Cardiff Life – Issue 262

WEDDED TO THE IDEA LOCAL NUPTIALS TO INSPIRE FASHIONING THE FUTURE SLOW FASHION CHAMPION MABLI ON NATURAL, NOSTALGIC KNITWEAR SOCIAL SCENE PAPPING SOME OF CARDIFF’S MOST POPULAR EVENTS GET IT IN THE DIARY CHECK OUT OUR BUMPER WHAT’S ON GUIDE

NEW PROJECTS ON OUR WEBSITE

As far as weddings go, 2022 is perhaps the biggest year for them in decades.

After a strange landscape of lockdowns, uncertainty and chaos, nuptials are back in all shapes and sizes, so on page 13 we’ve been discovering tips from South Wales’ best venues, dress designers and more, plus plenty of fun and unique touches –fancy a live science show to entertain your guests? Or maybe you’d like to make an entrance via an enormous silver slide? Or have your first ‘just married’ photo inside an earthquake simulator? Look no further.

There’s a whole lot more besides in this issue, including plenty of chats with talented folk. On page 30, we have Adam Woodyatt, who’s on his way to Wales Millennium Centre to lead an all-star cast of My Fair Lady; on page 33 you’ll find Sir Bryn Terfel, who will soon perform at St David’s Hall as part of his Songs and Arias tour of the UK; and on page 35, we catch up with choirmaster extraordinaire Gareth Malone who is set to spread his irrepressible brand of joy at the New Theatre.

Elsewhere, as you may have spotted on our front cover, we’ve been trying out the newly opened Ivy Asia where we take in its candy-coloured magical setting, bold dishes and the surprises hiding in the loos (page 48).

There’s plenty more besides, too – from property and business, to art and sustainable shopping –and on page 26 you’ll find our What’s On guide, featuring Halloween festivals, firework nights, Beaujolais Day fun and all the big, unmissable events coming up soon.

Enjoy!

#CardiffTogether

Efallai mai 2022 yw’r flwyddyn brysuraf o ran priodasau ers degawdau. Ar ôl yr holl gyfnodau clo, yr holl ansicrwydd a’r holl anhrefn, mae priodasau o bob lliw a llun yn eu hôl. Ar dudalen 13, felly, mae gennym ambell gyngor gan leoliadau gorau de Cymru, y dylunwyr ffrogiau gorau ac eraill yn ogystal ag ambell syniad am ffyrdd o gael hwyl ac o wneud yr achlysur yn un unigryw –beth am gael sioe wyddoniaeth fyw i ddiddanu eich gwesteion? Neu roi syrpréis i bawb drwy ddod i lawr llithren enfawr o liw arian? Neu gael eich llun cyntaf fel pâr priod mewn peiriant sy’n efelychu daeargryn? Mae’r cyfan rhwng cloriau’r rhifyn hwn.

Ond nid dyna’r cyfan oherwydd mae gennym sgyrsiau lu â phobl hynod o ddawnus hefyd. Ar dudalen 30 mae Adam Woodyatt sydd ar ei ffordd i Ganolfan y Mileniwm i serennu yng nghast My Fair Lady, sy’n llawn enwogion; ar dudalen 33 mae Syr Bryn Terfel a fydd yn perfformio’n fuan yn Neuadd Dewi Sant yn rhan o’i daith Songs and Arias o gwmpas y DU; ac ar dudalen 35 rydym yn sgwrsio â Gareth Malone, yr arweinydd corau gwych, sydd ar fin dod i ddiddanu cynulleidfaoedd yn ei ffordd ddihafal ei hun yn y New Theatre yng Nghaerdydd. Fel arall, efallai i chi weld o’n clawr blaen ein bod wedi galw heibio i Ivy Asia sydd newydd agor yn y ddinas, gan fwynhau’r lleoliad cyfareddol, y bwyd blasus ac ambell syrpréis sydd yn y tai bach (ar dudalen 48). Mae yna ddigon o erthyglau eraill hefyd – o rai am eiddo a busnes i rai am gelf a siopa’n gynaliadwy – ac ar dudalen 26 fe welwch ein canllaw i ddigwyddiadau, sy’n cynnwys gwyliau Calan Gaeaf, nosweithiau tân gwyllt, yr hwyl sydd i’w chael ar Ddiwrnod Beaujolais a’r holl ddigwyddiadau mawr sydd ar ddod y bydd yn werth i chi fynd iddynt.

LISA EVANS

Follow us on Twitter @CardiffLifeMag Instagram @cardifflifemag

Mwynhewch!

#CaerdyddYnghyd

A wedding at The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff. For more, see page 13

© PHOTO BY SACHA MILLER

THE COVER The newly opened vy Asia, Cardiff.

page for more.

FEATURES

KISS THE BRIDE South Wales’ best venues, dress designers and more

ARTS AND EVENTS

ARTS INTRO Splott-based ceramic artist Jaejun Lee’s functional wares

WHAT’S ON Shows, music, exhibitions, family events and more

BIG INTERVIEW Chatting with Eastenders’ Adam Woodyatt, part of the all-star cast of My Fair Lady

5 MINUTES WITH Sir Bryn Terfel is coming to Cardiff

ONE TO ONE Choirmaster extraordinaire Gareth Malone is bringing a sing-along to the city

SCENE Papping some of the most popular events locally – can you spot yourself?

SHOPPING

SUSTAINABLE STYLE Chatting with the owner of childrenswear brand Mabli FOOD & DRINK

TASTY BITES A handful of foodie news morsels to chew on

JANE COOK Our food and drink columnist spills the tea

RESTAURANT REVIEW Our thoughts on The Ivy Asia

PROPERTY

PROPERTY NEWS A new Redrow development and a celebration of Savills

SHOWCASE Exploring Ashbrooke House in Cyncoed BUSINESS

CARDIFF WORKS News and views and brilliant businesses

BUSINESS Q&A Laings’ Adrien Leroux talks jewellery design

CARDIFF LIFE AWARDS 2023 The business highlight of the city is coming back!

CARDIFF LIFE AWARDS WINNERS Looking back at our 2022 champs

REGULARS

SPOTLIGHT Just a handful of feel-good stories

WYBURN AND WAYNE Our columnists have been out and about again

GETTING SCHOOLED Victoria Bond talks education

CARDIFF LIVES Cardiff chronicler eter Finch has released a new book

Lisa Evans

Cover

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PHOTO BY LEONIE FREEMAN

SPOTLIGHT

JUST A HANDFUL OF FEEL-GOOD STORIES

THE HIGHLIGHTS

29 October

CITY OF ARCADES DAY

City of Arcades Day will kick off the week of activities. There will be live performances across the city centre, historical tours, talks, and readings.

29 October – 4 November

NIGHT OF THE ANIMAL WALL

Based on the book Night of the Animal Wall by Jack Skivens, the Cardiff Castle Animal Wall will come to life, entwining the history of the castle into the city itself. The 15 animals along the wall have inspired colourful sculptures that be will dotted across the city centre and will be discoverable through a map of the locations which can be ticked off. On each original wall statue, you’ll find clues as to where the sculpture versions can be found, and you’ll find QR codes with further information on where to get your map and what the trail is all about.

29 October – 4 November

THEN AND NOW: THE PEOPLE

This photography exhibition will be in place throughout the week, celebrating the capital’s rich history and stories of the people who have owned – and loved – Cardiff’s historic arcade businesses. These stories will be shared around the city centre.

Shopping CITY OF ARCADES

This half term, Cardiff’s celebration of its one of a kind arcades is returning to in person events for the first time since 20 . From 2 October to November, the city centre will come alive with special, free to attend performances, e clusive offers, walking tours and family activities in the City of Arcades Week.

Cardiff has become renowned for its seven ictorian and Edwardian arcades which house over 00 independent cafés, bars and shops right in the heart of the city. From long standing businesses to new ventures, the city has never been a more e citing place to visit. To tell this intergenerational story, a city centre wide event programme will take place.

Following the success of theinaugural event which attracted over 200,000 visitors and generated a 60 per cent boost in sales for some retailers businesses in the arcades hope this year’s celebration will be bigger than ever. For more: www.thecityofarcades.com

A celebration of Cardiff’s arcades – featuring a citywide animal sculpture trail inspired by the animal wall at Cardiff Castle – will be held in the half term break

Money A CHANGE HAS COME

Twenty minutes from Cardiff, The oyal Mint in ontyclun is Britain’s oldest company and the o cial maker of nited Kingdom coins.

With its heritage dating back to Alfred the Great, The oyal Mint has made many intricately designed coins and medals to mark important milestones in British history, from coronations to commemorations. It has been trusted to produce the coinage of each British monarch, as well as currency for more than 60 countries.

The oyal Mint has now unveiled the o cial coin e gy of ing Charles , designed by British sculptor Martin ennings. The ing’s portrait will first appear on a coin and 0p commemorating the life and legacy of Her ate Majesty ueen Eli abeth . The 0p will enter circulation by the end of the year, and coins featuring His Majesty and ueen Eli abeth will co circulate.

The oyal Mint has been trusted to make coins bearing the monarch’s e gy for over , 00 years and we are proud to continue this tradition into the reign of ing Charles , says Anne essopp, chief e ecutive o cer of The oyal Mint.

“Although technology has progressed, we continue to honour British craftsmanship passed down through the centuries. Our team of skilled modellers, tool makers and engravers will ensure that The ing’s e gy will be faithfully replicated onto millions of coins.

For more than 00 years, The oyal Mint was based at the Tower of ondon, where ‘Mint Street’ can still be found today. It was during this time that Sir Isaac Newton was appointed Master of the Mint, a position

he held from 6 until his death in 2 . Thanks to his vision, coins remain unrivalled in their intricacy and accuracy to this day.

By 2, the company had outgrown the Tower and relocated to London’s Tower Hill. t moved once more in 6 to South Wales to accommodate the minting of the ’s decimal coins. Over the last 0 years, it has grown to become the most technically advanced minting facility in the world, and has just reported its largest pre ta profit ( m for the year ending March 2022 since becoming a limited company. For more: www.royalmint.com

Entertainment

CENTRE STAGE

The biggest refurbishment in Wales Millennium Centre’s 18-year history is now underway. It includes: a brand-new welcome hub filling the centre’s main entrance foyer, serving as a space for anyone to work, meet and rela ; a vibrant cabaret space, seating up to 0, which will play host to a daring programme of drag, comedy, burles ue, live music and spoken word performances; and a refurbished members’ lounge, giving the Centre’s most generous supporters e clusive access to an updated space just minutes from their seats.

All three areas of the m project which is being delivered by Cardiff based firm owell, with materials sourced from across Wales where possible are due to open in early 2023.

Our new spaces are designed to welcome you, whoever you are and wherever you’re from, into our new gateway to the arts in Wales, says Mathew Milsom, managing director of WMC. And once you’re here, we hope to inspire and intrigue you to try some of the wealth of e periences we have to offer from the best West End musicals to immersive journeys.

For more: www.wmc.org.uk

Designs have been unveiled for a multi-million-pound refurb at Wales Millennium Centre

Anne Jessopp – the first woman to hold the position of CEO at The Royal Mint in its 1,100-year history – unveiling an official coin effigy of His Majesty King Charles III

Whether

WEDDING BELLES

Never mind the two years of recently-ended frustration. This autumn-winter is peak wedding season, with local couples really making up for lost time…

By Wendy Lyne and Lisa Evans

PHOTO BY YOLANDA KINGDON PHOTOGRAPHY

Over the years, we’ve asked plenty of wedding professionals to spill the confetti on what their clients are currently asking for, and one response came back again and again. “The thing is,” we were told, “they don’t want it to feel like a wedding at all.”

But then we’d get the pictures: all sweeping vistas and golden mansions, white gowns and slick suits, a Super Typhoon Nina of flower crowns and macaron towers. t was hard not to think: yes, it looks gorgeous, but it also looks just like wedding. Not really all that different at all, is it?

Of course, Covid changed all that. t made tying the knot in 2020, and even 2021, an oft-compromised (and usually small scale affair. And it made 2022 perhaps the biggest year for weddings in decades, a legion of them, in all shapes and sizes. Getting engaged in 2019 actually turned out to be the chef’s kiss of timings for many, as suddenly there was no need – and little option, let’s face it – to rush. During a strange 18-month landscape of lockdowns and uncertainty and chaos, there were two basic choices. For the few, it was a race against lockdowns: a wave of quick, cheap dos with just a handful of socially distanced guests. But for the many, it bought time: to reassess what they really wanted, and – for the lucky ones whose income wasn’t too badly impacted – save up for it too.

And through all this, weddings changed, as people reassessed, well, everything. Some of the new trends we’ve been tracking this year are an extension of the shifts and drifts in direction of the past decade, while others seem fresh and surprising and out of left field. ater on we’ll be getting tips from South Wales’ best venues, dress shops and more, but first up, a few on point trends it’s impossible to ignore

Trend #1 The Elopement

For some, the answer has become a less performative wedding, not so much an in-person extravaganza for family and friends as something smaller and more personal. n other words, a posh elopement or, as some like to call it, a micro-wedding. The irony, of course, is that these are often just as expensive, elaborate and photogenic as any traditional affair, albeit lacking in physical guests.

Once faintly – or even extremely – scandalous, the earliest elopements involved a couple on the run, at least one livid family in hot pursuit, and a race to Scotland or France where the knot could be surreptitiously tied. These days, they’re much less fractious, and usually involve a small-scale do, albeit often opulent and highly nstagrammable, with just a do en or so guests. E otic locations are optional, but these events are definitely designed to impress, just not necessarily . Specific, small but by no means secret, and often scratching that exotic honeymoon travel itch simultaneously with the event itself, modern elopements spend as much on multiple photographers and videographers as they do on the food. Because the showing off is non negotiable, if usually after the fact.

Trend #2 The All-In Party

Our second post-Covid trend, and just as popular (if more traditional), has seen couples go entirely the other way, dreaming of no-holdsbarred spectaculars, big parties with packed dance floors, rows of dining tables and hundreds of smiling well-wishers. Hey, we’re allowed to get together again, goes the thinking. So it would be churlish not to.

Trend #3 Modern Austen

Basically, a to hell with reality, think of the glamour egency affair owing as much to Bridgerton or Georgette Heyer as anything Jane actually wrote. Think a perfectly English cottagecore aesthetic gussied up to the max with Transatlantic glamour, a sea of empire-waist dresses and Prussian blue pigment, crawling wisteria and lashings of lace. Gloves, vintage china, and handwritten personal touches everywhere.

Trend #4 Anni-ceptions

What’s this? t’s simply a second do on the anniversary of the first, and a smart way to make a virtue of the inevitable. magine you managed a bijoux lockdown original, but in doing so disappointed the many potential guests who couldn’t attend. What to do? Well, why not organise a large-scale sequel ‘wedding’ now that you can, perhaps following on a year (or two!) to the day, awash with all the family and friends who inevitably missed out the first time? These are generally big but rela ed affairs, perhaps revolving around an all grins, aisle walking recreation of the original ceremony – but they don’t have to. The joy of these dos is that they’ve split the emotional intimacy from the full-scale partying, making it maybe easier to relax and enjoy them both.

