Whitchurch and Llandaff Living Issue 57

News | People | Features | Competitions | Lifestyle 

Whitchurch & 

Llandaff Living 

At the heart of the community Issue 57 Mar/Apr '20 

Your multi award-winning community magazine

Distribution: 6,000 copies of Whitchurch and 

Llandaff Living are distributed to retail outlets and 

public places across Whitchurch, Llandaff and 

Llandaff North five times a year. 

2 

Inside this issue 

Interview 

LGBT activist and 

chart-topping 

podcaster Scott 

McGlynn explains 

how he spreads 

his message of 

love and positivity 

Self Love Ideas 

Creative ways to 

accept who you 

are and to find 

inner happiness 

Competitions 

Win tickets to 

the RHS Flower 

Cardiff and a 

chance to see 

Madama Butterfly 

at St Davids Hall 

End to End 

One man's 

recollections of 

Whitchurch - 

from the Philog 

to Bishop's Road 

from times gone 

by 

Early Summer deadline: 

30th April 2019 

Published mid May 2019 

a: 222 Pantbach Road, 

Rhiwbina, Cardiff CF14 6AG 

t: 07772 081775 / 07974 022920 

w: www.livingmags.co.uk 

e: editor@livingmags.co.uk or 

danielle@livingmags.co.uk 

While every effort has been made to 

ensure the accuracy of the contents, 

the publisher cannot accept any 

responsibility for errors or omissions, 

or for any matter in any way arising 

from the publication of this material. 

Every effort has been made to 

contact any copyright holders. 

Whitchurch and Llandaff Living is an 

independent, apolitical publication. 

No part of this publication may be 

reproduced without the express 

written permission of the publishers. 

Welcome / Croeso 

Spring has finally arrived and 

we welcome warmer weather 

with our first publication of the 

year. 

We've given this issue a 

theme of self-love - a regard 

for one's happiness. In our busy 

lives, many of us put ourselves 

last, resulting in burnout and 

illness. We've packed lots 

around this theme into the 

magazine to help inspire you to 

take positive steps towards your 

own wellbeing. 

Childhood is perhaps where 

we forge our adult persona and 

it's important that we equip 

our future generations with the 

emotional resilience to deal with 

the lives that they have ahead 

of them. We have a feature 

designed to help foster a sense 

of positivity in our children. 

Linked to this topic is our 

interview with LGBT activist 

Scott McGlynn. Scott had 

to endure years of bullying 

growing up in Cardiff because 

of his sexuality, but he's now 

helping to inspire others with his 

work. 

And if you're looking for 

another way to help enhance 

your own inner happiness, we've 

put together a few ideas to help 

you accomplish a social media 

detox. 

We've got two great history 

features this issue. The first 

was penned by Ernest Broad 

and describes an imaginary 

walk through his childhood in 

Whitchurch. Ernie recalls some 

of the sights and sounds you 

would have experienced had 

you walked through the village 

back in the 1930s and 40s. 

Our second history feature 

takes a peek at some 

wonderfully old newspaper 

cuttings. The National Library of 

What’s on 

Easter Egg Hunt 

Wednesday 8th April 11am 

Whitchurch Library Park 

Join AWEN's egg hunt through the 

park - how many eggs will you find? 

Cardiff 5k 

Saturday 9th May 7pm 

Whitchurch Village 

The annual running of the Cardiff 5K 

in Whitchurch Village 

Wales has digitised thousands 

of newspapers from the last 

century and Derek Elliott has 

hand-picked some stories that 

will raise a few eyebrows. 

Shed of the Year is a 

competition you may have seen 

on TV but its roots started right 

here in Cardiff. We spoke to the 

contest's creator and organiser 

Andrew Wilcox, who gives us all 

the behind-the-scenes stories. 

We've got two fantastic 

competitions for you in this 

issue. You can win tickets to this 

year's RHS Flower Show Cardiff 

and there's also the chance 

to see Madama Butterfly at St 

David's Hall. 

And finally, with veganism 

hitting the mainstream, we 

showcase some gorgeous 

plant-based recipes that will 

make your taste buds dance. 

Once again, we'd like to thank 

our wonderful advertisers who 

put their trust in us to promote 

them. We'd encourage you to 

use their services, especially 

during these challenging times. 

Look after yourself and we'll 

see you in early summer! 

Danielle and Patric 

Editors 

@WhitchurchandLlandaffLiving 

www.facebook.com/ 

whitchurchandllandaffliving 

Children's Plant Potting 

Thursday 28th May 

Whitchurch Library 

Bring your children to pot bedding 

plants. Small charge applies 

Vintage for Victory 

10/11/12th July 

Library Gardens, Whitchurch 

Annual vintage festival, celebrating 

the best of the 1940s, 50s and 60s

Congestion 

charge planned 

for city revamp 

A £2 congestion charge for drivers 

in Cardiff is one of the proposals of a 

£2bn, 10-year transport plan. 

Cardiff Council aims to charge 

non-residents with the charge in 

a bid to hit green targets and cut 

congestion. Recent research has 

shown that air quality in the city is 

among the UK's worst. 

The charge could come into force 

by 2024. The charging zone itself is 

currently under discussion. Other 

large cities across the UK are also 

considering similar plans. 

New park-and-ride facilities at 

junction 32 and junction 33 of 

the M4 motorway are also being 

mooted as part of the wider plan, 

which will see a fully-integrated 

transport system in the city by 2028. 

The Council is hoping to provide 

more frequent and affordable public 

transport links to communities 

across the city. 

The Pound finally begins to take 

shape on Llandaff's High Street 

Work is now well underway as 

Llandaff’s charity for older people 

is busy converting the derelict 

toilet block at the top of the High 

Street into The Pound. The venue 

will be a centre of activities and 

volunteering for older people, a 

heritage information centre, and an 

accessible toilet. 

The building is being given by 

Cardiff Council as a Community 

Asset Transfer on a 99 year lease, 

and the Welsh Government has 

funded the capital costs with a 

grant of £250,000. The building and 

surrounding courtyard has been 

known locally as the Pound as it 

housed a medieval animal pound 

and, during a recent community 

archaeological dig, a high status 

medieval hall house was discovered 

beneath its foundations. 

During the dig, Llandaff welcomed 

14 volunteer diggers, 200 local 

schoolchildren and 1,000 visitors 

over six weeks. However, Llandaff 

50+ intends to represent the past, 

the present and the future at 

The Pound as the building will 

incorporate: solar slates from 

local company GB Sol; rainwater 

harvesting; air source heat pump; 

and the latest eco-friendly 

products. 

Working with Carolyn Merrifield 

of Downs Merrifield Architects, 

and the Severn Wye Energy 

Agency, Llandaff 50+ can achieve 

an ‘A’ energy rating and a near zero 

carbon footprint, and become 

an exemplar for retrofits in old 

buildings. 

The original 1930s building, and 

later extensions will be fitted with 

the latest eco-friendly products 

suitable for a conservation area, and 

the energy use will be monitored 

into the future. Seminars will also be 

held for local residents, architects 

and engineers to discover what 

works and what doesn’t. 

Llandaff 50+ will also continue 

working with local schools on 

sustainability which is now part of 

the national curriculum. An amazing 

fly-though of The Pound can be 

seen on www.downsmerrifield.com/ 

pound 

The Pound is due to open in 

spring 2020 and will then provide 

accommodation for activities for 

older people to help alleviate 

loneliness and social isolation. It 

will also be a comfortable place for 

family carers to meet and socialise. 

The heritage information centre 

will be a focal point for visitors 

wishing to know the places to see 

in Llandaff and will be staffed by 

community volunteers. Working 

in association with the Llandaff 

Society, information will be available 

on local history, Llandaff Cathedral, 

High Street traders and Llandaff 50+ 

activities. And, of course, there’ll be 

an accessible toilet available again 

on the High Street. 

Llandaff 50+ is a registered charity 

to promote social inclusion among 

the over 50s in Llandaff. 

news 

Cardiff Bus 

extends Llandaff 

route 

Cardiff Bus launched a new service 

to Goitre Fach and Rhydlafar at the 

end of January. 

The new service, which operates 

from Monday to Saturday, 

will enable people to travel 

between the city centre, Llandaff, 

Danescourt, Goitre Fach and 

Rhydlafar. 

Journeys from the city centre 

towards Rhydlafar Drive, will 

follow the same route as service 

63 via Llandaff and Danescourt 

to the Llantrisant Road / Heol 

Isaf roundabout, continuing to 

Llantrisant Road serving the new 

housing estate, Goitre Fach, before 

continuing to Rhydlafar. Journeys 

towards the city centre will follow 

the reverse of this route. 

Operations and Commercial 

Director Gareth Stevens said: 

“We are delighted to have 

launched this new service, to 

extend our network to Goitre Fach 

and Rhydlafar. 

“The service will offer enhanced 

travel for people in both areas, 

providing access to the Cardiff Bus 

network and tickets.” 

Traders urge 

independent 

shops to move in 

Traders and residents in 

Whitchurch, Llandaff and Llandaff 

North are urging small business 

and start-ups to move into empty 

premises in their main shopping 

areas. 

Many units in the local area are 

now sitting empty. Llandaff's High 

Street has seen an exodus of shops 

following the closure of two main 

banks and there's been a similar 

story in Whitchurch and Llandaff 

North. 

But residents insist they'd like to 

see more independent retailers in 

the local high streets. 

3

news 

Process starts to 

find contractors 

to build new 

Velindre Cancer 

Centre 

Spate of Taff Trail robberies lead to 

criticism of police priorities 

The process has started to 

find contractors to build a 

new Velindre Cancer Centre 

providing specialist nonsurgical 

cancer services to 

people across South East 

Wales. 

Velindre University NHS 

Trust is looking for a 

consortium to design, build, 

finance and run the new 

cancer centre in Whitchurch. 

The Trust has published a 

formal notice to inform the 

market. 

The notice has been 

published after Velindre and 

Asda worked together to 

create plans for an entrance 

to the centre, providing better 

traffic flow and easy 

access around the area. 

People will be able to enter 

or leave the new cancer 

centre via a new route. 

The full procurement 

process is expected to take 

two years. The contract is 

valued at £180 million. 

The new centre, based 

north of the old Whitchurch 

Hospital in Cardiff, is due to 

open in 2024. It will have the 

capacity for 8,500 new 

patients and 160,000 patient 

appointments a year – up 

from the current levels by 

two thousand and 20,000. 

Flasher alert 

Police have alerted parents 

after a man exposed himself 

to schoolchildren in February. 

The children were walking 

through Caedelyn Park when 

they were approached by 

a man described as white, 

around 6ft tall, of large build, 

with short black, messy hair. 

4 

Users of the popular Taff Trail have 

been warned by police after a 

series of late-night robberies. 

South Wales Police reported 

seven robberies between January 

17th and February 21st, and advised 

people to avoid the area at night 

while officers investigated. 

