Rl34 colour proofing

News | History | Schools | Competitions | Interviews

Rhiwbina Living

At the heart of the community

Issue 34 Spring 2016

Hello Spring Pritchard: I'm doing 30 consecutive half-ironmans for charity

Your Multi Award-Winning Magazine For Rhiwbina

Contents What’s on in Rhiwbina 3-4 News

Catch up with the latest

in Rhiwbina 5 Rhiwbina Library

News and events 6 Letters 12 Why we love growing up in Rhiwbina

What you said 16 Rhiwbeina

Primary School

Latest achievements and news 20 Pritch

A man on a mission 24 Harley Jones

The Rhiwbina resident on

his film and TV work 28 Welsh National Opera

Interview with Ian 31 Beauty with a Purpose 34 Schooling in North

Cardiff: A history 38 Gardening

The arrival of spring 43 Pet Questions 44 18 problems that

only dog owners

will understand 47 Competitions 49 Supper @ Snails

Food review 51 Recipes Summer Issue deadline:

9th May 2016 Published 27th May 2016 a: 222 Pantbach Road, Rhiwbina, Cardiff CF14 6AG t: 07772 081775 / 07974 022920 w: www.livingmags.co.uk e: editor@livingmags.co.uk or danielle@livingmags.co.uk

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the contents, the publisher cannot accept any responsibility for errors or omissions, or for any matter in any way arising from the publication of this material. Every effort has been made to contact any copyright holders.

Rhiwbina Living is an independent, apolitical publication.

Winners at the 2014 UK Independent Magazine Awards 2

Saturday 26th March Mad Hatter’s Tea Party at the Pantmawr Inn

Saturday 30th April Live music - Luke Jackson at Canolfan Beulah

Sunday 27th March (Easter Day) Easter Egg Hunt and Easter Bonnet Parade, Pantmawr Inn

Every Thursday Just Good Friends, 11am-12 noon at Rhiwbina Recreation Club - Older persons event.

Wednesday 30th March Quiz and a Cuppa 3.30pm-5pm at Rhiwbina Library £2 a ticket

Every Friday Rhiwbina Farmers Market 10am-1pm Butchers Arms Car Park

Saturday 9th April Live music - Lewis & Leigh at Canolfan Beulah

Saturday 14th May Queen’s 90th Birthday/May Day celebration at the Pantmawr Inn

Welcome / Croeso Where do we start?

It was another bright, spring day when we headed to the village to ask you why Rhiwbina was such a great place to bring children up. Find out what residents had to say on page 12.

Rhiwbeina Primary School has been very busy - you can read all about their latest adventures on page 16.

We were thrilled to speak to Matthew Pritchard a few weeks ago.

Right now, he is currently undergoing a huge physical and emotional challenge in the name of charity. Find out more on page 20.

You may spot a familiar face on page 24 when we spoke to Rhiwbina’s Harley Jones. Harley is a well-known face around the village and he reflects on his work as a film editor.

WNO On page 31, you can meet Becci White-Park, who is one of this year’s Miss Wales finalists and on page 34, we chart a brief history of schooling in North Cardiff.

Kevin Revell welcomes spring into the garden on page 38 and on page 43, local vet Chris Troughton answers your pet questions.

Dog lovers will understand exactly what we mean on page 44 when we look at 18 problems that only dog owners will understand. We’ve also got some great competitions lined up for you on page 47 and we were delighted to visit Snails for an evening meal not long ago. Read our review of the evening on page 49 and meet evening chef Drew DeLaura on page 54.

Finally, we’ve got some yummy recipe ideas on page 51 and there’s a lovely spring walk through Cefn Onn on page 53.

Danielle and Patric Editors

Prime Minister David Cameron drops into Rhiwbina Rhiwbina Prime Minister David Cameron made a flying visit to Rhiwbina in early March.

He visited Rhiwbina Recreational Club and was met by pupils from Rhiwbeina Primary School.

Cllr Jayne Cowan told Living Magazines: “I was thrilled to welcome David Cameron to Rhiwbina with Craig Williams MP, alongside my husband Councillor Adrian Robson. The look of excitement on the children’s faces

was amazing. This visit is especially special in light of the prestigious Davis Cup Legacy Tour coming to the Rhiwbina Tennis Club in August.”

Craig Williams MP said: “It was wonderful to see a room packed full of supporters and local activists to welcome he Prime Minister to Rhiwbina. Following his speech, I was so pleased to see him chat informally with residents, and hopefully made their day.”

“

The only person not soaked through was Father Christmas

Heavy rain can’t dampen spirit of Rhiwbina Christmas Festival Heol-y-Deri It poured with rain but it didn’t put off the fabulous festival goers turning out in their waterproofs for Rhiwbina’s Christmas Festival.

Huge thanks from Rhiwbina Village Events to all who braved it and to the wonderful businesses who stayed open late and ran activities for everyone to enjoy. From raffles to mulled wine, from Soggy Squirrels to Bucking Reindeer, we all carried on regardless and the atmosphere was fantastic! The only person not soaked through was Father Christmas - all toasty warm in his twinkly magical grotto at New Roots.

At exactly the time the lantern

parade was due to begin, it actually stopped raining. Hundreds joined in and it was a spectacular sight.

Everyone had worked so hard creating them and Gen from The Art Workshop had worked tirelessly making it all happen.

Thank you to everyone for the support including the community, the businesses, the council and councillors, St Johns Ambulance, the police, Cardiff Bus, the performers, food outlets and activity providers.

Next up......Rhiwbina Summer Festival! Saturday 2nd July 2016. We hope to see you there - in glorious sunshine!!

Photos courtesy of Sarah Barnes Photography

NEWS

Rhiwbina businesses shortlisted for national awards

Heol-y-Deri Two Rhiwbina businesses have been shortlisted for national awards in their respective industries.

Cross Accounting Service are finalists for the People Development category at this year’s Business Growth Awards while a few doors down, Cartwright Travel has been shortlisted for the Top Travel Agency in Wales.

Nicola Cross of Cross Accounting Service told Living Magazines: “We started our business in the autumn of 2010 still in the middle of the financial crisis. Starting off with just one person and have now grown to five of us. We have been able to add a member of staff every year of our growth and are looking to develop the business even further.

“Our start up budget was just £5,000 and our growth is completely organic with a small amount of funding for staff development through the Jobs Growth Wales scheme. Our business started off very small, working from home before moving into offices and now we have been at our base in Rhiwbina Cardiff for just over a year.”

Cartwright Travel meanwhile, are hoping to scoop honours at the TTG Top 50 Awards in Birmingham in April.

Steve Cartwright said: “We are thrilled to have been shortlisted. It’d be great for us and for Rhiwbina if we win.”

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NEWS Beulah Road crossing fears raised by Guide Dogs Cymru Cardiff Council has responded to criticism that parts of Beulah Road are dangerous for blind and partially-sighted people.

Guide Dogs Cymru had raised concerns that tactile pavings are in still in place, even though the crossings have been removed.

The textured paving slabs are used to let blind and partiallysighted people know that there is a crossing available.

Cardiff Council has said that it will review the crossings that Guide Dogs Cymru have branded as ‘dangerous’. The charity has called for urgent changes to be made to the layouts.

Engagement Officer for Guide Dogs Cymru Nathan Foy said: “Guide Dogs Cymru works with local authorities to highlight any difficulties, and help them make improvements for blind and partially sighted people.

“The removal of the crossing was brought to our attention by a guide dog owner. It appears that the pedestrian crossing has been removed but the tactile paving remains. This indicates to blind and partially sighted people that it is a safe place to cross. Pedestrians may not be able to see that the crossing has been removed.

“We’ve contacted the Council to highlight the issues around the removal of the crossing, asking why it was removed, and whether it could be reinstated.

It’s a long road and people say they could really do with a safe crossing point. We are awaiting the Council’s response.”

A Council spokesman said: “The Council are discussing the concerns raised by Guide Dogs Cymru and will undertake a review of the crossing facilities in Beulah Road. The Council can confirm that no crossings have been removed. However, in August 2011 two priority narrowing crossing points were replaced with raised table crossing points.”

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Davis Cup heads to Rhiwbina SPORT The Davis Cup trophy is coming to Rhiwbina this summer.

Rhiwbina Recreational Club will be hosting a tennis-themed fun day on 6th August to celebrate the visit of the famous cup.

There will be activities for tots, mini, junior, adult rusty rackets,

cardio tennis, family fun court and a veterans court. There will also be a bouncy castle for tots, a BBQ and music.

The event forms part of a national tour of the UK, with 50 venues specifically chosen to showcase the trophy.

Live music events mark Rhiwbina mini music festival CANOLFAN BEULAH Music and art have always been a prominent part of the community of Rhiwbina. In fact, the village has a long standing reputation for attracting residents with varied creative talents.

Rhiwbina has been the home of many noted Welsh artists, both past and present including the authors Jack Jones and Kate Roberts, musicians Howard Jones, Andy Fairweather-Low (Amen Corner), Rhys Hutchings (GLC), dramatist Tom Richards and the actress Rachel Thomas.

So it is no wonder that the recent introduction of music events have been a welcome addition to village life. Last year there were at least a dozen live acts staged in various locations in the village including Canolfan Beulah and Beulah Church, Rhiwbina Recreation Club and Snails Delicatessen. In the Autumn of 2015, Rhiwbina in The Fall was staged, comprising of three touring artists from the USA and all the events were well attended and appreciated.

This Spring brings a mini festival of events to The Upper Room in Canolfan Beulah called Rhiwbina Spring ’16 and includes a total of three reputable UK artists spanning distinct genres of music.

The first musical event in April is a duo and comprising of Al Lewis and Alva Leigh. The roots of Lewis & Leigh stretch from the Deep South of America all the way over to the

Welsh coast. Alva Leigh originates from the Mississippi whereas Al Lewis was born in North Wales but now resides in Cardiff (his aunty lives in Rhiwbina).

The second act in April is the folk solo artist Luke Jackson from Kent who is only 21 years of age and is fast developing a huge reputation in his genre. In 2013, he was nominated for the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for The Young Folk Category.

Luke is a confident and captivating live performer with a bold and distinctive voice coupled with a sweet, percussive guitar style. He was also winner of Fatea’s ‘Male Artist of the Year 2014’.

Recently he has been touring and writing with the Welsh singer/ songwriter Amy Wadge (who recently won a Grammy with Ed Sheeran). All of these acts will be supported by local homegrown young musicians and the intimacy of the evening makes for a great way to spend an evening in Rhiwbina.

