off the coast of Australia for ‘Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild’, for that first series and then when you went back years later showing not only the dream of living there but also the complex reality of life there, and how bad it’d got for the inhabitant.

Yeah, I mean that… funnily enough, you’ve given an example I will bring to the show because David Glasheen, who lived on restoration island, was one of the original shows. He is the quintessential wild man, which we base the whole series on. A castaway for nearly 20 years - I thought his entire story was fascinating, someone that went from having a great deal, once a millionaire, to losing it all and… but arguably starting all over again without the money. And that’s what I think is so interesting about this, most of us believe that success in life is the accumulation of wealth. And, of course, wealth cushions you, protects you and can provide for you, but it doesn’t necessarily bring happiness. There’s a certain sweet point where it will bring you the security of shelter, food, and safety. But beyond that, many people sort of miss that there’s a point at which it can start making you unhappy. And if we take Dave Glasheen’s example of how he was an unhappy millionaire and then a very happy Castaway with no money is an excellent example of what we can learn from the wilderness.

Ben Fogle - Monday, May 15 - New Theatre, Cardiff

Carl Marsh

Bella Podpadec - Dream Wife

Carl Marsh

Well… kind of how that set of words came to represent is that it wasn’t until the absolute final moment of the recording process that that song crystallised into what it is. There were many ideas around ways social lubrication could be interpreted, but yeah, then it was like on the last day of recording, and Rakel said that she “just needed to go for a walk. I need to go for a walk.” And when she came back, it was like somehow she managed to pull the threads of everything we’ve been discussing throughout all of this into the whole album into a succinct, impactful message, social lubrication. What it represents in the album are the ways in which the mechanisms that we use to gloss over and apply, like smoothness to the sort of functions that aren’t serving us, you know. It’s like it’s speaking to how a society or a system we live in is, you know, like a kind of capitalist, white supremacist heteropatriarchy. It isn’t designed to benefit most of us. Yet, we put a lot of energy, effort, and labour into upholding these systems when we do things like being polite when maybe we should be like, “No, you’re being an idiot”. Or, like ways in which diversity can be used as virtue signalling, it’s like, “Oh, now we’ve got trans people in the adverts, that must mean that society is getting better”. And it’s the systems that are broken. It’s not the people that are broken. The designs are wrong, and no matter how much oil you put on those rusty old cogs, it won’t change the shape of the machine. So, like the social lubrication, that being: “Well, how can we kind of do away with that without actually restructuring the nature of the machines”.

With the new album title [Social Lubrication], let’s not beat about the bush; it is what it is. I think it’s pretty impactful. But were there any doubts about using that as the title?

Dream Wife - Saturday, May 20 - (Celebrate This Place Festival) Tramshed, Cardiff

You’ve got a few gigs coming up in Wales, although selfishly, I’m more interested in the Cardiff one. So, what sort of memories do you have of playing in Wales in the past?

Alice Go - Dream Wife For me, the one that sticks out is Green Man. When they burn that massive wooden man… that was a real moment (for me). And just the luscious Welsh countryside, that is a special festival.

We had a great time… really amazing bands playing. It seemed like a mixed bag of bands and the artists they got to play there, and it’s always encouraging when you see that at a festival.

Bella Podpadec - Dream Wife My parents often come to the shows in Wales. My Dad is Welsh, born and bred, and so is my Mums family. So, it’s always a bit of a homecoming show for me in some ways.

And my Grandads from just outside Wrexham, and we’re playing there on my Mum’s birthday.

Rakel Mjöll - Dream Wife It’s the great crowds. Every show we’ve played in Cardiff and at Green Man, we’ve just had really fun crowds. People are really into jumping into the mosh pit and, you know, having a wonderful time, and you can just tell people seem to want to enjoy themselves but respect others at the same time.

CARDIFF TIMES 17

Carl Marsh When it comes to the venues you play, is it still vital as it’s always been for you to know the acoustics and sound systems in situ, as the Leftfield sound warrants it?

Neil - Leftfield Yeah, and one of the good things is that most of the bigger venues have really invested in good sound systems now… so it’s much better. And what we tend to do is look at the specs of the building and see what we have to add to what it’s already got. And some of them are really good. Some of them have thought about their systems. So it’s better than it ever was. But yeah, we do have to consider everything about the building, where it is, and how we get to it. Whether it’s the right venue in the city to be playing… all these things we think about. And sound being the most important one.

Carl Marsh Wasn’t it at Brixton Academy when the plaster fell off the ceiling?

Neil - Leftfield Well, that was one of the most interesting evenings!

[Laughter] We had the same experience all around the country on tour because we were very loud. To be honest with you, we were on the edge of destroying the building [Brixton Academy]. It was like where sound could damage it, and it was just like an aircraft taking off!

Carl Marsh I’ve always compared yourselves to the sound intensity that acts like The Prodigy and Aphex Twin have and still put out. And the fact that most venues couldn’t cope.

Neil - Leftfield No, they couldn’t. And now they can, and now we’ve got to respect that. So we tend to try to be more respectful of the venue’s age and that they’re great places.

Carl Marsh Last year ‘This Is What We Do’, your fourth album, came out and will have brought you so many new fans, and rightly so. And it reminds me so much about your first album, ‘Leftism’ from 1995. And with that debut, it’s timeless. But did you all know at the time you were onto something that would stand the test of time?

Neil - Leftfield No idea at all. I mean, we were trying to make the best record that we thought we could make. And we knew we had some good tracks. We’d already had ‘Open Up’, which had already done well. So it sounded like it was really good, and then, you know, it seemed to gain its own momentum, and it got released very, you know, in a very quiet way. And there were some average reviews, some people, you know, “Oh god, what’s all this nonsense?” And then a few other people started to pick up on it, and then suddenly, over the next nine months, it just went stratospheric. I mean, it has become everyone’s favourite album. We got the nomination for the Brits and the Mercurys, and suddenly it was big news. And then it followed on to the next album [Rhythm And Stealth], where the next album was number one. I mean, the whole thing just steamrollered from those first two records, and it’s still going on, to be honest. This new one [This Is What We Do] is, you know… the reviews have been amazing, even though it’s different times, and we’re all at different times. I mean, nobody is selling, you know, 300,000 copies of their album [Laughs] like they were, but at the same time, there’s a lot of attention. The response to this new record has been fabulous. And we can’t wait to bring it to live environments, particularly in your case, to Cardiff.

