WHITCHURCH AND LLANDAFF
Living
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Issue 22
March/April ’13
Springtime in Whitchurch and Llandaff E N I Z A G A M E E R F YOUR F F A D N A L L , H C R U H C T I H W R O F H T R O N F F A D N A AND LL
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news
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letters
interview
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local business
gardens
local youth
pets page
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your news
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Welcome Croeso Ah. Spring. Well not quite yet. It was only a matter of weeks ago that Cardiff came to a sudden halt with the arrival of winter. But it won’t be long before we feel the heat of the sun on our backs and we start throwing open those windows and letting the fresh air in again. It’s been a busy time here at Living Magazines as we set about revamping our website over the Christmas period. We’ve also worked on making the online versions of our magazines more interactive by adding working links to our advertisers’ websites. As the digital age marches on, it’s always good to try and stay one step ahead! For this issue, our first issue of the year, we heard from Welsh comedy great, Boyd Clack, who spoke candidly about his childhood and the effect it has had on his creative talents and career. Despite the economic downturn, it’s great to see local people setting up new businesses. We showcase two of these on page 12. The youth of today often get a bad press, so it’s great to see local teenagers making a positive difference, not just at home, but across the world. Turn to page 20 to see how. Local vet Chris Troughton answers your pet questions on page 25, while you tell us what’s happening in the local community on page 27. If you’d like to keep our readers informed of local news, feel free to drop us a line. That’s what we’re here for! See you in May! Patric and Danielle (editors)
A: 222 Pantbach Road, Rhiwbina, Cardiff CF14 6AG T: 07772 081775 / 07974 022920 E: editor@livingmags.co.uk W: www.livingmags.co.uk While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the contents, the publisher cannot accept any responsibility for errors or omissions, or for any matter in any way arising from the publication of this material. Every effort has been made to contact any copyright holders. Whitchurch and Llandaff Living is an independent, apolitical publication.
Advertising booking and copy deadline for Issue 23 Friday 19th April 2013. Issue 23 publication date - May 2013. Whitchurch and Llandaff Living is published 5 times a year. Cover by Patric Morgan
LLANDAFF SET TO BECOME A ‘WIKIPEDIA TOWN’ Plans are being made which will allow visitors to Llandaff to scan codes dotted around the village and receive information on their phones
RESIDENTS SHOW OF STRENGTH Hundreds of Cardiff North residents have signed petitions opposing a new development of 48 houses in Llandaff. London-based Nabatean Limited has applied to Cardiff Council for outline planning permission to build the homes on 2.14 hectares of land near Radyr Court Road. The area currently consists of ‘rough grazing on two fields, dense scrubland, woodland and scattered trees’. The plans have already been recommended for approval by officers, but planning documents show that hundreds of local residents are opposed to the plans. Among the concerns cited include a loss of open space, the potential impact on wildlife, and poor traffic infrastructure on Radyr Court Road. Residents living near the site claim that the development could cause ‘harm to bio-diversity, trees and wildlife habitat which is enjoyed by walkers, joggers and cyclists’. Traffic is another concern for the residents, who point out that Radyr Court Road would not cope with increased traffic, saying it is ‘too narrow and unsuitable’ for coping with more cars, as well as adding more traffic on nearby roads.
news INSOLE COURT SET FOR RESTORATION
The Insole Court Trust, in partnership with Cardiff Council, has recently been successful in achieving a grant of £2.04m from the Heritage Lottery Fund. This grant, along with £760,000 from the Big Lottery and Welsh Government helps to secure the prospect of the Community Asset Transfer of the management of Insole Court from Cardiff Council to the Insole Court Trust, on behalf of the community. With only £11m of funding being allocated at this time and facing strong opposition from many other projects, the Insole Court Trust is delighted that they were successful alongside two much larger projects - the National Theatre on London’s South Bank and Rochester Cathedral. Dr. Manon Williams, Chair of HLF in Wales, said: “We often say that people are at the heart of HLF projects and this project really demonstrates that. The Insole Court Trust has shown how communities can play a crucial role in protecting their local heritage, ensuring the stories and buildings from our past are saved and shared. But there is still a great deal of fundraising still required.”
Neil Richardson, the Insole Court Project Director said, “Now that we have HLF, CAT and planning in place, it’s time for the community and local community organisations to mobilise and start fundraising. So many will benefit from the renewal of Insole Court, particularly with the new community facilities, and so everyone needs to contribute, either with time, energy or money, towards the project.” It is hoped that building work on the Stables will begin in the autumn, which will take approximately one year. When completed, the Stables community hub will provide a community hall, centres for ‘older people’ and ‘parents and toddlers’, a visitor centre, horticultural training centre and tea rooms in the Potting Sheds. All community activities will then transfer from the house to the Stables, and then the house will close for about a year for restoration. The restored house will provide tours of furnished rooms, office suites to let and rooms to hire for events. More information can be found on www.insolecourt.com, contact info@insolecourt.com or on Facebook. 3
news
The Dimming of the Lamps
North Cardiff cost-saving initiative to be extended throughout Cardiff A money-saving scheme that has been trialled in Radyr is set to be rolled out throughout Cardiff. Cardiff ’s Labour-run council wants to fit all residential streetlights in the city with dimming units to slash the council’s energy bill and carbon footprint. The council will spend nearly £1.9m over the next four years installing dimming units on Cardiff ’s 24,000 residential lampposts. That equates to 64% of the city’s total number of streetlights being dimmed during ‘off-peak hours’. Once the scheme is completed, it is expected to reduce the council’s energy bill by over £250,000 a year. It is also expected to cut the council’s
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annual carbon emissions by 1,260 tonnes. However, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has warned that the darker it is, the more likely it is that drivers and walkers could be at risk. Radyr’s Conservative councillor Rod McKerlich hailed the trial in his ward as ‘very successful’, saying that he hadn’t received any negative feedback. Lights were dimmed on three streets in Radyr between midnight and 6am during a trial which started in August 2011. Dimming will take place between 10pm and 5am in areas considered to have the least impact on residents.