Tickets are available at www. wegottickets.com and from Serenade, Wine Store @4 and Patina Music on 07792 798564

RHIWBINA LIBRARY

Rhiwbina Library serving the community Our Quiz and a Cuppa events are very popular

Rhiwbina Library remains a vital hub in the community

Friends of Rhiwbina Library We hope that you’ve all heard about Friends of Rhiwbina Library – a group of local residents, determined to retain Rhiwbina Library in its present form.

Public libraries everywhere are facing severe ‘challenges’. By supporting Rhiwbina Library and getting actively involved with the exciting things that go on there, we can demonstrate how vital it is to the welfare of our community.

All money raised will go towards enhancing facilities within Rhiwbina Library. We’re currently looking at improving the children’s area.

Quiz and a Cuppa Our monthly ‘Quiz and a Cuppa’ sessions are becoming legendary.

The old grey matter gets a gentle workout and it’s an excellent opportunity to make new friends.

Jigsaw Club Our Saturday morning Jigsaw Library (for children and adults) is very popular.

It’s heartening to hear that you are setting aside your ‘devices’ and rediscovering the joy of puzzling.

Dates for your diary:

‘Once upon a time...’ words that signal something magical is about to happen. We are thrilled that Tamar Williams – multi-awardwinning storyteller and theatre director – will be joining us to talk about the tradition and evolution of storytelling. (20th April at 7pm.

Event aimed at adults.)

Roald Dahl Centenary 2016 is the centenary of Roald Dahl’s birth and a landmark year in Cardiff’s literary legacy. This will be the perfect opportunity to join the rest of the UK in celebrating the great writer and his unforgettable creations. ‘Friends’ will be working closely with Rhiwbina Library staff and other local organisations on this.

• Quiz and a Cuppa: Wednesday 30th March at 3.30pm (Library) • Friends of Rhiwbina Library AGM – please come along and have your say. Tuesday 12th April at 7pm (The Whittaker Lounge, Beulah) • The Storytelling Tradition, with Tamar Williams: Wednesday 20th April at 7pm (Library) • Quiz and a Cuppa: Wednesday 27th April at 3.30pm (Library) If you’d like to become a ‘Friend’ or have questions or suggestions, email friendsofrhiwbinalibrary@ gmail.com If it’s easier, leave your details in the ‘Friends’ box at the library desk and we’ll get back to you.

We have a website: friendsofrhiwbinalibrary. weebly.com You’ll find us on Facebook and we Tweet @ FoRhiwbinaLib

Genealogy There are plans in the pipeline for an ‘Introduction to Genealogy’ session, a Writing Workshop and an event to mark National Poetry Day. We’re always on the lookout for ideas. If you have suggestions, we’d love to hear from you. Better still, join us and help organise an event.

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Letters

A proud language

As a native of Rhiwbina and a Welsh -speaker, I really enjoyed Gwilym Roberts’s article about the history of the language in the village.

We tend to forget how strong the language was in the rural area around Cardiff until relatively recently.

The plaque in Welsh above Canolfan Beulah denoting the building of the old chapel in the 1840’s is tangible evidence of that.

Also, the religious census of 1851 records that the parish church in Whitchurch was still holding services in Welsh at that time.

By the way, an excellent magazine.

V.Richards Cefn Coed, Merthyr

Thanks for the mags!

I just wanted to say how pleased we were to receive the winter edition through our door at Thornhill Road. The west (Rhiwbina) side of Thornhill Road has waited for this!

David Collins Thornhill Road, Rhiwbina

Loved my visit!

I was delighted to win the competition in Rhiwbina Living to see ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ at Christmas.

We had a lovely evening at the Sherman Theatre and really enjoyed the music and drama of the show.

I used to live near the Sherman 20 years ago and it was lovely to go back there and see how it has developed as a venue. Hopefully it won’t be as long before we visit again!

Fiona Burt Rhiwbina 6

We always love to hear from our readers.

Email us or write to us!

It was a real pleasure to visit Rhiwbina

SPRING/SUMME RESIDENTS FRO

Dear Editors It was a real pleasure to call in and meet the team at Rhiwbina Tennis Club, headed up by their excellent coach Tom James.

Your local councillor Jayne Cowan and Craig Williams MP, who are both real champions of your community, were keen that I called in to see the impressive facilities at the club. I was especially pleased to hear that the club has secured their part in the Davis Cup legacy tour.

Thank you for including Pantmawr Just a little note to say how thrilled I was to receive Rhiwbina Living before Christmas and grateful that we are now included in your deliveries. Even though we are residents of Rhiwbina, we tend to feel a little left out up here in Pantmawr.

Trying to obtain a copy has not been easy in the past. By the time you find out that it’s been published, all the copies have gone! I have lived in Rhiwbina for the last 50 years and love to

• FREE HOMEVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY • FREE ENERGY P • FREE COLOUR F • FREE Having experienced the warmNO OBLIGA

welcome from the tennis club, the local community and Rhiwbeina Primary School, I know the club’s part in the legacy tour will be a huge success, helping to getFollowing many more on from young people activelyand involved in owners, Sim sport.

Rt Hon David Cameron MP 10 Downing Street London read all the latest news from the village.

Sue Davies (a grateful reader!)

Pantmawr, Rhiwbina

Editor's Response

Hi Sue and thank you for taking the time to write to us.

We have always felt that we should be delivering to Pantmawr as it is an integral part of the village. We were so proud of our Christmas issue that we felt that everyone should receive a copy.

We increased our print run by an extra 1,100 copies and personally hand-delivered them to the entire Rhiwbina ward!

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Meet Julie Morgan AM I’ve represented constituents in Rhiwbina for more than 18 years – since 2011 I’ve been the Assembly Member for Cardiff North and before that I was MP. I run a fully-staffed office in Whitchurch that’s open every weekday and constituents can drop in at any time to see case workers. I’m there on Fridays and Mondays. Contact me on 029 2061 4577.

Green belt protection for north Cardiff landscape Last October I launched my second petition calling for the beautiful north Cardiff landscape to be protected. The area of land north of the M4 is a fantastic resource for everyone living in Cardiff North and more than 2,000 people signed my petition to the Council in support of designating this land as a green belt. In the end, the Planning Inspectorate decided to award the land the lesser status of a ‘green wedge’ which protects the area for the life of the 10-year Local Development Plan. It’s a start but the fight for permanent protection continues.

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Success after 15-year battle to save reservoirs

Mobile banking service secured

Rhiwbina residents will be able to enjoy the city’s fantastic reservoirs at Lisvane and Llanishen which are reverting to Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water ownership after a 15-year community battle to save them from redevelopment.

I’ve been involved during this long fight and it’s great news as the company has promised to open up these natural green spaces and waterways for the public to enjoy once again. Congratulations to the Reservoir Action Group on their victory!

A new mobile banking service arrived in Rhiwbina on March 10. It was bad news that NatWest decided to close its branch – the last bank in the village – and I held an Assembly debate on the issue of bank closures in February.

Older constituents and small business owners told me about the problems the closure of the branch would cause and I lobbied hard against this. I leafleted the local community, fed back on the bank’s community impact statement and held meetings with senior bank staff to try to prevent the branch closure. Sadly this was to no avail but at least we could demonstrate the strength of feeling in the community which has, I’m sure, led to the bank’s decision to provide the mobile banking service. The bank will be outside Nest weekly, on Thursday mornings from 10:40am for two hours.

Supporting the Friends of Rhiwbina Library

Fight for NHS dental provision in Rhiwbina

I was pleased to be able to support the Friends of Rhiwbina Library who are putting on events and promoting the library as a community resource to help secure its future. They have just set up a book bank which I think is a great idea. The donated books will be distributed to children who don’t have the chance to read books at home.

Why not become a friend and help support the library too? friendsofrhiwbinalibrary@gmail. com

Many people contacted me when it emerged last November that Rhiwbina Dental Surgery on Heol-y-Deri was to stop providing NHS dental services, having taken the decision to go totally private.

I contacted health board managers to find out the situation and press for a new NHS contract to serve dental patients in the area to be let as soon as possible.

The contract is taking time to sort out, partly because new premises need to be found, but there is, thankfully, temporary NHS dental cover being put in place.

Contact the Cardiff & Vale Dental Helpline: 029 2044 4500

The

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We have won many awards with our corporate partners The Garage at Nantgarw who operate as independent Jaguar specialists. You can call us for free, book online, download our app, or just drop into our friendly office based in the heart of the village.

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Est. 1991

Spring is in the Air

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Why we

growing up in Rhiwbina

Holly and Leighton LEIGHTON There is some much greenery around Rhiwbina that it’s a great place to bring up a family. There’s a great school and everything you need is on our doorstep.

HOLLY I like going to the bakery for a cake.

With its abundance of schools, parks and shops, Rhiwbina is one of the finest places in Cardiff to bring up a family.

Here’s what you had to say

“

We have lived in the village since we were schoolchildren. We have brought all of our children up in the village and we don’t think we would have found anywhere finer to do it.

We’d do it all over again if we could!

Mary and Ralph

Danielle: Ever since I moved to Rhiwbina, I always envisaged bringing up a little one in Rhiwbina. It’s such a lovely community and we have lots of fun here.

Evie: I like Rhiwbina because all my friends live here and there are lots of places that we can go together. I like going to the library and the park and I also like going to the shops to buy things for my Mummy.

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Danielle and Evie

PEOPLE

It is perfect I’m a grandmother now but I grew up here and so did my children.

It’s now the case that my grandchildren are growing up here and I couldn’t think of a nicer place.

The kids are lucky to be close to the countryside and all that fresh air. And it’s not as if we are out in the middle of nowhere - they can always hop on a train or a bus if they want to.

Valerie

The village has everything

Everything a young family needs is right here. We’ve just come back from the library but there’s also ballet and football for the kids.

The village really has grown in the last few years and the kids love growing up here.

Gary, Tilly and Lucas

Jo and Sam

A friendly village

“

We view Rhiwbina as our local high street. We used to live in the city centre but decided to live here instead for many different reasons.

As well as the main school, there are some great feeder schools in the village. In addition to the schools, there is always something going on for the kids around here - lots of playgroups and activities for them to take part in.

The Festival is also a great event that all of our family love attending. Our three year old loves meeting Santa when he comes to the village.

For us as parents, the transport The village is full of smiles. links are great into town if you Everywhere we go, people say hello and that makes Rhiwbina a need to head there - but we are far lovely place in which to grow up. away enough to consider Rhiwbina a village outside of the city so we On top of that, there’s so much don’t get all that hustle and bustle going on here for the kids and of city living. for the adults, there’s plenty of access to the city. We’ve got lots of Ben, Josephine, Kaira (aged 3) and Ethan (aged 6 friends here. months) Lily and Rachel Jo: We feel very safe here in the village. Because we are all very community-based, and with the school placed at the heart of everything, it’s a great place to bring up kids.

