ISSUE 3
TRIPLE WHAMMY IT'S BETSY, THE ANCHORESS AND ESTELLE!
WHAT A GOAL!
HAL ROBSON-KANU LOOKS BACK ON EURO 2016
LEADER OF THE PACK TALKING RUGBY WITH CAPTAIN SAM WARBURTON
FREE
CONTENTS Features
16 A chat with Captain Sam Rugby legend Sam Warburton talks Cardiff Blues, Wales, the Lions and fatherhood 23 Watch these girls go! It’s the ladies making the hottest sounds in Wales right now - Betsy, The Anchoress and Estelle 20 “To score that goal is a dream” Hal Robson-Kanu looks back on an amazing summer of football 28 Space of your own Check out our top ideas for making your place as unique as you are
Regulars 6 Scene & Heard Don’t miss a thing this festive period 10 Right Stuff A few things to add to your shopping list 12 Niall’s World Niall Griffiths is just a little bit angry about Brexit 14 Write On Want to know how to do a post office heist? 33 Travel Riding the world’s only bike escalator 39 Fashion Gothic garb to make you stand out this winter 54 Health & Grooming Sniff this! Here’s our festive scents checker 57 Sport Swansea City’s great American adventure begins 59 Cars Forget the Grand Tour – our reviews are way better 63 Reviews Each issue we read, eat, booze, listen and pogo like mad – all for you 74 The Back Page Feeling the pressure? Bennett thinks life is much harder these days
22,139 Total Average Net Distribution per issue between 1st January – 31st December 2013 through an average of 862 quality outlets in South Wales Conroy Media Ltd all enquiries: 029 2019 0224 email: redhanded@conroymedia.co.uk www.facebook.com/red.handedmagazine twitter.com/#!/RedHandedMag
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REDHANDED 3
SCENE AND HEARD
Summer has been and gone in Wales so it’s time to stoke out the BBQ, don a thicker jacket and get your backside out of the house for some cultural offerings. Let me take you through some highlights running from November through to the New Year and beyond.
What’s hot in theatre land?
This publication is all about being honest (if nothing else), so let me be straight with you. I’m going to recommend an excellent musical called Sunny Afternoon (Wales Millennium Centre, January 17 - 21, 2017, from £19) and not just because my elder sibling is acting in it (hi Rob!). Be transported back to the swinging sixties and the sound of The Kinks in this nostalgic romp through some of the band’s best tunes. I saw it in London earlier this year and loved it (no, I wasn’t forced to say that). OK, enough of the nepotism, let’s move on and keep the feel-good musical vibe going. The Commitments (Wales Millennium Centre, April 10 - 15, 2017, from £19) is the classic story of how one music-mad Irishman got his mates in order and formed one of Dublin’s sweetest soul bands. You’d have to have a heart made of polystyrene not to want to sing along to Mustang Sally. Come on, you know you want to. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Wonderman (Wales Millennium Centre, December 9 - 24, £12), flying into the Welsh capital this Christmas. Theatre company GaggleBabble have given Roald Dahl’s short stories for adults a healthy injection of twisted, dark humour. Throw in an awesome live score and some larger than life characters and you’ve got a top evening in store
(well, unless you booked for the matinee, which we suspect is just as good). If you enjoyed City of the Unexpected in Cardiff back in September, a gargantuan celebration of Dahl’s centenary year, and want another fix of the wordsmith’s genius, this is your solution (maybe best leave the small people at home though, yeah?)
Game for a laugh
As the nights draw in and days get colder, we all need a good laugh to warm the cockles (and not the forced ones you’ll have to make with your boss at the works’ Christmas party). Everyone’s favourite posh standup Jack Whitehall (St David’s Hall, January 9, 2017, from £25.50) is back with a new show in the New Year called At Large. Details were scare at the time of press, but Whitehall’s style is much less classic bantz (a la A League of Their Own) and more finely tuned when he hits the road. However, if you are looking for some Grade-A bantz (sorry, I’ll stop now), then look no further than the lad-tastic Lee Nelson (St David’s Hall, March 12, 2017, £20). He can be somewhat of a marmite comedian with his sprayed-on chav caricatures not to everyone’s taste. However, if you embrace his daft comic leanings he is one of the best in the business at rapid-fire one-liners and killer audience put-downs. Let’s get back to much calmer surroundings and hail one of UK stand-ups’ most underrated talents, Stephen K Amos (St David’s Hall, January 26, 2017, £16). The feel-good funny man has been clocking up the air miles of late with gigs in New Zealand, Estonia,
“He is one of the best in the business at rapid-fire one-liners ” 6 REDHANDED
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“These two records are a timely reminder of where that freewheeling pop spirit first began” the Seychelles... anyone that will have him! We look forward to his arrival in Wales in the New Year.
Autumnal tunes and Winter beats
Let’s kick this section off with some bonafide legends. Step forward alt-rock gods The Pixies (Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, December 7, from £38.50). OK, Kim Deal was back in the fray and left again but don’t let the shuffling line-up put you off. At the time of press, tickets were still available. Seriously, get some booked up before they’re all gone. After soundtracking our football summer in France with the infectious krautrock of Bing Bong, Super Furry Animals (Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, December 17, from £30) play the nostalgia card with a gig devoted to their first two albums, Fuzzy Logic and Radiator. Over the past two decades, they’ve churned out some top-notch tunes, but these two records are a timely reminder of where that freewheeling pop spirit first began.
A classy Christmas
OK, let’s try and wrap up Scene & Heard without mentioning pantomimes. Oi, don’t boo and hiss at me! Of course there’s room for some frivolous fun over the festive period, but let’s turn our attention to something a little more classy. Nothing says Christmas quite like The Nutcracker (St David’s Hall, December 22 - 28, from £7.50). Get swept away in this magical ballet as Mouse King and the Nutcracker Prince battle it out (with some nifty moves thrown in for good measure). See the world beneath the floorboards with The Burrowers (Sherman Theatre, November 25 December 31, from £8) as they journey over ground into unknown dangers. Small in stature but big on family fun (sorry, I couldn’t help myself), this is smart theatre with some musical sparkle. From beneath the floorboards to high in the sky, the domestic goddess with the plum voice and umbrella-assisted aviation skills Mary Poppins (Wales Millennium Centre, 14 December - January 14, from £22.50) glides into Cardiff Bay for the festive season.
It’s got the lot; tongue-twisting tunes, hip-wiggling choreography and a timeless narrative guaranteed to bring effervescent festive cheer. OK, before I’m accused of acting like The Grinch, let’s give some mad props to panto land and more specifically Peter Pan (New Theatre, December 10 January 8) which stars, oh yes, David Hasslehoff as the dastardly Captain Hook. ‘The Hoff ’ will be kept in check by Welsh comedian Mike Doyle who plays Mrs Smee. Expect flying effects, barrels of laughter and, with some luck, Kit from Knight Rider. OK, we can’t guarantee Kit will be there, but you won’t know for certain unless you bag yourself a ticket. Until next time, friends.
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REDHANDED 7
THE CUTTING EDGE Gear 4 U
The chaps at GEAR4 appreciate that multi-room systems have a reputation for being difficult to install and complicated to use which is why the company has spent over a year making the Stream range simple to set-up and network together. All Stream speakers come with a simple WPS WiFi setup feature that enables connection to a home router in seconds. Users can also create their own network of speakers without affecting broadband speed thanks to the built in router. The Gear4 Black Stream 3 Wi-Fi Multi-Room Speaker has also added a patented Pair/Share feature to quickly add more speakers to a network. If that still sounds complicated, there is always Bluetooth® and Aux-in! Retail: www.argos.co.uk Price: £129.99
Knives Are Out
Included in the top 1% of knives of the world, your house ain’t a home without the Robert Welch Signature Knife Block Set, which will transform you from a pot-noodle brewing gastro-failure to a Gordon ‘effing’ Ramsey kinda chef in two swishes of a blade. No self-respecting male isn’t bossing it where it matters for their other-halves these days - in the kitchen - and are expected to cook-up Michelin starred delights to romance their chosen partners whilst making it all look effortless. Well, my ol’ mucka Robert Welch can provide you with the effortless, which just leaves you to dish-up the romance. Retail: www.robertwelch.com/signature Price: £280.00
Crystal Amazed
Once we tell you that this award winning, ultra-premium vodka is actually the creation of legendary American actor Dan Ayckroyd – he of Ghostbusters, Blues Brothers and Trading Places fame – nothing else will compare. Not even when we explain that Crystal Head Vodka is pure and unadulterated at every stage of its creation, using only the highest quality sweet corn and the glacial waters of Newfoundland, Canada. Even the fact that it is quadruple distilled and filtered seven times, three of which are through Herkimer Diamonds pales into insignificance. However, the ultra-cool hand-crafted crystal skull glass bottle comes a very close second. Retail: www.amazon.co.uk Price: £49.99
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Head-Case
Despite the tech being really very new to the mass market, there is already a plethora of different virtual reality headsets to choose from. The Immerse Plus VR Headset is very much what marketers would call a ‘’me-too’’ product, but despite the negative connotations, being late to the party has many benefits – such as having enough time to iron-out flaws experienced by others. At a ridiculously low-price, try this to see what all the fuss is about. Retail: www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk Price: £40.00
Cwtch You Be The One?
It is highly likely that real ale enthusiasts and IPA aficionados alike will have at one time or another sampled the delights that Tiny Rebel have to offer. Either via their local supermarket or, and far more fun in our opinion, by heading down to Urban Taphouse, their Cardiff craft-ale Mecca. But now there’s actually a third and arguably more fun way to taste one of their best-selling beers. Red Ale Cwtch won Champion Beer of Britain in 2015 and now, just in time for Christmas, they’ve released an extract homebrew kit that’s perfect for beginners, so anyone can brew their own – which means there’s always a lovely Cwtch waiting for you at home. Retail: www.tinyrebel.co.uk Price: £30.00
Let there be light
When you live in an age where audio speakers are portable, cordless, lightweight, Bluetooth and (on the whole) decent quality – where do you go from there? The Phillips Nitro NTX400 goes one step further by adding LED lights that pulse along with the beat, offering anyone within a certain radius an impressive light display. Turn the volume up to 11 and give yourself that authentic Pink Floyd experience. Retail: www.currys.co.uk Price: £400.00
Follow the Amazon
For a comfortable live streaming experience you could do much worse than the FIRE TV with 4K ULTRA HD. It covers all bases with aplomb – from the responsive interface and search results in just seconds, to smooth gaming and ultra-fast streaming, everything about it is fast and fluid. Even the remote control is voice activated. Choose this over more expensive alternatives. Retail: www.amazon.co.uk Price: £79.99
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REDHANDED 11
BREXISTENTIAL
CRISIS
It’s a couple of months since the EU referendum - though it sometimes feels like it happened in another era. What have we learned in that time?
Niall Griffiths looks back in anger at the EU referendum and wonders what the future holds
‘Brexit means Brexit’ (whatever that means), that ‘we’ve got our country back’ (the same), that ‘we’ve regained our sovereignty’ (ditto, because we’d never lost it) and ‘taken back control of our borders’ - you get the picture. We’ve been told that to categorise every Leave voter as an uneducated, xenophobic hick is offensive and wrong (but that every Remain voter was a spoilt middle class brat), and that people were sick and tired of answering to an unelected elite; Nigel ‘Breaking Point’ Farage has told us this, as has Boris ‘Piccaninnies’ Johnson, and Michael ‘Had Enough of Experts’ Gove. And we should believe them, exclusively educated and powerful as they are, because they’re evidently superior to us. And we should believe Theresa May too, unelected leader though she is, because, well, the disenfranchised have spoken, haven’t they? They’ve had their voices heard, and now they want something to be done, although no-one has any idea of what that might be. It’s just, well, y’know: British values and all that. Freedom from Johnny Foreigner and his wily ways. Straight bananas, health and safety gone mad, that sort of thing. So, what will be your abiding memory of the last days of June 2016? Will it be of Farage, declaring ‘this is our independence day’ or will it be of Jo Cox and her shattered family, or of the fact that many countries on the planet have their own independence day and it usually signifies independence from Britain? Or will you remember Nige in Brussels, little man with his little flag, scion of Dulwich College, son of a wealthy stockbroker, telling the gathered grandees that they’ve ‘never done a proper job in their lives’? Or will it be of the Lithuanian representative, cringing at those words, the man who was born in a gulag, everything in his early life militating against the highly respected and successful heart surgeon that he would become? Or maybe you’ll remember Bojo; loveable, bumbling, zip-wire, man-boy Boris on the morning of the result, giving his speech before dashing off to post his Daily Telegraph column, for which he is paid a quarter of a million a year (a sum which he describes as ‘chickenfeed’) - his speech in which he declared that nothing would change, that everything would stay the same? Because he was speaking for the downtrodden, wasn’t he, him and his mini-me Michael, defending the zero-hour-contracted, the rent-crippled, the sacked, the struggling, the stigmatised? It was his concern for the deracinated that drove him to join the Leave campaign, not slavering opportunism - no, not monstrous self-promotion.
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Or maybe it’ll be Cameron’s jaunty little tune that you remember, as he abandoned the country that he ‘loves so much’ to the wreckage that he made of it. Maybe you’ll remember the immediate spike in hate crime; of the Polish family labelled as vermin, of the black children spat at, of the grocery shops with non-British-sounding names above their doors fire-bombed. Maybe you’ll remember the 350 milliona-week promised to the NHS, a figure denounced by its author the very day of his triumph. Or the puerile squabbling of those who should’ve been able to put their differences aside and provide the coherent opposition that a well-functioning democracy needs. Odds are you won’t remember Scotland or Northern Ireland in all of this, because neither Leave or Remain thought them important enough to mention.
