Cardiff Life - Issue 255 by MediaClash

ISSUE 255 / JUNE 2022 / £3

CELEBRATING THE BEST IN THE CITY, PENARTH & THE VALE

@CardiffLifeMag

ROYAL TREATMENT

PLATINUM JUBILEE ARTS AND GIFTS #SHOPLOCAL

IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER

DAD’S DAY IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER

PRIDE OF PLACE

ISSUE 255 / JUNE 2022 / WATER YOU UP TO?

ALL AT SEA

BOARD MEETINGS HAVE NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD! GET READY FOR A SUMMER OF ACTIVITY

CARDIFF CELEBRATES THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY

EXPERIENCE THE EXTRAORDINARY IMMERSE YOURSELF IN DREAMACHINE

Introducing 2 of the latest high technology Face & Body treatments

AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY IN WALES at Beauty Within medi-spa, near Cardiff

BRAND NEW, there hasn’t been anything out there like this for 12 years! Changing the way you think about brow and neck lift, line and wrinkle reduction, tighter and brighter skin!

A one of a kind technology (HIFEM) that can burn fat and tone 9 areas of the body. It’s the only award-winning, non-surgical treatment in the world that burns 30% fat and builds 25% muscle as well as tightening the skin.

Sofwave is the latest Synchronous High Intensity Ultrasound parallel beam technology (SUPERB) technology to revitalize the skin through innovative stimulation of the production of new collagen. FDA cleared to lift the eybrow, lift lax skin of the submental (underneath the chin) tissue, lift lax skin of the neck tissue and reduce facial lines and wrinkles.

· 30% less fat (on average) · 25% increased muscle (on average) · One treatment equivalent to 20,000 sit ups. · Improved posture, strengthened core and pelvic floor · Reduced lower back pain

• No down time • One 30 minute treatment • Lasts up to 18 months • 100% non invasive • Safe & effective • Clinically proven • All skin types

A younger you next time you look in the mirror. It is SUPERB

For more information: Beauty Within Medi Spa, 10 High Street, Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales, CF71 7AG London 3 hours • Birmingham 1hr 30mins • Bristol 50mins • Cardiff 15mins Tel: 01446 774980 | Email: info@beautywithinspa.co.uk | Online: beautywithinspa.co.uk

EDITOR’S LETTER

The Dawnstalkers taking a dip at Penarth. Turn to page 11 for more

he city is vibrating with activity right now; there is so much going on it’s tough to fit it all on our triweekly pages. If you’re an activity lover, you’re going to enjoy this issue; we’ve concentrated on sporty, outdoorsy, high-adrenaline goings-on in this month’s mag – from hurtling down Olympicstandard rapids, to gorge walking, roller derby and high ropes – turn to page 11 to get in on the action. Talking of filling up your diary to its limits, we’ve got a bumper What’s On section for you (starting on page 22) packed with upcoming events, from a death-defying extreme circus to flagship festivals and Jubilee celebrations. As June is Pride Month, it’s a fitting time to shine a spotlight on the Iris Prize LGBT+ Film Festival – the world’s largest short film prize – based in Cardiff. On page 29, we chat to its founder Berwyn Rowlands about the event that draws people in from all over the world and is recognised by Bafta as an A-list festival alongside Cannes and Sundance. Elsewhere in this issue, we try out Dreamachine, a new psychedelic experience in the city, which is moving visitors to tears (page 19); we bring you a #shoplocal Father’s Day gift guide (page 36); and we review the new menu from chef extraordinaire Cornel Uys at Milkwood in Pontcanna (page 44). And if you’ve headed to any big local events recently, we challenge you to spot yourselves in our Scene section (starting on page 49) where plenty of you have been papped! Enjoy! #CardiffTogether, always

ae’r ddinas yn fwrlwm o weithgarwch ar hyn o bryd; mae cymaint yn digwydd nes ei bod yn anodd ymdrin â’r cyfan yn ein rhifynnau bob tair wythnos. Os ydych yn dwlu ar weithgareddau, byddwch wrth eich bodd â’r rhifyn hwn; yn ein cylchgrawn y mis hwn rydym yn canolbwyntio ar chwaraeon a champau awyr agored anturus – o gyfleoedd i wibio i lawr rhaeadrau gwyllt o safon Olympaidd i gerdded ceunentydd, mwynhau gornestau sglefrolio a mentro ar raffau uchel – trowch i dudalen 11 i brofi’r cyffro. Ac o sôn am lenwi eich dyddiadur i’r ymylon, mae gennym adran Digwyddiadau neilltuol ar eich cyfer (o dudalen 22 ymlaen) sy’n orlawn o ddigwyddiadau sydd ar ddod, o syrcas eithafol fentrus i wyliau blaengar a gweithgareddau i ddathlu’r Jiwbilî. Mae mis Mehefin yn fis Pride, felly mae’n adeg briodol i ni roi sylw i Ŵyl Ffilmiau LHDT+ Gwobr Iris – sef y wobr fwyaf yn y byd i ffilmiau byrion – sy’n digwydd yng Nghaerdydd. Ar dudalen 29, rydym yn sgwrsio â’r sylfaenydd Berwyn Rowlands am y digwyddiad sy’n denu pobl o bob cwr o’r byd ac sy’n cael ei gydnabod gan Bafta fel gŵyl debyg i wyliau Cannes a Sundance sy’n denu’r enwau mawr. Fel arall yn y rhifyn hwn rydym yn rhoi cynnig ar Dreamachine, sef profiad seicedelig newydd sydd wedi cyrraedd y ddinas ac sy’n gadael ymwelwyr yn eu dagrau (ar dudalen 19); rydym yn cynnig canllaw i anrhegion lleol ar gyfer Sul y Tadau #siopalleol (ar dudalen 36); ac rydym yn adolygu bwydlen newydd y cogydd arbennig Cornel Uys yn Milkwood ym Mhontcanna (ar dudalen 44). Ac os ydych wedi bod mewn unrhyw ddigwyddiadau lleol mawr yn ddiweddar, hoffem eich herio i ddod o hyd i’ch hunain yn ein hadran ‘Scene’ (sy’n dechrau ar dudalen 49) lle cafodd digon ohonoch eich dal ar gamera! Mwynhewch! #CaerdyddYnghyd, bob amser

LISA EVANS

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TS E C T JE SI O EB PR W R EW U N O N O

www.chalkhousekitchens.co.uk

Issue 255 / June, 2022 ON THE COVER Seas-ing the day at Barry Island. Photo by Vashisht Reddy (Instagram: @vashishtreddyj). For more, turn to page 11

FEATURES

11 LET’S GET MOVING Sports and activities to get involved in

this summer

29 ONE-TO-ONE Chatting with Berwyn Rowlands, the founder

of the Iris Prize LGBT+ Film Festival

34 MEET THE MAKER Katherine Jones’s memory boxes tug at

our heartstrings

ARTS AND EVENTS

19 ARTS INTRO Dreamachine is a new psychedelic experience

in Cathays

22 WHAT’S ON Arts, shows and events, it’s all going on in Cardiff 49 SCENE Papping some of the most popular events in the city –

can you spot yourself ?

SHOPPING

33 TIME TO SHINE Cardiff duo SoulSisters release their

jewellery range

36 RAD DADS Our Father’s Day gift guide 38 EDITOR’S CHOICE On the hunt for Jubilee-themed goodies

FOOD & DRINK

41 TASTY BITES A handful of news morsels for you to chew on 44 RESTAURANT REVIEW It’s a menu overhaul at Milkwood

in Pontcanna

47 JANE COOK Our foodie columnist gives us the low down

PROPERTY

59 PROPERTY NEWS What’s new in the world of building? 60 OUR OWN, VERY SPECIAL EVENT A look back at The

Property Symposium 2022

BUSINESS

63 CARDIFF WORKS News and views and brilliant businesses

REGULARS

9 SPOTLIGHT Just a handful of feel-good stories 27 WYBURN AND WAYNE Our columnists have been out and

about again

66 CARDIFF LIVES Meg Abernethy-Hope, the founder of

homeless charity The BillyChip

22 Editor Lisa Evans lisa.evans@mediaclash.co.uk Managing editor Deri Robins deri.robins@mediaclash.co.uk Senior art editor Andrew Richmond Graphic design Megan Allison Cover design Trevor Gilham Contributors Nathan Wyburn, Wayne Courtney, Jane Cook, Megan Gaen and Jon Sutton Commercial manager Mark George mark. george@mediaclash.co.uk Business development manager Claire Hawkins claire.hawkins@mediaclash.co.uk Production/Distribution manager Sarah Kingston sarah. kingston@mediaclash.co.uk Deputy production manager Kirstie Howe kirstie.howe@mediaclash.co.uk Production designer Kirstie Howe kirstie.howe@mediaclash.co.uk Chief executive Jane Ingham jane.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Chief executive Greg Ingham greg.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Cardiff Life MediaClash, Carriage Court, 22 Circus Mews, Bath, BA1 2PW 01225 475800 www.mediaclash.co.uk @The MediaClash © All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without written permission of MediaClash We’re a Bath-based publisher, creative agency and event organiser Magazines Our portfolio of regional magazines celebrates the best of local living: Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter. Agency From the design and build of websites to digital marketing and creating company magazines, we can help. Events We create, market, promote and operate a wide variety of events both for MediaClash and our clients Contact: info@mediaclash.co.uk

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SPOTLIGHT JUST A HANDFUL OF FEEL- GOOD STORIES

Business

BIGMOOSE’S BIG GOALS

bigmoose co-founders, Chloe and her dad Jeff

bigmoose, a Cardiff-based charity and non-profit coffee shop which is working to help with mental health, homelessness and prevention of suicide, has begun a new venture: Project 1 Million. bigmoose is on a mission to raise £1,000,000 by the end of 2022, which will be invested into therapy and early intervention. So far, they have provided therapy for 85 people, and their current turn-around time is one week from the first point of contact. “We want to help as many people as we possibly can,” says Chloe Smith, bigmoose’s co-founder. “Not only do we want to do this by raising the money needed to provide therapy, but we want to reach people who may be struggling and we hope readers of Cardiff Life magazine, who may be suffering or know someone who is, get in contact with us.” For more: www.bigmoosecharity.co

Thousands of flowers in front of the Pierhead Building

GARDEN FOR GOOD

Horatio’s Garden, a national charity which creates and nurtures fully accessible gardens in NHS spinal injury centres to support mental and physical rehabilitation, has launched its newest garden. The Wales Garden, at the new Spinal and Neurological Centre at the University Hospital Llandough, opened in May. www.horatiosgarden.org.uk

Mark, a real hardy perennial after 50 years tending Cardiff’s parks

Celebration

There was a time when we all hoped to be in a job for life but how many can claim today to have worked for the same employer for 50 years? Step forward Mark West, ‘Westy’, who has just celebrated the semicentennial since he began work in Cardiff Council’s Parks department. Now 65, he might have eased off a little since he was an impressionable 15-year-old trainee gardener but he still spends the majority of his time cultivating Cardiff’s impressive range of parks and gardens. “I think I’m outside for perhaps 90 per cent of the time,” says Mark. “And that’s how I prefer it. I’ve loved this job from the day I started on £7 a week, and I still love it just as much now.” For more: www.cardiff.gov.uk

PETAL POWER In May, thousands of tulips appeared in Cardiﬀ Bay to say ‘thank you’ to the public for supporting charitable causes. For the fourth year running, Benefact Group is giving away over £1million to charities with the return of its Movement for Good Awards. To mark the occasion, a sea of ﬂowers was placed outside the Pierhead Building. This year, another 500 charities around the UK will each receive £1,000 during the campaign. You can nominate and vote for your favourite charity online. For more: www.movementforgood.com

Tickets for Christmas at Bute Park will be on sale soon

CAN YOU DIG IT?

Charity

WATER LOTTA FUN Bigger, better, wetter ‘n’ wilder than ever before, Wales’s biggest Aqua Park will return to Cardiff Bay this summer. The inflatable obstacle course, which features slides, trampolines, monkey bars and more is back from 23 June. www.aquaparkgroup.co.uk

Event

CHRISTMAS IN JUNE

Tickets are going on sale in June for this year’s Christmas at Bute Park event, coming in November. Planning is underway and tickets are expected to sell quickly this summer in the lead up to the breath-taking festive festival of light – the biggest Wales has ever seen. For more: www.christmasatbutepark.com

Aqua Park Cardiff will return this summer

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SUMMER

SPORT

OF SPORT It’s no secret that Cardiff is a sporting city, but you don’t have to just be a viewer. There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in yourself this summer, perhaps with an activity you haven’t tried before

By Megan Gaen

Is it Barry Island or a tropical ocean? Definitely Barry

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“It’s inclusive not just to gay men but to everybody – trans, non-binary, female or AFAB”

RUGBY

Cardiff Lions, Wales’ first gay and inclusive rugby union team, is always recruiting no matter your ability. Here we speak to the Lions’ Joshua Asterley-Green about the club and its upcoming plans. How long has the club been running?

It was set up in 2004, so it’s been running for nearly 20 years. There are a couple of players who have stuck around the whole time! How many people have been a part of the club over those two decades?

Hundreds. There’s currently just over 60 members and most of those are fully-fledged players. We’ve got about 20 or so members who have stuck around over the years, who come and support the club but don’t actually get involved with games anymore. Was rugby an important sport to choose being Welsh?