There are plenty of parks for the children to play in and lots for them to do outside of school, including the library and all the activities that take place in the halls.

Sam: I’ve just come back from music school and there’s always lots to do on the weekends here.

I like the fact that all my mates live here and every time I go out, I always bump into them.

I also like visiting the bakery afterwards because I love their sausage rolls.

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02920 653 995

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Juboraj – at the centre of Rhiwbina THE JUBORAJ RESTAURANT GROUP is one of the oldest, and almost certainly, one of the great Indian and Bangladeshi restaurants in Wales having won numerous awards. For over twenty five years there has been a Juboraj in Cardiff of which the Rhiwbina restaurant is the original.

In 2014 the Juboraj in Rhiwbina had a complete facelift to the exterior, with new signs, lighting, stone-work and fresh paintwork to windows and walls. Last year it is the turn of the kitchen - the engine room and heart of any restaurant.

The kitchens at the Juboraj Rhiwbina have seen over 25 years good service so it was time to bring them into the 21st Century with a £70,000 upgrade. The kitchen has been rejuvenated from floor to ceiling with new ovens and extractors, flooring, tiling, fridges and freezers.

“The new state-of-the-art equipment means our kitchen is now more energy

efficient and environmentally friendly.”, explains Ana Miah, owner of Juboraj Rhiwbina and Managing Director of The Juboraj Group. “We can now create better, healthier dishes, using less oil and generating less waste. Our customers have already commented on the improved quality in taste and texture of our already famous dishes.”

Ana says anyone who wants to inspect the new kitchen is more than welcome and there are plans to re-introduce their once popular cookery demonstrations and classes.

Best Indian Restaurant in Wales at the British Curry Awards. More recently Juboraj Rhiwbina was shortlisted for the High Street Heroes Award and Highly Commended in the prestigious Westminster Tiffin Club Awards. With the annual Elvis night a sell out every year and special days such as Mother’s Day, let’s look forward to the next 25 years now that Cardiff’s best loved Indian restaurant has had an investment that proves their commitment to the community of Rhiwbina and, of course, the whole of Cardiff and beyond.

The new kitchen means the Juboraj is working on a whole new menu to include not only the traditional favourites and classic Juboraj specialities, but new dishes that weren’t possible before.

For over 25 years the Juboraj has been at the heart of the Rhiwbina community and has enjoyed accolades such as

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SCHOOL NEWS

Rhiwbeina Primary School Rhiwbeina Primary has been a hive of activity over the last few months. Here are a few of the highlights

Checkmate!

Many congratulations to the 8 children from Chess Club who represented our school so brilliantly at a major chess competition recently. All of them won games and some even came extremely close to winning the top prizes despite fearsome competition from pupils from public and private schools across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.

We are very proud of you all!

A stitch in time A new club has started at Rhiwbeina Primary. Year 4 boys and girls meet twice a week during a lunch time and after school on a Tuesday. We currently have 15 members and have been learning different skills and stitches, such as over, straight and blanket stitch. We are making individual tapestries, felt hearts and egg cosies and are hoping to sell them to our friends to raise money.

16

Neigh-bourly police!

As part of our topic of ‘Superheroes’, Dosbarth Derbyn had a visit from the police in January. We learnt how the police can help in our community, and how they can help us look after our houses and help us when we are lost.

We were very lucky to see the police horses and dogs as part of our visit. We learnt a lot of interesting facts about the horses, and even helped with the noise training ready for the Six Nations. Our George met George the horse, who, at 19 hands, was a lot bigger than us! We met the police dog Cracker who liked his ears stroked. He had a good sniff of Reception to make sure we weren’t hiding sweets in our pockets. PC Westlake told us about the police uniform, and we were even able to try on the different helmets and vests. What a fantastic visit!

Sing us a song During December, our school choir were very busy entertaining the local community. We had the opportunity to perform with a West End Star (Peter Karrie), helped to raise money for a homeless charity and were invited to perform alongside the CAVMS Youth Orchestra and Jazz Group at ‘The Gate’ in Roath. We enjoyed all of these opportunities that were well supported and received by the local community.

Our choir is made up or about 55 pupils from Year 3 - 6 and we practise every Wednesday after school with Mrs Hughes and Mrs Scully.

We are hoping to perform again in the Summer Term as part of a massed choir in the Wales Millenium Centre. More information will be available nearer the time.

Year 4 library visits As part of the Welsh Assembly Government’s drive to promote reading across all primary schools in Wales, all of the Year 4 classes spend a very enjoyable session investigating our brilliant local library, listening to stories and learning about all of the other resources available to everyone as members of the library.

Every child received a new library card, which entitles them to get up to 15 books out free of charge, and enjoyed selecting two books to take out that day to enjoy at home.

Many thanks to Rhiwbina Library for having us, reminding us of the enjoyment reading can bring and inspiring us to read even more.

SCHOOLS School Council In School Council we try to make our school a better place in which to learn and play.

This works by taking in suggestions from our fellow peers to let us all have a voice in the running of our school. In the past, this has led to setting different ideas, activities, and opportunities for our school.

These have included improving our playground with an adventure trail, climbing wall and multi-games court, as well as introducing events and competitions for our friends to enjoy.

Buddy benches Our latest achievement has been to research and buy new benches for the school. This idea came from one of our older pupils who thought we could have buddy benches on our yards devoted to meeting other pupils, talking through problems, developing our social skills, or just to hang out with our friends.

Working closely with Amy from our PTA, we carefully investigated the best possible benches. We really appreciate her help and the funding which has generously been given to us by the PTA and local businesses, without whom we would never have been able to start this scheme. Thank you!

We are excited to announce that the benches have arrived and are now waiting to be installed.

We chose theses buddy benches because of they have a fun, colourful design, linking in with our school colours which are red and green. There are stars on the sides to represent our achievements within the school. The benches are also double-sided to ensure as many people as possible can enjoy, relax and use these benches with their newly found friends and also with friends they have previously made.

Magic and Mystery Class 2D spent an exciting afternoon exploring Fforest Fawr on a quest to find King Arthur and Merlin as part of our topic “Magic and Mystery”. We encountered mystical magicians, dragons, tree goblins and fairy windows. We found a treasure chest full of gold coins and even discovered a book full of spells!

When we got back to school we wrote some fantastic stories about the “Magic of Fforest Fawr”.

Ollie’s Library We have a wide range of books available to be loaned for all year groups - from Enid Blyton to Jeff Kinney. You can read about big splashing sharks to how tiny insects find their food. We even have a section on cookery, arts and crafts - lots of things to do and keep you entertained during the spring months.

Give us a Headstart Heartstart is a programme run by Mrs Coray & Mrs Knight for our Year 6 pupils.

It enables children to achieve simple life skills that could potentially help them save someone’s life.

ELS is taught, which includes carrying out cardiopulmary resuscitation (CPR) and rescue breathing, which is practised by the pupils on training mannequins.

The children who have taken the course have responded enthusiastically to the implied responsibility of being able to possibly save a life, and they feel that the knowledge is a valuable life skill to have.

We are open every day between 12.30 and 1pm and then again from 4pm until 4.30pm.

Books can be borrowed, one at a time, for one week. Once you have returned your book you can choose another.

Joining is easy. Simply come to the library, collect a library joining card, take it home, get it signed by your grown up, bring back into the library, and then choose your book!

We will be busy this year in the library, celebrating the Olympics 2016 (reading challenge) in the summer and not forgetting Roald Dahl’s 100th birthday on the 13th September. There are lots of exciting things to look forward to and you don’t have to be a member to join us - just a love for having fun and reading!

We have enjoyed celebrating authors through assemblies and we are very much looking forward to our annual visit to The Hay Festival too.

Eco news The children have been busy in school thinking up ways in which we can reduce waste. They have been monitoring the amount of waste in school closely.

The girls have also been busy upcycling rubbish to help us celebrate St. David’s Day. 17

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Pritch Every day throughout March, Matthew Pritchard will complete a half-ironman event for charity. He tells Living Magazines why.

A

mong the queues of people waiting to get into Cardiff International Pool, Matthew Pritchard cuts an imposing figure. Hood up, and keeping himself to himself, the creator and former star of MTV's Dirty Sanchez is on a mission.

Throughout March, Pritchard will push himself to his absolute physical and emotional limits.

And he's trying to figure out why he's doing it.

"I'm thinking back to my childhood in Cardiff to see if I can find out why I keep pushing

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myself like this. My early years probably played a big part in it all. I remember one of my early schools pretty well because it had mould growing on the walls. I also remember getting a battering from one of the teachers there for doing something wrong. You wouldn’t get that these days.

"I spent 5 years at Glantaf in Llandaff North. My only good memories there were of jumping out of windows with my friend Rhodri O’Neill and exploring the end of the field down by the Taff Weir opposite the Rowing Club. I

wasn’t very good in class because all I wanted to do was become a stuntman. I skateboarded constantly too and really enjoyed it. Back in the day though, when I told my teachers that I wanted to become a stuntman, they just looked at me stupid and I was told that thinking like that would get me nowhere. But I became a professional skateboarder, made a living out of it, and from that, clinched my own TV show. You could say that I succeeded in my goals. I never got injured at school although I did almost

PEOPLE

break my jaw once. I passed there recently and noticed how high the windows were. I wouldn't do it now!"

Putting on these stunt shows for the other pupils foreshadowed Pritch's career in adulthood. After leaving school, Pritch became a skateboarder professionally before TV beckoned.

"Then came along Dirty Sanchez.

My bank account filled up with money and I found myself with the world at my feet. Don’t get me wrong – I had a whale of a time and partied hard but I did lots of things I shouldn't have."

But there came a time when Pritch had to take stock of his life and where he was heading.

“When you look in the mirror and there’s a yellow face looking back at you, that’s when you realise that you have to change - and for the better. It all started when I decided to do the Cardiff half-marathon. A full marathon then followed, including two in London. I did one of them wearing nothing but a mankini.

The chafing was awful. But I always wanted to do better, go further.

"The next event was a run from John O’Groats to Land's End. Forest Gump had nothing on me.

I was running 34 miles a day and the nearer I got to my goal, the harder it became. By the time I was finished, I didn’t even have the energy to drink the champagne that had been given to me.

Photographs by Patric Morgan

"After the event, I went into a deep depression. I didn’t need to go to the doctors just to be told that it was depression – I knew it was depression! I think it was the fact that I had nothing to work towards once I'd completed my objectives.