“Straight bananas, health and safety gone mad, that sort of thing” And the memories, now, are they helping you in any way? Perhaps they’re helping to heal the familial rift, the generational breach, that has occurred with the realisation that those dearest to you harbour thoughts anathema to your own - and that they voted for an upheaval, the negative consequences of which they won’t be around to see or suffer. Maybe the memories are helping you to cope with the realisation that, well, some of the Leave promises were a teensy bit exaggerated; that it might be, in fact, further austerity that will support the ailing NHS, rather than the 350 million that isn’t given to the EU every week. That maybe there won’t be control of immigration after all, because the free movement of labour is a precondition of involvement in the single market, and that maybe migration of labour is a good thing anyway. ‘Britain is great again’, ‘we’ve got our country back’; repeat these phrases, and let them, and the memories, be what we’ve been told to believe they are; emblems of national pride, and most definitely not national fear, or national disgust, or national shame. Definitely not that. ©Niall Griffiths 2016
THE
POST OFFICE JOB Delivered: an exclusive extract from awardwinning Welsh horror writer Tim Lebbon’s latest novel
14 REDHANDED • Issue 3
“That post office,” Dom said. “Yeah.” Andy turned suddenly serious, speaking quieter and looking around. Kids played and laughed, music rode the steamy evening air from somewhere. No one was paying them any attention. “We should do it.” “Huh?” “As you said, no one would suspect us.” Andy swigged his lemonade. He’d had three pints of cider beforehand, but Dom had rarely seen him drunk. Alcohol didn’t seem to affect his friend’s opinions or judgement. It barely seemed to touch him at all. “Yeah,” he agreed. “Me, an electrician. Primary school governor. I’ve even got a Labrador. Mr Average, Mr Boring.” “You’re not boring.” Dom looked at Andy. “I’m not the one who jets off to climb glaciers.” One of Andy’s recent trips had taken him to Iceland. He’d been gone for two weeks. Andy shrugged. He had a strange expression, similar to one Dom had seen at the Blue Door earlier that day. A blankness to his eyes, like he was suddenly someone else. “And you,” Dom said. “Technical writer. Lots of cash. Bit of a cock, true, but never been in trouble.” “Bury the cash for a while,” Andy said. “Carry on normally.” “Just one job,” Dom said, chuckling at the cliché, then falling quiet again. It was a weird subject to be talking about in such a place of sunlight and laughter. “So let’s plan!” Andy said. “It’ll be a laugh.” It took on the air of a joke, and with that lightness came a rush of ideas from them both. It was a throwaway conversation, one they’d have both forgotten by the time they got home, just one of many conversations that filled the times they spent drinking together. Emma would often ask, “So what did you talk about all evening?” Dom’s response was invariably, “Can’t really remember.” Four hours with barely a pause for breath, and he often recalled none of it. This was like that. Except their conversation had an air of danger about it, and a sense that they were discussing forbidden things, secrets that could never be shared. It was a private, almost intimate thing between them, and it made Dom feel good. “We’d have to steal a car,” he said. “Or just blank the number plates with mud. Use yours. Everyone’s got a Focus.” “Right, thanks.” “Just that stealing a car changes it from one job to two.” “Fair point. So … weapons?” “Don’t need them,” Andy said.
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“And we couldn’t get them even if we did,” Dom said. Andy didn’t really answer. “These postmasters don’t give a shit about the money in their safe, it’s not theirs, it’s insured, and they won’t lose a thing if it’s nicked.” “You’re sure about that?” Dom asked. “Just guessing.” Andy drained his lemonade. “It’s afterwards that matters. The job takes ten minutes, but it’s the days and weeks afterwards when we could give ourselves away.” “We’d still have to ride out that way!” Dom said. It was almost exciting. “Sit outside the Blue Door as usual.” “Everything as normal,” Andy agreed. “Then we’d be seen on crime scene photos by the investigators, like perps returning to the scene of their crime.” “What, Dom, you after infamy?” “I’m after nothing,” Dom said. It sounded awkward, too serious. “Just buckets full of cold, hard cash.” “Probably won’t get buckets from a little provincial place like that.”
“Just buckets full of cold, hard cash” “How much do you reckon?” “Dunno.” Andy shrugged. “Hit it at the right time, maybe forty grand?” “Nice little nest egg.” “Not bad for ten minutes’ work,” Andy agreed. He looked around and smiled. “Wonder what everyone would think if they knew what we were talking about.” Dom glanced around at the full pub garden and bustling riverbank. Men with sun-reddened torsos smiled wider than usual, alcohol soothing their worries. Women sported summer hats and sleeveless dresses. Kids darted here and there, a few people in canoes fought against the river’s flow, and a couple of hundred metres along the bank, youths were jumping ten feet into the water from an old wooden mooring. A boy and girl crouched near the bank with phones, trying to get the best shots. “No one would believe us,” Dom said. Andy grasped his arm and leaned in close. “That’s why we really should do it.” The Family Man by Tim Lebbon is in shops now priced £7.99 see www.timlebbon.net for more info
FATHER FIGURE Wales captain Sam Warburton is used to helping younger players progress, but he has new responsibilities at home now too, as Riath Al-Samarrai discovered
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“New Zealand were just very, very good” RedHanded: Sam, it’s been a busy couple of months since your daughter was born. How has your life changed? Sam Warburton: Excellent, really excellent. It’s been great. You have a tough day of training but you go home and see the little one and it all just lifts. I know all first-time parents say that but really it does put things into perspective and it has actually helped me enjoy my rugby more. How so? Well, it’s one of those where before it wasn’t so easy to get it off your mind after a bad game or a training session. But nothing clears your mind quite like looking after a baby! You go home and you are dad and when you go to training you are Sam the rugby player – the best of both worlds. I’ve really loved switching between those two modes and it helps on the pitch, if anything. My wife has been great in it all, doing the night feeds and so on, so I can rest. I then return the favour the next day. We have made a good team. Having help from a very understanding wife is a great advantage. As for the rugby, it’s an interesting time. Cardiff Blues made a great start to the Pro 12, Wales are looking at the Autumn
Internationals and the Lions get together next year for the tour of New Zealand. Starting with Blues, what are your thoughts? It was a very good start to the season. The recruitment side went really well and you have to say it is a strong squad. The staff and coaching team are also very good so we’re in that nice position of having things in place to build on. It is a long season, but we’ve got the foundations right. I think top six this season is an absolute minimum. We got seventh last year and top six gets into the Champions Cup and that is what we set as the absolute minimum. We don’t really say we have to finish top of the league or anything like that. We realise it is going to be a two or a three-year process so I would say top six this season and ideally top four. With Wales, you guys have not been together since the summer tour to New Zealand, which was a tough one with two close games and a third that went awry. How do you reflect on that 3-0 series defeat and tour now? It was my first experience of touring there. I thoroughly enjoyed it – it was an amazing place to play rugby. Everywhere we went we had support from the locals as well as the people who travelled to watch us. That is quite special when you think about it. They just love the sport. As far as the games went, well… New Zealand were just very, very good. On another level? We know we can compete with the best. But everyone knows how good the All Blacks are and they seem to have kicked on another level again compared to all the other teams in the world. They were just fantastic in the summer and they have carried that through to their Rugby Championship season as well (against South Africa, Australia and Argentina). It has actually been good to see their Championship results because it puts ours in perspective a bit. I think a few of us were a bit down after losing 3-0 but seeing how well they are playing in the Championship, where the level is so high, has helped. Look how they are doing against Argentina, Australia and South Africa – they have been winning games very one-sided so it gives us perspective. Is it in the back of your mind that the next Lions tour is heading there? As a player you desperately want to be involved with the Lions but you take nothing for granted. You don’t dare think you are in before you are. We all want to be, everyone from Britain does. But my focus is on my region, performing for the national team and then, hopefully, that gets me on the plane. Baby steps, week by week. There are just so many good players in the back row to get ahead of yourself.
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“You go home and you are dad and when you go to training you are Sam the rugby player” No chance of a sly word with Warren Gatland to find out his thoughts? I wish! We hear nothing until the squad comes out on Sky Sports News, honestly. It was like this last time with him as well, in 2013. You are completely in the dark, no briefing or nothing. You are sat there with your family or whatever and watching Sky Sports News with your fingers crossed. That is why I can’t get excited about it. You mentioned 2013, when Gatland was last in charge of the Lions. Rob Howley took caretaker charge of Wales and won the Six Nations that year and he will take charge again in 2017. What is the impact of losing Gatland, albeit temporarily? What people don’t understand is how stable the coaching team is with Wales. So, even though Warren is gone, we have had Rob Howley, Rob McBryde, Neil Jenkins and Shaun Edwards for a long time and even if one of the five of them, including Warren, stepped out we would not be overly disrupted. Everyone knows what is going on, what are our policies and our ways of doing things. It is a very smooth transition. From the outside I can see why people would think it is a huge loss, and it is a loss because Warren is such a good coach, but it doesn’t change the dynamic or mentality of the team. What’s your feeling about the current squad? Very, very good. There is a lot to feel positive about. When the squad gets together for the Autumn Internationals, I would expect to see more progress. Let’s wait and see. I will work hard to be part of it because this is an exciting time. The Wales squad has been stable for some time. Who would you say is the best young player coming through? That’s a good question. From a national perspective, it is such a stable squad that it has been hard for younger players in the last couple of years to burst into that starting 15. I guess the best young one, for me, is Ross Moriarty. He has been brilliant for the last year he has been involved. Now, with Toby Faletau picking up a knee injury, somebody has to step into that No8 role and Ross’s performances for Gloucester have been extremely good. He has really added something to the back row and he is different to anything we have got. He is very aggressive, very attacking, great handling skills, a ball carrier, strong in the tackle – he ticks all the boxes and he is only 22. I think he will make a big impact on the international scene. Best of luck with it. Don’t miss a beat in the heart of the Welsh capital. 2016-17 Season Memberships are still available. Visit cardiffblues.com/tickets or call 029 2030 2030
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GOLDEN
Wales stunned the footballing world at Euro 2016 and Hal Robson-Kanu impressed everyone - with the goal of the tournament. Interview by Riath AlSamarrai
REDHANDED: That was an interesting summer. How do you reflect on how everything played out? Hal Robson-Kanu: Yeah, wow! That was just great, brilliant, special - any word you want. During the course of it, when you’re involved, you can’t really take in what’s happening. But having had time to look back on what we achieved, it was a special summer and a special tournament not only for me but the whole squad and the whole nation. We will all remember it for as long as we live but the hope now is we can build on it. What was your expectation going in? I think we had a massive belief in our squad and what we were capable of. We had played together for six, seven, eight years - we’d grown up as players around each other and we had that star quality in players like Gareth Bale. We also had that comfort around one another as a squad with a common goal. Honestly, we were all so motivated to do well long before we even qualified. We knew what we had and it was just about getting on the big platform to express ourselves. Qualifying was such a massive achievement and to an extent we were already seen as heroes for the nation because it was the first time Wales had qualified in more than 50 years for a major championship. But we always believed we could do well once we got there. For the players and staff, I don’t think qualifying was ever going to be enough. Getting to the semi-finals – well, that was just great. Have you spent much time in Wales since getting back from France? How have you found the reaction? I have. I’ve been back with my family and we did a team camp in Wales before the World Cup qualifier against Moldova. Of course, we also had the bus ceremony when we got back and there were just thousands upon thousands of people out on the streets, going nuts. That was just unreal. That was the first moment we really realised what kind of impact we had made at home. And what about that goal against Belgium? Yeah, that was quite nice! To score that goal and for it to be named the goal of the tournament is a dream. Whenever I am walking around, just going about my business, someone or other comes up and mentions it. I seem to be stopped pretty often and it is genuinely
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nice to have that effect. I was actually on a summer vacation with my family in Majorca and even there Germans and Dutch people on holiday were coming up and speaking to me about it. It really was nice. How often have you watched it back? To be honest, I didn’t watch it back until the day after the game. We were so absorbed in the game and getting through and the buzz of what we had done against Belgium that it slipped my mind a bit. Then I got a moment the morning after and watched it back. I noticed on my social media that there was a bit of hysteria and I had another look at it. It is great and a nice piece of history for me. Have you ever scored a better one in training? You have your moments, obviously, but you can’t beat doing it in the quarter-finals of a major championship. I just want more now. To be honest, though, once the tournament finished and we had our celebration, I kind of just put my mind on the future rather than what had happened. I obviously had a bit to sort out in terms of getting a club and being rested.
GOAL! On that front, you left Reading before the Euros and you’ve recently signed with West Brom. What kind of offers did you have elsewhere? After the tournament finished there was a lot of interest globally in my future. It took a long time because there were so many clubs to speak to, but it was always going to be a footballing decision rather than anything else. It had to be somewhere I could go and get a platform to develop as a player. There were offers in Spain, Germany, and then there was silly money offers in Asia and a number of UAE clubs as well. But I wanted to be in the Premier League, working hard and enjoying my football at that level. That is what it was about. It was a manic summer for that reason but it was nice in the end to reach an agreement with a club like West Brom that is established in the Premier League. It is an exciting time being in a good, new club. It is a club moving forward and I am happy to be part of that.
Yeah, of course. It is not always a good thing to run down your contract in this day and age and it was just how it worked for me. I have been working hard the last few years in the Championship, but it was about getting that platform and that exposure and the European Championships were that. I now want to maintain that in the Premier League.
You let your contract run down at Reading before the Euros and gambled on getting a good move at the end of the summer. Given what happened in France, it played out rather nicely for you.
Wales’ next competitive match is the Word Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland on March 24, 2017
Just finally, what is your thought on this World Cup campaign for Wales and where it might lead? Obviously, we didn’t get to where we are now by looking too far ahead. We have gone game by game and it took us to the point where we made history in France. Now we will do the same – go game by game and see where we go. We started this campaign with a good win against Moldova and now we will stay hungry and see where it takes us. As a group we have always wanted to do special things and I think there is even more to come.
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POWER
GIRL
Pictures: Rob Chute, Annick Wolfers and Karen F.