We talk about it in training, how the rugby we play in the Lions is distinctly South Wales’ rugby. It is very different to a lot of the English teams that we play in our IGR leagues where they’re so used to a lot of fast, free play, whereas we’re raw. It’s back to basics. We dig in, we muck in.

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he Six Nations may have come and gone, the final whistle of The Bluebirds season has been blown, and the last Cardiff Devils skate has slid out of the Ice Arena Wales for now, but a summer of sport can still be very much enjoyed in the city. Cardiff Lions is Wales’ first gay and inclusive rugby union team

The Enfys Sevens are coming up (5 – 7 August). Are you looking forward to some summer rugby?

It’s so fast-paced but rugby sevens is a tournament, so they’re short games; it’s fast-paced, but it’s also like a party. We get the music going, everyone’s just having a good time, and it’s summer. Can’t wait! Anything else to tell readers?

If you do want to come along, send us a message and we’re happy to provide details. We train on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30pm. You don’t have to come to training, it’s not that disciplined, but you’re always welcome. Instagram @CardiffLions

What other Lions events can people join in with? On Sunday mornings, we do a touch rugby session in Pontcanna Fields, which is totally inclusive, not just to gay men, but to everybody – trans, nonbinary, female or AFAB, just everyone. Whereas playing league games, WRU rules don’t allow that to happen, so we push to try and find a way to include everyone in the rugby family.

SPORT How can people in Cardiff get involved with football personally in the city? They can get in with their local club if they really wanted to be involved in the game. Clubs are always looking for volunteers. The FAW Trust website offers a Footy Finder for anyone looking to take part in the game. People can also train to become a referee. The FAW offers an online course for this so most of the training can be done at home. All they need to do is visit BecomeARef.Wales for more.

FOOTBALL

Cardiff City Stadium will continue to be busy for the summer with Wales taking on the Netherlands and Belgium in the UEFA Nations League. The national side is only one game away from World Cup qualification after their victory over Austria, so momentum is behind Wales. Fans can go to the stadium themselves and cheer the team from their seats. Here we speak to Rob Dowling, head of content and engagement at Football Association Wales (FAW) – the third oldest association in the world, having come into existence in 1876. The association has governed football in Wales continually since that date. How important is football to Cardiff and Wales?

It’s very important in Wales as every community across the country has a football club within it or nearby that offers people the ability to play, watch or volunteer. Many clubs in Wales offer a wider role within their community than just football too, some offer services that assist with mental health, youth clubs for children or their clubhouses are converted for people to donate blood. There are two Wales UEFA Nations League games being hosted in Cardiff this summer, what can we expect from these matches?

I think we can expect that incredible Welsh passion from The Red Wall in these games like any other. Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau has become an

unmissable moment at Cymru matches. The fans truly create a wall of sound. You can actually feel them sing the anthem! That always sets up an incredible atmosphere during our games and I’m sure the Nations League matches will be no different. With momentum behind Wales from recent games, how likely is the World Cup looking for the team?

We all have our fingers crossed for the FIFA World Cup Play-Off Final on 5 June. The team will be expertly prepared by Rob Page and with The Red Wall behind them at Cardiff City Stadium anything is possible! www.faw.cymru

CRICKET

A summer of sport wouldn’t be complete without a spot of cricket, and Glamorgan Cricket will be playing throughout the summer months. They will be competing in the Vitality Blast T20 competition, with plenty of home games at Sophia Gardens to be enjoyed too. Here Mark Wallace, director of cricket at Glamorgan Cricket, tells us more. What does cricket mean to Wales?

I think it’s really important. Obviously, there’s a lot of competition for cricket with football and rugby, but cricket is really popular. We’ve got two thriving leagues; we’ve got lots of players who play the game on a Saturday and are really interested in playing cricket, but also following Glamorgan. We’ve got a really special following here. We represent the whole of Wales, so we get a lot of interest not just in South Wales, but around the whole country.

below: Cardiff City’s 1927 FA Cup winning captain Fred Keenor outside Cardiff City Stadium: right: Glamorgan Cricket will be playing throughout the summer months

FAMILY SUMMER ACTIVITIES

Victoria Park Splashpad From 2 June, Victoria Park Splashpad will be reopened. Expect water sprays, jets and a tipping water bucket in the beautiful grounds of the Grade II-listed park. The Urdd Urban Games The Oval Basin in Cardiff Bay will be transformed into a freesports arena for a weekend of competition and activity, attracting riders, skaters and breakers on 18 – 19 June. Aqua Park Cardiff From 23 June, Wales’s biggest Aqua Park will return to Cardiff Bay, with its giant inflatable obstacle course on the water.

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SPORT Who can we expect to see on the pitch this summer?

What cricket events are coming up this summer? The Vitality Blast is a big one for us. It’s actually in its 20th year of the competition, so the England and Wales Cricket Board and Glamorgan are making a big deal out of this. We start on 2 June against Essex Eagles, then we’ve basically got seven home matches in 22 days, and we finish against Somerset at home on 24 June. Somerset are our big, big rivals so it’s a big game to finish off with! We actually call it the big match. We’ve got England coming as well in the Vitality IT20 on 28 July, and that’s England against South Africa.

In terms of our playing squad this year, we’ve got Sam Northeast. We signed him last year and he’s one of the best domestic players on the county circuit. It was a big deal for Glamorgan to have him sign up here amid interest from counties as well. Then we’ve got some really exciting homegrown players: Kivan Carlson and David Lloyd. They’re both young, Welsh, local heroes. We’ve got Colin Ingram, one of the best T20 players around the world, and Marnus Labuschagne, who is the world’s number one test batter, as well as Michael Neser, who made his test debut against England in the winter and is an Australian International, and they will be here for the Blast. So, you’ll not only have some of the best domestic cricketers around, but you’ll also see some of the best cricketers in the world during the Vitality Blast. How can people in Cardiff get involved with Vitality Blast?

Blast is one of our major events. It’s played after work hours and on weekends, so it’s something that people can come to rather than the championship which can be played during the week when people are at work. You can buy tickets on our website and there’s plenty of offers that we’re going out with this year. We’ve got school offers, group offers, corporate offers, so it’s really easy to get involved.

We’ve got two Friday night ﬁxtures, where people can go straight after work, a couple of Tuesday games as well which are perfect for students, and two Sunday games as well which are ideal for families to come along to. Tickets aren’t particularly expensive; they start at £15 in advance to £20 on the day. We’re also going to reach out to our local communities and clubs as well so we’ve put an oﬀer for them too to make sure that pupils who have an interest and a love for cricket can come down. www.glamorgancricket.com

TRY SOMETHING NEW

STAND UP PADDLEBOARDING (SUP)

“You can be paddling comfortably after a two-hour intro to SUP lesson,” says Gareth Stevenson, a paddleboarder with SUP Cardiff. The group has been around for seven years and paddles at Cardiff International White Water with more than 30 people coming to their social paddling sessions on a Wednesday evening. This isn’t the only place SUP Cardiff takes their boards though. “We paddle in Cardiff Bay, but also around the beautiful coast of Wales,” says Gareth, “We’ve paddled in some incredible locations around the world – Norway, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Barbados, France, Spain, Croatia, Holland, and Germany.” SUP Cardiff will have introductory sessions running throughout the summer months, so you can take to the water, try your hand at balancing on the board and paddling yourself through the water. www.supcardiff.co.uk

GORGE WALKING

Cardiﬀ International White Water runs a South Wales gorge walking experience in the scenic Neath Valley that involves scrambling up and down rivers and streams. They start oﬀ gently and teach you all the techniques that you need to make the most of this activity, and before you know it, you’ll be navigating steep gorges and jumping into plunge pools. www.ciww.com

Try out everything from tubing and hot dogging and rafting to SUP at Cardiff International White Water

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“The Olympic-standard rapids are ideal for thrill seekers, and, on certain days, the speed is taken down so families can have a go” ABOVE: Cardiff International White Water calls to adrenaline junkies; LEFT: Feel the burn at Hotpod Yoga

AND RELAX

When you’re all sported out and you’re ready to revive those tired muscles, here are a handful of our favourite recovery spots REVIVAL, MEANWHILE HOUSE It’s Cardiff’s first and only floatation centre. Enter a water-filled pod and experience a deep physical and mental state of relaxation. LOVE LIVE LIGHT HEALING HUB, PONTCANNA A healing hub offering a variety of alternative holistic and Ayurvedic therapies, including infrared therapy, guided meditation and pressotherapy massage machines. YURT IN THE CITY, MEANWHILE HOUSE Find a wide range of holistic treatments and workshops at this wellbeing centre, from lymphatic drainage massage to reiki. HOTPOD YOGA CARDIFF, OFF OCEAN WAY Yoga featuring soothing heat, glowing lights, calming scents and relaxing beats. The heat allows you to stretch further, and releases those endorphins.

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SPORT

©PHOTO BY A ARON JONES

Grant, the co-founder of Dawnstalkers wild swim club, taking a freezing dip

JOIN THE CLUB

Try out a handful of Cardiff’s popular sports clubs, classes and hubs MACKINTOSH SPORTS CLUB, KEPPOCH STREET One of the oldest sports clubs in Cardiff, with a reputation as a great social and competitive place to play a variety of sports – from tennis to bowls. DAVID LLOYD CARDIFF, IPSWICH ROAD A fitness, swimming and health club destination for all the family.

“It’s about having something you actually want to get up and do” 16 I CARDIFF LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

CARDIFF INTERNATIONAL POOL & GYM, CARDIFF BAY Expect a spacious gym, a 50m swimming pool, group exercise classes and a health suite. www.leisurecentre.com PLAS PILATES, GILESTON ROAD A Pontcanna-based Pilates studio which has expanded from London. SPORT WALES NATIONAL CENTRE, SOPHIA CLOSE One of the country’s largest and most well-quipped sports centres.

SPORT

above and right: The Tiger Bay Brawlers say nothing compares to the excitement of putting skates on and hitting people on a track

AIR TRAIL

Call on your inner monkey (or challenge your little ones) as you embark on the exciting high ropes adventure that is Air Trail in Cardiff Bay. Tackle the fun-filled obstacles including the Burma Bridge, Barrel Crawl and Zip Wire. www.ciww.com

WATER SPORTS

Whether you choose to go tubing, hot dogging (inflatable kayaking, that is) or rafting, expect (sp)lashings of fun regardless at Cardiff International White Water. Get ready for all the turns, twists and excitement you can handle during the white water rafting sessions (our favourites) which take place in the Olympic-standard rapids – ideal for thrill seekers – and on certain days of the week the water speed is taken down a notch so families can have a go. www.ciww.com

SEA SWIMMING

Wild swim club Dawnstalkers meet at Penarth seafront every day at “quarter to sunrise” and go for an early morning sea dip. “Anyone can be a morning person,” says Grant Zehetmayr, co-founder. “It’s about having something you actually want to get up and do.” The daily number of sea-goers is around 30 per day, but on great weather days and weekends, the number can be considerably larger. Because the group is at the seafront daily, you can go and try sea swimming whenever you want. “It’s people’s choice,” explains Grant, “People can come and go whenever.” To join the Dawnstalkers, send them a DM on Instagram (@ dawnstalkers), then head down to Penarth Pier early on your selected morning and make a splash! Instagram: @dawnstalkers

ROLLER DERBY

After lockdown led to many people trying rollerblading as a part of their daily exercise, it’s time to get your skates back on and join the Tiger Bay Brawlers (TBB) for some roller derby.

“It is a team sport,” says skater Sarah Feenwelt. “There is one player who is called the jammer, with a star on their helmet, and by lapping the opponent blockers, they score points. “It’s such an all-round good way to get fit,” says Mabel Smaller, skater. “You can run, and you can lift weights, but it just doesn’t compare to like that excitement and workout of putting skates on and hitting people on a track. There’s just nothing like it.” If you’ve never skated before, the club offers Learn to Skate courses where you can be taught all the basic skills you need before stepping on the track. You can rent all the equipment for free on this course too. “It’s one of those sports that just sucks you in,” says Paul Jones, of TBB’s management committee, “I’d recommend it to anyone to try.” Facebook: @TigerBayBrawler n

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THE ALBANY GALLERY EMILY POWELL 10th June - 2nd July

View the exhibition on our website www.albanygallery.com

74b Albany Road, Cardiff, CF24 3RS | T: 029 2048 7158 | E: info@albanygallery.com Gallery open: Tuesday - Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 11am-4pm

THE ARTS S N A P S H O T S O F C A R D I F F ’ S C U LT U R A L L I F E

DREAMACHINE If you’re looking for a psychedelic experience that’s harmless and perfectly legal, Cardiff’s newly launched Dreamachine just might be for you. Sit back, close your eyes and explore the extraordinary potential of your own mind... By Evelyn Green

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ARTS

Are you ready to enter through the blue doors to experience Dreamachine in all its glory?; right: You’ll find it at Temple of Peace in Cathays; below: Inside, you’ll find 22 recliners, each with hi-tech speakers embedded in the headrests

sometimes think I should have led a more debauched life when I was younger. But when others were lurking in the corner at raucous parties snaffling through bags of ‘sweeties’ or making pipes out of apples, I would be seeking a higher consciousness by overdosing on Pink Floyd’s Dark side of the Moon. If you’re the same as me and feel ready to make up for lost time, Dreamachine could be just the legal high you’re looking for… Based on a little-known but remarkable invention by Beat Generation artist Brion Gysin, the 21st Century Dreamachine is billed as an immersive art installation that you experience with your eyes closed. Launched in London to great fanfare earlier this month, it has now landed in Cardiff and will be available to ‘view’ every day until 18 June at the wonderfully evocative Temple of Peace in Cathays, part of the city’s impressive Civic Centre. Tickets are free but you’ve got to be 18 to apply, and if you want the full ‘high sensory’ version you also have to complete a pre-entry form online which checks you’re not over-sensitive to flashing lights, ambient music or suffer from epilepsy. If you are worried about any of this, there is a ‘deep listening’ version available with music and less dramatic lighting.