"I then got involved with the IronMan UK events. These triathlons consist of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and a 26.2-mile marathon. All in one go - and without stopping for a break. There’s one up in North Wales which is twice as long and involves going up Snowdon."

In recent years Pritch has turned his hand to many of these extreme challenges to raise money for a variety of worthy causes, which has ultimately led to the creation of Pritchard's £100,000 Challenge.

“If I stop and think about why I do it, I think it goes back to my school days. I was always a little bit different to the other kids, and as a result, I got bullied a lot. I was always told that I couldn’t achieve things and I guess that this is my response to them – and to myself, that I can."

This March, Pritchard will be attempting to complete a '70.3' Half Ironman event for 30 consecutive days. '70.3' refers to the total distance in miles covered, consisting of a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile cycle and 13.1 miles of running. That's 70.3 miles every day for 30 days.

"The good thing about doing this

“

I did a London Marathon wearing nothing but a mankini.

The chafing was awful.

is that I can eat what I want to pile on the calories. I'll be starting the event on St. David's Day and ending it on my birthday. I want to push my body to the limit and take it as far as I can go. You will never know what you are capable of unless you take yourself that far.

"The aim is to raise £100,000 for charity. One of the recipients of the money will be Greenhill Special School in Rhiwbina.

"Training has gone well so far apart from getting knocked off my bike by a car and breaking my coccyx. I'm ok though. The people at the International Pool have been fantastic. They have given us access to the pool throughout the challenge and have been extremely supportive."

You can keep tabs on Pritch as he takes on his challenge and make donations at www. pritchards100kchallenge.com.

Donations will be going to Tŷ Hafan Hospice amongst other charities.

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Cut and Dry

N

ostalgia.

Sat among his walls of editing machines in his home office, former BBC editor and film-maker Harley Jones has a smile on his face.

“People love it,” he says “They can't get enough of it."

Walking into Harley's editing suite is like stepping into a living museum display. VHS players, 8mm players, reels and posters are all carefully laid out - and all with a purpose.

“I’ve done this all my life. I’m still doing it now in my 70s. I don’t think I’ll ever stop doing it.

“I knew exactly what I wanted

24

Harley Jones has worked with pioneers of British film and television.

And he’s still going strong. to do when I was a kid. I wanted to be in film and television right from the very start.

“When I was a youngster, I was already making films as an amateur. I hired some young actors and with a 16mm camera, we headed off around Cardiff and the Valleys to make these mini-dramas.

It was all a bit of harmless fun but ultimately,

they were my passport to a professional career in film.

“I came to Cardiff from Bridgend Grammar School. I started work at TWW (ITV Wales) as a trainee before moving to the BBC as an

Assistant Film Editor. In those days, it was all about film reels and a pair of scissors. At the age of 18, I was the youngest editor at the BBC at that time. I guess I was in the right place at the right time.

“I was lucky that I worked for John Ormond. He was a director and producer of documentary films, including studies of Ceri Richards, Kyffin Williams and Dylan Thomas. You learn a lot from people like him.

“I then met my now-wife Viv at the BBC and we were invited to work for Scottish TV at Thomson House in Cardiff ’s city centre.

It was a funny old place, full of corridors and offices.

“I worked with John Grierson, who was one of TV’s true pioneers. He was the first person to coin the phrase ‘documentary’ in 1926, and in 1929, made the film Drifters. In 1935, he was producer on the classic film Night Mail, a documentary about a London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) mail train from London to Scotland. The poet WH Auden and composer Benjamin Britten also collaborated on the film.”

Working with such talent taught Harley a lot about film-making.

He, in turn, was then able to pass on his knowledge and skills to others.

“I set up the first film school in Wales, in what was known then as the Newport School of Art. I spent 18 years there. It will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Film editing has come a long way in 50 years. These days, you can film and edit everything on your mobile phone. You have to remember that TV was an expensive medium back in the sixties. We had to carry a lot of equipment around when we were making films back then. I still have those films and some of them have been selected to feature in the Welsh Film Archives.”

The art of editing is still an art that has to be mastered.

“To make a successful documentary, you need to gain the confidence of your subject. You need to forge relationships with them and be friendly to them.

“You also need to remember that as a documentary maker, you

Harley in the BBC editing department in 1962 don’t work to a tight script. You go into it with ideas and it’s then left to the editor to create the storylines that the audience can follow.”

Always learning, Harley moved on from the film school to go freelance.

“I became an independent producer for S4C for a while.

Not being a Welsh speaker, I had to take an intensive course which was quite challenging but it all paid off. We made a diverse range of programmes - things from Welsh choirs, narrow gauge railways - anything that was of Welsh national interest.

“You’d be surprised at the amount of talent that’s hidden, even in our villages. Even along the street where I live, there are working film makers and producers. Until you start scratching the surface, you don’t really know the kind of people are nearby."

After living in Llandaff for over 20 years, Harley’s passion has spilled over into community life elsewhere. He has played an active role with other volunteers in setting up a community cinema in Rhiwbina where he now lives.

“Monico Memories has really taken off in Rhiwbina. We’re still feeling our way a little bit but it’s great to see that the film industry is still as popular as it used to be.

We went to visit a similar project down in Hampshire recently and they’re pulling in twice as many people as we are but we’re not

about big crowds. For a start, we can’t find anywhere bigger than Canolfan Beulah but that’s fine with us because we’re finding it a great venue.

“We originally set up to showcase specialised films but lots of people are wanting to see mainstream films. We’re still working on our programming but we think that we’ll soon be where we want to be.”

The Monico cinema of course, was once a landmark of North Cardiff. For decades, it entertained the people of the city and the valleys. Its name still trips off the tongues of locals, and its demise in the early 2000s was seen by some as a travesty. The Monico cinema on Pantbach Road will forever be etched into the minds of filmgoers both old and not-so old.

As for Harley, he’s still doing what he does best through his own company, Celtic Films.

“I still do a certain amount of editing and I also do a lot of transferring old film reels onto DVD. “It’s an absolute joy to still be working with film. I’m so lucky to be able to do something that I love.”

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Beauty

PEOPLE

with a purpose

Becci White-Park will take part in the glamorous Miss Wales competition in April. She talks to Living Magazines about growing up in Rhiwbina, the competition and what it takes to be a beauty queen 2016 will see a North Cardiff student going for gold in this year’s Miss Wales Competition.

Student Becci White-Park has been chosen as a finalist at this year’s Miss Wales competition.

“Rhiwbina has always been local to me when I was growing up. I was lucky enough to be baptised in the Beulah United Reformed Church. I then attended Greenways Nursery on Pen-yGroes Road.

“I am so grateful and proud to be selected as a Miss Wales 2016 finalist. I entered the competition because I wanted to share this fantastic experience with

inspiring ladies throughout Wales.

I want to make a difference and make this world, if not a lot a little of this world, better than it was yesterday. The amazing hard work and commitment from previous contestants, followed by their rewarding results in charity work has inspired me to take part. I know that people will see this as just a beauty pageant and draw an opinion but I strongly believe that no beauty shines brighter than that of a good heart.”

Becci will take on the other 30 or so finalists later this spring.

“The competition helps raise funds for local and international charities. It all goes towards helping disadvantaged children the world over.”

Taking part in the competition has brought many positives to Becci’s own life.

“I’ve loved meeting new people and having the chance to try new things for a good cause.

But most of all, it’s the best feeling knowing that you’re loved and supported by family and friends.”

Taking part in the competition is far from easy.

“People can have differing opinions on you being a Miss Wales finalist, and taking it seriously is a challenge.

“I’ve learnt how important it is to know the people who care and support you. I think a lot of people take these people for granted.

I wouldn’t be the person I am today if it wasn’t for my parents and I love them both dearly and I cherish their support and love.”

If Becci wins the national title, she’ll go on to become a finalist at the Miss World competition.

There are some who think that beauty pageants belong in the history books but Becci is keen to point out that it’s not just a beauty competition.

“I think everyone’s entitled to their opinion and I respect that.

I think people don’t realise that it’s so much more than just a tiara and a pretty dress. It’s not just a beauty pageant - there is a lot of hard work that all the finalists undertake to host and hold charity events and help raise money. Some of the tasks can be challenging but it’s all good experience!”

The Miss Wales Finals take place in April.

To vote for Becci, text Welsh 51 to 64343. Texts will charge a £1.

31

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In a world that’s becoming increasingly digital, it’s always nice to know that some local businesses can offer a more personal touch.

Westmore Insure has recently opened on the Crossroads in Rhiwbina, and offers a level of service that can’t be matched by online retailers.

“I created the business in 2013 after working in the industry for 20 years,” says owner Steve Western.

“I could see that the increase of comparison websites was leading to a drop in customer service standards customers weren’t able

to access qualified advice and guidance.”

With his philosophy of looking after his customers, Westmore has seen rapid growth and it now has its first branch in Thornhill Rd, Rhiwbina. Customers can now come in and speak to their advisor face to face.

The new shop on Thornhill Road offers a comfortable and relaxed environment to discuss your insurance needs.

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“Our focus is completely on customer service, giving you access to a face as well as expert advice.”

On a personal level, Steve and his staff are heavily involved with much-needed charity work.

“I set up the Ten Y Fan charity event that supported young Harri Gillen from Rhiwbina in 2015 to raise money to help his cancer treatment. The event involved people trying to climb Pen Y Fan 10 times in 24 hours.”

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Schooling in North Cardiff: A Brief History

U

ntil fairly recent times, schooling in North Cardiff was a function of the church, working independently of the state.

It may be assumed that educational facilities provided at Llandaff over hundreds of years were freely available as a right of the parishioners of Whitchurch.

Scholastic functions were exercised in Llandaff before the Norman conquest. It was in 983AD that Bishop Bledri ordered that every priest set up a school in connection with his church.

It is very likely that it served the purpose of religious teaching and this policy was continued by his successor, Bishop Joseph.

Throughout the 10th and 11th centuries, it is therefore likely that education continued under the banner of the church. In the 12th century, the famous Geoffrey of Monmouth is supposed to have been associated with a teaching capacity at Llandaff Cathedral.

One thing that is definitely known is that in about 1470, Sir David Mathew left money to establish a chantry, and also 'to keepe a free Scole for certeyn pore children to the number of XX'. The school was in existence for more than a century but in all likelihood, was wiped out during the reign of Edward VI. There is evidence of the continued existence of the Llandaff school in the 18th century. In 1716, William Morgan was elected 'Master of the Free School' and in 1719, Browne Willis mentions the existence of a school in a room over the

34

Cathedral Chapter House. Records also exist relating to the rebuilding of the school house in 1727.