Leftfield - Friday, May 26 - The Great Hall, Cardiff University Students’ Union

18 CARDIFF TIMES

Carl Marsh Being one of the UK’s best folk music exports, and with you heading to Acapela on one of your tour nights, the venue will do your voices justice and help get the sound resonating fantastically.

Sean Cooney - The Young’uns Yeah. Oh, absolutely. I’ve heard the foods good too, because there are a couple of things we’ve seen on social media saying about how good the pizza is! And it’s not like that will be our night’s biggest drawer! [Laughter] It’s just that people keep saying: “Don’t forget about the pizza”.

Carl Marsh I’ll make sure I’ll get that in print about you only coming for the pizza. [Laughter] Am I correct in saying that the three of you formed the group after accidentally going to a folk night where you are from, which triggered your interest in the genre?

Sean Cooney - The Young’uns It was on a night out, and we had no idea this folk session was on in the backroom of a pub or what it was like. We went in, and we heard ordinary people singing songs without instruments in our accents and often singing about places we knew, and we couldn’t believe it, you know. And no one talks about why we didn’t learn these songs at school when we were so passionate about being from the Northeast, and football is often the kind of vehicle for that passion, and to suddenly find out that there was this whole array of songs about your local history and heritage. And because we were the youngest to ever stumble on that folk scene in so many years, many people just called us ‘The Young Ones, or The Young’uns’. They’d say, “Oh,

we’ve got the ‘Young’uns in”. At that point, there was never really a possibility that we’d end up with the career that we have. We never really gave it much thought when we started getting our early gigs and about what to call ourselves because people just called us ‘The Young’uns’, so it was always that, you know, and that was nearly 20 years ago. So, we absolutely hate the name, and we’ve had kind of moments over the years where we could have changed it, but I think we’re kind of past the point of no return now.

Carl Marsh I need to ask about your new album ‘Tiny Notes’, which is quite the concept album, as it has a modern take on things.

Sean Cooney - The Young’uns Yeah, I suppose you can call them 21st-century folk songs written in a traditional folk-sounding style. We started by singing the old songs of the Northeast and Sea Shanty’s as we’re much what people consider a traditional-sounding group. But over recent years, we’ve developed a great passion for celebrating modern stories, you know, because folk music has always done that as the old songs when they were new, were about what was happening at the time. And so it’s become a bit of a vocation for me as a songwriter to document and celebrate some extraordinary and inspirational stories of people in the world today. The title track ‘Tiny Notes’ is about Paige Hunter from Sunderland, a young woman who saved 30 lives on the Wearmouth Bridge in Sunderland by leaving these little messages urging people not to take their own lives, often accompanied with a number for The Samaritans. They are just tiny little messages saying: “Hold on another day” and things like that. It’s just an inspirational thing. So that’s the theme, I suppose, is finding some hope in the depths of despair. And then there are songs on there that your readers will be familiar with, like the ‘3 Dads Walking’, which is three inspirational fellas who walk and talk and raise awareness of suicide in young people after the tragic death of their three daughters. They’ve raised millions for charity and, in doing so, have really kind of helped people. So in many ways, there’s great tragedy and despair in some of the subject matter, but a tremendous sense of hope as well.

The Young’uns - Wednesday, May 31 - Acapela, Pentyrch

CARDIFF TIMES 19

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BARD IN BED PART TWO by Sara John Following my admission to hospital after my “funny turn” I was of course not aware that my stay would last for three weeks. All I was told was that a series of investigations would take place in order to determine what was wrong and what had happened to me. Various specialists would be visiting me, many questions would be asked and I would be kept up to date of the outcome.

My responsibilities were to rest, relax and simply ‘be’.

I had taken paper and pens with me having ambitious plans to use the peace and quiet wisely and, at least get some skeleton storylines prepared for completing when I returned home. That was not to be.

popular. They, the med students, were in complete contrast to our brother companions at art school who wore black polo necked sweaters and flared jeans from the stall upstairs in the market, (the jeans were soon proudly daubed with paint,) and some of the boys, artists to be, were putting a lot of energy into growing a post impressionist’s beard while carrying around paperbacks of Jean Paul Sartre’s books. You can tell how long ago this was when I explain that student age girls like me were always on the lookout for, what should I say? – acceptable, potentially long-term husband material?

I was joined up to various pipes, tubes, wires and equipment that lit up from time to time, beeped and often needed attention from the hospital staff. There were a number of them (staff that is): a dietician, the blood pressure nurse (he was very serious), assorted others in different uniforms according to function and rank, and a good few very jolly staff all with warm smiles, plus a bit of news from the outside world, all offering assistance, a trip to the bathroom or a nice cup of tea.

I enjoyed Dr. Jon’s visits, and he always gave me current information, such as it was about my strange condition resulting from my odd turn a few days previously. There was never a hint that I was, by now, only suitable for recycling, being mixed with old Shetland sweaters or shabby school, unbadged, blazers. Maybe being processed and sold on in a new life in Primark with a label saying wash by hand in cool water. Or even worse with a label marked 30% off until the end of the month.

Two of my favourite visitors (from inside the hospital that is) was the gentleman, darkly handsome like a prince in an illustrated story book from the Middle East who had a trolley of hot foods for lunch and also his colleague a delightful Polish man with teas and coffees on his hot trolley. I called him Mr Polski, he said that was close enough and he had been called far worse.

Dr Jon had a routine on his regular visits which involved asking me a list of questions I would have struggled with even if I was unattached to the national grid system at the side of my bed. In the end I had to speak up. I was asked what day it was? - in hospital every day is the same day. What month was it? – that was quite a hard one - and no way of finding out. What was the name of the Prime Minister? – I asked how many goes do you get? I thought it was still the one who had never bought a bra that had been fitted properly and clearly washed her old ones in water that was too hot and a detergent more suited to door mats.

I had no appetite and slept most of the time.

However, those two gentlemen compared notes about my reluctance to eat very much and decided that each day unless I ate everything on my plate there would be “NO FRANK’s ICE CREAM” for me! That did the trick. I was treated like a child of six, responded like a child of six. Two busy hard working grown men doing their jobs with so much joy and good spirits. And keeping a close eye on me, a complete stranger!

Having had peace and quiet to sleep, relax and settle in I began to feel a little better. I enjoyed my visitors, my husband, son from Bath, son from Pontcanna, neighbours and friends. The visitors I was yet to be sure of were groups of young men with clip boards, who appeared to be operating under the supervision of a Dr. Jon. They were all in white immaculate uniforms.