WATKINS & GUNN MOVE INTO LLANDAFF Award-winning solicitors Watkins & Gunn have set up a new office on Cardiff Road in Llandaff
How I Took on the World at Chess By Ben Chooyin On November 7th-19th, I played chess for Wales at the World Youth Chess Championships 2012 in Maribor, Slovenia. The Welsh team sent 17 players and four coaches. There were eleven rounds and I won four of my games, finishing 132 out of around 200 players. I played people from all over the world including players from Slovenia, Kenya, Korea, Switzerland and Peru. It was a great experience, that improved my chess greatly as well as being great fun. A typical day started with an hour’s coaching after breakfast followed by some free time to play with my friends. The match started at three o’clock and lasted for up to three hours. At the start of each game, competitors swapped gifts. I took a pin badge with the Welsh and Slovenian flags to give my opponents. I received all sorts of things back including a hand knitted hat from Peru!
If you’d like to get in touch, you can find our address on the inside front cover. Alternatively, you can email us at editor@livingmags.co.uk
A QUIET ‘CITY’ BUT IS IT GOOD FOR BUSINESS?
letters
I often take a walk into Llandaff with my wife. It’s something we’ve both done for many years. But after last year’s ‘facelift’, I don’t think I have ever seen the High Street and the surrounding area so empty. I think the problem lies with the new parking arrangements, which some might say, make the place look ‘greener’.
But my concern is that the businesses and shops in the area must be affected by the decline in footfall. Whilst the car park is a useful amenity, the fact that it’s free for 2 hours is sorely underpromoted, and I have seen many cars turn away or worse still, try and park on double yellows thinking that they have to ‘Pay and Display’. I’d be interested to hear other readers’ views on this. JACK APPERLEY Fairwater
I live in Caerphilly but my great grandparents lived in A POSTING Whitchurch, and their children spread over Whitchurch and I picked up your magazine at Llandaff North. One ran the Western Avenue Tescos, and Fox and Hounds in the late 19th found it very interesting. century, but as happens, I`ve lost contact with the family. My great grandfather, George Bennett came from Frampton on Severn, (his wife’s family were from Malmesbury and the Vale of Glamorgan) and called the house in Whitchurch, Frampton House (or Cottage), but I’ve never been able to find it. I wonder if any of your readers would know of its location. My grandmother’s family were market gardeners on what is now the Heath Hospital. The photo shows my mother, Phylis Owen and her cousin Adele van Dyke. Adele’s grandfather had migrated to America around 1900, and Adele Phylis Owen and Adele van Dyke served in the American during the 1940s Army as a nurse.
Her first posting in Europe was to Whitchurch Hospital - the chances of her being posted there must have been astronomical because she had a large family still living (in the 1940s) in Whitchurch, Llandaff and Llandaff North. Adele Van Dyke and my mother had a common great grandmother in an Emma Porter. The Porter family came originally in from Mamlesbury, and had a large family. When Adele’s grandfather went to America, my mother’s grandmother went to Caerphilly. There are large numbers of Emma’s descendants in America, Utah and Southern California, in particular, and, I’m sure, in Whitchurch and around Cardiff. One of the Porters married a Radcliffe, who was a Ship Surveyor and lived in Coniscliffe, Church Road in the first half of the last century. But to my knowledge, despite being a Ship Surveyor, he seems to have had no relationship with the Evan Thomas Radcliffe shipping line. As far as I can, see his father was a coachman for Bishop Ollivant and lived in the Lodge, Bridge Road,Llandaff, opposite the rowing club. John Owen, Email 5
competitions
Win Tickets to the wmc Your chance to win tickets to see High Society at Wales Millennium Centre Cole Porters’s timeless classic musical, High Society is heading to Wales Millennium Centre in a dazzling new production of this famous musical comedy. Wealthy socialite Tracy Lord is in the midst of planning a lavish Summer wedding when her exhusband Dexter Haven turns up to disrupt the proceedings, in a desperate attempt to win back her affections. A further twist arrives in the form of charming reporter Mike Connor who falls instantly for Tracy, and she for him. As the day of the wedding draws closer, we’re left guessing which groom the bride will choose. Adapted from the hit 1956 film,
High Society bubbles with a host of beautiful ballads including True Love, You’re Sensational and the unforgettable Well, Did You Evah! This uplifting and sparkling production proves Porter’s classic musical style and fizzing wit will always be in fashion. Living Magazines Cardiff have teamed up with the Centre to offer one lucky reader the opportunity to join the glitterati and win 2 tickets to opening night on Wednesday 12th March, 7.30pm. For your chance to move in high circles and see this charming new production of High Society, simply email us at
editor@livingmags.co.uk, leaving your name, telephone number and postal address. High Society comes to Wales Millennium Centre from 12 – 16 March 2013. For more information or to book tickets call the Ticket Office on 029 2063 6464 or visit www.wmc.org.uk.
