Whitchurch and Llandaff Living Issue 58

News | People | Features | Competitions | Lifestyle 

Whitchurch & 

Llandaff Living 

At the heart of the community Issue 58 Summer '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 

Meet Samantha 

Brown, who has 

left her 9 to 5 job 

to begin a new 

life as a digital 

nomad on the 

road 

Green Mile 

Movement 

The brotherhood 

that's pushing to 

improve men's 

mental and 

physical health 

Northern 

Meadows 

Find out how 

a campaign 

is fighting to 

save precious 

meadow land in 

Whitchurch 

Merthyr Road 

Historian Steve 

Nicholas takes a 

pictorial trip down 

Whitchurch's 

Merthyr Road 

through time 

Autumn deadline: 

14th September 2020 

Published late September 2020 

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 

Welcome to your 

Summer issue of 

Whitchurch and Llandaff 

Living. 

It's certainly been a few 

eventful months since 

our Spring issue was 

published back in March. 

Our lives have perhaps 

changed forever but we 

take some comfort in 

the constants of life. We 

hope that this Summer issue 

will bring you some source of 

continuity. 

The global pandemic has 

touched all of our lives in 

so many different ways. For 

some, it's been a time of grief. 

For many, it's been a time of 

uncertainty and worry. 

One thing that the pandemic 

has done is given us a new 

appreciation of the beauty that 

is on our doorstep. Nowhere has 

this been made more prominent 

than Whitchurch's Northern 

Meadows, situated between 

Asda and Whitchurch Hospital. 

The beauty spot is currently 

earmarked for development in 

the next few years but residents 

have launched a campaign 

to save what's become their 

sanctuary during the lockdown. 

We also hear from several key 

workers from the community, 

who have worked while some 

of us were ordered to stay at 

home. These people have been 

instrumental in keeping our lives 

moving, even in the middle of a 

global pandemic. 

Children also have their 

say about how the virus has 

impacted their lives as they try 

to adapt to a new way of living 

and learning. 

One man who decided to do 

something positive with his free 

time is Joel Piacentini, a financial 

adviser who loves to create 

music. Joel set up his own online 

band with each member playing 

in isolation, and you can read 

about their performances that 

have been seen around the 

world. 

Another person who has used 

their free time to good use is 

former Bishop of Llandaff pupil 

Samantha Brown, who decided 

to pack in her day job and travel 

the world as a digital nomad. 

She now works freelance from 

her camper van as she crisscrosses 

the globe. 

Writing can help you express 

feelings and begin to come to 

terms with emotional trauma. 

If you're feeling creative, we've 

put together a short guide 

that shows you how to pen a 

short story, whether it's just for 

yourself or for publication. 

Up in Taff's Well, a new 

brotherhood has formed to 

help men in particular, with their 

physical and mental health. Run 

by a former commando, the 

Green Mile Movement aims to 

bring positivity to our area and 

beyond. 

Our financial security is one 

thing that's taken a hit these 

last few months, especially with 

the turmoil of the employment 

market. With that in mind, we've 

got some work-from-home 

ideas that you can get started 

on straight away. And there is no 

better time to prioritise our wellbeing 

so we've got some helpful 

tips for you. 

Some familiar features return 

as Steve Nicholas takes a look 

at Whitchurch's Merthyr Road 

through times gone by. Local 

gardener Kevin Revell is also on 

hand to show us how gardening 

can be a therapeutic activity that 

promotes wellbeing. 

We do hope that you continue 

to stay safe during these 

summer months. We'll be back 

in late September with our 

Autumn issue. Until then, take 

care and enjoy the summer 

sunshine. 

Danielle and Patric 

Editors 

@WhitchurchandLlandaffLiving 

@livingmagazinescardiff 

www.facebook.com/ 

whitchurchandllandaffliving

news 

Transport for 

Wales bus pilot 

extends to north 

Cardiff 

Residents walk to protest at 

Northern Meadows plans 

Residents in Whitchurch have 

protested at the planned building 

of a £180m cancer centre on the 

Northern Meadows. 

Around 300 protesters marched 

through Whitchurch in July to make 

their voices heard. 

The new Velindre Cancer Centre, 

which includes a hospital, is 

planned to be built on a greenfield 

site between Whitchurch Hospital 

and the Asda superstore at Coryton, 

commonly known as the Northern 

Meadows. Residents have argued 

that the development will cause 

irreversible damage to the area. 

Damage to wildlife and a loss of 

green space are other realistic 

outcomes should the plans go 

ahead, they say. 

The new hospital is set to 

replace the current 60-year-old 

establishment on Velindre Road. 

The plans for the new development 

were approved by Cardiff Council in 

Community Hub reopens 

Llandaff North & Gabalfa Hub has 

reopened to customers, on an 

appointment-only basis (except for 

emergency cases). 

Green recycling and food waste 

bags can be collected too, without 

the need for an appointment. 

2018. 

A notice at the Save the Northern 

Meadows website said: 

"We recognise the serious need 

to update cancer services in Wales. 

But we believe this site should 

never have been granted planning 

permission in the first place due to 

its inaccessibility and its proximity to 

the nature reserve. 

"These fundamental flaws in 

the location of the site mean 

any attempt to access it will cut 

a significant number of adult 

trees in the construction of two 

bridges and a temporary access 

road. It will break up an important 

wildlife corridor, ruin a historic 

representation of Welsh industrial 

history and disrupt pedestrian 

access to public amenities." 

More details of the campaign 

can be found at www. 

savethenorthernmeadows.wales 

Customers will also be able to 

access the new click and collect 

library service, as well as a range 

of advice services such as Into 

Work, housing, benefits and money 

advice, when enquiries cannot be 

dealt with over the phone or email. 

Transport for Wales (TfW) is 

working in partnership with Cardiff 

Council and NAT Group to extend 

the ‘fflecsi’ pilot scheme to north 

Cardiff. 

Fflecsi allows people to request 

a demand-responsive bus to pick 

them up near home, work or shops 

for essential travel, rather than 

following a set timetable at fixed 

bus stops. 

After the initial success in 

Newport, the pilot scheme is now 

being rolled out in north Cardiff as 

the next stage in its development. 

The NAT G1 route, which became 

a fflecsi service on 29th June, 

runs between Gwaelod-y-garth 

and Mynachdy, covering areas 

including Whitchurch, Tongwynlais, 

Melingriffith, Llandaff North and 

Coryton. 

Service areas have been designed 

for essential journeys and will 

include key destinations such as 

the University Hospital of Wales, 

Velindre Cancer Centre, Llandaf 

railway station and supermarkets. 

Caro Wild, Cabinet Member for 

Strategic Planning and Transport at 

Cardiff Council, said: 

“I am pleased that Cardiff is 

trialling this technology and new 

way of working. Before the Covid19 

pandemic, the Council set out our 

strategic vision for the city through 

our Transport White Paper." 

As part of the pilot scheme in 

Cardiff, fflecsi services will run 

between 07:40 and 18:00, Monday 

to Saturday. Riders will be able 

to book a seat through the fflecsi 

mobile app, or by calling 0300 

234 0300. To book, riders select 

a desired pick-up and drop-off 

location, and will be matched with 

a seat in a high-capacity bus that is 

fully compliant with public health 

guidelines for social distancing. 

3

news 

Rodent 

problems 

'made worse 

by lockdown' 

Cardiff Council has said that 

rats have become more of a 

problem in the affluent areas 

of Cardiff since the start of 

lockdown. 

The local authority's pest 

control department has 

responded to a 'significant 

rise' in calls for help with 

rodents. 

Council workers have seen 

a 'marked shift' from rental 

areas with a high number 

of takeaways to the more 

affluent areas of Cardiff. 

These include Whitchurch, 

Rhiwbina, Thornhill and 

Pontprennau. 

Experts say that the closure 

of restaurants and the retreat 

by humans indoors is having 

an effect on the eating habits 

and behaviour of rats. 

5G mast 

objected to 

The Llandaff Society has 

objected to a planned 20m tall 

5G mast. 

The mast is earmarked 

to be built outside Cardiff 

Metropolitan University, 

Western Avenue, Llandaff. 

In a letter, the Llandaff Society 

said the 20m tall pole would 

be 'unacceptable' as it would 

have a negative impact on 

the area and would be placed 

on an 'already over-crowded' 

footway. Residents have also 

objected to the plans. 

In all, 24 5G masts are planned 

to be erected across the city as 

part of mobile phone networks 

Three and Vodafone. 

4 

Insole Court awarded National Lottery 

Funding for COVID support 

Insole Court, a Victorian mansion 

and gardens, in Llandaff has 

secured over £170,000 of grant 

funding from the National Lottery’s 

Coronavirus support schemes. 

The National Lottery Heritage 

Fund and The National Lottery 

Community Fund have both agreed 

to support the Insole Court Trust 

as it responds to the Covid19 

crisis. The Arts Council of Wales 

has also awarded a grant from its 

‘Stabilisation fund for organisations.’ 

Since reopening to the public in 

2016, Insole Court has become 

a popular venue for events such 

as weddings, concerts and food 

festivals but closed in March at 

the beginning of the lockdown. 

Although it has reopened its café 

Cyclist hurt 

after accident 

Police are appealing for information 

after a cyclist was knocked off 

her bicycle by a hit-and-run 

motorcyclist on Cardiff's Western 

Avenue in Llandaff. 

The woman was crossing the 

pedestrian crossing near Llandaff 

RFC, when she was hit by a passing 

motorcyclist on July 18th. She 

was knocked clear of her bike and 

needed hospital treatment for 

several broken bones. 

Police say that the motorcyclist 

was wearing a black motorcycling 

jacket with grey detailing, and failed 

to stop at the scene. They have 

urged anyone with information to 

come forward. 

and gift shop, the Insole Court Trust 

has lost a significant amount of 

income from cancelled events and 

the funding will help to cover the 

charity’s costs. 

Insole Court’s Director, Gray Hill, 

explained: 

“We’re delighted to have secured 

this funding from the National 

Lottery and the Arts Council of 

Wales. The Coronavirus crisis has 

had a severe impact on the charity, 

and this support will allow us to 

rebuild, protect jobs and keep 

Insole Court free and open for the 

people of Cardiff. 

“We are immensely grateful to the 

National Lottery and its players who 

have made this support possible.” 

Student wins 

Diana Award 

A 16 year old student was just one 

of two people to receive an award 

in memory of Princess Diana for his 

work with an anti-bullying charity. 

Declan Andrews-Jones from 

Whitchurch, is a youth ambassador 

with the award-winning charity 

Bullies Out, which uses positive and 

practical solutions as it engages, 

empowers and inspires young 

people to overcome bullying, and 

to achieve their full potential. 

Declan is a student at Hawthorn 

High School and a Peer Mentor 

at the school, providing support 

for anyone who may experience 

bullying.

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 

New Cancer Centre 

plan is archaic 

I am a Whitchurch resident and 

a Consultant Interventional 

Radiologist at Cardiff and Vale 

University Health Board. Over 90% 

of my professional work as a doctor 

is related to cancer. The views I 

express here are my own. 

The environmental arguments 

against destroying the Northern 

Meadows are clear. I don’t need 

to reiterate these. The reason for 

writing is regarding good modern 

cancer care of the population in the 

21st century. 

Cardiff and Vale University Health 

Board is responsible for the health 

and well-being of the whole 

population, which is set out in the 

Aims of the Health Board. 