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If you haven’t heard of Betsy, The Anchoress and Estelle, you will soon. Dafydd Jones talks to three Welsh women set to be massive in 2017
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“I’m really terrible with names; unless it’s Tom Jones or Shirley Bassey”
Make a note of these names as you’re going to hear a lot about these three women over the coming months. Introducing: Betsy, The Anchoress and Estelle Ios. All Welsh born, but destined to make an impact on the music scene well beyond the borders of the Principality. Betsy is fast becoming a household name. In September, her song Lost and Found was the most requested on Radio 2. And with endorsements from the likes of Huw Stephens, she is destined for success. Not afraid to take risks, she swapped a glamorous job with fashion house Balenciaga and relocated from Paris to an old caravan on a goose farm in rural Pembrokeshire. Hard graft and a little bit of luck got her the break which propelled her to the brink of stardom and a contract with Warner Brothers UK; home to Muse, Biffy Clyro and Cher (more on her later).
© Rob Chute
When I talk to Betsy on the phone she tells me that the signal may be poor as she’s using an old mobile, having broken her own on a drunken night out. She also apologises for her poor memory, which she assures me is not a product of her excess. “I’m really terrible with names; unless it’s Tom Jones or Shirley Bassey”. RedHanded: Talking of two Welsh singers known for their phenomenal voices - your rich and resonant voice has been compared to that of many a famous musician. How does that make you feel? Betsy: The two I get are Cher and Annie Lennox and they are both inspirational for me. Annie Lennox particularly; she’s got these very big pop tunes which are also proper songs, combined with very iconic imagery which is what I strive for. I want to be able to combine pop tunes with real songs but also have artwork that’s got an edge that you’re going to
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remember in 20 years time. She, in that respect is a really big inspiration for me; I love those comparisons. What are your influences when it comes to your music and your look? I’ve always been inspired by a really big mix of music, Annie Lennox, Fleetwood Mac, Billie Holliday, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, all those big voices. My main inspirations are my grandmother and my auntie Mary who are from The Valleys and are very opulent. My grandmother would sit there in pink velour tracksuits with diamante shoes and knuckle dusters all over her fingers and these giant nails, giant earrings and a giant cigarette on. She was incredible and my auntie Mary similarly. I’ve got a lot of strong women in my life and that’s what I also like to project; my look is a very empowered woman which I refer to as ‘trashy opulence’. Any other influences? I’m obsessed with dogs; I watch dog videos every morning to set me up for the day. What kind of responses have you had to your music? I was in New York recently and the taxi driver turned around and said ‘my 10-year-old daughter loves your music’. What are you working on currently? [Laughs] There might be an album, who knows; I’ve got a load of songs. I’m still writing and stuff, planning and rehearsing for gigs and videos. I’m always busy but every day is something different; I love it. Find out more at betsymusic.co.uk
Catherine Anne Davies aka The Anchoress is a perfectionist. She’s a dynamic blend of musician, academic and classically trained ballerina. Born in Glynneath, her recent debut album Confessions of a Romance Novelist was nominated for this year’s Welsh Music Prize. Her prodigious talent was recently recognised at the Progressive Music Awards where she triumphed in the Best Newcomer category. Not content with a solo career, she has also been collaborating with musical luminaries like Bernard Butler (Suede) and Simple Minds.
You’ve been compared to Siouxsie Sioux and Patti Smith; how would you describe your sound? Catherine: Well, the Prog magazine best described it as Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love updated for the 21st century. Who are your influences? The Manics; they completely changed my life. The moment I discovered that band it completely changed everything for me. I’m an unashamed massive fan. I take quite a lot of influence from artists who are more autonomous; auteurs like David Bowie, Prince, Kate Bush; people who are very much in control of what they’re doing in the studio. Not only in terms of the music but also the way they are making music, that kind of isolated, workaholic focus on putting tracks together. What have been your career highlights to date? There’s been things that have happened that have really absolutely stopped me in my tracks. For instance, getting asked to play with the Manics is probably one of those moments; somebody pinch me that this is really happening.
© Annick Wolfers
And that one regret? I have zero accent at all, unfortunately, which is my one sort of life regret, I obviously grew up with my grandmother, my mum and all my family having these beautiful accents. Find out more at iamtheanchoress.com Estelle Ios is a member of not one, but two successful and critically acclaimed bands. The Zefur Wolves’ debut album was nominated for last year’s Welsh Music Prize whilst Baby Queens were included in the BBC Horizons programme and are tipped for stardom. With a new (untitled) Zefur Wolves album due out early next year and the recent release of Baby Queens’ self-titled debut long player, Estelle’s music career may be approaching its zenith. Joining her on this musical journey have been her sister Cara who plays bass for Baby Queens and partner Cian Ciaran (Zefur Wolves, Super Furry Animals). I met Estelle at her home in Grangetown, Cardiff. Quietly spoken, she is in person far removed from the sassy image of the Baby Queens.
© Annick Wolfers
I spoke to Catherine on the phone from her London home and she told me about her astounding year in music.
How does it feel to be nominated for the Welsh Music Prize? There’s such a good music scene in Wales. It was such a shock when I found out I was nominated. You don’t put yourself forward for it, the jury picks the shortlist which is why it’s such a huge honour to be nominated.
“I have zero accent at all which is my one sort of life regret”
The Zefur Wolves and Baby Queens are so different; how would you describe each? Estelle: I would describe the Zefurs’ sound as ambient grunge slowcore stonedgaze fuzz. Adam Walton (Radio Wales) once tweeted that the Baby Queens sounded like TLC produced by
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© Karen F
© Karen F
“Know the truths of this world and be true to yourself”
Portishead; I would prefer to call it alternative R’n’B. Do you find it confusing being in two bands with such different musical styles? I generally know instantly the vibe of a song as I write it. The tempo and way it’s sung dictates which band I think it would suit. It’s nice to have the option to do both. Baby Queens stuff is a bit more sassy than Zefurs stuff. I’d like to do a Baby Queens tune Zefurstyle and maybe vice versa. Just to see the results. What are you currently working on? The second Zefurs album is already demoed and I played it to a friend who loved it. She said it made her want to be out in the sun in a party; it gave her a free feeling. With Baby Queens we are currently perfecting our live set with new songs off the album that we’ve never played live before - ready for a tour next year. How do you find being in a band with your sister? We’ve always known we would be in a band together since we were teenagers. Now it’s cool because we stuck to the plan and we have a massive laugh making music and playing gigs. We have different styles but generally share the same eye for detail and love melodies so creatively it works well for us.
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Who and what are your influences? I’ve always been a fan of music but the only person I’ve felt refreshed by is Morrissey. I really like his solo stuff; he comes out with statements that make people uncomfortable. I think it’s good to be able to educate people through music. It’s nice when you’ve got something to write about that means a lot to you because it makes it more meaningful. What in particular do you want to educate people about in your latest collection of songs? I have a thing about ‘truth’. In a world full of lies and ego I think it’s so important to know your history. Know the truths of this world and be true to yourself. Some of the issues I’ve written about in the next Zefur Wolves album include the native American genocide and how America gets away with committing global crimes. We need to remember that we are all one and this earth is another star in the sky - look to our ancestors for ancient truths and information that people no longer value. I think ancestral medicines such as ayahuasca and 5-MeO-DMT are great tools to heal and connect people and should be a part of all societies. Find out more at twitter.com/baby_queens and twitter.com/zefurwolves
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ART OF THE Jo Roberts takes a look at making an artistic statement around the home It’s time to overhaul your home decor and you’re after something a bit different. You know you want to make a statement, so playing safe with beige and a touch of distressed wood isn’t an option but, it all seems a bit daunting and getting it wrong is a real risk. Before you get carried away with strong colours, challenging pieces of art or too much furniture that emphasises form over function it’s a good idea to hear what the professionals have to say. “First things first, you need a brief,” says Steve Bloom at Space Fitting Furniture. It’s all about the client, he says, so you need to ask yourself what you want. What do you need? What size is the room? How many people will use it at any one time? What is its specific purpose? Do you have children? Dogs? What are your priorities?
to use,” she says. From creating the initial designs to organising the admin, to the trade schedules, to all of the different companies and services involved, Deborah is available to her clients as often as they need and has been known to take phone calls well into the night, recognising that for customers it can be daunting and all-consuming.
“Everything that impacts on your lifestyle must impact on your design,” Steve says “A kitchen by SFF is built to last 30-40 years but if its functions do not meet your needs then you’re not going to want to keep it that long.”
And if you’re struggling for inspiration or feeling a bit clueless, that’s just fine. “Some customers come in with no idea what they want which can be really fun!” says Rhiain at Momentum. This is a chance for the designers to really indulge their problem solving and creativity.
The same principle applies to all aspects of interiors. “Taking a long term approach ensures you’ll be happy with the product for years to come,” says Liz Mynett of Natuzzi who adds that their furniture could also be viewed as an investment. Their classy Italian styles provide a look that won’t date but that can be accessorised according to the season and personal taste.
This page anti-clockwise from top right: Meridiani - Momentum Space Fitting Furniture Kaelo- Space Fitting Furniture Space Fitting Furniture Display - Space Fitting Furniture
So it’s possible to keep it classic while still catering to individual needs and creating unique design statements that reflect your personality. This is something that local, independent designer Deborah Drew agrees with. Deborah was a viewers’ favourite during her stint on DIY SOS and is responsible for the beautiful redesign and re-furb of Penarth’s Holm House. Clearly passionate about the work she does, Deborah throws herself 100% into each project and says that her goal is to make life as easy as possible for the client. “I aim to provide the type of service that I would want
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Anything Momentum supply to a customer they want them to love, so it has to be to their taste, however, if the team are confident that something would work particularly well they will encourage customers to trust their experience and expertise. “We want our customers to explore the boundaries of their tastes and style to create a space that’s personal and works for them and their lifestyle,” continues Rhiain. If you do fancy pushing those boundaries how about redesigning your room around your favourite piece of art…something that Kym Cox of Castle Fine Art loves to do! “Artwork is absolutely an extension of personality,” says Kym, and this is how the Castle Galleries team help to match people up with individual pieces or help them to ‘find their artist’. Speaking with an enthusiasm singular to those
MATTER who love their work Kym views every art buy as an emotional purchase. “You must simply fall in love with it,” she insists. For those new to the art world and a bit nervous of taking the plunge, the gallery offers home approvals, so you can see exactly how the piece will look in your home and the kind of light it will sit in before you commit and decide if the piece does actually work for you. But, be warned, buying art can be very addictive and you may soon run out of wall space. In fact, a carpenter client of Kym’s even built special frames onto his ceiling in order to display as many pieces as possible. From actual ‘art’ to the art of interior design, when it comes to making a statement with your decor Steve, at SFF, recommends staying true to your own style whilst adding subtle touches of on-trend design, noting that greys and copper are in right now. For Deborah, greys are starting to give way to blues whilst copper and rose-gold metallic highlights provide a gentler nod to current trends. Having visited many of the trade shows across Europe this season Rhiain’s seen a lot of jewel and berry colours, and Momentum right now is all about the high end luxe. Currently in the showroom is a Diamond sofa in a blue velvet and some Core Marble Terrence Woodgate lights and they’ve just had the new Kartell Multiplo Marble Dining table in. “Brass framed coffee tables with wood or marble tops are hot at the moment too,” says Rhiain. One category you can really have fun with is Momentum’s ‘complementary furniture’ featuring an eclectic selection of extras such as drinks cabinets and library ladders. An accessory that lends itself to endless
“I aim to provide the type of service that I would want to use”
personalisation is the BuzziScreen, a modern take on the flexible room divider. It can be extended by zipping on extra panels and you can pin pretty much anything you want onto them – photographs, objects – make it your own. When pressed for unusual customer requests Rhiain states that after 15 years, nothing surprises them anymore, having supplied white leather desks and denim arm chairs to name but a few! Fashion doesn’t have to be limited to bedrooms and living rooms and SFF are seeing new trends in cooking having an impact on kitchen design. Agas have been back for some time but new appliances, such as the Miele steam combination oven, are becoming more popular. Other examples of the sort of innovative work that SFF can provide include a curved wardrobe that comes up out of your bedroom floor space, ergonomically designed kitchen islands and TV screens set in the floor showing images of fish swimming beneath your feet.
Clockwise from above Terrence Woodgate, Solid Pendant lights - Momentum Meridiani Ralf Side Tables Momentum Diamond Sofa - Momentum
Gadget of the moment is an electronic wine cooler that can be set into a kitchen unit or a table to ensure your favourite tipple is always to hand and always at the right temperature. Style at Natuzzi is all about elegance and their furniture is the product of traditional craftsmanship. As Liz says: “When clients come to us they have certain expectations.” They are seeing what Liz calls “the industrial influence” coming through in interiors right now with classic neutral palettes of greys and taupes always popular.
DETAILS: Space Fitting Furniture 4 Colchester Ave, Cardiff CF23 9XE Tel. 029 2045 5778 www.spacefittingfurniture.co.uk Natuzzi Havannah St, Cardiff, CF10 5SF Tel. 029 2048 8698 www.natuzzigroup.co.uk Momentum 31 Charles St, Cardiff CF10 2GA Tel. 029 2023 6266 www.momentumcardiff.com Deborah Drew Designs www.dddesigns.co.uk Castle Fine Art www.castlegalleries.com
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Clockwise from top left: Natuzzi ‘The Beach’ - John D Wilson ‘Enchantment’ - Richard Rowan ‘Bat Leap’ - Craig Davison
“Artwork is absolutely an extension of personality”
For personalisation, splashes and flashes of colour and texture with different fabrics can add twists to classic pieces and creative use of unusual accessories can add a different dimension to any look. Bob Dylan’s latest collection, now in at Castle Fine Art, captures the essence of this. The ‘Brazil Series’ features different versions of the same images in ‘evolving works of art’. With limited edition prints, not available to buy in the USA, this is a great example of how art can make for a very shrewd investment, as well as an aesthetic addition to your home. Graphic novels are now recognised as an art form in their own right and The Marvel Superheroes collection is testament to this. Classic comic book covers, each one personally chosen for this collection by Stan Lee and signed by the man himself, they are noteworthy for their observations on pertinent social issues and would be a super addition to any geek’s universe. For more comic inspired art check out former cartoonist Craig Davison’s evocative depictions of childhood adventure. His iconic ‘Bat Leap’ shows a child leapfrogging a bollard, coat flying out behind him whilst his shadow in the background forms the silhouette of Batman, cape thrown wide.