A hundred years previously when I was an art student at Art School in Cardiff a relationship with a Med student was much sought after and decidedly very

22 CARDIFF TIMES

Eventually after playing along at Mastermind for a few days, I offered Dr. Jon the answers written for his use only, on a piece of white card, to go into his pocket. Of course, some of the questions needed a daily change of answer (including the Prime Minister at that time) as opposed to longer lasting answers. I recalled my sisterin-law, in her eighties, in hospital in Edinburgh for the first time in her long life responding to such questions with a sharp retort, “I told you my date of birth yesterday you should have written it down”.

After a few Dr. Jon visits, on one occasion he stayed behind on his own and proposed to me that following tests, research and advice from more senior specialists he needed to perform a lumbar puncture on me. It would reveal what he needed to know. I had not heard

the words Lumbar and Puncture for decades! I was reminded of the boy next door and his beloved twowheeler which perhaps like me, was subject to poor tyres and strange brake-downs of unknown origin which required taking apart and putting back together again.

And oiling?

Dr Jon comforted me with the reassurance that there were few risks involved, and it would all be done quite quickly. “How many deaths?’ I insisted on knowing.

“None so far” he whispered, laughing loudly, with his colleagues not too far away, probably wondering, while his entourage joined in, what could possibly be that funny about performing a lumbar puncture? And sharing the decision with the patient. And a patient who was no longer the Rock Chick she had once been.

To reassure me further he pointed out that he had performed more than a hundred. Nothing to worry about.

The following day at three o’clock I would be collected and delivered.

Dr. Jon’s confidence had affected me in a positive way about the impending procedure. My body was slightly rearranged on the operating table for ease of access, but also ensuring that I had no view of any “funny cutlery” that had been laid out nearby.

Right, says Dr Jon, just two things, I need you to stop talking. I explained that I was Welsh, had no regular

‘stop’ or ‘off’ button regarding talking, but that I would do my best. He also asked that I lay perfectly still, with no movements at all.

Some years ago I had undertaken a course in London on Hypnosis. I recalled the procedure for self-hypnosis and started the countdown from one hundred, I was aware of the lecturer’s instructions about breathing, totally relaxing and staying “in tandem” as it were, with the physician. It was a procedure frequently used to help a patient prepare for a life changing operation.

I did not speak or discuss this with Dr Jon, in case I would fail to maintain my self-imposed discipline.

However, in no time at all, Dr Jon was rousing me and worrying (unnecessarily) that he had “lost” me, (forever), I have never known you so quiet, he said very seriously. What were you doing? I explained about simple first stage self-hypnosis. He was intrigued and was keen to know more!

All done in minutes! But there was more to come.

The next day I would be scanned, very ‘electronically’ but inside an extra clever machine that looked like something sold off from Cape Canaveral’s closing down sale. It was a more impersonal adventure but the staff were so professional and kindly, both at the same time.

The next day, at the appointed time, I had a longwheeled ride along corridors with extra corridors going off at angles, I was eased into the empty giant

CARDIFF TIMES 23

Colgate toothpaste tube at the same time I was told they no longer provided hearing protection, due to Covid restrictions and so on. This did not worry me until everything was powered up!! If this had all taken place behind the Iron Curtain I tell you, I would have told them EVERYTHING they wanted to know, including stuff about people I hardly knew. What a terrific noise!!!, but not for long. No physical discomfort, no invasive procedures and attentive staff close by. But it was good to return to the peace and quiet of my ward accommodation.

I began getting good news. For example the lumbar puncture procedure had been fruitful. The deafening scanning machine had added to the body of knowledge, which I would never see, or, understand.

My collapse and hospitalisation had begun to worry me. Was I approaching the scrap heap and my right arm links via tubes and wires with Welsh Water, The Electricity Board, South Wales Sewage, Cardiff Buses, the entire destruction of the Llandaff BBC Wales Site HQ and poor old James Howells (the Harrods of Wales in its day) made me think that I should not have taken my eye off the ball. So much can happen in such a short time. So much had gone or was going for ever. Was I going the same way? Was my time up?

24 CARDIFF TIMES

My tale is almost complete but not quite.

After three weeks of being pushed, shoved and pulled through every piece of equipment available (except the overnight security staff’s microwave) that lit up when an official person pressed a button).

I thought it was all over. Reminder to self. It might never be all over!

I had a little way to go. Having been checked for balance, climbing stairs, more questions and careful guidance for the immediate future, for example NO driving, no swimming. I wondered if it was okay to get in the bath promising no more than three inches of hot soapy water?

Yes, they said you can go home tomorrow. But it still was not all over. A couple of weeks later I was “invited” (I am being extra cautious about my word choice) for a Colonoscopy and a Gastroscopy.

I did some research and found a number of chums who said, “A walk in the park”. Subsequently I found it odd that chums who speak English as their first language would use such an innocent expression.

Not being I felt, in a position to complain or to refuse I turned up at the appointed time having followed careful

instructions about diet and so on for the previous week.

I had to remove my own clothing and put on a pair of split crotch knickers (this also happened to the chum who had used the expression “A walk in the park”), the design of which was based on the dancers at The Moulin Rouge circa 1875. The big difference being that at the Moulin Rouge the knickers were made of fine cotton lawn with lace and frills and as the dancers, all of whom were employed to be naughty girls, danced the evenings away they threw up their skirts ever higher over their heads thereby revealing ever more of their charms.

The biggest difference was, of course that the hospital split crotch knickers were made from a blue plastic tarpaulin with no lace trim (From Halfords??) and the chic Parisiennes’ undies were made from fine fabric.

The energetic dancers of course were aiming their charms at the top hatted gentlemen in the front row.

Whereas I just wanted to get the hell out of there as quickly as possible!

The procedures which I must admit I did find challenging did not last very long, every prod, twist and turn was monitored on a television screen, not my movements but those of the investigator.

Then the magic words, “That is it, thank you very much, we will be in touch”. It was all over. But it was not quite.

A few days later I had an invitation to be scanned, then with the fresh knowledge from a dear friend who is also a doctor that being scanned was not, never had been and would not be in the foreseeable future an invasive procedure. As she explained to me I would be at one end of the room, The radiographer would be AT THE OTHER END! So it came to pass exactly as she had promised. First class service from the Hospital. And from number one chum.

All I had to do now was to go home, find myself, thank everyone who had been so kind and patient and move on. I had been ‘not me’ for a number of weeks and it has taken me until now to regain enough confidence to face my computer.