There is no doubt taking away the 

Northern Meadows as they currently 

are from the local population 

would be hugely detrimental to 

physical and mental well-being. But 

developing a stand-alone nonsurgical 

Cancer Centre is an archaic 

model. Here's why: 

Cancer treatment has become 

more complex, and cancer patients 

have increasingly complex issues 

frequently needing input from other 

medical and surgical specialties. 

If they become severely unwell in 

Velindre, they are transferred to 

UHW in an ambulance. Other new 

cancer service developments are 

using a different, better model with 

specialties on the same site, such as 

surgery, cardiology, interventional 

radiology, gastroenterology, 

respiratory medicine, intensive care 

and others. In other words, modern 

cancer services are physically linked 

to larger acute hospitals. 

I completely understand why the 

clinical and managerial leaders 

at Velindre wish to retain their 

autonomy, which they currently 

have. But they continue to disregard 

other options, and the reviews 

and option appraisals are either 

outdated or secretive such as the 

Barrett Review. The world has 

changed with COVID-19, increasing 

the importance of outdoor spaces 

for communities. 

This model for cancer care is 

outdated before it is built. There are 

therefore important issues to raise: 

• Can the 2017 Barrett Review of 

the plans be made public? If not, 

why not? 

• Is Velindre right and everywhere 

else in the UK wrong? 

• The new UHW build was not an 

option in the past but it is now, and 

needs revisiting urgently. 

• Has there been any recent 

engagement with Cardiff and 

Vale UHB as integration of cancer 

services on that site is now an 

option? 

• Has this been revisited as 

an option since the COVID-19 

pandemic? 

Those who oppose the new 

development and destruction of 

the Northern Meadows have been 

branded as anti 'cancer services' 

but this is not true, and is indeed 

offensive. The application must be 

called in and the proposed model of 

care reviewed. 

Dr Ashley Roberts 


A community alarmed 

and dismayed 

The Velindre campaign has sought 

assistance for its plans for a new 

hospital from public personalities 

such as Julie Morgan AM and 

Jonathan Davies. Unfortunately they 

are only armed with one side of the 

story much to the consternation of 

this community. 

Here are a few facts: 

• We were originally told that the 

proposal was not financially based. 

It is in fact part of a strategic plan 

to build a new facility financed in 

whole or in part by the development 

of the old Velindre and Whitchurch 

Hospital sites. Quid pro quo. 

• We were told that the Whitchurch 

Hospital site is too small. Not true. 

The footprint of the facility can be 

transposed comfortably onto the 

Velindre/Whitchurch Hospital site. 

• We are told that Whitchurch 

Hospital is a Grade 2 Listed building, 

consequently restricting its potential 

for development. One of the 

reasons that the old hospital site 

was listed is that it is "Included as 

the best example in Wales of a large 

mental hospital using echelon plan 

form, and for its special architectural 

interest." 

I assume that once the old site 

ceases to be a 'mental hospital', its 

grading will be instantly lost. 

• The impact and turmoil of years 

of building and construction on 

one site followed by the other will 

then be followed by the chaotic 

aftermath of both developed sites. 

• There are other advantages of 

using the brownfield site in that 

it has the attraction of a more 

regulated and gradual development 

over time. 

• The construction phase alone 

comes with intolerable traffic activity 

and turmoil. 

• Extensive alterations to the 

Coryton roundabout at Asda will 

predictably cause all sorts of traffic 

issues and disruption and lead 

to long term problems and wider 

implications to the economy of 

Cardiff centre. 

• These proposed alterations are 

exorbitant in cost and at taxpayers 

expense. 

• The whole planning system/ 

procedure is flawed, in favour of 

the developer/applicant who have 

years of professional and specialist 

interventions and are usually well 

resourced. The public have just 

weeks to act on their wits and 

individual intelligence. 

This is unjust and unfair. 

Terry Chard 


5

DESIGNED TO EXHILARATE 

Book a test drive° today, call us on 02020 601780 

VICTORIA PARK MAZDA 

Hadfield Road, Cardiff CF11 8AQ 

02020 601780 www.victoriapark-mazda.co.uk 

The official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the Mazda MX-5 range: Combined 37.2 (7.6) - 44.8 (6.3)^. 

CO 2 

emissions (g/km) 171 - 142^. 

Figures shown are for comparability purposes; only compare fuel consumption and CO 2 figures with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. These figures may not reflect real-life driving results, which 

will depend upon a number of factors including the accessories fitted (post-registration), variations in weather, driving styles and vehicle load. All figures quoted are derived from the latest WLTP test cycle.Retail 

sales only, subject to availability for vehicles registered between 01.06.20 and 30.09.20 at participating dealers. T&C apply. *0% APR Mazda Personal Contract Purchase available on all new Mazda models. 

^Duration of agreement: up to 46 months. Finance subject to status, 18s or over. Guarantee may be required. Mazda Financial Services RH1 1SR. Not available in conjunction with any other offer unless specified. 

Offer Model shown: Mazda MX-5 132ps R-Sport, OTR from £27,700. Mazda MX-5 model shown features free-of-charge Polymetal Grey paint. OTR price includes VAT, number plates, delivery, 12 months’ road fund 

licence, first registration fee, 3-year or 60,000-mile warranty and 3 years’ European roadside assistance. Test drives subject to applicant status and availability. Details correct at time of going to print. Victoria Park 

Motor Company Limited, trading as Victoria Park Mazda is a credit broker not a lender for this financial promotion. We can introduce you to a limited number of carefully selected finance providers and may 

receive a commission from them for the introduction.

Open Mon to Fri 10am to 5pm 

Saturday 10am to 4pm 

Home Delivery 

still available 

20% off all SS20 collections 

Independent Boutique in Rhiwbina 

Find us in Rhiwbina village 

Park outside the store in Lon Fach Shopping Mews 

9-11 Lon Fach 

Rhiwbeina 

CF14 6DY 

www.calonrhiwbeina.com 

tel: 07929 239012 

email: info@calonrhiwbeina.com 

Serving your 

local community 

CARDIFF BED & 

FURNITURE CENTRE 

Your local furniture store 

Beds • Sofas • Dining Sets •Home Delivery 

We will collect and dispose of replaced items 

47 Merthyr Road, Whitchurch, Cardiff CF14 1DB 

02920 615719 info@cardiffbedcentre.co.uk 

Open Mon-Fri 10am-5pm Sat 10am-4pm 

www.cardiffbedcentre.co.uk

Northern 

Meadows 

Whitchurch and Coryton's Northern Meadows have provided a 

green space for decades. Now they are under threat of destruction 

They have been the lifeline 

for many during the COVID19 

lockdown. A beauty spot that has 

allowed many to maintain their 

physical and emotional well-being; 

the living, breathing lungs of the 

local area. 

Yet Whitchurch’s Northern 

Meadows are now facing extinction 

of their own as residents fight to 

save them from the development of 

a new cancer treatment hospital. 

One of the old bridges 

along the footpaths 

The 23-acre site of meadow, 

ancient trees, shrub and grassland 

are earmarked for the new Velindre 

Hospital development. The area 

is bordered on three sides by the 

Forest Farm SSSI Nature Reserve 

an abundant, diverse wildlife haven, 

local heritage sites, housing and 

schools. 

David Powell, Velindre’s Project 

Leader said: 

“We have pledged to keep our 

selected site green. This means 

maintaining and enhancing 

community access, supporting the 

ecological diversity and natural 

environment of the site, while also 

implementing sustainable transport 

and a Green Travel Plan. 

“We want to provide patients 

with a better, more peaceful and 

restorative healing environment for 

treatment. The Northern Meadows 

provides a great site with planning 

permission to do this.” 

But residents are not happy. 

There are over 300 households in 

local community without a garden 

and locals say that the Northern 

Meadows have provided them with 

access to green spaces. 

The Save The Northern Meadows 

campaign was recently launched 

to help fight the plans. Their aim 

is to see the incorporation of the 

Northern Meadows into the nearby 

Nature Reserve and secure it for 

future generations. In a recent 

survey of 400 residents, 91% of 

participants said that they were 

against the development of the 

hospital on the site. 

“We recognise the serious need 

to update cancer services in Wales. 

But we believe this site should 

never have been granted planning 

permission in the first place due to 

its inaccessibility and its proximity to 

the nature reserve. 

“It will be impossible to keep the 

site green as construction demands 

the bulldozing of 600 trees and 

some of the last 3% of meadowland 

in Wales. 

“These fundamental flaws in 

the location of the site mean any 

attempt to access it will cut a 

significant number of trees in the 

Photos: Catherine Davies

construction of two bridges and a 

temporary access road. It will break 

up an important wildlife corridor, 

ruin a historic representation 

of Welsh industrial history and 

disrupt pedestrian access to public 

amenities,” said Tessa Marshall from 

the campaign. 

Velindre Cancer Centre has said 

that it is committed to working with 

the community however. 

“I would like to reassure you again 

that we want to work with you and 

others to minimise its impact and 

to enhance the site as sensitively 

as we can,” said Velindre Cancer 

Centre’s David Powell in June. 

“We will respond to concerns 

about the surfacing of the existing 

road to the north of the Whitchurch 

Hospital site, making improvements 

if it won’t withstand additional 

construction traffic. 

“The Trust is also seeking to 

extend the period when the 

temporary construction road on 

the Whitchurch Hospital site can 

be used. We want to use the road 

both for construction of access to 

the new centre and for part of the 

construction of the centre itself. As 

a result we can reduce costs and 

bring forward the opening date.” 

The Velindre development has 

also had endorsements from 

high profile sports stars such as 

Swansea’s Shane Williams and 

Jonathan Davies. 

Velindre has added: 

“We all know someone with 

cancer or someone who has had 

cancer. And the number of people 

diagnosed with cancer is increasing. 

“But Wales has some of the lowest 

cancer survival rates in the western 

world. And the 60-year-old Velindre 

Cancer Centre does not have the 

facilities or space to meet this 

future challenge. 

“The new Velindre Cancer Centre 

will treat more patients and help 

more people live longer with 

cancer. Our vision is for a Velindre 

Cancer Centre which has the 

strength to last for the long-term.” 

But resident Dr Ashley Roberts, 

who works at UHW as a Consultant 

Interventional Radiologist, argues 

that the plans are an archaic form of 

cancer care: 

“Those who oppose the new 

development and destruction of 

the Northern Meadows have been 

branded as anti ‘cancer services’ 

but this is not true. But we should 

not spend millions of pounds 

of taxpayers money doing the 

wrong thing, and destroying an 

important natural space which we 

would never have back, however 

outstanding the architecture is. 

“The plans that we are seeing now 

reflect the vision for development 

Cardiff Council want to see in 

Whitchurch, that they are trying to 

implement without consultation of 

local people,” added Tessa. 

“Velindre University Health Board 

are swapping their current land 

(Whitchurch hospital site) for the 

meadow land, which is the property 

of Cardiff Council. It’s a land swap to 

build houses and make money. 

“The meadow land is inaccessible 

for housing as building access 

bridges will cost at least £30 million 

of taxpayers’ money. By swapping 

the land, the health boards are 

making a profit. 

“Our main contention is that the 

community has never approved 

construction on the meadow, 

Photo: Sarah Davies 

feature 

The meadows are a haven 

for a wide range of wildlife 

due to its benefits to our physical 

and mental health, as well as its 

importance to nature. Despite 

this history of rejection, Velindre 

changed their new hospital plans in 

2015/16, moving their new hospital 

to the meadow, enabling housing to 

be built on Whitchurch Hospital. 