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Other artists of note include Richard Rowan who uses his own unique method of painting oil on glass to stunning effect, Dan Lane, aka Mechanica, whose dark but beautiful sculptures take inspiration from nature, baroque architecture and heavy industry, and John D Wilson whose impressive 3D illusionary works give you a different perspective on, well, perspective. To take self expression through art one step further how about commissioning your own piece of art with dddesigns very own artist in residence. Once your room is completed Nick Davies can create an original one-off piece, drawing from the original brief and your own personal style, saving you time hunting down the perfect piece of art for your new space and giving you a complete original. So however you want to express yourself through your home and whatever your artistic and practical needs may be there is a crop of passionate experts just waiting to guide you in the right direction. From giving simple guidance and advice to overseeing the entire project you’ll be in safe hands from start to finish.
TOTALLY
UPLIFTING!
Hills. They’re great on a bike going down; not so good going up. In 1992, inventor and cycling fanatic Jarle Wanvik developed a solution. He created the world’s first bike escalator in Trondheim, Norway. It pushes riders from the city’s old town 150 yards uphill to the residential district. I’ve just watched a demonstration. Now it’s my turn to have a go. “Hold your right foot against the footplate; push back against it” says Knut who runs a local cycle guiding business. There are two speeds: Normal and Beginner. I know which I’m selecting. Four warning beeps, the footplate shoots out and pushes against the sole of my foot propelling me forwards. Its momentum starts to push my leg up and forward at the expense of the rest of me and my bike. After five yards I slip off. By now there’s a crowd of Taiwanese tourists watching. It takes three more goes to do it, but I’m going to be famous in Taiwan. I must be all over social media there judging by the cheers and myriad photos. Like all Scandic countries, Norway loves bikes. Trondheim, the country’s third city, calls itself Norway’s Cycle City. They’re busy building around 150 miles of cycle lanes and already one-in-five people cycle to work here. I sip coffee outside a café next to the escalator and watch with glee as other tourists attempt and fail. Odd Nygard (yes, that really is his
Jeremy Head tries Trondheim’s unique bike escalator and samples the city’s sights and bites
name) manages the escalator. He’s also on the city’s environment committee tasked with getting more people on bikes. “We know 40,000 people get on the escalator each year,” he says. “We don’t know how many get to the top!” Despite the escalator being there since 1992, they haven’t caught on. It remains unique. Before my moment of Taiwanese bike escalator stardom, I’d cycled around Trondheim with Ellen, one of Knut’s guides. We pedalled smoothly past sleepy marinas, the glossy fjord sparkling in the early sun, a zing of chill in the air. We explored an old fishermen’s village with its rainbow of wooden cottages, crossed a burbling stream before cycling along the river and across the old town bridge known as Lykkens Portal the Gate of Happiness.
“Along with biking, Trondheim is big on bites and booze” And it did all feel rather happy in the sunshine. Rainbow warehouses cast bright reflections in the dark river giving way to fairy tale cottages and shops. The cobbled streets here in the old town have smooth flagstone pathways just for cyclists to avoid the boneshaking bumps. The stones have exhortations painted on them to Cycle Nicely. We lunched across
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On yer bike!
Three more pedally good trips to try: Castle capers France is perfect for pedalling - try exploring the spectacular chateaux of the Loire Valley. Inntravel (www.inntravel.com) does week-long self-guided trips from £698 pp excluding flights
“As I teetered there nervously, four gorgeous Trondheim girls came striding up behind in tight shorts and fluorescent crop tops” the way back to town. Our mission: to get me there by 4pm for the airport bus. It was already 2.30. We bounced between fir trees then burst out onto the shores of a lake, bumping over tree roots, crunching across pebbles. I was getting the hang of the bike and loving it. After the long days of winter, everyone seemed crazy for spring sunshine. We startled an old lady stripped down to her bra and an old couple hiked past, the bloke bare-chested. We had to slow for a group of mums kitted out in Lycra and trainers pushing babies in buggies four-abreast along the track in front.
Go Dutch Holland is super flat and the Dutch love cycling. Combine time in the saddle with a cruise on a canal. Skedaddale’s 8-day trip (www.skedaddle.co.uk) starts from £795 pp excluding flights. Downhill in Wales Wales has some of the best mountain biking in Europe so why go further? There are spectacular rides for all abilities. Coed Llandegla is just one example. See oneplanetadventure.com
the street on spiced redfish soup and cloudberry cheesecake at Baklandet Skydsstation. This cosy café is like a film set, a warren of low-ceilinged rooms with handcrafted cushions and wall coverings. Along with biking, Trondheim is big on bites and booze. After lunch I peddled to a craft brewery. When Vinko opened the door, I was battered by Iron Maiden. This is guy heaven: brewing beer and rocking to heavy metal. He and two mates borrowed cash using their mothers’ houses as collateral to set up Austmann brewery. And bless, they’re still mums’ boys despite the tattoos and high volume metal: “Dude, our best selling beer is called Three Old Ladies in honour of our mums,” Vinko smiled as I quaffed a hoppy IPA called Humledugg. You don’t have to hire a guide to pedal around town either. Next morning I hopped on a City Bike. There’s a network of 20 bike points across the city. Visitors can buy a 24-hour pass from the tourist office. I pedalled up to the fortress on top of the hill wishing the bike escalator concept had been adopted more widely, at least in Trondheim. I cruised back across the old town bridge (more happiness) and decided that whilst there was no lock, the locals were too nice to nick my bike. So I propped it near a tombstone and went to explore the cavernous cathedral.
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When we hit tarmac again it felt odd to be pedalling serenely along smooth cycle paths when moments earlier we’d been crashing round trees. There was no question in my mind, the next location for a bike escalator needed to be right back up to the top of that mountain.
But Trondheim cycle paths weren’t all smooth. Eirik Mjøen drove me 15 minutes out of town to Bymarka, a local nature reserve of sparkling lakes and forests. Kitted out with helmet and mountain bike I followed him at a cracking pace straight up to a viewpoint. At the top was a short more ‘technical’ path. It was steep and muddy. As I teetered there nervously, four gorgeous Trondheim girls came striding up behind in tight shorts and fluorescent crop tops. Nothing for it. I had to go for it. My yelp of fear as I almost came off perhaps spoilt the effect, particularly when they came stomping past me as I pushed the last bit through a patch of sticky bog.
CRUCIAL INFO
Once I’d made it to the top, I was greeted by vast views over Trondheim and the fjord with snow-capped mountains glistening behind. We set off to cycle all
The tourist office can help with cycle bookings and information (+47 73 80 76 60; www.visitnorway. com/trondheim)
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Jeremy Head was a guest of Best Served Scandinavia (www.best-served.co.uk, 020 7664 2241) which offers 3-night Trondheim breaks staying at the Scandic Nidelven Hotel from £490 per person flying from Bristol and £515 from Cardiff. Price is based on two people sharing and includes accommodation, breakfasts and flights with KLM. Two-hour Trondheim cycle tours with Sykkelguide (+47 45 25 35 60; Sykkelguide.com) cost NOK280 (£23). Mountain biking with Mid-Norway Adventures (+47 98 28 60 70) costs from NOK790 (£67) per person.
All the news that really matters from award winning news and current affairs website Wales On Craic. Those of a sensitive or serious disposition should look away now.
Brexit could threaten the cost of Space Raiders A leading Bremain campaigner has told WalesOnCraic that leaving Europe would see the price of Space Raiders rocket. The well-loved crisps, which currently retail at 20p, could end up costing the average Brit £4 each now that the UK has decided to leave the EU. Dai Camerwn, who has made the claim, told WalesOnCraic: "We currently have laws laid out by Brussels that puts a cap on the price of Space Raiders. You may remember that United Biscuits tried to increase the price to 25p not long ago, causing riots and looting all over the country. It was Europe that told them that they had to get the price back down to 20p. Children and poor people across the nation have Europe to thank for that. It now means that they can get five packets for a pound instead of four. That's real value for money and that's why we pay £350 million a week."
FIFA to ban National Team Shirt Badges as they are deemed too nationalistic
Some sceptics weren't impressed with the latest claim. "That fella talks out of his backside," said one.
Welsh builder says he can do Buckingham Palace for £200 cash Dai the Paint provided the Queen with a free, noobligation quote, and added that she should never settle for the first quote she gets. He told WalesOnCraic: “She’s daft going with her first quite, mun. She needs to do a bit of shopping around before she signs anything. I’m a time-served builder and I can turn my hand to anything. I do anything from fixing a broken tap to building you a loft conversion. I’ve told the Queen that I can do it for £200 cash. She can’t turn that offer down now can she?” A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said: “Our first quote for £370 million did tighten the buttocks somewhat when it came through. But then we remembered that we won’t actually be paying for it so we went with it. Dai is welcome to provide us with a quote but in all honesty, it’s not coming out of our pockets as such so it’ll probably go straight in the bin.”
FIFA are set to ban national team shirt badges as they are deemed too nationalistic. FIFA’s Ethics Committee fears that the shirt badges may offend other teams. A spokesman told WalesOnCraic: “We simply cannot have players going around on TV showing off their national badge. What kind of message does this send to the world? In our great wisdom, we have decided to do away with national team shirt badges and we are also looking into banning any reference to countries by name in case it sends out the wrong political message. We are looking to clean up this sport and we cannot do this when people are blatantly cheering on one country rather than the other. £25k however, and all of this will go away.” One fan said: “Well obviously the boys went out there and gave it 110% and obviously, we’ll take all the positives from this game and I said to the boys before the game just go out and enjoy yourselves and obviously all credit to the boys etc…”
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Coffee shop opens in Cardiff for nonmorning people A coffee shop has opened in Cardiff for people who hate mornings. Grumpy F**kers’ Coffee Shop opened its door in October and was overwhelmed by demand. Manager Clive GrimGrits told WalesOnCraic: “I had to get up at 5am to get the shop open. I hated it. Most people are still sleeping at that time. We opened the shop at 6am and by 7am, we’d already sold out of ‘Crappuccinos’ as well as our ‘Elephant Juice Tea’. Everyone who came in had a face on them like a slapped arse so I closed the shop at 8am so I could go home and get some proper sleep like most people do.” One customer said that she would visit the coffee shop again, despite everyone bumping into each other and not saying a word. “It was perfect for me. I could just sit there, thinking how naff my life is and how I hated going to work. The guy next to me was asking whether they did any cooked breakfasts but the manager told him to get out and get a life. Everyone was grumpy, which was fine because we were all grumpy together.”
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Mary Berry aims to become new England manager Former Great British Bake Off host Mary Berry wants to become the new England manager as the FA dithers over appointing Gareth Southgate. Mrs Berry is currently out of work after telling BBC bosses to 'Go bake your head'. A spokesman said: "Mary is very keen to take over the reins as England manager as she's always loved football. Back in the day, she played for 'Posh Ladies FC' as a striker. She could out dribble any of her opponents and she had a killer curler on her. Becoming England manager will give her something to do in between baking cakes and talking posh." A spokesman for the FA said: "This is the first we've heard of it mate. Are you sure you're not just making this up for some stupid spoof news site?"
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FASHION
COME DANCING PHOTOS BY MEI LEWIS
Luke Harrington - Merc £99 Roll Neck - Art Gallery £60 Jeans - Pretty Green £75 Desert Boots - Roamers £34 From Mojo King Clothing Ffion Dress - Chi Chi £77 from House of Fraser
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Luke Polka Dot Shirt - Relco £29.99 Cream Mac - Gabicci £115 Sta Prest Trouser - Merc £50 Shoes - Delicious Junction £85 from Mojo King
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Sam Melania Jumpsuit - £35 from Dressantos Sunglasses: Michael Kors - £124 from Stewart Greenberg
Ffion Dress - Bardot £95 from House of Fraser
Cameron Luke (in yellow coat) Jacket: Baracuta: Hastings G9 Harrington Jacket- -Stutterheim £179 Raincoat ‘Stockholm’ £175 Shirt: East Harbour Surplus - £120 Gilet - Stutterheim ‘Zinken’ £95 Jeans: Livid Jeans - £139 Tee - Norse Projects Godtfred £80 Shoes: N.D.C Made by Hand, Jules Whait - £189 Anton Oxford Shirt - Norse Projects, £90 from Morgan Menswear Classic Beanie - Norse Projects £50 Sunglasses: Oakley - £280 Selvage Jeans - Edwin ED-55 £140 from Stewart Greenberg back pack - Cote & Ciel Meuse £155 Eyewear - Wewood Cotton £90 Boot - Grenson ‘Fred’ £245 from 31 The Store
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Luke Courdroy Jacket - Pretty Green £95 Knitted Polo - Fred Perry £95 from Mojo King Ffion Dress - Lace and Beads, £95 from John Lewis
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FASHION
Luke (above left) Goggle Jacket - C.P. Company £425 Track Top - C.P. Company £165 Jeans - Nudie ‘Tight Long John’ £89 Reflective Beanie - Penfield Twist £60 from 31 The Store Luke (left) Umbrella - Wolsey Fox Print £50 Scarf - Barbour £29 Backpack - Barbour £150 Chino - Edwin £90 Beanie - C.P. Company £50 Shirt - Barbour Airlie £70 Crew Neck Knit - Barbour Staple £80 Jacket - Barbour Bedale £280 Brogues - Grenson Stanley £220 all from 31 The Store Ffion Dress - Bardot £80 from House of Fraser
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Credits: Thanks to our models Luke and current Miss Wales Ffion Moyles, who’ll be competing at Miss World in USA on December 18th. Vote for her at www. missworld.com/contestants/Wales2 Thanks also to Wenda Jame Rowe from The Style Team (www.thestyleteam.co.uk) and to Cardiff Fashion Week. Thanks to our location Cardiff Masonic Hall, Churchill Way, Cardiff. www. cardiffmasonichall.co.uk And finally thanks to: Mojo King Clothing, Wellfield Court, Wellfield Road, Cardiff. 029 2049 9968 31 The Store, Morgan Arcade, Cardiff. 029 2022 9622 House of Fraser, St Mary St, Cardiff.