Award-winning opera producer Ellen Kent’s productions of operas Carmen and Tosca bring a kaleidoscope of colour to the stage with magnificent sets, luxurious costumes and heavenly singing – a guaranteed great night out in Cardiff this March. The celebrated Moldovan National Opera and the Moldovan National Philharmonic Orchestra perform, alongside international soloists, at the St David’s Hall in Cardiff on March 25 (Tosca) and March 26 (Carmen).
Ellen, who is reviving her role as promoter to bring these two new productions to the stage, said: “I try to do opera that people actually want to see – that people can identify with and cry and feel moved. I aim to make opera understandable and enjoyable – using the same genre as the best of musicals, such as Phantom of the Opera or Miss Saigon. “People don’t want to be educated, they want to be entertained and have a great night out.” To win a pair of tickets to each
show, simply email us at editor@ livingmags.co.uk, leaving your name, telephone number and postal address and specifying Tosca/Carmen in the subject line. For more information on the 74-date tour of the UK and Ireland, go to www.ellenkent. com or follow us on Twitter @ OperaBalletIntl. Tickets are on sale now from the box office on 029 2087 8444 or go online at www. stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk.
...and here’s your chance to win tickets to the opera at St.David’s Hall
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d y Bo
Welsh comedian Boyd Clack talks to Living Magazines about his childhood, his career and his fight with his past
Pictures: Rhys Davies
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o people in Wales and beyond, Boyd Clack is that jovial giant on the telly. Writer, musician and actor, most will remember him for his cult BBC Wales comedy Satellite City, which went on to win a BAFTA Cymru Award for Light Entertainment. But behind the laughter, there is much pain for Boyd, formed in his younger years when fear and separation formed a significant part of his life. “My father emigrated from Barry to Canada when he was 18 in 1928. He joined the Canadian Army at the start of WW2 and came back to Wales on leave after training in Iceland. He met my mother, they married in Tonyrefail and he went off to fight. He was captured in the Dieppe raid and spent the rest of the war in a POW camp. When he came home, he and my mother and sister Audrey went back to Canada. I was born there in Vancouver in 1951. My father died from war derived illness in 1954 and the family returned to Wales.” But it would be his childhood that had an enormous impact on his later life - and his career. “I had a nightmarish time mentally as a child. The first years were spent in the House of Death, then I was taken away, torn apart from my beloved brother and sister and frozen in the aspic of emotional
terror. Ghosts and hobgoblins vied for my soul. I am a scarred puppet of a man as a result. I live in a constant state of inarticulable fear. This is the pit from which my artistic spirit rose and it is still horrifyingly close. I fear being sucked back into it every moment of every day and night. The edges crumble. Even the Virgin Mary cannot save me.” For Boyd, acting is a necessity, not a choice. “Hi Diddley Dee, it’s an actors life for me. I am too mentally and physically weak for anything else. If I could go back in time I’d be a priest or a monk working in the service of animals and hence seeking contact with the divine through their beauty and innocence. Either that or working in a door factory.” Satellite City started out originally as a radio show on BBC Radio Wales in 1994 and evolved into a TV version, first broadcast in 1996. “The idea for the show came from my knowledge of and love for the people of my childhood and youth. All of the characters are good and decent people. They love each other and forgive each other’s weaknesses and idiosyncrasies. Its appeal lies in that very fact. It shows we Welsh in a true light. We are a funny, sweet and kind people. It highlights aspects of Welshness that are and have been disappearing for some time, the quaintness of our industrial and socially piquant
interview
I am a scarred puppet of a man
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past and our obsessive relationship with death. The acting was brilliant too and the mood of the production was one of affection and awareness that we were involved in something special.” When questioned about his issues with depression, Boyd retorts: “I have never suffered from depression or any other form of mental illness and it breaks my heart that you think I have. Oh God, why do people see me in such a terrible and demeaning light? Oh Christ help me! Free me from the relentless blackness! If you ever say anything like that again I will come to your house and burn the place down. I’ll cut you into cubes and keep you in my fridge you demonic puppet from Hell! Aaaaaah! I know that you hate me, you and the lollipop sucking freaks you serve. ‘Seems like it’s haloes for some Mister Angels.’ ‘Hmm
mister Angels!’ So we move onto music. “Music follows me like a lost dog.” “Is that it?” “Yes.” “Ok. And the future for Boyd Clack?” “My partner Kirsten Jones and I are developing a sitcom idea with BBC Wales. We are hoping to make a short film and I am hoping to get a grant to give me some time to work on a few embryonic, and Byronic, ideas over the next year. There’s a book of some of my Facebook postings coming out soonish and I am hoping to take up a position as a ballet dancer with the Kirov Ballet in Moscow on March the seventh. This is where I am at. Some other stuff in the writing world and bits and pieces of acting. Would love to play Shylock. “Being Welsh is fundamental to all I do. The peculiar mood of the late sixties in
