City Life Summer 2014 by Good Life Publishing

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Ladies Day Saturday 20th September

One of the most glamorous dates on the sporting social calendar, Ladies Day returns in 2014 making its second glitzy outing at the ISPS Handa Wales Open.

Ladies Day hospitality package includes: • Admission to tournament and Ladies Day Waitrose Pavilion • Tea, coffee and pastries on arrival • Pre-lunch champagne reception • Four course summer menu designed by Waitrose, with accompanying wine • Champagne afternoon tea

The focus switches from golf to glamour for this lavish occasion, an opportunity to dress up to the nines and enjoy a glass of bubbly and delicious cuisine, whilst checking out the stylish fashion on display and perhaps even being crowned our ‘best dressed lady’. Enjoy all this and more, along with world-class golf, in the exclusive surroundings of the Waitrose Hospitality Pavilion.

£165 per person

Book tickets now at celtic-manor.com or call 01633 410318 Terms and conditions apply – see website for details. Book early to avoid disappointment. Gentlemen are most welcome to purchase tickets but must be accompanied by a lady.

THE CITY OF CARDIFF’S PREMIER LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

C ITY L IFE Editor Jennifer Hobbs-Roberts jennifer@citylifecardiff.co.uk Creative Director Mark Roberts mark@citylifecardiff.co.uk City Life Cardiff House, Cardiff Road, Cardiff CF63 2AW www.citylifecardiff.com

WELCOME Summer in Cardiff and life tends to focus on either holidays or, if we have great weather, what we can do to make the best of it. I love Cardiff’s outdoor spaces and I enjoy taking long walks around Roath Park lake where I always seem to end up in one of the many great eateries you can ﬁnd around here.

0845 180 2345 Passionate about Cardiff We are a small independent publisher. We are not a large publishing group pretending to be home grown. City Life magazine is written, designed and printed in Cardiff for the people of Cardiff. Our philosophy We are committed to quality. This quote by William Foster pretty much sums up our thinking: “Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.” Caveat emptor Advertisers supply their own copy or artwork, and therefore City Life cannot accept any responsibility for disputes between advertisers and their customers. Caveat emptor - let the buyer beware. Important you read this We have made every effort to ensure that all information contained in City Life or on www.citylifecardiff.com (or our social media streams) is correct and accurate. However, we accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions and can offer no compensation should we get it wrong. Please note that the opinions, thoughts, views or ideas expressed in articles contained in City Life are strictly those of the authors. Intellectual property © Copyright City Life 2014. All rights reserved. Nothing in this magazine (including adverts) may be reproduced in any shape or form (in whole or part) without the express written permission of the publishers. We take breach of copyright and theft of intellectual property extremely seriously and will sue at the drop of a croissant. You have been warned (nicely); ignorance is no excuse. Subscriptions To guarantee your copy, please send a cheque for £20 (four issues) made payable to City Life. Visit www.citylifecardiff.com for special subscriber discounts and special offers. Missed the last issue? We hold a small number of each issue in stock so if you do need a pristine copy, please telephone us or email jennifer@citylifecardiff.co.uk. Hopefully we’ll have the issue you want (but we cannot guarantee it). Each back issue costs £5 including postage and packing. Yes it’s free. Priceless actually! City Life is distributed free through a wide variety of outlets across Cardiff and beyond and is given away free of charge on the understanding that we are happy for it to be lent, passed on, given to friends and generally read until it falls apart. At which point, you can recycle it and we’d be delighted if you did. Green is good The pulp used in the production of the paper City Life is printed on is sourced from sustainably managed Scandinavian tree farms and utilises an elementary chlorine-free bleaching process.

We’re very sociable! We’re on the web! www.citylifecardiff.com Like on Facebook! www.facebook.com/CityLifeCardiff Follow on Twitter! @CityLifeCardiff #CityLifeCardiff

One of the things I’ve tried to do in recent years is support our many independent businesses. So, if I’m looking for somewhere to eat, I will seek out independent or family-owned restaurants and cafes. I don’t have anything against chains (I really like Strada in Cardiff Bay for example) but I think if you live in Cardiff, or work in Cardiff, you should make an effort to support local whenever possible.

day - that’s quicker than Amazon or eBay (and I didn’t have to pay postage!) The other thing I like about buying more from independents and supporting local businesses is that more of what I spend gets recirculated locally, and that’s really important to me. That means more employment for local people and, our local Cardiff businesses are paying their British taxes, not like many of those global businesses we see in the news.

I support the #ShopLocal ethos. If I’m shopping for clothes I will look for small, independent boutiques and with good reason - I’m less likely to be seen in the same outﬁt as someone else (every girl’s fear). If I’m buying meat, I’d prefer to go to a local butcher. For fruit and vegetables too, you’d be surprised at the range and prices of your local independent shops. Please don’t always assume supermarkets are cheaper – invariably they’re not.

If you’re wondering how #ShopLocal friendly City Life is, The magazine is designed and produced right here in Cardiff and printed in South Wales. We’re a Welsh publishing company, not a bigger publisher pretending to be local. We don’t outsource our artwork to foreign countries either (yes, it’s happening). At least 95% of every penny we earn is reinvested locally.

The other great benefit of shopping locally is that you socialise. I meet great people and they become friends, something I just don’t get from a huge supermarket. I also find I buy less, because I’m buying little but more often which also means we waste less. I’ve also started buying my books from local book shops. I was looking for a particular John Grisham novel recently and was amazed to find that my local book shop could get it in the next

If everyone in Cardiff changed their shopping or buying habits tomorrow buy using local, independent businesses, in my view anyway, Cardiff would be a much more vibrant place to live and work. Let’s have more markets, more independents, more local. We talk about ‘The Diff’. Let’s make a difference, #ShopLocal. Jennifer Hobbs-Roberts Editor 07766 106 701 jennifer@citylifecardiff.co.uk uk uk.linkedin.com/in/jenniferhobbsroberts

CITY LIFE WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HAS SUPPORTED US OVER RECENT MONTHS. OUR CONTRIBUTORS, OUR FAMILIES, OUR FRIENDS (INCLUDING ALL THE NEW ONES WE HAVE MADE) AND OUR ADVERTISERS - WITHOUT THEM CITY LIFE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE. WE HOPE YOU LIKE WHAT WE’VE PRODUCED AND WE’LL TRY TO MAKE EACH ISSUE EVEN BETTER THAN THE LAST AND IF YOU HAVE A STORY THAT YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE, PLEASE GET IN TOUCH. CITY LIFE IS REGISTERED AT THE BRITISH LIBRARY AS A MAGAZINE ISSN 1757-1723. FOR TERMS AND CONDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.CITYLIFECARDIFF.COM

AROUND THE CITY CARDIFF

City Life photoshoot at the new boutique hotel, Cathedral 73

A big thanks must go to Cathedral 73 for allowing us into their beautiful hotel, they couldn’t have been more accommodating, especially given that their ofﬁcial launch was only hours after our shoot.

We wanted to capture the high quality offering of Hermione Rose so that’s why we chose Cathedral 73 as our photoshoot location.

For more information please see feature on page 50.

Lucy Palmer was our delightful model and we entrusted the photos to Sian Owen Photography. Sian has the knack of getting on with people – be they male, female or small people. She immediately put us all at our ease, which made the day an enjoyable experience.

Sian Owen Photography www.sian-owen.co.uk Hermione Rose www.hermionerose.com Cathedral 73 www.cathedral73.com

PENARTH

Cavatina Singers, Penarth After a very successful spring and summer programme, the Cavatina Singers are working hard on their autumn programme. Their next event on Saturday 8th November will be a mix of English and American music. More information on this and other events will be uploaded on their website. The main objective of the choir is to enjoy singing. Each year they give a number of concerts sometimes in support of charitable causes and also occasional shorter recitals such as singing on stage in the foyer of Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff and at local residential care homes at Christmas. www.cavatinasingers.org.uk Follow on Facebook

Tickets available by emailing Hon.Sec. Tom Dawkes secretary@cavatinasingers.org On sale on door at All Saints Church or from Foxy’s Deli.

WHITCHURCH

Watkin Davies Charity Walk Oliver Watkins, Chris Price and Frances Lewis plus 868 other competitors walked 48.1 miles in aid of the George Thomas Hospice. The walk started and ended at the marina in St Hellier. To date £732 has been raised for the charity with money still pouring in. 15 Penlline Rd Whitchurch Cardiff CF14 2AA 029 2062 6226 www.watkindavies.com

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T H E C E LT I C M A N O R

Lava Shell treatments, loved by celebrities Escape to the tranquil heaven of the award winning Forum Spa at The Celtic Manor and be among the ﬁrst to try the amazing new Lava Shell massage treatments, using highly polished self-heating and cooling shells to give you a deep penetrating massage. Choose from three tailored massages that will individually address your main concerns. Forum Lava Shell Relax For the ultimate calming massage, marine seashells are glided smoothly over the body as you instantly drift into a blanket of warmth, falling into a state of utter relaxation and calm. Blocked energy is released providing a sense of balance to the entire body and mind.

Forum Lava Shell Rescue A combined lava shell and glacial shell massage treatment to treat more general fitness muscle aches and pains. The specific massage techniques target trigger points in muscles which can be responsible for tension and referred pain. The treatment leaves you feeling invigorated, muscles are more relaxed and aches and pains can be significantly reduced. Forum Glacial Shell Detox This massage is the ultimate development in ice therapy that targets two problem areas, the stomach and the legs, tackling congestion areas and stimulating the lymphatic system. This invigorating treatment eliminates toxins, whilst the therapeutic contrast of hot lava shells and cold glacial shells creates the ultimate contrast, promoting wellness and balance. The Celtic Manor has been announced as a Lava Shell flagship spa and these treatments are hugely popular with celebrities. So find out what the fuss is about and try out these luxurious new lava shell massage treatments. Treatments start from £65 For bookings and information contact the Reservation Team on 01633 410262

Best known for being one of the founders and having a starring role in Dirty Sanchez, a television show that saw a close collection of friends do insane stunts and pull lethally hilarious pranks on one another, Matthew Pritchard has decided to settle down into a ‘proper’ job.

CUTTING EDGE You founded Dirty Sanchez alongside Lee Dainton after your video ‘Pritchard Vs Dainton’ became popular. How did you progress from pranks on one another to what we saw on Dirty Sanchez? To tell you the truth I don’t even know the answer to that question myself. Our video was seen by a talent scout, we were called in for a meeting and then Dirty Sanchez was born. After that it just evolved into this competition of pain and oneupmanship. If you give four guys permission to do whatever it is they want the ‘it’ is only going to go one way. Our deal was that if you came up with the stunt idea, then you had to do it. They kept getting worse and worse to the point where someone was about to hurt themselves very badly… and that is exactly what happened. I spent seven days in hospital because of a forfeit for losing a trivial pursuit game.

Before Dirty Sanchez did you ever have a ‘normal’ job? I’m a qualiﬁed Chef by trade but my ﬁrst few jobs were not the best experiences but it did get better. I worked in a Persian Restaurant before moving on to cleaning windows for a few years and then into a factory making heating elements. Around that time I turned professional for the british skateboarding company ‘Panic’, I toured the world skateboarding before being made Team Manager for Globe Shoe’s, a well known footwear manufacturer in skateboarding. It was while I was at Globe that Dirty Sanchez came along and since then I’ve been known as a professional wild card.

“I am also very lucky to have great staff... they do an amazing job looking after the shop.”

Going from a TV and movie star to owning your own Tattoo Parlour and Barbers is an odd move, what inspired the change of direction? Let’s face it, there is only so much the human body can take so I started looking into the future for something less dangerous that suited me down to the ground. After spending many hours in tattoo parlours and having far too many dodgy haircuts over the years I decided to start my own business. I waited until a quiet period of my life and jumped at the chance. It was a huge step for me and I still can’t believe I own my own business. I was very lucky to have a great friend Darren Evans of City Surf’s Shop and an amazing girlfriend who guided me throughout. I am also very lucky to have great staff, I’m not always there due to touring but they do an amazing job looking after the shop. I’m currently looking for our second barber as well as another tattooist.

Images courtesy of Scott Cole Photography

What Tattoo’s do you specialise in? At the moment we specialise in Black and Grey work as well as realism. Between my tattooists John Smith and Scott Rowlands they both do a great job. We are looking for someone who specialises in traditional work so if there is anyone out there then please give us a shout. Can you tell me a little bit about the barbers? We were barber-less for a short period whilst I was searching for a truly gifted person. It’s not easy ﬁnding a really good barber and I didn’t want just any old hairdresser, I wanted someone at the top of their game so our customers could walk away happy and well looked after. Whilst I was waiting I asked a few well known barbers if they fancied doing guest slots and it worked really well. It is deﬁnitely something I’ll be doing again alongside our new barber Aaron Rogers, who is just who I was looking for. 11

SWYD Tattoo & Barber Parlour 22 High Street Arcade, Cardiff CF10 1BB 029 2037 6226 Opening Times Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 6pm Sundays 11am - 4pm www.swydtattoo.com instagram.com/swydtattoo twitter.com/swydtattoo facebook.com/swydtattoo

The Brogue Trader, in Morgan Arcade, stocks a range of ﬁne gifts and gentleman’s footwear from eight British manufacturers (ﬁve hold a Royal Warrant). Owner, Chris Macnamara, is passionate about gentleman’s shoes but, more than that, he’s passionate about British made gentleman’s shoes.