Festive The dreaded C-word. You’re going to hear it a lot in the next few weeks whether you like it or not. It’s best to embrace it rather than shudder at the thought of its mentioning. Just as we’re putting out the coals on our beautiful Indian summer we’re turning our attention to Christmas. For some, it can be a logistical nightmare with office dos, family outings, beers with mates or an intimate evening with the other half. Fear not, our Christmas dining guide should see you wellprepared and sufficiently sated through the festive season and beyond.
Shake Shack - St David’s Centre, Cardiff
Christmas is about enjoying good food and drink. However, if a traditional Christmas feast turns your stomach, do things your way. Shake Shack serves up some of the juiciest burgers in Cardiff. Although American in concept, they’ve added a nice local touch, teaming up with Celt Experience Brewing and Tiny Rebel Brewing Co. Call: 01923 555173 Website: www.shakeshack.com/ location/st-davids-dewi-sant-cardiff Twitter:@ ShakeShackUK
Stradey Hotel - Llanelli
Set in a stunning position above the Gower Peninsula, the Stradey Park Hotel is the perfect location for a refreshing festive walk by the sea followed by a stunning dinner - or Sunday lunch - or, as their website promises, a gentlemen’s tea. The perfect escape from Christmas in the city. Call: 01554 758171 Website: www.stradeyparkhotel. com Twitter: @StradeyHotel
Restaurant James Sommerin - The Esplanade, Penarth
A winning combination of stunning food and seafront scenery, Restaurant James Sommerin (RJS) is, in short, one of Wales’ best restaurants. The proof? RJS was recently named Restaurant of the Year by the AA and bagged a coveted Michelin Star. If you really want to impress your nearest and dearest, this is your destination. Call: 029 2070 6559 Website: www. jamessommerinrestaurant.co.uk Facebook: restaurantjamessommerin Twitter: @RestaurantJS
Moksh - Mermaid Quay, Cardiff
The brainchild of award-winning chef Stephen Gomes, Moksh is as far removed from a traditional curry house as it gets. The dishes reflect the chef ’s background and his travels through India and Asia with a menu full of Goan influence that blends traditional flavours with contemporary presentation. Stephen’s racked up some impressive silverware, picking up the title of Best UK Indian Chef three times in the Cobra Good Curry Guide – a clear indication he’s a champion of both innovation and taste. Call: 029 2049 8120 Website: www.moksh.co.uk Facebook: MokshCardiff Twitter: @MokshCardiff
Ten Mill Lane - Mill Lane, Cardiff
Ten Mill Lane’s mantra is great cocktails, great staff, great people. We definitely concur. Although located in the heart of Cardiff ’s party strip, Ten Mill Lane’s underground setting gives it the feel of an exclusive speakeasy. The cocktails vary from the classic to the bespoke. Hardened party-goers will be pleased to hear Ten Mill Lane is open from 5pm - 6am every day throughout December. Call: 029 2115 1015 Website: tenmilllane.com Facebook: TenMillLane Twitter:@TenMillLane
Pitch - Mill Lane, Cardiff
Another Mill Lane favourite, Pitch is the destination for alfresco diners in the summer months. Fear not, there’s plenty of warmth inside this classy Cardiff eatery. Owner Ben Browne sources all his produce locally so expect some top beef and lamb cuts. However, the fresh mussels from Pembrokeshire are our personal favourite. Call: 029 2022 8882 Website: www.pitchcardiff.com Facebook: pitchcardiff3 Twitter: @pitchcardiff
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Feasting Oscars of Cowbridge - High Street, Cowbridge
Oscars in Cowbridge is something of a culinary institution in the Vale of Glamorgan and certainly an any time of day affair. From breakfast to dinner, they’ve got it covered. The variety is key too with plenty of choice with meat, veggies and gluten-free dishes on offer. On the drinks front, we recommend the jam mojitos - a few sips will leave you both satisfied and rosy-cheeked. Call: 01446 771984 Website: oscarsofcowbridge. com Facebook: OscarsofCowbridge Twitter: @ OscarsCowbridge
Arbennig - Romilly Crescent, Cardiff
Located on the cusp of Pontcanna and Canton, Arbennig (Welsh for distinct or unique) certainly lives up to its billing. It’s a smorgasbord of the finest Welsh produce with Porthgain crab from Pembrokeshire and Pant-ysgawn goats milk cheese from Abergavenny. Keeping with the homely feel, bilingual staff are ready to take your order in either Welsh or English. Perffaith! Call: 029 2034 1264 Website: www.arbennig. co.uk Facebook: Arbennig.co.uk Twitter: @ ArbennigCardiff
Chai - Wellfield Road, Cardiff
First opened as a Chai house, Chai (formerly Chaihics) spread its culinary wings and offered Indian styled bistro to its customers. Dishes are made from scratch daily by chef Pramod Nair (whose glittering CV includes 5 star Indian Hotels and cooking for royalty), bringing a regal touch to this excellent eatery. Call: 029 2049 5975 Website: chaiholics. com Facebook: Chaiholics.Cardiff Twitter: @ ChaiholicsUK
Clayton Hotel Cardiff - St Mary Street, Cardiff Troy - City Road, Cardiff
In a survey by The Times, Troy Restaurant was ranked as one of the top five kebab restaurants in the UK. The meat is cooked over an open ‘Ocakbashi’ charcoal pit, not vertically rotating on a spike. Throw in some tasty meze dishes and aromatic breads and this is anything but a stop-off for the late night boozing brigade, it’s a real Turkish delight.
Clayton Hotel Cardiff is an excellent base for your festive activities. Even if you don’t have any plans to venture out, the hotel’s restaurant and bar offer some of the best panoramic views of Cardiff (so you can keep a good eye on the shenanigans below). Call: 029 2066 8866 Website: www. claytonhotelcardiff.com Facebook: Clayton Hotel Cardiff Twitter: @Clayton_Cardiff
Call: 029 20499 339 Website: www.troymezebar.com Facebook: Troy-Meze-Bar Twitter: @troymezebar
Yakitori#1 - Mermaid Quay, Cardiff
All those bloated calories can take their toll over the festive period. At Yakitori#1, you can go carte blanche on the menu without staring nervously at your waistline. Using only the freshest ingredients from sustainable sources, expect the best sushi, grilled meats, fish, rice and noodles that Cardiff has to offer. Call: 029 2049 5050 Website: www.yakitori1.co.uk/ Facebook: 1Yakitori | Twitter: @1Yakitori
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Festive Feasting
Etc.. Penarth - Stanwell Road, Penarth
Cardiff Bierkeller - Wood Street, Cardiff
Call: 029 2009 0060 Website: etc-penarth.com Twitter: @etc_penarth
Call: 0845 533 3000 Website: thebierkeller.com/ cardiff Facebook: BierkellerCardiff Twitter: @ CDFbierkeller
A collaboration between designer Alex Mules and chef Stephen Gomes (yes, him of Moksh fame), Etc... Penarth is a great fusion of style and taste. Part cocktail bar and part restaurant, Etc... Penarth is all about providing a high-end gastronomic experience. We recommend going all out and trying the sensational five course Chef ’s Tasting Menu.
Sometimes, all we want on a cold winter evening is a bratwurst and a well kept German lager. Cardiff Bierkeller has become our German culinary haven since opening last year. It is all genuine nosh too; the bratwursts are imported in from the Motherland and the beers are some of the most varied and lip-smacking Cardiff has to offer. Wunderbar!
The Meating Place - St Mary Street, Cardiff
The Meating Place is a contemporary grill house that’s located in the heart of Cardiff city centre. The unique selling point is their mixed meat skewers, hooked in front of diners for them to prize away the goodness. Served with couscous, roasted vegetables and yogurt dips, this dining experience allows you to create your own delicious, bespoke kebabs. The Meating Place cook up the treats, you decide how to pull them all together. Call: 029 2022 4757 Website: themeatingplace. co.uk Facebook: TheMeatingPlace Twitter: @ MeatingPlaceCDF
The Kestrel Inn - Brecon Road, Nr Crickhowell For some, Christmas is the ideal opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life. The Kestrel Inn is perfect for those seeking a quiet and cosy Christmas. The food is mostly inspired by the Mediterranean but there is a traditional menu in place for Christmas. We recommend booking a room and taking in the splendour of the Brecon Beacons.
Call: 01874 731044 Website: www.thekestrelinn.com Facebook: thekestrellinn Twitter: @thekestrelinn
Il Pastificio - Penylan Road, Cardiff
At Il Pastificio expect a menu bursting with delicious Italian flavours and an innovative approach to pasta. Even the pickiest of diners can request their own special bespoke pasta dish if they call the day before their booking. Call: 029 2049 4138 Website: ilpastificio.co.uk Facebook: Il-Pastificio-Thepastalab-Cardiff
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The Longhouse - St Nicholas, Cardiff
Cardiff ’s newest gastro pub, The Longhouse is a stunning setting for Christmas food and drinks. This 17th century Longhouse (hence the name) is full of original features and offers superb views over Cardiff. As their Twitter handle exclaims, expect great food, great drink and great times. For more on the culinary offerings at The Longhouse, check out our review further on in the mag. Call: 029 2115 7754 Website: www.longhousewales. com Facebook: longhousewales Twitter: @ LonghouseWales
LIFESTYLE
WHEN DREAMS TURNED REAL Here’s the perfect prezzie for any self-respecting fan of Welsh football. Following on from the highly successful and critically acclaimed The Dragon Roars, Jamie Thomas has continued where he left off, charting the amazing progress of the Welsh football team through the Euro 2016 finals. Firstly, a recap. The Dragon Roars explored in detail the trials, tribulations and ultimate glory of Wales’ path to Euro 16 qualification. Thoroughly researched and brilliantly written it was the definitive account of Wales most successful period for fifty years. Few, including Jamie dared hope that it could get better. But, boy, did it. The follow-up brilliantly captures the excitement of the tournament and ecstacy that descended on fans and players alike as Wales overcame the odds to become the standout team of Euro 16, culminating with the performance of the tournament as they mullered pre-tournament favourites Belgium. The book includes in-depth analysis of and insight into the journey taken during the summer of 2016, including an exclusive interview with Mark Evans of the FAW which offers a glimpse into the preparations for and events in the team base during
THE EXTRA MILE It’s all about Customer Service at Groom For Men.
Groom For Men, 123 Crwys Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4NG. 02921 320204 & 49 Windsor Road, Penarth, South Glamorgan, CF64 1JE. 02921 320930 www. groomformen.co.uk
But perhaps the best praise comes from the players themselves. ‘Qualification for Euro 2016 meant absolutely everything to us, as a team, as a nation of people who have waited our whole lives to see Wales competing at a major tournament,’ said Joe Ledley. ‘We players had the time of our lives – every single day was a pleasure, and I like to think the fans enjoyed it just as much as we did; we just didn’t want it to end!’ said Joe, ‘To try and tell our nation’s incredible story over the summer is no easy task, but Jamie’s done a brilliant job of it with this new book. It’s a must-read for any football fan!’ he added. ‘I’m very pleased to say that this is another very good book that tells Wales’ incredible story from the perspective of so many people who were involved: players, coaches, fans, journalists, everyone!’ said Chris Gunter. When Dragons Dare to Dream by Jamie Thomas (£9.99, Y Lolfa)
Products make a big difference to your ability to maintain your hair style at home. One of the most positive areas of feedback Groom For Men get from clients is the way they explain how to recreate the style when their barbers are not around to do it for them. It’s one thing to leave the barbershop looking and feeling great, but is it too much to ask to be able to achieve that look at home?
by storm. Dapper Dan also offer a great range of shaving products, which we’re looking at offering as part of a gift-bundle, in the lead-up to Christmas. Grooming gifts have long been a mainstay of Christmas, from deodorants to fine fragrances. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to get someone a more personal grooming gift this Christmas though? Groom For men are offering vouchers, individually tailored to suit the recipient, for that personal touch this Christmas.
What a lot of hairdressers and barbers sometimes forget to tell you, is that drying your hair into position can be one of the most important factors in achieving your look at home. As it goes from being wet to dry, the chemical formula of your hair undergoes a change, and this process sets it into position very firmly. Anyone who’s ever slept with wet hair, and woken up with a wild style can attest to this.
If you know someone who finds their hands get very dry over the winter period, why not book them in for a hydrating manicure? If you know a relative dreads having their photograph taken over Christmas, help them look their best and feel confident and book them in for a haircut and hot towel shave, and let Groom For Men do what they do best - make people look and feel good about themselves.
Not every man has time to spend drying their hair meticulously in front of a mirror every morning, but it’s good to know how to boss your hair around on those special occasions, rather than letting it boss you around. This is the kind of in-depth knowledge they pride themselves on at Groom for Men, feeling it’s important to pass expertise on to customers. They currently stock 2 product ranges for styling hair; Hairbond and Dapper Dan. Both are British, independent companies who are taking the industry
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the tournament. Players and team staff also offer their exclusive comments, including Joe Ledley and Chris Gunter.
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LIFESTYLE
TIME TO WRAP UP
It's getting nippy and Christmas isn't far off - so plenty of wrapping up to be done with these beauties.