Most, though, will go for the ‘high sensory’ experience, and for me it put me back in touch with my younger self – someone whose night out wasn’t complete without stroboscopic lighting, hi-tech music and the company of like-minded people. You begin with being led gently into the Dreamachine hall, where a rather daunting circular blue structure has been erected. Inside, 22 recliners – each with hi-tech speakers embedded in the headrests – are positioned against the outer wall and after you take your seat and make yourself comfortable with the complimentary blanket, you’re guided through some elementary breathing and relaxation exercises by the Dreamachine ‘guardian’. Then the lights dim, you close your eyes and wait for the dramatic ambient music – courtesy of Grammy- and Mercury-nominated composer Jon Hopkins – and the incredible light show to begin. As everything is seen through your eyelids; the effect initially is like a pink lava lamp exploding inside your head… or at least it was for me. Everyone (and this is the key) experiences Dreamachine differently. Some have reported out-of-body visions, others see indistinct faces while those who know (or claim they know) say it’s as close to an LSD trip as you can get. It lasts about an hour – but seemed half that to me (I may have nodded off… not unusual) and it left me with a mildly profound sense of wellbeing. In the communal ‘reflection room’ after the show, we were encouraged to share our experiences to help research into the mind and consciousness. It was here that someone confessed she had been moved to tears by the experience. I can’t say I was affected to that extent but as a work of art it certainly left a bigger impression on me than, say, Rembrandt’s The Night Watch, or Van Gogh’s Sunflowers. But better than the Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon? The jury’s still out, I’m afraid. Dreamachine runs until 18 June at Temple of Peace in Cathays; for tickets: www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk

“Some have reported out-ofbody visions”

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Tafwyl festival celebrates Welsh language, arts and culture

WHAT’S ON From 27 May onwards

PLAYS/SHOWS Every Friday until 1 July

AMSERJAZZTIME Cardiff’s (free) jazz night returns, featuring the best from RWCMD’s jazz department. RWCMD, Cathays Park; www.rwcmd.ac.uk

28 – 29 May

WNO YOUTH OPERA: THE BLACK SPIDER A creepy, comic tale that takes us back to the Middle Ages. Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay; www.wno.org.uk

30 May

RUPAUL’S DAG RACE: WERQ THE WORLD TOUR An experiment has sent Michelle Visage spiralling through time. Motorpoint Arena, city centre; www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

1 June

Writer Alice Birch and composer Tom Coult are among the most compelling voices in their respective fields, this is their first opera: Violet. Sherman Theatre, Cathays; www.shermantheatre.co.uk

Award-winning theatre company Hijinx returns to the stage and screen with a new darkly playful Frankenstein tale for our age. Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay; www.wmc.org.uk

18 – 26 June

24 June – 30 July

CIRCLE OF FIFTHS National Theatre Wales' latest production, Circle of Fifths, is an immersive experience directed by Butetown film and theatre-maker Gavin Porter. The Dance House, Cardiff Bay; www.dancehouse.wales

20 – 25 June

CHICAGO TV’s Gemma ‘The GC’ Collins will star as Mama Morton in the international smash hit musical Chicago. New Theatre, Park Place; www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk

21 – 23 June

CATRIN FINCH AND SECKOU KEITA A night with Welsh harpist Catrin Finch and Senegalese kora maestro Seckou Keita. St David's Hall, The Hayes; www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk

THE BEAST IN ME The Devil’s Violin creates and performs music and storytelling shows that evoke passionate responses. Their new show is The Beast in Me. Chapter Arts, Canton; www.chapter.org

8 June

24 June

VIOLET

THE_CRASH.TEST

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

A SUMMER CELEBRATION A Summer Celebration at Sherman Theatre includes UpRoar festival, showcasing the work of the Sherman’s Introduction to Playwriting participants: Marian, or the True Tale of Robin Hood, and Treasure Island. Sherman Theatre, Cathays; www.shermantheatre.co.uk

7 July – 27 August

THE LION KING This worldwide theatrical phenomenon has been experienced by 100 million people and is still drawing sell-out crowds in its 20th year. Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay; www.wmc.org.uk

COMEDY

Every Friday and Saturday COMEDY NIGHTS Treat yourself to an evening of award-winning comedy. The Glee Club, Mermaid Quay; www.glee.co.uk

MUSIC AND DANCING Every Thursday

HAVANA FIESTA The Salsa party night is back with Latin dance until 1am. Revolucion de Cuba, The Friary; www.havanapeoplesalsa.co.uk

1 June

MADNESS AT CARDIFF CASTLE British pop giants Madness will headline the Welsh capital. Cardiff Castle; www.madness.co.uk

4 June

BANK HOLIDAY: TERRACE SOUL A soul and funk afternoon party on the waterfront. Lo Lounge, Cardiff Bay; Instagram: @loloungeuk

4 June

ROXANNE DE BASTION Celebrating her critically acclaimed album You & Me, We Are the Same. Tiny Rebel, Westgate Street; www.tinyrebel.co.uk

10 June

GEORGIA RUTH Georgia Ruth brings her unique

WHAT’S ON Every Friday and Saturday

BEER AND STREET FOOD An outdoor afternoon of beer and street food, courtesy of Flowerhorn Brewery and Mr Croquewich. The Bridge Studios, Western Avenue; Instagram: @boneyard_bridgestudios

Every Sunday

INDIE SUPERSTORE Outdoor markets, supporting local independents in South Wales. The Bone Yard, Canton; Instagram: @indiesuperstore

Every Sunday

above: Dance music legend Pete Tong will be at Cardiff Castle in July left: The Devil’s Violin is coming to Chapter in June

VEGAN SUNDAY ROASTS The Moon – a rescued music venue, bar and – now has a vegan café. Seitan roasts are all the rage. The Moon, Womanby Street; www.themooncardiff.com

28 May, and 2 – 4 June

MOULIN ROUGE BOTTOMLESS BRUNCH A party brunch plucked straight from the streets of Paris. Risqué performers invite you to party like it’s 1899. Tonight Josephine, Caroline Street; www.tonightjosephine.co.uk

29 May

FLOW & FEAST Yoga, a DJ, and cocktails – the most chilled-out party on the block. Open to all levels. DEPOT, Curran Embankment; www.depotcardiff.com

29 May

sound to the city. The Gate Arts Centre, Keppoch Street; www.thegate.org.uk

14 June

YXNGXR1 Lo-fi trap and hip-hop sounds from Welsh rapper yxngrx1. The Globe, Albany Road; www. globecardiffmusic.com

17 June

STEREOPHONICS The Phonics will be supported by Tom Jones and Catfish and the Bottlemen. Principality Stadium, Westgate Street; www.principalitystadium.wales

21 June

VIOLET SKIES Soulful electro-pop from Welsh singer-songwriter Violet Skies. Clwb Ifor Bach, Womanby Street; www.clwb.net

29 June

COURTNEY BARNETT The Australian singer will visit Cardiff between shows supporting The National and Foo Fighters. Tramshed, Clare Road; www.tramshedcardiff.com

8 July

IBIZA CLASSICS Global dance music legend Pete Tong has announced the return of Ibiza Classics. Cardiff Castle; www.petetong.com

FOOD & DRINK Weekends until 6 June

ROATH YARD The ‘Greatest Travelling Food Show on The Planet’ is back with four weekends of world flavours. Roath Yard, Cardiff; www.streetfoodcircus.co.uk

INSOLE COURT FARMERS' MARKET Browse over 20 stalls packed with the best local produce South Wales has to offer. Insole Court, Llandaff; www.insolecourt.org

26 June

an interactive animal experience. Caerphilly; www.pwthemeadows.co.uk

Ongoing

ALPACA MY BOOTS An hour outside Cardiff, trek with an adorable gang of fluffy alpacas (that you walk on leads!) while taking in stunning natural views. Brecon Beacons; www.alpacamyboots.com

ART/ EXHIBITIONS Until 1 June

JACK JONES: CENTENARY EXHIBITION Jack Jones was celebrated in his lifetime for depicting the workingclass community of his childhood in pre-war Swansea. Martin Tinney Gallery, St. Andrew's Crescent; www.artwales.com

Until 5 June

A DOG’S TRAIL Forty super-sized Snoopy sculptures have been unleashed across the streets of Cardiff. Across Cardiff; www.adogstrail.org.uk

Until 18 June

DREAMACHINE An immersive art experience using flickering light to create vivid illusions in the mind of the viewer. For more, see page 19. Temple of Peace, Cathays Park; www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk

Until 18 June

BYCHAN An exhibition of small-scale artworks, all no larger than 30cm. TEN Gallery, Roath; www.gallery-ten.co.uk

CLUBBRUNCH This rooftop brunch features bottomless prosecco, a two- or three-course dining and live music. The Botanist, Church Street; www.clubbrunch.co.uk

Until 3 July

FAMILY

Until 29 August

Until 3 June

CIRCUS EXTREME Circus Extreme has been five years in the making and features some of the most talented performers in the world. Outside Cardiff City FC; www.circusextreme.co.uk

Ongoing

THE MEADOWS This farm village retreat offers

JOY LABINJO: ODE TO OLAUDAH EQUIANO This is British artist Joy Labinjo’s first institutional exhibition in Wales. Chapter Arts, Canton; www.chapter.org DAVID HURN: SWAPS Hurn has amassed his private collection by swapping works with other photographers. National Museum Cardiff, Cathays Park; www.museum.wales

May and June

CRAIG HUDSON’S SCULPTURES Available online in May, and then in the gallery from 17 June onwards,

www.mediaclash.co.uk I CARDIFF LIFE I 23

WHAT’S ON Blackwater Gallery’s newest artist Craig Hudson creates ‘disarmingly messed up’ bronze sculptures. Blackwater Gallery, Pendeen House; www.blackwatergallery.co.uk

10 June

MEET THE ARTIST: PAUL OZ Paul Oz is an explosive British portrait artist focused on maximum 3D impact and energy in thick oil paint. Adamo Gallery, Morgan Arcade; www.adamogallery.co.uk

10 June – 2 July

EMILY POWELL Painter Emily Powell returns to Albany Gallery with a collection bursting with colour and texture. The Albany Gallery, Albany Road; www.albanygallery.com

FILM

29 – 31 July

ADVENTURE CINEMA The UK’s largest touring outdoor cinema is back. At the open-air event, expect to see classics, musicals, and blockbusters. Bute Park; www.bute-park.com

FESTIVALS 27 – 29 May

23 June

CARDIFF PSYCH & NOISE FEST A three-day celebration of psychedelia, noise, weirdness and experimentalism. Venues on Womanby Street; www.themooncardiﬀ.com

23 June – 30 July

CARDIFF OPEN AIR THEATRE FESTIVAL: EVERYMAN 22 The largest open-air theatre festival in Wales is offering six weeks of theatrical events – from a Shakespeare comedy, to a muchloved British sitcom, to a cultfavourite musical. Sophia Gardens, Cardiff; www.cardiffopenairtheatrefestival.co.uk

1 – 3 July

CARDIFF FOOD & DRINK FESTIVAL Cardiff's original celebration of home-grown produce and street food. Roald Dahl Plass, Cardiff Bay; www.cardifffoodanddrinkfestival.com

2 July

SHANGRI-LA Shangri-La festival returns with arguably the world’s number one house brand, Defected, and special guests Gorgon City. Cardiﬀ Castle; Instagram: @shangagram

MADE UP FESTIVAL Cardiﬀ MADE has organised three days of music, poetry and spectacular visuals. Ffotogallery, Fanny Street; www.cardiﬀmade.com

9 July

2 June – 3 July

30 – 31 July

QUEER FRINGE FESTIVAL Venues and artists across Cardiﬀ will collaborate for the ﬁrst LGBTQ+ Fringe Festival in Wales. Headed up by the team behind The Queer Emporium, it’s set to have events hosted at more than 40 venues across the city. Across the city; Instagram: @ thequeeremporium

16 June – 2 July

UNITY FESTIVAL Hijinx’s Unity Festival – one of Europe’s largest inclusive and disability arts festivals – will bring over 100 events to Wales. Across Cardiﬀ; www.hijinx.org.uk

18 – 19 June

TAFWYL This annual music festival celebrates the Welsh language, arts and culture and is part of the core work of Menter Caerdydd. Cardiﬀ Castle; www.tafwyl.org

DEPOT IN THE CASTLE Rag ’n’ Bone Man will headline at Cardiff Castle this summer, joined by Faithless, Melanie C and Toploader. Cardiff Castle; www.depotcardiff.com GLASTONBARRY FESTIVAL Expect 21 tribute acts – from Queen and Stevie Wonder to Blur, The Beatles and Tom Jones. Romilly Park, Barry; www.glastonbarry.com

6 August

FEELS LIKE SUMMER A one-day festival featuring music from Billy Ocean, Sophie EllisBextor, Bloco B Sama, Mr Motivator and more, with street food, a kids’ fun zone, rides and a wellness retreat. Bute Park; Instagram: @ﬂsummeruk

7 August

WELSH VEGAN FESTIVAL Expect all-vegan stalls selling world foods and quirky clothes and accessories.Tramshed, Clare Road; www.vegansociety.com