Writing about my experience has been beneficial and very worthwhile for me. Returning to normal was harder than I thought. But, most importantly I have a clean bill of health. Thank you, NHS, and extra thank you to The University Hospital of Wales!

I hope my return to the magazine has also been worth your while.

CARDIFF TIMES 25

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We will be providing a variety of conversation classes this summer, including:

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Mae ein cyrsiau byr, dwys a diddorol yn cael eu haddysgu gan diwtoriaid sy'n siaradwyr brodorol, ac mae’r cyrsiau yn amrywio o lefelau dechreuwyr i uwch.

Our short, intensive and enjoyable courses are taught by native-speaking tutors and range from beginners to advanced.

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Enter our competition to win a free course.

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Fashion Done Your Own Way

by Molly Dutton

This month is finally starting to feel like the sunny springtime we love so much, despite a few rainy moments which we can overlook. As we all start to enter a new season, I have found through my conversations with people that feelings of burnout are very common in working and school environments; this can be so hard, and honestly, very exhausting. As part of their new springtime schedule, Lush Spa invited me to their wonderful Book A Bath experience (they clearly know me too well) and what a day it was!

Upon arrival, one of the lovely members of staff welcomed me into the spa area in which I could rummage through some of the products featured in their treatments and try new additions which I hadn’t come across before. I managed to fit in time to try their fragrances, which I never even knew existed prior to this visit. In the little waiting area, I found two delicious ones that are strong contenders with my long-standing vanilla body spray (and it would take a lot to pry that away from me). My two favourites were American Cream and Vanillary; reminding me of the sweet, nostalgic scents I used to love when I was just starting to experiment with perfumes. The little hidden corner in the Lush store had such a peacefulness to it that

30 CARDIFF TIMES

made me feel relaxed as soon as I sat down, which is uncommon for me even in spa locations. I have since put this down to the homeliness of the cosy corner and the kindness of the lovely staff checking on my wellbeing at every given opportunity.

For those of you who have been reading my articles for some time, you will know that I am a huge fan of a bubble bath, and since my big move up North almost two years ago, I haven’t had a bath within my own house. I was very kindly given the chance to experience the lovely “Book a Bath experience” which is centred around the Lakes bath bomb, one of their most popular bath products. I will be perfectly honest, being at one with nature is not something I am usually very good at, but it is such a mood lifter and has a great effect on the soul! As someone who takes a more independent approach to self-care, the self-led experience felt a lot more natural for me and it allowed me to take things at my own pace, rather than adhere to a pre-prepared schedule. The lovely Lush spa worker Lauren took me into the very homely kitchen in which I was provided with a comforting herbal tea and a selection of products of which I could choose from for my bath. Having been a Lush fan since I was

very young, I chose products which I’d not previously used so I could fully immerse myself in the treatment; a particularly exciting duo was the daffodil eye pads (very on theme) and rosy cheek mask. This element of selection is something I found so unique when looking back over previous spa treatments as it truly places the customer at the forefront of what the spa is doing, rather than fitting the client into a routine that they think is best.

Part of what is so lovely about the treatment is the serenity of the afternoon. I am in a very privileged position in which I always have time for a small dose of self-care in my routine and am often used to peace and quiet in my evenings, however this is not the case for many people. The reasonable price tag on this treatment and the time that is given to each client makes it the perfect treat for busy individuals, full time workers, mums and dads, carers and all of us that fall in between. The ethos of the spa revolves entirely around the idea of taking time for ourselves and looking after our wellbeing which is so clearly communicated through the ‘Book a Bath’ concept.

I am no stranger to the world of skincare and have become a skincare consultant within the last year. I will be honest, I was ever so slightly sceptical of Lush skincare, purely down to the fact that I associated the company with big, beautiful fragrances, colours and glitter! I am very happy to say that I was completely wrong in my preconceptions and the skincare provided

for me during my relaxation session was very much worth investing in. Highlighting again the importance of the natural world, the products were centred around freshness and peace; a lovely duo in the world of selfcare. I am always reluctant to try toners that I haven’t used before as they can be a little bit hit or miss for me personally but the ‘breath of fresh air toner water’ had a very gentle and cleansing effect on the skin which left me looking glowy for the rest of the afternoon.

For those of you that are new to Lush as a company or just haven’t tried some of their less mainstream products, the sleep collection will fit so well into your daily routines. I was treated to a little bar of the ‘sleepy’ soap as part of the day and it has a wonderful soothing quality that somehow managed to put my whirring mind at ease for the half an hour session (a difficult task during exam season). If I could recommend any products to invest in that will always stand the test of time, it would have to be their sleep collection.

Overall, the experience was honestly my favourite spa day yet and I left feeling fully relaxed and at ease with my surroundings; if there ever was a way to feel grounded, this would be it. Their ability to create a hidden world within the walls of Lush Cardiff on Queen Street is unmatched, with the setting, music, lighting and staff working together beautifully to create a peaceful environment. The price is so appealing and is thoroughly worth it for the way that it makes you feel!

CARDIFF TIMES 31

Love is All About You Sadhguru: There is a lot of emotion attached to the subject of love and lots of fanciful things have been said about it, but I would like to bring it down to the mechanics of love. For example, people are saying, “God loves you,” but does anybody really know whether God loves or not? Love is a human emotion. Human beings are capable of love when they are willing. But unfortunately, we want to export everything that is beautiful in our life to heaven and live only on this planet. Love, joy, blissfulness – all these are human possibilities. So let us not talk about divine love; let us talk about human love.

Generally, when hormones hijack your intelligence, people think they have fallen in love –that is one aspect. When you say “me,” “myself,” what is it that you are referring to? One thing is your physical body, another thing is your mind – the way you think, yet another thing is your emotion – the way you feel, and the energy which drives the other three things. This is what you are calling as “me.” When this “me” feels pleasant on different levels, we call it by different names.

If your emotions become very pleasant, we call it love.

Love is not something that you do. Love is something that you are.

Love is just one aspect of life. We have given so much importance to it simply because for a long time, in most people emotion has been the strongest part. Even today, though people consider themselves intellectual, still emotion is the strongest part in most of them – not their intellect, their body, or their energy. So making that pleasant is very important. Otherwise, it will find unpleasant expressions. If you are feeling very pleasant, suddenly you become like a flower.

When somebody is in love, if you look at their faces, suddenly they look like a flower because they are feeling so pleasant within themselves.