McArthur Glen Bridgend, The Derwen, Bridgend, CF32 9SU. Tel. 01656 665700 www.mcarthurglen.com
THE ART OF THE COMIC BOOK COVER Flying in the face of the universally accepted maxim that warns us not to “judge a book by its cover”, the cover of a comic is considered the most significant artwork within the book. A cover, much like a comic strip itself, tells a story, and sets the scene of imminent action and adventure. Like a movie director, the artist manipulates the viewer’s experience via his or her own vision and interpretation. The cover of a comic is considered the most significant artwork within the book. It is both a statement and an advertisement that will make the reader pick the comic up and buy it. Well executed, it can entirely transform the viewer’s understanding of a character and plot. The artist’s use of composition, lighting and colour can help focus a reader’s attention on the important features on the cover. However, as any Marvel aficionado will know, cover art can be as much a tool of misdirection as a glimpse into the ensuing narrative within.
Therein lies the delicacy of touch needed by the revered Marvel cover artists; the balance of messaging for the reader must be enticing yet elusive, with just enough of the plot played out on the cover to be not just a head-turner, but a page-turner also; new mythology for the twentieth century.
Castle Fine Art, Grand Arcade St David’s | Dewi Sant Cardiff, CF10 2ER 02922 130 100 cardiff@castlefineart.com
A collection of limited edition art of iconic comic book covers signed by Stan Lee is available to buy from Castle Fine Art, situated in St David’s Dewi Sant. Visitors to the gallery can expect a welcoming environment to enjoy art, with the Cardiff team hosting an exciting programme of exhibitions and events for 2017.
Whether the cover seemingly shows one or more of our heroes on the brink of death, or indeed the comic world as we know it coming to an apocalyptic end, the chances are that the inner pages will right the wrongs shown on the cover, and good will once again triumph over evil.
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HO HO HO
including children, with under 16s encouraged to wear fancy dress with prizes for the best dressed on the day! The £9 registration includes a T-shirt, water and a certificate whilst the cost for a family of 4 is just £27. Entrants can go the extra mile (excuse the pun) and collect stacks of sponsorship as sponsor forms are available online. Alternatively, why not set up a Just Giving page. All monies raised will go towards Welsh Hearts’ Heart Screening Wales Programme and to place defibrillators throughout Wales.
Have fun this Christmas and go that extra mile by joining Welsh Hearts for an all Wales festive lifesaving 5k dash, walk, jog or run around Mermaid Quay and Cardiff Bay on Sunday December 4. Get your hearts beating faster this Christmas with this great event which will bring the whole community together! Last year Welsh Hearts’ Santa Dash had over 2,000 Santas and Elfs, Snowmen, Turkeys and various other amazing characters! It’s a fun, festive event that’s suitable for all ages,
To book a place contact Fundraising@welshhearts.org. This family festive fun event is open to everyone - so go on “Be Elfy” this Christmas! Join the fun and be part of something truly SANTA-FANTASTIC this Christmas and join the Festive Dash to help Welsh Hearts save lives in Wales! You can also register on line at http://welshhearts. org/santa Contact Welsh Hearts Fundraising Office on 029 2064 7735 or fundraising@welshhearts.org Image ©george Crux
Kevin Arnold from Momentum Coaching explains why there’s no need to be SAD this winter The nights are drawing in but there’s no need to feel SAD. The good news is that SAD is a condition that Momentum Coaching can help you with. Many people notice change in their mood at this time of year and this can range from feeling low and lethargic to severe depression. The cause of these mood swings are often a result of Seasonal Affective Disorder commonly known as SAD brought on by dark nights and short days. However, there are tools and techniques we can use to counteract these “winter blues” which for many can be very debilitating. When working with my clients at Momentum Coaching I like to focus on SNP – not the Scottish political party but an acronym for focusing on the Solution Not the Problem. Using Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) there are tools and techniques we can use to change our mood. This is achieved by creating “an anchor” to a positive state – a technique that achieves conditioned responses enabling clients to switch states. Thoughts are very powerful. For example, if we close our eyes and imagine ourselves in a warm sun, our mind can trigger a pleasurable feeling. Of course, we are all individuals so these positive anchors are unique. Another potential factor is the change in diet. At this time of year we often revert to eating stodgier food.
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People in parts of Scandinavia that eat high levels of fish are believed to be less affected by SAD. So it’s worth experimenting with changes to the food we eat as you’d be amazed at the difference it makes to your overall mood. There is also a tendency to exercise less during the winter which can result in increased tiredness and fatigue. Christmas is also another potential trigger to increased stress. To deal with the demands of Christmas it’s important to get our mind-set right. Look back at previous years and note the pros and cons as we often make the same “never again” mistakes. So be kind to yourself this Christmas – be happy not SAD. Kevin is a qualified practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and offers individually tailored sessions from his base in Llantwit Major as well as home visits or consultations via telephone or Skype. For more details go to www.momentum-coaching. co.uk or tel: 07766 018831
HEALTH & GROOMING Jason Jones has gone all boutique on us…
6 of the best… Boutique Brands
TRY AN OLYMPIC SPORT
I know what you’re thinking - what is a ‘boutique’ brand anyway? Well, aside from a new buzzword the grooming industry has invented to sell us stuff, it’s a bit like the idea of a boutique hotel. Something a little more tailor-made, bespoke and less corporate. The advantage for us consumers is not only the feeling we’re buying a more personalised and exclusive product, but the quality control is way higher.
If you’ve been inspired by Rio this summer, try one of these: Taekwondo Combining the principles of combat and self-defence, this martial art is ideal for improving balance, co-ordination and flexibility. Luckily for us, after the success of Wales’s Jade Jones for Team GB in Rio, classes are mushrooming up all over the country. welshtaekwondo.co.uk
1. Ron Dorff This French-Swedish company specialises in cleanlycool sportswear, but also do a nifty line in equally cleanly-cool toiletry essentials that fuse the best of Nordic functionality and Franco flair. Plus, the products look great on a bathroom shelf.
Handball A hybrid of football and basketball, this fast-paced team sport helps build strength, speed and agility. All you need is a ball, a field, a group of mates and a couple of makeshift goals. britishhandball.com
2. The Refinery The more under-the-radar men’s arm of Aromatherapy Associates, this is a terrific all-rounder that meets all grooming needs. Star of the show is its shaving gel, which miraculously avoids nicks, razor rash and leaves your mug turbo-moisturised. 3. Elemental Herbology The brand name is also the mission statement with natural ingredients that aren’t too mucked-about-with as its emphasis. Using premium minerals, herbs and antioxidants to balance out the effects of lifestyle, seasonal and hormonal changes. 4. Anthony Frustrated by the lack of grooming choice for men in 2000 and despite having zero trade experience, Anthony Sosnick founded his eponymous brand primarily so he could use the products himself: everything is high-performance, particularly cleansers and eye cream. 5. MR. The brainchild of award-winning hair stylist Jamie Stevens, this dual-action range cleans and thickens so is perfect for the more follicly-challenged, but even if you’re a member of the man-bun brigade this brand is a real find. 6. Escentric Molecules If you’re after fragrance and want something a bit different, then here is where to get it. Based on a molecular formula that works with an individual’s pheromones, you end up with a unique result every time. Their body washes are pretty special, too.
Canoeing If you’re on the lookout for an actioncrammed sport and don’t mind periodically getting drenched, then this is perfect. Not only does it provide a good cardio workout, it’s also an all-out muscle-builder for the legs, arms, shoulders, chest and back. And, don’t forget, Wales has one of the best canoeing facilities in the world at Cardiff International White Water. britishcanoeing.org.uk Triathlon Due to its gruelling triple-combo of cycling, swimming and running, it’s not for the easily spooked, granted, but it does guarantee maximum fitness. The variety works, too; it keeps exercising interesting so it’s more likely we’ll stick with it, which will explain why it’s currently the fastest-growing sport in Britain. welshtriathlon.org
Spa Gazing Homewood Park Hotel & Spa, Bath Signature treatment: The specifically-formulated Time For Men treatments. All too often, male-focused therapies are overlooked in even some of the best spas so it’s especially impressive we’re not just after-thoughts here. Prices: For a high-end joint, the treatment tariff isn’t too eye-watering. For instance, the SPA Skin Specific Facial comes in at a very competitive 69 quid for a 55-minute session. Service: Super-efficient without being irritatingly intrusive. Staff know their stuff, too. The X Factor: Take your pick. The individualised treatments. The setting. The Georgian grandeur. The food and wine in the much-acclaimed restaurant. But for my money it’s the outdoor pool. Flanked by treelined walls and rows of sun loungers, it’s heated to 31C so can be enjoyed even as the temperature turns tepid. Score: A luxe mix of old-world charm and modern pampering, so a not-to-be-sniffed-at 9 out of 10. homewoodpark.co.uk
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SPORT He can do long throws too! Is there anything Gareth Bale can’t do? asks Riath AlSamarrai
Swans in a flap
American ownership, American management and a home unofficially renamed as the Statue of Liberty Stadium. Times are changing at Swansea City and the locals are bitterly unhappy. You have to go back to the early Noughties to find a time when there was so much grumbling in the stands. It has taken on a nasty edge with the likes of Huw Jenkins absorbing personal abuse alongside other directors who sold some or all of their stakes to US pair Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien. The fact that the squad has produced some diabolical performances and Bob Bradley has moved very gingerly out of the starting blocks has poured petrol on a fire that started with the summer takeover. Above all else, it is sad to see a club that for so long has been the model of stability and sensible ownership descend into such difficulty and unrest. The curious aspect in it all has been the suspicion towards the Americans. There was no obvious flaw in the plan of Jenkins and co to sell – Swansea, it is generally accepted, need greater financial muscle if they are to continue to compete. And there has been no evidence as yet that the Americans have made any major errors, beyond the accusation from the Supporters’ Trust that they lacked transparency in the takeover and sacking of Francesco Guidolin. That is not to unduly protect the Americans, more an acknowledgement that they cannot be fully judged until they have a chance to prove themselves via squad investment. The time for that is the January transfer window. Without hard cash spent in the transfer market, this proud club will most likely be playing in the Championship next season.
All Change at Cardiff (again)
He is loud, brash and a potential argument in any room he enters at any given time. And yet he is exactly what Cardiff have needed for years - the appointment of Neil Warnock is one thing Cardiff have got right in the past few seasons of uncertainty. More than that, it was an acknowledgment by the club’s decision-makers that the Championship is a rare beast, with its own players, its own challenges of travel and schedule and
a division that calls for a specialist. One of the great fallacies that has been repeatedly exposed over time is the idea that folk of the Premier League have a broad enough understanding of football to step down a rung and thrive. That’s a nonsense (the success of Rafa Benitez at Newcastle this season notwithstanding) that naively ignores the nuances of the Championship. Witness how hopelessly Ole Gunnar Solskjaer got on after relegation. Warnock, by contrast, has never convinced in the Premier League, but he is a master of the Championship, a manager with two promotions from the division (among seven in his career) and seven second-tier manager-of-the-month awards. It is no surprise that he has quickly stabilised a side that was sinking rapidly. Cardiff have taken plenty of flak the past few seasons but they got this one right.
Cleverly Hits Back
Credit to Nathan Cleverly, an excellent talent who never gave up. He spoke with RedHanded not long after losing a stinker of a rematch with Tony Bellew in 2014 and it was hard to detect any great motivation for more fighting in his tone. A third career defeat to Andrzej Fonfara a year ago appeared to signal the end of a career that peaked with a light-heavyweight world title but had burned out. Now, following his win on foreign soil against Juergen Braehmer, he is a two-time champion, more than three years after he last won a belt. With it he resoundingly answered the lingering question of whether there was more to this man than just a talent for throwing punches.
What a Cheek!
It was interesting that during RedHanded’s interview with Sam Warburton he wouldn’t commit to certain opinions. He would not, for instance, be overly bold on the subject of the British Lions, arguing that selection for such an esteemed squad could not be taken for granted. Likewise, he didn’t want to insult any rivals for Wales selection by appearing confident of playing in the Autumn Internationals, despite his proven worth to the team. His reasoning? ‘Hard sport, rugby, you never know what’s going to happen to your body. The minute you make plans or get ahead of yourself, anything can happen to knock you down. I’m not going to jinx anything.’ A week later, Warburton fractured his cheekbone and missed the Australia test. Sport, a place where best intentions often mean absolutely nothing.
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What’s in a number?
4 – the record haul of gold medals won by the Welsh contingent at the Olympic Games, comprising two-time taekwondo gold medallist Jade Jones, sailor Hannah Mills and cyclists Elinor Barker and Owain Doull.