“This means that the narrative of 

hospital or housing on the meadow 

is false – it is hospital AND housing. 

Furthermore, the railway cutting, 

our only road-free access to Asda 

shall never be returned to us.” 

The debate is set to rage on but 

in the meantime, the meadows 

continue to provide a home to an 

abundance of wildlife, and a respite 

to residents in desperate need of 

sanctuary. 

For more information or to get 

involved, head to 

savethenorthernmeadows.wales 

Photo: Chris Marshall 

A view of the meadows on 

a cold winter's morning 

9

Outstanding School for Girls 

and Boys aged 3-18 

Home Support 

‘Excellent’ in all five inspection areas. Estyn 2018 

Ignite the spark 

WHOLE SCHOOL OPEN MORNING 

NURSERY TO SIXTH FORM 

Saturday 3rd October 2020 

To book a place, visit www.cathedral-school.co.uk/opendays 

To find out about our outstanding remote learning programme, 

visit www.cathedral-school.co.uk/remote-learning 

029 2083 8504 

registrar@cathedral-school.co.uk 

www.cathedral-school.co.uk 

We’re here to help loved ones 

in self-isolation stay safe and 

well at home. 

To find out more, call us on: 

02920 569483 

Or visit: www.homeinstead.co.uk/cardiff 

We Are Constantly The Best price In The UK On Blomberg Appliances 

Laundry 

Refrigeration 

Dishwashing 

www.buddelectrical.co.uk 

Showroom At Birchgrove, Cardiff. 

Tel. 029 2069 1286 

Sales, Repairs, Spares, Electricians, Delivery, Installation. 

Cooking

Summer is almost here! 

by Rebecca Salter of Kip McGrath Cardiff West 

Summer this year will be quite 

different to what we have all 

experienced in previous years. 

Children will need a bit of 

learning during this critical time to 

help them catch up and prepare 

for whatever September holds. 

If you are worried that your 

children will fall behind over the 

summer period, keep their brains 

active with the Kip McGrath Cardiff 

West Online Summer School 

Programme. We are offering 

fun-filled summer online tuition 

sessions in maths and English, to 

ensure that the learning gap is 

minimised. 

At Kip McGrath Cardiff West, we 

believe in building confidence, 

self-esteem and providing results 

for your child. Our face-to-face, 

online Summer School Programme 

can help fill your child with 

confidence and ensure that they 

are ready for that all-important 

start to the new year in September. 

What is Summer 

Learning Loss? 

The equivalent of one entire month 

of overall learning can be lost 

just during the summer holiday 

break and 2-3 hours per week 

during the summer holidays is 

needed to prevent this significant 

learning loss! If your child is already 

struggling, then it is even more 

important to ensure that they 

continue to learn, in a fun way, over 

the summer holidays. 

Why not give your child a 

head start this year? 

Our Online Summer Programme 

is designed to help prevent this 

learning loss and to close any 

learning gaps that your child may 

have. We also offer extension 

programmes to push your child 

forward in the areas in which 

they excel. We can support their 

progress over the six weeks and 

beyond, to make them ready to 

face the challenges of the new 

school year. 

What makes Kip McGrath 

different? 

Every child is treated as an 

individual and your child will only 

ever be taught by an experienced, 

fully qualified teacher who will 

create a bespoke programme 

to fit the needs of your child. We 

provide this personalised, online 

learning experience for each 

student to extend or support their 

understanding of each subject, 

using fun and interactive resources 

and the chance to work one-to-one 

with a teacher in real time. 

For the last 6 years, we have 

provided after-school and weekend 

tuition in Whitchurch, as well as 

daytime tutoring for pupils who are 

currently learning at home. 

We also offer exam-specific 

sessions to prepare pupils for 

GCSEs and end of year tests. 

Keep their brains active 

this summer! 

Our Online Summer School 

Programme is suitable for all 

learners and delivered faceto-face 

using our innovative 

tuition software. It is designed so 

students talk directly to their tutor 

in real time. 

Contact Rebecca and Aziz 

today to book your child’s free 

assessment. 

T: 02920 628568 

E: kipcardiffwest@gmail.com 

W: kipmcgrath.co.uk/cardiffwest 

F: www.facebook.com/ 

kipcardiffwest 

Sponsored feature

kids 

Our lockdown 

We asked local children to tell us about their lockdown experience 

Sophie aged 9 

What have been some of the good things 

about lockdown? 

I've been able to spend 

more time with my Mum, 

Dad and brother and that I 

didn’t have to do as much 

school work. 

What have been some 

of the difficult things? 

My Granddad passed 

away, but it wasn’t 

because of the virus - it 

was because of prostrate 

cancer. Also not being able 

to see my friends and not allowed to hug them and 

play games with them. 

How will this summer school holiday be 

different? 

My summer holidays will be different because our 

holiday got cancelled and l can’t have a birthday party. 

I haven’t really got any plans over summer, just playing 

in the garden and going on day trips. 

How do you feel about returning to school? 

I'm very happy about returning to school in September 

because I get to see my friends and will get to hug 

them. 

12 

Evie aged 9 


of the good things about 

lockdown? 

I've got closer to my brother 

Barnaby and we have been 

playing more and I've spent 

more time with my family. 

What have been some of the difficult things? 

To stay away from my friends and not hug them and 

stay away from family members that I miss. Having so 

much time in the house has been hard with my little 

brother too. 


different? 

We won't be able to go to places we normally go and 

we will have to stay more local. We might be getting a 

camper van and going on holiday to a beach. 

How do you feel about returning to school in 

September? 

I'm feeling happy about seeing my friends and don't 

have to socially distance. But this makes me feel a bit 

nervous too as the virus might spread and it might go 

back to how it was in the beginning when it was really 

bad. I'm looking forward to seeing my new teacher too 

and excited for what Year 5 will bring.

Giacomo aged 7 

What have been some of the 

good things about lockdown? 

I liked spending time with family, 

I enjoyed the walks, finding the 

Wenallt and a walk with a good 

climbing tree behind our house. We slept in dens, 

watched the Starlink satellites, got two kittens, built 

monkey bars and bought a camper van. 


The worst thing was not being able to see our friends 

and family. 

How will this summer school holiday be different? 

This summer holidays we won't be going to Italy. I am 

really, really sad about that. This year we are going to 

use the camper van to camp! 


I don't want to return to school because it will be too 

hard. I am not ready for Year 3. 

Javier aged 6 



lockdown? 

Getting to spend more time at 

home as a family and getting to 

play together more, and cuddle 

my pet cats. 


difficult things? 

Not being able to hug people who you want to, like 

family and friends. Doing school work at home has 

been boring. 


different? 

We have already had lots of time off school and we’re 

probably not going to be going on our holiday this 

summer. We'll go to beaches near us instead. 


Nervous because I’ll be starting Year 2. I’m not really 

happy to do more work, but my new teacher looks 

really fun and I’m excited to see my friends. 

Seb aged 9 



lockdown? 

I’ve been riding my bike lots 

and spending time with my 

family. 


I’ve missed seeing my friends and at times, being 

around my little sister has been annoying. 


different? 

Jenna aged 9 

What have been some of the good 

things about lockdown? 

Having my lockdown birthday and 

having a new bike. I also had my 

friends to visit me in the front garden 

and had a very nice lunch with my 

mum, dad and brother, Jamie. 


Learning from home, not going to any of my clubs or 

activities and not seeing my friends that often. 

How will this summer school holiday be different? 

We are not going to Tenerife with our friends. We’re 

going to spend lots of time with our ‘bubble’ in 

Swansea and they’ve just got a new puppy, Lulu and 

she’s smaller than a guinea pig. I’m also going to do a 

summer camp with my drama group, CAST and have a 

master class with a lady from ‘Matilda’ in the West End. 


I am going to be so, so happy. I’m so excited to see 

all of my friends again and it will be ‘different but the 

same’. I’m so excited to see my teacher and so glad 

we’ve got the same one from Year 4 into Year 5. 

Lola aged 8 

What have been some of the good 

things about lockdown? 

One of the good things about lockdown 

was spending time with my family. 


difficult things? 

Not being able to catch up with school work as much 

as we’ve missed half of the year. 


different? 

We won’t be able to see our friends when normally in 

the summer holidays, I’d have sleepovers. 


I'm nervous about going back, even though I know 

what it’s going to be like as I went to school a couple of 

times. It’ll be a bit weird as I’ll be around my friends but 

we’ll still have to social distance. 

I was supposed to go to Spain so I’m disappointed I’m 

not going. I’ve been down to Cornwall last weekend. 

I had fun bodyboarding. I also went kayaking and 

coasteering with my 

family and some 

friends. 

How do you feel 

about returning 

to school? 

I’m really happy 

about returning to 

school in September 

because I’ll get to 

be back with my 

friends.

“It’s my Coronavirus Protection 

Bubble on wheels,” she says, 

excitedly. 

Meet Samantha Brown. A former 

Bishop of Llandaff student, now 

travelling the world in her camper 

van as a digital nomad. Her work 

tool is her laptop. Location: various. 

“I feel safe in my van,” she says. 

"I’ve got everything I need here. 

Somewhere to eat, work, wash and 

sleep. I’m off to France next week.” 

Sam hasn’t always been a traveller. 

In fact, for the last few months, 

much like the rest of us, she’s been 

trapped in her home. But her sense 

of adventure has returned. 

"I was always seeking adventure 

as a child. Building dens and 

experiencing the outdoors was how 

I liked to spend my days. 

"I always had the desire to 

communicate too. As a kid, I used to 

record pretend radio programmes 

on my tape recorder with my sister. 

These days, I have my own podcast. 

As a youngster, I was into telling 

stories and I'd dream of creating a 

cosy little home for myself. I think 

that's where this lifestyle comes 

from." 

Sam attended Bishop of Llandaff 

High School and it was here that 

she embraced her education. 

“The most abiding memories I 

14 

have of Bishop of Llandaff was 

that we laughed a lot. Needless 

to say, we learnt a lot too and 

we were given a solid education 

there. I’m thankful that I went to 

one of the best schools in Wales 

although I have to admit that I found 

assemblies boring. I’d skip these by 

hiding in the loos. There’d be a few 

of us doing that! 

“As I moved into Sixth Form, I 

began my love affair with music, 

especially Cardiff’s indie scene. I felt 

that to my friends, I was a bit of an 

arty outsider - but they didn’t love 

Nomad 

Samantha Brown gave up her 9 to 5 job and packed a bag to start 

a new lifestyle, travelling the world and working from a laptop 

me any less. 

"By the mid '90s, I was working as 

a nanny in Paris where I found out 

that I was pregnant. After having my 

daughter, I completed my degree 

in English Literature as a young 

single parent at Bristol University 

before launching headlong into the 

corporate world." 

Sam spent 12 years as the Head 

of Marketing and Communications 

for large corporates and national 

charities. She bought her home in 

Bristol and felt settled in her life. 

But that all changed in 2017, when

Sam's father was diagnosed with 

cancer. 

"Dad worked hard his entire life 

and was due to retire when he 

found out that he was ill. He’d 

wanted to spend his retirement 

seeing the world but sadly, he never 

got to do it. 

"It made me question my life. I 

realised that I didn’t want to spend 

the next 20 years stuck in an office. I 

wanted to see the world, so I took a 

sabbatical in 2019, not long after my 

Dad had died." 

Sam went travelling across 12 

countries in South and Central 

America, picking up work as a 

freelance marketing consultant 

along the way. 