BEST OF BRITISH

The Brogue Trader has been open less than a year and already is gaining a reputation around the UK for its selection of very best of British gentleman’s footwear. Read the testimonials on The Brogue Trader website and the comments from its 2,000 plus fans on Facebook and you’ll soon realise that this is not simply down to the quality of the shoes, but the exceptional service delivered daily by Chris and The Brogue Trader team.

England since 1886. Their shoes are still hand-crafted entirely in their original factory - from the cutting out of the leather, through stitching to ﬁnal polishing.

Owner, Chris Macnamara, has personally chosen each brand he sells. “I love shoes!”, exclaims Chris. “It gives me immense pleasure to wear a ﬁne pair of shoes but when a customer leaves The Brogue Trader feeling great about their new pair of shoes, I couldn’t be happier. I can see the difference it makes to their lives.”

Chris says, ”At the Brogue Trader we understand that, for a true Gentlemen, well-ﬁtting, long-lasting shoes makes a real statement. It’s like a mark of reﬁnement and a statement of personal pride in one’s appearance. A handmade pair of quality shoes goes beyond mere apparel, they are the creation of a master craftsman, expressing the social standing of the wearer whilst simultaneously providing the delicate structure of the feet with optimum support and protection from the stresses and strains of everyday life.”

One of the great British brands Chris stocks is Joseph Cheaney and Sons. The company has been making traditional English shoes in Northamptonshire,

Their Classic range includes timeless oxfords and brogue shoes, in both black and beautiful, hand burnished brown. Their Country and Leisure range includes shoes, loafers and boots with a choice of leather and rubber soles. This is the pinnacle of English craftsmanship.

The UK may not be the manufacturing powerhouse it used to be but we still make shoes of exceptional quality. And yes, you pay a little more, but shoes of this quality (if you look after them) can last a lifetime. And you can’t say that about a lot of products these days.

The Brogue Trader 27a Morgan Arcade Cardiff CF10 1AF Tel/Fax 0843 9032 296 enquiries@thebroguetrader.com www.thebroguetrader.com

I’m not a vegetarian but whenever I go into town on a shopping spree, and need a bit of sustenance, it’s Crumbs Vegetarian Restaurant in Morgan Arcade that my feet naturally take me to. I’m a huge lover, and connoisseur, of soups but they need to be home cooked, full of good quality veg and wholesome, and that’s what I get from Crumbs.

CRUMBS! I stumbled across Crumbs while visiting the boutiques in the arcade and I thought I’d give it a go. I always try to support independent shops whenever I can and it looked clean, and busy (which is always a good sign!). Chatting to owner Paul Cobley, I got to know more about him and why he took over Crumbs in 2011 with his brother Ron. Paul has a background in catering, having previously worked on the QE2. He also owned a health shop in Cowbridge, so has a wide knowledge and understanding of how the body works and what’s best to feed it to keep us healthy. He had been a regular customer of Crumbs under the previous owner and often thought ‘I’d love to have this place and put my stamp on it’. And boy has he. Crumbs pre Paul was famed for its super healthy salad bowls so he didn’t need to change the formula there. “If it ain’t broke, don’t ﬁx it,” says Paul. But he did introduce extras to the salads, including the popular Mediterranean Falafels, sweet potato pakoras, seeds and olives, home-made quiches, lasagnes and pies.

He also added the aforementioned gluten-free and vegan soups, vegetarian curry and chilli, together with a to-diefor selection of vegan, gluten-free and organic cakes. A cafe can live or die by its coffee, so Paul introduced a Barista coffee machine and made sure that all the staff were trained in the art of coffee making. You can also get a ﬁne selection of teas and soft drinks.

So, who else comes to Crumbs? “Locals and tourists alike. We’ve had customers who came here when the restaurant first opened in 1971 and they still come here today.” It’s maybe not obvious when you first enter Crumbs on quite how big the place is. “We can fit 90 covers as there’s more seating upstairs.” says Paul. With an estimated one in three of the population categorised as obese, more and more people are looking to healthy eating as a way of living longer, which fits in with the Crumbs ethos perfectly. “We have one customer who was in quite bad shape and, after coming here regularly, her blood pressure is now much improved as is her cholesterol and she’s feeling much fitter and healthier.” I can quite understand why they get such great reviews on Trip Advisor. Crumbs is a welcoming and friendly restaurant serving great, wholesome food at a fair price. I’m already planning to try the breakfast.

Paul is particularly pleased that his introduction of breakfasts (served up until 11.30am) have taken off so well. Customers can enjoy a good selection of cereals, served with fruit and yoghurt. The eggs Florentine with hash browns are a firm favourite. I ask Paul what he thinks customers like about Crumbs. “When vegetarians or vegans go out to eat, it’s a real chore to find a place that serves up such a vast choice of vegan or vegetarian options. They’re also guaranteed not to eat food that’s been contaminated with meat, as we don’t hold any meat on the premises. All of our produce is fresh and locally sourced, which means our food is full of flavour and goodness”. 14

Crumbs 33 Morgan Arcade, Cardiff CF10 1AF 029 2039 5007 Like on Facebook, follow on Twitter www.crumbskitchencardiff.co.uk

Donna opened her children’s hair salon Lollipop at the start of the new year and since then its popularity has sky rocketed. Now Donna has set up her own charity in order to help underprivileged children across the world have a better way of life.

Can you tell me about how Lollipop came about and the future that you have started towards? I’ve wanted to be a hairdresser ever since the age of 12, after I was paid to cut the hair of some of the children I used to babysit. I remember walking away with the money in my hand thinking that hairdressing was a job that I could do and enjoy myself whilst doing it to. I primarily cut children’s hair because I found that they took to me, they liked me and allowed me to do it. When I decided to venture out on my own the idea of Lollipop was created, I remembered that whenever children used to have their hair cut in a barbers they always used to get a lollipop for being good and then the ideas just started evolving from there. However, I have been cutting kids hair for a while now and when I opened Lollipop I didn’t want to go back into it just because I was good, I wanted to make a difference and so I set up my charity. What does your charity do? It’s called ‘Lollipop Kids’ and is a non proﬁt charity to help with children in poverty. So the money raised could go towards medical or educational support or for food, things like that. In my spare time I work in a food bank and an outreach program in the local church, so I have seen poverty ﬁrst hand and know what needs to be done in order to support people who are less fortunate than everyone else.

LOLLIPOP

This year I am supporting a Gateway School in India where it only costs £180 to put a child through school for an entire year. I feel very privileged living in Britain and I think that we’re all in a position to help those who need it. In the salon £1 out of every £10 goes towards the charity and, thanks to my loyal and friendly customers, we are raising enough so that every month of trade a child gets a year of full education paid for. It’s an incredible cause and for something so little to have such a big reward is incredible to see.

What do you offer in Lollipop to help raise the money for the charity? We provide a safe atmosphere for the children, so that they don’t feel intimidated about something they don’t really understand yet. The kids know that Lollipop is a place speciﬁcally for them, where they can feel safe. Myself and my staff are incredibly patient with all of our little customers, we talk them through it, engage with them and involve them in the process. I’ve found that this calms them down and makes it an easier experience for them. As well as the hair cuts I’ve also recently launched my parties, the most popular of which are the ‘Frozen’ parties.

“In the salon £1 out of every £10 goes towards the charity and, thanks to my loyal and friendly customers, we are raising enough so that every month of trade a child gets a year of full education paid for.” Here the kids can come for an hour or two, watch the ﬁlm and have their hair and make up done like either Anna or Elsa. We also have a few Frozen inspired games and a quiz, we also teach them a dance routine to ‘Let it Go’. It’s nice to see the girls, for just those few short hours, actually believe that they are Anna or Elsa. As well as all the services in the shop I also have a couple of events planned for later in the year. We’re going to have a Peppa Pig day in August with a few local sellers, face painters and Peppa walking around having photos taken with the little ones. Then, in the autumn, we are going to have a Frozen fashion show. All the money raised by these events are going straight to the charity. The more we can raise the more children we can help. That’s my dream. That’s my vision.

Lollipop Unit 4 Barach Lane CF10 2GS 029 2132 0800 www.lollipophairboutique.com Follow on Facebook and Twitter 16

As two beauty and body conscious females wanting to look their best (and after spending hundreds of pounds on beauty products and experiencing their fair share of beauty disasters), Rachel Davis and Nicola Stephens decided to start their own online business, bringing quality beauty products to beauty professionals throughout the UK at affordable prices. We chatted to Rachel and Nicola to ﬁnd out more.

MAKE ME AMAZING “We sell a range of beauty products such as nail gel, nail polish, tan and lashes.” Our plan is look for a premises that provides us with the storage space we need for our products with room for a small showroom so our local customers can come and browse. What products do you offer? We sell a wide range of beauty products such as nail gel, nail polish, tan and lashes. Who are your customers? We sell to beauty professionals such as salons and beauticians all around the UK.

When was Make Me Amazing established? Make Me Amazing was founded on 1st October 2012. How do you both know each other? We were ﬁrst introduced through a mutual friends seven years ago and have been friends ever since. Strangely, we discovered that our parents were in fact friends when they were both pregnant. Nicola’s mum was one of the ﬁrst hospital visitors Rachel received. After Rachel’s parents moved to the other side of the city they lost contact which meant we never grew up together but it does seem strange to us… maybe we were always destined to work together, who knows! What motivated you to start the business? We had both just taken redundancy from our roles. Nicola had been working in Retail and I was a Learning and Development Consultant in banking. Nicola was taking a nail course and, while we were sat chatting one day, I mentioned that I would like to start my own business when my redundancy was complete.

Nicola mentioned how nail gel was a growing trend and we both started to research the subject online. Within a few days we had ordered some nail gel samples and, when they arrived, we gave some samples to a few salons to try. The overwhelming feedback was positive, so we opened an eBay store. Very quickly our customers started asking for other products and we started to source them and sell them and things really started to take off. We originally set out to create a business that worked around our children and we could run from home, however, we soon had to move to larger premises. Our hours of work increased and the range of products we sold grew. Eighteen months into our venture we have launched our own Make Me Amazing nail gel and launched www.makemeamazing.co.uk Where are you based now? We are based in Cardiff. We have an ofﬁce which we are already outgrowing. We are ﬁnding that more and more customers want to visit us to purchase products but as an online business, we aren’t set up for that. 18

What are your most requested products? Nail Gel is by far our best selling product but we have recently started to sell tan and lashes as part of our website range, so it will be interesting to see how things develop.

Which brands do you use and why? We only sell products that we trial, test and would personally use. We have recently launched our own Make Me Amazing Nail Gel which is receiving fantastic feedback from those salons using it, and also bloggers reviewing the product online. We are really excited – we think it has a lot of potential. We also distribute brands such as Laurens Way Tan, Eldora Lashes and Cuccio Nail Polish. The brands we sell are not necessarily the best known brands, however we do test them against the most popular brands and we sell them because we believe they are fantastic products, offering great quality at affordable prices. Speaking to our customers, we realise that cost is extremely important in a very competitive market. We believe all the products we put our name to are the best quality and best value for money beauty professionals will ﬁnd. Your website is now live, how is that going? Launch day was fantastic. Sales ﬂooded in with our 20% off launch day offer and have been very steady since. We are really happy with how things are going.

What feedback do you receive from customers? Our customers always praise us for the fantastic service that we offer. We like to have strong relationships with our customers and we feel, because we are a small business, we are able to be more ﬂexible with our customers’ needs - we never want to lose this as our business grows.

You recently attended the Wales Hair & Beauty Show, how did that go? It was fantastic. We thought Lauren Way tan was going to be our best selling product for the event as Lauren Goodyear is a well-known name but we were happily surprised that Make Me Amazing Nail Gel out sold all other products we were showcasing on the day. It was a very nice surprise for us.

Where do you hope to see yourselves in the next ﬁve years? So far we have always gone with what we feel is right and things have just worked out for the best. We have some exciting opportunities we are looking at. We’d like to take our brand overseas and we are also considering whether we own distribution of our nail gel personally or whether we look to distribute through beauty wholesalers. There’s lots of possibilities.

“Our customers always praise us for the fantastic service that we offer.” Who else do you work with? We currently stock many salons throughout the UK. One of our local salons we supply and we have done since day one has recently expanded. They were originally Pinkies Nail Bar and have now expanded and moved premises and are called Storm Hair & Nails. They have been trialling and testing the Make Me Amazing Gel for us over the last few months and we like to think our gel range has supported their growth. As a thank you for their support, we held a rafﬂe at our recent launch night and proceeds went to Cancer Research Wales which is a charity they actively support.