All seven robberies occurred on 

the trail between Sophia Gardens 

and the Tesco Extra on Western 

Avenue. 

Some users of the trail said that 

they were concerned that they 

hadn't received the information that 

the police made public. A number 

Clean-up after 

winter storms 

A large-scale clean-up operation 

took place in February, following 

a succession of winter storms that 

brought flooding to North Cardiff. 

More than one month’s worth of 

rain fell in Cardiff in just two days, 

leaving many areas of Whitchurch, 

Llandaff and Llandaff North under 

water. 

Homes in Llandaff were flooded 

while police evacuated homes 

in the Forest Farm area after the 

River Taff burst its banks. The 

nearby rugby club pitch was totally 

submerged, while the tennis courts 

in Hailey Park were also affected. 

Pontcanna Fields and Bute Park 

were also badly hit. 

of walkers said that they were 

worried they did not know about 

the issue - and urged the police to 

focus more on addressing the crime 

rather than persuading people not 

to use the trail during the hours of 

darkness. 

"Patrols are being stepped 

up in the area, but we'd also 

urge everyone to take normal 

precautions whenever they're 

walking in unlit or poorly lit areas. 

"In the hours of darkness, we 

always encourage people to stick 

to well-lit, busy roads," said a police 

spokesperson. 

BBC building in 

police role 

The former BBC Wales 

headquarters in Llandaff are set to 

be used by police firearms units as 

a training facility. 

The BBC is still in the process of 

moving to its new £120m city centre 

headquarters at Central Square. 

The land will ultimately be used to 

house more than 400 homes on the 

site, but in the meantime, officers 

from three police forces will use the 

buildings for firearms training. 

Police are planning on using the 

venue for around two months. 

Nearby residents and the Bishop 

of Llandaff School have been 

informed.

Your letters 

WE 

letters 

WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! 

We love to hear what you've been up to 

so send us your letters and photos! 

We'll do our best to print them all. 

editor@livingmags.co.uk 

Continental 

hoodies 

I read with interest in your 

last issue, about concerns of 

groups of hoodies terrorising 

the Whitchurch and Llandaff 

North areas and I thought I 

would share our experience of 

an incident that took place in our 

area in December. It involved a 

group of youths in hoodies at 

approximately 2.30am. 

We were woken by loud 

banging and then saw two 

youths vandalising our car. They 

ran off and we were then told 

by the police who were tracking 

them, that it was a group of 

young French boys on holiday, 

who had damaged a lot of cars. 

Our car was among one of the 

damaged ones. We were told 

that they were too drunk to return 

home on the ferry the following 

morning, after being arrested the 

same night. 

They left a trail of damage and a 

hefty bill for repairs to our car and 

many others. 

Sue Manfield 

Llandaff North 

Spring Poem 

Here I sit 

In this Cardiff park 

My face to the sky 

And for the first time in months 

I feel the warmth of the sun on 

my face 

And in this moment, the cold 

hard months of Winter 

Melt away. 

The pain, 

The cruel hard hours, 

The grief, 

The long, lonely nights, 

All ebb, 

And fade, 

In the heat of the splendour 

That kisses my face. 

Charlotte 

Whitchurch 

I'm confused! 

I recently read press reports about 

the possible closure of Llandaff's 

Summer Palace restaurant. I must 

say, that it has left me scratching 

my head with confusion. 

The reports stated that there was 

a complaint lodged from someone 

who recently moved into the 

area. The complaint referenced 

'noise and smell' coming from the 

restaurant, which has been on 

Llandaff's High Street for the last 

30 years. 

The owner of the restaurant was 

taken to court in February, where 

he pleaded not guilty to two 

counts of failing to comply with a 

council order. A trial date is set for 

the end of April. 

I've lived in Llandaff for many 

years and I often pass the 

restaurant and not once have I 

noticed any excessive noise or 

bad smell. My confusion lies in 

the fact that there has never been 

a problem before (and it's never 

been a problem to us residents) 

so why the sudden threat of legal 

action now? 

As with many things in life, it's 

often the smaller guys who get 

picked on. Our independent 

businesses are struggling at the 

best of times and this kind of 

behaviour suggests that there 

are people out there, who have 

nothing better to do than make life 

harder for the rest of us. 

Mark Allsop 

Llandaff 

We stand with 

Summer Palace 

I write to show my support for one 

of our local restaurants. 

The Summer Palace has been a 

part of Llandaff Village for over 30 

years. This restaurant is a must for 

many people in and around the 

village with exceptional quality 

and atmosphere when eating out. 

I for one have dined here on many 

occasions and have felt welcome 

and looked after. 

As small business owners 

ourselves, we know how hard it 

is to open your doors every day 

and hope for a good day's trade 

but to have this unnecessary issue 

hovering over you, it feels like you 

just want to give it all up. 

Natalie McKee 

Llandaff 

If you have anything you’d like our readers to know about, drop us a line at 

editor@livingmags.co.uk or by letter to 222 Pantbach Road, Rhiwbina, Cardiff 

CF14 6AG. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter 

5

Services in 

Beulah 

Sundays at 10.30am and an 

ecumenical service at 6pm on 

the first Sunday in the month, 

taking place in either Bethany 

Baptist, All Saints Church or 

Beulah. We have an active 

Junior Church which meets each 

Sunday morning. 

Wednesdays at 10.30am, 

mid-week meeting point in the 

Whittaker Lounge. 

Holy Week & Easter 

Sunday 5th April - 

Palm Sunday 

10.30am Morning Worship: Called 

to be servants. Led by Revd. 

Martha McInnes 

Monday 6th April 

7pm-7.30pm Holy Week 

Meditations: Called to Follow. 

Tuesday 7th April 


Meditations: Called to 

Faithfulness. 

Wednesday 8th April 


Meditations: Called to Forgiveness. 

9th April - Maundy Thursday 

7.30pm-8.30pm Communion 

Service for Maundy Thursday in the 

Upper Room of Canolfan Beulah. 

10th April - Good Friday 

9.30am Bethany Baptist Church 

– worship followed by walk to All 

Saints. 

10.30am All Saints Church - worship 

followed by coffee and hot cross 

buns, walk to Beulah URC. 

12pm Beulah United Reformed 

Church – worship followed by 

lunch in Canolfan Beulah. 

12th April – Easter Sunday 

8.45am Easter Service and 

Breakfast (Canolfan Beulah). 

10.30am-11.30am Easter Sunday 

Service: Called to be Resurrection 

People. Led by Revd. David Dean. 

Family service with communion. 

All are welcome to attend any 

or all of these services. For 

more information contact the 

Church Secretary: 

secretary@beulahurc.org.uk 

Website: www.beulahurc.org.uk

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Details correct at time of going to print. Image is indicative only.

kids 

Childhood can be a magical time but in today's hectic world, it's 

easy to miss out on the nourishment that children need to thrive in 

adulthood. Here's how you can help our future generation 

Be happy yourself 

It's common knowledge that 

children form their personalities 

around the role models that 

they're brought up with. 

It therefore goes without 

saying that adult behaviour 

can have both a positive and 

a negative impact on a child, 

sometimes without us even 

being aware of it. There is 

plenty of scientific research to 

show that parents who suffer from traits such as depression can lead to 

negative outcomes in their children. 

Focusing on making yourself happy will create a solid foundation for a 

happy childhood for your children. Creating a positive network in which 

they can thrive and grow will further their happiness. The sound of laughter 

has been proven to lower stress levels, caused by changes in the brain. 

Music in the home can also help lift parents' moods, and their children's as 

a result. 

Teach them the importance of 

relationships 

The importance of relationships is 

something that can be taught to children, 

and by doing so, it can help create 

empathy, understanding and better social 

and people skills. 

Encouraging children to think from the 

perspective of others, and to perform acts 

of kindness, has been proven to make 

children happier in the long run. They are 

skills that will also help them in adult life. 

Praise effort, not 

perfection 

Perfectionism can harm children 

as they constantly aim to achieve 

the impossible. 

Aim to praise effort, not 

natural ability. This in itself will 

encourage achievement, but 

will lesson the worry of them 

making mistakes along the way. 

Pressurising children to get 

things right first time and every 

time can lead to anxiety and 

even overload. Studies have 

shown that parents who place a 

high priority on achievement end 

up with children who are more 

depressed, more anxious, and 

in some cases, more rebellious, 

than those parents who focused 

more on praising effort. 

The science behind it is 

quite simple - when we praise 

children for their effort rather 

than their abilities, we help them 

understand that their intelligence 

is changeable, and not a 

constant state. 

Encourage optimism 

Looking at the world from an optimist's viewpoint is linked to happiness, 

and studies have shown that ten year olds who are encouraged to think 

optimistically have a 50% better chance of avoiding depression during 

puberty and adolescence. 

Foster an attitude of gratitude in your children, and allow them to 

experience success and take moderate risks. Teaching them to put things 

in perspective can help create an optimistic mindset, something that they 

can reap the rewards from as they head into adult life. 

8

Happy Kids 

Teach emotional intelligence 

Children can struggle to understand their 

emotions, and this can often lead to outbursts 

and flashes of anger. 

Talking to your child, and helping them 

understand why they are feeling the way they are 

can equip them with the ability to control their 

behaviour. Empathising with them, and validating 

them will also make them feel as if they're being 

listened to. 

Active listening will also encourage your 

child to interact with others in the same way, 

and emotional intelligence is directly linked to 

happiness. 

Eat together 

The traditional act of eating 

together is sometimes lost in the 

fast-paced modern age. 

It helps forge a sense of 

community, and often allows 

family members to feel able to 

talk more openly. One long-term 

study in Michigan showed that 

mealtimes were more influential 

than time spent in school, 

studying, attending religious 

services, or playing sports. 

More playtime 

As adults, we strive to make time for our own 

enjoyment - nights out, time with friends and 

even sports activities. 

With our busy lives, we sometimes forget that 

playtime for children is their chance to grow 

and learn, especially their imagination. This is 

because the unstructured nature of spontaneous 

playtime helps them develop self-regulation, to 

work with others, and skills to resolve conflicts. 

Expressing their creativity is one way of 

letting off steam, and can lead to better 

behaviour. Playtime can also help their physical 

development, and because it's active and fun, 

they feel a lot happier because of it. 

Teach self-discipline 

Self-discipline is something that 

we struggle with, even as adults, 

and as a result, we can feel out of 

control and down. 

Instilling self-discipline in 

children will help them feel more 

confident in their abilities and 

foster a sense of independence. 

It will also develop their 

willpower, something that can 

often be a powerful skill later in 

life. 

The more you can teach 

children self-discipline, the more 

resilient they will be in the future. 

In the same way that using a 

muscle makes it stronger, a more 

resolute willpower will help your 

child overcome obstacles that 

can't be solved with intelligence 

alone. 