"I eventually came back to my day 

job and was toying with the idea 

of handing my notice in, when we 

were told that the organisation had 

failed to retain its contract and I was 

handed a redundancy." 

Freed from the shackles of the 

corporate world, Sam took to the 

skies and headed east. 

“I spent two months in Bali and 

two months in Thailand. I also set 

up my blog and podcast to provide 

inspiration to others. Christmas and 

New Year was shared with a group 

of digital nomads on a remote 

island. It was wonderful." 

Sam then moved on to India. Still 

working from her laptop, Sam was 

able to combine the experience of 

living within another culture while 

paying her way through her online 

work. That was until Coronavirus's 

tentacles began reaching around 

the world. 

"I’ll always remember 17th March. 

I’d just had dinner when I found out 

that the EU had closed its border. 

At 11pm that night, I booked a flight 

home that was due to leave at 7am 

the next morning. 

"I was in the middle of the Goan 

countryside with no taxi available, 

so I started knocking on neighbours' 

doors to see if anyone would give 

me a lift to the airport. Unfortunately 

no one would. 

"In the end, the only viable option I 

had was to use the scooter I'd been 

hiring to get me there. I packed my 

backpack and headed off into the 

night, bound for the airport. 

"Out on the highway in the dead 

of night, it was only after I spotted 

traffic coming towards me that I 

realised I was driving down the 

carriageway in the wrong direction. 

The traffic slowed and I had to try 

and manoeuvre my scooter onto 

the right carriageway. Then my 

backpack fell off and its contents 

Main photo: Carles Navarro 

spilled out. I’d been relying on my 

iPhone for directions - it fell onto 

the road and two cars passed over 

it. Thankfully, they hadn’t damaged 

it. 

"I arrived at the airport at 5am, 

abandoned the scooter and took a 

photo of it so that I could let the hire 

company know where it was. And 

all the while, I could hear my dad’s 

voice telling me to get home. 

"It was pure instinct. I knew I was 

doing the right thing, even though it 

seemed totally crazy at the time. 

I was so wired on the initial 

domestic flight that I couldn’t sleep, 

despite being up all night. When 

I finally got on the BA flight to 

Heathrow, the crew confirmed that 

it was one of the last to leave India 

– so my instincts were right.” 

Exhausted, Sam eventually made 

it back to her Bristol home which 

she normally rents out to lodgers 

and her daughter whilst travelling. 

"The only room left in the house 

was the small one I'd been keeping 

all my belongings in. I had no 

choice but to use it as both my 

office and my lodgings. Because 

I’d just come back from abroad, I 

was forced to quarantine for seven 

days. Lockdown then started on the 

sixth day. I was desperate to see my 

mum and siblings but I had to abide 

by the rules.” 

And so it was, that Sam was 

marooned in her room for 10 weeks, 

not sure of when she could restart 

her travels or even see her close 

family. 

"Although I realised I was fortunate 

to get home and still be able to 

work through my consultancy, I 

found lockdown difficult. I lost all 

my energy and drive and it wasn’t 

until I hit upon the idea of getting 

a motorhome that my excitement 

people 

Sam has the world at her 

fingertips via her laptop 

returned. 

"I bought the van with the rest of 

my redundancy money and named 

her Juno – after the Ancient Greek 

goddess. She’s the protector of 

women. 

"Juno is completely self-contained. 

I have everything I need – including 

a toilet, shower, kitchen and WIFI 

for me to work remotely. I’m off 

to France next week. I’ve always 

wanted to see Europe and as we’ll 

be leaving it at the end of the year, 

it’ll be harder to do that any time 

later. I figured that this was the 

safest and cheapest way to get to 

see it. 

"I plan to keep Juno for a few years 

whilst this pandemic continues – 

after that, who knows where the 

road will lead me." 

Be inspired by Sam's journey by 

following GenerationXit on YouTube 

or visit www.generationxit.com 

Juno allows Sam to work 

remotely and at her own pace 

15

self 

care 

The mental health repercussions from the COVID pandemic and 

its economic fallout are yet to be realised. Here are some tried and 

tested coping strategies to help you through these tough times 

Looking after 

yourself and 

others 

Not many of us could have 

previously claimed to have lived 

through a pandemic and like all 

infectious disease outbreaks, 

the current Coronavirus can be a 

scary experience. 

It can also take its toll on our 

mental health and while it is 

important to keep abreast of 

ongoing developments, we can't 

overlook our own well-being and 

the well-being of others. While 

the risk to our physical health 

remains, so too does the risk to 

our emotional health. 

Many of us will already be 

feeling these effects and as our 

country starts to emerge from 

the lockdown, there will be more 

challenges ahead. 

But like most things, there are 

ways to cope and manage the 

anxiety and stress. Making sure 

that your wider health needs are 

met will result in new routines 

but it is an opportunity to reflect, 

reset and respond to our current 

situation for the better. 

16 

Diet 

Together with exercise, diet forms 

the foundations for long-term 

health and well-being. 

Eating well can help us avoid 

chronic diseases but it can also 

help lift our moods and levels of 

happiness and contentment. A 

balanced diet gives your body the 

nutrients it needs to function as it 

should. 

No single food contains all the 

essential nutrients that the body 

needs to stay healthy and work 

properly. For this reason, our diets 

should contain a variety of different 

foods, to help us get the wide 

range of nutrients that our bodies 

need. 

Planning your meals will help 

avoid the temptation to snack on 

the go, which often leads to obesity 

and upset our energy balance. 

Exercise 

Exercise delivers oxygen and 

nutrients to your tissues and 

helps your cardiovascular system 

work more efficiently. When your 

cardiovascular system works 

better, everything seems easier 

and you have more energy for 

the fun stuff in life. 

Aerobic exercise and strength 

training can help strengthen 

your body and help clear your 

mind. Strengthening the heart 

and other muscles isn't the 

only important goal of exercise. 

Exercise can also help the body 

stay flexible, meaning that your 

muscles and joints stretch and 

bend easily. 

You can start off by taking 

daily walks but 60 minutes of 

moderate to vigorous daily 

exercise is recommended.

Avoid sensationalist 

headlines 

One of the main triggers of 

anxiety and stress over the 

last few months has been the 

sensationalist headlines in the 

press. Social media often doesn't 

help as many publishing outlets 

want you to read their stories so 

that they can build revenues. 

Get any news you want to know 

about from a reputable source 

and try to stay away from news 

that doesn't directly impact on 

you. 

Talk to your children 

Involving your young family 

members in discussions can be 

tricky. Children may well feel 

confused themselves and you 

may want to keep them informed. 

Be truthful in your conversations 

as any exposed untruths will 

cause a sense of distrust between 

you. Making them feel safe and 

protected should be a priority. 

Pace yourself 

Remind yourself that you can't do 

everything at once. Whatever you 

are trying to achieve, it has to be 

done over time and with patience. 

We will all be moving at our own 

pace as we come out of lockdown 

- be aware of that with others and 

make others aware of that too. 

Prepare for the future but focus 

on the present and any positives 

that it brings. 

Sleep 

Where possible, try and create 

a routine and environment that's 

conducive to a good night's sleep. 

Sleep is crucial to both your 

emotional and physical state 

and its effectiveness in helping 

you reset and heal cannot be 

underestimated. 

It should therefore be considered 

a priority of your day. 

Stay connected 

Lockdown has kept us physically 

apart, and for some, this has 

caused huge distress. 

Loneliness and feelings of 

isolation have rocketed over the 

last few months so it's important 

to keep connected as much as 

possible. 

Many of us have kept in touch 

with family and friends using 

our phones and internet but as 

lockdown eases, it's easy to lose 

the connections you built up over 

the last few months. 

Look out for loved ones too who 

have gone quiet. Many people are 

struggling in silence and a quick 

catch up will make both you and 

them feel less isolated. Even a 

socially-distanced walk can help 

you feel connected to those you 

care about. 

Control what can be 

controlled 

Worrying about things that are 

outside of your control can take up 

a lot of your time and energy. 

You may need to be told that there 

are many things that happen in your 

life, over which you have no control. 

That is a simple fact. 

You can be a lot more effective if 

you focus only on the things that 

you have control over. You can't 

stop a storm coming but you can 

prepare for it so take some time to 

figure out the things that you can 

control and discard those aspects 

of your life that you can't control - 

including the behaviour of others. 

wellbeing 

Three steps to dealing 

with stress 

Stress is the feeling of feeling 

under excessive pressure and it can 

cause many emotional and physical 

problems. It can also creep up on 

you slowly as stressors build on top 

of each other before it suddenly hits 

you. 

Step One - Become Aware 

Becoming aware that you are 

stressed and understanding what 

is causing your problems is the first 

step. 

Physical warnings are usually the 

first indicators - headaches, overtiredness 

and tensed up muscles 

are all associated with stress. 

Work out the connection between 

your physical ailments and their 

underlying causes. 

Step Two - Identify the causes 

Identifying the underlying causes of 

your stress is your next step. These 

can be classified in three possible 

ways: 

1) those that you can sort with a 

practical solution 

2) those that will get better over time 

3) those causes that you can’t do 

anything about 

If possible, try and let go of the 

worry of the second and third 

elements to free up mind space. 

Step Three - Review your 

lifestyle 

Are you trying to do too much? Are 

you able to delegate anything? 

Prioritise the things you are trying to 

achieve and re-organise your life 

Remind yourself that there is a time 

for everything but only if you do one 

thing at a time. 

17

Residents at a Cardiff care home 

have been able to keep in touch 

with their loved ones thanks to 

a rugby club who donated two 

Amazon fire tablets after members 

‘virtually’ walked around Wales four 

times and raised over £11,000. 

Around 350 members of 

Rugby club walks around Wales 

virtually four times for charity 

Pontcanna’s Clwb Rygbi Cymry 

decided to try and see how long it 

would take them to walk around 

Wales, which is around 1,000 miles, 

collectively by adding up each 

time they went out for a run or walk 

during lockdown. The club collated 

all the data and after two days 

discovered that the final distance 

reached was, in fact, 4,120 miles – 

enough to walk around the country 

four times. 

Amazingly, Clwb Rygbi Cymry 

Caerdydd was able to raise £11,313 

and decided to purchase over 100 

Amazon Fire tablets to help people 

in care homes who have been 

unable to see family members. 

Staff at Tŷ Llandaff, a private 

nursing, residential and respite care 

home in Conway Road, were the 

first care home in Cardiff to receive 

the devices. 

The care home closed its doors 

to non-essential visitors in mid- 

March to protect those in its care 

from Covid-19. The care home has 

remained free of the virus since 

the outbreak and is accepting new 

admissions. 

Tŷ Llandaff care home manager 

Lisa Cristina said: 

“This is such a wonderful gesture 

by Clwb Rygbi Cymry Caerdydd 

and everyone at Tŷ Llandaff really 

appreciates it. What a wonderful 

achievement by all the members to 

walk 4,000 miles between them! 

“Naturally, residents are missing 

having visitors but we are setting 

up video calls and doing all we 

can so they get to see and speak 

to their loved ones as much as 

possible. Having two extra tablets 

means even more residents can 

interact with family members and 

more frequently. It has made a real 

difference to their overall wellbeing.” 

For more information about Tŷ 

Llandaff call 02920 600 100, 

email info@tyllandaffcare.com or 

visit www.tyllandaffcare.com 

Sponsored feature 

From 

£1,599 

1,599 

£ 0% Finance 

available 

VISIT OUR 

SHOWROOM TODAY! 