Whoever you are in love with, they may not even be aware of it – it does not matter. You are in love, that’s all that matters. It is your emotion. It is the way you are.

Love is not something that you do. Love is something that you are. Either you can use somebody as a support to make yourself loving or you can simply become loving. After all, it is not somebody else’s quality, it is your quality. You are using the other person as a key to open this up. But you can also open it up from inside without the help of the other person.

Then it is definitely more enduring because when you open it with the other person’s help – nobody on this planet is 100% reliable.

If you are trying to extract joy, love and pleasantness out of somebody, this is going to be disastrous for both the people. I am not saying it is better to live alone. I am saying the way you are should be determined by you. If this is so and you are here to share your love with people, if you are feeling wonderful and you want to share this with somebody, then it will be very beautiful.

Join Sadhguru, in person, at his first London event in 4 years, ‘Sadhguru in London - Meet, Mingle and Meditate’ on 18th June. Come, discover your natural state of freedom and joy. Book Now: https://ishaeu.org/london-ct

CARDIFF TIMES 33

THE PUMPING STATION

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With more than 35 different traders under one roof it is easy to while away an entire afternoon at this welcoming destination - you can even enjoy a coffee at the onsite coffee shop.

Here at The Pumping Station you will find so many wonderful examples of clothing, jewellery, antiques, furniture and home furnishings from the Victorian era right through to modern day, there really is something here for everyone.

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34 CARDIFF TIMES

Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival Less than two months to go before the Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival begins, and Cardiff Times readers have another chance to win free tickets - read on to find out how!

And if you haven’t already heard about the return of Wales’ largest outdoor theatrical event for its Ruby Jubilee, we’ve got all the information you need.

Hosted by Everyman Theatre Cardiff, the Festival spans six weeks from 22 June to 29 July: a packed programme of comedies, musicals, Shakespeare, choirs, family shows, and much more! And with a 400-seat stand sheltering audiences from the elements and a swanky courtyard with a fully licensed bar, it’s a recipe for a perfect summer evening.

The Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival has a forty-year-long history in the Welsh capital. What started with one show in 1983 - Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale at Dyffryn Gardens - paved the way for four decades of vibrant performances in Cardiff.

Every summer since 1983, the Festival has brought together people from all walks of life, a junction for professionals and amateurs alike, and today, audiences new and old find their way to the Festival year after year. The festival hosts over 14,000 visitors every summer, powered by hundreds of volunteers, some of whom have been with the Festival since the beginning.

Even the pandemic didn’t stop the show for good. Faced with new restrictions and a way of life none of us knew, Everyman Theatre’s innovative agility placed the Festival at the cutting edge of bringing live theatre back to Wales in 2021, touring sell-out shows to pop-up venues at both Insole Court in Cardiff and Tredegar House in Newport. A triumphant return home to Sophia Gardens followed in 2022, and this year the tickets are flying faster than ever.

The 40th anniversary year has a programme packed with shows for all tastes, including the cult hit musical The Addams Family, a heart-warming adaptation of the film Calendar Girls, popular Shakespeare favourite A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and the high-octane “revolting children” of Matilda Jr, plus much more besides - discover the full programme at www.cardiffopenairtheatrefestival.co.uk.

YOU could win a free evening at the Festival! Everyman has partnered with the Brewhouse & Kitchen in Sophia Gardens to offer Cardiff Times readers the chance to win an unforgettable evening, with a meal for two and a pair of tickets to any Festival performance of your choice!

Simply answer this question by 30 May for your chance to win: In which English county is Calendar Girls set?

Send your answer to festivalcompetitions@everyman theatre.co.uk. The lucky winner will be contacted by email within 7 days of the closing date. Full T&Cs at www.cardiffopenairtheatrefestival.co.uk.

CARDIFF TIMES 35

Viney Hearing Care

How do you clean your ears?

In my years of being a Hearing Audiologist I have been told many stories about what people clean their ears with from the everyday cotton swabs to pens, paperclips, hair grips, glasses arms, car keys. I’m sure nearly everyone reading this is guilty of sticking something in their ears they are not supposed to so I’m going to explain why the old wives tale ‘nothing smaller than your elbow’ is so true.

Our ears are designed by nature to be both self-cleaning and self-protecting and that’s why by using the wrong cleaning methods, you risk causing injury to the ears, damaging your hearing or even causing infections.

Earwax (also called cerumen) is necessary for the ear's self-cleaning mechanism to work properly. Earwax is manufactured by glands in the skin of the outer ear canal, the hole through which sound travels to the eardrum. Earwax serves several important functions. It coats the skin of the ear canal, repelling water and helping to protect it against injury and infection. It also helps to keep the skin inside the ears from

FREE hearing tests & advice with the latest diagnostic equipment FREE demontrations of the newest hearing aid technology

getting dry and itchy. In addition, earwax traps dust and germs, keeping them from reaching the eardrum. Usually, you don't need to do anything to help this natural cleaning process unless you suffer from an impaction that may have to be removed.

Trying to forcibly remove the ear's protective wax layer or stop an itch can damage the delicate skin of the ear canal or puncture (put a hole in) the eardrum.

This can increase your risk of infection and lead to a permanent hearing loss needing either surgery or a hearing aid to correct the

impairment. So it is best to leave the inside of your ear alone and not disturb its natural environment. This means no cotton swabs, no fingers and certainly no sharp objects, keep your hair grips for holding your hair back and keep your car keys for unlocking your car!

The ear canal is narrow and curved, consequently some people are susceptible to getting blockages of wax, skin, foreign objects, debris from infection. If a blockage is present you may notice your hearing seems, dull, there may be a ringing sound in your ears, your ears may feel full become itchy or ache. If this is the case you will need to have it professionally removed.

Although there are several methods to clean your ears such as syringing, sprays and drops, Microsuction is renowned as the most efficient and the safest. It is highly recommended by GP’s, audiologists and ENT consultants. Microsuction of an ear canal is performed under direct vision using a microscope. The ear canal is cleared using gentle suction, proving to be the most effective way to clean the ears reducing all risks of infection.