We recently held a Launch Night at Crystal Boutique Lounge and Club, Cardiff. We invited lots of people from within the industry: bloggers, PRs, marketing people. It was a huge success with many more people attending than we thought. Rachael Wheeler, owner, beauty tech and Wales Nail Technician of the year 2014 at the Welsh Hair & beauty Awards, along with Paige Nurse offered Nail Gel and Nail Art throughout the evening which went down very well. Craig Bellamy also attended our launch night which was a nice surprise. We had a butler from Excalibur Butlers offering ladies champagne during the evening which they really enjoyed. It was a fun evening. 19

Make Me Amazing Like on Facebook, follow on Twitter www.makemeamazing.co.uk

The original Welsh name is Tyllgoed, meaning Dark Wood, but Fairwater is anything but dark. This lovely area of Cardiff boasts some interesting history, being a favourite childhood haunt of children’s author, Roald Dahl.

FAIRWATER

FORTIS

Friendly local knowledge Long established family run Estate Agency with ofﬁces in Llandaff North and Fairwater Green providing ﬁrst class customer service whether selling, buying or renting. Call today for a Free valuation. Licensed by the NAEA 2a Fairwater Green CF5 3BA 029 2056 1111 www.fortisproperties.co.uk

BEAUT

Professional hair care The hairdressers at Beaut aim to give you the very best and take professional care with every thing that they do. Their service is both friendly and reliable and will make you want to come back again and again.

Fairwater is a great place to live with a good selection of small shops serving this vibrant community.

84 Pwllmelin Road CF5 2NH 029 2055 4544 20

LACEY & CO

Spa, Beauty and Personal Care Lacey & Co hair design is situated on the picturesque Fairwater Green just off St Fagans Road in Fairwater.

techniques for both ladies and gents and will leave you feeling pampered and transformed.

The team of highly trained and experienced stylists have a wealth of knowledge and creativity. This family friendly salon are experts in creative cutting, colouring and the latest styling

Salon owner and senior stylist Rob Lacey is also a national colour educator for Milk_shake creative colour and hair products. Lacey & Co Hairdressing is a Milk_shake premier salon, providing Milk_shake hair colour, natural in salon treatments, styling and professional home care products.

Lacey & Co. would like to offer a free Milk_shake natural hair care treatment worth £10 to all customers with any service booked in the salon between now and the 31st of October 2014 on production of this advertisement.

CAFE EIGHT Y T WO

OUTDOOR CYCLES

C O P E O P T I C I A N S LT D

Look forward to seeing you

Bicycle Workshop and Sales

Family run opticians

Friendly run cafe and takeaway in a pleasant location. Baguettes, Panini’s, light lunches, all day breakfasts - favoured by many! Tempting homemade cakes and great tasting coffee. Vegetarian options available. Parking facilities. Outside catering menus. 82 Pwllmelin Road CF5 2NH 029 2056 4778 www.cafeeightytwo.co.uk

Outdoor Cycles is the bike workshop for the true cycle enthusiast, providing a full range of bike repairs, upgrades and accessories as well as offering Cardiff’s largest selection of professionally reconditioned bikes. 80 Pwllmelin Road, Fairwater CF5 2NH 029 2056 4367 www.outdoorcycles.eu Follow on Facebook 21

(Terms and Conditions Apply)

14 Fairwater Green CF5 3BA 029 2056 2481 Like on Facebook

We have over 30 years of experience providing high standards of personal family eye care for private and NHS patients. We stock a great range of spectacle styles with amazing prices and have a full contact lens ﬁtting service. New branch on Cowbridge Road, Ely. 3 Chestnut Road CF5 3HR 029 2055 5139 www.copeopticians.co.uk

Escape the concrete conﬁnes of the city centre and go on an adventure to the surrounding areas and beyond. Who knows what you might ﬁnd? V I VA SA LO N

A gem of a hair salon Located very close to the city centre with free and easy parking facilities. We offer high quality services by experienced professional stylists for both ladies and gentlemen. Viva is a bright, modern salon with a warm and friendly atmosphere. 45 Clifton Street CF24 1LS 029 2049 7028 Follow on Facebook

OUT OF TOWN GEMS NICKY’S

Your new favourite If you’re a fab little café or boutique or a great gift shop, butcher, baker or candlestick maker, please get in touch. We’d love to meet you in our autumn issue. Similarly, if you’re a reader and know a business that you feel could have, or should have been featured, then please let me know. Please email jennifer@goodlifepublishing.co.uk

The local coffee shop that is soon to be everyone’s favourite place. Serving all day breakfasts, baguettes, home made cakes and a great selection of coffee, with gluten free and vegetarian options. Sit back, with a vinyl on the record player and enjoy some great food. 123 Maes-Y-Coed Road CF14 4HE 029 2061 4237 Follow on Facebook and Twitter

LGD TWIST

The Ultimate Party Preparation Whether you are prepping for a big night out or trying something new, LGD Twist Salon in the heart of Rumney, Cardiff has something for everyone. With over 20 years of combined hairdressing talent the team offers salon quality care without the high salon prices in a relaxed and friendly environment. We also offer party packages with beauty available.

814 Newport Road CF3 4FH 029 2036 3137 Follow on Facebook and Twitter 22

Cardiff is home to many great independent businesses and, although we do tend to stick to what we know, it’s worth taking time to discover some of the best that the city offers. TORRE COFFEE

Coffee Specialists Independent Italian artisan coffee shop located just opposite Cardiff Castle. They do amazing coffee with latte art patterns and serve loose leaf teas as well. They also have a delicious range of healthy food that is made from scratch using only the freshest of ingredients. 3-7 Castle Street CF10 1BS 07827 738371 Follow on Facebook and Twitter

CITY CENTRE GEMS

BUBBLEBASE

Bubble Tea & Frozen Yoghurt Bar We are the ﬁrst Bubble Tea Kiosk in Wales to serve the authentic Taiwanese drink. Bubble Tea is a fruity or milky drink infused with tea and “bubbles” or jelly that you sip through an oversized straw! There are hundreds of combinations, they are 100% vegetarian and lots are vegan friendly too. Not in the mood for tea? We also sell delicious fat free frozen yoghurt with over 35 toppings to choose from as well as smoothies and a great cup of coffee. There truly is something for everyone, so come and see us when you’re next in town. Queens Arcade CF10 2BY 029 2022 7491 www.bubblebase.co.uk Follow on Facebook and Twitter

MASTER SHOE CRAFTSMEN

SAT I S F Y I N G O U R SW E E T T O O T H

GENTLEMEN’S OUTFITTERS

The Brogue Trader

Royal Sweet Shop

Hawkes

A good shoe is a mark of reﬁnement and a statement of personal pride in ones appearance, a handmade welted shoe goes beyond mere items of apparel, they are the creation of a master craftsman. Let owner Chris welcome you with a coffee and the joys of buying exquisite shoes. 27a Morgan Arcade, CF10 1AF 029 2037 2036 Facebook and Twitter www.thebroguetrader.com

Traditional shop selling all your old favourites. Brays-Lossin Dant, Sherbet Lemons, Pineapple Chunks, Salty Liquorice, Bon-Bons, Humbugs and many more. Over 35 types of sugar-free sweets available. What will you buy? 7 Royal Arcade CF10 1AE 029 2038 7438 www.theroyalsweetshop.co.uk Follow on Facebook and Twitter

Offering a vast variety of labels and services including made to measure and wedding hire, which can’t be bettered. Owner Russell and his staff offer a truly unforgettable service which is unparalleled in the city.

37 Morgan Arcade, CF10 1AF 029 2037 3780 Follow on Facebook www.hawkesessentials.com

creative engineering

hands up whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s run out of ideas to promote their business?

WEBSITES Website looking dated?

BRANDING Do you need a new logo?

PRINTING Business cards to brochures

ADVERTISING

MARKETING

We can get you noticed

Profit through promotion

www.cogcreative.co.uk

014 46 711 811 24 10

hello@cogcreative.co.uk

If you’re in business and you want to get your message out to thousands of potential customers, perhaps you really should be at one of Wales’ biggest business events. Yes, we’re talking about the Introbiz Business Show at Cardiff City House of Sport on 25th September.

INTROBIZ EXPO 2014 What types of companies will be there? With over 200 to visit, we are delighted to announce that Google will be there, Porsche Cars, Rolex, Barclays Bank, Cardiff City FC, The Vale Hotel, Sinclair Dealership, Lexus and Toyota, The Word, Liberty Marketing plus many more. Will there be an after event? Yes, at Cardiff s biggest super club and restaurant in Wales Maddison DC, Cardiff Centre. 8pm til late with only 600 tickets going on sale. VIP ticket prices are £100 for a black tie charity event.

What makes this exhibition different? It’s the biggest show in Wales with many brands that are not normally seen at a business show. We will inspire and motivate with fantastic keynote speakers with some of the UK s successful entrepreneurs, we will connect and introduce many people to new people and it s the biggest day for new business connections in Wales Who are your keynote speakers this year? Kevin Green, Daniel Priestley, Darshana Ubl, Shed Simove and Thomas Power. The exhibition and VIP afterparty will be compered by Stifyn Parri.

Who are this year’s sponsors? We’re delighted to have secured Cardiff City FC, Sky TV, Enterprise Cars, Genero Productions, Spiro Caterers, Maddisons Cardiff, Creo Interactive, Just Cashﬂow, Ricoh Wales, Digital Ottimo, Mr Producer, Capital FM Radio, Cardiff Devils and Good Life Publishing.

We chat to exhibition organisers Paul and Tracey Smolinski to ﬁnd out what’s in store for us in this year’s Introbiz Exhibition. The show is in its third year. How many attended last year’s exhibition? We were delighted to have over a thousand visitors through the doors. What types of businesses were there? We had over 130 companies exhibit: from banking, car dealerships, web and graphic designers, accountants, solicitors, venues, jewellers and the Welsh FA. From small owner-managed businesses to blue-chip corporate companies. Are there spaces available? No I m afraid, we’re sold out but you can attend free as a visitor. Where will the event be held this year Cardiff City FC House of Sport, Cardiff - next to Cardiff City Football Club’s stadium.

Is there still time to sponsor the event? Yes, we’re always open to building new relationships. If I’m not exhibiting, why should I attend? This is going to be Wales’ biggest business exhibition seen in Cardiff ever – the biggest brands in the UK will be on show. This will be a great networking opportunity to meet new potential clients and build business partnerships. What can we expect at the exhibition? There will be 6 top entrepreneur speakers; over 200 exhibitors in a 30,000 sq ft venue; 14 free seminars and workshops; free speed networking sessions; 10,000 sq ft networking hub; 1000’s of free prizes to be won and 2,500 free car parking spaces.

“It’s the biggest show in Wales with many brands that are not normally seen at a business show.” 25

Introbiz Expo 2014 25th September 2014 Parking The parking is free at Cardiff City Stadium for 2,500 spaces. Free entry Free entry from 10am to 5pm. Networking breakfast sponsored E\ -XVW &DVKÁRZ 8am to 10am £10 per person to include buffet breakfast with teas and coffees. To book via Eventbrite. Introbiz (UK) Ltd 07581 564371 or 029 2029 1002 www.introbiz.co.uk Follow @paulintrobiz @introbiz @WalesNo1BizShow @CardiffBizShow #introbizshow Book your free tickets today on www.introbiz.co.uk business show page

A picturesque area of the country. Surrounded by acres of ﬁelds, adjacent to the River Taff and with St Fagans National History Museum just down the road there are plenty of things to see when having a walk around in the sun.

LLANDAFF & WAUN GRON NEW & USED CARS

James & Jenkins Come see us at the newly refurbished Tivoli Showroom next to our Texaco petrol station. Great value New cars, Used cars, Servicing and MOT’s, HSBC Cashpoint and MACE convenience store. Station Rd, Llandaff North, Cardiff CF14 2FF 029 2030 4020 Like on Facebook & Twitter www.jamesandjenkins.co.uk

D A I LY, W E E K LY, M O N T H LY … YOU CHOOSE!

MULBERRY STREET R E S TAU R A N T

Charter Vehicle Hire

Little place lots of class

Car, Van, MPV and Minibus rental from our all new premises at the James & Jenkins showroom in the Tivoli Garage, Llandaff North. Call Freephone 0800 975 2945. Station Rd, Llandaff North, Cardiff CF14 2FF 029 2030 4020 Like on Facebook & Twitter www.cvhl.co.uk

Located in the picturesque high street of Llandaff, Mulberry Street Restaurant is a lovely little place to sit back and enjoy a relaxing evening of fantastic food, exquisite drink and service that is second to none. 48 High Street CF5 2DZ 029 2056 4646 Follow on Facebook and Twitter

Kevin + Kim = K2 With a combined 50 years experience in the food industry the owners of K2, Kevin and Kim, provide a friendly and professional atmosphere in their family run restaurant that has room enough inside for 50 seats. Serving an impressive collection of mouth watering meals as well as having outdoor seating for the warmer days, evening opening hours and an impressive wine list, K2 is quickly becoming the place to go within the community for a great and delicious night out. 23 High Street, Llandaff CF5 2RY 029 2056 3637 Follow on Facebook and Twitter 26

PUBLIC IMAGE

GUSTO EMPORIO

FOXY BEAUT Y SALON

Unisex Hair Salon

Quality Italian deli

Feel foxy

Public Image is a long established unisex hair salon that is ﬁlled with friendly and qualiﬁed hair stylists ready to help you get the hair style of your dreams. Stocking both Matrix and Schwarzkopf hair products this lovely salon is open 5 days a week with late night openings every Thursday. 2d Waun Gron Road CF5 2JJ 029 2055 5166 Follow on Facebook

Gusto Emporio was opened 7 years ago by Andrea Re who wanted to bring the best tastes of Italy to Cardiff. All of their products are of the highest quality. They sell home made ready meals, lasagne, meatballs, pizza, various cheeses, pasta and organic vegetables as well as the ﬁnest Italian wood oven roasted coffee. 4 Waun Gron Road CF5 2JJ 029 2056 8606 www.gustocardiff.co.uk Follow on Facebook

Established in 2004, our professional and friendly staff offer a wide range of beauty treatments including Shellac, manicures, pedicures, massages, body wraps, facials, waxing, lashes and spray tan.