Sloper Road, Cardiff, CF11 8AA 

limegreenuk.com

Although it is not a pleasant thing to think about, it 

is important to ensure you have a properly 

prepared Will in place. Having a professionally 

drafted Will in place provides peace of mind that 

your estate should be dealt with in accordance with 

your wishes and is likely to make the process far 

easier for those you leave behind when you die. 

With recent events making many of us anxious and 

uncertain about the future, lawyers have seen a sharp 

increase in the number of people wanting to put their 

affairs in order over the last few months. 

Laura Selby, Head of Wills & Probate at Harding Evans 

Solicitors, explains why it is so important to plan for the future 

to avoid any unnecessary complications further down the line. 

Yet, there are reports that surprisingly around 

60 per cent of the adult UK population do not 

have a Will, which effectively means they will be 

allowing ancient laws to determine who receives 

their estate. 

Making a Will is often not the long, complicated and 

expensive process that people often imagine it to 

be. Many people have put it off during lockdown, 

thinking it would not be possible while social 

distancing. At Harding Evans, in accordance with 

Government guidelines, we have been operating 

throughout lockdown. Our offices are now open to 

the public with measures in place to reduce the risk 

of spreading the virus. 

If you are currently unable to leave your property, 

we also offer telephone appointments, video calls 

and witnessing of Wills, even via your front window 

if required! There are strict rules regarding the 

witnessing of Wills to ensure they are executed 

properly. 

Unfortunately, challenges to Wills appear to be on 

the rise, so it is more important than ever to obtain 

legal advice when preparing your Will, to avoid 

lengthy and costly disputes after your death. 

As we can see from the recent case of Clitheroe v 

Bond [2020] EWHC 1185 (Ch), not only is it 

important to ensure the Will is validly executed, but 

it is also important to prove you have full mental 

capacity. 

In this case, the daughter of the deceased 

succeeded in establishing that two Wills made by 

her late mother in 2010 and 2013 were both invalid. 

The Court found that, following the death of her 

other daughter, the mother had been suffering from 

a complex grief disorder that impaired her capacity 

to make a Will. While she had cognitive function and 

was intellectually sound, it was found that she had 

experienced “insane delusions” that “poisoned her 

mind” against the daughter she excluded from her 

Will, causing her to make allegations for which there 

was no rational basis. In circumstances where there 

could be any doubt as to a person’s mental capacity, 

we recommend obtaining a medical report. 

Most commonly, when clients show some form of 

memory loss, possibly as a result of dementia, this 

makes us consider their capacity and we will give the 

most appropriate advice. The case of Clitheroe v 

Bond is a firm reminder that other health conditions 

may exist which may not give rise to memory loss 

but could still mean that they may be lacking 

capacity. It is recommended to keep records of the 

will instructions taken; these records may also help 

to protect your estate in the event of a challenge. 

If you would like assistance with preparing your Will, please call our 

experienced and friendly team to find out how we can help you. 

Call us on 02922 676818 

Email us at info@hevans.com

Key Workers 

Our lockdown 

Lockdown has hit us all hard but for the key workers in our communities, it was a case 

of having to adapt to a new way of working. Here are a few of our key worker heroes 

Charlotte 

Secondary School Teacher 

When the lockdown was first 

announced, I felt that it was a 

completely surreal situation. I felt 

that I had to adapt to the changes 

very quickly while managing waves 

of anxiety. 

I worked throughout the lockdown 

but it wasn’t too difficult to be home. 

I thoroughly enjoyed being with 

my family and not on the manic 

treadmill of everyday life. 

Up-skilling myself quickly on new 

teaching software and being sat 

at a computer all day was difficult 

and a very steep learning curve. I 

definitely missed the interaction of 

the pupils and emailing them just 

wasn’t the same as that face-toface 

interaction. 

I am quite a positive person, so I 

accepted the situation quickly and 

on the whole, tried to make the best 

of it. As a family, we did the typical 

20 

things like baking, gardening, the 

8pm clap on a Thursday, online 

quizzes, bike rides, bingo nights. 

I definitely think the highlights for 

me were getting time at home 

with my family and my daughter 

and being personally involved in 

various musical projects (Memorial 

for Srebrenica and 1,000 Voices 

project). 

During the Easter holidays I 

ordered a skip, as we weren’t going 

away and had a long overdue 

clear-out of the loft. We also had a 

campout in our summer house with 

my daughter, where we sat around 

the fire pit, toasting marshmallows. 

We bought a hot tub just before 

the start of lockdown so enjoyed 

that a lot in the warm weather while 

looking for satellites in the sky. 

We made some really magical 

memories that I will treasure for the 

rest of my life. We were also very 

grateful to Whitchurch Golf Club for 

allowing the public to access their 

course. We thoroughly enjoyed our 

walks and were very grateful to 

have such beauty on our doorstep. 

In terms of my job, we are currently 

waiting for government guidelines, 

so I'm not totally sure how my job as 

a music teacher will look (whether 

we’ll be able to use instruments or 

sing in class). 

I look forward though to beginning 

extra curricular activities, as these 

give pupils so many skills and 

opportunities. 

The sense of community in 

our neighbourhood and the 

appreciation of our local area and 

how grateful we are for where we 

live is something that's struck me 

these last few months. It's afforded 

me the chance to spend more time 

with my family and to re-evaluate 

life and what is important. 

Phil 

Postman 

I felt a lot of 

uncertainty 

when 

lockdown 

was first 

announced. 

It made me worry about everything 

and how it was going to affect the 

work I do. I also had health and 

safety concerns. 

I have worked throughout the 

entire lockdown but I think I 

adapted very well, both at work 

and at home. The one time I did 

find difficult was when I was on 

leave and had to stay in my house. 

Work for me was harder during 

lockdown. I had an increased 

workload due to people ordering 

goods online, but the plus point 

was that most people were in to 

receive their items. 

Going forward, I'm not sure if my 

job will change much. One silver 

lining of the lockdown was being 

able to park my van anywhere!

Jayne 

Cardiff City 

Councillor 

people 

Jane 

Registrar 

of Births, 

Deaths, 

Marriages 

and Civil 

Partnerships 

When lockdown was first 

announced, my first thoughts were 

for friends and family, making sure 

that everyone was safe and had 

plenty of toilet paper! 

My role was classed as a key 

worker so I worked right through 

lockdown, registering deaths. 

Going out to work while everyone 

else stayed at home was worrying 

at first. Driving to City Hall the 

morning after lockdown was 

announced was so eerie because 

the roads were empty, the city 

centre was deserted. It’s amazing 

how quickly I got used to that. 

The government’s Coronavirus 

law completely changed the way 

we worked and overnight, we had 

to adapt and absorb a lot of new 

information. When I look back, I 

realise how quickly it all changed. 

City Hall closed to the public. 

Birth registrations, marriages and 

civil partnerships all stopped. We 

registered deaths by telephone 

so that families could stay safe at 

home. There were many phone 

calls with doctors and funeral 

directors and we worked closely 

with the bereavement teams at 

UHW and Thornhill as we all 

adapted to the new legislation to 

make sure deaths were registered 

and funerals could go ahead. 

It’s been very emotional hearing 

families share their stories and 

experiences of death, loss, grief 

and separation. 

Looking forward, it’s lovely to get 

back to births and marriages and 

seeing people face to face again. 

It’s smiley work and I definitely 

missed it. Every part of the job 

has changed and is still changing 

day to day to comply with social 

distancing and PPE. In New York 

State, they introduced Zoom 

weddings during lockdown. Wales 

didn’t go that far, but I’m sure I’ll 

conduct virtual ceremonies one 

day! 

The things I remember most 

about this time is that fact that my 

daughters all managed to come 

home before lockdown. The kitchen 

table was suddenly full of laptops 

and cables as they set up office 

to work from home. My youngest 

daughter took final exams, had her 

21st birthday and graduated during 

lockdown. 

We’ve laughed and cried and 

there’s been a lot of banana bread! 

We made so many gorgeous 

memories and a few new family 

traditions but mostly I look back in 

awe at the way life carried on and 

we just made it work. Clapping for 

the NHS on Thursday evenings also 

stands out. The whole street got 

involved and it became a lovely 

time to catch up and check in on 

each other. We celebrated a few 

birthdays on those days too. 

Looking back, we hadn’t all lived 

under the same roof for this amount 

of time for many years as a family. 

This was bonus time for us and 

that was definitely a silver lining. 

Being locked down and seeing the 

local community and businesses 

helping and supporting each other 

throughout has reminded us how 

lucky we are to live here. 

My first 

thoughts when 

lockdown was 

announced 

were about 

the community, and in particular 

older people who lived alone. I 

worked with the Council to answer 

enquiries from residents, and would 

like to pay tribute to the amazing 

groups of residents who went 

above and beyond to help people 

with groceries, medicines and even 

dog walking. 

My colleagues Adrian Robson, 

Oliver Owen and I were busier 

than ever as we worked during 

lockdown. I work from home for 

most of my time so I didn't notice 

the transition too much. I did miss 

the community events, and site 

meetings and the exchanges in the 

Council Chamber. I became a keen 

gardener and also continued my 

love of baking - rolls, bread, bagels, 

jam, pastries and fudge! 

All our Council Meetings were held 

electronically, and we continue to 

have briefings this way. I hope that 

a lot of the briefings and updates 

continue to be held this way. I am 

a member of the Police and Crime 

Commissioner Panel, and we held 

a meeting across authorities and 

it worked effortlessly. There will 

always be a place for face to face 

meetings, but electronic meetings 

have proved invaluable. 

I think there will be more home 

working in the future. The pandemic 

has really changed the world, and 

I think we will see community spirit 

continue to grow, and more people 

looking out for each other. 

I think social media has been 

exceptionally helpful and I have 

enjoyed seeing and hearing about 

people's positive experiences. So 

many people are now gardening, 

walking in the local area and have 

learnt new skills such as knitting, 

crafting and baking. I think that they 

will continue. 

21

S H O P N O W A T 

W W W . P U G H S G A R D E N C E N T R E . C O . U K 

YOUR LOCAL GO-TO GARDEN 

CENTRE, NOW ONLINE! 

PLANTS, POTS & COMPOST 

GARDEN FURNITURE 

GIFT VOUCHERS 

GARDEN ACCESSORIES 

WEBER BARBECUES 

OUTDOOR HEATING 

Delivered safely, straight to your door within 7 working days. Shop online at 

www.pughsgardencentre.co.uk or in store at Radyr and Wenvoe

Garden Building & Landscape Centre 

Visit Our Newly 

Redeveloped Show Site 

We’re Open For Business 

Bespoke Garden Buildings 

Tailored To Your Needs 

• Create Your Dream Home Office 

• Bespoke Design and Installation 

• Traditional Sheds and Summerhouses 

• Contemporary Multi-Use Garden Buildings 

• Greenhouses and Garden Features 

Pugh’s Garden Village, 

Port Road, 

Wenvoe, 

CF5 6AD 

T: 029 2059 7365 

shedscardiff.co.uk 

edenlandscapes_ 

edenlandscapecdf 

edenlandscapescardiff 

12 Pantbach Road 

Cardiff, CF14 1UA 

02921 358258 

www.cubekitchens.co.uk

Garden 

Social 

Whether you want 

to spend time with 

friends or with 

loved-ones in your 

bubble, holding a 

garden party is a 

great way to while 

away summer days 

Firepit 

Create a cosy space in your 

garden that will naturally give you 

warmth during the evenings too. 