Tonyrefail has shaped me as sharply as if I was a piece of wood and it was a knife. The romance and drama, the snow in winter, the blue skies of summer, the gentle hue of the mountains and the grey flat Atlantic sea are my guardians. I am visited by ghosts. I will die here. Listen, I am happy to answer these questions, my gratitude and affection for the people who have supported me ie. the Welsh public is endless. I am not a strong person but I am strong enough to plough my own furrow. I am not one of the self obsessed neurotics who seek celebrity; I don’t mix in their company. I don’t want to be better than other people. “I am unhappy and frightened most of the time. I’m not proud of that. I don’t see it as being deep and enigmatic. I see it as a bore but there you go.” 9 9
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Gimme Shelter The Case for Hedges in Town and Country
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here are green veins running through this green and pleasant land of ours and like the circulatory system of our own bodies, these are no less important, particularly since what remains in the countryside is now a mere echo of past glories, testament to half a century of mismanagement. What we can achieve in the urban landscape and our own gardens now becomes increasingly important with many criteria to consider. Planting a hedge has a primeval feel to it; the word hegge comes from the Anglo Saxon meaning enclosure. We have been enclosing our property since we began to have a sense of ownership of the land, to define boundaries and keep the wild unknown out and to protect our families, livestock and crops. The ubiquitous leylandii hedge can divide opinion as surely as it divides neighbouring plots of land and may result in neighbours coming to blows; it rather depends on which side of the hedge you are relative to the midday sun. When regularly maintained and trimmed at a reasonable height it does actually make a very good hedge but all too frequently they are allowed to get out of hand. What
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by Kevin Revell divides us from our neighbours and the rest of humanity can reveal a lot about our personalities; do we build a concrete breeze block wall and top it with shards of glass and barbed wire? Perhaps we flaunt our wealth with an expertly constructed brick wall of contrasting colours and indeterminate length, more commonly we erect cheap panel fences likely to last no more than a few years. A well made post, rail and feather-edge fence can make an effective boundary but presents your neighbour with a view more like the back of an advertising hoarding. All these solid structures act as a physical, visual and psychological barrier to the wider world. A hedge on the other hand is part of the garden or natural landscape rather than the built environment and will soften views while hiding ugly buildings. It can moderate the weather; baffling and absorbing, rather than deflecting the wind, filter dust and pollution and provide a home for birds and other forms of wildlife. This is all in addition to their primary role dividing one plot of land from another or perhaps sub-dividing our own plots to hide compost bins or separate the vegetable patch from stray footballs launched from the
lawn. The spaces between hedges will have their own benign microclimate and be better able to grow delicate subjects or become sheltered borders billowing with flowers which encourage butterflies to visit. Blousy, opulent rose gardens look all the more beautiful and their fragrance is better contained by well maintained yew or box hedges, while evergreen hedges maintain the interest and structure of the garden in the depths of winter. Alternatively roles can be reversed with roses forming the hedge, Rosa rugosa is a particularly tough prickly form with the benefit of a display of bright red hips in autumn following the fragrant summer blooms. In these increasingly litigious and security minded times, only razor wire and broken glass can match the protective properties of
gardens
firethorn, (Pyracantha), holly, (Ilex) or rose as perimeter barriers but fortunately hedges are not usually the subject of claims by disreputable no-win no-fee lawyers. Hedges may be evergreen, large and fast growing like leylandii conifers or small neatly trimmed parterres of box. It may not necessarily be green - the purple shades of copper beech, (Fagus) and or golden swathes of gold privet (Ligustrum) can provide colourful alternatives. Flowers, fragrance and a touch of the Mediterranean can be provided by lavender or rosemary. Plant three or more woody shrubs in a row and you have yourself a hedge, it doesn’t have to be in a straight line or even of the same variety but formality is bred of repetition and straight line. A hedge doesn’t have to be woody, as anyone who has got lost in a maize maze will testify; other strong growing grasses such as Chinese silver grass, (Miscanthus) can reach over two metres in one growing season and provide a lush disguise for an untidy utility area while giving form to the movement of the breeze, bamboo will provide a more permanent alternative. The annual trim barely contains the exuberant energy, in spring a hedge is alive with possibility; it pulses with life and as it grows. Deciduous hedges such as hawthorn are indicators of the arrival of spring while beech is more circumspect and waits for all danger of frost to pass. Further health benefits for the gardener will be derived from the exercise of getting out the shears and cutting it occasionally. A fence is literally deadwood and will need painting with toxic wood preserver periodically to preserve its “life” and although a wall is a permanent structure, it has much embedded
energy stored within it from the costs of its manufacture and building. Because of their constant if irregular management, hedges can maintain much the same size for a number of decades or even centuries. It may be the original boundary to long-lost woodland and have not always been deliberately planted but may be a link to the original wildwood or at least pre-Medieval parish boundaries. The woody plants of the hedge will give a clue to its age in that a new species can be gained every decade, so a hedge consisting of ten species in a ten metre stretch might be expected to be a hundred years old. The understory of herbaceous plants will be a better indicator of ancient woodland as they often take centuries to spread a few feet and are seldom well established in more recent enclosure.