9

Outstanding School for Girls 

and Boys aged 3-18 

Discovery Day 

Every new adventure starts somewhere 

Current Year 5 pupils are invited to 

A Taster Day for Year 7 Entry September 2021 

Thursday 4th June 2020 | 8am-3pm 

Visit www.cathedral-school.co.uk/opendays to book 

029 2083 8504 

registrar@cathedral-school.co.uk 

www.cathedral-school.co.uk 

Get more from 

your WORLD 

and earn extra cash! 

(spare room required) 

■ Welcome a Swiss student into your 

family life 

■ Support this local school project 

(Year 12 students) 

■ Develop friendships that can last a 

lifetime 

■ Excellent remuneration for the 

academic year 

Call Ric 07748 113782 

ric@host-families.co.uk 

www.host-families.co.uk 

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The 

Voice 

of 

Hope 

Relentlessly bullied as a youngster, Scott McGlynn now inspires 

thousands around the world with his message of positivity 

Learning to love oneself can be 

hard when the message you get 

from your peers and society at large 

is that you're somehow disliked or 

prejudiced against for something 

that's not even your choice. 

For Cardiff's Scott McGlynn, 

becoming an LGBT (Lesbian/Gay/ 

Bisexual/Transgender) activist, 

author and presenter was a result of 

years of bullying as a youngster: 

"Growing up was very hard for 

me. Starting in high school was a 

particularly difficult time. I didn't 

know anyone when I first got there 

and the bullying started almost 

straight away in Year 7. 

"Other kids were calling me a girl. 

12 

They were bombarding me with 

words like gay and poof - I honestly 

didn't know what any of them 

meant! I struggled to make sense of 

it all and even when I went to speak 

to my teachers, they didn't know 

how to help me or the situation." 

As a youngster, Scott's 

confusion throughout school 

was compounded by his and 

his classmates' lack of a wider 

awareness about sexuality and 

gender identity. 

"Back then, I was a kid. I was 

young; I didn't understand life or 

what sexuality was. They didn't 

teach you about that in school. I 

certainly didn't have any help or 

guidance and that helped shape 

what I do now. I'm stronger and 

here to help others." 

In the UK workplace, 35% of LGBT 

staff have hidden the fact that 

they are LGBT at work for fear of 

discrimination. 18% have been the 

target of negative comments or 

conduct from work colleagues 

in the last year, simply because 

they're LGBT. 

"These days of course, there's 

the added complication of 

cyberbullying, which I didn't have 

when I was growing up. Mine was 

more face-to-face. The comments 

don't affect me any more as I've 

accepted who I am. But I know 

that there are others out there who 

do feel the effects of bullying and 

cyberbullying. This is why my work 

is important to me - I want to help 

others who are in the same position 

that I was in, whether I help them 

online or in youth groups." 

Scott has had a variety of jobs 

over the years, many of which 

gave him a good stepping stone 

for independence. Arriving at his 

current role has given Scott a real 

sense of purpose in his life. 

"Being a LGBT role model and 

content creator is by far the best job 

I've ever had." 

In 2016, Scott decided to create 

his own podcast, an internet-based 

audio programme, much like a radio 

show. 

"My first podcast was in 2017. I 

wanted to create a platform that 

people could look up to. I wanted 

to hear from celebrities about their 

coming out experiences, and how 

their sexuality had affected their 

work life." 

Scott has had nearly 100 guests 

on his show over the last few years. 

In 2o18, his show topped the Apple

Podcast charts, beating off many 

well-known household names in 

the process. 

"I wanted to create a show that isn't 

just a simple Question and Answer 

session. I wanted something that 

was going to be educational but 

done so in a fun way. I get to speak 

and help people around the world." 

Scott's podcasts have reached 

thousands and his social media 

following is testament to the 

engagement he's having with his 

audience. He has over 100,000 

followers on Instagram alone, and 

an audience throughout the world. 

"Over the years, I've done a lot of 

research finding my guests that 

my listeners would want to hear 

from. Luckily, I've networked a lot 

and I know a lot of agents who 

understand what my podcasts are 

about. Often, they may approach 

me with the view of getting one of 

their clients in front my microphone." 

Scott's podcast have not only 

helped others, but also helped him 

accept the pain in his life. 

"The best cure in life is talking so 

for both myself and my guest, we 

chat about our experiences. It's 

almost like a mini therapy session 

The best 

cure in 

life is 

talking 

at times. But we are never too 

serious. I want my listeners to get 

something from each podcast, and 

even have maybe a laugh or a cry 

along the way. Listening to others 

and understanding them is a huge 

part of it and it's great to talk and 

share." 

Scott's guests are an eclectic mix 

of celebrities, actors, musicians and 

people in the public eye. 

"I've had Perez Hilton on my 

show, I've had James Dreyfus, 

John Partridge and Laura Carter 

and many others. We like to share 

stories, both good and bad; we like 

to talk about their experiences, 

their careers, celebrity gossip and 

LGBT topics. It's a very relaxed show 

and I hope that it gives listeners 

and insight into my guests' lives or 

to learn something new about the 

industry." 

Spreading the love from Cardiff 

to the world has become Scott's 

passion. 

"Cardiff means so much to me. The 

community is amazing and going 

to events is like going to see family; 

everyone knows someone and it's a 

great place to be." 

But on a wider scale, Scott knows 

that he has a lot of work to do to 

change society's perceptions: 

"I think over the years, people's 

views have changed for the better. 

But I do think there's a long way 

to go before society simply does 

more than just 'tolerate' the LGBT 

community." 

Scott is optimistic that his work can 

effect change: 

"My next challenge for me is to 

create a live version of The Scott 

McGlynn Show. It'd be set in a 

specific venue, with an audience 

of mixed ages and backgrounds, 

and we'd all be talking and sharing 

stories. That is a goal I want to 

achieve by the end of the year. It'd 

be incredible to do." 

Scott hopes that his work will help 

to both comfort and inspire those 

who find themselves in the same 

position as he did when he was 

younger. 

"I struggled a lot with my sexuality 

when I was younger but now I'm a 

proud gay guy. I don't want anyone 

going through what I did. It was a 

very hard and a very difficult time in 

my life. I'm here to inspire others, to 

be there for them and to be a role 

model." 

Web: scottmcglynn.net 

Instagram: @scottmcglynnofficial 

Twitter: @ScottyMcGlynn 

people 

Scott's podcast made it to the top of the Apple Podcast charts 

What is a podcast? 

A podcast is an episodic series of 

digital audio files that a user can 

download to a personal device in 

order to listen. 

It's often a series of spoken 

word, audio episodes, all focused 

on a particular topic or theme. 

You can subscribe to the show 

with an app on your phone and 

listen to episodes whenever you 

like on your headphones, in the 

car or through speakers. 

Unlike radio shows though, 

podcasts can offer greater 

flexibility in the following ways: 

• They can be any length, from 

a 1 minute news snippet, to a 3 

hour in-depth interview. 

• They can be any frequency, 

from daily to monthly. 

• They can be any format, 

from simple solo shows up to 

mammoth, multi-person audio 

dramas. 

• They can cover any topic. 

Podcasts are often free to 

download and if you have a smart 

phone or access to the internet, 

it's really easy to find podcasts 

that suit you. Not all podcasts 

require your full attention so 

you can listen to them while out 

walking or on the way to work. 

13

THE HOLLIES 

The Road is Long 

01.05.20 

THE SENSATIONAL 60S EXPERIENCE 

10 th Anniversary Tour 

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CARDIFF PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA 

Opera Spectacular! 

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KENNY DALGLISH 

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Win TICKETS 

TO THE RHS 

FLOWER 

SHOW 

The RHS Flower Show Cardiff will 

be celebrating 15 years of visiting 

the Welsh capital with a celebration 

of Spring from 17th–19th April in 

Bute Park. 

This year's show will tie in with 

the Visit Wales theme, the Year of 

Outdoors. Across the show, they 

will be promoting the health and 

wellbeing benefits of being outside 

and connecting with the natural 

world. 

From its inception as a popup 

event in 2005, the show has 

become synonymous with the 

best of horticulture and Welsh 

community involvement, supporting 

ventures from social prescribing 

and gardening in schools and 

the wider community to scientific 

education. 

Plants are at the heart of their 

shows and this year, they're making 

a giant splash with one giant Floral 

Marquee, housing exquisite blooms. 

Taking centre stage is the RHS 

Master Grower for Cardiff – in 2020 

the accolade is being awarded 

to Pheasant Acre Plants from 

Bridgend. Famous for breeding 

and selling gladioli and dahlias, 

Pheasant Acre Plants also supplies 

plants and bulbs for all seasons. 

Of the 44 expert growers, look out 

for first timers at Cardiff, Glendon 

Hall Nursery, exhibiting a range of 

delicate epimediums, and Todds 

Botanics, a family-run nursery in 

Essex supplying bamboos, olives, 

hedging, shrubs and perennials. 

The RHS Gardening Advice Team 

can be found there too, so gather 

your gardening queries and ask 

the experts their advice. Additional 

nurseries are to be found in the 

popular Plant Village, providing a 

burst of floral colour around the 

showground. 

You can win a pair of tickets to this 

year's flower show by answering 

this very simple question: 

Where will this year's RHS Flower 

Show be taking place? 

Email the correct answer, 

along with your name, address 

and telephone number to 

competitions@livingmags.co.uk or 

post your entries to our address 

on the inside front cover of this 

magazine. Closing date is 10th April. 

For more information or to buy 

advance tickets, visit 

www.rhs.org.uk/cardiff. 

WIN TICKETS TO SEE MADAMA 

BUTTERFLY AT ST DAVIDS HALL 

St David's Hall is transformed 

into the gorgeous gardens of 

Japan as Puccini’s breathtaking 

opera Madama Butterfly comes 

to Cardiff for one night only on 

Wednesday 1 st April. 

Starring the fabulous Korean 

soprano, Elena Dee and the 

internationally acclaimed 

soprano, Alyona Kistenyova, 

this new production from Ellen 

Kent Opera & Ballet International 

features a stunning set and 

colourful costumes including 

lavish antique wedding kimonos. 

As one of the world’s most 

popular operas, Puccini’s 

Madama Butterfly tells the 

heartbreaking story of a beautiful 

young Japanese girl named Cio- 

Cio-San, who falls in love with 

an American naval Lieutenant 

with dramatic results. Highlights 

include the melodic Humming 

Chorus, the moving aria One Fine 

Day and the unforgettable Love 

Duet. 

Plus, you could be there in a pair 

of the best seats in the house with 

this exclusive competition. To be 

in with a chance of winning two 

tickets, please answer the following 

question: 

Madama Butterfly is written by 

which opera composer? 

a) Bizet 

b) Verdi 

c) Puccini 

Please email your answer to 

SDHpress@cardiff.gov.uk by 

Wednesday 25 th March 2020, along 

with your full name and address, 

plus a phone number. Alternatively, 

please post your entry with your 

contact details to: Marketing Team, 

St David’s Hall, The Hayes, CF10 

1AH.