In all probability, the Llandaff school (or schools connected with the cathedral) would have been maintained as part of the ecclesiastical organisation, right down to the setting up of the National Schools in the Cathedral village in 1817. It seems safe to assume that the facilities there were available to poor children from Whitchurch as well as other hamlets in the Parish of Llandaff.

It is likely however, that such facilities covered the needs of a small proportion of the children of the well-to-do parishioners and were probably taught to read and write, if nothing more, in small proprietary schools carried on usually in private houses, each scholar paying a small weekly fee.

Due to the heavy influence of the church, by 1761, no less than 3,495 'charity schools' were in existence. These schools, founded

by Anglican clergyman, the Rev Griffith Jones, were there to teach men, women and children 'to read God's holy word in the native British language'. By the mid 1700s, the Welsh Sunday School movement came to the fore as the most potent educational agency in the area.

Thomas Charles of Bala, who led the

movement, concentrated on the task of organising Sunday Schools for the religious education of adults as well as children.

The idea was mainly connected with Methodism, but other sects copied, including the Anglican Church. Many of the early Sunday Schools were held in private dwellings or barns and were to go on to play an important part in the teaching and reading of the Welsh Bible. Tribute is paid in the Reports of the Education Commissioners of 1847 to the valuable work of the Welsh Sunday Schools.

In about 1780, the Quaker ironmasters of Melingriffith, who had a great regard for the well-being of their workers, seem to have taken steps to meet the educational needs of the employees' children. One can only deduce this from miscellaneous entries in the works accounts since no formal records exist. An entry of 1786 records repairs by work artizans to a school

HISTORY building, and the membership roll of a local friendly society started in the same year is headed by one 'Edward Williams, Schoolmaster'.

Edward Williams lived in Llandaff in this period, and one would like to believe that he was the Melingriffith schoolmaster mentioned in the records. There is, alas, no firm evidence to support this.

Early in the 19th century, the need for a more regular system of education came to be felt - and as a result of the work of the educational pioneers, Dr Bell and Joseph Lancaster, two schoolpromoting organisations came into existence. In 1833, state aid for the two societies was made available for the creation of new buildings.

Both National and British schools provided a wider secular curriculum than the old scholastic agencies; writing and arithmetic as well as other subjects were taught. By 1870, the publicallymaintained Board Schools first came into existence. Teachings of scripture gradually became less of a primary subject on the curriculum.

A controversy over education and the Welsh language broke out in 1847 and stimulated a debate about education in the area. In the 1850s, steps were taken to set up a National School in Whitchurch.

Mr TW Brooker, the Melingriffith Works proprietor, was the leading spirit in this movement, and seems to have advanced the cause by way of a loan of more than ÂŁ1,000 to help erect a building.

The site selected for the structure was part of a garden in Tyn-y-pwll Road.

Arrangements seem to have been made for the deduction of wages paid to the employees at Melingriffith Works of a weekly sum of twopence in respect of each of their children attending the National School.

There were other private schools both at Whitchurch and Tongwynlais around these times but by the 1880s, the Melingriffith Works were passing through some troublesome times. Some of the ironmasters left the area and their successors took little interest in local civic affairs. They were also

faced with financial difficulties and ultimately, the National School was handed to the new School Board in 1884.

From 1891, following the Education Act, all public elementary education became free to all. During this time, Whitchurch was experiencing considerable population growth and extended school facilities became necessary. In 1884, the National School was developed and re-arranged. In 1899, another school at the Hawthorn in Llandaff North was created.

Records show that equipment was not of a high standard and at the turn of the century, facing increasing population growth, the Glamorgan Education Committee had to face up to a large building programme.

Post-war development at Whitchurch proceeded at a very rapid rate. Rhiwbina Mixed and Infants School opened in 1929 under the mastership of Mr T Pugsley. In 1934, 21 acres of land were acquired for a large secondary school in Whitchurch. The building was opened on November 17th, 1937.

Mr AJ Richard was appointed Headmaster.

Even so, the new school proved inadequate to meet the needs and a proportion of pupils requiring secondary education had to attend Penarth. Extensions of Whitchurch School were delayed by the outbreak of war in 1939.

Whitchurch High School came into being in 1968, following the government circular of 1965, which replaced the

existing tripartite system with comprehensive education. The new comprehensive school was created through a merger of the well established Whitchurch Grammar School, and Whitchurch County Secondary School, a secondary modern school.

Both were under the control of Glamorgan County Council until the beginning of 1967, when Whitchurch became amalgamated as a suburb of the City of Cardiff.

The former, based on Penlline Road, became the Upper School site, and the latter, on Glan-y-Nant Terrace, the lower school. Like its predecessors, the school was co-educational and catered for a broad catchment area centred on the suburbs of Whitchurch, Rhiwbina and Tongwynlais in the northern part of Cardiff. The comprehensive school was initially run by Cardiff County Borough until the local government reform of 1974, which included Whitchurch in the new county of South Glamorgan. In 1996, the school reverted to Cardiff County Council, which became a unitary authority. As of September 2011, the school has been granted foundation status by the Welsh Assembly, following controversy over the local authority's proposals to reduce the school's intake.

According to the school's last Estyn report, Whitchurch High School is currently the largest in Wales with 2,400 pupils.

Adapted from Edgar Chappell's Old Whitchurch (copyright ownership unobtainable) 35

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Chiropractor Chloé Stamper’s tips to be kind to your spine Posture is a hot topic and is often asked about in the clinic. We can all recall being told to ‘sit up straight’ and ‘mind our backs’. When someone is walking towards us, and before we can see their face, we can often guess approximately how old they are. This may be due to how they are walking or equally it may be due to their posture.

1. Posture in daily lives Problem: A rounded shoulder posture is common and easily adopted. It is a protective posture which may have been favoured in youth when it is felt that we are growing at a different rate to our peers, or to try to hide ourselves away. Also many tasks are in front of us – driving, eating, writing, phones, computers, devices etc.

Over time, the muscles at the front of the shoulders become tighter and shorter due to overuse, subsequently the muscles connecting the shoulder blades to the spine become overstretched and lengthened. This results in the rounded shoulder posture and can then result in pain. This imbalance often continues into the neck muscles, pulling the head forward.

To counteract this, the head is tilted upwards. This too commonly results in compression at the top of the cervical spine and then sometimes headaches.

Solution: Exercises to stretch the front of the shoulders, allowing the shoulder joint to sit a little further back, then strengthening the upper back muscles.

In particular, stretching the pectoral, sternoclavicular and scalene muscles

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at the front and strengthening the rhomboids, lower trapezius and serratus anterior muscles at the back will help.

2. Posture when sitting at a computer Problem: When sitting at a computer, there is a tendency to be there for a long time. Ideally we should get up and have a walk around every 20-30 minutes, but often this is inconvenient and unrealistic. Also, if a laptop is used, this makes the sitting posture even worse.

We crouch forward into the laptop increasing a rounded posture.

Solution: I am a big advocate of the two-tiered computer desk, which was popular in the 1980s and seems to be making a comeback. They put the screen at a higher level encouraging people to sit up straight.

When sitting at a computer and staring straight ahead, the eyes should be in line with the upper third of the screen.

So when the eyes relax they drop to the centre, just as if they are readjusting towards the horizon. The keyboard should be close, with more than a 90 degree angle at the elbows. If you are susceptible to tennis elbow, then a rollermouse or a vertical mouse may be helpful as they put less tension through your forearm.

Sit on the front of the sitting bones (ishial tuberositis) with the hips at more than 90 degrees. This allows the pressure through the spinal discs to be more centrally placed and the spine to adopt its natural curves. But most importantly remember to move around and not adopt one posture for long.

3. Posture when sleeping Problem: Research from the British Chiropractic Association in 2011 identified that 38.5% of people who suffer from back pain felt it was exacerbated by a night’s sleep.

Solution: It is important to have a bed that is supportive, not too hard and not too soft. When buying a mattress, spend time lying on it, which means more than five minutes per mattress.

Ask a friend, partner or spouse to check that the spine is parallel to the bed and that the hips do not sink into it or stand proud. Lying on the side, the lumbar and thoracic spine should lie in a line parallel to the bed. This rule also applies to the neck as the cervical spine should be an extension of this straight line. The pillow should support the head so that it does not drop down to the bed or be pushed upwards. Most of all, the bed should be comfortable as a lot of time will be spent in it.

Chloé has been practicing for 10 years after graduating with a first class honours degree from the Welsh Institute of Chiropractic. Chloé is a certified Cox® Technic flexiondistraction and decompression practitioner, lecturing to health professionals on its benefits for disc herniations (slipped discs), joint and nerve pain. She is registered with most Medical Insurance Companies.

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The Arrival of Spring in the Garden

By Kevin Revell

T

he arrival of spring is celebrated like that of a cherished guest and I almost reach for the bone china and cake stand.

It seems to be the longest of the seasons, stretching from the uncertain flowering of the first bulbs to the voluptuous blooms of the first rose of summer. Winter flowers don’t count – spring is at hand when the snowdrops fade, not when their buds emerge tentatively through residual snow.

The procession of bulb flowers from early crocus, iris and narcissus ‘Tete a Tete’ or ‘February Gold’ are soon caught up by a fanfare of golden trumpets from proper daffodils such as ‘Dutch Master’ and ‘King Arthur’. If spring starts with the dwarf narcissus, it surely comes to a crashing crescendo with the onset of the tulip season - from the subtle small species, tulips, tulipa tarda, through to the huge yellow goblets of Dutch hybrids like ‘Golden Apeldoran’ and the dark and mysterious ‘Queen of the Night’. The stylish lily-flowered forms such as the bright orange ‘Ballerina’ blooms through the warmer days of spring, throwing their petals wide open to greet the

38

sun and any passing bees.

You may still require a winter coat to appreciate the daffodils but tulips can be enjoyed in shirtsleeves surrounded by the hum of insects on the wing.

Another spring bulb to enjoy is the snake’s head fritillary Fritillaria meleagris, whose checkerboard purple and white nodding bells resemble reptilian skin. The tactile, fluffy white catkins of pussy willow, usually grown in the more compact form of weeping Kilmarnock willow are another seasonal treat when the golden anthers emerge and associate well with native primroses growing about their feet, much to the delight of early foraging bees.

Time spent in the garden in early spring is precious as the jobs that used to be done in autumn such as cutting back and clearing leaves can be completed now, having given shelter to wildlife throughout the winter. Missed pruning opportunities will soon be regretted as the weather improves and plants burst into life once more - whether we are ready for it or not. Day by day, the garden changes as leaves unfurl, hesitantly at first but soon with an

urgency that is hard to contain.

Shoots race up and flowers erupt into an abundance of colour. Even if growth has begun on plants such as roses, it is still best to cut them hard back to encourage healthy new growth which will flower more strongly later in the year.