Trend #5 Unusual entertainment

Everyone wants to leave the guests talking, and une pected even oddball – entertainment and activities have become the obvious go-to. A e throwing? A petting oo? (Two options you’d be wise to keep quite far apart.) Circus performers? Face painting or henna tattoos? Silent discos? A full on, aris is Burning ball, half Drag ace and half Cabaret? Nothing is too out there, too crazy or too much fun. Go for it, we say.

A wedding at Gileston Manor in the Vale; OPPOSITEPAGE: Floral design by Florrie and Jo in Bridgend

©

PHOTO BY KEVIN MULLINS

Trend #6 Sustainability, in all its forms

From rented wedding dresses, Carrie Johnson-style, to sober-curious dos with a wide range of intriguing alcohol-free bubbly alternatives, more low-key, eco-conscious couples are making their mark felt, and often – bonus! – achieving something amazing at a fraction of the normal cost, too. Natural colour palettes (all nudes, rusts and camels) play into this, as do bought (but more casual and versatile) two-piece dresses, with potential re-wearability a big bonus. Ditto upcycled occasion wear, often self-designed (or self-curated) from charity shop and vintage specialist finds. For those lucky enough to have access to suitably large spaces, back garden weddings are booming too: a patch of grass, a series of tents, and a relatively affordable bash that flows inside and outside with ease. (Sure, this is more of a fine weather choice – but fortune favours the bold!)

Trend #7 Statement outerwear

It’s too hot! It’s too cold! Wales bows to nowhere in terms of weather chat, but combine that with the long-established fact that many of the best wedding photos combine the rough with the smooth to winning effect a Marilyn Monroe dress paired with a Marlon Brando biker jacket, say and we’re predicting an ever-wider array of interesting outerwear becoming the unexpected stars of the show at an increasing number of weddings. Giant furry pimp coats? Bright yellow cod fisherman’s oilskins with sou’westers? Witty varsity jackets? Embroidered tailcoats? Wild West dusters? Shearling and vinyl, feathers and faux-fur? Whatever the look, well-picked outerwear will keep you warm, dry but always cool, as well as add a fun extra level of synchronicity to any couple’s look. Plus, your chosen snappers will love it.

“Think a perfectly Englishcottagecore aesthetic gussiedup to the max withTransatlantic glamour”

© CARLA ANNE PHOTOGRAPHY, WITH THANKS TO MISS HAVISHAM’S CAKES IN PONTYCLUN

CHOICE VENUES

A curated selection of the very best places to tie the knot TECHNIQUEST

Not every wedding venue has to be traditional, and for a very different take, you could consider Techniquest, the UK’s longest established Science Discovery Centre, right on the waterfront at Cardiff Bay. Now 60 per cent bigger, thanks to a recent extension, it provides a quirky space for guests of all ages.

Stand-out bits?

“It’s got to be the dozens of interactive exhibits spread across two floors, perfect to e plore between the ceremony and reception, says Techni uest’s Gareth McTi n. And if you’re looking for that e tra something, we can even arrange a live science show.

When did you start hosting weddings, then?

We’ve only just begun offering ceremonies, actually, though we’ve had receptions here for some time. Hannah and oe used to visit Techniquest as children, and when their friendship grew into love, and they were searching for an unusual place to tie the knot, they both independently thought of us. Hannah grew up to be an engineer, and oe’s love of dinosaurs never abated, so we held their wedding our first one back in une. We’re now licensed to host everything, from the ceremony through to speeches and reception, and are looking forward to welcoming many more couples.

You can handle the lot, then? retty much! Though we have to avoid live D s, due to noise levels; why not try a cool alternative, like a silent disco, instead?

“Adventurous brides love comingdown our ginormous silver slide”

©

PHOTO BY XPECT PHOTOGRAPHY

ABOVE: Hensol Castle in the Vale; BELOW: Techniquest in Cardiff Bay

©

PHOTO BY OLIVER JONES PHOTOGRAPHY

How many can you cater for?

“Up to 200 is our current recommendation, giving plenty of scope for enjoying the whole space in comfort – and with hardly any queueing!”

Best photo opportunities?

“Outside we’d recommend next to the silver Planetarium globe, or taking advantage of our waterside exterior. Inside, it could be gazing into the infinity mirror, finding your honeymoon destination on our huge globe, or testing out the Earthquake simulator in our Environment Zone. Adventurous brides love coming down our ginormous silver slide: #brideontheslide is the hashtag for that. But whatever you do, don’t use the Hurricane exhibit before the o cial photographs are taken www.techniquest.org

HENSOL CASTLE

A quirky venue, awash with towers and turrets, the Vale’s Hensol Castle has 17 new bespoke bedrooms, each different to the last. Outdoor ceremonies work at any time of year thanks to a brand-new bandstand and huge parasol umbrellas covering the entire ceremony area, while the jetty provides a beautiful setting for more intimate photos.

“Plus, there’s a helicopter landing area for brides wishing to arrive in style,” says Hensol’s Laura Bremner, “and a free round of golf for the groom and three friends on our Wales National Championship course.”

Why is an autumn/winter wedding perfect here?

“The castle is stunning whatever the season, but there is something magical about the colder, darker months, when our landscaped gardens are a joy to behold. The light at this time of year makes for stunning photography around the lake and grounds, especially when there’s a light frost on the trees and roaring log fires in the reception rooms. But there’s an abundance of unique photo opportunities within the castle itself too, not least by an inset stained-glass window on the staircase, where the couple can stand on the ledge for a photo like no other.”

Ever gone above and beyond for your brides and grooms?

When another venue, Windmill Farm, went up in flames a couple of months ago, we saved the day by moving planned conference and business and working around the clock to squeeze in a few last-minute weddings during our busiest month of the year. Seeing the relief on the brides’ faces when we stepped in was worth all the extra work.” www.hensolcastle.com

ROYAL WELSH COLLEGE OF MUSIC & DRAMA

Neighbouring Bute Park – one of the largest and most beautiful parks in the UK – this is a creative venue keen to jump through whatever hoops are necessary to suit your personal style. Traditional and elegant? They’ve got it. Theatrical and quirky? That too. These guys have arranged theatrical ceremonies on outdoor stages, wedding walks with guests through the park, and receptions with choirs, harpists, jazz trios and string quartets. Their special lighting and scenery for evening parties is legendary too.

Stand-out bits?

We’ve two uni ue venues the stunning former Cardiff Castle stables, with their historic courtyard and beautiful tree-lined entrance, and our magnificent contemporary glass atrium, with floor to ceiling windows and an open-air terrace overlooking the park,” says RWCMD’s Aimée

Daniel. “And our outstanding concert hall and theatre is perfect for a ceremony with a dramatic difference! ou can book some of the best young musicians in Cardiff directly through our Hire a erformer scheme, too.”

How many can you cater for?

“With four ceremony rooms, we’re perfect for anything from 15-200 daytime guests – or 300 for evening celebrations.”

Best photo opportunities?

“Either our gorgeous contemporary exterior, the open-air terrace overlooking Bute ark, or the tree lined avenue with Cardiff Castle as your backdrop.” www.rwcmd.ac.uk

ST TEWDRICS

A 19th Century Italianate villa in 10 acres of idyllic Monmouthshire countryside, St Tewdrics House is approached by a tree-lined driveway past a stunning seasonal wildflower meadow. A great e clusive hire venue, this place won a 2022 Wedding Industry Award for Best Venue (Historic Building) in the South West, so you know it’s going to be good.

Stand-out bits?

We have reception drinks priced at no profit, and a discount on wedding breakfast wines,” says St Tewdrics’ Caroline Sims.

Why is an autumn/winter wedding perfect here?

“The sunsets and autumn leaves are stunning, and you can see both Severn bridges in the background; we even have a swing among the oak trees for the most amazing wedding pictures. Inside, the original Portland stone hallway and Forest of Dean staircase are beautiful too. As everything is under cover, guests can move from the drinks reception to the courtyard room without braving the weather.”

Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama

©

PHOTO BY JOE CLARK

How many can you cater for?

“150 guests, plus nine bedrooms to sleep 20 people on site.”

Ever gone above and beyond for your couples?

“One time our bride’s cars didn’t arrive to take her to church, so the whole team jumped into action to relay her and her guests there and back. Another bride kept tripping over her wedding dress, so our housekeeper did emergency surgery, cutting it shorter then tacking it up, so it still looked perfect.” www.sttewdricshouse.co.uk

GILESTON MANOR ESTATE

ou’ll find This Georgian Grade manor house a private country home that has been loved and lived in since 320 within an e uisite nine acre estate in the ale. The manor house’s mirrored ballroom, with its panoramic sea views, is a go-to for wedding ceremonies and reception celebrations for up to 0 guests; the Secret Garden is available for civil ceremonies for 140 guests; and the pretty church of St Giles, located adjacent to the grounds, is for religious ceremonies for up to 0 guests. n the otus mar uee seating 0 dinner guests and hosting up to 200 for your evening celebrations under sparkling chandeliers wedding breakfast is enjoyed, speeches are toasted and dance moves are thrown, all while overlooking the Jurassic coastline.

Tell us some other stand-out parts?

The gardens offer many beautiful locations for your ceremony too with seven different outside locations for your civil ceremony, it can be as simple or traditional as desired, says owner orraine Garrad ones. Maybe talian styled in the walled garden or formal on the front lawns perhaps? What’s more, the historic outbuildings have recently been converted into eight bouti ue suites, providing accommodation for up to 24 guests, and the courtyard cottages and suites, sleep 40 people.” www.gilestonmanor.co.uk

voco ST.DAVID’S

A romantic five star hotel shaped like a boat’s sail right at the Cardiff Bay waterfront, voco St.David’s is contemporary but elegant with a spectacular full height lobby and bedrooms with floor to ceiling

windows and balconies; it’s perhaps unsurprising, then, that the bay views are incredible. There’s a choice of two wedding suites for larger dos, a secluded terrace for outdoor ceremonies, and assorted options for more intimate ceremonies.

Why’s an autumn/winter wedding perfect here?

“Whatever the weather, our panoramic views bring the outdoors in,” says voco’s ucy Williams. The views are gorgeous in the daytime, and perhaps even more spectacular by night, with shimmering light from the bay providing the ultimate backdrop to your party. And with up to 142 rooms available, everyone can stay over too.”

Ever gone above and beyond for your couples?

“Our events coordinator, Eve Hanlon, is a real superstar, who always takes note of the little things, from putting locally made Welsh cakes in each room to pulling any stray tag she spots from guests’ centrepieces.”

How many can you cater for?

p to 220 for a seated ceremony, and 3 0 for the evening party but we also love to host smaller, more intimate weddings.”

Best photo opportunities?

Our beautiful enarth Terrace is available for bespoke blessings and has stunning views across the Penarth Marina. Alternatively, the Dylan Thomas Suite is bathed in light from the floor to ceiling windows and features panoramic views of Cardiff Bay. www.stdavids.vocohotels.com

PETAL POWER

Take a look at this little lot. They’re blooming’ marvellous… FORBESFIELD

“Autumn/winter weddings are almost always season led, and often highly te tural, with a real sense of earthiness and, traditionally, richer colours and tones,” says Beth Forbes-Simpson, founder of Barry based florist Forbesfield. ecently, though, we’ve been moving towards a lighter and airier feel, so think mustards, caramels and nudes mi ed with rusts and ochres for light and shade. We feel this keeps the look elegant rather than overly rustic and ‘scratchy’. Full-on

Is this voco St David’s in Cardiff Bay, or an exotic destination wedding?

Photographer: Stephanie Butt Photography

Flowers: Wilde Posies, Ynysybwl

Stylist & Organiser: R&R Weddings & Events

Couple: A.D Model Couple

Dress: Rebel Rock Bridal

HMUA: Rebel Rock Hair and Makeup

Jewellery: Leoma Drew

Venue: The Shack Revolution

LEFTANDBELOW: Wilde Posies shoots

winter weddings stay in the same earthy and natural spectrum, but with couples often wanting to stay away from anything too Christmassy, we tend to lean towards a frosty morning look, with whites and wood and lots of beautiful candlelight.”

And what if we really want to push the boat out?

Suspended flower clouds are an eternal favourite at this time of year, as they work perfectly with textured grasses and ferns, giving lots of beautiful swoosh, drape and movement especially when they are suspended low, so feel more immersive. When this isn’t possible we always recommend a showstopper ceremony backdrop that can also be used during the reception celebrations, and we’ve recently used these as backdrops around the cake, so it gets a showstopper moment of its own. Oh, and we love a decorated staircase: the grandness and airy height really play to the moment.”

www.forbesfield.co.uk

Photography: Carla Anne Photography

Flowers: Wilde Posies, Ynysybwl

Venue: Rosedew Farm, Llantwit Major

Gown: E&W Couture, Cardiff

HMUA: Becky Lingham

WILDE POSIES

Made redundant during Covid, Ale Wilde began Wilde osies from a makeshift studio in a spare room. ’d been a regional visual merchandiser, she says, and wanted to stay in a creative role, so knew this would bring me a fresh challenge every day. Flowers were calling me, so with my redundancy payout I took the plunge, buying my first stock. Now, two years later, have a dedicated studio space in Caerphilly, with all the space I need to make magic happen.”

The door’s always open, Ale says, for a cuppa and a chat about your floral dreams. www.wildeposies.com

BEST DRESSED

Bespoke and made-to-measure gowns and suits from local designers…

E&W COUTURE

Opposite Cardiff Castle’s clocktower on Castle Street you’ll find indie label E W Couture, where founder and creative director Sophie Creed has been breaking bridal stereotypes since 20 . We don’t think bridal should mean uncomfortable, or that the gowns should be kept in a bo afterwards, she says. And we certainly don’t think you should feel pressured into not being yourself. Our dresses are unusual, and made to stand out.”

What does this mean in practice? Well, that jumpsuits and separates sit proudly alongside more conventional dresses, and everything’s designed and made in-house to a sustainable model; a bespoke made to measure service is standard.

Everything’s done by me and my pattern cutter, Rose, using amazing fabrics sourced locally and from

www.mediaclash.co.uk

STEPHANIE

BUTT PHOTOGRAPHY

©

CARLA ANNE PHOTOGRAPHY, WITH THANKS TO MISS

HAVISHAM’S

CAKES IN PONTYCLUN

across Europe,” Sophie says. “I’ll develop a mood board and start sketching designs, then we’ll discuss our favourites and start developing patterns and toiles. These are basically a first version of each dress made from cheaper fabric, so we can get the shape, fit and drape right before making the final thing. t’s a long process, but so worth it.

With everything made to order, either to established ‘off the rack’ designs or to a unique, custom-made style, collaboration becomes very much part of the process.

Though the look is generally quite timeless, separates, long sleeves and a certain degree of glitter are currently hot. “Most of all,” Sophie says, “being able to wear pieces again after the wedding is always on trend with us.” www.eandwcouture.co.uk

MISA HARADA MILLINERY

If you want to get ahead, they used to say, get a hat, and for uni ue bridal options one of the first places to look is Cardiff’s Misa Harada Millinery, where Misa’s unique perspective results in the most magical creations. Misa was born in Japan, studied millinery in London in the 1980s, and came to Wales six year ago. She’s since become a Vogue magazine favourite, starring in a 2018 feature on avant-garde bridal wear to celebrate the Harry Meghan royal wedding, where one of Misa’s bridal veils was worn by none other than Cara Delevingne. www.misaharada.com

NATHAN PALMER

The guys often get short thrift as far as wedding looks are concerned, but no longer: Nathan Palmer’s made-to-measure and bespoke suit service ensures a precise fit, endless materials to choose from, and assorted style options, including double breasted and three-piece.

