Nicky performing at Brewhouse Cardiff back when the world was ‘normal’
Music
HOW FETCHING
Kate and William soaked up the festive spirit at Cardiff Castle
Royal visit
RIGHT ROYAL
Students from Cardiff University, Cardiff Metropolitan University and the University of South Wales had the honour of meeting Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Cardiff Castle last month. As part of a 48-hour whistle-stop tour, Kate and William visited the city to meet local university students to hear about some of the challenges they have experienced during the pandemic, with a particular focus on mental health. For more: www.cardiff.gov.uk
Television
RALLY WITH SALI
One of Wales’s most popular children’s characters, Sali Mali, is back; Cardiff-based film and TV production company Calon has announced plans for 26 new episodes, and Cerys Matthews is on board too. Originally created as books by author Mary Vaughan Jones, the first TV series was made almost 20 years ago. This new series – which will once again feature Cerys Matthews singing the theme tune, and have Hollywood star Rhys Ifans providing narration in both English and Welsh – has seen the team behind it working tirelessly during lockdown to make the magic happen. It will run on S4C up to February 2021. Cerys Matthews says, “To revisit this song so many years apart was something else. I loved it then and I love it now, though so much life has passed and changed from when I was first presented with this gem of a tune. It was right in the middle of the earliest lockdown when I recorded this new version with its new words and arrangements. I’ve got to say it was pure pleasure; it was a refreshing change of scene – we all had to keep socially distant of course but to enter a studio to do something so familiar and enjoyable in the midst of something so unusual was great.” Calon’s managing director Robin Lyons adds, “Every person involved, from the writers to the director and the production team across Wales, worked remotely, and I’m very proud to have achieved this end result in these different circumstances. It was absolutely great to have Rhys and Cerys on board.” For more: www.calon.tv
6 I CARDIFF LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
Cardiff Bay-based former X Factor singer Nicky Pendry has founded a free online game enabling families and friends to come together virtually during the pandemic and beyond. In Go Fetch Stuff, players are challenged to ‘fetch’ one household item – from a list of 1,200 – with just 45 seconds to find it. Since its launch, 13.8 million items have been ‘fetched’. For more: www.gofetchstuff.com
Cerys Matthews will once again be singing the Sali Mali theme tune