18 – 21 August

GREEN MAN FESTIVAL Wales’ biggest festival will celebrate its 20th anniversary

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

ABOVE: Adventure Cinema is on its way back to Bute Park LEFT: Justin Drag will be one of many performers at Wales's first Queer Fringe Festival in June BELOW: Circus Extreme features some of the most talented acts in the world

this year. Cate Le Bon joins headliners including Michael Kiwanuka, Beach House, Metronomy and Kraftwerk. The Black Mountains; www.greenman.net

27 – 28 August

PRIDE CYMRU Pride Cymru’s Big Weekend is Wales’s biggest celebration of equality and diversity. There will be three stages, a mile-long parade and family fun. City Hall Lawns, Cardiff; www.pridecymru.com

29 August

BUTETOWN CARNIVAL The Butetown Carnival parade will make its way along the waterfront of Cardiff Bay with various performance stops along the way, before arriving back at the Centre for outdoor live music. Outside Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay; www.wmc.org.uk

SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES 18 – 19 June

THE URDD URBAN GAMES The Oval Basin will be transformed into a freesports arena for a weekend of competition and activity, attracting riders, skaters, and breakers. Roald Dahl Plass, Cardiff Bay; www.gemaustryd.urdd.cymru

23 June onwards

AQUA PARK CARDIFF Bigger, better, wetter ‘n’ wilder than ever before, Wales's biggest Aqua Park returns. The inflatable obstacle course features slides, trampolines, monkey bars and more. Cardiff Bay; www.aquaparkgroup.co.uk

Ongoing

WATER SPORTS Whether you fancy a spot of family white water rafting, gorge walking, hotdogging (inflatable kayaking) or SUP, head down to CIWW. Cardiff International White Water; www.ciww.com

Ongoing

ICE SKATING Get your skates on and take to the ice with the whole family. Ice Arena Wales, Olympian Drive; www.icearenawales.com

Tafwyl comes back to Cardiff Castle in June

OTHER

3 June, and every Friday

BINGO LINGO Cardiff, brace yourselves. This is one of the city’s biggest and wildest Friday nights out. They’ve taken bingo, shaken out the dust and turned it into a raving-mad event. DEPOT; Curran Embankment; www.depotcardiff.com

4 June, monthly

GREEN LIFE EVENTS FAIR Expect all things wellness and feel-good – including food, holistic therapy, nature, plants, art and clothing. The Bone Yard, Canton; Instagram: @green_life_events

JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS

30 May HMS SEVERN HMS Severn will be berthed at Britannia Quay for the Jubilee. During her visit to the capital, the ship will open her gangway for members of the public to visit. Britannia Quay, Cardiff; Instagram: @hmssevern 1 June ROYAL JUBILEE CRAFT EVENT A drop-in Royal Jubilee Craft event where kids can get creative making their own crowns and bunting. Museum of Cardiff; www.cardiffhubs.co.uk 2 June JUBILEE MILITARY MUSIC FESTIVAL A Royal Gun Salute will signal the start of Jubilee celebrations in Cardiff and an hour of military music from the all-brass Regimental Band and Corps of Drums of the Royal Welsh.

June and July

community gardens, allotments, and Cosmeston Medieval Village Garden. Across Penarth; Facebook: Penarth Open Gardens

CARDIFF CASTLE GHOST TOUR Join Dark Wales Tours and explore the castle at night where you will discover its many strange ghostly phenomena. Cardiff Castle; www.darkwalestours.co.uk

Year round

COIN, COAL AND CHEERS A new tourism experience has been launched by three of the region’s leading attractions. Hensol Castle Distillery, the Royal Mint Experience and A Welsh Coal Mining Experience at Rhondda Heritage Park have joined forces to create a new package which provides an action-packed day out for tour planners. Various venues; www.visitthevale.com n

23 – 24 July

PENARTH OPEN GARDENS TRAIL The 26th Annual Penarth Open Gardens Trail – raising funds for The Children’s Society Charity – will see a variety of gardens opened up for everyone to enjoy, including courtyard, cottage and

Roald Dahl Plass, Cardiff Bay; www.cardiffhubs.co.uk 2 June JUBILEE BEACON LIGHTING CEREMONY At 9.45pm, a beacon outside the Pierhead Building will be one of more than 2,000 being lit simultaneously across the UK, as well as in all 54 Commonwealth capital cities in honour of the Jubilee. This will be followed by a firework display. Cardiff Bay; www.cardiffhubs.co.uk 3 June HOLD THE TEA – A JUBILEE SPECIAL It’s afternoon tea, but hold the tea and bring on the Bolly! A right royal twist, fit for the Queen herself. The Glory Stores, Roath; www.glory-stores.com 4 June PLATINUM JUBILEE CONCERT Some of Wales's best entertainers will be on stage at Cardiff Castle.

The line-up includes choirs, bands, dance, and a full orchestra. Cardiff Castle; www.cardiffhubs.co.uk 5 June BIG JUBILEE PICNIC Pack a hamper, gather your family and head to Bute Park for a Big Jubilee Picnic to round off the weekend. Visitors will be able to watch the Platinum Jubilee Pageant live from London on a giant screen or enjoy the free music and walkabout entertainment on site. With everything from giant flamingos to wandering opera, it promises to be a memorable afternoon. Bute Park; www.cardiffhubs.co.uk 5 June JUBILEE ARTS WORKSHOPS Beth Morris Workshops will be hosting two Jubilee-themed art workshops – one for kids (11.30am) and one for adults (2pm) – creating royal images, medals and brooches to commemorate this special occasion. The Royal Mint, Pontyclun; www.royalmint.com

www.mediaclash.co.uk I CARDIFF LIFE I 25

WYBURN & WAYNE

“We’ve been announced as compares for GlastonBarry”

Move over Ant & Dec. Make way Edina & Patsy. Stand aside Batman & Robin. Our dynamic duo are in town and they’re here to give us the low down on the Cardiff high life

ardiff just seems to be full of events right now, doesn’t it? And yes, we LOVE it! We recently had the pleasure of hosting Skadiff – a Mod, Ska and Reggae music festival – over the May bank holiday weekend. Put together by Mack Events (the team behind the iconic GlastonBarry Tribute Festival), it was the first of its kind here in the city. It was a huge success, with tributes to the likes of UB40 and Bob Marley entertaining crowds of fans outside Cardiff Arms Park. That very weekend, Cardiff was treated to a 90s music fest, with acts such as Peter Andre and A1 performing at Bute Park, followed by Idris Elba headlining Inside Out Fest with his legendary DJ set. While we’re on the subject of festivals,

we’ve been announced as compares for said GlastonBarry Live Music Festival, so get your tickets now! It’s at Romilly Park, Barry, on 30 – 31 July, and it’s going to be awesome. In other local news, Oti Mabuse finished her string of shows at Cardiff’s New Theatre to huge success, and Nathan got to present her with a portrait made from mint chocolate – as was her request when interviewed on our Radio Cardiff show. She’s pure joy! Another show we attended there of late was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. The whole congregation from St Andrew’s Church – where we run our Coffee Court – went to see that! Wayne absolutely loved it and was incredibly impressed with the fact Alexandra Burke continued to dance her feet off while eight months pregnant! He also got to meet the lead, Jack Yarrow, afterwards, who was also a showstopper. While Wayne was at that show, Nathan was at the final of the three-night stint that pop

superstars Little Mix had at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena. It was a live show like no other. Pitch-perfect vocals and a spectacular performance fit for Nathan’s 13-year-old sister Jasmine’s first ever major concert. It was wonderful to see so many people of her age group (and of all ages) truly escaping the world for those few hours. Well done, girls! We’ll for sure see you after your planned hiatus. The night before Little Mix, Nath saw SIX The Musical, down at Wales Millennium Centre, which was pure girl power – glitzy and glamorous, a unique telling of the story of the six wives of Henry VII (it’s not history it’s herstory!). We were excited that our St Andrew’s Coffee Court had its first birthday party! We know, how has it been a whole year already? So obviously we threw a party and everyone was invited along to enjoy some hot dogs and live music – even the rain didn’t stop us that night! Everyone just loved the experience, which in itself was like a mini festival on the edge of Wellfield Road. As we write this, we are jet setting off (finally) to Viva Las Vegas for our annual trip which has been cancelled since our last visit in 2019, due to you know what. Wish us luck and don’t worry, we won’t do anything you wouldn’t do! About our columnists: Nathan Wyburn is a pop culture artist who uses non-traditional mediums such as Marmite, beans, soil and fake tan; and Wayne Courtney is a healthcare support worker at University Hospital of Wales. They are also Radio Cardiff DJs with their own show, and they run St Andrew’s Coffee Court in Cardiff. Follow them on social: @wyburnandwayne / @wyburnwayne

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

BIG INTERVIEW

I FEEL SCENE June is Pride Month, and what better time to catch up with Berwyn Rowlands, the founder of the Iris Prize LGBT+ Film Festival – the world’s largest short ﬁlm prize – based in Cardiﬀ By Lisa Evans

Berwyn founded the Iris Prize

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BIG INTERVIEW film fan from an early age, Berwyn Rowlands was producing movies using his 8mm camera and projecting films for friends in his parents’ front room from the age of nine. In 2006, he established the Iris Prize – the world’s largest LGBT+ short film prize, which brings filmmakers from around the globe to our city – that awards £30,000 to its winner, enabling them to make a new short film. In 2013, the flagship festival was recognised by The Queen at a reception for the British Film Industry, and, in 2016, when it celebrated its 10th anniversary, it was recognised by Bafta as an A-list festival alongside Cannes and Sundance. The Iris Prize celebrates LGBT+ film all year round – via screenings, mini festivals and outreach projects – not just during the annual six-day festival in Cardiff each October. Over its 16-year history, the festival has become a leading voice in championing LGBT+ short film, and is a significant event in the British film festival calendar. Berwyn has produced films for cinema, and TV content which has been broadcast on BBC, ITV and S4C, including Llety Piod starring Bill Nighy. His commitment to the LGBT+ cause started back in the 1980s as an active member of CYLCH, the radical Welsh LGBT+ group. He was also the first president of the gay-inclusive Cardiff Lions RFC (which you can see more of on page 11) and a member of Stonewall Cymru’s below: The Iris Prize is an inclusive event, full of love and support;

right: A still from Signature Move, for which Fawzia Mirza won Best Actress

“A million viewers watched the Iris Shorts last year”

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

Media Watch group. Most recently, he was this year’s winner of the Culture category at the St David Awards, the national awards of Wales, which took place in the spring. Here we chat. Take us back to day one of Iris Prize, tell us the story… It all started over a bottle of wine in the garden dreaming with friends about ‘what next’. I had been made redundant and was facing my 40th birthday, and at that time felt I probably had one more chance to do something with my life. So, The Festivals Company was created and our early projects included things I loved about life including food (for example, the Welsh Curry House of the Year Awards) and a new film event that would focus on gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans stories, which would eventually be called Iris Prize. Why is it important to promote and encourage LGBT+ films? It is very difficult to challenge that the issue of LGBT+ representation on screen has improved, especially from when I was a teenager in the

to play straight is also strange. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot about the industry which is annoying – for example when a straight actor is put on a pedestal for their convincing portrayal of gay, it’s very tiring.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL • The very best LGBT+ short films and features • Panel discussions about filmmaking and LGBT+ life • Filmmaker Q&As with every short film screening • Special events and networking opportunities • Legendary parties

The Iris Prize is back to being an in-person event this year

80s. Today, most of the soaps have LGBT+ characters and we are seeing a growing number of mainstream representations – with Love Simon, It’s a Sin and Sex Education. However, there is so much that we are still not seeing. Most leading men or women are straight, and if we do get diversity, the stories tend to focus on coming out. As for bisexuality, that’s almost invisible. So, Iris is important because we get to share our stories in all its complexities. What Iris film had the biggest impact on you? This is easy: Mrs. McCutcheon, a beautiful film from Australia (2018). It focuses on the relationship between a young aboriginal boy who befriends Mrs. McCutcheon, a new pupil to the school who is a Trans girl. The film is full of hope, and elements of magic realism transform the film into something very special. It has played well in schools and in the wider public. This is storytelling at its best and is much more effective at changing attitudes than shouting on social media. What’s your favourite mainstream LGBT+ film? Brokeback Mountain. I was very lucky to be invited to a private screening in New York, a fundraiser for the Nantucket Film Festival. My ticket got me a seat on a bus from the screening room to Trump Towers where I was introduced to Ang Lee, the director. I was so emotional after the screening; I just cried and shook his hand. Where do LGBT+ films or programmes often go wrong? I think there is an understandable preoccupation with the mainstream audience and what the studios think a mainstream audience wants to see. This can sometimes mean that we don’t necessarily see what we should see as far as the story is needed. This is very relevant with sex, if we see it at all; the number of times the gay sex scene ends up in a fadeto-black within the first 10 seconds is quite predictable. There is also an unexpected tendency for the gay characters to be very ‘nice’. I’m so looking forward to the second wave of what we could call ‘Queer Cinema Again’ where we get to enjoy some seriously nasty villains in movies who also happen to be gay or lesbian etc. Should LGBT+ actors (instead of straight ones) be cast in LGBT+ roles? “No, it’s called acting, darling,” was the response of Simone Russell Beal when he was asked a similar question at the festival 13 years ago. I still generally agree with him – the idea of a gay actor not being allowed

What Iris films would you recommend we all watch (hard to choose!), and how can we watch them? The short films which were competing for the Iris Prize Best British Award in 2021 – all 15 of them, including the winner Baba (which also took the main Iris Prize) – are available free of charge on All 4 [the UK’s largest free streaming platform]. They are amazing and there is truly something for everybody. A million viewers watched the 2020 Iris Shorts on All 4 and Channel 4 last year.