“Once you’ve been measured, we’ll take you through the styling

process to select all the details and create your perfectly fitting custom made suit,” says Nathan, who runs the Penarth-based brand with business partner Debbie O’Sullivan. “We love an informal summer wedding, a formal evening dinner, or anything in between.”

These guys began in 20 0 offering smart casual menswear, with the bespoke part of the business starting five years later. Then, in 20 , they opened their store on Stanwell Road. Their most recent adventure was the launch of designer streetwear brand Perverse Demand, which –among other things – helps keep their thinking fresh. Occasionally stars will rock up looking for something unique: ex-Arsenal and England footballer Ian Wright wanting a suit for an FA Cup Final, or former Welsh rugby international Sam Warburton preparing to receive his OBE from H H rince William, for instance. Movie stars have been seen here too.

Amazingly, it needn’t be as expensive as you think.

“Two piece suits start at £1,000, and three piece at £1,350,” Nathan says, “depending on fabric and style. But they’re all long lasting, well cut, tailored to the body, and created with what the client needs in mind. Each suit generally takes four to six weeks to make, but we can work to an emergency schedule if you really do need it sooner.”

One other thing to point out: though very much a menswear specialist, Nathan can make gowns too. Indeed, he’s particularly good at bridesmaids dresses, where a unified look is re uired, despite the bridesmaids being very different heights and shapes. The great thing about having something designed and made,” Nathan says, “is that you’re able to combine your favourite parts from lots of different dresses in one unique piece.” www.nathanpalmer.co.uk

THE SWEETEST THINGS

Do you want your guests to say wow when they see it, or when they eat it? Why not a bit of both…?

MISS HAVISHAM’S CAKES

Gone are the days when wedding cakes meant three white tiers, awash with icing, and little statues of a bride and groom on top. Though if you want that, of course, no-one’s arguing: it’s a classic for a reason, after all.

“Couples are spoilt for choice these days,” says Joanne Towers of Miss Havisham’s Cakes in ontyclun. retty bas relief and piped flowers are popular, but so are clean contemporary abstract wafer paper and pearl designs. Fresh flowers and deep colours remain in favour, though flower placement tends to be more natural and organic than before.”

ABOVE: Nathan Palmer; BELOW: An E&W Couture gown; INSET: A Misa Harada Millinery bridal headpiece

Cakes are also smaller, more often than not, to save on cost and waste. But that doesn’t mean they can’t still be spectacular. “Spacers and false tiers can create e tra height, oanne says, while flowers and abstract designs add volume. Styling is key: we use contemporary stands, and interesting pieces of furniture, flowers and props, to personalise the cake and really make a statement.”

But as the proof of the pudding is in the eating, what about flavours? Most popular this year have been white chocolate and wild lingonberry, coffee and ha elnut nougat, and white peach and coconut.”

www.misshavishamcakes.com

SPARKLE ON

Cap your look with these glorious attention-grabbers

SHOPPING LIST

1. 18ct white gold sapphire and diamond pendant with chain, £18,300, from Laings, St David’s, Cardiff; www.laingsuk.com

2. We Dream in Colour earrings, £235, from Anne Morgan Jewellery; www.annemorgan jewellery.com

3. Katharine Daniel earrings, £1800, from Anne Morgan Jewellery, Penarth; www.annemorgan jewellery.com

4. 18ct white gold cushion cut yellow diamond ring, £2,435, from Laings, St David’s, Cardiff; www.laingsuk.com

Photography: Carla Anne Photography

Cake: Miss Havisham’s Cakes, Pontyclun Flowers: Florrie and Jo Styling: Luxe Touch Events

PICTURE PERFECT

How would you describe your style and approach? “For me, a wedding day isn’t a photo shoot,” says Owen Mathias of Owen Mathias Photography in the Vale of Glamorgan. “Remaining relaxed and in touch with the emotion of the day is the most important thing to me. When guests ask me ‘how long have you been friends with the couple?’ then I know I’ve done this well. I’m a friend with a camera capturing photos at weddings, rather than being a ‘wedding photographer’.”

What shots do you love to capture, and what’s your favourite part of the day?

“Most of the things that happen at a wedding are impossible to plan for. It’s the crazy moments that happen in between the planned parts that interest me – that’s what makes every wedding unique. Doing this job is such a privilege, witnessing couples making a declaration in front of their family and friends and being part of such a life-changing event is always special. I enjoy this every time.”

www.owenmathias.com

A few more of of our favourite local photographers… Aga Hosking www.agahosking.com

Fox Photography Cardiff www.foxphotographycardiff.com

Francesca Hill Photographer www.francescahillphotography.com Mary W-Thomas www.marywthomas.com Yolanda Kingdon Photography www.yolandakingdon.co.uk

ABOVE: A Miss Havisham’s Cakes creation; BELOW: Tansy and Matt’s wedding at Coed Hills, just outside Cowbridge. The couple wears face paint runes from the Elder Futhark

©

OWEN MATHIAS PHOTOGRAPHY

© PHOTO BY CARLA ANNE PHOTOGRAPHY

THE ARTS

SNAPSHOTS OF CARDIFF’S CULTURAL LIFE

THE A T OF S M C T

Originally from South Korea, Splott-based ceramic artist Jaejun Lee creates vessels and functional wares from porcelain at his Broadway studio. In his four years in Cardiff, he has garnered a loyal and burgeoning following, with his signature moon jars and nesting bowls (pictured) the fan favourites.

“The reason I chose to base myself here was because I was told that there are uite big communities for ceramists, says aejun. Cardiff Metropolitan University has a very strong ceramic department and there is a studio called Fireworks where around 20 makers work in shared spaces. chose Cardiff as wanted to have some connection with those communities. I have places I love [locally] but the theme of my work, ‘simplicity’, has been continued from Korea.” www.leejaejun.com

WHAT

S ON

10 – 12 November

THE INVISIBLE MAN

Black RAT Productions perform the comedy e isible for their 2022 Tour of Wales. s rk www.rwcmd. c.uk

22 – 26 November

SPIKE: UK TOUR

Ian Hislop and Nick Newman’s comedy sees John Dagleish reprise his role as Spike Milligan. ew e re rk l ce www. ew e rec rdi .co.uk

COMEDY

23 October THE BEST OF WALES COMEDY GALA

An evening of comedy featuring the likes of Mike Bubbins, Kiri Pritchard-McLean and host Robin Morgan. Wales Millennium Centre, rdi www.wmc.or .uk

3 November

JEN BRISTER: THE OPTIMIST

This is critically acclaimed stand-up Jen Brister’s biggest tour yet. e lee lub erm id u www. lee.co.uk

MUSIC AND DANCING

On now, until 9 December AMSERJAZZTIME

PLAYS/SHOWS/ CONCERTS

On now, until 22 October THE COLOR PURPLE:

THE MUSICAL

The musical tells the powerful story of heroine Celie who discovers her own unique voice thanks to the women in her life. Wales Millennium e re rdi www.wmc.or .uk

On now, until 29 October A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM Sherman Theatre is celebrated for its fresh takes on classic plays; its new production promises A Midsummer i s re m for our times. erm e re s www.s erm e re.co.uk

On now, until June 2023 THE CARDIFF CLASSICAL SERIES 2022/23

Expect 18 world-class concerts featuring the likes of award-winning cellist Laura van der Heijden and

virtuoso pianist Paul Lewis. id s ll e es www.s d ids llc rdi .co.uk

23 October ELLA HENDERSON TOUR e c or star’s er i id tour is coming to the city. r ms ed l re o d www. r ms edc rdi .com

24 and 31 October

A TASTE OF WALES

An evening of Welsh entertainment – based on the traditional Music, Poems & Pints evening. e o l c e o el ou u r u re rdi www. isi c rdi .com

29 October

SIR BRYN TERFEL

An evening dedicated to the world of Songs and Arias.For more, see page 33. id s ll e es www.s d ids llc rdi .co.uk

31 October SUGABABES

The most successful British female

group of the 21st century is back! rdi er io l re ci ce re www.c rdi er io l re .co.uk

25 – 29 October

FISHERMAN’S FRIENDS: THE MUSICAL

A world premiere production based on the true story of the Cornish singing sensations Fisherman’s Friends, and the hit 20 film about their life. ew e re rk l ce www. ew e rec rdi .co.uk

1 November – 4 December

THE SNOW QUEEN

Written for Penarth Operatic & Dramatic Society (PODS), this panto is based on the original story by Hans Christian Anderson. e e ooms e r www.podspe r .or

8 – 26 November

MY FAIR LADY

EastEnder Adam Woodyatt and opera superstar Lesley Garrett star in this award-winning production. For more, see page 30. Wales Millennium Centre, rdi www.wmc.or .uk

RWCMD’s Friday jazz club performs everything from bebop, to funk and soul. s rk www.rwcmd. c.uk

29 October THROWFEST

This festival takes place across venues on Womanby Street, including The Moon and Clwb Ifor Bach, with a line-up of metal, rock, hardcore and more. om b ree www.clwb. e

29 October

MONSTER’S BALL:

A women-only halloween event featuring a red carpet arrival, a three-course banquet, fancy dress and plenty of dancing. ur s rdi www. ur si s.com

31 October

THE VINTAGE CARAVAN: MONUMENTS TOUR

This modern prog rock three-piece is known for its energetic stage performance and non-stop tours. e lobe lb o d www. lobec rdi music.com

Sophiaworks, the biggest fireworks night in Cardiff returns on 4 November

TOP 5 Our pick of some of the best events coming up…

1

21 – 23 October

S N FESTIVAL

This multi-venue music festival will feature hometown heroes, including Aderyn, Adwaith, Sweet Baboo, Eädyth & Izzy Rabey, and Mellt, in venues such as Tramshed, Clwb Ifor Bach, The Moon and Tiny Rebel. Across Cardiff; www.swnfest.com

226 October

BOB DYLAN: ROUGH AND ROWDY WAYS

The legendary Bob Dylan is heading to Cardiff on his Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour, his first tour in five years.

Cardiff International Arena, city centre; www.cardiffinternationalarena.co.uk

326 – 30 October

LLAIS

Llais is Wales Millennium Centre’s flagship annual international arts festival inspired by the instrument that connects us all, the voice. Expect acts including Pussy Riot, Brett Anderson and Cate Le Bon.

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay; www.wmc.org.uk

44 November SOPHIAWORKS

The biggest fireworks night in Cardiff returns for an evening of live music and family entertainment, including funfair rides, street food, cricket skills and a

3 November KAISER CHIEFS

One of Britain’s most treasured bands is out on tour with The Fratellis and The Sherlocks. rdi er io l re ci ce re www.c rdi er io l re .co.uk

13 November

CHAPTER FOUR: SUNDAY JAZZ

Chapter’s in-house jazz group brings swinging tunesto the arts centre. p er r s o www.c p er.or

14 November

BIFFY CLYRO

The alternative rock trio are on tour! rdi er io l re ci ce re www.c rdi er io l re .co.uk

Most Thursdays

HAVANA FIESTA

The Salsa party night is back with Latin dance line-ups, Salsa, Bachata and Reggaeton hits. e olucio de ub e ri r www. peoples ls .co.uk

Most Fridays NUKE

Party anthems, cult classics and dance floor bangers. lwb for c om b ree www.clwb. e ARTS, EXHIBITIONS & CULTURE

On now, until 22 October

WICKER WOMAN

A solo exhibition for Kate Shooter – winner of the 2021 MADE Art Prize. rdi oc ber ree o www.c rdi m de.com

On now, until 23 October

RITHIKA PANDEY:

EVERYTHING HAS ITS TIME

A selection of evocative and deeply personal paintings for Chapter’s Art in the Bar programme. p er r s o www.c p er.or

On now, until 5 November SHANI RHYS JAMES MBE

Shani is widely regarded as Wales’ most important living artist. This exhibition of new paintings is an important part of the Martin Tinney Gallery’s 30th anniversary celebrations. r i i e ller . drew s resce www. r w les.com

spectacular fireworks display. op i rde s rdi www. l mor cricke .com

55 November WALES FESTIVAL OF REMEMBRANCE

Now in its 42nd year, The Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance, in support of the annual Poppy Appeal, is the nation’s chance to come together to commemorate and honour all those who have lost their lives in conflict.

St David’s Hall, The Hayes; www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk

On now, until 12 November

SKY BODY SPIRIT

Could God be a woman? Can paintings heal? These are some of the questions explored by artist Prith B. r e r l ller i u re rr www. leof l mor . o .uk

On now, until 5 March 2023

WALES IS… PROUD

This display will include objects from Pride events held across Wales, from protest banners to campaign badges. s io l useum of is or rdi www.museum.w les

On now, until September 2023

REFRAMING PICTON

An exhibition created with minoritised communities in response to a portrait of Sir Thomas Picton – a war hero who also terrorised the island of Trinidad where he was Governor. io l useum rdi s rk www.museum.w les

18 November

JJ ADAMS

With a portfolio spanning over a decade, ’s artworks are nfluenced

Swn Festival hits the city on 21 October

Midlake joins Llais festival this October

PHOTO BY BETHAN MILLER

by pop culture, and read as an ode to nostalgia. Adamo Gallery, Morgan Arcade; www.adamogallery.co.uk

Most weekends CERAMIC WORKSHOPS

Matthew Jones’ workshops cater for groups of up to four, all making pottery items on the wheel. MatthewJones Ceramics Barry, Goodsheds; www.matthewjonesceramics.com

FOOD & DRINK

On now, until 30 October PICKING PATCH

Choose from over 20 varieties of pumpkins, from the goosebump to the cute munchkin (yes, that’s really what they’re called!). Only pay for what you pick. oed r d l rk ic ol s rdi www.pickingpatch.com

On now, until 31 October PICK YOUR OWN PUMPKINS

Forage Farm Shop and Kitchen’s annual event will feature wacky pumpkin patches, tractor rides, a maize maze, alpacas and more. Penllyn Estate Farm; www.foragefarmshop.co.uk

18 November WINE ESCAPE

The ’s first immersive escape room event will see guests step back into the roaring 1920s to enjoy a night of glamour and a meal along with problem-solving games to beat the ticking clock and solve a murder mystery. ercure rdi oll d ouse o el p ewpor o d www.wineescape.co.uk

FAMILY & KIDS

22 October – 31 October

THE COSMESTON HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL

An exciting after-dark experience where thousands of lights will illuminate Cosmeston Medieval illage. Special effects and petrifying performers will test your nerves, and there will be a traditional fairground and entertainment for all the family. osmes o kes ou r rk edie l ill e er ock o d Penarth; www.visitthevale.com

22 October – 6 November WELSH MUSEUMS FESTIVAL

Two weeks of events and activities for all ages. There are dragons to find, riddles to solve, crafts to make and time travel to delight younger

visitors. For more mature guests, there are also talks, lectures, crafts, behind the scenes explorations, and conservation sessions. Museums across Wales; www.museums.wales

29 October – 6 November

BRICKLIVE OCEAN SHOW

Cardiff Bay will become home to 13 giant hand-built brick Ocean creatures which aim to bring important sea life facts to life in a fun and engaging environment. Mermaid u rdi www.merm id u .co.uk