A great piece of garden furniture 

to sit around long into the summer 

nights. 

www.wayfair.co.uk 

Garden Lights 

This string of 12 mini mushroom 

solar lights is essential for adding 

an enchanting atmosphere to any 

outdoor space. Each soft, squidgy 

mushroom is 20cm tall and houses 

one warm white LED for an ethereal 

glow. 

www.lights4fun.co.uk 

24 

Cottage Painted 

Garden Arbour 

Hand-crafted in Britain, this garden 

arbour includes a contoured seat as 

well as an arm rest and drink holder. 

Pugh's Garden Centre 

Kids entertainment 

Kids love to play in the garden, 

especially when water games are 

involved. 

If your garden is big enough, 

provide them with inflatables that 

you can deflate and pack away 

in the winter months. This giant 

unicorn connects directly to your 

garden hose and squirts water 

from its horn! All you need to do is 

inflate it and turn the water on! 

www.dobbies.com

outdoors 

Hanging chair 

The perfect place to sway away the 

stress of the day! Set in a beautiful 

teardrop design, there's room for 

two if you're happy to share. 

This delightful outdoor swing chair 

comes with a comfy showerproof 

cushion, ideal for our inclement 

British weather. 

www.cuckooland.com 

BBQ 

Cater for both family and friends 

with a quality barbecue set 

this summer. Weber are worldrenowned 

for their barbecue 

innovation and provide the ultimate 

barbecuing experience. You can 

pick up your very own Weber here 

in North Cardiff. Traditional charcoal 

and gas barbecues are also 

available. 

Pugh's Garden Village, Wenvoe 

Sun loungers 

Sit back, relax and soak up 

the sun with a sun lounger. 

Outdoor recliners and sun 

loungers are the perfect 

place to base your afternoon 

in the garden sunshine. This 

lounger is made from heattreated 

ash wood and is 

available in traditional wood 

or black. 

The lower half is separate 

from the main section to 

cater for all body lengths. 

www.wayfair.com 

Patio Heaters 

Extend your time out in the garden 

with a free-standing patio heater. 

Powered by gas or electricity, 

patio heaters can keep you and 

your guests warm with minimal 

fuss or fumes. Safe, economical 

and a convenient way to heat your 

outdoor space, patio heaters can 

be used all year round, allowing 

you to have a night under the stars 

whatever the season. 

www.heat-outdoors.co.uk

House Clearances 

2nd 

time around 

2nd Time Around 

specialise in 

house clearance 

We provide a professional and 

friendly service for full or part 

clearance, attics to cellars. 

Specialist Glaziers with over 30 Years Experience 

Repairs & Renewals 

Experts in the repair of windows, doors and conservatories 

uPVC Products 

We offer a full range of quality replacement uPVC products 

Mirrors & Processed Glass 

Mirrors, glass (standard, safety, greenhouse & picture) 

Secondary Glazing 

A less costly option to reduce noise & heat loss 

Unit 4 St Catherine’s Park, Pengam Road, Cardiff CF24 2TY 

029 2048 6797 

contact@wrightglass.co.uk www.wrightglass.co.uk 

We also offer the following services: 

• Reports for probate purposes 

• Valuations & advice on selling at auction 

• Auction service 

• Cleaning service 

• Sympathetic handling of deceased’s estates 

• Small removals & deliveries, nationwide 

• Rubbish removal 

• Recycling 

We comply with current legislation; we are waste 

management registered and have public liability insurance. 

House Clearance Specialists 

www.houseclearancecardiff.com 

Contact: Jan Richards 

T: 02920 692704 M: 07715 622406 

E: janrichards4@hotmail.co.uk 

W: www.houseclearancecardiff.com 

HAVE YOU HEARD THE NEWS? 

Viney Hearing Care has re-opened, offering a full 

range of services across the hearing spectrum 

We are following official COVID guidelines and 

utilising PPE to keep both you and our staff safe 

We have all been through a very challenging time but 

for some, the added difficulty of hearing loss has made 

lockdown unbearably isolating. Struggling to hear the latest 

news and information, and struggling to communicate with 

family has left some feeling anxious and lonely. 

If you or a family member has been suffering with hearing 

problems, call and book a free ear health check and hearing 

test. It could be wax blocking your ears - our microsuction 

procedure is the safest and most effective way to clean your 

ears. 

We get our eyes and teeth checked on a regular basis, but 

why not our ears? Regular check-ups and early treatment 

can help prevent further hearing deterioration. 

FREE hearing 

tests and advice 

with the latest 

diagnostic 

equipment 

FREE 

demonstrations 

of the newest 

hearing 

technology 

FREE lifetime 

aftercare service 

Micro-suction 

wax removal, 

the safest way to 

remove wax 

Service, repair 

and calibration of 

ANY hearing aid 

Video Otoscopy 

- fibre optic 

camera to show 

the condition of 

the ear 

Speech analysis - 

testing how well 

your hearing aids 

allow you to hear 

speech 

66 Merthyr Road, Whitchurch, Cardiff CF14 1DJ 

02920 250121 vineyhearingcare.co.uk

CUTTING THE COST OF 

ARTIFICIAL GRASS 

Open 7 days a week 

in Caerphilly 

Wales’ lowest pricesfrom 

£7.16 SQ MTR! 

Highest quality 

Easylawn 

Expert fitting and 

groundwork 

Available in 2, 4 & 5 

metre widths 

Hundreds of rolls in 

stock 

FULL GROUNDWORK 

AND INSTALLATION 

AVAILABLE 

Established 

1971 

Open 7 days a week 

Tel: 02920 884951 

www.carpetcastlecaerphilly.co.uk 

COSTS LESS 

Nantgarw Road, Caerphilly

Rediscovering 

the garden 

For many of us who were 

furloughed during the recent 

Covid-19 pandemic, lockdown in 

our gardens became a place of 

sanctuary; somewhere to escape 

the stresses and strains of stepping 

outside the front door and the sheer 

terror of having to venture out to the 

shops where humanity was to be 

found in all its seething hordes. 

Being at one with the garden, 

cast adrift in a calming sea of 

green, is most people's idea of 

gentle repose, to be enjoyed 

with a cup of tea or a glass of 

something stronger. We live in a 

world that is increasingly beyond 

our control. From the worry of 

paying the mortgage and utility 

bills to increased pressure in our 

workplace, we feel under stress. 

The garden is a sanctuary for both 

mind and body and can prove 

therapeutic to those recovering 

from drug or alcohol abuse or who 

suffer from depression or posttraumatic 

stress disorder. 

The rituals of the year are devoutly 

followed; looking for the first 

primrose of spring or the first rose 

of summer maintains a positive, 

forward-thinking outlook for young 

and old alike. 

28 

Summer affords us the opportunity to pause, reflect and relax. 

Kevin Revell looks at the therapeutic benefits of spending time in our gardens 

In our gardens we are free; some 

will seek peace and solitude in 

a tranquil corner of the garden 

surrounded by fragrant plants and 

the industry of bees; for others, 

trundling a lawn mower around can 

give a warm glow of satisfaction. 

Similarly raking moss from a lawn or 

sweeping up leaves provides useful 

cardiac exercise; a fit body can lead 

to a fit, content mind. The gentle 

exercise provided by gardening has 

been found to help lower blood 

pressure and cholesterol, helping to 

prevent type 2 diabetes and strokes. 

The Sensory Garden 

We are sensory creatures and 

respond to certain stimuli which 

help to make us feel alive and at 

one with ourselves. 

In the garden, our senses can be 

awakened, we just need to take the 

time to appreciate what is around 

us and not take our surroundings 

for granted. Walking barefoot on 

the lawn can be a pleasurable, 

relaxing experience which has 

been demonstrated to lower blood 

pressure, stimulating several senses 

at once. 

Scent is the most evocative of 

all the senses and can trigger 

memories of times and places 

past. Herbs will yield a pleasant 

aroma when touched, brushing 

past lavender releases oils from the 

leaves that evoke sunnier climes. 

The sense of touch is perhaps the 

least appreciated in the garden; 

running fingers through soft 

tussocks of ornamental grass is a 

sensation denied to most people. 

The sound of running water 

from a water feature can also 

be relaxing, hearing harmonious 

birdsong as we work can block 

out the more routine background 

noise of passing traffic. The highpitched 

buzz of bees can also 

prove immensely relaxing. Even the 

slightest breeze can elicit a rustle 

from tall grasses and trees. 

Seeing the flowers of spring and 

summer, is for most people, what a 

good garden is all about, whether 

tasteful, harmonious pastel shades 

or a riot of bright clashing colours.

gardens 

How to Plant a 

Cheerful Pot or 

Hanging Basket 

Hanging baskets have become 

popular in our gardens. Those with 

small flats or no garden at all can 

usually put one or two by a door or 

find room for at least one planter 

which improves the visual amenity 

of the area. 

Pre-planted baskets are readily 

available but most keen gardeners 

engage in the annual ritual of 

planting their own. When filling a 

pot or basket, don’t skimp on the 

compost - this is the engine room 

of the basket and is going to need 

to keep it going right through the 

summer. Multi-purpose compost 

alone will not be up to the task. 

Either add additional slow-release 

fertiliser and wetting gel or buy 

a specific container compost 

formulated for this task. 

When it comes to planting, there 

are no rules - it is entirely up to 

you which plants in what colours 

are used but tradition dictates that 

there should be a taller plant in the 

middle to give a bit of height to the 

arrangement. Three or five smaller 

or trailing plants are then arranged 

around this and if possible, trailing 

plants are inserted around the 

basket sides and base to give an 

all-encompassing show of foliage 

and flowers. Ideally, no trace of the 

basket or liner should be visible 

once the plants are established. 

Usually it will be a fuchsia or 

geranium giving height and trailing 

forms of fuchsias and geraniums 

are a popular choice for the rest of 

the basket. Trailing lobelias are the 

best for inserting in the sides of the 

basket as they cascade down and 

are available in a range of colours. 

Trailing petunias or surfinias are 

another popular choice, coming 

in many bright colours including 

outrageous shades of hot pink and 

red. These plants are extremely 

vigorous, and three to five plants 

will be more than enough to fill a 

basket with colour long into the 

summer. 

Other useful contenders include 

the tiny white stars of bacopa, or 

blousy trailing begonias which 

although slow to get going, will 

flower long into the autumn. Of 

course, a planted pot, hanging 

basket or window box doesn’t need 

to be full of flowers if these are not 

your thing. It is also a very good 

way of growing herbs and salad 

vegetables which can still look 

attractive and will be out of the 

way of marauding slugs and snails 

while bees will certainly appreciate 

a window box full of flowering 

lavender. 

It is to be hoped than many who 

were confronted with enforced, 

increased leisure time will have 

discovered the benefits to 

improving their outdoor space 

and will continue to enjoy home 

grown vegetables and flowers. It 

will perhaps have sown the seeds 

of interest in small children who 

helped their parents build raised 

beds and wildflower meadows or 

even just plant a few window boxes 

or hanging baskets. Maybe now, 

they will have lifelong memories of 

their first minibeast safari and all the 

wonders to behold if you just look 

closely enough and make a few 

adjustments to the way you enjoy 

the garden.

PRW Construction are a family run business with 

over 32 years of experience within the building 

and construction industry, references available. 

Our company is a progressive family run 

business, offering a variety of building and 

maintenance services. We recognise the 

importance of planning and control in the 

execution of building projects, whilst using 

a great deal of creativity and innovation in 

successfully managing projects to your timescales 

and your costs. 