The main advantage of a hedge over a fence is its value as a wildlife resource; providing shelter, seclusion and an autumnal feast with a store of berries, nuts and seeds to provide for the hard times of winter. Wildflowers such as bluebells and primroses will become established at the base, bringing their own attendant wildlife. As its name suggests, the hedgehog is perfectly at home in a hedge particularly if it is mature with a good depth of leaf litter and brushwood deposited around twisted trunks
and decaying branches , affording plenty of opportunities for nocturnal snuffling and overwinter hibernation. Field mice and voles will also feel secure, able to silently race along well trodden routes without detection. Once there was a considerable network of hedgerows in the British countryside which formed wildlife “corridors” along which wild animals and birds could freely move but changes in land management and ownership along with increasing industrialisation of farms with ever larger machinery being used, resulted in the grubbing up of many miles of hedgerow over the post-war years, encouraged by European funding. Ironically it is now possible to access grants to replant hedgerows but what was lost is not easily regained, plant, fungi and animal communities can take decades to establish and across vast swathes of prairie scarcely a bird is seen in what is effectively a green desert. Against this backdrop our gardens are of vital importance, birds now rely on the hedges in our gardens to provide a safe haven for nesting which can also be a live-in larder with berries providing a seasonal bounty. Others seek out aphids and caterpillars, regarded as a nuisance to many gardeners, these small invertebrates are essential for bringing wildlife to the garden being the first link in the food chain and should be celebrated as such, not be exposed to harmful chemicals. Hedges have been with us since the dawn of civilisation, some largely unaltered by the passage of time. Hopefully with a little more patience and understanding they will be around for a few millennia yet and prove a useful resource for future generations of people and wildlife alike.
Kevin Revell is Plant Area Manager at Caerphilly Garden Centre and is a Llandaff North resident
17
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local youth
The Five Cs C hernobyl Children Cancer Care Cardiff (The 5Cs), is a Cardiffbased charity which is twinned with the Belarusian Childrens Hospice in Minsk, Belarus. In Belarus there are high rates of cancer, cerebral palsy and other developmental problems seriously affecting children following the Chernobyl disaster of 1986. Belarus was subjected to 70% of the radioactive fallout from the explosion at the nuclear power station. Those children whose parents were exposed to these extremes have been particularly vulnerable. The 5Cs’ main role in working with the Hospice is to fundraise throughout the year to open a respite summer camp for disabled children in Belarus and to provide student volunteers from Cardiff to help run it every summer. The 5Cs have been sending volunteers to the summer camp for eight years, the majority of them being local sixth form students. However, as well as providing
essential volunteers for the children of Belarus, The 5Cs also offers local students a unique and life changing opportunity. “Trying to distinguish one favourite moment above all those I was fortunate enough to experience during my trip to Belarus last summer is somewhat difficult to say the least.” says Emily Jones from Rhiwbina, 17, a student at Whitchurch High School, Cardiff and 5Cs committee member. “As I think back to the two weeks I spent on the children’s camp for disabled children in the Belarusian countryside, to the friends I made and the unexplainable heartbreak I felt on returning home, I am confronted with a strong feeling of nostalgia at what can only be described as the most perspective-altering, attitude-changing experience of my mere 17 years. “Perhaps it was the moment I lay in the grass with a Russian phrase book and a little girl who knew no English, struggling over the pronunciation of the Russian words she read and slowly repeated allowed for me to copy; or perhaps it was the moment my friends and I performed a dance on stage with four disabled girls, with whom we had choreographed and taught without speaking more than five words of Russian just hours before, that made me appreciate the unimportance of language as
a necessity in order to connect with people. “Watching the delight on their faces as we swirled around with them, clicking our fingers and throwing our arms in the air to ‘Lady Marmalade’ in perfect unison, I don’t think I have ever
been as proud nor amazed at how wonderful it felt to be able to bring of slither of fun and light-heartedness to a group of children that dealt with and suffered so much as a result of their disabilities. Many of them orphans, a number of them close to my own age, the camp offers a chance for each individual to enjoy a time away from their everyday lives in Belarus, to a place where bundles of fun and laughter is the aim of each day. My time in Belarus and the fundraising work I have been involved with since my return as a member of the 5Cs has more greatly impacted on my life than I would have ever expected. It is
invigorating to know and be a part of a group of young people so passionate and driven towards something so worthwhile and amazing. “It has taught me how important it was to help others less fortunate than yourself, to care about something bigger than what happens within your daily life and above all to never underestimate the ability to find happiness and love in the strangest of places. We cried our eyes out the evening we said goodbye. Although as every bit as physically tiring, mentally demanding and emotionally exhausting as I had anticipated; the volunteers and children alike I spent each waking moment with have touched my heart and altered my outlook on life irrevocably. The nights teaching simple Welsh songs around the campfire, laughing and singing as we swatted away mosquitoes in the firelight, are just a few of the many moments of life on the camp that I will forever cherish and remember.” Chairperson of The 5Cs, Bethan Powell, 23 from Rhiwbina, says “It is a complete pleasure to work throughout the year with our team of over 30 student members in Cardiff, fundraising for our common interest- the well being of the children under the care of the fantastic Belarusian Children’s Hospice. I was lucky enough to begin my involvement as a student volunteer when I was 17 and I will continue to give local students the chance to experience the fantastic, dedicated people of Belarus and spend two weeks gaining the life experience that the summer camp can offer. We hope to raise awareness of The 5Cs, continue to grow and be able to further support the Hospice in the future, with the help of our incredible team of course!”