29 October – 6 November

COCH’S CREEPY HALLOWEEN

Complete a Halloween quest, daily throughout half-term. Also expect Spooky face painting and creepy craft activities. s ell oc rdi www.cadw.gov.wales

Ongoing

CEFN MABLY FARM PARK

An indoor and outdoor attraction featuring a petting and feeding zoo, crazy mini golf, a train that takes you on a tour of the park, and a soft play area. e o d ic els o edw rdi www.cef m bl f rmp rk.com

Ongoing

FFOREST FAWR

CIRCULAR WALK

There are three heritage trails to choose from: a Sculpture Trail with wood carvings, old mining caves, and Castle Coch for touring. Fforest Fawr; www.ou doorc rdi .com

Ongoing TECHNIQUEST

The science centre offers interactive experiences that have been enjoyed in its centre by over five million people of all ages since its inception in Cardiff in 6. ec i ues u r ree rdi www. ec i ues .or

FIREWORKS

29 October

BARRY ISLAND CHARITY

FIREWORKS FIESTA

Watch the display from Barry sland Prom and Gardens and enjoy the many cafés plus the Pleasure Park, which will be open from 4pm on the night and will offer free ghost train rides. rr sl d rom ri rs o d www.visitthevale.com

5 November FIREWORKS NIGHT

An e plosive fireworks show lighting up the sky over Cardiff Bay. o ou e rdi s r m @loloungeuk

FILM

28 October – 4 November

LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE

Lyle is a singing crocodile living in the attic of a family’s new home. Memo Arts Centre, Barry; www.memoartscentre.co.uk

28 October – 6 November

STREET FOOD CINEMA

Cardiff’s pop up drive in movie and street food experience is returning for its third year. The halloweenthemed movie line-up includes a special Day of the Dead night on 2 November. Horror classics on the bill include A Nightmare on Elm Street, and The Craft alongside family favourites like os bus ers and Coco plo rke rdi www.streetfoodcircus.co.uk

Ongoing BOCS

The first space of its kind in a Welsh arts centre, the newly opened Bocs (Welsh for Bo will present a programme of immersive digital e periences from 360 films and projections to extended reality (XR) experiences. Wales Millennium Centre, rdi www.wmc.or .uk

Ongoing COSY CINEMA

The world’s first Cosy Cinema od ark has landed in Cardiff. ou’ll find private pods big enough for couples and small groups – where you can stream media of your choice (from Netfli originals, to bo sets, to movies, or even live sport or video games . ou can even stay overnight. r rk ields rks o d Pontcanna;www.cosse.co.uk

Various dates

SNOWCAT SHOWINGS

ndependent cinema at its best, featuring a full repertory and cult classics, contemporary films and lesser-known gems. Snowcat Cinema, Penarth Pier Pavilion; www.snowcatcinema.co.uk

SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES

5 November

WALES V NEW ZEALAND Wales begin their 2022/23 season against the All Blacks in what will be the 37th meeting between the two sides. Principality Stadium; Westgate Street; www.principalitystadium.wales

Toast marshmallows at Cardiff’s Winter Wonderland, from 15 November

© OLIVER ROSSER,

Ongoing ICE SKATING

Get your skates on and take to the ice with the whole family. ce re les l mpi ri e www.ice re w les.com

MARKETS

22 October

GRANGETOWN WORLD MARKET

The market aims to highlight what Grangetown has to offer, including food, clothes, crafts and music. r e ilio rdi www. r ep ilio .w les

BEAUJOLAIS DAY EVENTS: 17 NOVEMBER

BEAUJOLAIS DAY AT VSA

Expect free-flowing drinks, a buffet, and seven hours of entertainment and music.

Vale Sports Arena, Penarth Road, Cardiff; www.vsawarehouse.co.uk

BEAUJOLAIS CLUBBRUNCH

This regular brunch features 90 minutes of bottomless prosecco, a two- or three-course brunch and live music, but this time it has a Beaujolais Day twist.

The Botanist, Church Street; www.clubbrunch.co.uk

BUTTERFLY BRUNCH: THE NEON JUNGLE

A secret venue (to be revealed 1 November) will be transformed into a neon jungle complete with all-you-can-drink prosecco, a three-course lunch and some of the city’s finest DJs and entertainment.

Venue to be revealed; www.butterflybrunch.co.uk

30 October

INSOLE COURT

FARMERS’ MARKET

Browse stalls packed with some of the best local produce South Wales has to offer. sole our l d www.i solecour .or

Every week

CARDIFF FARMERS MARKETS

More than 100 farmers and small producers sell food and drink across three regular markets every week: Rhiwbina Farmers Market on Fridays, Roath Farmers Market on Saturdays, and Riverside Farmers Market on Sundays. cross rdi www.ri ersidem rke .or .uk

OTHER

2, 3, 9 and 10 November

CARDIFF CASTLE GHOST TOUR

Explore the majestic castle at night where you will discover its ghostly goings on. rdi s le s le ree www.d rkw les ours.co.uk

Every Friday

BINGO LINGO

Cardiff, brace yourselves. This is one of the city’s biggest and wildest Friday nights out. urr mb kme www.depo c rdi .com

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. rious e ues www. isi e le.com

CHRISTMAS 2022

10 November –23 December

CARDIFF CHRISTMAS MARKET

Find the traditional wooden shopping stalls on St John Street, Working Street, Trinity Street and the Hayes. rdi www.c rdi c ris m sm rke .com

10 November –24 December

CARDIFF FESTIVE QUARTER

The Bavarian-themed Festive Quarter is an atmospheric haven; grab a table in the cosy cabins and enjoy beer and bratwurst. orki ree rdi www. isi c rdi .com

15 November

CARDIFF CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

The lights switch-on will see the city centre dressed in all its festive finery. i e re www. isi c rdi .com

15 November –8 January 2023

CARDIFF’S WINTER WONDERLAND

The capital’s biggest Winter attraction has its biggest layout yet, at City Hall awns and Cardiff Castle. The latter will be home to an ice skating rink and open-air ice walk set against the backdrop of the Norman keep. And over at City Hall there will be rides, a big wheel as well as Cardiff’s only ce Bar (made of actual ice) and the Sur La Piste alpine ski bar – new for 2022 is its outdoor roof terrace for live entertainment. i ll d rdi s le rou ds www.c rdi swi erwo derl d.com

25 November –24 December

BELIEVE CHRISTMAS GROTTO

Meet McJingles the elf along with Norbert his reindeer friend. After hearing Norbert’s story, children can take part in festive crafts before being invited into Santa’s grotto. ower r d rc de id s rdi www.s d idsc rdi .com

25 November –8 January 2023

CARDIFF CASTLE CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL

This new festival, which will be staged inside a spiegeltent in the grounds of Cardiff Castle, will present three productions: Rubicon Dance Company’s u cr cker, a Christmas ballet with a Welsh twist; s is , a new magical musical adventure for the whole family; and s ell , a blend of cabaret, circus, burlesque and comedy. rdi s le rou ds www. ec s le.w les

1 December –1 January 2023

CHRISTMAS AT BUTE PARK

Tickets are on sale for this year’s Christmas at Bute Park, a breathtaking festive festival of light – the biggest Wales has ever seen. www.c ris m s bu ep rk.com

COMING SOON…

24 March

FATBOY SLIM

The announcement of Fatboy Slim’s tour arrives on the heels of his latest album, i ere i e rdi er io l re ci ce re www.c rdi er io l re .co.uk

OUR OWN VERY SPECIAL EVENTS

18 November

CARDIFF PROPERTY AWARDS

This awards ceremony, a prestigious celebration of the best of Cardiff property and property companies, will take place at Mercure Cardiff Holland House. It’s part of a series of annual Property Awards that take place across Wales and England. www.cardiffpropertyawards.co.uk

23 February, 2023

CARDIFF LIFE AWARDS

Our city-wide awards ceremony is coming back to City Hall! We can’t wait to welcome 500 local business people to celebrate the greatest successes of the year with us. Nominations will open this winter. For more, see page 63. www.cardifflifeawards.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk

ABOVE: There are plenty of pumpkin-picking opportunities locally; LEFT: Fisherman’s Friends The Musical launches on 25 October

FAIR’S FAIR

Eastenders’ Adam Woodyatt is part of the all-star cast of My Fair Lady, which tours to Cardiff’s Wales Millennium Centre in November after a West End season. Here we chat about his role as Alfred . Doolittle

What hooked you into the role of Alfred P. Doolittle?

t is such an iconic role. The original stage show and the film came out before was born but the story and characters are ingrained into musical theatre history, as are the two songs get to perform With a Little Bit of Luck and Get Me to the Church on Time.

How would you sum him up as a character?

There’s an edge to him. He’s very outspoken, very socialist, and he does what he likes. He lives life his own way and that’s it. He has opinions on things and always thinks he is absolutely right about all of it.

Can you relate to him in any way?

’m completely different. He’s very much a man of that time, although it’s interesting how George Bernard Shaw [who wrote Pygmalion on which My Fair Lady is based favours women in his writing, as does Alan ay erner’s book for the show. They create strong female characters while showing the men to be not so good.

Is this your first fully-fledged stage musical? was in Oliver! back in 0 in what is now the No l Coward Theatre. That was my first musical and indeed my last until now. played one of the kids in Fagin’s gang. But ’m bouncing around in rehearsals for My Fair Lady like an e cited puppy. ’m not on stage loads but it’s so much fun.

Why do you think the show is so beloved by audiences?

t’s such an engrossing story and the characters are so brilliantly written, even the supporting characters who only have the odd line here and there. They are all so well

defined and it’s just a timeless, classic show. Then there’s the music. Not just my numbers but also others like On the Street Where You Live, Wouldn’t It Be Loverly? and I Could Have Danced All Night. Everybody knows these songs.

You went on to become the longestserving cast member. How was it saying goodbye to the character?

Have said goodbye to him? don’t know! think for as long as live an Beale will always be part of the fabric of EastEnders, whether ’m actually there or not. could go back but then again might not. have no idea what the future holds, what storylines they’re planning or whether an is in those plans. But ’m very happy at the moment being back in the theatre. absolutely love it.

What do you think about stage V screen?

You came to fame as Ian Beale in EastEnders in 1985. What are your fondest memories of your time on the show?

That’s like saying ‘ ick a favourite child’. The programme and the character changed so much since to the moment when an got on an underground train and disappeared. t became a completely different beast but all through it loved the camaraderie with the cast and the crew, and with an he was doing something different all the time. He was constantly changing and evolving.

love the rehearsal process. With most of things on T , it’s very immediate. ou do something, change it a bit, do it again and it’s ‘Done, move on’. With a play or musical you can really investigate things like ‘Why would walk over there?’ or ‘Why would say this?’ ou’ve got much more time to work it all out. Then of course the biggest difference is that when you do something on T you have to wait weeks, months or however long it is to get the audience reaction. On stage the reaction is immediate. ou know at the end of a song if you’ve nailed it, you know at the end of a funny line if you’ve delivered it. There is nothing like the feeling of performing for a live audience. t’s such an adrenaline rush.

The tour calls at Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff. Does the venue have any significance for you?

’m half Welsh so always enjoy spending time in Wales. The last time was in Cardiff was last October and boy did it rain! had to buy some new waterproofs. Hopefully the rain will hold off when we’re there. n

See My Fair Lady 8 – 26 November at Wales Millennium Centre; www.wmc.org.uk

Adam as Alfred P. Doolittle

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PHOTO BY MARC BRENNER

© PHOTO BY TREVOR LEIGHTON

This critically acclaimed, multi-awardwinning production of My Fair Lady is the first major revival of Lerner & Loewe’s much-loved musical on tour for over 15 years and a truly ‘loverly’ way to celebrate the theatre scene back in bloom.

Charlotte Kennedy stars as Eliza Doolittle, Michael D. Xavier as Henry Higgins, EastEnders’ Adam Woodyatt is Alfred P. Doolittle, and world-famous soprano Lesley Garrett plays Mrs Pearce.

The story follows Eliza, a young cockney flower seller, and Henry Higgins, a linguistics professor who is determined to transform her into his idea of a ‘proper lady’. But who is really being transformed?

Being half Welsh, Adam is looking forward to visiting God’s country

“For as long as I live, IanBeale will always be part ofthe fabric of EastEnders”

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

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT US ONLINE AT: WWW.VALEVETCENTRE.CO.UK

© PHOTO BY MITCH JENKINS | DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON

SIR BRYN TERFEL

Welsh bass-baritone

Sir Bryn Terfel has established an extraordinary career, performing regularly on the prestigious concert stages and opera houses of the world. Sir Bryn is a Grammy, Classical Brit and Gramophone Award winner with a discography encompassing operas of Mozart, Wagner and Strauss, and more than 15 solo discs including Lieder, American musical theatre, Welsh songs and sacred repertory.

Equally, at home on the concert platform, Sir Bryn’s highlights range from the opening ceremony of the Wales Millennium Centre, BBC s i of e roms and the Royal Variety Show to a Gala Concert with Andrea Bocelli in Central Park, New York and curating a special Christmas concert and live international stream for the Metropolitan Opera’s ‘Met Stars Live in Concert’ series from Brecon Cathedral, Wales. The ‘Songs and Arias’ tour of the UK is a chance for Sir Bryn Terfel’s fans to reconnect with one of the world’s most cherished and esteemed live performers.

See him at St David’s Hall Cardiff On 29 October. Here we get to know the real Sir Bryn…

The last great series I saw I really binged iki s on Amazon Prime when I was away as I had the time. The show has connections with the Wagnerian world I sometimes inhabit.

The film I could watch over and over again Dances With Wolves. I sang in Aspen recently where Kevin Costner has a farm.

A painting that means something to me I’m a huge collector of the late Welsh landscape artist y n Williams, was once very lucky to walk into an auction on a very rainy afternoon and pick up a couple of his works!

Best TV show ever

I’ve got to say re ki d. It’s a very brutal world that the show brought to life but I’m all about characters.

The book I’d recommend I love to read about pianists and o drous r e by Kevin Bazzana about the life of Glenn Gould helped me realise how important it is to be happy in your own skin.

The book I’ll re-read el s s es and I was lucky enough to meet the author Frank McCourt on a US talk show.

Last live music gig I went to It was actually Sting’s 60th birthday party in New York, and I also performed there too.

My desert island disc

Pink Floyd’s The Wall. I was lucky enough to see Roger doing it live, having been invited along by the great man himself.

The first album I bought The album Jazz by Queen, because it had the track Bicycle Race on it.

My karaoke go-to Tom Jones’s Green Green Grass of Home. As ever I have a story with this – I got to sing it live with him on a Tom Jones & Friends show. What a moment.

Something I’m looking forward to I’m delighted to be hitting the road with a UK tour of my favourite ‘Songs and Arias’ and bringing my great friends, conductor Gareth Jones and Sinfonia Cymru with me on my journey. I’ve chosen a selection of my best-loved pieces from opera to musicals and Welsh songs – a bit of everything! I can’t wait to present this programme to the audiences of Wales, Scotland and England.