Contact us for your free quotation 

Andrew 07718 621716 

Rachael 07753 293444 

Office 02920 842333 

www.prwconstruction.co.uk 

enquiries@prwconstruction.co.uk 

Some of the services we offer: 

• House extensions 

• House 

refurbishments 

• Luxury bathrooms 

• Design and 

architectural 

services 

• Full structural 

design services 

• Building repairs 

• Garage conversions 

• Roof repairs 

• Plumbing and 

heating 

• Painting and 

decoration 

• Electrical works 

• Patio & garden 

works 

OVER 25 YEARS 

EXPERIENCE 

INDEPENDENT 

WHITCHURCH- 

BASED COMPANY 

FENSA Certified Company 

38074

Beating the 

virus! 

Carpet Castle in 

Caerphilly is pioneering 

a safe new way to buy 

flooring 

As retailers all over Wales 

reopen their doors following 

the Coronavirus lockdown, 

we caught up 

with Carpet 

Castle in 

Caerphilly to 

find out what 

South Wales’ 

famous 

bargain 

flooring 

warehouse 

has done to 

keep customers safe during 

this time 

What changes have you made to 

the store to ensure you are ‘Covid 

Secure’? 

You name it, we’ve done it! 

Perspex shielding around the 

till area, two metre spacing 

around the shop floor, electronic 

payment methods, hand sanitisers, 

disinfection of carpet samples and 

we also limit the number of people 

in store at one time. 

I can honestly say that customers 

should feel really safe making a 

visit to the store. It’s a really clean 

environment and the staff take these 

new measures really seriously. 

We’ve been a leader in our industry 

for 50 years, so we’ve gone above 

and beyond to pro-actively modify 

the entire retail experience that 

will allow customers to shop with 

Sponsored feature 

complete confidence. 

We were able to trade earlier than 

other stores because we have an 

outdoor landscaping department, 

so we had the chance to iron out a 

few things and optimise our safety 

procedures well before nonessential 

retailing was permitted in 

Wales. I think that has given us a 

bit of a head start over some other 

retailers. 

If anybody would like to learn more 

about the new measures, we’d be 

really happy to discuss it. They can 

call the store on 02920 884951. Just 

ask for Dai, the store manager. 

Have you considered selling online 

instead? 

We thought about it, but the 

feedback we received from 

customers is that when it comes to 

carpets, there is so much choice that 

they prefer to make a physical trip to 

the store. 

In fact, we are much cheaper than 

most online carpet retailers as well. 

That’s when we realised the solution 

for our industry was just to make the 

in-store experience totally safe. 

What about home visits? 

Obviously, our fitters need to visit 

customers’ homes to complete 

installation work, so we’ve 

introduced additional measures to 

keep the fitters and the customers 

extra safe when it comes to home 

visits. 

The fitters wear PPE equipment 

that they change for new on every 

job. They accept contactless and 

electronic payments and we ask that 

customers give the fitter at least 2 

metres of social distance. 

We appreciate that some 

customers may be of an age where 

they would like the fitters to take 

even more precautions and we 

do our very best to accommodate 

these requests. At the end of the 

day, this virus has left many people 

nervous about shopping and 

especially about letting tradesmen 

into their homes so we’ve tried to 

make it so safe that anyone, even 

‘at-risk’ groups can still have their 

new flooring fitted and do it with 

confidence. 

How do you see the economic 

picture developing for retailers over 

the next 12 months? 

We’re more optimistic then others. 

Our shop has been really busy 

since we introduced all the safety 

measures so I think it’s all about just 

making the experience safe so that 

customers can happily shop with 

confidence. 

The more that businesses 

and industries adapt, the more 

customers will return and the 

economy will recover for everybody. 

We’re really lucky to have been in 

business in South Wales for 50 years 

and we intend on being here for 

another 50 years! 

Andrew Graham is a director at 

Carpet Castle 

Nantgarw Road, Caerphilly 

029 2088 4951 

www.carpetcastlecaerphilly.co.uk 

Extensive safety 

measures should make 

customers feel really 

safe browsing the store

feature 

Make money from home 

The recent lockdown has made people think twice about how they 

can earn a living. Here are some ways that you can create a new 

and sustainable income stream from your home 

Creating an income 

from home 

The UK economy, much like the 

rest of the world, has become 

hugely unpredictable following 

the Coronavirus outbreak. 

Jobs and financial security have 

become a real worry for many 

people, even those who thought 

that they were safe in long term 

employment. 

Setting up a side business 

at home could be one way to 

create an extra income stream 

and a possible safety net should 

the worst happen with your 

employment. 

Set aside a small amount of 

time each day to work on your 

side business and over the 

weeks and months, it could 

grow into something larger and 

profitable. 

While there's a whole world 

of opportunity to make money 

from home, it's worth doing 

some research beforehand 

to find out what skills and 

experience you can offer. 

32 

Online coaching 

The Coronavirus lockdown 

changed the way that we interact 

with each other forever. Working 

remotely became much more 

the norm - but so too did online 

learning. 

It's highly likely that you have 

certain skills, talent or experience 

that people will pay to hear about. 

Think back over your employment 

history. Is there a specific area that 

you could say that you have good 

experience in? There are people 

out in the world who don't have 

that experience - and need to hear 

from someone that does! 

You don't need large audiences 

either to make money from 

teaching online either. In fact, the 

more specific the niche, the more 

you'll find it easier to find your 

audience and to sell to them. 

You can either create video 

courses to sell via platforms like 

Thinkific or Teachable, or you can 

offer training over video calls, 

either to individuals, or to groups of 

people at a time. 

Start a blog 

A blog is a bit like a website, except 

it often has a more informal style 

and is usually written by individuals 

or small groups. 

A blog can range from any topic 

such as beauty or makeup, through 

to sport of film. Whatever your 

subject matter, there are ways 

of monetising a blog, whether 

it's through online advertising, 

selling digital downloads such as 

e-magazines, or even charging 

subscription fees. 

There are some very good 

examples of people starting out 

with a very simple blog idea, and 

seeing it develop into a moneymaking 

brand.

Virtual home assistant 

Life is very hectic for many of us 

and organisation can often be 

overlooked as we struggle to 

keep up with the pace. 

If you have good organisational 

skills, why not put them to good 

use to help others? A virtual 

assistant could be the answer 

- someone to do the online 

shopping, organise diaries and 

events, taking care of household 

budgets - the list of services 

you could offer to do from the 

comfort of your own home is 

pretty exhaustive! 

Whether you want to charge 

per service, or a simple monthly 

retainer fee, positioning yourself 

as a virtual home assistant could 

see you building a new career 

from scratch and for the most 

part, you don't even have to 

leave home. 

Dog walking 

Dogs always need walking and helping 

out your local canines and their owners 

is another way to make some money. 

Do your research first though - if you 

can get yourself certified as a dog 

trainer, it will be of benefit to the dogs, 

their owners, and the ability to sell 

your services. Perhaps start by walking 

your family or friends' dogs to get 

experience under your belt. 

Online shop 

There is plenty of money to be made from online shops - and the best 

part about it is that it won't cost you much to get going. 

There are several ways of running an online shop. First, there is the 

traditional way of selling physical goods, whatever they may be. You'll 

need to hold stock, manage inventories and take into account shipping 

costs. 

You can also make money by selling goods that you don't need to 

physically store. Websites such as RedBubble and CottonCart allow 

you to sell your designs on 

T-shirts, mugs, and all kinds of 

merchandise. They also take care 

of delivery and you get a small 

commission for each item sold. 

You can also look to open your 

own shop on websites such as 

Etsy or even eBay, which is a good 

place to sell bits and bobs that are 

hanging around the house and are 

no longer needed. 

Book keeping 

Many small businesses often overlook the important task of keeping their 

accounts up to date. It's always advisable to have some kind of qualification 

in this field (you can get this online 

too) and if you are just starting out, it's 

worth helping people you know so that 

you can get to know the processes 

involved. 

Book keeping is becoming 

increasingly digitalised, which means 

that you can often work remotely using 

specialised software. Working within 

a specific niche also means that you'll 

find clients easier. 

Stock photography 

If you're the sort of person that 

loves taking photos, you can 

always look to make money 

from them by selling them on 

stock photography websites. 

Every time your photo is 

licensed, you get a royalty 

paid. Check out websites like 

Unsplash, iStockPhoto and 

Shutterstock to see what sort of 

quality they are looking for, and 

also to see what kind of photos 

are doing well. A great way to 

build a passive income. 

Become a translator 

Your second (or third or fourth!) 

language could be translated 

into money in your pocket by 

becoming a translator. 

There are always people 

and businesses looking to get 

their work translated. It's worth 

checking to see what kind of 

qualifications you think you might 

need but you can complete 

these alongside small pieces of 

work to get you going. 

It's always a good idea to focus 

on one industry-specific area 

of translation so that you can 

become a go-to expert in your 

field. 

33

Every man 

an emperor 

A group in North Cardiff is aiming to improve the lives of men through 

physical and mental hardship. This is the Green Mile Movement 

Among the dry, summer mountains 

and rushing rivers of Taffs Well and 

beyond, there exists a brotherhood 

that’s shaping up to be a force for 

good. 

Over the last few months, the 

men of the Green Mile Movement 

have been pushing their physical 

and mental strength to their 

limits; developing their integrity, 

their confidence, composure, 

perseverance, and grit. 

The movement is the brainchild of 

Chris Flynn, a former commando 

from Cardiff who in 2018, formed 

a small group of friends to test 

themselves physically. As the 

months rolled on, the existence 

of the group developed into 

something more serious and 

meaningful. 

“I grew up in Lisvane and now live 

34 

Chris served in multiple 

overseas deployments 

in Taff’s Well,” says Chris. “I was born 

into a huge family, many of whom 

still live in north Cardiff. 

“For over 12 years, I served in 

various roles within the airborne 

and commando forces on multiple 

overseas deployments. I left the 

forces in 2012 and then lived in 

Dubai and the US working as a 

health safety and environmental 

consultant.” 

But it was Chris’ return to the UK 

in 2017 that left him shocked at the 

state of men’s physical and mental 

health and he felt compelled to do 

something about it. 

“After moving back to the UK and 

losing my sixth mate to suicide, 

I started looking into the state of 

men's health. Having been raised 

in the military with five brothers of 

my own, I have an insight into what 

drives guys to the point of giving up. 

“I found that statistically, men 

do not suffer more than women 

as the numbers of female suicide 

attempts actually exceed that of 

males. However, I do believe that 

male identity has been warped 

somewhat over the past few 

decades for many different reasons 

and a stronger path needs to be 

cut by us if we are to fulfil our role 

as well-orientated members of our 

family and community.” 

Chris soon hit upon the idea of 

a ‘brotherhood’ that could help 

support those who needed help: 

“I believed that the brotherhood 

that I once belonged to was such 

a strong and positive force in many 

ways, that if elements of it could be 

replicated outside then that would 

benefit many lost men in need of a 

lift up.” 

The Green Mile Movement was 

born as an extension of Chris’ 

belief that all men (and women) 

should be capable of dealing with 

the difficulties of life and a way of 

achieving this is through arduous 

physical training and personal 

sacrifice. 

The movement applies many tried 

and tested military techniques as 

well as other pursuits to develop 

certain attributes in its members 

- men of all backgrounds and all 

abilities. 

“By creating a network of strong 

and well-orientated men in cities 

throughout the country, men who 

believe in respect, encouragement, 

discipline and hard work, we can 

improve the lives of not only those 

men, but also their families and 

communities, which is very much 

needed in a time like ours today,” 

says Chris. 