The 

self 

love 

club 

Self love is an important aspect your welfare. In appreciating 

oneself, one can find happiness. Accepting ourselves for who we 

are can open up inner peace and happiness 

For many people, the idea of 

loving oneself can be seen as 

an arrogant and selfish act. All 

too often, we put others before 

ourselves and spend too much 

time trying to please others. 

In our daily lives, most of us put 

ourselves under huge pressure 

to excel and to do everything to 

perfection every time. Our inner 

minds are constantly putting 

ourselves down when we fail to 

achieve this perfectionism and 

this self-criticism can lead to 

depression, anxiety, and worse. 

Constant perfectionism can lead 

to both emotional and physical 

ailments. 

Self-love, or self-kindness, 

involves showing understanding 

towards ourselves when we fail 

or feel inadequate. If you're not 

sure how you're connected to 

yourself, start by listening to the 

way that your inner voice talks to 

you. Do you insult yourself or talk 

in negative language when you 

make a mistake? 

Learning to tune into yourself, 

and beginning to love yourself 

can help unlock inner calm and 

a better quality of life. Here are 

a few ways that you can achieve 

that. 

16 

Set boundaries 

Setting boundaries helps to 

improve your life. Saying no to work, 

activities or anything that detracts 

from you emotionally or physically, 

doesn't mean that you are a bad 

person. Sometimes the feeling 

that you have to help everyone all 

the time comes from deep-rooted 

causes. Try and find out what these 

are and let them go. 

Know your value. It isn't reflected 

in how much you do for other 

people. Your problems don't define 

who you are as a person either. Ask 

yourself whether saying yes to a 

demand is worth it. 

Be direct if your answer is no. You 

don't need to lie, apologise or come 

up with a load of excuses. You are 

entitled to say no. 

Practise self-care 

You'll feel a lot better when you 

take time to nourish yourself, 

whether that's physically or 

emotionally. Eating properly, 

getting enough sleep, exercising 

- these are all things that you 

should put first. You can't help 

others if you are neglecting 

yourself. 

Self-care isn't a selfish act. 

Find out what works for you and 

make the time them, whether 

it's a weekly catch up with family 

or even a simple walk in the 

outdoors. Be aware of what you 

are doing, and how it's making 

you feel. 

Get into the habit of practising 

self-care. You'll feel less anxious, 

have improved moods - and 

you'll also feel more in control of 

your life.

Protect yourself 

There will be people in your 

life who suck the energy out of 

you. Often referred to as 'energy 

vampires', they demand your 

time and attention, often to the 

detriment of your own needs. 

The one way to protect yourself 

from these people is to get them 

out of your life. Surround yourself 

with people who make you 

happy, people who value you and 

respect you. Life is too short to 

spend trying to fix other people's 

problems at the expense of your 

own. 

By cutting these people out of 

your life, you will find your life has 

less negative drama, freeing up 

your mind and time to actually 

start enjoying life. 

What you need - not 

what you want 

In this age of information overload, 

we're often told what we should 

want from life. A big house, a nice 

car, the perfect body. 

Continually striving for all of 

these can be exhausting, souldestroying, 

and ultimately futile. 

Even if we do get those things, 

there are still things that we're 

going to want. 

Focus instead on the things 

that you need. Wanting things 

can lead us to make impulsive 

decisions, often without us 

thinking of its consequences. 

There are of course, our basic 

needs that have to be met - food, 

water, clothing, shelter and so 

on. Then there are the slightly 

less necessary needs. The things 

you need to be a responsible 

adult. Maybe some transport or a 

computer so that you can work. 

Everything else is a want. The 

soft furnishings, the latest TV. 

Figure out what's important to 

you and why and then spend less 

time and money on the wants and 

more time and money on your 

needs. 

Forgive yourself 

Putting yourself under pressure can 

help you achieve some wonderful 

things in life. But when it becomes 

persistent and all-consuming, it can 

lead to burnout. 

Most of us are pretty hard on 

ourselves, especially when we 

make mistakes. What's important to 

remember is we are human - we do 

make mistakes. Everyone does. It's 

how we learn. 

Punishing yourself, either 

physically or emotionally only 

serves to make you feel worse. 

Learn to forgive yourself and 

remember that there are no failures 

in life - just opportunities to move 

on and learn. 

Become mindful 

The concept of mindfulness has 

really taken off in the last few 

years - and with very good reason. 

Becoming mindful of who we 

are and what we are doing on a 

minute-by-minute basis helps us 

become a better person. This is 

because we are able to reflect in 

real-time about our decisions, our 

behaviour and our interactions with 

other people. 

Being aware of yourself also helps 

you enjoy those moments in life for 

what they are. 

wellbeing 

Live with acceptance 

Too often in life, we push ourselves 

to and beyond our limits in the 

pursuit of better things. Under 

the pressure, our flaws and faults 

are often exposed, adding to our 

negative views of ourselves. 

Coming to accept ourselves - 

flaws and faults included - makes 

us realise that perhaps we're not 

the bad person we think we are. 

Everyone has faults because that is 

the nature of humanity. Accepting 

these, and learning to live with these 

will empower you to move forward 

without constraint. 

Live with purpose 

Some measure their life's success in 

material things, their achieved status 

or the power they've gained. Yet 

even for these people, there is often 

something missing in life - purpose. 

Making a difference - leaving the 

world a better place than when you 

found it - can help satisfy the soul. 

How we spend our day is how we 

spend our lives and living your day 

with a sense of purpose can give 

you inner peace. 

If you have a passion, follow it. 

Make time for it, especially if you find 

yourself washed along by the daily 

grind every day of your life. If these 

passions include beliefs and values, 

live by them. Let yourself be guided 

by what you deem important, not 

others. 

Having a purpose gives us the 

strength to get out of bed every day 

and to carry on. Ask yourself how 

you want to be remembered and be 

guided by your answers. 

17

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shed 

of 

the 

year 

From an idea forged over a pint, Cardiff's Andrew Wilcox has 

created a nationwide hunt for the UK's best sheds 

They have long been the refuge 

of the modern male. A sanctuary 

where men can hide away from 

life's troubles on rainy afternoons 

and long summer evenings; 

a retreat where they can lose 

themselves to creative projects, 

grease cloths and cricket matches 

on old battered radios. 

And for one Cardiff man, the desire 

to have a shed that he could call 

his own became a quest to find the 

UK's best shed. The contest was 

even turned into its own TV show 

on Channel 4. It has been a process 

that has challenged the nation's 

basic perception of the word 'shed'. 

20 

Shed of the Year 2017: 

The Mushroom Shed 

Web developer and Shed of the 

Year organiser Andrew Wilcox 

admits that the roots of the 

competition stretch back to his 

childhood. 

"My grandfather had an allotment 

behind his terraced house in 

the village of Blaenclydach in 

the Rhondda Valley. He and his 

allotment mates used to build these 

structures that joined together with 

poly tunnels, so that they could 

grow vegetables and flowers in 

a shared space. That was my first 

introduction to sheds and I have 

been trying to find a similar shed all 

my life." 

Those memories 

stayed with 

Andrew right 

through to 

adulthood. Back 

in 2000, looking to 

acquire a shed of 

his own, Andrew 

spent a while 

searching online 

for his perfect 

building. 

"I was looking 

online for some 

inspiration and I thought that I 

would find a website with lots of 

great-looking sheds on there. I was 

hoping to find a shed that looked 

like my grandfather's. Sadly, that 

wasn't the case, so I ended up 

setting up a website myself," he 

says. 

It was while he was chatting to a 

friend down the pub that he came 

up with the idea of the new website. 

"I went straight home and 

registered the domain. It started 

slowly at first as people thought it 

was a joke - but then it got some 

traction, appearing on Ceefax's 

'Website of the Week' and various 

email newsletters. I did tell you that 

this was a long time ago!" he jokes. 

Eventually though, the idea soon 

blossomed. 

"It caught the imagination of the 

public and things went on from 

there," adds Andrew. 

To increase engagement with his 

audience, Andrew decided to set up 

an online competition. 

"By 2007, there were hundreds of 

sheds on the site so I thought it'd be 

a good idea to launch a contest to 

find out which one the public liked

the best. Thus Shed of the Year was 

born." 

The competition's first winner was 

a shed that looked like a Roman 

temple. 

"The winner's wife even went and 

bought him four large pillars for 

Christmas!" laughs Andrew. 

A 'rugby pub' was the 

competition's second winner in 

2008. Designed and built by its 

owner, it had eight windows on its 

octagonal roof. A pair of double 

doors opened up in fine weather 

and its crowning glory was its 15 

foot fully fitted bar. It also housed 

three fridges, a ceiling fan and a 

hammock. 

Since then, the competition has 

become bigger and better, pushing 

the boundaries of the term 'shed'. 

"Thirteen years on and the 

competition is still going strong. 

We have a few hundred entrants 

every year (but previous entrants 

always stand a chance to make the 

shortlist) which, for a niche thing on 

the internet, is pretty good going." 

Interest in the competition reached 

fever pitch in 2014 when Channel 4 

commissioned a TV series about it. 

"The show ran from 2014 to 2017 

and brought the concept of the 

shed out of the allotment and into 

the mainstream. The standard 

always seems to get better and 

better and the 'sheddies' always 

innovate, Eco sheds being the 

thing that everyone is going for 

nowadays. The pub sheds always 

attract the most entrants as people 

love a space to entertain down the 

bottom of the garden. 

having 

a tv show 

commissioned 

from my silly 

internet 

idea was a 

highlight 

"One of my favourite sheds was 

the winner from 2013 - a boatroofed 

shed that sat at the top of a 

mountain in Powys. They managed 

to get an old inshore fishing boat 

from 1900 up the mountain and 

then built a wattle and daub 

shed underneath it. It's a bit of a 

ramshackle structure but it's a lot 

of fun. The owner DJs from the 

shed and he’s also hosted a few 

comedians from the Machynlleth 

Comedy Festival in it - there is not 

a shed out there like it. The place 

also has some of the best views in 

Wales. 

"Having a TV show commissioned 

by Channel 4 from my silly internet 

idea was a highlight," says Andrew, 

"but seeing truly unique and special 

sheds entered each year, and 

talking to the shed community 

about why they build them and 

what they get up to in them, is what 

makes me smile." 

In Andrew's opinion, a good shed 

doesn't happen by accident. 

"The secret to a good shed is a 

great, unique design and a quality 

build, even if it's just from pallets. 

Most of all, it needs to be a place in 

which you want to spend time with 

your family and friends - or even 

just a space to chill out in, or work 

from." 

The appeal of a shed is one 

that now reaches far beyond the 

traditional realm of fathers and 

grandfathers. 

"Firstly, a shed is an escape for 

many, but also I think if you have 

built something yourself, then it 

gives you more pleasure," says 

Andrew. "Of course, the competition 

welcomes entrants from off-theshelf 

sheds as well - it's what the 

sheddie does with their space that 

is important," he adds. 