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BOLD IS BEAUTIFUL Thanks to Victoria Park Mazda, Hadfield Road, Cardiff
Mazda 3, 2017
The latest generation Mazda 3 is partway through its lifecycle so it’s time to freshen it up a bit with a facelift, an exercise that all manufacturers go through. But unlike most facelifts this one is more than skin-deep. But before we delve into that, let’s have a gander at what hasn’t changed. Broadly speaking, the new 3 looks the same – it has kept its Kodo design inspired flowing curves, and the long bonnet, unusual in this class, remains. It’s still, in our view, the best looking and sexiest car in its class. The only tweak we noticed is a broader and deeper grille that lends added purpose. Inside, the general layout and space remains as is. It looks great and everything is exactly where, and as, you’d want it. It’s all solidly built and easy to use with a nicely intuitive infotainment centre. There’s plenty of space front and back for four adults and the cabin’s a comfortable, refined place to be. For some time now, Mazda’s interiors have been at least on par with the best cars in this price bracket. But with the new 3 they’re clearly hoping to nibble into market share currently occupied by premium brands like BMW and Audi. To that end, the new 3’s interior quality has been a focus of attention - upgraded door materials, dash trim inserts and a new leather steering wheel design plus they’ve ditched the traditional handbrake in favour of an electric parking brake to free up the centre console. The result is a marked step up in quality and functionality. Engine units and transmission are the same which is no bad thing at all. As a product of Mazda’s Skyactiv philosophy, Mazda’s engines are cracking examples of how to combine power, efficiency and fun. Relying on high compression ratios rather than turbos for power, they’re extremely efficient, light-weight and rev freely to give immensely enjoyable performance. Our 2 litre packed real punch, with plenty of oomph throughout its considerable rev range. Yes, you get power and torque from a turbo but nothing beats a normally
aspirated, free spinning, motor in full song. If you’re a driving enthusiast, it’s so much more fun. With 120hp, 210Nm of torque, a top speed of 121mph and a 0-62 of 8.9secs there’s plenty of oomph. Add to this CO2 of 119g and 55.4mpg and you’ve got a great power/ economy combo. Mazda’s SkyActiv finds its way into all aspects of the 3’s engineering: every component is as light as it could possibly be. A great exemplar of this is the chassis which uses light-weight alloys and state of the art engineering to get a great balance of rigidity and light weight. In addition to better fuel economy, this also feeds into handling. Put simply, less weight makes the job of the suspension and steering that much easier. Mazda’s engineers have maxxed this potential out and the result is the 3 has always been a great handling car with great balance, excellent grip and responsive steering. But new for the 2017 Mazda 3 is something called G-Vectoring Control. We’re not going to pretend to understand the science but the system subtly controls engine torque to each front wheel so power can be put down more effectively and in a less brutal way, subtly improving steering, handling and traction both in a straight-line and whilst cornering. The result is even better handling, responsiveness and, ultimately, speed. The 3’s always been comfortable, thanks to less weight translating into less load and less of a need for firm suspension. But Mazda have also worked on refinement. Sound insulation has been improved and streamlining reduces wind noise whilst diesels benefit from a neat bit of engine engineering called NNS which reduces diesel clatter. The 3 remains a class act and a great alternative to mainstream options – great to drive and great looking, comfortable and refined, practical and reliable and now with a mid-life boost, it’s better than ever.
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“Mazda’s engines are cracking examples of how to combine power, efficiency and fun”
Top speed: 121mph 0-62: 8.9secs CO2: 119g MPG: 55.4 Price: £17,595
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ITALIAN STALLIONS Maserati Levante
Alfa Romeo Giulia
Two new and vitally important Italian motors hit dealerships as we write.
They say, everyone who loves cars should own an Alfa at some point in their lives. No marque has the pedigree, the panache and the driving spectacle that the mere mention of that illustrious name evokes in the hearts and minds of dedicated petrol-heads. In fact, you don’t even have to be a petrol-head to appreciate Alfa’s appeal. For a couple of decades car fans have desperately wished for an Alfa that they could justify buying. Alas, that’s not always been easy – often great to look at, and good to drive, there’ve been some crucial shortcomings or compromises that can’t be overlooked. All that’s set to change with Alfa’s brand new 3 series, or should that be Mondeo, challenger, the Giulia. Heart-achingly good looking and with early reports suggesting it’s great to drive, if Alfa’s attempts to nail reliability have been successful, then petrol-heads the world over will be rubbing their hands with glee. We aim to find out next issue.
Maserati. Say it again, slowly. Sounds great doesn’t it? And what a pedigree. Shame then, that despite a recent return to form it’s still not perceived as being up there with the big beasts, such as Porsche or Jag. Which is why the Levante is probably the most important car in Maserati’s history. As an SUV, it can tap into a market that’s far bigger than the marque’s traditional stomping grounds of posh GT’s and sports cars, the cash from which can be used to further build and improve the brand and put it on an even footing. It also represents something of a new dawn being the first model in ages to be designed and built without external meddling and with the benefit of state of the art design and production facilities, making it a true measure of what we can expect going forward. It’s off to a great start. While other big SUVs look awkward, as they try to marry familial design cues with the height and form required for an SUV, or flash, in an attempt to make them more interesting, the Maser succeeds in creating something elegant and GT-like that’s a far more attractive and better resolved proposition than anything else in the sector. Next issue we’ll be finding out if the drive lives up to its great looks.
“Heart-achingly good looking and with early reports suggesting it’s great to drive” 60 REDHANDED • Issue 3
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Restaurants & Bars The Long House
The Longhouse The Tumble St Nicholas Cardiff CF5 6SA 029 2115 7754
On a dank and drizzly recent Saturday it felt like winter had come early to Cardiff. So what better time to while away a cold November day than lunch at a local gastro-pub? The Long House at The Tumble near Culverhouse Cross - formerly known as The Traherne Arms - was a welcoming beacon of warmth; close enough to the city, with unsurpassed views and a menu to put the ‘awe’ back in autumn. Chef-proprietor Andy Aston – formerly of Wood’s Brasserie, but most recently to be found at Pentyrch’s Kings Arms - fulfils all comfort-food needs with a light, unpretentious touch. The menu is a mix of perennial pub favourites - fresh meat pie, fish and chips - and enticing Welsh seasonal fare. I could easily have chosen all dishes on offer, but plumped for the duck to begin; as wild and as local as a bird can be, it was brought in by the local shoot. Perfectly presented and moreishly moist, with roast butternut and fennel-infused jus. My partner’s crispy pig with apple and black pudding was immediately hailed as a hit. Polished off with some crackling and a soft boiled egg; such stuff a glutton’s dreams are made of. Having ravished both our starters, I decided to stick with the Raglan pork, as the Welsh tenderloin is one of the Chef ’s specialities. The flavours, delicately
balanced - which included sage and apple kale - were offset with the juicy, briny burst of a plump king scallop. My partner’s rump of lamb, in comparison, brought the flavours of the Middle East to the table; placed on a bed of roasted aubergine, with cumin and coriander crust, it was a hearty and delicious dish. ‘Contractually obliged’ to pick a pudding, or two, the classic sticky toffee pudding was impossible to resist. The treacle-toffee flavoured treat was topped off with vanilla ice cream, and although a towering sight to behold, it was polished off with glee. But the star of the dessert show was the Snickers fondant, paired with a dolche de leche parfait, pannacotta and a crunchy peanut brittle-style praline. A gorgeous grand finale to a lovely leisurely lunch, in a cosy historical country inn with a fabulous future ahead.
The Flora
A joint venture between Cardiff nightspot Ten Mill Lane and S.A. Brain, The Flora pub in the heart of Cathays has been re-energised into a hip new spot for students and young professionals. It’s been reported that a six-figure sum was stumped up to breathe new life in this tired watering hole and on entering the premises, it’s certainly a world away from its former self. There are fun, quirky touches throughout. A swirling, technicolour motif dons one wall whilst another showcases a series of graffitied portraits. A pair of upright model ships sit proudly on a shelf. These random touches within the decor create interesting talking points. As our visit was made on a Friday evening, my dining partner and I agree we need some cocktails to see in the weekend. She orders the Flora Fizz - a combination of Beefeater gin, elderflower, cucumber and apple juice which is a refreshing hit of both sugar and citrusy goodness. I opt for the dauntingly named Major Lazer a booze-heavy concoction of Tequila, Prosecco, banana liqueur and lime. It is delicious, but one is certainly more than enough otherwise a major hangover will be served up next. Most cocktails can be purchased for a fiver, but those not looking for a heady mixer have plenty of other choices with a decent selection of ales, ciders and lagers on pump and a good list of wines and soft drinks too.
To eat, my dining partner and I order a pair of starter plates to go alongside our mains. The lamb meatballs are tender and fiery with a mint and honey yoghurt bringing a welcoming coolness to the dish. The chicken breast goujons are deliciously crispy and accompanied by a tangy BBQ sauce, they speedily evacuate the plate. For mains, my dining partner’s mac’n’cheese is a hearty combination of gooey cheese, soft macaroni and a generous layer of crunchy breadcrumbs. My hash of the day is the perfect belly-warming tonic on a brisk autumnal evening. A mix of chunky chorizo, roasted vegetables, new potatoes and scattered with herbs and olive oil, it is rustic in appearance but big on flavour. All mains are priced very reasonably under £7. If you’re looking for some excellent food and drink that won’t bust the bank, The Flora is your destination.
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The Flora 136 Cathays Terrace Cardiff CF24 4HY www.theflora.co.uk
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Restaurants & Bars Il Pastificio
On an evening in late September, I enjoyed a superlative supper at fine-dining hot-spot Il Pastificio. This well-established gem is a perennial favourite with locals in Penylan. Although the Italian name – which translates as The Pasta Lab – might cause some alarm amongst the #cleaneating brigade, they’d have no reason to fear, as Chef Walter Scoppetta makes clear; there is room for everybody here. Il Pastificio Ristorante 2 Penylan Road Cardiff CF24 3PF 029 2049 4138
He caters for all tastes – and given prior notice, vegan and gluten-free - as he produces all the menu’s inspired dishes in-house. It is well worth booking a table nearest to the restaurant’s open kitchen, where the friendly Neopolitan welcomes customers, old and new, ensuring a return visit time and again. Having been taught by his chef mother from eleven years of age, Walter Scoppetta is passionate about Italian food. But don’t expect lasagne or spaghetti Bolognese here; his signature dishes have a bold, inventive flair. He travelled widely all over Italy before arriving in Cardiff, creating waves at Lorenza’s and DaVenditto. He is now the proud proprietor of three spaces in Penylan, including the casual-dining spot at the original location on Wellfield Road and, two doors down, a brand-new gelateria. But the jewel in the crown is the glittering mother-ship at the southern tip of Penylan Road.
Soon after our arrival we feasted on home-made bread, before devouring our hearty starters. Grilled monkfish pieces in a warming butternut squash sauce for me, that zinged to life under a sprinkling of microherbs - red amaranth, lemon balm and coriander. My companion’s fillet steak salad, served with spring onions, chilli and balsamic vinegar was a refreshing treat – and my choice of lunch when I returned the following day. A recent addition to the restaurant’s menu, the classic Ossobuco from Milan, was a memorable main dish, and a brand new experience for me. The bone marrow-infused veal shank, served on a bed of creamy risotto, was tempered by the tang of herby gremolata; each mouthful offered a spectrum of sensations. My companion’s Paccheri di Mamma Antonia was a masterclass in simplicity, recalling the chef ’s earliest lessons from his mother; fresh pasta with pesto, chilli, tomato, and pecorino cheese - the nearest thing to a hug on a plate. We both plumped for the same show-stopping dessert, the Torta al Caramello with salted caramel gelato and a welcome shot of espresso. A not-to-be-missed twist on a classic affogato, and a fabulous showcase of the gelateria’s best-selling ice cream. It was a wonderful evening of fresh flavours and ideas, delivered in style by the maestro of his domain.
light, perfectly cooked and devilishly tasty; the Okra especially so, thanks to its added heat. For mains we were spoilt by our hosts as a procession of stunning plates were put before us. Deliciously fresh, big, plump king prawns cooked in ginger and lemongrass were gone in seconds; marinated and cooked in a yoghurt, coriander and pistachio sauce so mellow the slow cooked lamb shank should be eaten lying down; the lentil daal was stupendous – exotic and so deeply flavoured whilst the vegetable jhalfrezi was stuffed full of a variety of quality veg; we were also treated to Chais’ takes on two classic, authentic dishes – a delicious railway lamb curry, tender, slow cooked and aromatic; and Lucknow lamb gosht, rich and full flavoured thanks to cumin, ginger and saffron. Chai Unit 6, The Globe Centre Wellfield Road Cardiff Tel: 029 2049 5975 www.chaiholics.com
Chai
Chai (formerly Chaiholics) has been quietly building a reputation for great Indian food for a couple of years, thanks to a team of chefs who earned their spurs in some of the best hotels in India and have been wowing customers with a fusion of influences from their lives and careers, mainly in India – from family recipes to street food to top hotels. Their emphasis is on authenticity, quality ingredients and great technical execution. Since Chai started as a chai and streetfood café, we kicked off with two variations on streetfood-esque tempura batter (brought to India by the Portuguese), one a lightly spiced potato and sweetcorn fritter and the other rather hotter Okra fries. Both were
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You really can tell that every dish is uniquely prepared from scratch and it’s no surprise that they’ve recently won a People’s Choice Award and Welsh Curry Chef of the Year - not only is the food fit for a maharaja, these dishes would probably be recognisable to one as well.
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Restaurants & Bars Primrose Organic Farm in Felindre, their beer from Brecon Brewing, cider from Ty Gwyn and coffee from Black Mountain Roast. There are some worthy exceptions – the large wine selection from their time in France and continental specialities from regions and suppliers renowned for them. A case in point was my Iberico platter, from a small, independent Spanish importer - I’ve not tasted meats this good since touring Andalucia. A’s beetroot houmous with walnut breadstick (home-made) was an inspired combination of sweet and savoury.
Kestrel Inn Brecon Road, nr Crickhowell Powys NP8 1SB Tel: 01874 731044 www.thekestrelinn.com
The Kestrel Inn
It’s that time of year when cosy country inns with rooms, wood-burners and hearty fayre come into their own. And this Crickhowell gem is creating a stir. Bought by Richard and Fi after many years living in Bordeaux, the Kestrel has been renovated with much love and attention to detail – something that also shines through in the menu.
A’s apple crumble, with apples from a neighbour, also ticked the warming, comfort food box, nicely, but not quite as much as the treacle toffee pudding (made by Richard and Fi’s daughter), which was out of this world, honestly. Best I’ve had – lovely and light, intense but not overly sweet. Stunning.
Passionate advocates of sourcing the best quality produce as locally as they can, their meat comes from F E Richards butchers, in Crickhowell, veg from
With spotless rooms, great food, cosy fire and stunning location the Kestrel’s a perfect getaway (but not too far away).
Etc…
flavour served with crispy kale in a ‘smoke’ filled bell jar; the best ever Glam sausage with fennel mash and rhubarb jam as the perfect foils; a petal adorned lamb shank tagine with a lovely depth of flavour that evolves slowly on the palette; whilst the mellow camel burger, a halfway house between chicken and beef, definitely deserves a mention. Desserts were mindblowing/bending too – the lemon meringue brulee with lavender shortcake was a strangely successful mix of flavours.