THE KITCHEN CENTRE.ORG

Fancy a new look Kitchen? Transform your home with a beautiful new Kitchen at The Kitchen Centre.org. Whether it’s Traditional, Contemporary or even something slightly different, we have a fantastic range of quality ﬁnishes including a choice of painted, painted lacquered or just solid oak. We also have a great selection of Granite, Quartz, Woods, Solid Surface and Laminate Formica Work surface. The Choice is yours. Call for a free, no obligation survey. 109 Station Road CF14 2FD 029 2055 3013 www.thekitchencentre.org Follow on Facebok /TheKitchenCentre.org CAKEY WAKEY

The Wedding Cake Shop Soon to be coming into our 10th year, Cakey Wakey is a well established family run business situated in the heart of Llandaff North. We specialise in Wedding Cakes and all other celebration cakes which we design to your speciﬁc requirements. All our cakes are home made and we pride ourselves in baking the traditional way. 111a Station Road CF14 2FD 029 2056 5317 www.cakeywakey.com Follow on Facebook 27

2 Waun Gron Road CF5 2JJ 029 2056 5654 www.foxysalon.co.uk Follow on Facebook and Twitter

WHITCHURCH ROAD & CRWYS ROAD

If you travel up City Road you’ll soon join Crwys Road which leads to Whitchurch Road. If there were two areas in Cardiff that embody the #ShopLocal ethos look no further - you’ll ﬁnd a thriving community here. 28

M O R E T H A N A N E S TAT E AG E N T S

AWARD WINNING BRIDAL BOUTIQUE

C R E AT I V E H A I R S T Y L I N G

The Property Megastore

Laura May Bridal

Maine Hair Studio

The Property Megastore is the one-stop shop for all your property selling, buying, letting and renovation needs. Friendly, knowledgable staff to will help with all negotiations.

Laura May Specialise in wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses and bridal accessories. Voted Best New Wedding Business in 2013 and nominated Best Bridal Retailer 2012/13.

Maine is the culmination of many years aspiration for Mathew Farnham, with 13 years experience working in many hair salons in Cardiff and the Vale. With a passion for colour and creative styling, he has excelled at all aspects of the industry.

238 Whitchurch Road, Cardiff CF14 3ND 029 2002 0880 properties@propertymegastore.co.uk www.propertymegastore.co.uk

112 Crwys Road, Cardiff CF24 4NQ 029 2034 4700 Follow on Facebook www.lauramaybridal.co.uk

126 Crwys Road, Cardiff CF24 4NR 029 2039 0999 Follow on Facebook www.mainehairstudio.co.uk

I TA L I A N K I T C H E N

TRADITIONAL FISH & CHIPS

JEWELLERY DESIGN

Svago

Devonia Fish and Chips

Richard Lynﬁ Jewellery

An all-new dining experience, offering contemporary Italian cuisine created using only the ﬁnest fresh ingredients. Beautifully designed interior combined with a great atmosphere.

Believed to be the oldest fish and chip shop in Cardiff. This is a takeaway fish and chip shop which also serves pies, curry, chicken and fish cooked to order just the way you like it. Parties catered for.

Designer and jewellery craftsman Richard Llynﬁ is a young Welsh designers who is gaining attention from the fashionable jet set who want to look “just that little bit more glamorous”.

153-155 Crwys Road, Cardiff CF24 4NH 029 2023 2261 Follow on Facebook and Twitter www.svago.co.uk

If you’re a fab little café or boutique or a great gift shop, butcher, baker or candlestick maker, please get in touch. We’d love to meet you in our autumn issue. Similarly, if you’re a reader and know a business that you feel could have, or should have been featured, then please let me know. Please email jennifer@goodlifepublishing.co.uk

179 Whitchurch Rd, Cardiff CF14 3JR Follow on Facebook 029 2061 9478

176 Whitchurch Rd, Cardiff CF14 3NB 029 2061 9785 enquiries@richardllynfi.com www.richardllynfi.co.uk

S E T T I N G T H E S TA N DA R D

NO PROBLEMS, JUST SOLUTIONS

Jewels Canley Interiors

Pure Heating Solutions

Setting the standard of interiors and design in Wales since 1983, their passion, pride, and wealth of knowledge extends to all aspects of the business. Whether you’re searching for interior inspiration or looking to boost your business image, you’ve come to the right place. 11 Whitchurch Road, Cardiff CF14 3JN www.jewelscanley.co.uk Follow on Facebook and Twitter

From essential boiler servicing, maintenance and installing bathroom suites, we cover it all. Pure Heating Solutions of Cardiff provide ﬁrst-rate plumbing and heating services for domestic and commercial clients. 73 Whitchurch Road, Cardiff CF14 3JP 029 2062 7145 or 0800 025 7302 info@plumberscardiff.org.uk www.plumberscardiff.org.uk

L E I L A’ S H A I R & B E AU T Y S A LO N

Ladies only

CITY ROAD

Leila has over 18 years of experience and specialises in Semi-permanent make up and hair treatment. This woman’s only salon offers high quality services and some stunning bridal packages. With ladies cuts starting from as little as £14. 169 City Road CF24 3JB 07582 335698 www.leilahairandbeauty.com Follow on Facebook

One of the most well known places just outside the city centre. Ask anyone in Cardiff about City Road and they will have a story to tell. City Road boasts a varied collection of shops, eateries and businesses - if you are looking for anything, odds are, it’s on City Road.

FACEFOOD

A LT E R A T I O N S 4 U

B U T T E R F LY F A B R I C S

A unique experience

Established since 2006

Aladdin’s Cave of Fabric

Facefood offers freshly baked goods daily including French fresh cream and sponge cakes and Macaron’s as well as smoothies and milkshakes. They can also place any picture onto a cake of your choice. Available for Birthdays, Weddings and Events.

With over 20 years of experience and knowledge in the ﬁeld we are known for our high quality personal service. We offer all aspects of Alterations, Repairs and Re-styling, for all types of Ladies, Gentlemen’s and also Bridal clothing. Always providing a friendly, caring atmosphere and reasonable prices. 179 City Road CF24 3JB 029 2046 5846 Follow on Facebook

Established 1989, Butterﬂy have now opened a soft furnishing fabrics store. Everything from dress, bridal, craft, patchwork, costume, curtain and upholstery fabrics. Also sewing machines and servicing, dress patterns, haberdashery and oil cloths.

EXPRESS IMAGING

LEWIS MOTORS LIMITED

Independent photographic specialist

5 Star customer care

211a City Road CF24 3JD 029 2132 0330 / 07853 657623 Follow on Facebook

75 & 79-81 City Road CF24 3BL 029 2047 0808 We Price Beat Including Online.

Visit us for all your processing, printing and photographic needs. We specialise in all passport requirements and studio work, with a good range of affordable shoot packages. Check website for details. 172 - 174 City Road CF24 3JF 029 2046 4748 www.expressimaging.co.uk Follow on Facebook and Twitter

Established for 10 years, they pride themselves on value for money vehicle servicing and repairs. They received a 5 star rating from the Good Garage Scheme and were Regional Winners of the Top Customer Feedback 2011. 1 City Road CF24 3BJ 029 2048 0829 www.lewismotorscardiff.co.uk Follow on Facebook and Twitter

THE FRAME FACTORY

C O R AY A N D C O .

Bespoke framing service

British Champion Hairdressing

With over 30 years experience in the industry we can frame anything from antique maps to your baby’s ﬁrst shoes. Mount Cutting Service Sports Memorabilia Tapestries / embroideries Fine Art / Oil Paintings 204 City Road CF24 3JG 029 2046 1959 www.theframefactorycardiff.co.uk Follow on Facebook 31

One of the most prestigious salons in Wales, catering to all the body’s grooming needs. Using only the ﬁnest hairdressing and beauty products and putting the client ﬁrst, they aim for complete customer care and satisfaction. 126 City Road CF24 3DQ 029 2048 1481 www.corayandco.com Follow on Facebook and Twitter

Did you know? The last native Welsh Prince of Morgannwg (Glamorgan), Iestyn ap Gwrgant, may have been killed in a battle north of Rhiwbina towards the end of the 11th century.

RHIWBINA

THREADS

THE ART WORKSHOP

S M A L L B U T P E R F E C T LY F O R M E D

Get some fancy threads

Quality Fine Art Tuition

Snails Delicatessen

Threads is a long established friendly shop, selling a wide range of Italian linen clothing at very competitive prices and a good range of haberdashery, knitting yarn and accessories.

Join one of our drawing, painting or printmaking courses to enjoy a richer learning experience. Class sizes are small and workshops are designed to focus on you and to maximise your creative potential. Courses are ideal for beginner to intermediate levels. 3 Lon Fach, Rhiwbina CF14 6DY 07561 507638 www.theartworkshop.co.uk Follow on Facebook and Twitter

As well as being the one of the best deli’s in Cardiff, Snails specialise in themed Supper, Pizza, Grill and Live Music evenings with a fully licensed premises.

YO G A , P I L AT E S & M A S SAG E

FOR ALL YOUR CYCLING NEEDS

WEDDING DRESS SPECIALISTS

Stop The World

Muddybum Bikes

Hannah Emily Bridal

Stop The World is a bespoke Yoga, Pilates, Massage and Practitioner training centre based in the heart of Rhiwbina. 5% of our proﬁts are donated to the Earth Organisation. Contact: info@stoptheworld.org.uk 12 Beulah Road Rhiwbina CF14 6LX 03330 119 878 www.stoptheworld.org.uk

The folks at Muddybum Bikes are sellers (and riders - very important!) of some of the ﬁnest pedal powered machinery and accessories. Catering for mountain, road, hybrid bikes, accessories and clothing. 4a Heol-Y-Deri, Cardiff CF14 6HF 029 2062 6169 www.muddybumbikes.com Follow on Facebook and Twitter /Muddybumbikes.cardiff @muddybumbikes

Home of the British bridalwear designers Lyn Ashworth, Ritva Westenius, Lara Hannah and Annasul Y Label. Carefully picked designers ensures individuality. Joyce Jackson veils, handcrafted embroidery as well as bespoke accessories. 5a Beulah Road CF14 6LT 029 2115 2357 / 07926 099237 www.hannahemilybridal.com Follow on Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest

1 Beulah Road CF14 6LT 029 2061 5718 www.threadsfashion.co.uk

6-8 Beulah Road, Rhiwbina CF14 6LX 029 2062 0415 www.snailsdeli.com Follow on Facebook and Twitter

These places are keeping close to their roots, and quite rightly so, with over 20% of the local population being Welsh speakers, making it the most Welsh speaking district in the area.

PENTYRCH & CREIGIAU HALO

PENT YRCH PHARMACY

MAISON DE BEAUTE

Pentyrch’s Best Kept Secret

“Committed to healthcare and you”

Treatments that suit you

Run by the talented Jayne Gleave who, with over 30 years experience in hairdressing, created Halo in 2004. Jayne and the team are constantly updating their services with new techniques and pride themselves on providing a ﬁrst class and professional service within a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Unit 2 Temperance Court CF15 9TN 029 2089 1911 www.halo-hair.co.uk

We are a small independent pharmacy run by friendly and welcoming staff that always puts the customer ﬁrst. We offer a collection & delivery service, blood pressure checks, vaccinations and are happy to help with any health or travel advice. Feel free to pop in for any medical queries. Unit 3 Temperance Court, Bronllwyn, Pentyrch CF15 9TN 029 2089 1051

At Maison De Beaute we have four highly trained beauty therapists who have experience in all ﬁelds of beauty. We use the highest quality products for all of our treatments and offer a range of services from waxing, Shellac, tanning, facials and microdermabrasion. We also retail the full range of the Dermalogica products. 1 Temperance Court CF15 9TN 029 2089 0161 www.maison-de-beaute.co.uk

CAESARS ARMS

CAESARS FARMSHOP

T Y N -Y- C O E D FA R M

Award Winning

Home grown

5* Accommodation

Our award winning restaurant prides itself on sourcing local Welsh produce, daily delivered ﬁsh, meat and vegetables.

Our farmshop offers home grown seasonal produce, working closely with a variety of local artisans and producers.

The newly opened Tyn-Y-Coed 5 Star self catering accommodation is eco friendly and set in the beautifully tranquil Welsh countryside.