The contest has seen thousands of 

entries over the years, ranging from 

man caves to two-storey structures. 

The current Shed of the Year is Bux 

End, a hobbit-like abode created by 

Chris Hield in Derbyshire. 

"We are massive Lord of the Rings 

fans so when we decided to build 

our own shed, we knew it had to 

be a hobbit hole," said Chris. "It had 

to fit in with the wildlife and nature 

that we cultivated in the rest of our 

garden so the grass roof was a big 

feature." 

Chris used his hobby workshop 

making armour and chainmail, to 

help create the structure. 

"We dug out the back garden in 

January 2018 to build a sunken 

hobbit hole. Unfortunately, after 

hitting bedrock that we could not 

break through, we ended up putting 

some of the 22 tonnes of wet clay 

back in the hole, which was a bit 

demoralising! After sourcing local 

reclaimed bricks and timber, we 

finished the hole some eight weeks 

later after working each weekend 

and evenings when possible." 

people 

The interior of the 2019 

champion, Bux End 

Entries for this year's competition 

are coming in thick and fast. 

"The future of the competition 

looks bright," says Andrew. "People 

still want sheds and will always 

build them and hopefully we will 

give the sheddies a platform to 

share their sheds with the rest of 

the world. 

"I am lucky to have support from 

Cuprinol who have sponsored it for 

many years. It's just myself running 

the competition, so I couldn't do it 

without their support and of course, 

the sheddies who create these 

amazing structures!" 

If you want to enter your shed into 

this year's competition, you have 

until 19th April 2020 to do so. Enter 

at www.readersheds.co.uk 

The 2013 winner - the 

boat-roofed shed 

21

DANIEL JENNINGS 

M: 07775 828009 T: 029 2069 2028 

E: dan.jennings@hotmail.co.uk 

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FIND YOUR HAPPY PLACE 

All of us have our favourite 

places to visit, and if yours is 

not too far away, make time to 

get there and savour it. 

You don't necessarily need 

to do anything in particular. 

In fact, you'll probably benefit 

from just sitting quietly 

and enjoying the view, the 

atmosphere, or whatever it is 

that draws you there. 

EAT GOOD FOOD 

There's a saying that you 

are what you eat, and 

technically-speaking, that is 

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important role in our 

wellbeing and nourishing 

our body with the right 

kinds of food will bring 

you long-term benefits 

and also help you 

feel more in control 

emotionally. 

TAKE UP YOGA 

Time and time again, yoga has been 

scientifically proven to increase both 

physical and emotional health. In 

addition to the obvious benefits of 

increased flexibility, yoga can also 

help increase muscle strength. It 

can also help build better bones by 

making them stronger, helping ward off 

conditions like osteoporosis. 

And it's not just women that benefit 

from the practice. Yoga can increase 

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SELF LOVEideas 

Whether you are looking to make yourself happy, or help others, 

here are a few ideas to help you get back on track 

24 

DITCH THE SOCIAL 

MEDIA 

Social media is a great 

way to connect with 

friends and loved ones 

but all too often, we 

fall into the trap of 

comparing our lives to 

everyone else's. 

What you need to 

remember is that 

everyone's profiles are 

their 'showreels'. We all 

have different lives and 

goals and you could end 

up spending the rest of 

your life comparing yours 

to theirs. 

MAKE A LIST OF ALL THE GOOD THINGS IN LIFE 

When life knocks you sideways, it's all too easy 

to forget all the good things that you have in your 

life. A feeling of gratitude is such a simple thing, 

but it is also a very powerful 

way of shifting the mind's 

emphasis from the 

things that aren't going 

right to the things 

that are. 

There is always 

something to be 

grateful for, whether 

it's having food in 

the fridge, someone 

to call, or even 

something simple as 

someone's smile.

wellbeing 

READ MORE 

Reading is an opportunity 

to escape the real world 

and to develop empathy for 

others. 

It also provides a good 

workout for your brain, 

helping to reduce memory 

loss and cognitive function. 

Not only that, it helps 

increase your vocabulary 

and can help prepare you 

for a good night's rest. 

CLEAN OUT YOUR 

WARDROBES 

De-cluttering your 

wardrobe is a powerful 

way to take back an 

amount of control in your 

life. 

The first step is to 

completely empty your 

wardrobe. Decide on 

some rules before you 

start sorting and then 

be totally honest with 

yourself as you plough 

through your clothes. 

Keep the basics but ditch 

the things that you've 

probably worn once or 

twice. Don't be tempted 

to keep stuff in the hope 

that it'll come back into 

fashion one day. 

BUILD A POSITIVE 

FRIEND NETWORK 

It's often in times of 

crisis that we find out 

who our real friends 

are. You'll often be 

surprised who does 

stand by you while the 

ones you thought you 

could rely on run for 

the hills. 

Slowly build up a 

friend network who 

can bring positivity to 

your life. And in return, 

be the friend that you 

would want. 

ASK FOR HELP IF YOU NEED IT 

There is no shame in asking for 

help. Even the most successful 

people in the world haven't 

made it on their own. 

Be strong enough to stand 

alone if you wish but also wise 

enough to know when you do 

need help. 

DO SOMETHING 

YOU'RE GOOD AT 

We all have our strengths 

and weaknesses and 

because we are all 

individual, these strengths 

and weaknesses are also 

unique to us. 

Doing something that 

you're good at will help 

remind you that you do 

have talents and skills. 

If it's something that 

you're particularly good 

at, why not set up a small 

business? You'll know if 

you're good at something 

because people will tell 

you. Doing what you 

love can help you relax 

as it can bring about 

feelings of familiarity and 

achievement. 

Trying out new things 

is another way of finding 

out what undiscovered 

talents you might have 

too. Don't be afraid of what 

people might say because 

they're going to judge you 

whatever you do. 

25

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self help 

Maintaining your online presence can mean that we are slaves to 

our phones and computers. But there is a world and a life out there 

beyond the screen. Here's how to reclaim it 

Social media addiction 

A staggering 45% of the world's 

population is on social media, 

highlighting our dependence on 

electronic technology. We are 

reaching for our phones more 

than ever. 

The rapid growth of both the 

internet and social media has 

brought with it a new set of 

problems. In fact, 210 million 

people are affected by internet 

and social media addiction. It 

can affect both your physical 

and emotional wellbeing. It 

can put strain on relationships, 

bring down levels of self-worth 

and also open up new forms of 

bullying. 

But there is life beyond 

the screen of your phone or 

computer. Taking control back 

of your social media life can be 

achieved, giving you a more 

connected and balanced view of 

the real world. 

If you feel that you are 

addicted, here's how you can 

beat it. 

28 

Go cold turkey 

You can always start your social 

media detox by choosing the 

nuclear option - by going cold 

turkey. 

If you're an avid social media user, 

you may want to plan your time 

away by setting a length of time 

and informing your friends and 

family of your absence. 

One incentive is to work out how 

much time you spend on social 

media before you start. If for 

example, you spend three hours a 

day on it, that'll give you 21 hours a 

week of free time. Think what you 

could do in that time! 

Once you're ready for your holiday 

away from the screen, remove all 

temptation by deleting the apps 

that you use for social media. In 

most cases, deleting the apps 

doesn't mean that you are deleting 

your accounts. It just means that 

you'll have to log in when you 

decide to return. Even if it's for just 

one day, you'll be surprised how 

much better you feel without social 

media in your life. 

Turn off notifications 

Our phones can demand a lot of 

our attention and it can often feel 

overwhelming when it's beeping 

and buzzing at us. 

If going cold turkey isn't an 

option, or seems too drastic for 

you, take time out to turn all but 

your essential notifications off. 

Notifications can also keep us up 

at night so adjust your settings 

so that you only get the ones you 

need, if any. 

Just because you're not getting 

notifications doesn't mean that 

you're necessarily missing out 

on anything important. Turning 

them off can help improve your 

concentration and focus during 

your day.

Organise and delete 

your apps 

As our phones are now such a 

large part of our everyday lives, 

similarly, they can also reflect 

them. 

A cluttered phone could be a 

metaphor for your life or even 

your state of mind. Organising 

your apps will make you feel 

more in control and will save you 

time. 

Better still, why not remove 

some of the apps you spend 

most of your time on? Ask 

yourself whether they are really 

necessary in your life. 

Be mindful 

Mindfulness can be very useful in 

beating social media addiction as it 

makes us more aware of our actions 

and intents. 

Every time you reach for your phone, 

become aware of what you are doing 

and how much time you are spending 

on it. Most phones can record your 

screen time and checking it might give 

you the wake up call you need. 

Schedule posts 

Getting away from social media can be difficult if you use it for work but 

one great way of detaching yourself from it is to schedule your content. 

You can find plenty of great scheduling software that can help. Set aside 

a few hours at the start of each month and schedule your posts so that 

you are a few weeks ahead of yourself. That way, you can simply turn 

your social media platforms off while it takes care of itself. 

If you use social media to interact with your customers, this can be 

trickier but if you can stay focused, you can give yourself time to step 

away from the constant demands 

that social media puts on you. 

Allocate certain times of the day 

to catch up on your interactions or 

bookings and stick to them. Turn 

off your notifications and don't 

feel tempted to react to them in 

real-time. If something is of utmost 

importance, it's likely that you'll be 

contacted the traditional way - by 

telephone! 

Get a new hobby 

Detoxing social media will mean that you'll have a lot more time on your 

hands for something more rewarding than looking at other people's latest 

meals or nights out. 

Getting a new hobby can not only 

provide you with more meaningful 

activity, it can also improve your 

confidence or even help you start a 

new business. Maybe try something 

that you've always fancied but never 

had time to devote to it. Your new 

hobby will also keep you busy and 

distracted from your social media 

cravings. 

Fill your diary 

One of the great ways to beat 

social media interaction is to do 

the interaction out in the real 

world. 

Grab your diary and plan to 

meet up with friends and family. 

Keeping up with them in person 

can help forge stronger bonds 

and also create new memories. 

And don't be tempted to 

spend the entire time with 

them taking selfies either. 

Savour the moments for what 

they are and enjoy them in the 

moment. 

Reward yourself 

Limiting yourself to internet and/ 

or social media can be tough but 

by promising yourself a reward 

will keep you incentivesed. 

Giving yourself a little pat 

on the back when you reach 

your targets can help you stay 

focused. It will also help train 

your mind to stick to your plan, a 

skill that can help in other areas 

of your life. Make your reward 

appropriate to the restraint that 

you've put in and it'll give you 

something to work towards. 

Even if you reward is going back 

on social media, that's no bad 

thing in itself. 

29

Local Independent Financial 

Adviser takes to the skies in 

the name of charity 

A few weeks on from the most hair-raising experience 

of my life, it's time to reflect on why completing a 

skydive for the British Heart Foundation meant so 

much to me personally and professionally. 