You know, I miss not being able to put on a bit of a show on a night out. It’s all relaxed décor and dressing down nowadays, even in upmarket establishments. Which makes a trip to Etc… rather special. It’s a taste of a bygone era that’s due a return to fashion. The look is sumptuous 1920’s Parisian decadence, with plenty of black and gold and majors on wow factor. Jeans won’t be frowned on, but the sense of glamour really does lend itself to dressing up, not down, which is delightful. None of this would matter if the food and drink came up short. Thankfully, there’s a cracking, creative and often playful, menu (and short – always a sign of the freshest ingredients) courtesy of consultant awardwinning chef Stephen Gomes and it’s executed with real flair. Dishes are fun, clever and very successful. Some are takes on classics – perhaps with unusual ingredients, or spectacular presentation – while others are completely original. Etc… 1 Royal Buildings Stanwell Road Penarth Tel: 029 2009 0060 www.etc-penarth.com
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To mains. My steak was so tender you could cut it with a stick, partly attributed to 30 day dry-aging though also testament to the quality of Welsh Black – slow-growing it’s naturally tender, succulent and full of fatty flavour and this was a great example. Honourable mention to the dauphinoise potatoes clearly made by someone who’s lived in France and all the better for it! A’s hearty, sweet butternut squash ritolo hit the spot too.
Everything put in front of us was scrumptious, but there were some particular stand-outs: the spectacularly presented Willy Wonka prawn cocktail with its rolling fog and inspired white chocolate take on a Marie Rose sauce; a sating, earthy ‘Forest of Dean’ wild mushroom patty that was bursting with
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All in all, a wonderfully exuberant and satisfying way to spend an evening.
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GIGS
Michael Kiwanuka, Tramshed, Cardiff
After winning the BBC Sound Poll in 2012, Michael Kiwanuka has quietly gone about his business and built an impressive following. As a result, Kiwanuka’s second album, Love & Hate, topped the UK album chart earlier this year. Kiwanuka and his band open with Cold Little Heart; a ten-minute prog-rock beast akin to Pink Floyd. It’s missing the powerful female vocals from the album version, but Kiwunaka’s impressive guitar wailing has the crowd transfixed. Former single Black Man in a White World is a wonderful blues clarion call as the crowd accompany Kiwanaka’s howling vocals with sharp, crunching handclaps. When Kiwanuka visits tracks from his debut album, Home Again, the mood changes back from political to pop. The laidback acoustic strum of I’m Getting Ready brings a soulful warmth to proceedings. However, it’s not a perfect set by any means. Granted, Kiwanuka and his band are an infectious and taut unit, but there are occasions where things verge on the histrionic as Kiwanuka’s vocals, more often mellifluous and sweet, can begin to grate alongside his band’s noodling jams. This is a minor critique though as the majority of the set sends the crowds into raptures. A short encore ensues, beginning with an excellent cover of Prince’s underrated ballad, Sometimes it Snows in April. Kiwanuka and his band sign off with the superb Love & Hate, sending the crowd home with a ‘ba-ba-ba-da-ba’ refrain ringing in their ears. Bigger things surely beckon.
Steve Mason, The Globe, Cardiff
Three albums into his solo adventure, former Beta Band front man Steve Mason is developing into a fine singersongwriter. It wasn’t an easy transition emerging from one of Scotland’s most acclaimed bands as Mason’s early solo efforts often swirled around the theme of depression. Mason’s new album, Meet the Humans, is the joyous sound of a man emerging from the shadows. The set up for tonight’s gig is stripped and laidback. Mason, accompanied by drums and bass, sits on a stool, acoustic guitar in hand. The first half of the show is a more sedate and reflective affair. Mason strums through his solo back catalogue as the crowds further back in the venue crane their necks for a view of the seated troubadour. Midway through the set, Mason rises to his feet and swaps an acoustic guitar for an electric, giving the energy levels a much-needed boost.
©Brian David Stevens
Before launching into his recent single, Alive, Mason says, ‘This is probably the only anti-democracy songs that features on the Radio 2 playlist.’ It is a wonderful juxtaposition of confident folk-pop wrapped in lyrical angst for The Establishment. Unsurprisingly, it’s The Beta Band classics that receive the biggest approval from the crowd. The warped, madcap psychedelia of Dr Baker was followed by Dry the Rain, one of The Beta Band’s finest tunes and clear example of how Mason has always been able to pull together simple musical elements and make them sound truly epic.
Brickstock (Manic Street Preachers’ front man James Dean Bradfield headlined the first weekend). I venture down for the final weekend to catch Mercury Music Prize nominee and surprisingly demure Ed Harcourt. Like the rest of us in the crowd, Harcourt looks bitterly cold and it takes some time for him to warm up. With no band members in sight, Harcourt uses a series of looping pedals to build his own phantom musicians but when his timing is all to cock he goes into self-deprecating mode and the crowd laughs along sympathetically.
Ed Harcour , Brickworks, Cardiff
Street food is seemingly taking over Cardiff. Pop-up joints both big and small are pitching up their shacks, tents and, erm, warehouses across the city. This is very good thing, of course, but the public is now demanding more than just tasty nosh and a fine tipple. Step forward Brickstock - a cultural festival held over three autumn weekends where good food and drink is on offer, but acts as more an accompaniment to art installations, cinema screenings and live music. As debut line-ups go, we doff the cap approvingly to
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The majority of the set is made up of Harcourt’s latest album, Furnaces - a great insight into his bleakly comic demeanour. As the set progresses, Harcourt the showman emerges, bouncing around the venue, mic in hand, moving from audience member to audience member in a single pursuit to put a smile on each of their faces. It’s a bit bonkers, but all good, dumb fun. Harcourt has made a decent living scribbling tunes for other acts, but this gig shows there’s plenty of life in his own repertoire. Michael Took
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BOOK & FILMS Death and politics - Jason Jones faces up to the big issues
MORANIFESTO
THE DEAD HOUSE
One thing’s for sure, we’re currently living through some anxious times. Conflict, famine, climate change, financial crisis, gun crime, Trump, racism, terrorism, post-Brexit panic; the worst of human life - playing out like a real-life disaster movie. So, what are we going to do about it? Step forward acclaimed Times columnist, Caitlin Moran.
Sherlock Holmes has his drug habit; Sarah Lund her jumper; Poirot his OCD; Columbo his cigars and mac. Since its inception, crime fiction in all its manifold media has been littered with gumshoes that give good gimmick. Here, Harry Bingham has gifted his anti-heroine, DC Fiona Griffiths, a humdinger in the form of Cotard’s Syndrome. This extremely rare psychological disorder makes the sufferer think they are dead and are walking through life in a zombielike state. This may sound like an implausible stretch at first, but once you get into the thick of the book you realise it gives Griffiths a uniquely skewed way of relating to the world and everyone in it.
Caitlin Moran £7.99, Ebury Press
Harry Bingham £12.99, Orion
As the title suggests, this is her manifesto for sorting out the monumental mess we’re in. (If you’ve had your fill of politics, there are lighter pop-culture pieces to temper the rallying-cry seriousness.) Admittedly, a journalist – albeit one with 20-plus years’ experience and a mantelpiece crammed with awards – announcing that she has the answer to our problems is more than a tad eye-rollingly arrogant, but that’s not Moran’s style. Her MO is much more ‘we’re-all-in-this-together so we might as well try to make the world a better place’. All very Pollyanna-positive, granted, but she does it with such quicksilver wordsmithery, wit and infectious lifeenthusiasm you end up buying into it. That’s the beauty and the punch of Moran’s writing: she sucks you into her sunny worldview and makes you think, makes you laugh and makes you glad to be alive.
“Help! Blair Witch is back!” says Adam Kennedy, hiding behind the sofa
Set in Wales, this fifth Fiona Griffiths story focuses on the discovery of a young woman’s body in an old ‘dead house’, the annex of a church where the deceased were stored before burial in medieval times, and plays with the idea of past and present colliding in a bizarre and brutal way. For Griffiths, the murder victim’s corpse is laid out with such tenderness it represents an irresistibly intriguing puzzle to piece together. Typically well-plotted and pacey, this has TV adaptation written all over it.
I, DANIEL BLAKE
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
Distilling all the bleak fury at the unfairness of post-Brexit Tory Britain, Ken Loach’s depiction of an out-of-work carpenter’s struggles turns the mundane into something extraordinary. Dave Johns, previously best known as a jobbing stand-up comedian, gives an understated masterclass as the eponymous reluctant hero, going up against the Kafka-esque benefits system after a near-fatal heart attack. Blake’s health problems, however, will be nothing compared to the ache in your own heart after enduring this – all too close to reality – tale. Winner of the Palme d’Or, this is an unrepentant, unforgiving rallying call for good people who have fallen between the cracks. For fans of: Brassed Off, The Wind That Shakes The Barley Verdict: Broken-Britain brilliance 5/5
While we’re usually the first to decry the laziness of Hollywood when it comes to unnecessary remakes, they might be onto something with this re-up of the classic 1960s western. Much like the original, the starring septet is a motley crew - and we don’t mean just the on-screen characters. The leading men – Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke and Chris Pratt – are a disparate A-list bunch, but a certain chemistry bonds them into a watchable proposition. As the respective tough guy, sharpshooting guy and wise guy, the trio head an enjoyable romp attempting to save the town of Rose Creek from the bad guys. There are some genuine laughs among the ricocheting bullets and look-sharp for Wales’s favourite hard-man Vinnie Jones. For fans of: The original Magnificent Seven, The Hateful Eight Verdict: Give it a shot 3/5
BLAIR WITCH Can you believe it’s been 17 years since the no-budget horror The Blair Witch Project came out of nowhere to become a box office smash – and started a weird craze for yelling “Josh!” in the woodlands across the land? Now, almost two decades later, it finally has a legit, if not particularly inspirationally titled, sequel. But guess what? It’s actually pretty flipping scary. Relying on a similar first-person found-footage filming angle, it’s similarly shot through with paranoia and creepy shocks as a gaggle of hapless young people investigate the supposedly haunted forest. You probably don’t need us to tell you that what follows isn’t a cheery life-affirming tale of happiness and hope. For fans of: The Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield Verdict: Scarier than Tony 3/5
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UNDER PRESSURE! Bennett thinks life is far more complex for the young these days - do you?
Every generation says how much luckier the current generation is and how things are so much easier now than when they were younger. Admittedly, my grandparents had the First World War and my parents had the Second World War - whereas my generation mainly had to contend with bad haircuts, shoulderpads and Bonnie Langford.
However, even though this generation has more superficial things than mine ever did – i.e., more than three TV channels, more than one video game and the internet instead of the walk to the library - I think the pressure young people are under is intense. If anyone in my generation made mistakes – and let’s be honest, we made loads – or if we said something we shouldn’t have, or had bad exam results, or an embarrassing encounter, it would be left to rumours or notes under the desk to pass word on. Social media has changed all that. Now, with one Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat update, the whole world can immediately find out what you have done, and loudly judge you and share your ‘shame’. Had this been the case when I was younger then my embarrassing dancing to Saturday Night Fever at the age of 15 would have gone viral. (Saying that, there is a YouTube video of me doing my best Travolta impression with my son earlier this year – and I’m secretly quite proud I remembered the moves.) This generation is also under incredible pressure when it comes to sex. They learn about it from a very early age, and I don’t mean sex education classes in school. By the way, why did we never have sex education in school? The closest we came was making figurines of ourselves with Play Doh. Of course, I never had enough Play Doh to completely finish mine… I’m referring to the fact that children now have easy access to pornography. They can even look at it on their phones on the bus to school! Now don’t get me wrong, although this is clearly appalling, if I could have done that aged 15 I no doubt would have. It would have been a lot easier than going for a walk with friends, just so that we could visit the abandoned hut in the woods which had four torn pages of a Playboy magazine hidden inside. I still remember those images to this day. Damn those staples! There is also the pressure to have sex at a younger age. Most of my school friends didn’t lose their virginity until they were at least 18. (Of course that could be because none of us were real lookers.) However, this
average age seems to have dropped to 15 or 16. Putting the legality issue to one side, why has this become an essential part of growing up, as though it’s the natural next step? Now, I might be coming across as some kind of prude, or spoilsport, but having teenage children I’m more aware of what’s going on - and therefore more concerned. I’m not saying that previous generations weren’t having sex too, one only needs to look at the 60s as proof of that, but that era seemed much more relaxed and less pressurised than it is now. Although, of course I don’t really remember the 60s, which probably means I was there…. Speaking of sex, like many men, one of my fantasies was to have sex with two women. I’m pleased to say I eventually did. One was in 1987 and the other was in 1991. Apart from sex, there are other pressures teenagers face, like the pressure to look a certain way. I never had this. My only image concern was how many buttons to open on my large-collared shirt to fully reveal my hairy chest and medallion. By the way, I still have it, although it is now faded and full of cobwebs. I still have the medallion too. But teenagers, primarily teenage girls, are being told to dress a certain way and have a certain type of figure. They are bombarded with images of ‘celebrities’ and their genetically enhanced bodies. Many of these ‘role models’ are simply famous for being naked, famous for having rich parents, famous for being on a tacky reality show or famous for being married to someone who is famous for being naked or having rich parents or being on a tacky reality show. We are also bringing children up in an intolerant society, giving them political parties without strong leaders, university fees to pay, offering them unaffordable housing and putting more pressure on them to pass exams. This is all having a negative effect. For example, I recently read that mathematics GCSE results this year are down by 20%. 20%! That’s almost half! But still, we shouldn’t be too hard on ourselves. We have also given this generation Katie Price, Mrs Brown’s Boys and Pokeman Go. They can thank us for all these whenever they like. No pressure. See what Bennett’s up to at www.bennettarron com Follow Bennett on Twitter @bennettarron © Bennett Arron August 2016
“I still remember those images to this day. Damn those staples! 74 REDHANDED
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