The large forms of trees are obvious indicators of spring.

Prunus subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’ bears an occasional blush pink flower throughout winter whenever the sun shines for a day or so and temperatures deign to stay above freezing. An extraordinary transformation occurs in early February when previously unremarkable trees reveal themselves to be the ornamental plum, Prunus ceracifera, as pale lavender-pink blossom billows across suburbia, there is no going back now spring is truly sprung.

Ornamental cherry blossom soon follows; Prunus ‘Okame’ is among the first and most striking, shortly followed by a plethora of Japanese hybrids such as the bright pink Prunus ‘Kanzan’ or the Great White Cherry, Prunus ‘Tai Haku’. For a few weeks, Britain’s parks and gardens

GARDENS GARDENING

resemble those of some Eastern paradise, westerly gales and April showers notwithstanding. The flowering season of ornamental trees is multi-layered in its complexity, some requiring longer days, others responding to the increasing warmth of the sun and the two do not always go hand in hand. In some years, the display goes on for months but when a hard winter is followed by a warm spring, the whole display is concertinaed up into a few hectic weeks.

First the introductory blossom of ornamental plums and cherries, then the pretty, fragrant crab apple blossom before the darker pink, long lasting ornamental hawthorn trees. The final flowering of commonly grown blossom trees comes with the laburnum as spring slides imperceptibly into summer, perfumed golden chains hang free; the metaphorical release of summer.

The steady procession of blossom on trees and shrubs slowly builds and threatens to become a riot before the calming

green leaves emerge to restore order and outrageous individuals are merged in one homogenous verdant crowd.

Foaming hedgerow blackthorns are mirrored in the orchards and fruit gardens by the damson, gage and plum trees which are star-spangled white, shortly followed by pears and finally the pretty, pink buds opening pure, perfumed white of apple blossom which light up the garden like great white torches before scattering their floral confetti around the garden leaving an unfeasible number of miniature fruitlets behind.

Perhaps the epitome of spring is the blossoming of the fruit trees which, given good weather will ensure a fruitful autumn harvest.

It is the activity of the wildlife in the garden that alerts us to the onset of spring, the dawn chorus will have gained in volume and length as the season advances; the chirruping of birds alerts us to their constant motion in their quest for food and nesting materials. Bird feeders and bird baths should be topped up as

required to help fuel their activity.

Now is the time to see wildlife gardening in action as the roses and fruit trees are stripped of their aphids and caterpillars, providing food for their growing broods, an experience denied to anyone impatient enough to spray insecticides about with abandon.

Some days have to be abandoned due to bad weather but increasingly bright dry days are to be celebrated although still on the cold side. Seeds can be sown for the season ahead. Caring for young plants brings out the protective tendencies in all of us, for they must be cosseted against the cold until they can stand up for themselves. Slowly the days lengthen and hastily grabbed moments spent in the garden between spring showers are soon replaced by long sultry evenings spent dead-heading roses in the honeysuckle perfumed air, as the nights shorten to indicate summer has finally arrived.

Kevin Revell is Plant Manager at Caerphilly Garden Centre Kevin Revell is Plant Manager at Caerphilly Garden Centre

39

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Reflections on 2015

by Craig Williams MP

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CRAIG WILLIAMS MP Working hard for Cardiff North SS GERIES ACRO DROP-IN SUR TH ON CARDIFF NOR NINGS R O SATURDAY M PPOINTMENTS ONE-TO-ONE A ON FRIDAYS SURGERIES ‘SKYPE’ VIDEO THE WEEK THROUGHOUT

To make an appointment or for more information on my next drop-in surgery, please contact me:

Office of Craig Williams MP, Unit 5, Heol Llanishen Fach, Rhiwbina, Cardiff, CF14 6RG 029 2240 1350 craig.williams.mp@parliament.uk www.craigwilliams.wales @Craig4CardiffN fb.com/Craig4CardiffNorth

In Westminster, I have called for the honours scheme to be extended so that community groups can be nominated. Volunteer groups put many hours into their community and I believe that a group should be eligible for recognition. Look out for a future House of Commons debate on this issue!

At the start of the year, George Osborne came to Cardiff to deliver a key address to businesses in the city.

During his speech, he highlighted that he wanted the City Deal signed off by the time of the budget and this requires real cross-party co-operation between local Councils and the Welsh Government.

The Local Development Plan process has now concluded but disappointingly, the planning inspector ruled that a proposed Green Belt covering land north of the M4, including Rhiwbina, should only be designated as a Green Wedge. The Welsh Government objected to a full Green Belt and as a result, the protection of this important Cardiff backdrop is only for 10 years.

This threatens the long-term future of north Cardiff.

However, it was a relief to see the Briwnant proposal for around 1,200 properties above the M4 ruled out of the final plan which was due to strong opposition by the Rhiwbina community.

I was delighted by the news that Llanishen Reservoir has been acquired by Welsh Water. This is as a result of the activities of the Residents Action Group (RAG) and I pay tribute to their exceptional campaign over many years. I attended a reception in City Hall and it is very clear that without RAG, the Llanishen reservoir would have been lost to housing. Whilst there is now optimism about the future of the site, the Llanishen reservoir needs refilling so that a range of sport accessible to all Cardiff residents can return to the water.

I am pleased that NatWest have honoured their commitment to provide a mobile banking service. The bank will be parked outside Nest in Rhiwbina between 10.40am-12.40pm every Thursday from March 10th.

They will review the situation in a year, so please support this service if you can.

Several constituents contacted me regarding the decision by Rhiwbina Dental Practice to withdraw from the NHS. The Local Health Board (LHB) have told me that they will tender for a new dentist in the area with a positive weighting for tenders with a premises in the ‘Rhiwbina ward’.

I now have a community noticeboard outside my Rhiwbina office on Heol Llanishen Fach, so if there are any community events you would like to advertise, please contact me on craig.williams.mp@parliament.uk Can I take this opportunity to wish you a Happy Easter.

Craig Williams

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Pet Questions Chris Troughton of Heath Vets answers your pet-related questions I’ve heard rumours of a nasty disease called Alabama Rot which can be fatal for dogs. Is it here in Wales and what precautions can we take?

'Alabama Rot' is a newly recognised disease of dogs of unknown cause.

It was first seen a few years ago in the USA, in greyhounds. In the last few years, cases have been recognised in dogs of many breeds in the UK. It has been called New Forest Syndrome in the UK as most cases have been from that area of the country, but some have come from far distant areas. One case has been recorded in Monmouthshire, but none in the Cardiff area.

The symptoms of Alabama Rot include painful skin sores on the legs, belly or mouth. These are rapidly followed by generalised illness and acute kidney failure.

Unfortunately, many affected dogs cannot be saved in spite of intensive treatment. Although a good deal of analysis and research is going on, we still have no idea what the cause is so it’s very hard to advise how to keep your dog safe. However, you should not worry too much. Your dog is very unlikely to meet this disease as it is extremely rare - the only published figures available showed 30 confirmed cases in the whole of the UK by the end of March 2014.

Over the last few weeks, my 3 year old cat has started grooming herself more than usual. I sometimes sit there and watch her and wince as she really goes at it sometimes.

Overgrooming is quite a common problem in cats. It is usually due to two main causes – itch and stress.

Cats rarely scratch themselves if

they itch but they lick the affected area. This can cause hair loss, and sometimes you will find scabs and sores on the skin. The commonest reason by far is fleabite hypersensitivity, so the first thing to do for your cat is to make sure that you are using an effective flea treatment, at the correct dose and frequency. Prescription flea treatments are usually much better than over-the-counter remedies.

Stress makes some cats groom excessively. It is believed that grooming causes the release of feel-good endorphin hormones in the cat, and this helps to counter any stress the cat is having. Stress could be anything from a new cat coming into the garden to a new baby at home - or just a neighbour with a noisy dog. Cat companions at home are actually the most common cause! There are some helpful non-drug remedies for stress, such as Feliway and Zylkene, and if the cat is disturbed enough to warrant it, we sometimes use human antidepressants (but please don’t give her any yourself, as you could seriously harm her!) However, in my experience, very few cats overgroom purely because of stress – there is usually a small amount of itch that initiates it. If you can’t work out what is going on, see your vet before it gets too bad.

I have a small dog who very occasionally, seems to start snorting in and out quite loudly as if he was sneezing inwards. It can happen for no reason but mostly occurs when he is out on a walk when he’s busy sniffing things as he likes to do. It only lasts for a few minutes and he doesn’t appear affected by it afterwards.

Do you know if this is normal or if he has a problem of some kind that needs to be addressed?

This sounds like the phenomenon of ‘reverse sneezing’ – which is exactly how you’ve described it. Reverse sneezing is usually seen in dogs, rarely in cats, and we don’t know what causes it. It may be associated with allergies or other respiratory irritation but usually there are no other signs and the patient doesn’t go on to develop more troublesome symptoms. Most dogs who do reverse sneeze will do it on repeated occasions. It doesn’t seem to worry them and stops after a few seconds.

It may help to gently stroke the throat or close his nostrils for a few seconds to encourage him to swallow to end the episode. There are other conditions which are similar to reverse sneezing which can be more serious, so if your dog is at all unwell, get him checked by your vet.

Pets Questions page is sponsored by Heath Vets

a: 123 Heol-y-Deri, Rhiwbina CF14 6UH t: 02920 621511 w: www.heathvets.co.uk 43

g o d y l n o s m 18 proble d n a t s r e d n u owners will

Cardiff is very much a city of dog lovers. However, owning a dog comes with its very own set of problems Having to fit in those walks - whatever the weather During the summer months, there is nothing finer than strolling through fields, across meadows and even bumbling along the local streets with the dog in tow. But come autumn, the walks get shorter and wetter.

Come winter, and you’re looking up the telephone number of the local dog walker.

That moment you run out of poop bags on the walk You’ve stuffed your pockets with what you think is enough poop bags to supply the local neighbourhood.

What you weren’t prepared for was the fact that your furry little friend sometimes turns into an unstoppable pooping machine. Your bags disappear quicker than water in the desert. Before long, you reach 44

into your pocket and to your horror, find what you were dreading all along - no more poop bags. This is where you explore your creative side, thinking up poop bag alternatives.

Sleep? What’s that?

You've had such a long day. You climb into bed early, desperate for an early night and catch up on some shut eye. Within seconds, you're away with the fairies and all's well.

But then your mutt decides that the house is being attacked by an army of alien invaders. Their sudden howling wakes you so rapidly that you wake up thinking that the postman is hammering on the door and you fly out of bed and down the stairs before you even open your eyes. Turns out it was just the old radiator cooling down that your dog was defending you from. Bless.