www.five-cs.org info@five-cs.org
local youth
Air Training Corps
How many 16-year-olds can claim to be qualified to fly a glider? It is just one of the examples of the opportunities the Air Training Corps organisation can provide young people. As Matthew Argyle, who has been a member of Cardiff ’s 1344 Squadron for three and a half years, says: “It can provide such amazing opportunities. As a means of meeting new people, the ATC is second to none, with over 41,000 members spread out around the country and frequent nationwide activities you’ll make many new friends. “Many of the ATC’s former members go on to have extremely successful lives after their cadet careers, for example one of 1344’s ex-cadets has gone on to become one of Boeing’s chief test pilots working on all of their new aircraft. “But more than anything the ATC provides an opportunity for young people to enjoy their free time and experience things they never would otherwise.” 1344 (2nd Cardiff) Sqn was founded in August of 1941 as one of five Squadrons of Cardiff Wing. The Air Defence Cadet Corps had been set up in 1938 by Air Commodore John Chamier and was extremely popular with thousands joining up to help Britain prepare for World War II. Its purpose was to train young men in various aviation related skills. These skills were eventually destined to be used by the RAF and Fleet Air Arm. In 1941, in order to provide the
means of giving part-time air training to young men destined for the Royal Air Force, the ADCC was formally established as the Air Training Corps by Royal Warrant. The Cardiff wing paraded in what is now Cardiff Technical College and ran until the December of 1945 before being disbanded. Around four years later another squadron was set up at Pengam Airfield, which is where the Tesco supermarket is now. On October 28, 1950, it was officially made a full squadron, receiving the 1344 number at the request of a former officer, who said that the number should be used as the original squadron was the largest in Cardiff. The aim is to train young people in all types of life skills. Today the ATC has 41,000 members, aged between 13 to 20 years, within 1,009 Squadrons across the UK many more activities. If you are interested in joining, you have to be aged between 13 and 17 and be free on Mondays and/or Fridays. Adults over the age of 20 are also welcome.
www.1344sqn.org 21
Local Business
Hern & Crabtree
Cardiff’s Hern & Crabtree announce their arrival in Whitchurch village with a brand new showroom
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ardiff ’s longest established residential estate agency, Hern and Crabtree, has opened its doors to the residents of Whitchurch. After selling property throughout the principality for more than 160 years, the city-based business has added another location to its blossoming portfolio. Director Nigel John said: “I’m really looking forward to working in Whitchurch. The village is fast becoming a sought-
after and fashionable area to work and live in.”
BUYING AND SELLING WITH CONFIDENCE If you’re selling, their aim is to give maximum exposure and to achieve the best possible price for your property. Their market appraisals are free if you are thinking of selling and their appointment times are flexible, their diaries work for you.
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Local Business
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Pet problems CHRIS TROUGHTON OF HEATH VETS ANSWERS YOUR PET-RELATED QUESTIONS
IF YOU HAVE ANY PET-RELATED QUESTIONS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE CHRIS TO ANSWER, PLEASE EMAIL US AT EDITOR@LIVINGMAGS.CO.UK AND WE’LL PASS THEM ON.
My dog really doesn’t like her bath times. Is there anything I can try to make bath times less stressful, both for her and me? I thought that dogs were supposed to love water! I am afraid there’s no simple answer here. It’s easy to say, and you probably realise it now, but you should have started off when she was a little puppy, making bathtime fun, and rewarding her for good behaviour – just like a child. Now she’s got a ‘thing’ about bathing, it will be difficult to re-educate her but not impossible. There are ‘calming’ medicines, such as Zylkene or various herbal remedies, but I doubt they will be strong enough to have much effect. First, try to work out what it is that upsets her, and if possible avoid or minimise it. Is it getting wet, the feel of the shower rinsing her off, the slipperiness of the bath, or all of these? If your dog feels her feet are going to slip, it will make her very tense, so use a non-slip mat in the bath or shower. If she doesn’t like being sprayed with the shower, just pour water over her with a jug (but make sure you do rinse the shampoo out thoroughly). If it’s just the getting wet she hates, you could even try one of the dry shampoos that are available. Having taken all steps possible to remove the causes of the anxiety, proceed with your bath routine, being calm but firm. Do not react to her anxiety by giving treats or kind words to calm her – that will just teach her that being anxious gets rewarded. However, do reward her with praise and treats while she is calm during the bath, and afterwards as soon as she has settled down. Remember that your dog does not understand your words, but responds to your body language and the tone of your voice. If you are worried (about how she will behave), she will pick up on this and be more likely to react badly.
I’ve inherited a guinea pig but feel that it needs a friend. I’ve tried to research this on the internet but would you recommend me introducing an additional one? – it just looks so lonely. Page is sponsored by Heath Vets 02920 621511
Guinea pigs are very social creatures and should never be kept alone. People are often pair them up with rabbits (which also should never be housed singly), but I would not recommend this as we do see occasional injuries caused by bullying or just the size difference. So you need to find another guinea pig for company. This should be the same sex, or alternatively one or other should be neutered. You could try to find an adult that needs a new home – try guinea pig rescue forums online, look in the free ads, or contact the RSPCA. Alternatively, buy a youngster. Introduce the two carefully. Ideally they should spend at least several days, preferably a week or two in adjacent runs, able to interact and get to know each other without being able to fight. When you put them together, do so in a neutral territory – don’t put the newcomer in the original piggy’s run. Supervise them closely to start with, and the chances are good that they will settle down and bond closely.