What is planned for the festival in Cardiff this year in October? We’ll be returning to our new home Premiere Cinemas this year – this will be our main base where most of the films will be screened. The festival takes over the city and we will be hosting the jury and special guests in the Clayton Hotel with events in Chapter Arts and Clwb Ifor Bach, and parties in the city’s vibrant gay scene. It is still early days with the programme, but we are going to be part of Queer Culture Year 2022 with Norway, who are celebrating 50 years since they decriminalised homosexuality. Opening Night will once again be a massive celebration of Welsh talent including film and food. The rest will be a traditional mix of the 35 shorts competing for the £30,000 Iris Prize supported by The Michael Bishop Foundation, the 15 competing for the Iris Prize Best British Awards supported by Film 4 and Pinewood Studios, and a selection of new feature films. The full programme will go live in August. Why is it called Iris? We wanted a name and a logo which was accessible and androgenous. We started with Iris as a name and the logo followed. I can remember the designers saying “Did you know that Iris is the Goddess of the Rainbow and a messenger in Greek Mythology; you have the Iris in your eye”. And I thought that’s clever but simple. I also like the flower of the same name. What are Iris’s biggest achievements to date? Seeing Dee Rees, the inaugural winner of the Iris Prize in 2007, being nominated for an Oscar for her feature film Mudbound in 2018; and our reception at Outfest LA, one of our 25 Partner Festivals, in the summer of 2018 being oversubscribed and very different to previous events. How can people support the Iris Prize year round? We are bringing back the Iris Membership scheme which includes the Member’s Card – it’s a fantastic way to support Iris and our work in getting more people to experience LGBT+ stories, but you also get to keep in touch with the Iris Family outside of festival time. You can also use the card to see films in Premiere Cinemas for £3 or eat and drink in the Clayton Hotel and get 20 per cent off your bill. You also have exclusive access to our programme of events, screenings and parties, including our famous summer and Christmas drinks. Surprise us… I fall asleep during movies – but not all of them! n The Iris Prize returns to Cardiff 11-16 October; submissions are now open; www.irisprize.org

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SPONSORED CONTENT

TAKE MY ADVICE Joanne Whitehead, Partner and Head of Property at LOOSEMORES SOLICITORS tells us about the boutique firm's established offering

ocated in Cardiff city centre, Loosemores is a boutique firm providing a range of legal advisory services to both corporate and individual clients. The services for corporate clients include advising on corporate, commercial, property, dispute resolution, employment and private client matters. How long has it been running? Established in 1966, Loosemores Solicitors has been providing practical legal advice with a personal touch across Cardiff, South Wales and beyond for over 50 years. What is the business’s specialism? Our specialist industry sectors include Sport, Media and Entertainment, Charities and Technology.

What makes your Property department stand out from other similar ones? Our approach is to work closely with our clients, aiming to add real value, as their trusted advisors. We have a dedicated and experienced property team, who will do everything possible to make the process as smooth as possible. Providing great personalised service is key for us and this is reflected in our client feedback. Whether it is commercial or residential property matter, each and every client can expect a dedicated team member dealing with their matter from start to finish. ■

For more information: 02920 224433 Post@loosemores.co.uk | www.loosemores.co.uk

SHOPPING LIVE WELL, BUY BETTER

STYLE AND SASS

Sassy Cardiff-based fashion brand SoulSisters, known for its empowering designs and sustainable ethos, has launched a new handmade earring collection to complement their clothing range. “We love a statement earring, and it seemed to be the next natural step for us to launch our own collection,” says Wenda James-Rowe, who co-founded SoulSisters with Luna Amani. “Accessories are like the cherry on a cake and we are passionate about helping women to style their outfits and bring something unique to complement their look.” Wenda and Luna have teamed up with LaserBabes, based in Cardiff, who will be machinecutting the three initial designs – Angel Wings, Large Lips Disco Divas – out of acrylic from their chic garage studio in the city. “We wanted to create a collection that expressed the very essence of what SoulSisters is about,” says Luna, “bold design, unique pieces and a love of colour and sparkle. It’s jewellery that helps people express their individuality. We have been fortunate to have been able to connect with a network of supportive women to help us assemble the pieces right here in the city.” For more: www.wearesoulsisters.com

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MEET THE MAKER Moved by the powerful, everlasting creativity of her hugely special memory boxes, the judges at the Cardiff Life Awards 2022 named Katherine Jones our Arts winner

C By Lisa Evans

Katherine with a few of her memory box creations

anton-based artist Katherine Jones uses her work to help others connect with the people, lost loved ones, places and moments they cherish. She does this in many ways – from crafting bespoke memory boxes ﬁlled with curated collections of your treasured objects, to creating intricately detailed drawings. Inspired by her experience as an architect, her work is precise and meticulous but has the biggest heart at its centre. Here we chat…

You specialise in object art, and your memory box creations have aided many to overcome the grief of loved ones. Where did the idea come from?

After 11 years of architectural drawing and bringing buildings to life in my career as an architect, I realised I could help people connect with places in a new way. Taking inspiration from my architecture experience, I started creating meticulously detailed drawings of properties and landscapes that had meaning for people. Finding beauty in small details is one of the things I am most proud of; my artwork of Cardiﬀ City Hall involved drawing 2,520 individual lines – and that’s just the windows alone. I use my pens, inks and watercolours to draw universities, ﬁrst homes, wedding venues, cities and landmarks. I’m proud to say that my artwork now hangs on hundreds of walls and evokes precious memories for people all over the world.

“The memory boxes feature people’s treasured objects”

After returning from a ﬁve-month trip to Central America with a rucksack full of tiny souvenirs, I crafted myself a wooden memory box to house them all. The box brought back so many fond memories, so I started making them for others too. They all feature curated collections of people’s treasured objects – there’s been everything from a 17th Century coin to a rare beer can, and babies’ teeth to a grandma’s curlers. Each handcrafted box and its compartments hold a curated collection of cherished items that give people a unique way to remember a person, place, or time that matters most to them. In 2020, one of my customers wrote on Twitter about her memory box – which she had commissioned to remember her late grandmother – and it was amazing to see over 25,000 people engage with my work online.

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

You are an architect by trade; how does this inspire your work?

When did you set up in business as an artist?

After I returned from travelling, I found a part-time architecture job so I could develop my artwork. I then worked all evenings and weekends, selling at loads of markets to establish myself. When the time came and I felt like I could support myself, I left the architecture job, in 2019. Covid struck halfway through my full ﬁrst year of being selfemployed, which was a challenge to say the least, particularly because I wasn’t initially eligible for any government funding.

Are you still an architect?

Yes, I’m a self-employed architect and I’m a regular guest tutor at the Welsh School of Architecture at Cardiﬀ University.

Katherine specialises in creating box memory boxes and intricately detailed drawings inspired by her architectural background

©PHOTO BY JONNY CAMPBELL

ARTS

me! A huge congratulations to all the ﬁnalists and winners. The judges’ remarks were absolutely lovely and I’m so pleased that they speciﬁcally commented on the memory boxes. Have you done any collaborations with other local businesses?

Tell us about your artistic highlights so far…

I’ve featured on BBC Radio 4 and have been commissioned by the likes of the National Trust, the National Museum of Wales and Microsoft. I also had a supersized version of my Porthcawl drawing displayed on Porthcawl Pavilion over the summer as part of an initiative run by the Anwen Cultural Trust. And, last year, I was asked to create a huge 6m-long bespoke piece of art – featuring three storks, which was an opportunity to raise awareness of the successful reintroduction of the birds in the UK – that is now displayed on the walls of the maternity ward at The Grange hospital in Cwmbran. You won our Arts award at the Cardiff Life Awards 2022; how did that feel?

Well, what a night! I was up against some amazing organisations, so still can’t quite believe they chose little old A coffee table filled with memories was a large and very interesting commission

I am a member of Cardiff Indie Collective – a fantastic group that champions small businesses in Cardiff. I also teamed up with Run4Wales to produce the official Cardiff Half Marathon artwork 2022 to celebrate the landmarks along the route. And your work has been selected to appear at the brand-new Yellow TSE eco store in Cardiff?

Yes! It’s a social enterprise department store in Morgan Arcade, which is introducing a new sustainable way of shopping and promoting small, independent businesses. I’m incredibly proud to be one of their concessions. Is there any good news you wish to share?

I work closely with wildlife charities; since September 2020, I’ve partnered with Hedgehog Helpline Cymru, the WDC (Whale and Dolphin Conservation) and Rewilding Britain. I’ve created drawings for each charity and I donate 40 per cent of every item sold. During my time oﬀ, I can be found rescuing bats, bathing hedgehogs and handfeeding rabbits at my local wildlife rescue centre. What’s new…

I have recently been commissioned by Tower Bridge to create a detailed drawing of the bridge itself. Tower Bridge has stocked my London prints since last summer, but this will be something diﬀerent! For more: www.katherinemgjones.com

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RAD DAD CYCLES T-SHIRT, £25 This one is a collab between Black & Beech and Cardiﬀ artist Philip Morgan. From Black & Beech, Heath; www.blackandbeech.com

007 BOLLINGER, £80 A limited-edition Bond Bolly – best not to shake or stir this one. From Glory Stores, Upper Kincraig Street, Cardiﬀ; www.glorystores.com

DAD’S THE WORD As Father’s Day is around the corner (19 June) here are a handful of gift ideas – all from local businesses – to get you started

DAILY PLANNER, £6 50 pages of organisational bliss. From Sadler Jones, Barry; www.sadlerjones.com

PREMIUM SKINCARE, FROM £8.99 Repair, nourish and invigorate with this hydrating shaving gel and revitalising moisturiser. From Mesoa for men, Cardiﬀ; www.mesoa.men

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

GUCCI BRACELET, £330 A silver cuﬀ for the suave dads. From Goldsmiths, 31 Grand Arcade, St David’s, Cardiﬀ; www.goldsmiths.co.uk

GIFT GUIDE GILET, £65, TRAINERS, £60 A Rains gilet and Novesta kicks are a perfect match. From Unit 17 Menswear, Goodsheds, Barry; Instagram: unit17_menswear

PROP ARTWORK, £195 A drypoint etching by up-and-coming Welsh artist Oliver Gaiger. From Martin Tinney Gallery, St Andrew’s Crescent, Cardiﬀ; www.artwales.com

CHECKERBOARD CUFFLINKS, £252 Deakin & Francis silver and enamel accessories. From Laings, The Hayes, St David’s, Cardiﬀ; www.laingsuk.com BACKGAMMON SET, £70 One for the lord of the board. Athena Interiors, Cwmbran; www.athenainteriors.co.uk

PERVERSE DEMAND T-SHIRT, £99 Inspired by street, skate, and sneaker culture, this local brand is breaking boundaries between luxury and comfort. Perverse Demand, Penarth; www.perversedemand.co.uk

THE AUSTEN, £32 A dried arrangement within a hand-poured reed diﬀuser. Who says blokes don’t like ﬂowers? Bloomfull, Rhiwbina; www.bloomfull.co.uk

BRONZE SCULPTURE, FROM £280 Available online in May, and then in Blackwater Gallery from 17 June, Craig Hudson creates ‘disarmingly messed up’ humanlike sculptures. From Blackwater Gallery, Pendeen House, Cardiﬀ; www.blackwatergallery.co.uk

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RIGHT ROYAL

JUBILEE CUPCAKE KIT, £12.50 A fun-for-all-thefamily bake kit, with everything you need (minus the butter) to make these Jubileeinspired cupcakes at home. From PostnBake, Cardiﬀ; Instagram: postnbake

As a nod to the Platinum Jubilee celebrating the Queen’s 70th year on the throne (which sees us all eagerly anticipating a four-day weekend on 2 – 5 June) here’s a red, white and blue shopping haul – with all items available locally, of course BLUE ANEMONES ARTWORK, £795 A collage by 83-year-old Welsh artist Rosemary Burton whose work is in the collection of the National Museum of Wales. From Martin Tinney Gallery, St Andrew’s Crescent, Cardiﬀ; www.artwales.com

ONE RULES, OK ARTWORK, £2,395 A Dylan Izaak’s contemporary original painting on aluminium. From Whitewall Galleries Cardiﬀ, Townwall, St David’s Centre; www.whitewallgalleries.com

HEART DECORATIONS, £20 EACH Glitter and love hearts, just the cutest. From Glass at the Spinney, Vale of Glamorgan, Instagram: glass.at.the.spinney

CROWN CHARM PENDANT, £24 A sterling silver accessory ﬁt for little princesses. From Thomas Sabo, The Hayes, St David's, Cardiﬀ; www.thomassabo.com

SAPPHIRE STUD EARRINGS, £550 Happiness is a pair of 9ct white gold hexagons. From Goldsmiths, 31 Grand Arcade, St David’s, Cardiﬀ; www.goldsmiths.co.uk

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

EDITOR’S CHOICE PICNIC SET, £10 Let’s hope it’s a sunny four-day weekend so we can enjoy lunch al fresco. From Flying Tiger Copenhagen, St David’s www.ﬂyingtiger.com

RUBY AND DIAMOND NECKLACE, £12,195 Simple and elegant with a dose of colour. From Laings, The Hayes, St David’s, Cardiﬀ; www.laingsuk.com

MOD SAVE THE QUEEN ARTWORK, £695 A graﬃti-splattered giclée on paper, by JJ Adams. From Adamo Gallery, Morgan Arcade; www.adamogallery.co.uk JUBILEE BUNTING PACKS, £5 EACH These kits include six colour-your-own bunting, colouring pencils and two metres of ribbon. From Dimensional Art, Goodsheds, Barry; www.dimensionalart.co.uk FITTED SHEETS, FROM £49 Hunant specialises in traditional Welsh bedding. From Hunant, Roath; www.hunant.co.uk

QUEEN OF JACK ARTWORK, £1,175 A Paul Oz hand-embellished canvas. From Adamo Gallery, Morgan Arcade; www.adamogallery.co.uk

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FOOD & DRINK Sam Elliott, chef owner at Pasture

Expect world flavours at Roath Yard

STREET FOOD SMART

Street Food Circus has returned to Cardiff, popping up in Roath Yard and creating a global-flavours street food court in an old milk float depot, just off City Road. It runs for four weekends, culminating in the four-day bank holiday weekend in June. www.streetfoodcircus.co.uk

WE MEAT AGAIN

Cardiff steakhouse and late-night bar Pasture is expanding its High Street venue to create a new ‘small plates’ restaurant and speakeasy-inspired bar. Set to open in August, there will be a tapas-style restaurant at street level, and the basement will be a contemporary, loungestyled speakeasy. “Cardiff was our first expansion and we absolutely love the city and vibrancy!” says Pasture’s chef owner Sam Elliott. “People here have been so enthusiastic and supportive of our ethos, that we’re booked out months in advance. “We’re taking the things that we’re great at – local sourcing, cooking with a bit of added theatre, and creating memorable meals and drinks – and offering them in two new cool and relaxed spaces.” For more: www.pasturerestaurant.com

SNAPSHOTS OF CARDIFF’S FOOD SCENE

SPOT OF TEA?