Creigiau CF15 9NN 029 2089 0486

Creigiau CF15 9NN 029 2089 1223

Creigiau CF15 9NN 07771 964445 34

Since opening Amorio Cosmetics just over four months ago, the salon is going from strength to strength. We chat to owner Jess Carmell to ﬁnd out more.

A MORIO Lip Voltage Lip voltage is a non-injectable lip plumper, which is taking the beauty industry by storm! It contains quick absorbing peptide, which ﬁlls and adds volume to the lips. Ladies can now control how much plump they want in their pout, simply by ‘mixing up’ the voltage to customise a low, medium or high “Lip Voltage”. Whether you want a plumped-up perfected pout, or natural, soft, beautiful lips, Lip Voltage lets you create the lips you’ve only ever dreamed of! Simply apply the gloss to the lips for a pout that lasts for up to 24 hours.

How have things been since we last spoke Jess? The response has been unbelievable! As well as my loyal regular clients, I am gaining new ones on a daily basis, many coming from further afield, so the word is definitely spreading. Due to this, I have now employed someone to help with the expansion of Amorio, and soon there will be another Makeup Artist on board. As I am growing so rapidly, I now have bridal bookings for as far as winter 2016, and on a weekly basis I am finding myself working until around 10.30pm as I am jam-packed with makeovers. What new products or services have you introduced? As I am always searching high and low for brand new top products, I am now stocking a few beauty must-haves.

However, with continual use, the treatment builds collagen in the natural lip to create a longer lasting fuller lip. This is the beauty must-have of the year and is a hot favourite with celebrities and Makeup Artists worldwide!

DreamWeave Lash Construct Mascara Meet your new best friend! Dubbed “eyelash extensions in a tube” by the UK Press, this fabulous silicone formula coats each individual lash with a ﬁbrewrap, along with a lash conditioner that thickens and lengthens the natural lashes in just 15 days. 100% waterproof and smudge proof. Party, swim, sleep and still have fabulous lashes with this ultimate Lash Construct Mascara. DreamWeave creates a striking look in moments that will last up to three days. However is easily removed with any cleanser. Used by leading Makeup Artists and worn by many celebs. As featured in Fabulous Magazine, The Daily Mail, Cosmopolitan etc. 35

Body Bling Meet Hollywood’s top celebrity makeup artists Number 1 selling beauty essential! This luxurious moisturiser contains illuminating pigments that leaves the skin with an instead red carpet glow. Body Bling was developed by Scott Barnes, for client JLO which created the “JLO Glow” the bronzed toned moisturiser quickly absorbs into the skin, leaving the 24 carat pigments on the surface. Hide cellulite, slim arms and legs, and smooth your skin with this 24hour pearlised moisturiser that is suitable for face or body! Word is getting out about your brow treatment? Yes, along with always offering top beauty products, I am always looking to offer the best treatments. As a result, Amorio is now offering 3D celebrity brows. This 7-stage treatment will leave you with your perfect desired brows. Choose your shape, colour and style to create your ultimate look. Along with brows, I will also be advancing my skills of being an eye specialist to lashes. These will include ﬂares (lasting a few days/weeks) and also individuals (lasting up to a few months). These will be available in the next couple of weeks. Basically, Amorio is all about being at the top of our game! Providing the best treatments, products and customer service. Here you will ﬁnd products that you will never have seen before, but will be converted in minutes. Pop in store to see what other lifechanging products are on offer. 112b Glebe Street, Penarth CF64 1EB 07770 600 080 amoriocosmetics@hotmail.com www.amoriocosmetics.co.uk Follow on Facebook and Twitter

CANTON Behind the busy, bustling high street businesses, Canton is full of surprises – like Thompson Park! It has a great selection of restaurants and eateries.

LIKE MAMMA USED TO MAKE

The Italian Way Focusing on bringing out the ﬁnest elements of one of the best gastronomic regions of the world. Using simple, fresh ingredients skillfully combined to bring out the best of a wide range of traditional dishes. You can also bring your own wine to enjoy with your meal. 157 Cowbridge Road East CF11 9AH 029 2039 6980 www.theitalianwaycardiff.co.uk

SEWING SERVICES & ALTERATIONS

Jalo & Stitch Established for eight years, Jalo & Stitch offer all types of sewing and alterations. Friendly, welcoming atmosphere. New, larger location.

218a Cowbridge Road East Canton, Cardiff CF5 1GY 029 2023 3520

If you’re a fab little café or boutique or a great gift shop, butcher, baker or candlestick maker, please get in touch – we’d love to meet you in our autumn issue. Similarly, if you’re a reader and know a business that you feel could have, or should have been featured, then please let me know. Please email jennifer@goodlifepublishing.co.uk 36

EBONY HAIR AND BEAUT Y

JAM KITCHENS

ARTEAS

European and Afro hair

Inspirational Designs

Not your average cafe

A unisex salon based in Canton, the staff are welcoming and bring an advanced knowledge and skill to blow drying, cutting, colouring, hair extensions and many more services for European and Afro hair types. 330 Cowbridge Road East CF5 1HD 029 2033 2525 www.ebonyhairandbeauty.co.uk Follow on Facebook and Twitter

We are an independent kitchen retailer and we pride ourselves on our combination of quality products, affordability and excellent service. Our team of experienced professional designers are here to listen and advise so that you get the best kitchen for you. 397 Cowbridge Road East CF5 1JG 029 2151 0021 www.jamkitchens.co.uk Follow on Facebook

Arteas is a wonderful little place that serves delicious food and showcases some incredible art from local artists. The menu items and exhibitions change every few weeks so no matter when you go there will be something new for you to try and beautiful to look at while you enjoy your food. 591 Cowbridge Road East CF5 1BE 029 2115 3927 Follow on Facebook

TOUROTECH

HOUSE OF HINTON

T R U S T E D E L E C T R I CA L R E TA I L E R

The Technology Specialists

Wella Professional

Radiocraft

Boutique style salon with a relaxing atmosphere, we ensure that every client of House of Hinton leaves the salon feeling pampered, special and cared for. Professional product lines include Wella, Kerastraight and Racoon. 426 Cowbridge Road East CF5 1JN 029 2034 1005 www.houseofhinton.com Follow on Facebook and Twitter

Radiocraft has been offering a professional yet friendly service to its customers since 1949, making it Cardiff’s oldest and most trusted electrical retailer with a glowing reputation among its customers.

Tourotech is one of Cardiff’s most trusted computer stores. As well as stocking new and refurbished items we also specialise in PC, Laptop, iPad and iPhone repairs. 6 Wyndham Crescent CF11 9EH 029 2021 2279 www.tourotech.co.uk Follow on Facebook and Twitter: /tourotech @tourotech V I C T O R I A PA R K P I E C O M PA N Y

A century of perfect pies We’ve been producing our delicious pies for over 100 years. Our ingredients are of the finest quality ensuring that our slow-cooked fillings are tender, rich and flavoursome with absolutely no preservatives or additives. All our dedicated bakers are deeply passionate about the quality of the products they produce. We offer hot takeaway meals of traditional pie, mash and mushy peas with thick, rich gravy, or cold meals for you to prepare at your own convenience. With sweet pies and fresh cream and jam scones also available, you can feed a family of four a two course meal for £3.80 each! Pie-fect!!! 454 Cowbridge Road East CF5 1BS 029 2056 2697 / 08450 745836 www.victoriaparkpies.com 37

251-253 Cowbridge Road East CF11 9TQ 029 2023 1166

If you’re fortunate enough to have a little set aside to invest, and you like the ﬁner things in life, then there could probably be no better investment than classic, pre-loved timepieces. Timeless brands such as Cartier, Frank Muller, Jaeger, Patek Philippe and Chopard will not only hold their value but will, in most cases, increase in value over time.

A TIMELY INVESTMENT

A new watch, like almost all luxury items, depreciates in value by up to 30% after you ﬁrst wear it. Pre-owned classic watches, however, will hold their value. Over time they can be worth even more than the original purchase cost.

With due care and regular maintenance, a quality watch will last you a lifetime. David Edwards Jewellers in Cardiff ’s Royal Arcade has many more watches to choose from. They also purchase watches and welcome part exchange. Whether you’re a seller or a buyer of classic, pre-owned watches, there’s no reason to go anywhere else. TOP RIGHT Corum Gents Watch RRP £25,000.00 David Edwards price NOW £10,500.00 FIRST ROW, LEFT Blue Dial Rolex RRP £8,200.00 David Edwards price NOW £5,500.00 FIRST ROW, RIGHT Gold Dial Rolex RRP £7,250.00 David Edwards price NOW £4,100.00 SECOND ROW, LEFT Omega RRP £4,750.00 David Edwards price NOW £3,250.00 SECOND ROW, RIGHT Ladies Diamond Rolex RRP £9,250.00 David Edwards price NOW £7,250.00 BOTTOM, RIGHT Franc Muller RRP £14,500.00 David Edwards price NOW £5,000.00

“The type of place you can browse without feeling obliged to buy.”

At David Edwards Jewellers in Cardiff ’s beautiful and historic Royal Arcade, Jack Cohen and Deborah Rawle are there to explain, inform and educate those of you who may be uncertain about choosing a preloved watch, jewellery or gems. Their comprehensive knowledge is borne out of their combined ﬁfty years’ experience and the solid reputation on which David Edwards Jewellers have always successfully traded. David Edwards Jewellers is the type of place you can browse without feeling awkward or obliged to buy. Jack and Deborah realise that some people can be nervous about buying pre-owned watches but David Edwards guarantees the provenance of each item. 38

David Edwards Jewellers 23-25 Royal Arcade, Cardiff CF10 1AE 029 2064 1939 www.davidedwardsjewellers.co.uk

â&#x20AC;&#x153;With due care and regular maintenance, a quality watch will last you a lifetime.â&#x20AC;? 39

Whether it’s a sumptuous country house border or a terraced house postage stamp, the talking point of any garden at this time of year is ‘colour’.

GARDENING WITH COLOUR Colour creates power in a garden, it can change the sense of space and instantly give a focal point to a speciﬁc area.

Colour is the most potent weapon in the gardener’s armoury. Understanding the power of colour will help you put a personal mark on your garden, it can excite and even shock. The way to use colour in your garden is as personal to you as the decoration of your home. What seems subtle to one person may seem dull to another. What matters is to use colour in your own way, if you like it, leave it, if you don’t, move it. Cottage garden planting can offer masses of mixed colour, the effect can be exhilarating and it’s deﬁnitely worth trying to achieve. The answer in this case is plants, plants and more plants, and all with colour. In high Summer that explosion of colour is just waiting for you, if you are limited by space then pots are the way to go. It doesn’t happen over night, sometimes it takes years to achieve that garden that people start to talk about, even if it’s only for a week or just a day it’s worth doing.

“Understanding the power of colour will help you put a personal mark on your garden, it can excite and even shock.” 40

Rob Hodge Horticulture 01633 744075 www.RobHodgeHorticulture.co.uk Like on Facebook

We have a wide range of treatments from Murad facials, injectables to state-of-the-art Laser treatments. All our consultations are FREE and carried out by qualiﬁed professionals. For more information please visit www.cyfoeshealthcare.com or call 01443 223352

Please quote City Life and receive 15% off your ﬁrst treatment

Cyfoes Healthcare First Floor, 35-37 Talbot Road, Talbot Green Rhondda Cynon Taff CF72 8AD 01443 223 352 info@cyfoeshealthcare.com www.cyfoeshealthcare.com Follow on Facebook Also at Smiles Dental 11a Unit, 17a Mermaid Quay, Cardiff 029 2048 1212 Follow on Facebook and Twitter

Up to ÂŁ1, 500 of fr e e Ne f f a p p l i a n c e s * The perfect kitchen needs the perfe ct appliances. As part of our Great Sigma 3 Neff Giveaway, every kitchen comes with up to ÂŁ1,500 of the latest Neff appliances, absolutely free. Offer ends 31st August 2014. Call your nearest showroom for more details or find out more at: www.sigma3.co.uk/neff-offers

* T e r m s a n d c o n di ti o n s appl y. Can n o t be u s ed i n conjunc tion with a ny othe r offe r. End s 31st August 2014. 42

& DU GL II :HVW 0845 070 696 1

& D UG L II ( D V W 0 8 4 5 0 7 0 6 9 6 3 / 6 Z D Q V H D 0 8 4 5 0 7 0 69 6 5 1 H Z S R UW 0 8 4 5 0 7 0 6 9 6 7 / $ E H UJ D Y H Q Q \ 0 8 4 5 0 7 0 69 6 4

Close your eyes, and imagine Edna Mode, the avant-garde fashion designer and super suits seamstress in Disney-Pixar’s The Incredibles saying, “Patio doors are so last season darling!” And she’d be right, because the only doors any self-respecting conservatory or orangery designer is going to be using these days are bi-folds. “What’s so great about bi-folds?” I hear you ask, and, if you have to ask, please leave the room now, you clearly have no taste. Quite simply a set of bi-fold doors can change your life. How do I know this? Because I have been converted. The first thing I love about bi-folds is the increase in light. Closed or open they increase light into a room significantly. In summer, the effect created by opening the doors completely is truly stunning. If you’re lucky enough to have a decent garden, it will be like having a twenty foot plasma television and watching the world’s best nature programme. The relationship created between the outside and inside is life changing (and I’m really not exaggerating). In winter, the significant increase in light is most welcome. I do suffer a little with SAD Syndrome in winter months, and the increase in ambient light has had a noticeably positive effect on my mood. The next thing to consider is material. If you’re even thinking about mentioning uPVC, don’t. The material of choice here is aluminium which has two excellent properties: it’s light and it’s strong (remember you’re going to have to slide those lovely doors open and you don’t want to be breaking in to an unattractive sweat while showing off.) The other great thing about aluminium is that it can be coloured. If you’re Katie Price, you might choose pink but, by far, the most popular colours are white, charcoal and black.