Several months ago, my 4 year old cat seemed to have some condition in his left eye. It didn’t seem to get too bad and it didn’t seem to bother him too much. There was a certain amount of redness and in some cases, some kind of discharge. At the time, I was suffering from conjunctivitis (something I seem to get a lot), and was wondering whether my cat could have caught it from me, and indeed, whether cats can suffer from it (albeit in a feline form) I am not aware of any form of conjunctivitis which is contagious between people and cats (though I’m not a doctor) so it’s unlikely that your cat caught it from you. Cats certainly get their own conjunctivitis problems, and there can be many causes including viral infection, microbial infection, injuries and foreign bodies to name but a few. However, redness and discharge can be symptoms of other eye conditions as well. If all the symptoms have cleared up, don’t worry, but if there is any lingering redness or intermittent discharge, you must get your vet to have a look. Eyes are delicate organs and very important!
Millennium Blinds Millennium Blinds Wales has now moved to Whitchurch!
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Local News
News in the Community Written by Living Magazine readers NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH With Bill Farnham Watch continues to grow and we had a very successful year in 2012 when we launched twenty new watch groups in various parts of the city despite various problems within our committee with illness affecting several members. So far this year we have launched four new watches with a further six in the pipeline that I know of, and quite a bit of interest being shown in other areas which I am also aware of. We are looking to move forward in a more positive way this year and, as an example, we are taking three of our General Meetings “on the road” to various parts of the city. With this in mind, our March General Meeting will take place on Tuesday 26th at 7.00pm and will be held at The Thornhill Church Centre, Thornhill (next to Sainsbury’s), general notification will be published nearer the date. I am making enquiries to see if we can hold our July meeting in Pontprennau Community Centre and our September meeting in Lisvane Community Centre, details will again be published nearer the date. Going a bit further afield, I have now been elected as Vice Chairman of the South Wales Neighbourhood Watch Association which covers the seven areas covered by South Wales Police and which meets at Police Headquarters, Bridgend. We have a meeting with Police representatives at Port Talbot
Police Station on Monday 4th March at which I hope that we can discuss and approve the way forward for this Association which will have a beneficial effect on our own Association here in Cardiff. If anyone is interested in setting up a Neighbourhood Watch group please contact us either by telephoning our office on 02920 527301 and leave your contact details on our voicemail, or contact your local Neighbourhood Policing Team who will pass on your details to us. Bill Farnham Chairman South Wales Neighbourhood Watch Association Cardiff
HOCKEY GIRLS TOUR By Glenda Davies
25 girls from Whitchurch Saints Ladies Hockey Club are back home safely after a successful four day tour to northern Belgium in November. The under-16 and under-18 year old girls played against age equivalent teams in Antwerp and Bruges. Belgium is one of the top hockey nations in Europe and the
exceptional playing, the warm welcome, and the superb club facilities will undoubtedly inspire the girls for a very long time to come. The tour was supported by a generous contribution from main sponsor, Cardiff Round Table and by donations from the Cardiff Lions Club and Cardiff Rotary Club. Rebecca Daniels, Whitchurch Saints Hockey youth coach said: “We have had an excellent tour and have experienced hockey of a very high standard in Belgium. Both teams played to their very best, even against the Belgium league champions. “I was so very proud of their sportsmanship, their professionalism and their commitment to playing excellent games of hockey throughout the tour – they were admirable ambassadors for Whitchurch Saints Ladies Hockey Club.” Rebecca added: “This was the first ever youth hockey tour organised by Whitchurch Saints, and our aim was to provide the girls with some experience of playing hockey on an European level.” After four days, three matches, two teams and one tournament, the girls were exhausted but happy and are now motivated to work even harder in their training sessions to reach the Belgium hockey heights. For further information please contact Delyth Davies on 07913 269120 Got news to tell? Email us at editor@ livingmags.co.uk 27
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recipes
Indian Night In SPICY ONIONS
1 large onion 1 teaspoon chilli powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 5 tablespoons tomato ketchup 1 tablespoon mint sauce 2 tablespoons mango chutney 1. Chop the onions finely (this recipe works best with very small pieces of onion) 2. Add the chilli and salt – mix well. 3. Add the tomato ketchup - mix well. 4. And mint sauce - mix well. 5. Finally add the mango chutney and mix. 6. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let all the flavours infuse and mature. 7. Serve with Indian poppadoms and dips, mango chutney, mint yoghurt and pickles.
CHICKEN JALFREZI 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 onion, grated 2 cloves garlic, chopped 680g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, halved 3 teaspoons ground turmeric 1 teaspoon chilli powder 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 (400g) tin chopped tomatoes 2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) 3 teaspoons ground cumin 3 teaspoons ground coriander 2 tablespoons grated fresh root ginger 25g chopped coriander leaves 1. Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic, and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken, and season with turmeric, chilli powder and salt. Fry gently, scraping the bottom of the pan frequently and turning the chicken. 2. Pour in the tomatoes with their juice, cover the pan, and
While we wait for the days to warm up, we can find warmth and comfort in our own kitchens with a spot of Indian cooking
simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes. Uncover, and simmer for another 10 minutes to let the excess liquid evaporate. 3. Add the ghee, cumin, ground coriander, ginger and fresh coriander, and simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes. Serve the chicken pieces with sauce spooned over the top.