Viney Hearing Care

...introducing Micro-Suction

FREE The safest way to clean your ears Micro-Suction and

Viney Hearing Care is now the first hearing centre in Swansea to offer Micro-Suction, the SAFEST Thursday 25th May way to remove wax. No more ear FREE lifetime Normal cost £55 syringing necessary, there is no aftercare service Call today as there are longer any need to pump water into limited spaces Micro-Suction wax the ear to remove wax. It is performed removal. The safest under direct vision using a microscope way to remove wax using gentle suction and instruments to clean the ears. The ear canal is narrow and curved and can become blocked with: wax, skin, debris from infection and Service, repair and foreign objects. This can cause your hearing to become dull and the quickest relief is calibration of ANY microsuction. If you are having problems and dull hearing, itchy ears, blocked feeling, it hearing aid could be wax blocking your ear canals.

Come and have a FREE ear health check to determine if wax is the problem.

Video Otoscopy We will use a fibre optic camera to view and assess the condition of the fibre optic camera ear canal and ear drum. If we find that the ears are blocked with wax, to show the microsuction is the safest way to remove it. condition of the ear Speech Analysis - testing how well your hearing aids allow you to hear speech

36 CARDIFF TIMES

Ear Health Check Day

02920 250121

www.vineyhearingcare.co.uk Viney Hearing Centre, 66 Merthyr Road, Whitchurch, Cardiff CF14 1DJ

SATCoL’s revolutionary Fibersort technology is working to close the loop for circular fashion SATCoL (the trading arm of The Salvation Army) is delighted to announce the launch of their new automated, advanced Fibersort clothing and textiles by fibre type, blend and colour for recycling back into the circular textiles supply chain.

Fibersort is a textiles revolution. The automated Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) reprocesses clothing and other items no longer in a condition that can be reused. The innovative approach identifies and classifies non-wearable textile items into grades. It uses an infra-red camera and blows items from a conveyor belt into bins using air jets. The process separates them into fibres such as, cotton, polyester and wool. Simultaneously, Fibersort recognises the fibre content percentage of each item and sorts specified blends such as polycotton and wool mixes at a higher level of accuracy than manual sorting. Fibersort also sorts fibres by specific or mixed colours categories.

This fashion forward technology closes the loop for fibre-to-fibre circular textiles. With the ground-breaking technology and environmental credentials of the Fibresort project supported by the Government’s Resource Action Fund, managed by climate action NGO WRAP. SATCoL is the largest charity-owned textiles collector in the UK working to support organisations reduce their carbon footprint.

Fibersort, maximises the potential of charitable textile donations by creating more opportunities for garments to be repurposed and diverted from landfill in an effort to reduce the environmental impact of textiles.

The profits received from the resale of the donations is given to The Salvation Army to support the great work they do throughout the country. Kirk Bradley, SATCoL’s Head of Corporate Partnerships, said “We are thrilled to be working with this new ground-breaking technology. It helps to reduce waste and more

donated garments can be repurposed, resold and raise more money for vital charity work.”

Claire Shrewsbury, Director of Insights and Innovation, WRAP, said: “Donations of unwanted clothing are essential to keep the cycle of clothing turning and move us towards a more sustainable model of clothing. WRAP is delighted to have been involved in the funding of this brilliant development. By working with retail partners to providing raw materials from the Fibersort process for recycling, SATCoL is helping to ‘close the loop’ at a key stage in the circle economy. ” Cardiff has 22 banks out of SATCoL’s 8000 across the UK, collecting over 2000kg per month per site!

To find your nearest bank visit: www.salvationarmydonationcentre.org/bank-finder CARDIFF TIMES 37

TARA J HAMER Manager & Ring Girl At T&S Promotions

by Ralph Oates

abroad would certainly be something for us to look into in the near future, that would be an amazing experience.

Ralph Oates Have you attended many world boxing title fights?

Tara J Hamer Yes, I have. Tyson Fury Vs Dillian Whyte at Wembley on the 23rd April 2022. Tyson Fury ended it in the 6th round with an uppercut.

Ralph Oates How long have you been interested in boxing?

In this month’s boxing column I interviewed Tara J Hamer who very kindly gave her time to answer various aspects on the sport.

Ralph Oates In which part of Wales were you born?

Tara J Hamer I was born in South Wales, Caerphilly.

Ralph Oates In which capacity are you involved in boxing?

Tara J Hamer I manage our ring girls at T&S Promotions alongside my work partner/manager and close friend Sophie Hoyle.

Sophie and I also ring girl and hostess at various fights and boxing events across the UK. Ralph Oates How long have you been working in this capacity?

Tara J Hamer We have been working in this capacity for around 6 years.

Prior to working for ourselves we gained close relationships with different promoters. We started off working at much smaller events and have worked some charity events as ring girls. It is always important to help raise money for a good cause.

Ralph Oates How many fights have you attended?

Tara J Hamer I’m unsure exactly how many fights that I’ve attended in total over the years but there has definitely been quite a few. Many of these fights would be a night that I’m working the actual boxing event.

Ralph Oates Have you had many boxing engagements abroad?

Tara J Hamer We haven’t worked overseas as of yet but taking our work

38 CARDIFF TIMES

Tara J Hamer Boxing has been an interest of mine for a number of years, I just love the sport! the hard work and dedication that goes into boxing itself is admirable.

Ralph Oates What drew you to the sport of boxing?

Tara J Hamer I think looking back maybe watching the Rocky box set over and over. I just absolutely loved boxing, (quite possibly as well as having a soft spot for A J haha). I genuinely just enjoy the sport and love getting involved when working events. If I’m not working then I also love watching the fights on TV, I get all excited.

Ralph Oates At the moment the rounds in women’s professional boxing lasts for the duration or two minutes while the men’s last three minutes. Do you feel the rounds of women’s boxing should be increased to three or stay as they are at two minutes.

Tara J Hamer That is a very difficult one to answer as I’m sure there are valid reasons on both sides. If I had to say I think maybe keep things as they are for women boxing at 2 minute rounds. They say things have been scientifically tested for safety purposes. Some of the reasons being to do with a woman’s bone structure, it’s proven that 80% of women have more concussion probability than men, and that if a woman has concussion their after symptoms are much stronger. Therefore fighting another minute I feel could potentially cause more punches to the head, even a KO could happen in that extra time which could go on to cause severe concussion. Also, their menstrual cycle is said to have a big impact on women fighting due to 12 different hormones which act in the body system, creating radical changes in several areas. I can also totally understand why on the other hand people disagree and feel that it should be equal and fair in the sport, just like other sports between a male and female they are both the same. Women also train hard so they are more than capable of going all 3 minutes as they would have done this whilst they were at amateur boxing level. My choice in this matter would simply

Ralph Oates Have any members of your family ever boxed?