The next question is who do you entrust with the project? There are plenty of companies out there in South Wales but you’ll want to speak to someone who actually manufactures bi-fold doors. Alexander James, a family owned Welsh company, have been designing, manufacturing and installing bi-fold doors for over ten years. The company has many satisfied customers across south Wales and along the M4 corridor (they also do a lot of work in London). Andy Farmer lives in Barry and is Sales Director at Alexander James. He prides himself on being an expert on bi-folds. “We manufacture all our bi-fold frames and doors in-house. We only use higrade aluminium and all our frames and doors come with a guarantee,” he says, “The technology has moved forward in recent years. Doors are stronger, lighter and the colour palette available is almost unlimited. You can have tinted glass and even blinds set within the double glazing. It’s a revolutionary product.” Cost is always a factor in any home improvement but Andy is confident that Alexander James are extremely competitive. “Yes price is important,” Andy says, “but you have to ensure that corners aren’t cut when it comes to security and safety. We’re confident our bi-fold doors are competitively priced but we won’t compromise on quality of materials or any part of the manufacturing process. We value our reputation more.” So if your patio doors are a little tired and you’d like to let a little more light into your life, perhaps reading this will be an eye-opener. I can, with all honesty, say that installing bi-fold doors has changed my life. And, as Edna from The Incredibles might say, “It will be bold. Dramatic! Heroic!”

“In summer, the effect created by opening the doors completely is truly stunning.” 44

THE Alexander James Beautiful Bespoke Bi-Fold and Sliding Doors Unit 3A Ashmount Business Park Upper Forest Way Swansea SA6 8QR 01792 794 549 Like on Facebook, follow on Twitter www.alexanderjamesbifold.co.uk

LIGHT FANTASTIC

30th December September 2014. 2014. Terms Valid until 31st Terms and andconditions conditionsapply apply 46 46

At Cardiff Bathroom Centre our displays represent the very latest developments in bathing and showering technology, from clean modern minimalistic designs through to beautiful traditional styles. Browse through more than 100 inspiring bathroom and shower displays conveniently situated on the outskirts of Cardiff City Centre

Add us on

If you’re not adopting the #ShopLocal ethos, perhaps it’s time. We all complain about how the small independent businesses are leaving our high streets but are we helping?

SHOP LOCAL

WINDSOR A RCADE

T A K E A W AY & S A N D W I C H B A R

Butter Me Up Rated five out of five by Food Standards, Butter Me Up produces a great range of fresh sandwiches with homemade fillings made to order. Traditional Cornish pasties, home-made scones and cakes, a superb range of fresh breads and rolls, plus a self service salad bar. 11 Windsor Road, Penarth CF64 1JB 029 2071 1176

If you’ve got into the habit of visiting the supermarket for your meat and groceries, then you’re certainly not alone. Yes, supermarkets have lots of choice but they aren’t always the cheapest. Windsor Arcade in Penarth is an excellent example of what we’d all like our High Streets to look like. At the High Street end, it has an independent optician, a great little book shop (perhaps we could give Amazon a miss), a ﬁne sandwich bar Butter Me Up, and Windsor’s Gifts. Inside this beautiful Grade II listed arcade you’ll ﬁnd Windsor Fruit Stores, which has a superb selection of seasonal fruit and vegetables (I can vouch for the quality). The arcade doesn’t have a butcher but there are two excellent ones just around the corner. So, if you’re a Penarthian, your meat, fruit and veg shopping is sorted - and you’ll meet some real characters here.

Nick at Frangoulis can repair your shoes, cut your home and car keys and, if you have a really sweet tooth, Phil’s Umpa Lumpa Sweet Shop has an amazing range. At the Ludlow Lane end you’ll ﬁnd the Celtic Lounge and Windsor Tea Rooms so if you fancy a bite or a cuppa and a cake you’ll be in good hands. The fact is if we don’t support these really great businesses they’ll disappear from our streets forever, which is ﬁne if all we want are chains and charity shops. To stay in business they need your business and that just doesn’t apply to Windsor Arcade in Penarth. We need to adopt this approach right across the Vale - in Cowbridge, Barry, Dinas Powys, Llantwit Major and Porthcawl. Mark my words, when they’re gone you’ll miss them. You can make a difference. Shop local start today.

Penarth Eye Centre An independant opticians who’ve been providing professional, friendly eye care services to families in Penarth and the surrounding area for over 11 years. For eye tests, spectacles, contact lenses and sunglasses, Penarth Eye Centre can help. 7 Windsor Road, Penarth CF64 1JB 029 2071 2053 www.penartheyecentre.co.uk

COFFEE LOUNGE & RESTAURANT

Windsor Arcade also has a good barber and a photographic portrait studio. Again, these are great small, independent businesses. The arcade even has its own talented bespoke jeweller - Matthew Mullooly owns Northern Star. He’s an extremely talented designer and maker. If you’re looking for gifts then you’ll be spoiled for choice. Anastasia Beads, The Polka Dot Door and the previously mentioned Windsor’s Gifts have a brilliant selection.

OPTICIAN

Celtic Lounge

Windsor Arcade Windsor Road, Penarth, Vale Of Glamorgan Follow on Facebook www.facebook.com/windsorarcade 48

If you are looking for lunch, you’ll be spoiled for choice with the Celtic Lounge menu. Breakfasts are a personal favourite and they rustle up one of the best lattes in Penarth. Staff are always friendly and make you feel welcome. We like the decor and love the food and excellent service. 7 Windsor Arcade, Penarth CF64 1JB 029 2070 8157

BEADS & JEWELLERY

INDEPENDENT GREENGROCER

R E S TAU R A N T & CA F E

Anastasia Beads

Windsor Fruit Stores

Windsor Tea Rooms

Custom-made jewellery and fascinators, repairs, alterations, beads and ﬁndings, jewellery making classes and parties, bridal jewellery and hair accessories, Pilgrim, Angel Bliss and Wow jewellery stockists.

All you could want from your local fruit and veg supplier including free delivery service; a fresh, daily supply of fruit and vegetables; pure Welsh honey; extensive range of herbs and spices, fruit hampers freshly made to order.

A welcoming restaurant at the top of Windsor Arcade offering good quality food, home-made lunches and morning coffee and afternoon tea. They have a great daily specials board and free WiFi all in comfortable Victorian surroundings.

5 Windsor Arcade, Penarth CF64 1JA 029 2070 8493 / 01446 700071 F anastasiabeadsuk T @Anastasia_beads www.anastasiabeads.co.uk

11 Windsor Arcade, Penarth CF64 1JA 029 2070 4044 windsorfruitstores@virginmedia.com

1 Windsor Arcade, Penarth CF64 1JA 029 2071 1176

GIFTS

YA N K E E C A N D L E S & G I F T S

JEWELLERY

The Polka Dot Door

Windsors Gifts

Unique gifts, home accessories, toys, jewellery, bags and much more. Many UK products available. Free gift wrap service. Brands available include Bill Skinner, Blaze, Inch Blue, Ohh Deer and Yoshi Satchels plus much more.

Yankee Candle specialist, gifts and home accessories with a difference – all served with a smile and personal attention to detail.

Northern Star Bespoke Jewellery Ltd Using state-of-the-art technology, together with traditional skills, they can design and create a bespoke piece of jewellery that suits both your budget and your style.

4a Windsor Arcade, Penarth CF64 1JA 029 2070 3440 Follow on Twitter www.The PolkaDotDoor.co.uk

9 Windsor Road, Penarth CF64 1B 029 2070 2460 Like on Facebook windsorsgiftspenarth Follow on twitter @windsorspenarth www.windsorspenarth.co.uk

8 Windsor Arcade, Penarth CF64 1JA 029 2070 9707 Follow on Twitter and Facebook www.northernstarjewellery.co.uk

ENGRAVING, KEYS, SHOE REPAIRS

MORE THAN JUST A BOOKSHOP

MAGICAL SWEET SHOP

Frangoulis

Windsor Book Shop

Umpa Lumpa Sweet Shop

Established for fourteen years, this popular business offers high quality shoe repairs, key cutting, engraving, leather goods, trophies and dancewear paraphernalia.

A local independent bookshop selling over 6,000 titles plus cards, stationery, jigsaws, classical CDs and printed music, the sale and redemption of National Book Tokens - regularly hosts bookshop events and signings, next day ordering available.

Top quality sweetshop like the one your grandmother visited as a child. Serving everything from liquorice, Pick ‘n’ Mix, traditional sweets, bubble gum and lollipops, quality chocolates and sugarfree and gluten-free products. All served with a smile from Penarth town’s own Willy Wonka, Phil.

2 Windsor Arcade, Penarth CF64 1JA 029 2070 0233 / 07811 444820 Follow on Facebook www.frangoulispenarth.co.uk

9a Windsor Road, Penarth CF64 1JB 029 2070 6455 Follow on Facebook www.windsorbookshop.co.uk 49

10 Windsor Arcade 07815 475614

Hermione Rose is a South Wales based Online Boutique that might have gone under your radar but not anymore. They scour the globe to ďŹ nd luxury products for both you and your home ranging from Designer Handbags, award winning skincare, luxury candles and a stunning range for the modern man.

Used by the likes of Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cornwall and Kim Kardashian to name a few, Bee Venom is the secret in anti ageing products from New Zealand.

True Italian Expression, Exquisite simple yet well deďŹ ned lines, hand stitched to perfection.

Voluspa candles used by the hollywood A lists, found in the homes of Victoria Beckham and Scarlett Johansson to name but a few.

Exquisite, luxury gifts at your fingertips www.hermionerose.com Find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter

There are a few hotels that we like to revisit because they simply take our breath away. Ynyshir Hall in Machynllech is an excellent example. Its stunning location, gorgeous accommodation, fabulous food and superb staff combine, seemingly effortlessly, to create a truly magical experience.

CELEBRATION DAY

“Ynyshir Hall is somewhere you can escape the rat race and retreat to a place of peace - you can feel the healing begin the moment you arrive.” Also added to the mix is the introduction of therapist Thomas Bucci, who is incredibly skilled in healing massage. Thomas’ approach is very much a holistic one and he has a fastgrowing list of satisﬁed (and incredibly relaxed) clients. What makes Ynyshir Hall special? It’s location is beautiful. The decor, featuring Rob’s bold paintings, is elegantly designed. The staff are unpretentious, gentle, friendly, helpful and nothing is too much trouble. Last, but certainly not least, the food - hopes are high for chef Gareth Ward to be the ﬁrst 2 Michelin Star Chef in Wales and, in our humble opinion, after sampling his food, that’s only an inspection away.

We were delighted to be guests of the owners, Joan and Rob Reen, as they celebrated their 25 years at the hotel. The hotel is Wales’ only Relais & Chateaux hotel and is known as both a foodie destination and a retreat to enjoy peace and tranquility. The hotel shares its Dyﬁ Estuary location with RSPB Ynys-hir Nature Reserve, home of the BBC Spring Watch programme. Over a superb taster menu dinner (which really is up there with the best), we chatted with Joan a little more about why the hotel is so popular with her celebrity clientele. We’re not surprised - Ynyshir has a magic about it, the kind of place you feel you can truly escape. Film stars (Richard Gere, Julia Ormond) have stayed, rock stars too - Robert Plant is a regular (Led Zeppelin fans will get the headline), he was actually there the weekend we stayed.

Stars of TV (Alison Steadman, Eddie Izzard, Pam St Clements, Patricia Routledge, Sian Phillips), politicians (Nigel Lawson, Roy Hattersley, Jeffrey Archer) and many more who are successful and famous in their own spheres. Whatever your place in the universe, Ynyshir Hall is somewhere you can escape the rat race and retreat to a place of peace - you can feel the healing begin the moment you arrive. We were fortunate enough to be occupying one of the hotel’s two new garden suites which overlook lawns and gardens and offer a higher level of privacy. The quality of interiors and level of ﬁnish to the suites have to be seen to be believed and, if the comments in the Visitors Book are anything to go by, they were a huge hit with other guests too. 52

We felt truly privileged to share Joan and Rob’s 25th anniversary, Ynyshir Hall is one of our favourite hotels not only in Wales, but the world. We felt truly special during our visit – but that’s not surprising, everyone does.