The neon pool bar awaits

DOG DAYS

Brought to you by the curators of Kongs, Cardiff’s newest lounge bar, The Underdog, opened in May on Guildhall Place. The launch follows five years of Kongs’ residency on St Marys Street. The venue combines kitsch basement décor, neon lighting and pool. Instagram: @theunderdog_cardiff

The Angel Hotel Cardiﬀ is getting ready for Wimbledon with a month-long themed afternoon tea party, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Celebrate the great British Summer and partake in their classic tea featuring strawberries and cream and Pimm’s jelly. For more: www. angelhotelcardiﬀcity.co.uk

The theme changes every month

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FOOD & DRINK CHICK THIS OUT Husband-and-wife team Jamie and Natalia Rees are set to open a permanent home for Fowl & Fury, in Cathays, in July. Regular traders at Sticky Fingers on Richmond Road, their concept is fried chicken with six heat levels (the hottest of which comes with a disclaimer, gloves and milk), plus a load of sides. Instagram: @fowlandfury

voco has partnered with Cardiff Distillery

AND SO IT BE-GINS

Gin connoisseurs visiting Cardiff will now be able to enjoy the ultimate treat, as prominent luxury hotel, voco St. David’s, in Cardiff Bay, has partnered with the city’s first school of gin, Cardiff Distillery. The collaboration sees the award-winning craft gin feature on cocktail and bar menus at voco, with guests also able to book a bespoke Gin Package stay – an overnight stay for two, which includes a tour of the distillery and gin in your room on arrival. www.stdavids.vocohotels.com

How hot do you like your chicken? Can you handle the hottest of the hot called ‘fury’? Or maybe you’re more of a mac ‘n’ cheese lover? Fowl & Fury have got you covered

CAFFÈ L-ART-E

RIGHT HERE, RIGHT MEOW

By the time this issue hits the city, Scaredy Cats Café Bar will have opened on Working Street. It comes from the team behind the popular Bub’s Bar and Kitchen in Church Street. Instagram: @scaredycatscafebar

A café is opening at Blackwater Gallery in Pendeen House, with coffee supplied by Clifton Coffee, cakes by Antler and Stone, and the furniture made by Hills Bespoke. Coffee @ Blackwater will launch on 6 June. www.blackwatergallery.co.uk

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MILKWOOD

Lisa Evans tries out the new modern British fine dining ‘small plates’ menu at Milkwood in Pontcanna

s a pescatarian who writes restaurant reviews, I always try to make sure I bring a meat-eating plus one along with me. For my visit to Milkwood in Pontcanna, I bestowed this honour upon my orders-steak-at-everyopportunity husband. The only problem with relying on him for flesh feedback is that he’s a bloke of few words. “So, what’s it like?” I ask when he takes his first bite. *Nods with his eyes closed* “Good,” he says, drawing out the vowels for three seconds. “No, come on, I need more than that or I’m bringing my mum next time.” “Ok, I’m currently Bradley Cooper in Limitless, where he swallows a pill and his world bursts into colour and clarity, only that pill is beef short rib.” “That’ll do, and I’m making that the pull quote.” To be honest, the bronzed beef, which surrendered at the very sight of a fork, was so attractive it almost made

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

me break my six-year-strong meat-free vows there and then. But thankfully I didn’t have to ‘make do’ with my choice: barbecued cured slide-apart salmon, with crab, seashore vegetables and cockles on a sourdough crumpet. And those were just the first of nine fine dining dishes that we worked our way through. In our defence, they were ‘small plates’, so we didn’t feel too guilty. My favourite one, which gave me tingles on the back of my neck, was miso-marinated, sweet-fleshed cod. This is one I will have umami dreams about until the end of time. It was served with lumpfish roe, cauliflower, pickled hen of the woods mushrooms – which sliced through the rich saltiness of the dish – and chicken dashi (which they swapped out for an intensely savoury mushroom version for me that I wanted to tip the last drops of into my mouth straight from the bowl). For the man, a close second to the nootropic roecrowned short rib – which took four days to prepare, including a two-day brine and a slow braise – was the barbecued chicken thigh skewer with sour, spicy kimchi,

RESTAURANT

YES CHEF!

The new small plates menu has been designed to showcase the head chef Cornel Uys’ signature style of cooking, leaning on modern British fine dining with nods to the East. Hailing from South Africa, Cornel honed his craft in prestigious Scottish country hotels. Over 11 years, he worked his way up to head chef at Ardanaiseig Hotel, earning his first 3 AA Rosette. His second Rosette came at the Castell Malgwyn Hotel, where his reputation for imaginative use of ingredients and flavours also secured them a spot in the Michelin Guide. He joined the Milkwood team in 2021, and, this year, his cooking saw him named one of The Caterer’s ‘ones to watch in Wales’.

spring onion aioli and flatbread. We argued over the skinny fries loaded with truffle mayo and a snowfall of parmesan, and bickered about who should have the remaining rosemary and pecorino-topped hash brown. The atmosphere was heated, and it didn’t stop; he preferred my dessert to his and assumed that, like “any good wife”, I would hand it over no questions asked. I did not. I devoured my rhubarb and custard atop Jamaican gingerbread and honeycomb, ignoring his aggrieved stares as he crunched at his meringue with white chocolate, lemon curd and raspberry (which I can confirm was gorgeous, but not a patch on mine). If margarita-fuelled tensions weren’t already high enough, you can imagine the row that ensued when we realised he’d left our house keys in the taxi on the way down. Cue whisper-shouting at each other in our street at 10pm, quarrelling about which window would be best to smash to get in. Thankfully the taxi driver found them and ferried them back to us at the end of his shift. In the end, all was well, tummies were full, disputes were settled and umami dreams awaited. n

“I’m Bradley Cooper in Limitless, where he swallows a pill and his world bursts into colour and clarity, only that pill is beef short rib” DINING DETAILS Milkwood, 83 Pontcanna Street, Cardiff, CF11 9HS; www.milkwoodcardiff.com Food We indulged in the small plates menu, only available on Friday and Saturday nights, but they also serve breakfast, brunch and lunch, cooked simply but creatively and with a genuine love of food Drinks We went for margaritas all night, but there are plenty of cocktails, wines and beers to choose from Vibe It’s a small, neighbourhood café and restaurant with a high-end feel Prices Snacks £3 – £6; small plates £6 – £13 ; desserts £6 – £8

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

Cardiff: 233 Cathedral Road, Pontcanna, Cardiff, CF11 9PP. E-mail: cardiff@valevetcentre.co.uk Phone: 02920 004007

Barry: 7/8 Ty Verlon Ind Est, Cardiff Rd, Vale of Glamorgan, CF63 2BE E-mail: info@valevetcentre.co.uk Phone: 01446 739739

Newport: Unit 1 & 2 East Market Street, Newport, NP20 2AY E-mail: newport@valevetcentre.co.uk Phone: 01633 927927

GROOMING SERVICE NOW AVAILABLE | EMAIL: GROOMERS@VALEVETCENTRE.CO.UK

Reach the best in the west Affluent, active and influential and just a call away

Cardiff Life team 01225 475800

FOOD

THREE THINGS I LOVED EATING & DRINKING THIS MONTH

Pea, mint and soft cheese bruschetta – from Ground Bakery in Pontcanna. Summer on a plate! @groundbakery

Gnarly baked potatoes with creamy garlic aioli – from Kindle Cardiff in Sophia Gardens. @kindle_cardiff

A Smoky Marge, a smoked margarita made with mezcal, lime and vanilla syrup – from Uisce in Pontcanna. @uiscebyheaneys

clockwise from top left: Ground’s bruschetta; Smoky Marge at Uisce; a Parador 44 artist impression; Spanish Wines Direct; candyfloss from The Rangers Hut; Welsh Cheese Co founder Tom Pinder; Kindle potatoes

NEW AND TASTY

Our columnist, good food fanatic, local blogger and indie foodie PR guru JANE COOK has her finger on the pulse when it comes to what’s new and tasty in the city…

atriotic cheese fans have reason to celebrate this week; online retailer and wholesaler The Welsh Cheese Company has just opened its first bricks and mortar shop in Taff’s Well, becoming the first 100 per cent Welsh cheesemongers in the UK. It’s a great spot to stock up before a dinner party, and, as an introductory offer, you can take away a free Snowdonia cheese truckle for every £10 spent in the shop. In the city centre, Dusty’s Pizza will open its first central outpost, in Castle

Arcade, this month – it promises to be a great summertime spot for post-work pizza and wine. And for out-of-town visitors, Parador 44 the new nine-bedroom hotel situated above Asador 44 on Quay Street has begun taking reservations for the summer (opening at the end of June). Billed as one of Cardiff’s first luxury boutique hotels, it includes an Andalucian-inspired outdoor terraza, and a residents’ lounge with self-pouring fine wine. Continuing the Spanish theme, the team behind Cardiff’s city centre Curado Bar and Vermut have confirmed that they will open a brand-new wine warehouse, called

Spanish Wines Direct, on Penarth Road. The 6,900 sq ft unit will stock more than 500 handpicked wines for customers to browse, buy and take away, along with imported Spanish snacks, oils, and tinned foods. And over in Roath, The Rangers Hut is already proving to be a huge hit with regular visitors to Waterloo Gardens. The former park warden’s shed has been lovingly restored and refurbished by the team behind Waterloo Tea, and now serves artisanal gelato and freshly spun candy floss. For more: www.janechicomendes.co.uk | @janechicomendes| www.hungrycityhippy.co.uk

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cardiffnorth@bluebirdcare.co.uk

SCENE

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

Hannah Morris and Katie Carlisle

Nicky Piper MBE Tamsin Ford and Tanya Lynch

Gathered around for founder Tams’ speech Lisa Evans and Elizabeth Rees

IT WAS ALL YELLOW TSE

Wales’s ﬁrst sustainable department store held its exclusive launch party at their Morgan Quarter premises recently. Set to open to the public in late May/ early June, Yellow TSE (the social enterprise) is a plasticfree, zero-waste store and paperless shopping experience based in the city centre. Using state of the art QR technology, never before been seen in Wales, you can browse and buy your reﬁllable goods, plus arts, Chelsea O’Driscoll

Sam, Ivan and Nathan Wyburn

accessories and eco-conscious items with ease. Founder and CEO Tamsin Ford is well-known for sustainable retail locally through her business born in Pontcanna, Blossom & Nectar. Now home to the second location for Yellow TSE (already open for business) Blossom & Nectar fuelled her passion for sustainable business and inspired her to encourage wider change in retail. www.yellow.wales

Claire Wood

Photos by Paul Fears Photography, Instagram: @paulfearsphoto

Kate Bow and Amy Adams

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SHINDIG FOR UKRAINE

A one-oﬀ event, coordinated by Helen at Bad Boy Brownies, was held at The Bone Yard on Paper Mill Road recently, which brought together a whole host of independent businesses for a familyfriendly fundraiser for Ukraine. There was free food and drinks, a bouncy castle, entertainment, party games and a huge raﬄe with prizes donated by over 50 local businesses. The event raised £3,500. www.shippingcontainerstudios.co.uk Photos by Aaron Jones, Instagram: @aaronrjoness

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

SOCIETY

Amy-Claire Davies Deputy Health Minister Lynne Neagle MS makes a speech

FOREVER FLOWERS

Award-winning charity City Hospice officially launched their Forever Flowers campaign at the Senedd, home of the Welsh parliament, recently. This year, Forever Flowers invites supporters to purchase a limited-edition handmade sunflower to remember loved ones. The unique and lasting tributes will feature in a striking floral display within the grounds of Cardiff Castle from 30 July to 14 August. The launch event featured speeches from patients, family members and the Deputy Health Minister, Lynne Neagle MS. Palliative care patient Amy-Claire Davies, who has been under the care of City Hospice for nearly eight years while living with an Guests watch on

Chief Executive Liz Andrews greets attendees

incurable degenerative disease, was among the speakers at the event. “My life is likely to be a short one, but that does not mean I can’t choose to make it a beautifully and brilliantly bright one, like a sunﬂower” says Amy. “Hospice care is what has enabled me to live such a bright life, despite the darkness and challenges living with my condition presents me with. “So many people still have a very oldfashioned stereotype in mind of what hospice care means. Hospice care is not about waiting for death but about empowering people to live their lives despite diﬃcult circumstances. The most important thing City Hospice does is to help me live a good life, as much as possible, for as long as possible.” www.cityhospice.org.uk Photos by David Mertens

Senior fundraising officer Daisy Magill welcomes guests to the launch

Fundraising and marketing director Amanda Fenton speaks to guests

Richard Thurston shares his wife’s story

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

SOCIETY

Clara Jones (and friend) from Dragon Athletic

Let’s go!