What inspires me

Choosing the repertoire is simultaneously a joy and a headache. So, if anyone reading this has a song or an aria they’d like to hear [in Cardiff , please reach out to me on social media [Twitter: @Bryn_Terfel and Facebook brynterfel and you never know! n www.s d ids llc rdi .co.uk

Sir Bryn Terfel is on his way to perform in Cardiff as part of his Songs and Arias tour of the UK

STAY TUNED

The UK tour of Sing-Along-A-Gareth! will stop at Cardiff’s New Theatre this November. It will be an evening of songs that Gareth Malone has sung on TV over the last 15 years, and many of the tracks that were performed by him and the Great British Home Chorus which saw thousands of people around the country sing along from their homes during the pandemic

By Richard Barber

He’s taken the Military Wives to the top of the charts, he had us all singing during the pandemic, and now the irrepressible Gareth Malone, choirmaster extraordinaire, will be spreading joy the length and breadth of the land together with his band, four professional singers and a choir, local to each venue, on a tour of Britain’s theatres with Sing-Along-A-Gareth!

“I’ve been involved in choirs for many years now,” says Gareth, “and then along came performance stuff on T . But ’d never quite married the two together, although, on previous tours, there was always audience participation, moments when I’d encourage people to join in with the singing.”

During the pandemic, singing was as good as banned. Then came the Great British Home Chorus which saw thousands of people around the country sing with Gareth from their kitchens, bedrooms and living rooms. Every day at the same time, Gareth would bring joy through music into people’s homes reaching an average of 20,000 live viewers every rehearsal.

So, was a tour part of the plan? promised myself that once lockdown was over, I’d get back on the road and get out in front of audiences,” he says. “I see this tour as a celebration of people coming together after all those months of isolation.”

The first half of the show will see Gareth, and a group of singers and musicians, perform songs he’s sung over the last 15 years as well as some tracks he performed with the nation during lockdown. Playing piano, guitar and bass, Gareth will tap into the musical talents of the audience to write their own songs composing something special and unique to every venue. The second half will see a local choir perform with Gareth, continuing the fun and bringing people together.

So, what will audiences be singing? Elton John’s I’m Still Standing for its positive message,”

he says, “and lki o u s i e by Katrina and the Waves for its joyful optimism.” There will also be ke e p – the Avicii song sung by Gareth’s All Star Choir which topped the charts in 2014 when it became the Children n Need anthem, and, of course, ere er ou Are, the song that propelled Gareth’s Military Wives choir to Number One at Christmas 2011, selling more than the rest of the Top 12 combined.

From as far back as he can remember, Gareth always wanted to do something a bit out of the ordinary with his life. His father worked in a bank; his mother was a civil servant. At secondary school, he grew increasingly enamoured with performing: in plays and orchestras and jazz bands and pop groups.

“I wasn’t quite sure where any of it would lead,” he says. “I did a drama degree but I realised that music was missing from my life. My epiphany came in a concert. I sang a note which seemed to reverberate off the rafters and, on the walk home, I made up my mind I was going to be a professional musician.”

At the London Symphony Orchestra he ran two choirs: one for adults, one for children. It’s how he came to the attention of the BBC. “And that’s how Gareth Malone, choirmaster, was born.”

The only possible downside in a life of music is that, nine years ago, Gareth was diagnosed with

tinnitus which left him with a ringing in my right ear which “can be very isolating and, at its worst, send you round the twist”.

But isn’t Sing-Along-A-Gareth! going to be a rather noisy affair? No, it won’t be damagingly loud. A thousand people singing along together needn’t be deafening although a lot of people clapping really loudly can test me to the limit. So, no one should be put off if they see me putting my fingers in my ears.

He skids to a halt, uickly adding Not that I’m discouraging applause, of course!” n ee re o o ember ew e re rdi www. ew e rec rdi .co.uk

Gareth always seems to have a spring in his step

“The Great ri is ome orus s w ous ds of peoplesi wi refrom eir ki c e sbedrooms d li i rooms

WYBURN & WAYNE

It’s awards season and Cardiff celebrated in style at the BAFTA Cymru awards 2022, at St David’s Hall.

Wayne’s had a spell of being unwell so our apprentice van stepped up and attended the glitzy and glamorous starstudded red carpet event alongside Nathan.

We chatted to everyone for our highlights video about all things Welsh film and television. The event was a huge success and the first in person ceremony since before the pandemic, so spirits were high! t was presented by the One Show’s Alex Jones, with a stunning musical performance from Macy – a great upcoming pop singer from the valleys who we recently chatted with on our adio Cardiff show.

“The moment of the evening was meeting the new Doctor Who, Ncuti Gatwa”

him with a special collage artwork and his reaction was beautiful – check it out on social media, the sky’s the limit for that one!

Now, onto theatre. We had the pleasure of going along to New Theatre’s The Osmonds Musical, which was pure joy. A fun autobiographical story through the eyes of, and written by, Jay Osmond, looking into the life and career of one of the most famous families of all time. Bat Out of Hell musical at the theatre was phenomenal too, and we had the best day as it would’ve been the iconic Meatloaf’s birthday!

ou cific also hit the Wales Millennium Centre and was incredible, plus The Four Tops at the newly reclaimed Cardiff nternational Arena (formerly the Motorpoint Arena Cardiff just wow. They’ve still got it!

Show-stopping moments for us included chatting on the red carpet to Eddie Marsan only to be interrupted by a super fan, which resulted in one of the most hilarious fan reaction videos ever – even Eddie shared it on his Twitter, it’s a must see! Other brilliant moments were: chatting to Myleen Klass, Callum Scott Howells, best actor winner Owen Teale, best presenter winner and TV chef Chris Roberts, Rupaul’s Drag Race alumni Tayce (whose three outfits stole the show and of course the recipient of the prestigious Sian Phillips Award, Black Mirror’s Annabel Jones.

Huge shout-out to the three BAFTA Cymru Awards won by In My Skin, a series filmed in Cardiff ayleigh lewellyn’s win for Writer, Molly Manners’ win for Director Fiction, and the show itself winning Television Drama. However by far the best bit of the evening was meeting the new Doctor Who, Ncuti Gatwa. What a pure gent. Nathan presented

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 ospi l of les. e re lso dio rdi s wi eir ow s ow d e ru drew s o ee our i rdi . ollow em o soci l @wyburnandwayne / @wyburnwayne

TOP 5

Five upcoming events we’re excited about…

• Nathan’s 33rd Birthday! 24 October at a location TBC – watch out Cardiff!

• An evening with Joanna Bumme, 19 November at St Andrew’s URC Roath

• Pop music legend Anastacia: I’m Outta Lockdown, The 22nd Anniversary, 6 November at St David’s Hall

• LLAIS music Festival, 26 – 30 October at Wales Millennium Centre

• Dragged To Church – an annual Christmas fundraiser like no other – 6 December, at St Andrew’s URC Roath, tickets on sale soon!

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

SCENE

LEEKES GROUP

125TH ANNIVERSARY

A black-tie dinner was held to celebrate the milestone of the Leekes Group’s 125th anniversary. Suppliers, professional advisors and friends of the business were invited to the event at the Vale Resort on 30 September.

The evening was hosted by Welsh rugby legend and British & Irish Lions Chairman Ieuan Evans MBE, and started in traditional Welsh style with a rousing set from the Cambrian Male Voice Choir.

Guests enjoyed a Best of Welsh

menu created by the team at the Vale Resort before being entertained by Tonypandy-born West End star Sophie Evans.

Proceeds from the evening went to Childline to fund ‘One Unforgettable Day’ when the Leekes Retail & Leisure Group sponsored the running costs of the Childline operation for 24 hours on 30 September. www.leekes.co.uk

Photos by Lloyd Williams

Jamie Baulch, BidAID founder

ACROSS CARDIFF, ONE SHINDIG AT A TIME

The Cambrian Male Voice Choir

Host Ieuan Evans MBE

Guests enjoying the speeches

The Leeke family and directors – Chris Leeke, Jo Littlejohn, Emma Leeke and Stephen Leeke

West End star Sophie Evans

Paul Owen and friends

Gemma Forward, Callum Day and Ian Saunders

15 YEARS OF SAVILLS CARDIFF

Property service provider Savills marked its 15th anniversary in Cardiff with a special event to launch a new research report Cardiff Building a esilient Future held at The arkgate Hotel on 22 September and attended by over 200 clients and staff. Speaking at the event, Chris otts, head of Savills Cardiff, said, The growth of our team over years reflects the fantastic support from clients, the calibre of our team, our ability to be at the forefront of thought leadership and our skills in navigating emerging opportunities and challenges to deliver value. For more, see page . www.savills.co.uk

Photos by Owen Mathias Photography

Rebecca Williams and Daniel Rees

Adele McCoy, Kate Butler, Jessie Blain and Oliver Hill

Mark George, Claire Turner, Jo Hewer and Ruth McKibbin

Juliet Gamlin and Simon Lee

Richard Macphail, Laura Williams and Roisin Willmott

Dave Jones, Tom Priest, Richard Wales and James Ford

Liz Beaudette-Sheppard, Jasmine Davies, Maddie Groombridge and George Cardale

Ian Bailey, Bryony Hicks and Andrew Weeks

Abi Kennedy, Wayne Farnell and Ocean Broadhurst

COWBRIDGE PRIDE GALA DINNER

Steps star Ian H Watkins hosted a Gala Dinner at the Bear Hotel, Cowbridge, at the end of September as part of the first Cowbridge ride. aising thousands of pounds to help buy GBT resources for local schools, guests enjoyed entertainment from broadcaster Owain Wyn Evans and drag artist Connie Orff. www.cowbridgepride.com

Photos by Sutherland Photographic

Councillor John Andrew, The Mayor of Cowbridge, and guests

Owain Wyn Evans and partner Drag artist Connie Orff

Anna Taylor-Jarvis, Lyndsey Jenkins and Natalie Wilson

Eleri Thomas and partner

Claire Summers and friends Steps star and Cowbridge Pride founder Ian H Watkins (right) and partner

Glamour all round

In full swing

BAFTA CYMRU AWARDS

On October, St David’s Hall in Cardiff hosted the BAFTA Cymru Awards, which celebrated e cellence and talent across film and television in Wales. This was the 3 st edition and it was hosted by BBC One Show presenter Ale ones. At the ceremony, which was attended by the likes of new Doctor Who Ncuti Gatwa and Strictly’s Amy Dowden, In My Skin won the award for Television Drama while Owen Teale won the award for Actor for Dream Horse. Following her nomination at the 2022 EE BAFTA Film Awards, Emilia ones won the award for Actress for her performance in CODA, and producer Annabel ones was presented the Si n hillips Award one of BAFTA’s highest accolades, presented to a Welsh individual who has made significant contributions in either major feature films or network television programmes. www.bafta.org

Annabel Jones, recipient of the Sian Phillips Award

Chloe Fairweather, winner of the Breakthrough Award for Dying to Divorce

Ncuti Gatwa and Callum Scott Howells

Owen Teale, winner of the Actor Award for Dream Horse

Eddie MarsanMorfydd Clark

Joanna Quinn and Les Mills, winners of the Short Film Award for Affairs of the Art

Host Alex JonesJoanna Scanlan

Photos by James Veysey, Jake Morley and Polly Thomas

© BAFTA/POLLY THOMAS

© BAFTA/POLLY

THOMAS

© BAFTA/JAKE MORLEY

© BAFTA/JAKE MORLEY

©

BAFTA/JAKE MORLEY

© BAFTA/JAMES VEYSEY

© BAFTA/JAMES VEYSEY

© BAFTA/JAMES

VEYSEY

© BAFTA/JAMES

VEYSEY

THE LITTLE THINGS

Slow fashion champion Mabli moved into its new Cardiff-based studio in August. Here we talk to its founder, LISA ROBERTS, about Welsh inspiration, nostalgia and signature style

Words by Lisa Evans Photos by Leonie Freeman

Mabli’s designs are inspired by Welsh tapestry blanket patterns

e should all be making a conscious effort to live greener lives, and Cardiff’s on top form; it’s currently on track to become one of the UK’s most sustainable food places, the council has ambitious plans to cut carbon emissions across the city to net zero by 2030, and it’s bursting with eco focused businesses in all sectors – from architecture to retail, hairdressing to hospitality.

As for sustainable fashion, Cardiff and the ale knows its stuff, with ventures such as l n studio, Da Ti, Eli a Eli a, Soul Sisters, E W Couture, Out of Sync, il Co and Bouti ue De Nana (we could go on…) designing and creating often one of a kind wearable art.

There are also plenty of indie shops curating conscious collections as an alternative to chain store shopping (we’re looking at you, Kiti Cymru and Bo Edit Bouti ue among plenty of others), not to mention the huge variety of vintage and pre loved clothing stores to choose from (shout out to Coco’s Vintage, Hobo’s, Fussy Vintage, Sobeys et al).

As we all become ever more aware of the serious environmental impact of our clothes, especially considering the urgency of the climate crisis we’re facing, sustainability in fashion is a serious topic, not just a light hearted one for trend savvy lifestyle maga ines. isa oberts at Mabli, a Cardiff based, family run brand specialising in natural knitwear for children, says slow fashion is key to the brand’s nature.

sing natural fibres that were kinder to the planet and the wearer, and creating styles that would be treasured and had longevity, made sense to me as a designer and as a mum,” she says, going on to explain how Mabli takes steps to ensure sustainability all along its supply chain. We use beautiful talian spun yarns such as 00 per cent e tra fine merino wool, linen and organic pima cotton. Our garments are made with trusted suppliers in Wales, Scotland and across Europe. We ensure that all the manufacturers and suppliers that we work with, and the materials we use, have high standards with regards to safety and ethical practices.

“Our approach is slow fashion, with an eclectic and vintage inspired aesthetic.

Creating styles that would be treasured and had longevity made sense to Lisa as a designer and as a mum

WOur signature style always includes interpreting traditional Welsh patterns in to our designs, contrasted with simple and versatile ribbed layering pieces.”

It all started back in 2015; after some years working in ondon and having her first child, and pregnant with her second, Lisa moved back to South Wales. The plan was always to start a children’s knitwear brand, and, along with the arrival of her son, came the birth of her first samples of tiny rib and jac uard knits.

“I launched Mabli in 2016, with a collection of merino wool knitwear for babies to six year olds. The brand has grown from there, now with two collections per year; sizing has expanded up to 12 years, as well as a growing offering in adult si es too. We are now based in Cardiff, and have just moved in to our new design studio and fulfilment warehouse just off Newport Road.

“Even before having children myself, the possibilities of wonderful tiny versions of the garments I had created in my career as a womenswear designer was something I often thought about. Having immersed myself in the world of natural fibres and a slow fashion aesthetic, there was no doubt that my focus would continue to be in this market, as this was what I loved to design and it had so many practical benefits for childrenswear.

“The inspiration started with my children, now three, six and nine years old, who have grown with the brand. I chose the name Mabli as this is the Welsh derivative of my daughter’s name, Mabel. Since the brand started with our move to Wales, and with a Welsh heritage aesthetic at the heart of its being, it felt like a perfect choice. Mabli is a mix of practical essentials and special pieces, using nostalgia and heritage in a way that still feels distinctly modern. We design everything from bonnets to blankets, dresses to dungarees.

“The heart of each collection is our jac uard knit, inspired by heritage Welsh Tapestry Carthen blanket patterns. There is such a wealth of history around these blankets, and their evolution through the 20th century. They provide endless pattern and colour inspiration, and the appeal of our knitted versions has proved to be as popular with our customers across the world as it is with our customers here in Wales.”