Tara J Hamer Yes, both of my first cousins have boxed and thus taken part in a couple fights.

Ralph Oates Which do you prefer, amateur or professional boxing?

Image: Tara J Hamer and Sophie Hoyle

be to stick to the 2 minute rounds just for the woman’s safety as certain things have been proven.

Ralph Oates Which is your favourite weight division?

Tara J Hamer My favourite weight division would probably be welterweight. It’s the most competitive weight in boxing and you can’t beat watching two competitive boxers fight.

Ralph Oates Who is your favourite male boxer?

Tara J Hamer My favourite all-time would be Muhammad Ali. If we’re talking more current day it would be Tyson Fury, he’s a great fighter.

Ralph Oates Who is your favourite female boxer?

Tara J Hamer My favourite would have to be our gold medallist and one of the most recent women to turn professional in the boxing world, Lauren Price. I know Lauren really well, I have to say she has always worked so incredibly hard to be where she is today, she’s definitely one to watch.

Ralph Oates Who do you feel in the history of boxing is the best world heavyweight champion?

Tara J Hamer Mike Tyson (Nicknamed - Iron Mike) and Muhammad Ali. Ralph Oates What was the best world heavyweight title you have seen?

Tara J Hamer Muhammad Ali Vs (Smokin) Joe Frazier, 1st October 1975.

What a brutal fight that was.

Ralph Oates Who at the moment do you feel has the potential to become a future championship in the UK? Tara J Hamer I feel that an upcoming future champion could be Kyran Jones. He’s an absolute fabulous boxer. Hard working and completely dedicated to the sport 100%. He’s currently working his way through the ranks of boxing and hasn’t yet lost a fight in his new professional career. Kyran has a huge talent within boxing and shows this when he is fighting inside the ring. Most definitely one to watch out for.

Tara J Hamer I think both are amazing but for me it has to be professional boxing.

Ralph Oates At the moment there are four major world boxing organisations WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO. Do you feel boxing would be better having just one organisation? Or do you see an advantage in there being four?

Tara J Hamer I do see pros and cons to both. There has been sanctioning bodies for decades and I don’t think this will change anytime soon. There are internal disagreements and conflict between the organisers of the sport. Some say the sport is corrupt. It’s hard to say which of the two would be better. In the future all major sanctioning bodies/ organisations may collaborate into working together more closely in order to reduce a lot of the politics in boxing.

Ralph Oates Do you have a favourite boxing film?

Tara J Hamer Yes I do, the all-time favourite being the Rocky films which of course starred Sylvester Stallone in the title role. I absolutely love to watch them.

Ralph Oates What are your future ambitions?

Tara J Hamer My future ambitions with our team would be as mentioned earlier in the interview, to look at approaching boxing promoters for work abroad - this would be amazing for us girls. We are completely hard working and dedicated in what we do, and to be able to expend that and venture out even more would just be amazing. We are more than happy to travel around the world if the opportunity arose.

We also want to look at working towards more sporting events in general, we have already worked events with Tony Bellew and a night with Frank Bruno back last year.

This year we have an evening with Joe Calzaghe next month and moving into July we have an event with Ricky Hatton. It would be amazing to be able to work even more of these big events alongside more big names. We love socialising and getting the opportunities to meet these talented role models within the sporting industry.

I would like to thank both Ralph Oates and Cardiff Times for taking the time to interview me and ask me these different questions relating to boxing. It’s been an absolute pleasure.

Image: Courtesy of Tara J Hamer

CARDIFF TIMES 39

LEARN THE GAME OF BRIDGE AT CARDIFF BRIDGE CLUB

Anyone can learn to play bridge – you don’t have to be Warren Buffet(left) or Bill Gates (right)!

We all understand the need to keep physically active throughout our lifetime. But keeping mentally active is equally important. The game of bridge can keep us challenged mentally and also provides good social interaction with like-minded people.

There are many aspects to the game of bridge which all contribute to the continued fascination. Anyone can learn to play bridge and our bridge courses have been developed and refined by the English Bridge Union over the last 40 years.

At Cardiff Bridge club, our bridge teachers are both experienced bridge players and fully qualified bridge teachers dedicated to helping you achieve your goal of becoming an active participant in your local bridge playing community.

Cardiff Bridge club is an excellent venue for bridge teaching, spacious with good presentation facilities and other technologically advanced teaching aids.

There are many bridge clubs in the South Wales area to choose from and you can play bridge at a local club every day of the week, weekend tournaments and you can enjoy a wide range of bridge holidays and cruises. In addition, you can play “online” 24x7x365!

To find out more, book onto our free Bridge “taster” Session to be held at Cardiff Bridge Club on Monday 22nd May 2023 at 19:00hrs. Or just book-up for the first 10 week term starting on Monday 5th June 2023 19:00-21:00hrs.

The course fee for this course is £190 which includes “Beginning Bridge” course documentation. You also will receive associate membership of Penylan Bowling & Cardiff Bridge Club so you can enjoy all our club’s facilities. For more information or to book the course or the free “taster” session please email: teaching@cardiffbridgeclub.org or phone Sarah Amos on 07930 503746.

Penylan Bowling & Cardiff Bridge Club, Marlborough Road, Cardiff CF23 5BU 40 CARDIFF TIMES

Remove the guesswork from your bathroom, kitchen or bedroom renovation by stepping into your accurately scaled room in Virtual Reality, and see the exact products and colours you’ll receive in your finished room!

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The hottest new radio brand in our Green Green Grass of Home

by Natalie McCulloch

According to ‘Radio Today’ (2022), data suggests that 72% of the population aged 15+ now tune into digital radio every week. With over 600 radio channels available to those in the UK alone, finding the right station for you may seem like a mission but it needn’t be a mission impossible, as Swansea based online station - ‘XL:UK Radio’ is making all the right noises.

They’re arguably the hottest new radio brand in our Green Green Grass of Home, Wales. What sets them apart is being the first ever non-competing radio station which has seen them go from strength to strength via that business model which has allowed them the freedom to express themselves and make steady progress at the same time.

Especially with the fact that they recently came off the back of getting good positive exposure from being shortlisted as finalists at the prestigious Business Growth Wales Awards 2023 in the ‘Rising Star’ and ‘Brand Impact’ categories. The station is a brilliant advocate of hard work paying off. So, why not check them out today and see what they’ve got to offer?