WAG THIS WAY

Adele, founder of Dog Furiendly

The recent return of the Wag this Way event – a 5km charity dog walk – had hundreds of owners and pups alike taking part, walking through Bute Park on a sunny Sunday morning before visiting stalls oﬀering treats and accessories and watching Dog Furiendly’s Dog Show. With over 200 people registered before the event, and even more choosing to join in on the day, the event raised £8,000 for City Hospice to continue their vital work in the local area. “After our Wag this Way 2020 and 2021 events were cancelled due to the pandemic, we were hoping people would enjoy being back together for some fun fundraising in the sun, and it seems we were right,” says Daisy Magill, fundraising and events coordinator at City Hospice.”We look forward to making it bigger and better next year.” www.cityhospice.org.uk The cutestXxx duo

Photos by Tom Harper

Hundreds of humans and hounds walked together

Two of the participants

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

A quick rest

Who’s walking who?

5km done and dusted

Max Hayward of Lab22, Cardiff, (representing Matthew ‘Welly’ Jones of Lab22) with first place cocktail, Scran Y Mor

Mike Redman of Penny Royal, Cardiff

Angie Fishback of Lab22, with her cocktail ‘Scandilous’

Guests try the Silver Circle Aquavit

Tasting in progress

SHAKE IT UP

Will Barker of The Dark Horse, Bath, with his cocktail, The Green Dragon

A cocktail-making showdown was held at Lab 22, Cardiff, recently. Hot on the heels of launching Wales’s first Aquavit, Silver Circle Distillery recently invited a host of aspiring and professional mixologists from across the South West to come up with the perfect Aquavit cocktail. The winning cocktail was the Scran Y Môr, created by Matthew ‘Welly’ Jones of Lab22. It was made using Aquavit, St Germain, soda, and a ‘Welsh seaside cordial’ which Matthew had homemade using foraged sea rosemary and dehydrated Welsh seaweed. In second place, came The Scandi Cwtch, by Louie Pollard of Chance & Counters, Cardiff. www.silvercircledistillery.com Photos by Johnny Hathaway

Second place winner Louie Pollard of Chance & Counters, Cardiff, with Silver Circle Distillery co founder Nina Howden

Tyder Howells of NQ64, Cardiff, with their cocktail ‘Grandad’s Greenhouse’

The Silver Circle Distillery Team Colette Abel, George Cook, Joe Howden, Duncan Raley, Nina Howden, Jon O’Rourke www.mediaclash.co.uk I CARDIFF LIFE I 53

SPONSORED CONTENT

In the book, Marlene outlines how inheritance tax, exemptions, trusts, allowances and reliefs all work, with advice on how to arrange your finances to ensure you are in the best possible position to have a well lived life, without impacting future generations. Marlene said: “As the founder of the Cardiff Financial Planning firm UNIQ Family Wealth, this is a topic that I know is important to so many families, and that’s what really inspired me to make it the topic of my latest book. “I am lucky enough to be able to draw on my experience of helping clients plan for their futures to touch on some of the wider, lesser talked about topics that can impact on future planning, including what to consider in relation to blended families, religion and culture, which crops up more and more in our increasingly diverse society. “As you might expect, I have always considered Financial Planning to be incredibly important. The last two years have really shone a spotlight on the importance of a comprehensive plan of action that can be moulded or adapted as the world around us changes, and the impact that has on us, as people. “Take, for example, the unprecedented rise in house prices, which means families are now sat on more potential wealth than they had previously anticipated. While there is always talk of a property crash, the fact remains that house prices have increased at a rate that is far higher than the increase in wages, so those who bought back in the 60s and 70s are sometimes looking at a 600x increase in house price. “This book isn’t about the technical aspect of managing your money to save a few pounds, it’s about the journey that you should go on to ensure that you are in the best possible position to live life to the fullest, whilst still considering your inheritance plans. “Of course, most people want to leave a legacy for their loved ones. Cascading Your Wealth is really intended to empower readers to make informed decisions in the here and now so that they can better work towards that objective.

The UNIQ Family Wealth team

“For some people that might be leaving a lump sum in their will; in other cases, it may be helping with a house deposit, or perhaps setting up a new business might be a better approach.” Marlene adds that, while clients regularly reach out to her team for financial advice, with a good idea of how much wealth they have, and how much they want to leave to their children or loved ones, they often forget to plan for the present and work out what is needed to sustain their current or future lifestyle plans. Throughout the book, she encourages readers to create their own Family Wealth Plan, using the ‘WEALTH’ method. By thinking WEALTH, readers are encouraged to: ● Work out what they have ● Evaluate what they need ● Analyse how best to manage the funds ● Lay the foundations ● Take action ● (embrace) Habits for success. Marlene adds, “My hope is that readers will embrace the idea of a Family Wealth Plan, allowing them to be free to enjoy the rest of their life – and their money – in whatever way they choose, confident that their wealth will go to the right people or causes when the time comes.” ■

Cascading Your Wealth by Marlene Outrim is available to buy now on Amazon. The UNIQ Family Wealth team can be contacted on 029 2078 2330 www.mediaclash.co.uk I CARDIFF LIFE I 55

PROPERTY P L A C E S T O L I V E , W O R K A N D P L AY

MANOR BORN AGAIN

HOME ON THE GRANGE

Grange Pavilion, a vibrant community centre in Cardiff, from Benham Architects and IBI Group, has been presented a Royal Society of Architects in Wales (RSAW) Award. “Grange Pavilion demonstrates exemplar collaboration, which has transformed the lives of its residents,” says RSAW jury chair Sarah Featherstone. “The building replaces an underused and deteriorating Bowls Club with a new multi-use building which can adapt to the needs of its community.” Winners will now be considered for a highlycoveted RIBA National Award, which will be announced in June. www.architecture.com

CARDIFF PROPERTY AWARDS On 21 June, nominations will open for our Cardiff Property Awards 2022. Businesses ranging from architecture firms and developers to estate agents and interior designers are encouraged to enter. The Awards will take place on 18 November at a location TBC. To enter, visit: www.cardiffpropertyawards.co.uk

Gileston Manor Estate, in the Vale of Glamorgan, has been transformed into a luxury wedding venue and country retreat following a multi-million-pound investment by Welsh couple Josh Llewellyn and Lorraine Garrad-Jones. Over the last decade they have restored the Queen Anne Grade II* listed manor house, estate, outbuildings, and grounds, which overlook the Bristol estuary. The project also included reviving the grounds and gardens, planting over 3,000 trees, create eight luxury accommodation suites, and building a bespoke marquee area and orangery. www.gilestonmanor.co.uk

EASTGATE IS EASTGATE

Savills, on behalf of Maya Capital, has launched the sale of Eastgate House in Cardiff for offers in excess of £12 million. The prestigious multi-let office building, which occupies a prominent position on Newport Road, provides 95,000 sq ft of accommodation across ground floor retail and first to 13 floors of office accommodation. Occupiers include Cardiff University, the Secretary of State for Communities and EWC. www.savills.co.uk

GREEN LIVING In the face of rocketing energy bills, demand for greener living is on the rise in Cardiff, with 30 low-carbon homes at Aspen Grove, Rumney, selling in the first eight weeks since launching. The houses, which have been built by Wates Residential, are part of a wider low-carbon development of 149 homes for local residents, which feature new eco-technologies, including solar panels, electric vehicle charging points, Lithium-ion batteries and ground source heat pumps to help save on energy bills. www.cardiffliving.wales

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Thank you to our keynote speakers Lucian Cook and Jennet Siebrits for their brilliant insights. Thank you also to all of our sponsors: to Action Net Zero, Futureground, GA Energy and Interaction.

TOP ROW: Basil

Demeroutis (FORE Partnership), Bianca Laura Latini (Buro Happold), Cerys Williams (Sero Homes), Chad Griffiths (Principality), Chris Ambrose (Coutts); MIDDLE ROW: Helen Rumford (GA Energy), Lucinda Mitchell, First Base (Soapworks), Mike Borne (Interaction), Nick Fairham (BDP), Nick Hodges, (Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios); BOTTOM ROW: Nick James (Futureground), Pam Barbato (Action Net Zero), Pepper Barney (BiBO), Sam Goss (Barefoot Architects), Simon Peacock (JLL)

SP E CI A L RE PO R T SUSTAINABILITY AND PROPERTY

Building better Our recent Property Symposium event saw property experts exploring the crucial topic of sustainability

hat sort of a world do we want to create in terms of sustainability in property? How does legislation and changing customer concerns aﬀect property – both for commercial and residential? And what are some best practice examples to stimulate and inspire us? All these questions were up for vigorous debate during the recent Property Symposium, hosted by Greg Ingham, chief executive of MediaClash, our publisher. The conference featured keynotes, panel discussions and networking sessions and had a stellar cast of contributors, from regional operators to some of the world’s biggest real estate companies. Here are insights from the discussions…

INSIGHTS FROM LUCIAN COOK, HEAD OF SAVILLS’ RESIDENTIAL RESEARCH TEAM Lucian reported on the scale of the sustainability challenge for the residential property sector, and discussed how hitting net zero might be achieved. “There has been a signiﬁcant reduction in carbon emissions since the mid- to late-2000s, but residential

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

Lucian Cook

is the outlier,” said Lucian. His analysis showed that in the UK, residential is responsible for 68.1million tonnes of carbon emissions each year, a sizeable 20 per cent of the total percentage of carbon emissions. Improvements have been made, with new properties being brought to the market, but there is still a major legacy problem with older houses, specifically because 86 per cent of older households use gas as their heat source. How can this situation be changed? “There is a three-pronged approach. You need to tackle energy usage, decarbonising heating sources (getting away from the gas boiler), and improving energy efficiency. “We need to increase the investment of energy efficiency in our homes by 700 per cent. “It’s important to note, there is no single solution to this. Looking at every individual measure – the most

recommended improvements range from simple, low-cost interventions for pre-war property houses like insulating hot water cylinders (£23) to more expensive changes like having bigger solid wall insulation (£9,000).” “If you were to implement all these suggestions from the EPC across the nation it would come to a staggering £330bn.” In terms of policy changes that may be implemented, Lucian outlined a number of options: increasing energy taxes for energy is highly political and looks like an unlikely choice for now, grants and green ﬁnances can only go so far given the ﬁnancial challenges, and mandatory EPC standards at point of sale are probably too draconian a choice for the government. One option that looked probable, concluded Lucian, is a phasing out of the gas boiler, through various means.

CARDIFFWORKS

LIVE PANEL SESSION ON FINANCE: SUSTAINABILITY IMPLICATIONS with Basil Demeroutis (FORE Partnership), Cerys Williams (Sero Homes), Chad Griffiths (Principality) and Chris Ambrose (Coutts) The live panel session looked at the impact of sustainability on property financing: how can property developers and financial lenders ‘afford’ looming sustainable costs on new buildings? Cerys Williams touched on the positive impact that increased EPC ratings are having on property prices. Her research showed that if a property had increased by two EPC bands, this resulted in an increase in the house value by 12 per cent, while an increase in three EPC bands meant an increase of over 19 per cent. All good news for the property developers and a great incentive for them to build green. But what about for the individual? How can they afford to buy green properties? The panellists discussed that with rapidly rising costs of energy bills in the UK, the cost of living sustainably was looking more appealing to the general public. Basil reported that in New York new laws have come into play whereby landlords are being taxed if they don’t improve the energy performance of their building. “We can’t continue to buy and consume carbon with impunity,” said Basil. “Things like the introduction of carbon tax in the US are to be applauded.” Chris reported that Coutts currently has an ‘encouragement rather than punishment’ relationship with their clients; instead of introducing taxes, they have chosen to offer schemes like green mortgages and free rebate so that people can understand the financial benefits of being green. Chad added that at Principality they also offered similar projects to encourage clients to go green; through their green development scheme – whereby they lend more and reduce their fees – they help clients with increased sustainability-related fees. LIVE PANEL SESSION ON RETROFITTING: LEGISLATION, RESPONSIBILITIES with Helen Rumford (GA Energy), Sam Goss (Barefoot Architects) and Simon Peacock (JLL) This session focused on the impact of legislation on property, specifically around retrofitting and recasting older properties for future realities.