Essentially, it’s about taking inspiration from nostalgic influences that bring us comfort and happiness, and creating garments that are resilient and enduring enough to be handed down from child to child, encouraging parents to buy less and buy better.

www.mabli.co.uk

“We use nostalgia andheritage in away that stillfeelsmodern”distinctly

FOOD & DRINK

TO MARKET

Twenty years after launching, iverside Markets have now rebranded as Cardiff Farmers Markets. The markets have been supporting communities, producers and the people who shop at them since the very first one on a sunny Sunday morning in iverside back in . Two decades on, customers are still valuing what’s on offer fresh, sustainable food bought directly from the people who produced it.

These days, they bring together more than 100 farmers and small producers to trade across three regular markets every week, at iverside, oath and hiwbina, as well as their monthly market at St Fagans and their pop up markets at two university sites.

With all of this in mind, they felt it was time for a fresher and more inclusive take; they wanted to better capture the eclectic choices that their markets offer the community, so from now on, they’ll be known simply as Cardiff Farmers Markets. www.riversidemarket.org.uk

LIFTING SPIRITS

ontyclun based gin distillery Hensol Castle Distillery has been awarded a 2022 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award – the highest honour that the world’s largest travel guidance platform can bestow. ocated in the cellars of a 00 year old castle on the estate of the four star ale esort, the distillery celebrated its first birthday in September by being listed in the top 10 per cent of tourist attractions worldwide.

Hensol Castle Distillery scooped the honour after receiving top traveller reviews from visitors, which were shared on Tripadvisor over the last 12 months.

UP FOR THE CHALLENGE

The Challenge Fund, working in collaboration with Cardiff Council and others, has opened applications for a new sustainable food production challenge.

The £2.1m challenge aims to identify and support projects that can harness the potential of land, technology, and people to increase the sustainable production and supply of locally grown food in the Cardiff Capital egion.

Those who want to find out more about this opportunity are encouraged to attend the Applying to the Food Challenge event on 2 October at the S A Building at Cardiff niversity, offering one hour sessions for organisations interested in offering a solution to the Food Challenge. Apply to sustainabledevelopment cardiff.gov.uk www.challengefund.wales

t opened its visitor e perience in September 202 following a multi million pound investment. As part of the tour, visitors can see the distillery in operation, learn about the history of gin and Hensol Castle and enjoy a gin tasting. In the Gin School, visitors can distil and label their very own 70cl bottle of gin using ingredients of their choice. Since it launched, it has welcomed just under 0k visitors through the door, from as far afield as Canada, USA and Germany, who have tasted more than 25k glasses of gin. www.hensolcastledistillery.com

SNAPSHOTS

Riverside Markets have now rebranded as Cardiff Farmers Markets

Left: The OG Cardiff Farmers Market can be found opposite the Principality Stadium

A new sustainable food production challenge is launching

Chris Leeke and Dai Wakely of Hensol Castle Distillery, which has been named in the top 10 per cent of tourist attractions worldwide

© BOTH PHOTOS BY WILL BARKER

© PHOTO BY MARIEPALBOM PHOTOGRAPHY

ALL CHANGE FOR KEMIS

t’s all change at well known Cardiff café emis. After 0 years in the heart of ontcanna, owner atrick Nevins and mum emi have decided to hand over the reins in order to pursue other ventures. atrick has left Cardiff for ondon to embark on the world famous rue eith cookery course and emi is beginning a new career in media and T production.

New owners on and icky Gri n, together with the same great team, will continue to serve the menu favourites but with a fresh look and a new name, ‘Fido’.

icky is well known in the area having previously owned The earning Tree and Goji Hair. on and know ontcanna really well as we’ve worked in the area for years and also used to live here, she says. We are looking forward to seeing all the regulars back in, and hopefully with some new customers too.

Some of these new customers will be the four legged variety. emis is already known for being dog friendly, but we’ll be building on this with a wide range of e citing dog treats and accessories, says on.

Fido will be opening in mid October. www.fidoco ee.com

BAKE IT EASY

Br d The Danish Bakery has announced its move to a new bake house. On 2 October, Br d baked its very final bake at its popular ontcanna site after seven years.

Not to worry, though; the ontcanna site is staying put; it has been transformed and beautifully renovated into a bigger café space now that the baking isn’t being done on site.

We have outgrown the ontcanna bake house, so we’ve moved into our brand new purpose built bake house in oath, says founder Betina Skovbro. The ontcanna bakery will now be a larger space for customers, as we have always struggled with not enough room for them (and prams sitting in at our café. So where the ovens and bakers were, we will now have a cosy seating area instead. And, as we are no longer producing food on the premises, dogs are now welcome inside too.

The new takeaway only bakery is on a brand new, semi industrial estate, iverbridge Business ark, in oath situated behind Marks Spencer, off Newport oad, between our new neighbours eak hysi ue Gym and Willis Construction so parking is easy to uickly to pop by for a coffee and pastry. t will have a takeaway hatch and people will be able see in and watch the bakers at work. We’re hoping to open at the beginning of November. www. ed is b ker .co.uk

SRI LANKAN FEASTS

Channel 4’s ome i e wi e e rofessio ls winners odrigo and Shamil of The Coconut Tree restaurant group are hitting the road this October and taking their Sri ankan eats to the masses.

On their ome i e i e tour, odrigo and Shamil will be taking their winning menu to eight The Coconut Tree sites across the country, including its Cardiff site on Mill ane on 2 October, bringing their ‘Hopper Station’ (hoppers being bowl shapedcoconutmilk pancakes along with them and allowing guests to try their hand at some cooking for themselves.

This is a chance to invite people from all over the country to join us at our table and enjoy the uni uely Sri ankan flavours we’re so passionate about here at The Coconut Tree, says odrigo. The best way to understand Sri ankan flavours is to try them and you can even take them into your own home with our Hopper kits. ome i e i e e rofessio ls was such a brilliant e perience. We’re really proud of this menu, and the other contestants gave us such fantastic feedback! Now everyone can try our winning dishes for themselves. We look forward to sharing our authentic eats with communities far and wide. www. ecoco u ree.com

Brød The Danish Bakery team at their new bake house

Vicky Griffin has taken over Kemis in Pontcanna and transformed it into Fido

Come Dine with Me: The Professionals winners Rodrigo and Shamil

DO GOOD, FEEL GOOD

ROSMEDICS – headed up by Dr Ros Jabar and Leigh Jones –hosted a Macmillan Coffee Morning to remember, bringing the community of Pontcanna together

T he emotional impact of cancer is far reaching and not helped by the financial impact which has significantly worsened since the pandemic. Macmillan has campaigned resiliently to draw national media attention to this cost of cancer and gave a platform to those affected by cancer to hold governments to account. Fundraising is now needed more than ever.

On 26 September, Pontcanna-based Rosmedics – headed up by founder Dr Ros Jabar and executive assistant Leigh Jones –hosted a Macmillan Coffee Morning held at their neighbour’s venue Love Live Light Healing Hub. “Thank you to everyone that came for a brew!” says Dr Ros, “and thanks to Love Live Light Healing Hub owners Tessa Maria and Rico Zulkarnain and their taste-defying healthy cakes (yes there is such a thing)! A fabulous £450 was raised for Macmillan Cancer Support in Wales.”

Rosmedics is a private clinic that offers aesthetic medical treatments. These treatments are personalised not only improving the way people look but most importantly they empower people, improving how they feel about themselves. Dr Ros Jabar has been a GMC registered doctor for many years. She has a a broad background from acute medicine, general medicine to surgery. Before undertaking her medical degree, Ros was a Consultant Pharmacist so has a strong background in medicine and the use of drugs creams in the medical and aesthetics industry. This unique combination and an eye for detail has provided Dr Ros with the perfect platform to work as an aesthetic and private medical practitioner.

If you have concerns with acne scarring, eye bags, forehead lines, frown lines, cheeks, neck, jaw and chin (jowls) and pigmentation, or if you are looking for a facial lift, lip filling, tattoo or hair removal, or you would like a nose job without surgery or are interested in chemical lipo in the form of fat dissolving injections, Dr Ros has you covered.

Three things that are very popular this time of the year are:

1) Tweakments: Dr Ros’ signature low dose botox and filler work given on a small scale to create beautification tweakments that

look natural and make you feel fabulous

2) Microneedling: The natural way to stimulate your skin to repair itself. Ideal for the non-surgical and non-invasive treatment of various skin conditions such as ageing, scarring and hyperpigmentation

3) IV Vitamin therapy: Research shows that 90 per cent of people are nutrient deficient. Whether you are looking for help fighting those free radicals in your system, a detox, a boost, health support pre or post op, to rediscover your ‘get up and go’ or powering peak performance, in 30 minutes, you can have what your body has been longing for.

All consultations are complimentary with your chosen treatments. n

149 Kings Road, Pontcanna, Cardiff CF11 9DE

Call Rosmedics: 07854 056626. Email: info@ rosmedics.co.uk www.rosmedics.co.uk

*Macmillan stats from 2021 report: www.macmillan.org.uk

EATING

DRINKING

IN GOOD TASTE

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…

It feels like pie-and-a-pint season is really upon us now, and I am absolutely here for the incoming carb fest. If you’re feeling the same, there are loads of delicious, warming seasonal treats to track down at Cardiff’s indie restaurants this month

Bar 44 is knocking out a handsome-looking roast pumpkin with crispy kale, chestnut and smoked cheese pesto; Heaneys just unveiled an Iberico pork dish with blackberry, Jerusalem artichoke, and smoked cream (part of the £45 tasting menu); and the sight of Nook’s new Delica pumpkin, with cheese sauce, taleggio and walnuts was enough to stop me Instagramscrolling in my tracks. The Heathcock in landaff has added a homemade potato gnocchi, wild mushroom, British buffalo mo arella and Welsh black tru e dish to its menu which sounds flippin’ great but as the

weather gets colder, you can’t beat one of their massive sharing pies complete with homemade puff pastry crust. Trust me!

Matsudai Ramen has also revived its fan-favourite ‘Vampire Slayer’ just in time for Halloween. DIY ramen kits of the rich, garlicinfused Tonkotsu noodle soup are available for nationwide delivery from 28 October –ready to keep blood-sucking baddies at bay over Halloween weekend. And at Matsudai’s recently opened restaurant in Grangetown, you can order steaming hot bowls of Vampire Slayer Ramen all the way through to 26 November.

Across town, Pettigrew Bakeries have been busy turning the former Friends in Knead site on Moy Road in Roath into a fullyfledged neighbourhood bakery with indoor seating so you can stop with a coffee and some lunch and watch the bakers at work. In the city

centre, work has also begun turning the Castle Arcade unit into a dedicated patisserie.

And finally, Cardiff Sherry Week will run from 7 – 13 November to bring the delights of a fabulously versatile wine to bars and restaurants around the city. The team behind Curado Bar and Vermut bar have convinced a host of indie venues to join them in celebrating sherry – including the awardwinning Lab22 cocktail bar in the city centre, Sibling in Roath, and Wine Fiend in Canton, along with Spanish restaurants Bar44 and Asador44 (with more to be announced). On the Sunday, Curado will be teaming up with Lab 22 for a ‘pintxo and sherry cocktail night’ no tickets needed, just turn up! Check out @sherry_week_cardiff for more info.

For more: www.janechicomendes.co.uk | @janechicomendes| www.hungrycityhippy.co.uk

CLOCKWISEFROMTOPLEFT: Italian Job from Lazy Leek; Nook pumpkin dish; Bar 44’s roast pumpkin; Heathcock’s gnocci; Matsudai Ramen’s Vampire Slayer; Heaneys Iberico Pork; Sherry Week is coming; Pettigrew Bakery at Moy Road

THE IVY ASIA CARDIFF

The vy Asia on The Hayes opened its doors in September, right ne t to its sister restaurant The vy. Lisa Evans went to e perience its opulence, glamour and joy

Do you know what I mean when I say that you can guess what the staff will sound like depending on the place you’re going to visit? don’t mean accents; mean tone, volume, politeness and even accompanying body language. For e ample, if you’re heading for a massage at a lu ury spa, you can assume the therapists will talk in calming almost whispers, slow gestures will be made and mannerly postures will be held. ’ve never met a masseuse who greets me with a slap on the back and shouts ’iya my love, come in! Been ’ell of a day today .

Whatever the reception, there’s a weird shift that happens in me and will mirror their behaviour; ’ll crack jokes and get sweary with a cool, indie pub bartender; ’ll soften my blinks and speak in hushed tones at the health club; and ’ll get hyper, happy and dribbly at the dog park. t’s not an intentional shift, it just happens.

So, when visited the newly opened vy Asia Cardiff for lunch today, my back instinctively straightened and my chin lifted as swept through the door, held open for me by a velvet jacketed staff member; all but ‘why thank you’d’ another when they asked if they could take my coat; and my steps were nimble and considered as attempted not to clack my heels on the glowing, lit from within ony flooring when being shown to the table.

Seated ne t to a giant golden Buddha statue, with the branches of a ceiling height blossom tree elegantly reaching overhead, and glamour, anti ues and artworks all around, my partner e ually as upright as

en uired as to where the restroom was. ust that way, sir, gestured the bow tied server, and there’s a surprise waiting in there for you. O , great, replied my husband in his best telephone voice, bewildered. sat sipping sake taking in the candyfloss pinks, luminous greens of the designed to da le surroundings (which teetered between obscenely beautiful and potentially headache inducing as well as the prime people watchingview through the windows onto The Hayes waiting to know what could possibly be in the loos.

t was a life si ed samurai warrior statue ‘relieving’ himself at one of the urinals. t was motion activated, said my flustered husband on his return. t said konnichiwa to me at least five times and replied on the first one. also accidentally walked into the kitchen.

Once we’d calmed down, it was on to the food; know what you’re thinking how can a restaurant be simply ‘Asian’? Asia makes up roughly one third of the land surface of Earth, so what e actly are they serving? t’s an enigmatic fusion of food traditions; there’s sushi and sashimi, tempura selections, dumplings, skewers, curries, seafood and plenty of aromatic spices, fragrant herbs and brow dampening fiery options.

To start, chose the light and greaseless popcorn shrimp (not a patch on the colonel’s chicken version topped with an ambrosial spicy, creamy sauce, which was a te tural joy. The husband went for Gochujang gla ed fried chicken which even , as a pescatarian, can say was my favourite dish of the whole two hour affair,

and I only dipped my pinky into the sauce. Our wonderful server, Ethan – who said he too was reluctant to share his Gochujang on pre-opening tasting day – let us in on some of its ingredients: a treacly, smoky homemade BBQ sauce mixed with siracha, sesame, garlic chilli and ginger. I want to dip everything and anything in that sauce from now on. My teriyaki salmon main dish was appropriately sweet, sticky and intense, and the other half’s salt and pepper beef was a tender, eyes-closed experience. The mains are what they say on the tin only, there are no accompaniments; you add sides of your choice. We teamed our dishes with toasted-sesame-dressed broccoli and perfectly steamed rice.

It was at the point of tucking into the salmon – served as a whole skin side up fillet realised was defeated on the chopstick front. The silky, yeilding flesh was no match for my (lack of) utensil skills and had to sheepishly ask a waiter for tips; he discreetly brought me a gold knife and fork. The shame.

As if I wasn’t embarrassed enough, my dessert – the sake barrel – came with a hammer that I had to use to bash through a sesame tuile to get to the vanilla crème br lée below. Cue wafer biscuit flying everywhere; just found a rogue crumb in my fringe as I write.