“We felt truly privileged to share Joan and Rob’s 25th anniversary, Ynyshir Hall is one of our favourite hotels not only in Wales, but the world. We felt truly special during our visit – but that’s not surprising, everyone does.” 53

Ynyshir Hall Eglwysfach, Machynlleth Powys SY20 8TA 01654 781209 Like on Facebook www.ynyshirhall.co.uk

When the sun is shining and you’re in the mood for some authentic Italian hospitality, there’s no better place than Giovanni’s at Park Place. With 30 years’ experience, Giovanni Malacrino deserves his place as one of the City’s leading ﬁgures in Cardiff’s vibrant restaurant and nightclub scene. After pioneering the Mill Lane Cafe Quarter, he has his own alfresco area and will be looking at creating a second cafe quarter in Park Place as, after a busy day, you can’t beat sitting alfresco and watch the world go by with a glass of wine.

GIOVANNI’S THAT’S AMORE! Parking’s easy too. There are several large car parks nearby. The most convenient NCP car park is across the road and there’s also the one in John Lewis/St David’s 2. There’s also disabled parking outside and on-street parking in Windsor Place. No restaurant deserves this good a reputation without having great staff. You can thank head chefs Vanessa Mendes and Pietro Godino for the great food, General Managers Massimo Fraioli and Massimo Vara for the smooth running of the restaurant and Francesca, Giovanni’s sister who he credits as being the backbone of the Giovanni brand.

Giovanni’s on The Hayes has always been the perfect place to relax, unwind and dine after a night at the theatre or a busy day shopping. Giovanni’s latest venture is Giovanni’s on Park Place and it’s deﬁnitely the place to be and be seen. For New Theatre goers, it’s perfectly located given that it’s just opposite and a stone’s throw from the bustling main shopping centre of Queen Street. It’s also perfectly located for the many ofﬁce workers in the area. And when the sun is shining, the terraced area, with its attractive parasols and equally attractive Italian speaking waiters will have you thinking you’re somewhere in Italy.

What you’ll get from both restaurants is an authentic Italian welcome, delicious home-cooked food which is freshly prepared, using only the ﬁnest ingredients. Perhaps it’s the location, the food, or the amazing welcome, but it’s no surprise that Giovanni’s is a popular choice for weddings. Group bookings are popular at both restaurants and with Christmas on the distant horizon (it’s the ﬁrst time we’ve mentioned the C word but it is only a few months away), now’s a good time to book your table to ensure the best spot. Fundraising for local charities has always been high on Giovanni’s agenda and that’s why he’s created a Celebrate and Donate scheme. Quite simply, you choose a registered charity, book a table in advance, enjoy your evening and leave with a cheque for 10% of your total bill, made out to your chosen charity. The Dine and Donate parties are for parties of ten or more. Please check out the website for more information. I think this is a brilliant idea. 54

We’re big fans of Giovanni’s but we’ll let John Albertelli, a recent diner, have the ﬁnal say: “Brilliant evening at the new restaurant yet again, excellent service, super food and plenty of it. This is how all restaurants should be, warm, welcoming and staff that are attentive to your every need. Excellent.”

Giovanni’s On the Hayes 38, The Hayes, Cardiff CF10 1AJ 029 2022 0077 onthehayes@giovanniscardiff.co.uk www.giovanniscardiff.co.uk Giovanni’s in Park Place Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3DP 029 2022 6299 inparkplace@giovanniscardiff.co.uk www.giovanniscardiff.co.uk/park-place

A new Welsh food business has been launched that will offer an exclusive insight into Welsh food and drink producers. Food Adventure is the brainchild of Aberdare based husband and wife team, Carol and Mark Adams. We chat to Carol Adams to ﬁnd out more.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

What does Food Adventure offer? Food Adventure will provide food tours containing behind-the-scenes visits to vineyards, farms, restaurants and hotels across many popular South Wales foodie destinations, with the chance to meet independent and local producers and sample their produce. Where did the idea come from? We are the couple behind the successful Corpulent Capers food blog, and we’ve been blogging about the food culture in Wales for over seven years. We’re selfproclaimed ‘foodies’ and we’re often to be found exploring farmers’ markets or visiting local pubs across the country, but are particularly passionate about supporting Welsh food producers and quality seasonal products. Living on the edge of Brecon Beacons National Park, we recognise that Wales has some of the ﬁnest produce on the planet, and in recent years have become more and more interested in ﬁnding out more about what we eat.

What are you hoping to achieve with this venture? We are hoping to help others understand where exceptional produce comes from and share what we’ve learnt over the years of running our popular food blog. Food Adventure will offer either a full or half-day tour, including lunch at a top foodie destination in South Wales. Each tour will not only provide an opportunity to learn about local production processes, but will allow ‘food tourists’ to meet independent food and drink producers and ﬁnd out more about their companies. They will also be able to enjoy foraging in the Welsh rural countryside and take part in food demonstrations from top chefs and cookery tutors.

“ Food Adventure offer either a full or half-day tour, including lunch at a top foodie destination in south Wales.” 56

What events can we expect? We’ve got a fantastic line-up of events including : 9 August Otley Brewery Masterclass 30 August Behind the Scenes with Trealy Farm : Monmouthshire 19 September Discover Wales Hidden Gem, Welsh Wine : Monmouthshire 27 September A Foraging Feast Brecon 12 September Learning to pair Sherry with Food at Bar 44 Please check our website or sign up to our newsletter for information on new tours.

With prices starting from ÂŁ45, to ERRN D SODFH RQ D WRXU RU Ă&#x20AC;QG RXW more information, please visit www.foodadventure.co.uk or call 07542 689608 For further information please email &DURO $GDPV FDURO#IRRGDGYHQWXUH FR XN Twitter: #IRRGDGYHQWXUHXN Facebook: )RRG$GYHQWXUH8. 57

Investing for our future is extremely important but ﬁnancial services can be a mineﬁeld with a myriad of products, and complex and often bewildering legislation. Philip Payne, Director of Mulberry Wealth Management in Cyncoed believes he can help. Philip tells us about Mulberry Wealth Management and his passion for the industry.

A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE Why the name Mulberry Wealth Management? I’d always liked the idea of a tree within our logo - to signify strength. I also wanted the corporate colours of the company to be a deep shade of red, like a Mulberry shade. There are obvious connotations with the high end fashion company, which is particularly well-liked by women. This extended well for us in calling the business Mulberry Wealth Management as we want to appeal to men and women and convey a sense of quality underlying the advice we give. When was the business established? Mulberry was formed in 2009. I had run my own ﬁnancial advice business since 1997 and was keen to merge with Richard’s business that he had run separately since 2002. We established Mulberry to consolidate our practices and as an entity to purchase a wellestablished existing practice, Morris Brown Ltd, which was situated on our current premises in Cyncoed.

ensures our clients can get coordinated advice from a company that is also handling their pensions, investments and savings. What experience do you each have in the industry? I started as a ﬁnancial adviser almost straight from university in 1996 which was quite unusual but I was fortunate in knowing this was an industry I wanted to work in. Richard started around a similar time but worked a few years with a bank and insurance provider before setting up by himself. Mark was the regional branch manager for the C&G in Cardiff. He was one of the youngest ever to hold this role and worked with the C&G for ten years before leaving to come on board when Mulberry was formed.

What services do you offer? There are four cornerstones of holistic ﬁnancial advice that our business is built upon: pensions, investment, mortgages and protection. Financial products tend to be centred around these core areas, but the adviser service extends into peripheral areas such as inheritance tax planning (IHT), trusts, Capital Gains Tax (CGT) and general tax planning.

What do you think sets you apart from other companies offering similar services? Having university backgrounds has deﬁnitely helped in being adept at dealing with vast swathes of information, incorporating technology and having to take constant exams! Financial services has become a dramatically changed industry over the last decade but we have been ahead of the industry with our simpliﬁed advice model, well thought out processes and systems. This industry, more than most, is about relationships and trust, and we have always put those at the forefront of our service.

Who is involved in the business and what are their roles? Richard and I concentrate on pensions and investment advice, which has become an extremely involved and complex area over the years. We are supported by ﬁve other advisers with a similar role and a team of paraplanners. The mortgage department is run by Mark Morris with a support team. Although mortgages has been a difﬁcult sector since the credit crunch in 2008 this service

As a Wealth Manager what sort of sums do you deal with... Wealth means different things to different people. We work with clients that sometimes start with just enough to ﬁll an Individual Savings Account (ISA) allowance. We can offer a number of solutions that cover this spanning a range of different risk proﬁles. We prefer clients to build wealth with us over time, so will encourage them to use their ISA allowance each year combined, maybe, with some 58

additional pension provision, and always as part of an overall plan or strategy. Typically we are seeing far more wealth in individuals hands with property equity, savings and personal pension and, possibly, an inheritance so we are adept at dealing with sums in hundreds of thousands, or even millions. There have been several high profile stories of malpractice in the Wealth Management sector, how can you reassure your clients that Mulberry is a trustworthy company to deal with? Primarily Mulberry is an independent adviser firm meaning we are not tied to any one firm or range of products. The impartial advice we give is focused on clients’ best interest and we discuss our service levels and fees as a separate matter to the products or fund charges levied by a provider. Trust only really comes with experience, and time, and we accept that a client will make their own mind up, even if referred by a well trusted source such as an accountant or solicitor. We are never pushy and will do our very best to be as clear as possible on the advice we give, limiting the jargon wherever possible. We prefer to be very transparent about our service and costs and believe our fees are very competitive. We are interested in establishing a long term successful partnership, which is ultimately what good business is all about.

How do you see the market changing in the future? One thing is for certain, change will be constant in financial services. Successive governments can’t resist tinkering or putting their own stamp on the industry. We are definitely seeing a progressive shift though, with the onus to save and look after yourself being placed firmly on the individual. Although people are far more responsible for their own provision this does bring increased flexibility and opportunity. You only have to look at the proposed changes to pension legislation from April 2015 to evidence this. Individuals will be able to access their entire pension, in many circumstances, if desired, lifting years of complexity and bureaucracy. It offers fantastic accessibility but daunting prospects if mishandled underlining the need for clear and impartial advice. What should potential clients consider before approaching you? It is always best when potential clients have given some thought to what they want to achieve. Often people will have legacy pensions, endowments or investments that they’ve lost track of,

or simply ignored for too long. Our initial introductory meeting is always free so we encourage people to bring along a list of whatever they have. Sometimes people turn up with papers in a carrier bag but at least we have something to work with. If potential clients have clear objectives and considered opinions about what they are looking for then they’ll get a lot more out of working with a financial adviser. How are you remunerated for your services? How does this compare with other financial institutions/advisers? All financial advisers and firms are now required to charge fees for their work commission for regulated products has been prohibited since the beginning of 2013. We charge an initial fee for work undertaken, which often covers the most time consuming aspect of the advice process. We then charge an agreed ongoing fee, which includes review meetings and handling the administrative aspect as well as keeping clients informed of recommended changes brought about by market or legislative developments. 59

What are your plans for the future? In 2015 Mulberry is planning a full renovation and extension of our premises in Cyncoed. This will give us state-of-the-art offices and increased capacity to recruit additional advisers and support staff. There is a strong demand for good financial advice, especially now that most banks have retracted from offering any type of advice service at all, and there is a level playing field when it comes to fees replacing commission. The office in Cyncoed will allow us to service the majority of South Wales well but it may not be too long before we consider opening another regional office.

Mulberry Wealth Management Ltd 366-368 Cyncoed Road, Cyncoed Cardiff CF23 6SA 029 2002 3333 www.mulberrywealth.co.uk

Welcome to City Life Magazine’s Social Life section, a veritable who’s who in and around the capital.

SOCIAL L IFE CARDIFF

Cardiff celebrates the St David’s Hotel’s 15th year The ﬁve star St David’s Hotel and Spa in Cardiff celebrated its 15 year anniversary in style with a spectacular evening gala event for more than160 guests. Guests were invited to enjoy a grand evening of dining and entertainment including a performance from the Tenovus Sing for Life Choir in the hotel Atrium, entertainment from the Nigel Hart Big Band and a unique, classical repertoire during the three course dinner from the Three Waiters. Recently appointed General Manager of St David’s Hotel, Mr Andreas Maszczyk welcomed guests upon arrival. West End Actress Connie Fisher, and Welsh weather presenter and broadcaster Sian Lloyd were just some of the guests in attendance. The hotel selected two local charities to support during the evening’s celebrations and throughout 2014. Approximately £1,260 was raised during last night’s anniversary party for nominated charities Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital and Tenovus. www.thestdavidshotel.com

CARDIFF

Launch of Make Me Amazing at Crystal Boutique Lounge and Bar An amazing evening was had recently at the launch of Make Me Amazing at Crystal Boutique Lounge and Bar. Owners Rachel and Nicola welcomed guests from the beauty industry as well as beauty bloggers and representatives from PR and marketing agencies. Rachael Wheeler, Owner and Beauty Tech and Wales Hair & Beauty Awards Finalist of Gelisy Salon Cardiff, along with Paige Nurse offered Nail Gel and Nail Art throughout the evening which went down very well. Craig Bellamy made a surprise appearance and Rachel Kennedy of Rachel Kennedy Cardiff Semi Permanent Cosmetics & Make-Up was also present. A butler from Excalibur handed champagne to the ladies during the evening. All in all a very fun evening. www.makemeamazing.co.uk Images courtesy of Rob Matthews

L AV E R N O C K

St Lawrence’s Church Out for a walk with the dog and came upon an open day at St Lawrence’s commemorating the First World War. I found the displays quite moving. Congratulations to all who volunteered and gave their time. This is a beautiful little church in an equally gorgeous location. It’s undergoing renovation as funds become available so any donations are sure to be welcome. If there are any tradespeople out there who might like to donate their services, I’m sure the church would be grateful (and you’ll be certain of a mention in Vale Life and City Life). St Lawrence’s Church Lavernock

LLANDAFF

Former Cardiff graduates open their own premises Two former graduates from Cardiff University and the University Hospital School of Dental Hygiene, have realised their dream by opening the doors on their ﬁrst business premises in Cardiff. Skin and Face Clinics Limited, owned by Annie Cartwright, and Lucy Reed Dental Hygiene, started by experienced dental hygienist Lucy Reed, will share space in the newly refurbished Coach House Clinics off Llandaff High Street. One of Annie Cartwright’s clients, the former Miss Wales, glamour model, and online TV presenter, Sophia Cahill, attended the opening. The two local businesswomen have completely renovated the Coach House Clinics to a very high standard with a chrome and glass ﬁnish, complete with a chandelier in reception.