The exhilaration of freefalling at 150 mph was an 

incredible experience and really helped me overcome 

a deep-seated fear of heights. 

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I was so pleased to raise an incredible £3,700 (before 

Gift Aid is added) for this charity in memory of my 

brother, who died of heart disease a few years ago. He 

was just short of his 50th birthday. 

Our family's experience of losing Stuart really crossed 

over to my professional line of work as an Independent 

Financial Adviser with Abacus Associates. 

My experience of helping people arrange their wills 

is often greeted initially with the words 'it will never 

happen to me.' The same response often crops up 

when helping my clients protect their families or when 

they plan to mitigate inheritance tax or long-term care 

costs. My family know it can happen and does happen 

to people at any age. 

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individuals and families protect their financial futures 

and have over 15 years’ experience of helping clients in 

Whitchurch and Llandaff meet their financial goals. 

ABACUS ASSOCIATES FINANCIAL SERVICES 

Pensions, Investments, 

Estate Planning, 

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Independent Financial Adviser 

Mob: 07718 395 481 

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Abacus Associates Financial Services is a trading style of Tavistock Partners (UK) 

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Tales from Yesteryear 

Evening Express 

10th September 1896 

CARDIFF NATURALISTS HOLD THE 

THIRD FIELD DAY OF THE SEASON 

The third field day of the Cardiff 

Naturalists' Society took place on 

Wednesday when, in spite of most 

unfavourable weather, a goodly 

number of naturalists, among 

whom were several lady members, 

started in open brakes for a visit 

to Whitchurch, Rupina, and Lord 

Bute's Vineyard at Castle Coch. 

At times, the train descended very 

heavily, but under the guidance 

of Mr John Storrie, a visit was paid 

to an interesting relic just beyond 

Whitchurch, where, what was 

supposed to be a tumulus, Mr 

Storrie had discovered to be the 

remains of an ancient dwellingplace, 

probably, in his opinion, 

began by the Celts, then continued 

by the Romans, and followed by a 

still later race. A visit was then paid 

to Lord Bute's vineyard at Castle 

Coch, and here an interesting 

account of vine culture was given 

by Mr A. Pettigrew, Lord Bute's 

head gardener. 

Tea was served at the Mason's 

Arms, Tongwynlais, and the return 

journey home was made via 

Rubina, where Mr Storrie brought to 

light some of his later discoveries 

- the fossil fish bones of the lower 

carbaniferous shale series, but 

the weather marred what would 

have proved a very interesting day 

for the naturalists. At the Mason's 

Arms, the party were supplied 

by Lord Bute with wine from the 

vintage of 1893, at Castle Coch, 

considered to be one of the best 

32 

The National Library of Wales has digitalised millions of Welsh newspaper 

articles and pages. Derek Elliott pulls out some interesting local stories 

years for the vines there. 

South Wales Daily News 

9th July 1898 

WHITCHURCH BAZAAR 

A very successful two days' 

bazaar was held on Wednesday 

and Thursday at Tyn-y-Parc, 

Whitchurch, by kind permission of 

Herbert Cory, towards extinguishing 

the debt on the new Wesleyan 

Chapel at Whitchurch. The bazaar 

was opened on the first day by Mr 

Tregarthen Dunn, Fairfield, Llandaff, 

and on the second day by Mr G. H. 

Wills, of Rhubina. The Whitchurch 

Brass Band was also in attendance 

on both days. 

The Cardiff Times 

15th November 1902 

A MIDNIGHT INCIDENT: 

WHITCHURCH FARMER AND WIFE 

At the Llandaff Police Court on 

Monday, John Carey Phillips of 

Pantmawr Farm, Whitchurch, 

summoned Edward Fuge, a smartlooking 

young man, living at the 

farm, for threats. Considerable 

interest was take in the 

proceedings, the parties being well 

known locally. Mr Harold M. Lloyd 

defended. When the complainant 

was about to give evidence, Mr 

Harold Lloyd rose, and, addressing 

their Worships, asked whether 

he would be allowed to ask the 

complainant whether it was still in 

his interests to proceed. 

There were a great many 

unpleasant incidents in connection 

with the case, and he thought 

it would be better and wiser for 

complainant if he withdrew. This 

the complainant refused to do, and 

the case proceeded. 

The complainant in his evidence 

stated that he was the joint 

occupier with his wife of the 

Pantmawr Farm, Whitchurch. The 

defendant was engaged by his wife 

as a man servant. On 30th October 

last, he retired to bed at about 

10 o'clock and about 12 o'clock, 

he heard a loud knocking on his 

bedroom door. The defendant and 

his (complainant's) wife kicked the 

door, broke the panels, rushed into 

the room, and threatened to "do" for 

him. 

He rushed to the window and in 

his night apparel, jumped to the 

ground 14 feet below, and went 

to a neighbour's house, where he 

got the loan of some clothes. He 

then went to the police station, and 

a police sergeant returned to the 

house with him. The defendant was 

then in bed. The defendant's room 

was broken into, and the defendant 

was ejected. Before the defendant 

left, he again threatened him in the 

presence of the police sergeant. He 

had often seen the defendant in his 

wife's bedroom. On one occasion, 

the men in the hayfield saw the 

defendant doing his wife's hair. 

In cross-examination by Mr Harold 

Lloyd, complainant admitted that 

he had some drink at Carey's and at 

the HollyBush before going home. 

He may have been drunk about 

20 times this year, but he was not 

drunk on this occasion. He denied 

that it was only his wife that was at 

the door threatening him. He also 

denied that he had engaged the 

defendant at 8s per week. Both the

defendant and his wife were under 

the influence of drink. 

Mr Harold Lloyd: With reference 

to the defendant being in your 

wife's bedroom. When do you say 

this happened? - I saw him in the 

bedroom with her in June last year. 

I also saw him on one occasion 

doing up her hair. 

Mr Harold Lloyd: Do you mean to 

tell the Worships that having seen 

this in June last, you allowed this 

man to stay on during the whole of 

this time? - Yes. 

Mr Lloyd: Didn't you think it your 

duty to thrash him and kick him out, 

as any reasonable man would have 

done? - No. I am only joint occupier. 

Mr Lloyd: And that is the only 

reason you have? 

The complainant also stated that 

the defendant and his wife were 

constantly about together and 

drinking together. 

The defendant, called on his 

own behalf, stated that he was 

employed by the complainant in 

May last at 8s per week. He denied 

that on the day in question he went 

to the complainant's door and 

shout to him to open. 

The next thing he knew was that 

the complainant came back with 

a constable, and he was then 

turned out of the house. He was 

still living there, and had seen the 

complainant several times and had 

been on friendly terms with him. 

He denied ever having been in 

complainant's wife's bedroom, and 

that this was the first he had heard 

of it. He also denied being under 

the influence of drink. He acted as 

a personal servant to Mr Phillips, 

who had been in ill health. There 

had been no improper relationship 

between him and his mistress, 

Mrs Phillips. Mr Phillips had never 

suggested that he should leave. 

He had frequently stopped the 

complainant whilst in drink from 

committing acts of violence on Mrs 

Phillips. 

Mrs Phillips, the wife of the 

complainant, was next called. She 

is of prepossessing appearance 

and smartly dressed. She stated 

that on the night of the 30th, she 

came in late and went to the 

complainant's bedroom to demand 

an explanation of something 

she had heard in the village. The 

complainant would not open the 

door, and she kicked the panel in. 

The defendant was not there. She 

had never misconducted herself 

with the defendant, and he had 

never been in her bedroom. It was 

an abominable falsehood for the 

complainant to say that he had. 

Her husband had on 

numerous occasions 

committed acts of 

violence on her. He had 

struck her, thrown a 

lamp at her, and bruised 

her. She was not under 

the influence of drink on 

the night in question. 

The Bench bound the 

defendant over to the 

sum of £10 to keep the 

peace for six months. 

The Cardiff Times 

25th January 1873 

A PUBLIC NUISANCE 

At the Petty Sessions, 

held on Monday, 

before Mr G. Phillips, 

Mr F. C. Vaehell, Mr 

T. W. Booker, and 

Mr G. C. Williams, 

William Llewellyn was 

summoned, at the 

instance of Inspector 

Thorney, for keeping 

a pigsty close to the 

highway at the Llandaff Yard, which 

was a public nuisance because of 

the stench. 

The defendant was ordered to 

pay 6s. 6d. costs, and the case 

was remanded for a fortnight, in 

order to give him time to remove 

the nuisance. Defendant was also 

summoned for allowing a pig to 

stray on the 8th Dec. last. The case 

was, however, dismissed. 

ANOTHER NUISANCE—Mr R.E.W. 

Lewis was summoned by Inspector 

Thorney for permitting a nuisance 

upon his premises. 

The defendant denied the 

nuisance he was charged with. 

The Bench said what he was 

charged with was keeping a privy 

in a dilapidated state. Inspector 

Thorney said that there was 

an offence smell also arising 

therefrom. Defendant said he 

would not acknowledge the 

existence of a nuisance. 

Police-sergeant Roberts 

corroborated the evidence for the 

prosecution. The defendant was 

then ordered to pay the costs of the 

case, and was allowed a fortnight to 

abate the nuisance. The defendant 

declared that he would not pay the 

costs, and left the court. 

OPENING DURING ILLEGAL 

HOURS—Henry Andrews, landlord 

of the Insole Arms, was charged 

with keeping his house open after 

hours. Sarah Andrews, a witness for 

the defence, stated that the person 

history 

who was in the house drinking was 

a friend, and that they were merely 

having a friendly glass together. 

Inspector Thorney deposed that 

at ten minutes past twelve on the 

morning of the 5th, in company of 

Sergeant John, he was passing by 

the Insole Arms, when he heard 

sounds of voices, and afterwards 

saw the landlord and his brother 

bring a man named William Deane 

out of the house. 

The Inspector then went into 

the house. The man mentioned 

(William Deare) was quite drunk, 

and supported by the landlord. 

Witness was cross examined by Mr 

Blelloch, but nothing material was 

elicited on behalf of the defence. 

Sergeant John corroborated the 

Inspector's statement in a great 

measure, but said he could not 

say positively that the man really 

required or was supported by the 

landlord or his brother, although 

there was no doubt but that he was 

drunk. 

Mr Blelloch denied the allegation 

that the man Deane was staggering 

drunk, and said that he had met 

with an accident some time ago, 

and in consequence had walked 

lamely since, and this had given 

rise to the notion entertained by the 

Police inspector that the man was 

drunk and staggering. The Bench, 

after hearing the various evidence, 

cautioned the defendant and 

dismissed the case. William Deane, 

the man stated to have been upon 

the premises drunk, was then also 

dismissed. 

33

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pets 

Your pet 

questions 

answered 

Chris Troughton is clinical director of Heath Vets. He’s here to answer all your pet 

questions. If you’d like to ask Chris a pet-related question, drop us a line 

We have a young bitch and 

somewhere along the line, it’s 

likely that she’ll have her own 

litter. I have no idea what to do 

when this happens – we don’t 

take her to the vets to give 

birth like we humans do with 

hospitals do we? Is there any 

guidance you can give us if she 

has her pups at home? 