The radio brand launched in November 2020 and was set up by station manager and founder Abid Hussain along with business partner and co-founder, Dovydas Venslovas. Both have more than 20yrs+ worth of combined experience and are incredibly

passionate about all things radio related.

The station represents people’s music lifestyle, mood & culture with playing the best of Urban, Dance and the Alternative. Whether it’s from the UK or around the world XL:UK Radio is available to broadcast with the mission of putting the listeners at the heart of the station and providing them with what they want in the diverse range of music that’s on offer!

One of the biggest strengths of this Swansea based station is its focus on engaging people’s creativity both as listeners and performers: “Creativity is the literally the bedrock of everything that we try to accomplish with making XL:UK Radio stand out. You can see it in the plethora of eyecatching promo designs that are on our social media accounts. They promote the talent on the station in the best way possible so that they get a good amount of positive exposure” Dovydas states.

What sets them apart from every other station out there is their diverse programming schedule which is hosted by a variety of diverse talented presenters and DJ’s. They’re given unprecedented amount of creative freedom to really flex their broadcasting skills and make the kind of shows they want to do without any constraints. One of the other aspects of XL:UK Radio is their training development platform.

The training is completely open to students and newcomers as well as established talents, which offers a genuine pathway towards having a career in either the radio or media industry.

Abid states, “We want everyone involved with the radio brand to enjoy their residency with us. Even our international contingents are benefitting as well

42 CARDIFF TIMES

with many opportunities opening up for them that would’ve been difficult to access before joining up. If you’re a potential candidate, then there’s no better time to apply here at XL:UK Radio.”

The station made huge achievements in 2022, including managing to become an affiliate partner of Swansea Arena with promoting the latest music and events from the Swansea based venue as well as succeeding to get onto the Cardiff DAB Multiplex which launched in the latter part of that year. Not only that, but the radio brand is making moves behind the scenes to break out into the capital city with ongoing discussions with local entities there.

So, if you fancy getting your ‘foot in the door’ with a career in radio or just fancy supporting the fresh new beginnings of the next big thing in the radio scene, then why not check out ‘XL:UK Radio’ today?

The station can be available to listen into via their own official website at www.xlukradio.com and through their own apps for Android or iOS devices which is free to download, as well as most popular online streaming sites.

Source: https://www.xlukradio.com/about.html

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Sam Sugarman brings magic to Cardiff and the Vale

by Natalie McCulloch

Magic is something that has captivated and enthralled people for over 2,500 years with the first recorded magic act being performed in Ancient Egypt in 2,700 BC by a magician called Dedi. Centuries later we’ve seen magic transformed by performers such as Uri Gellar, Harry Houdini, Paul Daniels and David Copperfield. Not forgetting fictious magicians such as Harry Potter whose creator, J K Rowling, deduced “Its important to remember that we all have magic within us.”

For some people magic may have formed a part of their upbringing whether that be sitting in front of the TV as a child and watching Paul Daniels and Debbie Mcgee perform, or more recently David Blaine or Dynamo, or practicing tricks for family and friends having been gifted a magic set for Christmas, or having witnessed mesmerising magic at a local event.

Magic has many avenues and angles and is now less about glamourous assistants being sawed in half

46 CARDIFF TIMES

or having a headless bird brought back to flight and more focused on ‘close up’ magic which can capture people’s attention, encourage their curiosity, and draw them in with intrinsic intrigue.

One local young man who is keen to bring magic to Cardiff and the Vale area is Sam Sugarman. His passion for magic came from watching Dynamo as a 7-year-old which he recalls was ‘the best thing ever!’.

This led him to buy a magic trick from a shop in Cardiff and ask for a magic set for Christmas. Sam recalls being instantly absorbed by the power of magic and spending hours on end on YouTube learning every trick he could. Years later Sam has perfected his performances and is now the youngest professional magician in Wales and is keen to share with others the benefits of having magic in their lives.

“I wouldn’t be who I am today without magic” Sam states, “It really helped me during the pandemic, and I would love to reach out to people and help them find

magic as a tool for developing confidence, social skills and keeping occupied” Sam was amazed by how big the magic community in Cardiff is thanks to societies such as ‘Cardiff Magic Society’ which meet twice weekly to perform new tricks, learn from like minded people and discuss all things magic! The society has enabled Sam to make really good friends, occupy his time wisely and travel to magic conventions such as those in Blackpool with people who share his passion for performing.

Magic isn’t all about fun and games either Learning how to perform magic tricks has many benefits such as encouraging problem solving, lateral thinking, concentration and confidence in public speaking. The research on the art of learning magic, is far and wide, alongside its effects on its audience whether this be the general public or for those in health and social care settings.

If you feel your life could do with a bit of magic in it why not contact Cardiff Magic Society on Facebook to enquire about how to get involved….?

For those who are less of a performer but are keen to see real live magic happen before their very eyes, Sam encourages people to come and ‘see for themselves’ at local restaurant ‘Ego’ where he performs every Sunday lunchtime 1pm-4pm. Situated between Penarth and Lavernock. ‘Ego’ invites you to enjoy freshly cooked Mediterranean food, cocktails and local cask ale, served with a smile and exceptional value with the additional bonus of free entertainment for all. Sam also does private functions

such as weddings, parties and fêtes where he can tailor a more personal performance.

Sam tells me that he is sometimes met with people saying magic is ‘just for kids’ or feeling shy to engage but when they do, they love it! “I do tricks and routines for all ages. Generally, people find it entertaining and memorable.

I get told it makes their day and adds an extra oomph to their experience at Ego and, it keeps them coming back for more!”

Sam witnesses how people interact during the performances, putting down phones and iPads and engaging no matter what age. These performances are seemingly bringing much needed joy and fun into people’s lives. Why not see for yourself?

Sam concludes that “For me the best part of performing is leaving a lasting impact on my audience and providing a memorable and entertaining experience.” He would love to invite you to be part of it!

Please join Sam on a Sunday lunchtime at “Ego” The Schooner, Lavernock Rd, Lavernock, Penarth CF64 5UP Or contact him privately on sam.sugarman2609@ gmail.com, 07516454132 or via his website SamSugarmanMagic.com.

Useful resource:“Achieving the impossible: a review of magicbased interventions and their effects on wellbeing”.

Wiseman, R and Watt, C. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC6286798/#:~:text=Cognitive%20 skills,%2C%20self%2Dcontrol%20and%20memory. https://www.egorestaurants.co.uk/restaurant-penarth/

CARDIFF TIMES 47

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