ATTA HALWA 125ml ghee (clarified butter) 25g cashews 40g sultanas 120g wholemeal flour 750ml water 200g sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 1. Melt the ghee in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat; cook the cashews and sultanas in the melted ghee until the sultanas plump and the cashews are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the cashews and sultanas from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the flour to the pan and roast till brown and nutty, about 10 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, bring the water and sugar to the boil in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves to make a clear syrup. Stir the cardamom into the syrup; slowly pour over the roasted flour, stirring as you pour to avoid lumps. Continue cooking until the halwa pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a serving dish and spread into an even layer; sprinkle the cashews and raisins over the halwa to serve.
PATRIC MORGAN
A LAWN, A ROLLER COASTER AND AN ORANGE, PIMPLED FOOTBALL
January 1980 It was about this time of year, back in the 80s that we moved house. I must have been about six or seven at the time and though I don’t actually remember the move, I do remember the feeling of being in somewhere new. It wasn’t new of course. The house was an old one and needed a lot of work doing to it. It had no heating, a garden buried beneath brambles and a poor excuse of a roof. When we first moved in, we were in the throes of winter. I always remember waking up under a mountain of duvets and pulling back the curtains to see what the morning weather had in store for us. I couldn’t see out for the ice on the windows. And that was on the inside! The garden for Mum was a very important part of the house. Our new garden was fairly long and at the bottom sat an empty garage, which we would later use as our play den. Dad’s first task was to lay down a new lawn so he spent an entire weekend digging up the old one and planting grass seed. January was always a colourless month and I remember looking out of the window one morning and seeing a brown rectangle of mud littered with small ripped-up pieces of plastic bags that Dad had attached to small sticks. He said it was to keep the birds away. The grass eventually came, although in patches. Spring took its time getting hold of Dad’s garden but before long, we were allowed out for the first time onto the new lawn. Within minutes, my younger brother Daniel had trodden on an old rusty nail. Dad immediately got very stressed about the whole situation and ordered us all inside until he had carried out a thorough examination of the lawn for more pointy objects.
A few days later, when the lawn was deemed safe enough to play on, we ventured out again, this time with a small, orange, pimpled football. With the first kick of the game, my younger brother sliced his kick and sent the ball sailing into next door’s garden where it sat for seven whole days while we were grounded. Our next door neighbours were grumpy old sods. They thought that they had the best house in the terrace on account of their porch, which no-one else had. They often sat on their patio in their garden, eating grapefruit first thing in the morning. They also had a shed with a working light in it. They were very posh. By the summer, the issue of the dividing wall between us was at the forefront of Mum’s mind. “When are you going to do something about that wall? I’ll have to get a man in.” Mum would say. Dad would make some excuse that would let him off speaking to the posh man next door but eventually, he could put it off no longer. Dad came back with a deal - they would pay for the wall if Dad built it. For Dad, that was the best option as he didn’t have to fork out any cash. But on the other hand, he had never built a wall in his life. From what I remember, he started demolishing the wall in about March. I say demolish but he didn’t actually demolish it. He sort of took it apart, brick by brick, carefully so that he could re-use the bricks in his new wall. I think it was an early type of recycling. Dad spent most of the summer rebuilding the wall. In fairness to him, he was working a lot of shift work back then as well as looking after us four children. Us kids took ourselves to the garage for the rainy days of spring. It always smelt of oil in there, even though Dad always kept the car out at the front of the house. But it was dry. There, we
formed the Mini Police Force (the MPF for short). In reality, it was just an excuse for my brother Dan to wear the police outfit he’d had for Christmas. We’d head out up the lanes, spotting misdemeanours and jotting them down in our Roland Rat note pads. When we got back home, we’d draw up a list of ‘criminals’ and their crimes. This included Michael ‘Monkey Features’ Morris from up the road, who was riding his bike too fast. In the evenings, by the light of a torch, I was busy drawing up plans for a roller-coaster in the garden. As a seven-year old, I hadn’t had much experience of constructing a roller-coaster. But I drew up some pretty convincing plans. As Dad’s wall was going up, so too was my ‘track’ which consisted of two planks of wood. These were the only two planks of wood that I had, so I had to move them around the garden to see how it was all going to fit together. I then made the ‘car’ out of an old easel and some wheels that I’d taken off an old pram. The wheels kept falling off but for me, that was just another problem to overcome. I had grand ideas. People would flock from miles around to see the world’s only roller-coaster built by a seven year old. And best of all, it meant that my sister and brothers would all have day jobs as they served up orange squash and Malted Milk biscuits. I would appear in the South Wales Echo and even better, appear in the Barry and District. So for me, the early days of spring remind me of days of great hope. With two planks of wood, I could turn my garden into an international theme park. But as soon spring flowed into summer, it soon became apparent that my roller coaster was never going to be built, and that we’d have to resort to smashing small stones into the air with our tennis racquets to keep ourselves entertained.
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Llandaff North