Reading between the lines, I 

gather that your bitch is not a 

pedigree dog that you plan to 

breed. If she is, you need to find 

a professional stud dog for her, 

and his owner will no doubt be 

able to give you plenty of advice, 

and of course, so will your vet. 

If you are not intending a 

deliberate mating but are 

preparing to ‘let nature take 

its course’, I would beg you to 

think again! Where will you find 

homes for the puppies? You 

may have friends and relatives 

who say they would love one 

of her puppies because she’s 

so lovely, but you might have 

9 or 10 puppies for whom 

you need homes. The dogs’ 

homes are overflowing with 

unwanted dogs. Most of them 

are mongrels who started life as 

cute puppies but their owners 

lost interest as they grew up 

or got too big. I’m sure you 

wouldn’t wish this fate on your 

puppies, but you just can’t tell 

what will happen. 

There is an old wives’ tale that 

says having a litter of puppies 

is good for the dog, but there 

is absolutely no truth in this 

belief. In addition, pregnancy 

and giving birth carries risks for 

your dog - she might need a 

caesarean or other intervention 

from the vet. This is both costly 

for you and painful for her. 

Please take my advice – get 

your bitch spayed so that you 

don’t add to the problem of 

unwanted stray dogs, and you 

keep her safe. 

Quite often, my dog will suffer a 

bad stomach. I think it could be 

something he eats when he’s 

out walking (he eats all manner 

of things!) but sometimes, 

that isn’t the case. Some of 

the smells coming from his 

backside are horrendous but 

it does settle down after a few 

days. Is there anything we can 

do to shorten the length of time 

he has these bouts for, and do 

we need to worry about any 

long-term conditions? 

Dogs are naturally scavengers 

and will eat anything they come 

across, no matter how rotten 

or dirty – in fact, the smellier 

the better! As a result, they 

frequently get stomach upsets, 

with symptoms of sickness 

and/or diarrhoea, which usually 

resolve in a few days, with or 

without medical intervention. 

Some dogs seem much 

more prone to this problem, 

and this may be because they 

scavenge more, or it may be 

that their digestive system is 

less robust than other dogs. 

You say that sometimes your 

dog gets problems when he 

hasn’t eaten anything – but, he 

could have found and quickly 

eaten something small that you 

didn’t notice, or even just licked 

something off his paw when he 

got home. 

When your dog has an attack, 

the first thing you need to do 

is to give his digestive system 

a rest. Withhold food for 12-24 

hours, then give him small meals 

of a bland food. Ideally, get 

special food designed for this 

purpose from your vet, or cook 

for him a mixture of boiled rice 

and boiled white fish or chicken. 

It may be helpful to give him 

probiotics, available over the 

counter from your vet, as these 

seem to speed recovery. 

In the longer term, it may be 

worth changing your dog’s food. 

We are becoming increasingly 

aware of the importance of the 

intestinal ‘microbiome’ for many 

aspects of health in people 

and pets, and it may be that 

the reason your dog suffers 

so often from stomach upsets 

is to do with an imbalance 

in his microbiome. Your vet 

will be able to give you more 

information. 

As far as longer-term 

conditions are concerned, it 

is possible (though unlikely) 

that these episodes reflect a 

developing bowel problem 

(for example, inflammatory 

bowel disease), and if they are 

getting more frequent or more 

prolonged or your dog is losing 

weight, you should get your vet 

to check him over. 

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A splash 

of colour 

The Season of Spring is a time for rebirth and reawakening. Kevin Revell 

takes a look at the perennials that can add a splash of colour to your spring garden 

Spring seems to be the longest of 

the seasons, stretching from the 

uncertain flowering of the first bulbs 

to the first rose of summer. 

Winter flowers don’t count 

– spring is at hand when the 

snowdrops fade, not when their 

buds emerge tentatively through 

residual snow; nor the mini crepe 

paper streamer-like flowers of 

winter-flowering witch hazel or 

Hamamellis. Other shrubs such 

as the bright yellow flowers of 

Forsythia or the shocking pink of 

the flowering currant or Ribes are 

more reliable indicators of spring. 

The procession of bulb flowers 

from early crocus, dwarf iris and 

38 

compact Narcissus ‘Tete a Tete’ or 

‘February Gold’ are soon caught 

up by a fanfare of golden trumpets 

from ‘proper’ tall daffodils such as 

‘Dutch Master’ and ‘King Arthur’. 

Finally, there's the onset of the 

tulip season, from the huge yellow 

goblets of Dutch hybrids like 

‘Golden Apeldoorn' to the dark and 

mysterious purple ‘Queen of the 

Night’. 

The large forms of trees broadcast 

the arrival of spring; the tactile, 

fluffy white catkins of pussy willow, 

usually grown in the more compact 

form of weeping Kilmarnock 

willow, are a seasonal treat when 

the golden anthers emerge. 

Magnolias are 

the real harbinger 

of spring; downy 

winter buds begin 

to split in March, 

revealing pale pink 

petticoats beneath. 

Furry sepals are 

discarded like 

an unwanted 

winter coat as the 

expanding petals 

bloom in the 

warming spring 

air. They open out into surprisingly 

large chalices which while not 

fragrant in the normal sense, have a 

strange, heavy musky scent which 

once noted, becomes a recognised 

indicator of spring. A magnolia in full 

sail is an impressive sight. The usual 

colour is somewhere between 

blush and flesh pink with a central 

stain of deep pink on each petal. 

An extraordinary transformation 

occurs in early February when 

previously unremarkable trees 

reveal themselves to be the 

ornamental plum, Prunus 

ceracifera, as pale lavender-pink 

blossom billows across suburbia. 

There is no going back now - spring 

is truly sprung. 

Ornamental cherry blossom soon 

follows; Prunus ‘Okame’ is among 

the first, shortly followed by a 

plethora of Japanese hybrids such 

as the bright pink Prunus ‘Kanzan’ 

or the Great White Cherry, Prunus 

‘Tai Haku’. For a few weeks, Britain’s 

parks and gardens resemble 

those of some Eastern paradise, 

westerly gales and April showers 

notwithstanding. Next comes 

pretty, fragrant crab apple blossom 

before the darker pink ornamental

gardens 

hawthorn and finally laburnum as 

spring slides imperceptibly into 

summer. 

North Cardiff is fortunate in having 

many roads with substantial front 

gardens which lend amenity to the 

whole area when properly cared 

for. We owe a debt of gratitude 

to previous owners who had the 

foresight to plant a selection of 

trees and shrubs which chart the 

passage of spring. In an ideal world, 

any one garden would contain 

a number of these components 

but realistically, each will only 

contain one or two trees, which 

make it worthwhile borrowing 

the landscape of a neighbouring 

garden and planting different trees 

to complement them, extending the 

season of interest. 

Fruit trees are another reliable 

gauge of the arrival of spring in the 

garden with star-spangled white 

plum trees, shortly followed by 

pears and finally, pink buds opening 

to pure white of apple blossom. 

These light up the garden before 

scattering their floral confetti 

around the garden. 

The longer daylength and 

warming soil sees the first stirrings 

of herbaceous perennials which 

have lain dormant as roots and 

storage organs below ground 

throughout winter. From the blanket 

of fallen decomposing leaves, 

shoots of early plants are now 

emerging, such as the delicate 

Dicentra spectablis better known 

as Bleeding heart. Pulmonarias 

or Lungwort are another group of 

early flowering plants; short sprays 

of pendulous tubular flowers much 

loved by bees emerge from clumps 

of foliage in shades of blue, mauve, 

pink or white. 

Once the flowers have faded, a 

fresh flush of blotched, spotted 

leaves emerge which, in times past, 

were regarded as being similar 

in appearance to the surface 

of ulcerated lungs, hence the 

common name of lungwort. The 

pink-flowered ‘Raspberry Splash’ 

and the patriotically named ‘Blue 

Ensign’ are among the more 

popular varieties. The perennial 

wallflower, Erysimum ‘Bowles 

Mauve’ is another plant that will 

bloom all year in a sheltered spot 

given half a chance but is perhaps 

most noticeable in early spring. 

The bright yellow Erysimum 

‘Fragrant Sunshine’ benefits from 

sweetly smelling flowers and 

many other red or multi-coloured 

forms are now becoming popular. 

Of course, if you had the foresight 

to obtain biennial wallflowers in 

autumn, you will now be seeing 

the benefit as masses of fragrant 

flowers are produced on tall plants 

in early spring. It’s not all about 

flowers at this time of year and 

much pleasure is to be gained 

from seeing the emergent growth 

of herbaceous perennials greeting 

the new growing season with great 

vigour. 

Unfurling fern croziers emerge 

from unlikely shady places, taking 

their place in the weak sunshine 

before they are shaded out by the 

developing canopy of overhanging 

trees. 

Time spent in the garden in early 

spring is precious as the jobs that 

used to be done in autumn such as 

cutting back and clearing leaves 

can be completed now, having 

given shelter to wildlife throughout 

the winter. Missed pruning 

opportunities will soon be regretted 

as the weather improves and plants 

burst into life once more, whether 

we are ready for it or not. 

Day by day, the garden changes 

as leaves unfurl, hesitantly at 

first but soon with an urgency 

that is hard to contain as shoots 

race up and flowers erupt into an 

abundance of colour. Even if growth 

has begun on plants such as roses, 

it is still best to cut them hard back 

to encourage healthy new growth, 

which will flower more strongly later 

in the year. 

Some days must be abandoned 

due to bad weather but get 

wrapped up and get out on the 

increasingly bright dry days which 

can be celebrated, although still 

sometimes on the cold side. 

39

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End 

to 

End 

Written in 1988, Ernest Broad recalls an imaginary walk through his 

childhood Whitchurch. This first part of his journey takes us from Violet 

Place, through Whitchurch Common and up to Bishop's Road 

Violet Place is where I once lived, 

prior to the 1939-1945 War. This 

street was badly hit by the bombs 

of German aircraft with fatal 

casualties. It may be of interest to 

know the reason that I left Violet 

Place was that the rent of the 

house was fourteen shillings a 

week. I think that explains it. 

At the corner of Wauntreoda Road 

was a butcher’s shop. The house 

next door was used for the register 

of births and deaths. Opposite, on 

the corner of Birchgrove Road, was 

the house where Richard Lougher, 

the village blacksmith lived. He and 

his wife walked to St Mary’s Church 

every Sunday morning, both always 

wearing black with Mr Lougher in a 

top hat. 

On the opposite corner was a 

bakery run by Mr Keeping, noted 

for his good baking. Further along 

was a newsagent shop run by a Mr 

Loveluck Jenkins. 