The panel discussed the complexities and uncertainties surrounding sustainability – and how, while there is enthusiasm from many quarters, not everything is in place to make the changes that need to be made. “Sustainable design necessitates things which look different,” said Sam. “They might need different materials, which aren’t necessarily in keeping with the surrounding context. There is a hesitation for property developers and planners to accept that. This disruptive change to the retrofit world is not being kept up with by planning legislation – we’re seeing a wave that’s ahead of the government curve. It is causing us issues.” So, if there are changes that need to be made with legislation, what should they be? “A comprehensive retrofit strategy which is all encompassing,” said Sam. “The government should make rules that EPC ratings on houses should have a bare minimum of A or B to make a sale.” Simon added that one of the issues facing the retrofit work is the sheer volume of work that needs to be done set against the shortage of contractors available at the moment. Within the context of the government’s aim for buildings to have an A, B or C rating by 2030, he cited that 86 per cent of offices in Bristol would have to be given an uplift the next eight years. “There’s a lot of work to be done,” he concluded. Helen added that because of this shortage of contractors, it is important for businesses to start thinking about how they might need to renovate their office building now, so that we’re not all trying to do it at the same time. INSIGHTS FROM JENNET SIEBRITS, HEAD OF UK RESEARCH AT CBRE Jennet reported on the sustainable issues for commercial real estate, identifying trends, analysing the market, and providing insight and ideas.

Jennet Siebrits

She reported that rocketing energy prices have been a key factor in making companies sit up and look to make changes in how they manage their properties in a more sustainable way. The UK target is to reduce greenhouse gas from by 68 per cent by 2030, from its 2019 levels, and to achieve net zero by 2050. Currently around 40 per cent of CO2 emissions come from building environments – within that number commercial accounts for 20 per cent, residential 70. In keeping with the Paris agreement, Jennet said that commercial property has to reduce CO2 between 2022 and 2050 by a staggering 94 per cent. The main sustainability issues surrounding commercial issues are a need for a deep and wider strategic coverage of sustainable issues, tightening regulation, a need to better understand the ‘green premium’, and understanding what the right path to net zero is. She added that there’s an even more immediate issue than sustainability for many commercial property landlords and tenants: occupancy post-pandemic and WFH. FT reported recently that return has stalled, at maybe as low as 25 per cent, definitely well below prepandemic levels. LIVE PANEL SESSION ON VISIONARIES: THE NEW BUILT ENVIRONMENT with Mike Borne (Interaction), Nick Fairham (BDP), Nick Hodges (Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios) and Pepper Barney (BiBO Studio) The session began with the panel discussing how they encourage clients to get on board when it comes to creating a green property. Nick said that it’s about taking clients on a journey with you. He explained that with sustainability, it’s not just about materials and carbon, it’s about the bigger picture – how sustainability impacts health and wellbeing and issues around bio diversity. By looking at the context, you can tap into what the clients’ ambitions might be.

“WE’RE SEEING A WAVE THAT’S AHEAD OF THE GOVERNMENT CURVE”

LOOK OUT FOR THE PROPERTY AWARDS 2022! Our Property Awards are all returning to Cardiff, Bath, Bristol, and Exeter later this year 21 October Exeter Property Awards; exeterpropertyawards.com 4 November Bath Property Awards; bathpropertyawards.co.uk 18 November Cardiff Property Awards; cardiffpropertyawards.co.uk 25 November Bristol Property Awards; bristolpropertyawards.co.uk

Pepper chatted about the emphasis on regulations points. She said that with the retrofit movement, and thinking about how to decarbonise properties in general, they’re addressing the minutiae of the existing housing stock – in short, how this is affecting individuals and their budgets. Nick Fairham finished by adding that while sustainability has its challenges it also drives innovation and creativity. “It allows us to explore new ideas,” he said. LIVE EXPERT PANEL SESSION SUMMARISING TODAY’S EVENT with Bianca Laura Latini (Buro Happold), Jennet Siebrits (CBRE), Nick James (Futureground) and Pam Barbato (Action Net Zero) The panel discussed some of the key themes raised during the symposium. “The key reflection for me is thinking about the scale and pace of change that is needed – from an industry that’s arguably not good at change,” said Nick James. “There are lots of positive things we can be doing; we’re not ‘shopping’ for technical fixes, it’s more than that. It’s a systemic change that is needed, which will present both challenges and opportunity.” Fancy watching the whole Property Symposium? Search for ‘Property Symposium’ on YouTube. For more news on our events, head to www.mediaclash.co.uk www.mediaclash.co.uk I CARDIFF LIFE I 61

CARDIFF PROPERTY AWARDS

BIGGEST PROPERTY EVENT OF THE YEAR: BE PART OF IT…

Talk with us about sponsorship: • Connect with leading Cardiff property businesses, across all sectors • Benefit from a multiple channel marketing campaign, reaching thousands • Stand out amongst your peers at this prestigious, unique event For details: annie.kelly@mediaclash.co.uk

Scan here to get your ticket to the launch

Launch event June 21, from 8am Initial sponsors:

CARDIFF PROPERTY AWARDS | 18 NOVEMBER 2022 | THE COAL EXCHANGE HOTEL

It’s the city’s business

CARDIFFWORKS Phil Harrison

The new OMEGA showroom at St David’s, Cardiff

THE TIME HAS COME Leading luxury jeweller Laings has opened the doors to its new OMEGA showroom at St David’s, Cardiff. This is the iconic watchmaker’s first franchised showroom in Wales. Created in partnership with the luxury Swiss brand, clients will now have the chance to explore an extensive selection of OMEGA’s finest timepieces for men and women within an immersive mono-brand

Levi Roots

BIG NAMES FOR ENTRECONF Two remarkable keynotes have been announced for EntreConf, the conference for entrepreneurs returning on 30 June. And tickets are now on sale. EntreConf aims to provide inspiration and practical advice for entrepreneurs, linking them with advisers. New speakers are Levi Roots, food entrepreneur, reggae name, media player and Dragon’s Den success story. Also videogames guru Phil Harrison, VP and general manager for Google running its games activities; he formerly led Xbox games development for Microsoft; and prior to that was president of Sony’s PlayStation games studios worldwide. Sponsors to date at this virtual event are Burges Salmon, Lombard Odier and the University of Bath. For more: Entreconf.com

environment. Owned and operated by family business Laings, the showroom will also play host to a range of the brand’s limitededition timepieces. Spanning 838 sq ft, the new showroom will complement the existing Laings showroom at The Hayes, which has operated at St David’s since 2009 and underwent a £3m showroom expansion late last year.

“OMEGA has enjoyed a 60-year relationship with Laings and we are delighted to raise this to the next level with a beautiful showroom in Cardiff, where OMEGA customers and enthusiasts are able to access and enjoy the full collections and spirit of OMEGA,” says Andrea Nunziata, brand director at OMEGA UK. For more: www.Laingsuk.com

PRETTY FLY A new venture which has taken to the city’s skies is GWL Aviation, a helicopter charter service based at Cardiff Heliport. It launched in March and offers flights and excursions across Cardiff and the UK for business, pleasure, events and pilot training. For more: www.gwlaviation.com

GWL Aviation’s choppers

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THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN

ENTREPRENEURS’ STIMULUS: 30 JUNE STUNNING KEYNOTES

PHIL HARRISON Google, Xbox and PlayStation legend

LEVI ROOTS Dragon’s Den star, Foodie entrepreneur

PANELS FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Funding • Marketing • Idealism Female entrepreneurs • Exit strategies

CONFERENCE PASSES, VIRTUAL EVENT

Experts’ choices of 30 leading entrepreneurial companies revealed

Free via site: entreconf.com

ENTRELEAGUE

Sponsors Associates and Partners

Bristol Creative Industries, The Female Edge, MediaClash, Rocketmakers, Storm Consultancy CONTENT: claudia.butler@mediaclash.co.uk

EntreConf.com

COMMERCIAL: annie.kelly@mediaclash.co.uk

@Entre_Conf June 30

CARDIFFWORKS

World-leading research in Cardiff transforms the lives of people with dementia

Move Over ABBA, James is Cardiff Metro Bank’s new rising star

MOVERS AND SHAKERS ETC BANK ON IT

Cardiff Metro Bank store manager James Ellacott is starring in the bank’s new local campaign – singing and dancing in public for the first time ever as an adult. The bank has changed the lyrics to well-known songs to help explain the bank’s services and differences, and who better to highlight these than the very colleagues who deliver them? Move over, ABBA, James has something to say: “Gimme, gimme, gimme, a bank on a Sunday; we’re the local store that will be open for you”. www.metrobankonline.co.uk

LAW PATROL

National law firm Clarke Willmott LLP has announced its 2022 promotions list which includes Cardiff-based lawyer Sally Grech. Sally has been promoted to associate and is one of seven new associates across the firm’s seven regional offices. www.clarkewillmott.com Sally Grech

EMBRACE IT

STRONGER, GREENER AND FAIRER

Cardiff Council’s Leader Elect, Cllr Huw Thomas, has chosen the team he wants to help deliver a Stronger, Greener and Fairer capital city for Wales over the next five years. The new 12-strong team will be tasked with tackling a number of wide-ranging issues affecting the city, from the cost of living and housing crises, to planning, transport, social services and climate change. www.cardiff.gov.uk

STEPPING UP

Cardiﬀ-headquartered data and AI company Nightingale HQ has appointed Chris Wilson as its new chief technical oﬃcer. www.nightingalehq.ai

A team of researchers from Cardiﬀ Metropolitan University’s School of Art and Design has transformed the quality of life for people with dementia with a device aptly named HUG™. Led by Professor Cathy Treadaway and colleagues in the Centre for Applied Research in Inclusive Arts and Design (CARIAD), the team has developed a wearable long-armed, cushion-like object that contains a beating heart, plays a personalised playlist and has been shown to boost the wellbeing of those living with advanced dementia. People with the syndrome tend to show reduced activity and cognitive response over time, but ﬁeld trials at Sunrise Senior Living found that 87 per cent of residents using HUG™ for six months experienced increased functional and cognitive ability. Margaret is living with dementia and has been given access to HUG™; her daughter Alison says, “The thought of

your loved one kind of slipping away is just terrifying. The HUG, has brought her back again. The recognition, the smiles, the happiness seems to have come back.” Numerous requests from countries including South Africa, Canada and Australia led to a spin-out company (HUG by LAUGH) being set up to manufacture and sell HUG™, and investment of over £100K. Over 2,000 HUG™s have been shipped around the world and it is even now prescribed on the NHS. The UK Government has just published its assessment of UK university research following the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) and has judged 83 per cent of the impact of Cardiﬀ Metropolitan University’s Art & Design research case studies to be delivering world-leading impact. For more: www.hug.world

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CARDIFF LIVES Billy Abernethy-Hope (left) passed away in a road accident, and his family, including his sister Meg (right), set up The BillyChip Foundation to continue his legacy

“We need cafés and coffee shops to sign up across Wales!” Where did the idea come from?

THE BILLYCHIP Model Meg Abernethy-Hope, the founder of homeless charity The BillyChip, is bringing her own brand of hope to South Wales Interview by Jon Sutton The BillyChip Foundation was set up to continue the legacy of Billy AbernethyHope, who passed away in a road accident. After helping support the homeless at Christmas, Billy felt disheartened at how little support the public gave to local unhoused people. A common perception is that giving money to a homeless person could fuel alcohol or drug addiction, so, after his passing in 2018, Billy’s family founded The BillyChip, a token which can be used, instead of cash, to help the homeless. And it’s now being rolled out across

Wales. Here we speak to Billy’s sister, Meg... So, Meg, what is The BillyChip?

It’s a token that the public can give to the homeless people of their community, which can then be exchanged for a cup of coffee or something to eat in a local café. It eliminates some of the anxiety that the public feel about handing over cash. And it’s more important than ever now that many people have stopped carrying cash. It’s been really successful across England and we are now pushing to move The BillyChip into Wales.

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

It all began when my brother, Billy, would ask Dad why he was chucking his spare change in a pot and not giving it to the homeless. Dad would say he’s going to save it up and give it to charity like he always does. But Billy asked how he could walk past the homeless and not give it to them? We lost Billy to a motorbike accident in Thailand in 2018. Soon after, a memory came back to my Dad about something Billy once said – why isn’t there some sort of token we can give to homeless people without any concerns about fuelling addiction problems? It was born as a kitchen table idea between me, Mum and Dad and we’ve now got an office with four employees helping to bring nourishment to the homeless. Many of those people say that they feel invisible and we are helping to reverse that. The BillyChip is designed to encourage conversation as well as providing actual food or drink. If you buy a BillyChip for someone, you can scan the QR code on the BillyChip to find all the information about the scheme, and a map of the nearest outlets. That will get people talking and we hope that connection will help to break down social barriers. So, The Billy Chip relies on outlets to stock the chips and then the recipient can also redeem them at the venue?

That’s right. And we need those outlets to sign up across Wales! It’s a super simple and safe

scheme. And it costs nothing. They can go to our website, click on ‘outlets’ and they’ll have everything they need, including a short video. They can also download the app which will do all the accounting for them, order more tokens, contact us, everything. Once they’ve signed up they will get 25 Billy Chips and a window sticker to tell customers that they can buy them there and also to tell the homeless that they can redeem them there. There’s a simple app which the shop can use to redeem the cost price of the food or drink purchased and any profit goes back into the charity. What’s next for BillyChip?

We are currently running a trial in Greggs; we are so excited to have the support of such a large company and we really feel like this is going to be an incredible turning point for us. It is proof that if such a conglomerate is able to run the scheme with ease, then there is no excuse for the independents and other largescale chains to follow. n For more: www.billychip.com