My husband’s choice, the Sphere, is now highly recommended by us both. I normally avoid a sphere or bomb for dessert because it’s a bit too gimmicky for me, and normally lacking in any real deliciousness. Not this one. Once at the table, the white chocolate ball was theatrically drenched in a whole jug of hot caramel sauce, melting it and revealing and mingling together its contents – ice cream, passion fruit and yuzu foam. Unreal. Best eaten while wearing a bib.

Is any of this cheap? Don’t be silly. There are reasonable main dish options, such as the roasted aubergine with miso and masago arare for £9.25, and then there are the pushthe-boat-out options such as wagyu beef with shiitake mushrooms and tru e yakiniku for 3 a pop, or the Black Shell sushi selection to share, priced at £69. So if you did a starter, main, side and dessert for two, it could be upwards of £150 – or even £200 with drinks – if you were ordering at the top end of the scale. And that’s just lunch. Having said that, it’s not really a starter-main-dessert kind of place; the dishes are intended to be shared, served as and when they are ready.

Overall thoughts: it’s bold, it’s exciting, it’s memorable; it fi es with big flavours and it’s a proper spectacle of a place (every customer through the doors said ‘wow’ and did a 360 . They’re almost fully booked up until February now, so there’s just enough time to brush up on your Ps and Qs and hammering skills before then. n

DINING DETAILS

The Ivy Asia Cardiff, 45-47 The Hayes, Cardiff, CF10 1GA; www.theivyasiacardiff.com

Price Sushi £8.50 – £69; small dishes £8.50 – £39.50; large dishes £9.25 –£53; dessert £7.95 – £32.50

Service Extremely attentive, helpful and friendly (shout-out to Ethan)

The look It’s a jewel- and candycoloured magical setting

The food Asian-inspired dining, complete with a whole lot of theatre

What else There’s a dedicated sushi bar, plus, every night of the week, they have resident DJs

“Is any ofthisDon’tcheap? be silly”

LISVANE LIFE

Five miles from Cardiff you’ll find Churchlands, a residential development set to be completed in 2026, offering new build homes. t has now launched the second phase of its homes for sale. hase one uickly sold out with many buyers taking advantage of ‘My edrow’, an online portal that allowed them to keep track of their new build and choose finishing touches. For phase two, 66 properties have gone on the market, of which are left to be reserved at the time of writing.

The development began in 2020 on a former greenfield site in the highly sought after location of isvane, offering a choice of three , four and five bedroom properties from edrow’s award winning Heritage Collection. Combining classic architecture with modern, family

SWEET

PLACES TO LIVE, WORK AND PLAY

friendly interiors, there will be 33 homes at Churchlands once complete.

We’re dedicated to designing and building homes with character that people are proud to live in, says Beverley Wookey, sales director for edrow. nspired by the past but designed for the future, our Heritage Collection offers the best of both worlds. Our Churchlands development really does offer something special with every inch of our homes being carefully considered, from features such as traditional porches supported by timber posts with gallows brackets to brick plinths that run the whole way round the property. arge bay windows then give our properties more prominence and kerb appeal and allow natural light to flood into the home. For more: www.redrow.co.uk

Global real estate services provider Savills has marked its th anniversary in Cardiff. The firm opened its first o ce in the capital in 200 , initially with a team of 2 providing planning, development and estate agency services. The o ce now has a team of 00, making it the largest property firm in South Wales, with a strong reputation for providing full and integrated services across commercial and residential markets within Wales and across the .

To mark the milestone, Savills launched a new research report Cardiff Building a resilient future which looks at the growth of the city over the last years, its strengths and opportunities for the future, and covers issues such as economic growth and affordability, levelling up and renewable energy. t also addresses the future commercial, residential and infrastructure re uirements to enable its continued success. For more, see page 3 . For more: www.savills.co.uk

© OWEN MATHIAS PHOTOGRAPHY

© MATTHEW POWER PHOTOGRAPHY

Priced at £772,995, the five-bed Hampstead property is one of the homes available at the Churchlands development

A street view at Churchlands

THISIMAGEANDBELOW: Inside one of the Ledsham properties at Churchlands (£776,995)

Head of Savills Cardiff Chris Potts welcoming guests to Savills' 15th anniversary celebrations

ASHBROOKE HOUSE

In every issue of rdi ife, we take a look inside an exceptional local property on the market. Here we explore Ashbrooke House in Cyncoed el ree

There’s a term in estate agent speak that, for me, doesn’t do justice to its meaning; that is: ‘executive home’. personally find the word ‘executive’ to conjure thoughts of business attire, clean o ces and managerial responsibility, but in the property sector it means ‘a cut above the typical’ or a type of house that’s intended to provide its owner with exceptionally high levels of comfort, quality and convenience.

In the case of Ashbrooke House in Cyncoed, then, this may refer to its attributes such as its underfloor heating and its in-built Sonos sound system, its kitchen full of integrated mod cons – from a range and two ovens to a hot plate and a wine cooler – or maybe its luxurious cinema room.

Or it might be that it’s built to an exceptional standard, successfully combining modern design and specification with traditional materials and features with exacting attention to detail.

Whatever is it, its superior appeal is clear; the four-bed, modern, detached family home is certainly a head turner.

The property is set back off Cyncoed oad within a

HOUSE NUMBERS

Where Ashbrooke House, Cyncoed Road, Cardiff

Price £1,680,000 Square foot 3,753

Bedrooms 4

Bathrooms 3

Outside Thoughtfully landscaped gardens, a patio area and a wooded area to the side of the house

Parking Gated driveway with double garage

For more Savills Cardiff 2 Kingsway, Cardiff, CF10 3FD, 02920 368 900; www.savills.co.uk

delightful mature plot bounded by mature trees creating a wooded, private and somewhat enchanted feel.

Step inside the house and into the light flooded, polished-tile entrance hallway and choose between three welcoming reception rooms to wander into. The luxe and generously sized principal living room is a prime entertaining space featuring bi-fold doors to the garden

hello summer parties plus a feature fireplace which beckons a matching PJ-clad family to gather in front of it to open their Christmas presents.

The family room, open plan to the super-stylish contemporary kitchen, is used as an airy dining and living area, with perfectly placed picture windows overlooking both the back and side gardens.

But my favourite room is the cinema, which lures me to come lounge inside it and fantasi e about kicking off my shoes on a Friday night, pouring myself a glass of something good and settling down in front of the big screen so as to reward myself for staring at a medium screen and scrolling through my little screen all week.

And if I wanted to reward myself further, I guess I’d toddle on upstairs to the games room, which has its own staircase leading from the garage; sure, it has potential to be a bedroom or home o ce, but a games room is a far cooler thing to have in your ownership surely?

The main – walnut cantilevered – staircase rises up to four good-sized bedrooms, the master of which – where I see myself getting my nine undisturbed hours a night – has a plush walk-in dressing room and handsome en suite bathroom to treat as a pamper sanctuary.

Outside, the gardens have been attentively landscaped around the house, and the private, rather formal, south-facing back garden has a patio area, ideal for al fresco dining with friends that you’re showing your new home off to, as well as a si eable lawn on which the kids can run off some steam. A stream trickles at the bottom of the garden too, adding yet another dash of charm.

The area is enticing too; the Cardiff suburb of Cyncoed is very highly sought after, if not the place to be in Cardiff. The swan dotted oath ark ake is only a short walk away and so is Cardiff Golf Club, if you’re into that, and the property is within the catchment area of the highly respected Cardiff High School.

You can live out your weekends like romcom protagonists, pottering along sweeping, tree-lined roads, hopping from cafés to lovely shops and parks as you go. Or you could just enjoy your very own entertainment hubs, private babbling stream and hi-spec luxuries back at Ashbrooke House; your choice.

www.mediaclash.co.uk

Sleep is good but how much is the right amount?

SCHOOL GUIDE VICTORIA BOND

Talking clocks

The importance of sleep and the impact it has on a child’s school day

e’ve all given the classic advice to get a good night’s sleep before an important test or exam. We know sleep helps good thinking and overall performance, but its powers extend way beyond the night before a big day.

As children and teenagers’ brains go through significant growth and development, consistent sleep patterns are vital. One major new study even suggests that regular lack of sleep can have a greater negative impact on kids’ wellbeing than bullying or too much screen time.

Since lockdown, there’s an increased understanding that doing well at school is not just

BED TIME

Wa matter of being academically smart. We can’t afford to ignore any link in the chain between happy brains and positive life outcomes, and sleep is one of the Three Es that are regularly missing in the profile of students who have fallen behind: exercise, eating well, and early nights.

No wonder, then, that the merits of decent kip has gone from mum-knows-best to being timetabled at school. Sleep lessons are now part of the national curriculum for Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) and teachers download PowerPoints to help promote healthy bedtime habits. These include the benefits of reducing exposure to devices with sleepdisrupting blue light before bed and lots of science-y facts about

The change of clocks on 30 October makes it an ideal time to discuss and tweak your child’s bedtime routine. Here are the number of hours sleep recommended for school-age children according to the NHS:

Year R: 11 hours

Year 1: 10 hours 45 min

Year 2: 10 hours 30 min

Year 3: 10 hours 15 min

Year 4: 10 hours

Year 5: 9 hours 45 min

Year 6: 9 hours 30 min

Year 7: 9 hours 15 min

Year 8: 9 hours 15 min

Years 9–11: 9 hours

why those deeper non-REM hours before midnight are the most restorative.

But how much sleep do our naturally bedtime-avoidant offspring really need? And is there anything we can actually do to help them sleep better?

Younger primary school age children need 10 to 11 hours of sleep a night, while older ones need around 9.5 hours. Secondary school pupils ideally get no less than 9 hours to be able to function well the following day. The latter can seem steep for nocturnal teens and scientific papers as thick as winter-tog duvets have outlined the benefits of a later start school time.

A lot of the research suggests parent-set bedtimes appear to have the biggest impact on good school sleep. This doesn’t mean forcing them to go to bed at your ideal time but rather discussing and agreeing a time – and sticking to it. It’s about consistency rather

than perfection. Conditioning their growing brains to wind down at a similar time each night and making sure regular sleep hours are banked is key, even if they are less hours than you’d like.

Investing in some ear plugs, an eye mask or a weighted blanket might help them differentiate time in their bedroom and time to go to bed. Add in some positive bedroom boundaries like removing devices and you model your own good sleep hygiene, and you will be well be on your way to helping them collect the kind of Zzzs that help secure As, Bs and Cs.

Victoria Bond is founder and CEO of School Guide, an easy-to-use website that helps parents discover exam results, catchment maps and parent reviews for all their local schools. For more: www.schoolguide.co.uk

“Sleep is one ofthe vital ‘three Es’ – exercise, eating well, and early nights”

It’s the city’s business

CARDIFFWORKS

THE WAGONEX WAY

Admiral Group’s venture-building business Admiral ioneer has announced that its first strategic investment will be into Cardiff based Wagone , the ’s leading mobility subscription platform provider.

Wagone , which launched in 20 6, designs, builds, and manages fle ible, all inclusive technology automotive subscriptions which enable vehicle suppliers to offer subscription options direct to consumers.

The investment will support Wagone as it continues to rapidly scale in the . Wagone has delivered more than 20 per cent of year on year growth as their consumer facing subscription offer gains popularity.

We’re delighted that Admiral ioneer has chosen Wagone as its first strategic investment, says Toby ernon, founder and CEO at Wagone . This not only demonstrates the strength of our business and technology but also the e citing market opportunity with the car subscription market predicted to be valued at up to 30 billion globally by 2030.

For more: www.wagonex.com

PORT OF CALL INVESTMENT AND EXPERTISE

The ort of Cardiff, owned by Associated British orts (AB , has completed a long term lease of a ,20 s ft distribution centre with Owens Group.

This new partnership with Owens Group will attract investment and around 0 jobs to the region. t is an e ample of how AB ’s uni ue network of ports in South Wales can offer the right facilities to enable business growth and drive increases in operational e ciency.

This is another e citing development during our 0 years of business, says an Owen, managing director of Owens Group. This new super site is ideally located at the ort of Cardiff and will assist long term deals agreed with key blue chip customers, further securing and enhancing our company brand and customer service offering. For more: www.owensgroup.uk

Since launching to the market late last year, Cardiff based Cornerstone Finance Group has been building a family of international solution providers to benefit Welsh SMEs with access to both investment and e pertise to support them to trade internationally.

The group includes the nstitute of E port, Department for nternational Trade, and subsidiaries of international banks including enith Bank and State Bank of ndia.

The investment by Cornerstone nternational is working to increase Welsh GD and job creation while allowing businesses to benefit from a one stop solution which facilitates the financial and non financial support re uired to break into international markets.

There is more to be done to support the growth of the Welsh economy, says Mark Collings, director of Cornerstone nternational. From the outset we have been clear that we want to help address the vast gaps in the market. SMEs are finding it harder to access local e pertise and financial support from the traditional routes of high street banks especially surrounding their international business needs.

We have worked hard to build this support network, which includes specialised banks and institutions to provide both financial and non financial help. This, coupled with our in house e pertise, will help Welsh SMEs and the Welsh economy to grow at a time that is pivotal. or more www.cor ers o efi ce roup.co.uk

Cornerstone International unveils its family of international solution providers to benefit Welsh SMEs

Huw Owen MBE and Ian Owen of Owens Group with Jeffrey Gibb of ABP (centre)

The Wagonex Team: Leon James, Toby Kernon and Ella Hastings

CEO KICKABOUT

Business leaders from across Wales pitched together for a good cause at the third annual ‘CEO Kickabout’ in September. Organised by Acorn Recruitment – which has branches across Wales – in partnership with the Football Association of Wales (FAW), the event raised more than £8,000 for Acorn’s 2022 chosen charity – Mind UK – in its 30th year of business.

It took place at the National Football Development Centre at Dragon ark, Newport. layers from local businesses such as Cardiff’s eff White Motors (which was named best team on the day) – took their turn on the pitch and enjoyed some tactical insight from FAW’s CEO Noel Mooney and Wales’ national team manager, Robert Page.

“Mental health issues have been among the foremost of challenges faced by companies in recent times,” says Bernard Ward, managing director at Acorn Recruitment, “and we have spent the last 12 months renewing and enhancing our focus on the wellbeing of the people that make our organisation what it is today in response.So, it made total sense for us to choose Mind UK as our charity of the year in our 30thanniversary year, to help us in contributing to the wider community too.”

For more: www.ceokickabout.com

PILLAR OF SUPPORT

Cardiff based Single Parents Wellbeing (SPW) a non profit Welsh Social Enterprise supporting single parent families – is celebrating two milestones its five year anniversary (in September), and the announcement that it’s bringing three additional directors on board.

Lizzy Wood, Rachel Brydon and ulie Green will join current directors (and co founders achel Cule and Amy Holland at S W, located at Meanwhile House, whose projects span the breadth of Wales.

Having started with just ,000 of funding, they have now received over a million, and their newest project, funded by the Big Lottery, focuses on mental health for young people.

“Our aim is to reach and help more single parents, especially with the cost of living crisis, says achel. We offer a compassionate, empowering and positive approach to being a single parent, with a focus on wellbeing. Our new Young erson’s roject for those aged 0 2 living in a single parent household – focuses on deciding, designing and delivering what they need for a mentally healthy future.”

For more: www.singleparentswellbeing.com

FRESH TAKE

The National Dance Company Wales (NDCWales) has appointed Alison Thorne as its new chair of trustees.