Nearing the common, we come to 

Flays Farm where they kept shire 

horses to pull the big dust carts 

for the refuse of the village. At the 

beginning of the Common on the 

left was Rosedene, the only house 

at that time on that side. 

On the right was Ealing Dean 

where lived Mr Eli Rees, whose 

son built most of the Greenclose 

Estate. On the other side stood the 

Three Elms public house, the name 

of which was taken from three 

42 

Part One 

elm trees which stood outside the 

Ararat church wall. 

Between the Three Elms and the 

Whitchurch brook, the Blacksmith’s 

shop of Mr Lougher stood, at the 

side of which was an opening to 

the brook. Within here was an iron 

plate, used to fit the iron bands on 

cart wheels as required. At one 

time, the Baptist minister used to 

use this opening to baptise his flock 

in the brook. 

Over the College Road bridge and 

alongside the brook, was Island 

Cottage Private School, where 

people who could afford it, sent 

their children. This was run by a 

very able schoolmistress called 

Miss Evans. Island Cottage was so 

called because the brook ran both 

sides of it, fed by a watercourse at 

the top of a one time waterfall. This 

same watercourse ran down to the 

Little Mill, driving the wheel of the 

mill. 

At the back of Island Cottage was 

a 14-acre field called the Polo Field 

where polo was played. There was 

a pavilion where refreshments 

were provided to the polo players. 

Where the Funeral Home house 

stands was the house where Mr 

Jones, who cared for the stables of 

polo ponies, lived. At the back of 

the stables, there were cow sheds 

which housed cows belonging to 

Mr Fred Hale, a local farmer. 

To digress, Miss Evans the 

schoolmistress had two bachelor 

brothers who lived with her. One 

was going grey of hair so he dyed 

it black. Something was wrong with 

Delivery van at Jupps Confectionery, Brook Road, Whitchurch

the dye because it turned out olive 

green and was like it for years. 

On the left-hand bank of the 

Whitchurch Brook was the old 

sweet factory. It was first started by 

the Jupp family who took the name 

of Cecil Sweets Ltd. At first, it was 

an old army hut erected in the lane 

behind Brook Road. They sold the 

sweets they made there to all the 

children in the village. 

Later, another factory was built 

by Edwin Williams, and the firm 

expanded their sales to the 

Rhondda and Wye valleys. 

Down the lane across the road, 

alongside the brook, was the 

workshop and yard of Edwin 

Williams and Son, a builder of no 

mean repute. His works include 

Tabernacle Chapel, two houses on 

Brook Road and four houses on 

Merthyr Road. He also built a row of 

houses in Glandwr Place, which is 

at right angles to Merthyr Road. 

His biggest job was the mansion 

called Coryton, once used by 

the Post Office. It was built for Sir 

Herbert Cory, who lived there for 

many years. 

Another two of his major jobs 

were the Parish Council offices in 

Bishop's Road and the Old Police 

Station in Llandaff City. Part of 

Church Road was also built by him. 

It was the firm I was apprenticed 

to, which was to my advantage to 

learn a good trade. Incidentally, 

Tabernacle Chapel had one of 

the first suspended ceilings ever 

installed, the whole of the ceiling 

consisting of two inch by one inch 

wooden battens. 

Next but one to the Merthyr Road 

premises of Mr Williams was the 

farm house mentioned before. 

There was a dairy at the rear with 

stables for the milk cart which 

was driven by Isabelle, Fred Hale's 

daughter who ran the farm. This 

Lower end of Merthyr Road at the turn of the century 

house was later converted into two 

shops. Further up the road on the 

left was a lane leading to a large 

yard owned by Fred Hale. In the 

yard was a large open barn, used 

to stack hay and corn. There were 

also large stables with farm horses 

used for ploughing etc. This is now 

Blandon Way. 

Approaching Bishop's Road on the 

opposite side was the Post Office. 

The second hospital evacuation unit of the United States Army 

presents Whitchurch with an avenue of trees in gratitude for the 

hospitality given to them during World War II. 

This was a farm run by Mr Tom 

Samuel, whose cows used to cross 

the road into Bishop's Road and on 

the right-hand side were the fields 

where they would graze. Another 

grazing ground were the fields at 

the back of the farm where the 

school now stands. 

The shop where Seconds used 

to be, was a grocer’s shop kept by 

Mr Richard Day, which also had a 

bake house at the rear. In the lane 

at the back of this were several 

large sheds where there was a 

taxi service with one taxi, a Ford, 

with the number B.O.500. This 

was plied by Mr Stockford. In one 

of the sheds was a hansom cab 

which was also for hire. This was 

feature history 

driven by Mr William Hill, who also 

ran a haulage business. I recall an 

amusing incident related to this. 

Mr Williams the builder hired Mr 

Hill to haul some heavy timbers to 

Radyr Electrical sub-station. The 

timbers were required to make a 

gantry to lower a transformer into 

the sub-station. 

Mr Hill had a large white mule 

to pull the cart which was flat 

bottomed. On seeing the heavy 

load, Mr Hill hired a gypsy’s horse 

from where they were camping on 

the Common. The gypsy insisted 

on going as well. 

They started out from Merthyr 

Road and myself and a labourer 

went on our cycles by a short cut 

over the river bridge. On arriving, 

we expected a quarter of an hour 

wait, but this wait lasted much 

longer. Mr Williams turned up and 

asked where Mr Hill was. We didn’t 

know, so he asked me to go on my 

cycle and see if I could find him. 

I found him at the bottom of the 

steep hill into Radyr. On enquiring, 

what was wrong, Mr Hill said they 

couldn’t pull the load up the hill. 

So, I suggested he unload half 

it and then come back for it. He 

said he would have another try by 

galloping along the flat before the 

hill. 

Now the gypsy’s horse was 

harnessed in front of the white 

mule so they started off. Halfway 

up the hill, the front horse stopped 

and the mule landed on top of him, 

whereupon Mr Hill and the gypsy 

came to blows. When all this fuss 

had calmed down, they decided to 

unload half the timbers and return 

for them. Upon eventually arriving 

at the sub-station, Mr Hill asked 

me to loan him tuppence for a 

packet of cigarettes as he only had 

sovereigns in a pouch. I don’t think 

Mr Williams made a lot of profit out 

of that job. 

43

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Vibrant 

Vegan 

Going vegan doesn't mean that you have to compromise on taste. 

Here are some easy recipes to make the most of your vegetables 

Tomato soup 

1 tbsp olive oil 

1 small red onion, diced 

800g can of whole peeled tomatoes 

240ml water 

1 tsp dried oregano 

1 tsp dried basil 

1 tsp smoked paprika 

salt to taste 

80ml light coconut milk 

The Burger 

2 tbsp olive oil 

2 red onions, diced 

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

1 tsp ground coriander 

½ tsp ground cumin 

pinch ground turmeric 

1 hot red chilli, finely chopped 

1 bunch fresh coriander and the 

stalks, finely shredded 

2 x 400g tins cooked chickpeas, 

drained 

1 lemon, juice only 

250g ground polenta 

2 tbsp sunflower oil 

salt and freshly ground black 

pepper 

burger buns 

salad and vegan mayonnaise 

46 

☐ Heat the olive oil in a pan and 

fry the onion and garlic for ten 

minutes until soft. Add the spices 

and coriander and cook for another 

minute. Remove from the heat. 

☐ Pulse the chickpeas in a blender 

with the onion spice mix. Taste, 

season with salt and pepper, and 

add a squeeze of lemon juice. Form 

the mixture into stiff patties and set 

aside in the fridge until you are ready 

to cook. 

☐ When ready to cook the burgers, 

sprinkle the polenta onto a plate and 

press the burgers onto the polenta. 

Heat the sunflower oil in a pan and 

fry the burgers on both sides until 

cooked through. 

☐ Serve in the buns with the salad 

and mayonnaise. 

☐ Heat the olive oil in a heavybottomed 

pot, over a medium-low 

heat. When the pot is hot, add the 

onions and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, 

until the onions are soft. Stir often to 

keep the onions from burning. 

☐ Add the entire can of whole 

tomatoes, including the liquid, and 

1 cup of water. Using the back of a 

wooden spoon, gently smash the 

tomatoes. Add dried oregano, dried 

basil, paprika, and a pinch of salt. 

Raise the heat to medium and bring 

everything to the boil. Let the soup 

simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Turn off 

the heat. Let the soup cool off for 

5 minutes before transferring to a 

blender to blend. 

☐ Return the soup to the pot and stir in 

the coconut milk. 

☐ Serve in bowls with black pepper, 

basil leaves, and cashew cream, if you 

like.

Buddha bowl 

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 

60g sunflower seeds 

2 tbsp hemp seeds (optional) 

2 tbsp unhulled sesame seeds 

3 cloves garlic 

handful fresh parsley 

handful fresh coriander 

1/2 small red onion, chopped 

1 tsp ground cumin 

1/2 tsp sea salt 

1/4 tsp black pepper 

2 tbsp tahini 

2 tsp olive oil (or coconut oil) 

2 tbsp buckwheat flour 

cashew dressing 

115g quinoa, cooked and cooled 

1 romaine lettuce 

1 cucumber, diced 

100g cherry tomatoes, halved or cut 

into quarters 

handful of black beans 

shredded beets, carrots, chopped 

radishes, and peppers 

guacamole (optional) 

kimchi (optional) 

hummus (optional) 

☐ To make the falafel, add the 

chickpeas, parsley, coriander, onion, 

cumin, salt, and pepper into a food 

processor and process for a minute 

or until the chickpeas and sunflower 

seeds start breaking up and forming 

a rough dough. 

☐ Add the tahini and oil and pulse in 

the processor a few times. 

☐ Add the flour and process until it's 

well incorporated. 

☐ Form small balls with your hands 

(about 1 tbsp) and then flatten them 

out to create small patties. You can 

roll each falafel in sesame seeds if 

you want to add a bit of crunch to 

food 

them. Bake for 25-30 minutes until 

golden, turning halfway after 15 

minutes. 

☐ To make the salad, mix the quinoa 

and the lettuce (about 50g quinoa 

per person) with 2-3 tbsp of the 

dressing (for each bowl). 

☐ Plate and top with the diced 

cucumber, cherry tomatoes, falafel, 

and other toppings of choice. 

☐ Drizzle with more dressing and 

sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. 

Basil and 

avocado on 

toast 

1 avocado 

juice of one lemon 

handful of basil leaves 

two slices of bread 

salt and pepper to taste 

☐ Wash the basil leaves and pat 

dry with kitchen towel. 

☐ Slice open the avocado and 

remove the stone by pushing 

the blade of a knife into it and 

twisting it. Scoop out the flesh of 

the avocado and place in a small 

bowl. 

☐ Toast two slices of bread in a 

toaster. 

☐ Mash the avocado with a fork, 

adding the juice of one lemon. 

Add to the toast when ready. 

☐ Season with salt and pepper to 

taste and finally add basil leaves 

on the top. 

47

Whitchurch and Llandaff Living Issue 57

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