The smell of a wet dog Even if you can persuade your dog to head out in the rain, you know that the return to the house is going to bring with it all kinds of problems.

Firstly, there’s the fact that they have absolutely no regard for your newly-cleaned carpets and furniture.

Secondly, there’s that mellow, slightly rancid smell of a wet dog drying out.

It fills the house for days.

The whiff of dog food As you know, dogs sniff and eat all kinds of rubbish. Whatever you buy for your furball, none of their foods smell particularly appetising. In fact, when you open the food, the warm waft of dog food reminds you of that time you were told to eat mum’s lamb and kidney suet pudding when you were a kid. Your good work is nearly always rewarded by your dog burping its appreciation right in

PETS your face afterwards - and it always smells as fresh as when you opened the tin.

Fur - everywhere Unless you’re one of the lucky ones with a non-moulting dog, you’ll know how the painters on the Forth Bridge feel - their job is never ending.

Your hoover bulges with the weight of dog fur and no matter how many times a day you hoover, there will always be a constant layer of dog fur in your house. Your best bet is to tell people that it’s a layer of fur that’s protecting your furniture.

Missing socks Having received several new pairs of socks for Christmas, it’s quite normal for you to want to pop them on your feet and wear them.

‘Hm. I’m sure I left a pair of these here,’ you think to yourself before realising that your dog is unusually quiet. You can say goodbye to matching pairs of socks if you own a dog.

Following you around the house Commercial TV breaks are the ideal opportunity to pop to the loo aren’t they? They’re just enough time to...oh...what’s this? Why are you following me? I’m only going to the loo. There’s nothing interesting to see here. Please. Go back to where you were - I’m just popping to the kitchen to pop the kettle on. Why are you following me? What are you...GET OUT OF MY WAY! The Doorbell Problem To your dog, a ringing doorbell suggests that there is an intruder trying to break into their property.

Valiantly, your dog will warn away this intruder (usually a postman) by barking furiously and loudly. The intruder will naturally go away once he or she has delivered your mail.

Your dog however, will consider their barking a great success at keeping intruders at bay. After all, it was their barking that made them go away wasn’t it?

Tangling leads with other dogs It is dog etiquette to say hello to another dog by sniffing each other's bottom. Unfortunately, if both dogs

are on a lead, they tend to walk around in circles to do this, leading to what is known as 'lead tangling'.

You attempt to laugh it off with the words 'Oh, they always do this don't they?' but find yourself even more tangled than you were originally when you step in to sort things out.

The disappointment when they reject the expensive bone you bought them You can’t wait to get home to show them what you’ve bought them.

It’s the biggest, juiciest bone you’ve ever seen - and you know that your pooch is going to be so happy to get stuck into it.

Sadly, they take one sniff of it and waddle over to pick up their old favourite. You leave the new one out festering for a few days before dropping it into the bin with a heavy heart.

Squirrels No one can say exactly why squirrels drive dogs so crazy. It must be lodged deep in their DNA in the same way that spiders make us humans react.

Whatever the reason, one thing that’s guaranteed to make a dog move quicker than they speed of light is a squirrel. Nothing on earth can coax them away from a squirrel hunt.

Putting on puppy eyes at your feet when you are eating You made the fatal mistake of feeding your dog from the hand when they were just a little puppy.

And now every time you eat, you find a pair of very sad eyes looking up at you longingly.

It’s very tempting to pass them a morsel of food but you know that it really isn’t the right thing to do. Is it?

No. But maybe I’ll just sneak them this piece - just this once. But don’t tell anyone ok?

Visiting the vets It’s understandable that your dog won’t relish the thought of visiting the vet. After all, you hardly jump with joy when you have to visit the dentist do you? If you’re a real dog-lover, you’ll almost feel sorry for them, sat there quivering with fear as they are taken in to be examined.

That’s until you have to fork out the

rest of your month’s wages on the way out. You don’t feel so sorry for them then do you? Oh no.

The feeling of guilt when you leave the house without them Well you are the only friend that they have in the world aren’t you?

Wanting to go out into the garden just to come back in again They will time this so that you’ve just sat down to eat. A polite little scratch at the door will have you standing up with a sigh and heading to the back door to let them out. Your dog will wait until the very second that you’re sat back in your seat before scratching the door to be let back in again. It’s been scientifically proven that your dog does this so that they can have a secret laugh at your expense.

Check for a very slight smile on their face the next time they come trotting back in.

Your dog barking at a toy, thinking that they can move it with the power of sound alone It must be hard for a dog to figure out how to use a new toy. After all, they can’t read the instructions - it’s just presented to them with the expectation that they’ll know what to do with it. One thing they will try and do is move it with the power of sound. That’s right - they’ll bark and bark and bark at it before realising two hours later that they can chew on it.

Lack of bed room It was all so relaxing before your dog arrived in the house. You could go to bed, safe in the knowledge that you could spread out any way you wanted.

These days, you wake in the night to find that you’re cornered in one side of the bed. You daren’t move in case they fall off the bed so you curl up in a small ball to avoid disturbing them. You eventually drag yourself out of bed when you have to get up and they quite happily jump in their own bed.

45

YolanDa Brown

The Knights of Music

Julian Clary

Chris Ramsey

Richard Herring

Jason Donovan

Puccini Tosca

Graeme of Thrones Sunday 8 May Dydd Sul 8 Mai

Craig Campbell

Wednesday 23 March Dydd Mercher 23 Mawrth

Thursday 31 March Dydd Iau 31 Mawrth

Wednesday 30 March Dydd Mercher 30 Mawrth

Thursday 21 April Dydd Iau 21 Ebrill

Tuesday 12 April Dydd Mawrth 12 Ebrill

Saturday 16 April Dydd Sadwrn 16 Ebrill

Friday 6 May Dydd Gwener 6 Mai

Tuesday 3 May Dydd Mawrth 3 Mai

COMPETITIONS

Win tickets to see Richard Herring live at St David’s Hall After years of drifting aimlessly and alone, Richard Herring is now settled down with a wife and a tiny baby. Is he finally happy now? Or

does responsibility for the lives of others come with its own terrors?

In his twelfth solo stand up show, Richard examines whether we are can ever hope to be or are meant to be truly content. If we were never unhappy would happiness have any meaning?

Why do our brains force us to envision the worst possible outcomes even on a day when everything seems fine.

How likely is it that Richard’s baby will be skewered by a stalactite of frozen urine falling from a plane and is it really worth him wasting his time thinking about it? Does being happy mean a comedian loses his edge and true belly laughs only come from depression?

How much pressure was there on Happy the dwarf to live up to his name? Is there any system that will guarantee us eternal bliss or should we just embrace the fact that life is a vale of tears and our only option is to laugh in its face?

Happy Now? is Richard’s

twelfth stand-up tour in twelve years. The show premiered in September 2015 when Richard completed the mammoth task of performing each of his previous eleven consecutive stand-up shows over eleven evenings, before debuting Happy Now? on the final night.

We’ve got a pair of tickets to give away for Richard’s ‘Happy Now?’ show that comes to St David’s Hall on Tuesday 12th April. The show will be filmed for his latest DVD. All you need to do to win is answer this following question: What is the name of Richard’s Herring’s 2016 UK tour? a) Miserable Now b) Happy Now c) Angry Now Send your answers to SDHpress@ cardiff.gov.uk by Tuesday 5th April at the latest.

Win tickets to the WNO's World Première of In Parenthesis Welsh National Opera will commemorate WWI and the centenary of the Battle of the Somme with a world première of a new opera commissioned to mark the Company’s 70th birthday.

In Parenthesis is acclaimed British composer Iain Bell’s adaptation of the epic poem by poet and writer David Jones.

This new opera provides a unique narrative of war, rich in expressive musical quality; it depicts a deeply moving account of the fighting and heavy losses sustained by the

Royal Welch Fusiliers. Directed by David Pountney and conducted

by Carlo Rizzi, WNO Conductor Laureate, this period production is both an evocation and a commemoration of the events of the Somme.

Following its world première at Wales Millennium Centre on May 13th, the work will tour to Birmingham and to London, as part of WNO’s annual residency at the Royal Opera House. A special performance at the Royal Opera House in July will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of the Somme.

You can be at the world première by answering this very simple question: In Parenthesis has been written by which British composer?

Send your answers to editor@ livingmags.co.uk or to our postal address by April 30th. Remember to include your contact details.

47

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Supper @ Snails

Rupert, Joe, Bert and Ellis

From its small beginnings as a delicatessen, Snails has grown to become a household name, not only in Rhiwbina, but across the city of Cardiff. We booked a table for two and headed down to Beulah Road to find out what all the fuss was about

If you’re a Rhiwbina resident, it’s more than likely that you’ve popped into Snails for a coffee and a bite to eat.

The deli is a popular place for mums, young families and friends

to meet for breakfast, lunch or to enjoy coffee and cake.

But while the village settles down for the evening, Snails transforms from a rustic coffee house into a cosy, candlelit restaurant.

The Friday evening we visited had been fully booked but we were kindly squeezed in for an early sitting.

We were greeted by Bert who had extensive knowledge of the menu.

His enthusiasm was matched by that of Ellis who served the wine.

You really feel looked after here from the moment you step in the door!

Green and black olives with slices of focaccia bread were served after we’d ordered our starters - a green salad and some vegetable dumplings. The salad was a perfect appetiser - cucumber, tomatoes,

red onion topped with a balsamicbased dressing and the tastiest parmesan crisp you’ll ever crunch.

The strong, salty after taste lingered long enough to match the red wine we’d ordered.

The vegetable dumplings were soft, warm and surprisingly delicate and these little bundles of joy were served with two sauces - one of which had enough heat to send ripples across the tongue.

These were served with some ‘superfood’ seaweed salad.

Mains were served as the restaurant was beginning to fill with hungry-looking customers. Chef Drew’s recommendation of the steak lived up to his promise. It is very rare to find a chef that cooks a steak to your liking but this was pure heaven - tender with a chargrilled flavour.

Think When Harry Met Sally and you’ll know what we mean.

The appreciation of deliciousness didn’t go unnoticed by those around us - the knife slipped into the steak like it was hot butter - and talking of butter, Drew’s incredible garlic butter sent our taste buds into raptures of joy.

The steak was served with homemade chips and some red cabbage coleslaw that was both mellow and sharp at the same time.

The vegetarian option was just as impressive. The black bean enchiladas were so fresh, you could have sworn that the ingredients had just been pulled

from the ground. The wraps were light and soft, and served with guacamole, sour cream and a zingy verdi salsa that complimented the lime zest that was lingering in the background of the palate.