Debbie Evans, Lucy Reed, Lucy Reed Dental Hygiene, Julia Morgan, Rachel Gould, Vision In Print

Linda Norton, Norton Estate Agents, Annie Cartwright, Skin and Face Clinics Ltd, Sophia Cahill Former Miss Wales and online TV presenter

Julia Morgan, Rachel Gould, Vision In Print, Annie Cartwright, Skin and Face Clinics Limited, Sophia Cahill, former Miss Wales and online TV presenter, Debbie Evans, Marilyn Collard, Hello Marilyn

Annie Cartwright, Skin and Face Clinics Limited, Ann Dalton, M3 ACS

Annie Cartwright Skin and Face Clinics Ltd, Sophia Cahill, former Miss Wales and online TV Presenter, Lucy Reed, Lucy Reed Dental Hygiene

Kiera Lewis, Rhianon Lewis, Annie Cartwright, Skin and Face Clinics Limited, Lucy Reed, Lucy Reed Dental Hygiene

Lucy Reed, Lucy Reed Dental Hygiene, Kerry Shoesmith-Dean, Dental Hygienist

Susan Corsi and Lucy Reed

Annie Cartwright at Skin and Face Clinics Limited 029 2056 7096 Lucy Reed Dental Hygiene 029 2056 7824

Claire Millard, Liberty Tax Solutions LLP, Annie Cartwright, Skin and Face Clinics Limited, Alexandra Cartwright, Launch Coordinator

Back Left to right: Elgan Rees, Andrew Harding, Paul Boardman, Matthew Tossell, Andrew Morris Front Left to right: Gareth Williams, Huw Bennett, Ryan Bevington, Robert Jones, Carolyn Hitt

CARDIFF

Lunch raises £21,000 for Velindre Cancer Centre Hugh James Solicitors recently hosted a rugby lunch at the Millennium Stadium, raising more than £21,000 in aid of Velindre Cancer Centre.

Tredegar Town Band

Andy Moore, Joe Purcell, Brynmor Williams

Guy Jones, David Thomas, Matthew Tossell

Nicola Watkins, Carolyn Hitt, Francesca Schubert

Robert Lloyd Griffiths, Carolyn Hitt, Dan Langford

Andrew Harding, Matthew Tossell, Joe Purcell (all Hugh James), Andrew Morris (head of fundraising at Velindre)

The lunch was organised as part of a year of fundraising activity Hugh James is undertaking for Velindre which culminates in the East Coast Bike Challenge in September. Matthew Tossell, Andrew Harding and Joe Purcell, all from Hugh James, will be cycling 550km from Boston to New York along with 50 other riders who are all raising vital funds for Velindre. More than 250 representatives from South Wales’s top businesses attended the lunch to hear from former Welsh rugby internationals Robert Jones and Huw Bennett reﬂect on this year’s Six Nations tournament. Wales and British & Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton was a late withdrawal from the panel, undergoing surgery on his damaged shoulder, but was ably replaced by Ospreys and Wales prop Ryan Bevington who was able to give a fascinating insight in to life in the Wales camp. The players were quizzed by Western Mail columnist Carolyn Hitt, who compèred a question and answer session. Hugh James Hodge House, 114 - 116 St. Mary Street Cardiff CF10 1DY 029 2022 4871 www.hughjames.com Like on Facebook, Follow on Twitter

Simon Cox, Louise Price, Andrea Wallbank, Emma Burns, Amanda Stewart, Rebecca Mather, Rhys Oakley 63

Thistle management and James Sommerin with headline sponsors The Skill Group , Kristian James, Anne Miles, Ben Underwood, James Sommerin, Emily Sjamsul, Nathan Brew

CARDIFF

The Parc – 130th Anniversary celebration Cardiff’s oldest luxury hotel, The Parc invited guests to celebrate the launch of their 130th anniversary campaign. Guests were treated to champagne and canapés to give them ‘taster of what to expect’ from the grand ball which will be held in partnership with Michelin chef, James Sommerin. The Parc Hotel presents the 130th Anniversary Ball in association with the Skill Group is set to take place this October.

Prof Brian Morgan Robert Llewellyn Jones and Chris Sutton

If you have a memory of The Parc or sponsorship enquiries contact parc130@thistle.co.uk Steve Sulley, Zoe Westerman and Jon Hollins

Tanya Jones & Ann Bertie

www.thistle.com/hotels/united_kingdom/ cardiff/thistle_cardiff_city_centre

Sharon Owen, Anne McCormach, Amanda Morgan and Kay Evans

Anne Mile and Ben Underwood ‘raise a toast’

Anne Miles with guests

Cardiff Historian, Brian Lee cuts the cake 64

CARDIFF

Paramount Interiors celebrates 25th year A great time was had by all at the Paramount Interiors White Party as they celebrated 25 years in business. The party, which was held in the marquee at the Cardiff Golf Club in Cyncoed, was preceded by a golf day.

L-R Matthew Lloyd-Lewis, David Manhatten, Chris Dagley, Nick Clissold, Rupert Moore, Joseph Zammit

Rebecca Roberts and Michelle Davies

Everyone joined in the spirit of the day by dressing in white. Paramount Interiors 029 2083 9800 www.paramountinteriors.com

Alison and Gareth Jones

Nigel and Bridget Robert, Paramount

Lisa and Matt Newman

Lauren Clarke and Gareth Davies

Jade Baker and Bethan Smale

Andrew and Caroline Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Flaherty

Ceri Bowden and Chris Jenkins

THE LAST WORD Ever wondered what drives portrait, wedding, corporate and event photographer, Sian Owen? We ﬁnd out. Do your clients have their own ideas or do they leave it to you? Clients commission me because they’ve been recommended, they’ve seen my work and like my style of photography. We talk before the wedding/portrait/ commercial session to plan a brief that is unique to their way of life, their hobbies and interests so I can create a set of images that tell their story. I love to hear my clients’ ideas too. But I’m happy to work either way; some people would rather have no involvement with the creative ideas and leave it to me, which is great. Tell us a bit about what you do I’m a creative photographer that loves to capture moments in time and create long lasting memories. I photograph weddings, portraits and commercial photography. Portrait sessions take place on location at beaches or parks giving my clients a choice of beautiful backdrops for their family portraits. Where do you live? I live in the Docks area of Barry with my six year old daughter. Describe your home The best thing about our home is the view of the Bristol Channel from the living room. We can see Flat Holm and Steep Holm and, on a clear day, right across to Weston. Seeing the sunrise across the channel is beautiful, even the rainiest of storms are wonderful to watch from the living room window.

What makes Sian Owen Photography special? There are many reasons why what I do stands out from other photographers. I build a relationship with my client whether it is for their business or wedding or family portrait. Getting to know people and how they work means I can offer a personal service. I am always pushing myself creatively, learning new techniques and expanding my technical knowledge. I aim to produce one off images that are unique to each client. What is your background? I had a passion for taking photographs from a very early age; my parents bought me a camera for my 10th birthday as I was always using theirs. Twelve years ago I left school with a GCSE and A level in photography and immediately started work with a local well established wedding photographer in Cardiff. I photographed my ﬁrst wedding with a Hassleblad medium format camera with only twelve shots per ﬁlm; things have changed a lot since then!

What do you think a female brings to what is predominately a male profession? Gone are the days of photographers mainly being old men in suits. Good quality professional photography is created by understanding people, knowing your subject, and of course your camera. And believe it or not your personality, being approachable as a photographer makes the client feel comfortable and at ease in front of the camera, resulting in images that my clients love. Where do you shop? I love to support local businesses so shop in Barry and Penarth as much as possible. What makes you happy? Quality time spent with my daughter and partner. Family and friends are so precious to me. It’s important to get that work/life balance right. Sum yourself up in three words Happy, creative, determined.

I then went on to work for a lifestyle portrait studio where I’d photograph new born babies, toddlers to teens creating unique stylish memories for their home. I was there for eight years, then set up my business two years ago. Where do your clients come from? My clients are mainly in the South Wales area. I occasionally travel to Bristol to photograph weddings and have had the pleasure of photographing a wedding in Europe. I also have corporate clients in the west of England. 66

Sian Owen Photography 07587 049949 www.sian-owen.co.uk Find on Facebook, follow on Twitter

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t h o m a s B

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029 2067 98 15 w w w. t h o m a s - g a r d i n e r. c o m

T HANK YOU Thanks for taking the time to read the summer edition of City Life magazine. City Life is the City Of Cardiffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier lifestyle magazine. We print 10,000 copies of each edition and cut no corners on design, production and the quality of our print. Talking about printing, we source pretty much everything locally, and over 95% of City Lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s turnover is reinvested back into the community of South Wales. If you have a business and are interested in promoting your goods or services to an aspirational audience in Cardiff then City Life is almost certainly right for you. Jennifer Hobbs-Roberts Editor jennifer@citylifecardiff.co.uk

“Follow your heart, not your head.” Kevin Green, Wealth Coach www.kevingreen.com

PROMOTING YOUR BUSINESS We value our advertisers. We appreciate the trust they place in us by promoting their businesses in our magazines. With our local partners, we currently publish a range of high quality quarterly titles across Wales. You can advertise your business from as little as £35 per season in this magazine. Pick-up-ability! Our magazines aren’t like other magazines. They have real pick-up appeal - in fact, they really do go like hot cakes. Quality comes ﬁrst... along with the environment. We’re passionate about quality. The magazines are beautifully written and designed, and printed locally in South Wales on high quality paper (and no nasty varnishes or lamination - we’re as green as green can be). Quality distribution to an afﬂuent, aspirational audience... We distribute our magazines to over 1,000 carefully selected outlets across South Wales. We’d love to have your business on board. If you’d like to promote your business or service in our magazines, please get in touch, we’d love the opportunity to work with you.

OUR TITLES We proudly publish four Life-style magazines and one business to business title. Vale Life (our first magazine). This covers the beautiful Vale of Glamorgan - the most southerly county in Wales and deemed to be the most affluent. Vale Life was the first magazine we published. City Life The premier lifestyle magazine for Cardiff, Wales’ capital city. The magazine is delivered to all areas of Cardiff. Valleys Life At the heart of the South Wales Valleys. From the Neath Valley in the West to Blaenau Gwent and Pontypool in the East. West Life Covering Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and coastal Ceredigion, West Life is in touch with the relaxed lifestyle of this very special part of Wales. In Business Wales’ premier magazine for people in business. This is the kind of publication people in business want to read; interesting, inspirational and aspirational.

WHAT ADVERTISERS S AY “The best advertising we’ve ever done!” Andy Bradshaw, Partner, Hamptons, Penarth. “Honestly, the best response I’ve ever had.” Matt Mullooly, Owner, Northern Star, Penarth. “At last, advertising that really delivers.” Ann Bryl, Owner, Bryl’s Boutique, Barry. “A truly astonishing response.” Russell Scott-Lawson, Owner, Hawkes, Cardiff. “The experience I have had with this magazine has restored my faith in advertising. Gauci Organic Candles is a small business with an equally small advertising budget. We have to make every pound count and that’s what we get with Vale Life, City Life and Valleys Life. It’s refreshing to ﬁnd a magazine that really understands my business. They are never short of ideas. I recommend them whenever I can.” Spiro Gauci, Owner, Gauci Organic Candles, Cardiff www.gaucicandles.co.uk “These are beautiful publications. We love working with people who are passionate about what they do.” Spiro Borg, Spiros Caterers, www.spiros.co.uk We’d love the opportunity to show you what a truly effective campaign in our publications can achieve.

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St P Peters eters H Hall, all, St Peters Peters Street, Street, Cardiff Cardifff CF24 3BA Tel: T el: 029 2049 4425 • www.spiros.co.uk www w..spiros.co.uk • info@spiros.co.uk inffo@spir o@sp o os.co.uk Find us o on nF Facebook acebook @SPIROSCATERERS @SP IROSCA ATERERS TE T