Alison also has her own people development company, atconnect, and she is the Wales lead for Women on Boards. Her current non e ec roles include governor of Cardiff Metropolitan University, member of the Sport Wales board, independent panel member for Public Appointments for Welsh Government, and she was formerly chair of Chwarae Teg.

Alison joins NDCWales just as it embarks on its 2022/23 season of events called NOW | NAWR, a mix of new commissions, collaborations, and wide and international tours. For more: www.ndcwales.co.uk

THE FINEST IN FINANCE

Cardiff based corporate finance specialist Lexington has advised on more than 0m worth of deals in the last 12 months alone – just months after moving to a new o ce, on Columbus Walk, in the city centre.

The company, which provides advice on company sales, debt and growth funding and mergers and acquisitions, has advised on nine major deals across the UK since September 2021, cementing it as one of the leading independent advisory boutiques following a similarly successful performance in the previous year.

This includes completing two major deals on the same day in une, where Lexington acted as lead corporate

finance advisor to the shareholders of Cardiff based Wood T and Film, one of the ’s leading T and film set design and build businesses, on its sale to the management team, while supporting with the successful acquisition of MKT Logistics by Turners Group, which operates from 32 sites across the UK.

“Despite the tough couple of years for businesses as a result of the pandemic, the mergers and acquisitions market enjoyed a period of resurgence, as well capitalised companies and investors looked for acquisitive growth opportunities, says Gary artridge, managing director at Lexington.

For more: www.lexingtoncf.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk

Business leaders from across Wales participated in the football event

Alison Thorne joins NDCWales

Julie Green is one of three new directors at SPW

Gary Partridge and Nigel Griffiths of Lexington

TAKE A VOW

When a couple marries, in England and Wales, they can choose to have either a religious ceremony or a civil ceremony. The latest report from Office for National Statistics indicates that one in five marriages conducted in England and Wales are registered as religious ceremonies; approximately, 32,700 marriages each year.

If you have a religious ceremony in England and Wales the marriage must be conducted in compliance with correct procedure. Particularly, the couple must give valid notice of the intended nuptials; the ceremony must be officiated/attended by an authorised religious minister (or a registrar, if the minister is not authorised) and conducted in accordance with the authorised process.

If a religious ceremony is conducted abroad, the marriage does not have to comply with the laws of England and Wales; however, the marriage must be conducted in accordance with

the laws and procedures of the country in which the ceremony took place, and was registered.

The relevance of religious marriage, whilst often overlooked by the divorcing couple, is an importance consideration when they are going through a divorce.

In England and Wales, the legal process of divorce is a civil procedure. When a party applies for a divorce and obtains their Decree Absolute (for applications issued pre 6 April 2022), or Final Order (for applications issued post 6 April 2022), they will obtain a legal order dissolving the civil marriage. Whilst this process is recognised by some religions as a valid religious divorce, other faiths will require the parties to obtain a divorce through the procedure of their faith.

In circumstances where a person’s religion requires that they go through a prescribed religious process to bring the religious marriage to an end, it is important that this procedure be complied with in addition to the civil divorce

process. Failure by either party to bring their religious marriage to an end, under the rules and procedures of their faith, can have a profound impact on ancillary issues, particularly financial arrangements. n

If you require any assistance, or advice, in relation to the issues raised above, or any other family issue, please contact our Family Team at Berry Smith LLP by email at family@berrysmith.com or telephone on 02920 345511

Benjamin Delve of BERRY SMITH LAWYERS on the relevance of religious marriage and the divorce process

Benjamin Delve

ONE TO WATCH

Adrien Leroux

Born and raised in France, Adrien Leroux came to Cardiff to immerse himself in the world of jewellery design. Here he tells us about crafting one-of-a-kind sentimental pieces, restoring heirlooms, and bringing bespoke jewellery dreams to life at Laings in St David’s Cardiff

What’s a typical day in the life for you?

Being a jewellery designer is all about listening to your client and turning their ideas into reality. This involves liaising with diamond and gemstone suppliers, searching for the perfect stone to fit the kind of design that the client is planning, communicating with clients, giving them plenty of updates on the design process, doing sketches and watercolours paintings of the designs, and gathering all the details that are needed to make these precious pieces a reality.

What’s your background and your journey to Laings?

I was born and raised in France and stayed there until the age of 18 when I left to study product design in Cardiff. After graduating in 20 2, worked for two different jewellers before starting my Laings journey. The name Laings stood out to me in the industry and was somewhere that I had always aspired to be. It is a prestigious brand

that is well known and respected in Cardiff, and ’m delighted to continue my story here.

Why did you want to work in jewellery design?

It gives you the opportunity to express yourself and be creative as a designer. Each piece that we create is a very personal experience for the client; more often than not they are creating something that has emotional and sentimental value.

What do you love about your job?

I absolutely love designing and drawing new concepts, it is fantastic to be creative in my working life.

I enjoy the relationships that I am able to build with my clients too; seeing their faces light up when they see their creations for the first time is a very special feeling and a moment that ’m lucky enough to be part of.

What have been your most memorable moments?

I have been involved in many interesting jobs, from ashes and black diamonds to fingerprints.

I was once involved in creating an exclusive collection of silver jewellery for Cardiff Castle, which was a fantastic project to work on. also have had the opportunity to work with some incredible gemstones. We currently have a rare 2-carat diamond, with incredible colour and clarity grades. It really does have to be seen to be believed.

How do you take a project from start to finish?

To start a bespoke design journey, we always have an initial consultation with the client. We talk about their inspiration, what kind of design they are looking for and if they have a particular timeframe that they need to work to. then go away and produce several designs based on their brief these are usually

hand-drawn and painted, with a very romantic feel to them.

t is very important to keep clients involved throughout the process, so at this stage will speak to them, go over the design and discuss any changes. also gather different gemstones so that the clients can come in and view the options that are available. This helps to make every design uni ue and individual. It is not long before the designs come to life, from wax models and casting, into beautifully crafted pieces. keep clients updated at every step and before too long they are coming in to collect the finished piece.

Is there a limit to what you can design?

The sky is really the limit when it comes to bespoke design engagement rings, shaped wedding bands, pendants, necklaces, bracelets, dress rings, cu inks, brooches, restoring heirloom pieces and so much more. www.laingsuk.com

A couple of Adrien's sparkly designs

Adrien believes the sky’s the limit when it comes to bespoke jewellery

PHOTO BY OWEN MATHIAS PHOTOGRAPHY

Cardiff Life Awards 2023

CATEGORIES

You can enter your business into one or more of these categories… Arts Bar Business services Café

Charity Civic Creative Education Event

Hair and Beauty Health and Wellbeing Homes and Interiors

Legal and Financial Leisure and Tourism

New Business People Services

Property Restaurant Retailer

Sustainability Technology and Innovation Welsh Language (And then the ultimate Winner of Winners is chosen by us!)

The date has been set and plans are underway for the city’s business event of

year: the Cardiff Life Awards! Nominations are opening soon,

are plenty of other ways to get involved too…

The Cardiff Life Awards are coming back – are you ready?

Planning is well underway for the glittering, vibrant, joy-filled 2023 ceremony, the business highlight of the city, at which pretty much any and every local business – big or small – can win one of our 23 coveted awards.

If you are a part of this amazing community and want to showcase your venture, talent and efforts, along with supporting and meeting other top businesses, then we’d love you to see you there.

There are a number of ways to get involved:

• Sponsor the Awards

With more and more interest in being closely associated with the most prestigious event in the Cardiff business calendar, sponsorship opportunities are going fast. Already signed up are: Genero, Bupa, ReRecruitment, 13Fields, Lexus Cardiff, Crumbs, Entreconf and of course Cardiff Life. Sponsors reap the benefits of

powerful marketing and exposure in the build-up to the Awards, and they also bag guaranteed tickets. To find out more, please contact mark.george@mediaclash.co.uk

• Enter the Awards

It’s free to nominate your business; just head online, choose what categories you’d like to enter, and you’ll find a Q&A asking you all about your business or organisation – your biggest achievements over the past year, your highlights, and what you are most proud of. This is not a time for modesty; you are encouraged to blow that trumpet and shout about yourselves!

• Get tickets

Nothing beats being there! Anyone can attend the event, whether you’re up for an award or not. With the company of 500 people, the networking and collaboration opportunities are on another level, and the party, well, that speaks for itself. What goes on at the Cardiff Life Awards stays at the Cardiff Life Awards.

For more: www.cardifflifeawards.co.uk

The hottest networking ticket in the city, with 500 business people under one roof

PHOTO BY OWEN

MATHIAS

PHOTOGRAPHY

SPONSORS

Nathan Wyburn

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CARDIFF LIFE AWARDS 2022

SIMON CONSTANTINOU, an established family-run hair and beauty business on Crwys Road, Cardiff, won the Hair & Beauty trophy at the Cardiff Life Awards 2022. Here we chat with the salon’s director and owner Helen Rouse about its heart-warming background…

HAIR & BEAUTY WINNER

Firstly, can you tell us a bit about the business…

I love telling the Constantinou origin story! In a nutshell, my grandparents, Odysseas and Ellou, migrated from Cyprus in the 1950s – by boat no less – and opened their first salon in the 60s. Odysseas worked hard to uphold a reputation for quality and style, and he went on to compete in hairdressing competitions across the world.

Then as his sons grew up, they also took on the same work ethic and creative flair at these hairdressing competitions. Some of the following generation of grandchildren went on to successfully compete too – including Dody, who now works alongside his uncle, Simon.

You’ll spot lots of Constantinou’s hairdressers in and around Cardiff, but Simon operates in the O.Constantinou & Sons salon on Crwys Road, this was my grandparents’ first salon that we inhabit today (albeit updated and extended) and we still honor the

original salon name on the sign above the door, in memory of the original Mr.C!

What positives has the business had recently?

Our joyous rdi ife Award win this year was such a delightful positive. We have also been working to become a dementiafriendly organisation through the Marie Curie/Alzheimer’s Society Communities initiative; this has led to a great amount of press that we hope helps spread awareness of dementia. Ultimately every business offering a service to the public can hugely benefit from this training and support. Adapting the salon to be accessible to someone living with dementia has in turn made us generally accessible for all.

We were also delighted to have recently received the Gold Standard status from the charity ittle rincess Trust for fitting and styling wigs for children who have lost their hair through illness.

How else do you contribute to and benefit the local area? We like to support the local schools and charities with ra e pri es and donations. And we have various

ongoing fundraising and support activities for The Little Princess Trust and Macmillan Cancer Care throughout the year.

What makes your business stand out?

We have a community feel, a ‘salon family’. We have a large number of loyal clients who have been with us for many years, travelling from as far as Plymouth and Jersey. We are constantly inspired by trends and changes in the industry and despite being so established, we never want to stop learning; that’s what excites and drives us.

What job were you doing before you got into this role?

Prior to joining the family business in 2015, I was a fashion designer for nearly 14 years. I love the trend element of the hair and beauty industry, and I love working with my father, Simon, who never fails to surprise me with his passion and excitement for the industry, even after over 50 years of hairdressing!

What local business people inspire you?

I know this is pretty cheesy, but my father has mentored me to

take the reins of this business. He always seems to have the answer and inspires me with his creative thinking and ability to remain grounded through tough times.

What’s new/upcoming?

We are expanding our wigs, hairpieces and men’s hair systems department. This is an area that we don’t shout about enough, due to its sensitive nature. However, we are seeing an increasing demand and we love watching the confidence grow in clients when they take control and invest in a hair system.

Lastly, how did it feel to win a Cardiff Life Award, and what did you think of the event?

We were both shocked and delighted to win the award! Having won it in 2019, it was a great honour to receive it again and be recognised for our ability to adapt and evolve in an ever-changing industry. We loved every minute of the night, and I must admit that I continued to dance the night away at the after party in Kuku until closing time! What a great celebration of Cardiff businesses! or more www.worldc mpio irdressi .co.uk

“MY GRANDPARENTS MIGRATED FROM CYPRUS AND OPENED THEIR FIRST SALON IN THE 1960S, THE SAME ONE WE INHABIT TODAY“

The salon back in the 1960s, opened by Helen’s grandparents

Owner Helen Rouse

PETER FINCH

Chronicler of Cardiff Peter Finch returns with a new take on his beloved city. He walked the Cardiff border during lockdown restrictions, and in his new book, Edging the City, he shares the highlights and discoveries he made along the way...

Cardiff-based writer and poet Peter Finch is the author of the hugely popular Real Cardiff books – locals’ guides to the city – and is the author of The Roots of Rock, from Cardiff to Mississippi and Back , which charts the evolution of rock and popular music from 1950s Cardiff Suburbia to modern day America and beyond.

Peter’s new book, Edging the City, offers a view of Cardiff like no other; his response to the 2020 lockdown restrictions confining people to their local authority area was to begin

walking the boundary of his. Here we asked him for 10 of the top highlights of walking the 50-mile Cardiff border…

1. It’s bigger than you think. The city that is. Walk the border right round until you get back to where you started and you will have covered more than 72 miles. The way I did it, anyway. The whole capital occupies 54 square miles – a size, you think, but then again, some Texas cattle ranches are bigger.

2. It’s surprisingly green, not what you’d first imagine of a former-industrial city with a

“Getting round the capital along its border doesn’t cost a thing”

coal dock as big as any in the world. But the Welsh capital turns out to have large reaches that are all fields, places where woodland rolls into woodland and the built landscape vanishes into the distance.

3. There are plenty of pubs. The border is rich with places in which to drink and eat. From the Street Food Kitchen on the road on from Culverhouse Cross to the Ty Mawr, offering the best views in the city, on Graig Llanishen.

4. It has more mountains than any seaport should own. Well not real mountains – technically those have to be higher than 600 feet – but ones with enough about them to give you that exalted feeling when you get to the top (The Garth, Craig Llanishen, Craig yr Allt, Craig Llysfaen).

5. It has a huge history. From the neolithic on, the border is scattered with the past –Roman villas, Norman mottes, Welsh castles and relics from the dawn of the industrial age. The best is just over the border at Rhiwsaeson where a great battle against the invading Saxons was won in 873.

6. The empty quarter. Out there in the north west where new-build estates are fast arriving are acres of nothing much at all – few roads, very little habitation.

7. It’s easy. Doing this ramble was almost a walk in the park. Access is simple. There are buses that go everywhere, and paths that rarely present breath-

straining climbs. You might not be able to do it all in one day (although ultra-runner Ollie Smith managed it carrying a torch and wearing a hat) but a few sequential weekends will be enough to see it off.

8. It’s full of music. I selected tracks that worked and played them in my earbuds as I rambled. My book details the playlist and where you can download it. Best was Gwenifer Raymond’s Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain, a guitar piece that was perfect for that green and (when I did it) squelchy climb.

9. The contrasts are huge. From the views you get from almost anywhere on the northern ridge – green belt, 21st century city, grey green sea flowing beyond – to the below-sea-level flatlands at umney where the landscape has an atmosphere unlike anything anywhere else in Wales.

10. It’s free. The walk, that is. Getting round the capital along its border doesn’t cost a thing except for boots. I’d get a decent pair if you going to tackle any of this. Cardiff may be an urban city but it does have stretches of water and woodlands full of mud. n Peter Finch’s Edging the City, published by Seren, is out now; www.pe erfi c .co.uk