An extensive dessert menu was offered to us but we were so full that we sadly had to decline.

Coffees were also available and we all know how good a Snails coffee is.

Chef Drew Snails has done well to create a unique evening venue right in the heart of the village. We concluded that we’ve been missing a trick by not coming here sooner - the low lighting, the smooth jazz, the excellent and attentive staff all combined wonderfully.

The food was simply the highlight of the evening. As chef Drew told us: “I like to cook real food for real people - with love.”

Supper at Snails is available every Friday from 6pm-11pm with last orders at 9.30pm.

Call 02920 620415 to reserve your table.

49

Traditional Quality Butchers in Rhiwbina /PRHopkinsButchers

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HIGH CLASS QUALITY WITHOUT THE HIGH CLASS PRICES P&R HOPKINS OFFER P&R Hopkins High Class Butchers & Delicatessen is a traditional local family butcher based on Heol Llanishen Fach, Rhiwbina. Our products include Welsh Aged Beef, Welsh PGI Lamb, as well as free range Pork, Game and Poultry. We pride ourselves on our choice of high quality suppliers to ensure that our customers have the best selection of finest quality meats.

We have our own in-house chef responsible for creating our appetising ready meals, homemade pies and pastries, plus we have our own bakery creating freshly-made bread.

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RECIPES

BBQ Welsh Vegan and lamb steaks chicken mushroom pie and chops

Ingredients 4-6 Welsh lamb loin chops, leg steaks or a mixture of the two Chilli Tomato marinade: 1 can chopped tomatoes 1 fresh red chilli or 5ml (1tsp) dried chilli flakes 2 cloves garlic, squashed Seasoning Piquant BBQ marinade: 30ml (2tbsp) tomato ketchup 15ml (1tbsp) Worcestershire sauce 30ml (2tbsp) English mustard Splash of orange juice Garlic, rosemary & chilli marinade 2 cloves garlic, squashed 2 large sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped or 15ml (1tbsp) dried rosemary 45ml (3tbsp) sweet chilli sauce

Method

This delicious recipe gives you three easy marinade options that can be made from ingredients you may have lying around in the cupboard. You simply mix the marinade ingredients of your choice together & marinate the lamb for 1-2 hours covered in the fridge.

1. Heat the BBQ, making sure that the sky is blue and the coals are grey. If it starts to rain, don’t worry, you can cook this incredible dish just as easily under the grill.

2. Cook for around 4-6 minutes each side.

3. Any remaining chilli & tomato marinade can be boiled thoroughly and served as a sauce.

Serve with garlic bread and your favourite seasonal salads.

Ingredients Sauce 75g cup plain flour 750ml warmed soya or almond milk 100g vegan margarine large bay leaf a pinch of allspice or nutmeg salt and black pepper to taste Pie Filling Oil for frying - 2-4 tbsp 1 large onion, peeled and cubed 1 box Fry’s Chicken-Style Strips 1 clove garlic, finely grated 250g button mushrooms, rinsed and cubed salt and black pepper Pastry Topping 1 sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry Unsweetened plant milk as above

Method

1. Make the sauce. Melt the margarine and add the flour, stirring to make a paste, add the warmed milk stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Allow to simmer until thickened and add spice and seasoning to taste.

2. Meanwhile, make the filling.

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Fry the onion and garlic in 1-2 tbsp oil until golden - about 2-3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender - a minute or two.

3. In a separate pan, heat 1 tbsp oil and fry the Chicken-Style strips for 6-8 minutes. Add the mushroom and onion mixture

plus herbs if using. Add the white sauce to the chicken mixture, then add just enough sauce to combine.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Pour the pie filling into an oven-proof dish, preferably metal.

It needs to be 23cm/9inches x no more than 35cm/13 inches and about 5cm/2 inches deep. Fold the edges of the pastry over and brush the top with soya milk. Bake for 25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.

5. Serve with vegetables or a summer salad.

Chef Drew’s peppercorn garlic butter

Snail’s resident chef Drew DeLaura whisks up a verstaile butter that can be used to brighten up a wide variety of dishes

Ingredients 250g softened salted or unsalted butter 3 tbsp green peppercorns (drained) 1 tbsp fresh minced garlic (or granulated garlic) 1 tsp mixed Italian or dried herbs Let the butter soften at room temperature (or in the microwave, being careful not to melt it) and then simply incoroporate all the ingredients with an electric blender or by hand. Then refrigerate.

The butter can be used on steaks, burgers, seafood or even vegetables.

51

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Cefn Onn

SPRING WALK

Cefn Onn Park is one of North Cardiff’s favourite parks, its wonderful flowers providing a colourful display at this time of year.

The views from the ridges at the top are pretty impressive too. They stretch all the way from the Severn Estuary, down to Steep Holm and Flat Holm and beyond. Looking north, Caerphilly offers itself to the onlooker with views as far as Pen-y-Fan on a good day.

This walk will take you through Cefn Onn Park and up to the two ridges that dominate the North Cardiff skyline where you can take in those views.

The Walk

Head out of the main entrance to Lisvane & Thornhill station car park and cross the road. Then turn left towards the roundabout.

At the roundabout, turn right into Parc Cefn Onn itself.

Follow the marked path under the motorway bridge and continue straight ahead on to the path through the trees. At the wrought iron fences turn right, through the cycle barrier, and then left following the path alongside the railway line cutting.

Go around the gate and then head straight ahead, following the direction of the Rhymney Valley Ridgeway path marker. Keep the golf course on your left until you reach a gate.

Head left along the path with the golf course on your left and trees on your right. The path will go

downhill slightly before curving upwards to the right at the path junction. Pass a chimney-like structure with ‘Shaft 4’ written on the side (this is a ventilation shaft for the railway tunnel) and continue straight ahead, ignoring paths to the left.

Go up the slope through the bridleway gate with a small stream on the left. Follow this path uphill as it turns sharply to the right.

Along this path you will see a rocky outcrop above you to your left and a field boundary below you to your right. The path turns sharply to the left, continuing uphill through deciduous woodland. Turn right at the unmarked path junction and continue upwards to the crest of the ridge.

On the ridge, take the path to the right. Follow the path through grassland. Follow the waymarks through the wooden gate. Look slightly behind you to the left for a view across the pine forest to Caerphilly Castle. Continue along the ridge path descending slightly to a minor road.

Cross the road and follow the waymarked path through two wooden gates and then between the field and the shrubby woodland. Continue along this path past the end of the field through mature deciduous woodland to a set of bridle path gates.

Immediately after the gates, turn right following the path downhill past ruined buildings. At a path junction, take the right fork along a smaller higher path. Follow the path as it bends to the left past a

Information and photos kindly provided by Ramblers Cymru

stile.

After about 10 yards, the path goes downhill into a small wooded valley. At the bottom, cross a stream using the footbridge, then follow the path straight ahead as it ascends through shrubs with a stream on the right. Enter a deciduous forest and bear right.

Cross a stream using the footbridge and then up wooden steps. A large track comes in from the left, but continue straight ahead and slightly uphill. Soon you will see a fence on your right, follow this (ignoring paths off to the left). You will see forest on your left and rough grass land on your right. Continue until you get to the top of the ridge and a path running along the top of the ridge.

Turn right onto this path.

To your left, you will now see a spectacular view across the estuary. The two small islands are Flat Holm and Steep Holm. As you continue along the path, you will also see Llanishen Reservoirs on your left, the Principality Stadium and Cardiff Bay. Just before you reach a small mast, you will see a Trig point on your left near the path. The path ends at a minor road.

Turn left and follow the road downhill. At a road junction, go straight ahead passing a building on the left, then after 20 metres take the track on your right.

Follow the track past houses to a way-marked path junction. At this point, you should turn down the path you came up on to retrace your steps back to the start point.

53

Andrew DeLaura

O

From the States with love

f all the accents you’d expect to hear in Rhiwbina village, perhaps one that you’re not expecting is one that hails from the other side of the Atlantic.

Andrew DeLaura, or Drew as he’s known to his friends and colleagues, has been evening chef at Snails for two years. But his story goes back to the other side of the Atlantic.

“I started cheffing when I was 17 years old. I started work at a great cousin’s diner in Groton, Connecticut. My father was always cooking - that’s what Scicilians like to do and he always had something on his stove.”

After living extensively in the States for a few years, Drew travelled to France where he spent 4 months cheffing on a voluntary basis.

“I was cooking for a Tibetan teacher. I learnt a lot from him about life.”

Drew moved to Cardiff six years ago.

“I arrived here four days before my son was born - I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

“I managed to land a job at Hooters restaurant in town but I couldn’t bring myself to start there. I knew I had more to give than that. I’d already met Rupert so I called him up and asked him if he was looking for anyone. By pure chance he was and I started work straight away. It confirmed my belief that a new door opens for you just when you need it in 54

life.”

Snails was already employing a fulltime chef when Drew arrived.

“He was a very good chef but unfortunately, he injured his wrist and I had to step up to the mark. Rupert showed me the menu and I told him that I could do it and no one would know the difference.”

Drew took charge, creating dishes from the original menu before starting to create dishes of his own.

“When I make a dish, it’s important to me to keep its cultural integrity. I want it to taste the same as ‘when momma made it’. That’s why I cook what I call upscale comfort food. Everyone eats but not everyone eats well. I prefer to cook for others. I find that it’s not about what I want, it’s what the receipient wants. Food is a celebration of life and my favourite thing to do is cook at home for family.”

The bistro at Snails took off at the end of 2015.

“We’d been talking about doing it for years. In the end, we decided that we either do it or stop talking about it. We cater for up to 67 covers and we are kept busy all night. That’s why I’m so skinny!

There’s an old saying that says ‘Never trust a skinny chef ’. I’d like to debunk that myth because it’s simply not true! We’re usually the ones doing all the work!”

Drew has now made Rhiwbina his second home.

“I love meeting new people and the people I’ve met in the village have really made me happy. I have made all sorts of new friends and I enjoy having a laugh and a joke with them when I meet them on bistro nights. I couldn’t have found a better place to work.

Francesca, our day chef deserves a huge amount of credit for the work she puts in during the day.”

As for his food: “My aim is to keep it simple because that always seems to work the best. I want to make soul food - food for the soul.”

Drew’s passion for food and for making people happy is at the heart of his creativity.

“You can have two dishes that are the same, one made with love and one without and they will look and taste different. I cook my food with love.”

Drew’s impact on the village is already being felt and hopefully his legacy will be long-felt.

“Several days ago, I checked up on a restaurant I used to chef for many years ago in the States and they still had one of my dishes on their menu,” says Drew.

A fine legacy indeed.

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