“Physical and mental health are

mutually supporting. They are not 

separate entities. The mind cannot 

reach its peak of ability without 

a sound physical body to house 

it and vice versa. We believe that 

men's (and women’s) potential is 

significantly reduced if they are not 

at least pursuing better health.” 

The brotherhood holds regular 

(and free) outdoor sessions, for 

general fitness. These run most 

evenings, from various locations, 

with some simple warm-ups and 

professional instruction. 

“Excessive comfort can weaken 

us,” adds Chris. "Our lives today are 

characterised by making things 

more comfortable. We flip this on 

its head and practice hardship with 

purpose. 

“TGMM is not for aesthetics or 

for topless profile photos. We 

believe the key to health is found 

in movement, so we practise many 

different ways to achieve this. 

Calisthenics is a strong theme in 

our group, but we also work on the 

hills surrounding the city; we climb 

ropes rigged up under bridges, 

we carry logs and drag sleds to 

the tops of mountains; we swim in 

open water and we learn skills such 

as eating off the land and clean 

water extraction. We do this as a 

brotherhood, all supporting one 

another to get to the next level. 

We even practice swimming and 

submergence training in the Taff in 

the summer months.” 

For Chris, helping others has also 

helped support him since leaving 

the forces. 

“I needed the brotherhood as 

much as the other guys may need 

it now. When I left what is arguably 

the strongest brotherhood in the 

country behind in the military, I 

was at a loss. Both myself and the 

other veterans who support the 

movement understand what a force 

for good a strong brotherhood can 

be for men. We want to share that 

experience. We are rewarded by 

belonging to a cool group of lads 

that like to Train Hard and Live Easy, 

which is now our motto.” 

The concepts of military discipline 

and self-discipline are now breaking 

out into the open. TV shows like 

SAS: Who Dares Wins has helped lift 

the lid on the physical and mental 

attitudes needed to deal with 

whatever life throws at you. 

“Without a doubt, these shows and 

the characters in them have lifted 

the brand of the military and what 

is does. I think people can now see 

more evidently what the military 

mindset brings about and they want 

some of it. 

“The military is steeped in age 

old ways of doing business that 

haven't changed for decades or 

even centuries. The reason for 

this is because it works and works 

well. Its systems are underpinned 

by core fundamentals such as 

discipline, cheerfulness in the face 

of adversity, physical fitness, shared 

beliefs, resilience and team spirit. 

“In the constant pursuit of 

progressiveness today, these 

characteristics have been left 

behind and even disregarded and 

classed as draconian. 

“The truth is they are very much 

needed to pull us out of the rut we 

may find ourselves in as people and 

as a nation. Military fitness is geared 

towards ability and competence 

whereas many more recent fitness 

forms are clinging to aesthetics 

or image, which doesn't seem to 

sustain over time.” 

The movement is quickly 

gathering pace and they are soon 

hoping to be making incursions 

nationwide. 

“So far, we’ve got 30 members 

wearing our Green Mile Sweatshirts. 

You must complete seven outdoors 

sessions to earn yourself one of 

these. We have approximately 

another 25 who train with us but 

haven't earned their sweatshirt yet.” 

The group will also be developing 

an outdoor gym, which will allow 

the men to train. 

“We have acquired a piece of land 

in the hills of Taff's Well and are 

about to build our first outdoor gym 

on it this summer. We have also 

recruited a Doctor of Psychology 

from the University of South Wales 

onto our board and hope to bring 

him in on the mindset elements of 

what we do in the near future.” 

The group was successful in 

acquiring CIC (Community Interest 

Company) status in January which 

now enables them to go and seek 

people 

Bridge drops form part 

of the activities 

funding to reach the goals that they 

have set themselves, 

“We have a number of veteranowned 

and veteran-run businesses 

lined up to work with us to expand 

our service delivery over the next 

12 to 24 months. One of our goals 

is to increase the number of guys 

wearing TGMM sweatshirts to 100 

by summer 2021. 

“Ultimately, we want to become 

a genuine force for good within 

the community of Cardiff, and to 

expand the movement beyond the 

city to support other men who may 

benefit from what we do.” 

And away from the movement, 

Chris is planning to launch other 

offensives to help others, even from 

an early age. 

“I started a children's cartoon in 

health and fitness whilst living in the 

US, which is currently trademarked 

and parked on a shelf until I 

can create the time and cash to 

continue it again.” 

Through practising hardship, Chris 

hopes to change the world for the 

better, one individual at a time. 

More information can be found at 

www.thegreenmilemovement.com 

or Instagram at 

@thegreenmilemovement 

Some of the men taking part in 

the training regime 

35

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 

Is it sensible to change my dog’s diet 

during the summer months? She’s 

been moving less during the recent 

warm weather but eating the same 

amount of food. 

Firstly, has she put on weight? If 

not, don’t worry about changing 

anything but keep an eye on her. It’s 

worth weighing her regularly so you 

can see if she is gradually gaining 

weight – the scales never lie! If you 

can’t weigh her at home, your vet will 

almost certainly have scales that you 

can use. Alternatively, measure her 

waist and chest size with a tape (just 

in front of her hips and just behind her 

shoulders). Write it down and keep a 

weekly diary. 

If she has gained weight, you need 

to do something before things 

get out of control, and that means 

reducing her calorie intake. Review 

what she eats in total and see where 

you can cut down – fewer treats, 

less dinner, whatever you can do. 

Make sure everyone in the family 

understands the importance of not 

giving her extras. 

Generally, dogs do better on a 

stable diet; chopping and changing 

can lead to stomach upsets. Also, 

changing from one food to another is 

difficult when you’re trying to control 

calorie intake, as you don’t know the 

calorie content of the food – it’s not 

usually on the label. So if you can, 

just reduce the amount of her normal 

food. If you do need to change food, 

go for the same brand, but the ‘light’ 

version if one exists. If it doesn’t, 

you’ll just have to change to any one 

the ‘light’ varieties, and monitor her 

weight, being prepared to reduce the 

amount you are giving her. 

If you’re having any difficulty 

controlling your dog’s weight, your 

vet team will be very happy to help 

analyse her feeding regime and can 

supply very effective weight control 

diets. 

Is fruit safe for dogs to eat? My 

partner keeps feeding our dog 

strawberries and I’m never sure it’s a 

good thing. 

Strawberries are fine for dogs – and 

they may even be good for their teeth 

as they contain a whitening enzyme. 

Most fruits that we eat are ok, but 

the ones to avoid are: grapes (even 

very small amounts can be fatal), 

cherries, avocados, and the seeds 

from apples and pears. Citrus fruits 

and persimmons can cause stomach 

upsets. Most vegetables are also 

ok, but avoid any of the onion family. 

Also, never allow your dog to chew 

corn-on-the-cob as it can cause a 

horrible obstruction if swallowed in 

chunks. 

Fruit and vegetables like apples and 

carrots make very good treats for 

dogs that put on weight easily, and 

they can also help keep the teeth 

clean. 

We have three guinea pigs that 

we’ve kept inside all winter but we 

are now looking to relocate them to 

a larger outdoor hutch. As they’ve 

been inside our house all winter and 

spring, will it be much of a shock 

to their system to now put them 

outside? 

Now that the warm weather is here 

and there is no chill at night, your 

guinea pigs will be fine to go in 

an outdoor hutch. Make sure it is 

protected from the prevailing wind 

and has an area of the run that is 

covered so they can be outside even 

when it’s raining. Actually, coming 

from the high Andes mountains, 

guinea pigs are quite hardy and 

happy with cold weather as long as 

they don’t get too wet. Position their 

hutch in a sheltered place and cover 

it up at night and in bad weather - 

they can live outdoors all year round. 

In many ways, this is preferable as 

the space they will have outdoors 

is likely to be larger than an indoor 

run, and they are very active animals 

and should have plenty of room. The 

RSPCA recommend a space of at 

least 120x60cm to house two guinea 

pigs – and more pigs need more 

space. 

How do I protect my pet rabbits 

from flystrike? I remember one of my 

rabbits having it when I was a child 

and it wasn’t very pleasant as far as I 

remember. 

Flystrike is a very unpleasant 

condition where flies lay their eggs 

in soiled fur, and the maggots that 

hatch out eat into the flesh. It can 

easily be fatal if not spotted quickly, 

so it’s important that rabbit owners 

check their bunnies carefully every 

day for signs. 

The most important way of 

preventing flystrike is to make sure 

your bunny is clean. There should 

never be a build-up of faeces around 

the anus, nor wet or soiled fur. If there 

is, you must clean it thoroughly. If this 

keeps happening, you must get your 

vet to have a look because it might 

be a sign of another problem that 

needs attention. 

You must keep the hutch area 

clean and odour-free so as not to 

attract flies, and you can also use a 

treatment called Rearguard which 

is applied to the rabbit to prevent fly 

eggs developing into maggots. It is 

effective for about 10 weeks, so you 

should apply it in early summer and 

again 10 weeks later to cover the 

high-risk period. 

Danescourt 

02920 564 626 

Llantrisant Road Retail Park, 

Llantrisant Road, 

Cardiff CF5 2BF 

Rhiwbina 

02920 621 511 

123-5 Heol-y-Deri, Rhiwbina, 

Cardiff CF14 6UH 

Sponsored feature

Whitchurch & Llandaff 

Through Time 

In our historical series, Steve Nicholas returns with a look at life in Whitchurch 

and Llandaff North in bygone eras, featuring this issue on shops 

Merthyr Road, Whitchurch 

Whitchurch Village The thatched shop is JA Lewis, the drapers. In the 1980s, it was Percy Thomas Florists Ltd and 

is presently Pizzeria Villagio, an Italian restaurant. 

The Crossroads The junction between Penlline Road, Old Church Road and Merthyr Road c.1900. Until the early 

18th century, there were no more than around 300 people living in about 50 farms and cottages in Whitchurch, 

but by the end of the 19th century, this had risen to nearly 5,000. 

A view of Whitchurch village, looking northwards through Merthyr Road. 

William Hill Pictured here passing through Whitchurch village in 1904 is the last local courier, William Hill. The 

buildings in the background are now occupied by Coopers Cafe, New Empire Chinese takeaway and the Cardiff 

Bed & Furniture Centre. 

38

history 

Whitchurch Post and Telegraph Office, (opposite 

the Royal Oak) dating from 1920s and is now the 

Monmouthshire Building Society. 

Scene of Whitchurch village, taken from the tower of 

St. Mary's Church. Judging by the vehicles, this shot 

was taken during the 1960s. 

A busy Merthyr Road, 1960s. 

Whitchurch village scene, August 1974 Some of the 

shops pictured were Rediffusion, Boots the Chemist, 

LG Humphries Carpets, The Principality, Dewhursts 

Butchers and Forest Farm Dairy. Of these, only Boots 

and The Principality remain. 

Whitchurch village c.1960. 

A photo of a quiet Sunday morning on Merthyr Road, 

taken during the 1980s. 

Steve Nicholas was born in Llandaff North 

and has published several photographic 

books about Whitchurch and Llandaff 

North. 

He also runs a website which is full of 

historical information about the area and 

lots of photos. You can find more at 

www.whitchurchandllandaff.co.uk 

39

feature 

HOW TO WRITE 

THE PERFECT 

SHORT STORY 

If you've been left with time on your hands during lockdown, 

writing a short story is a great way to channel your inner creative. 

Here's how you can create your own perfect short story 

Why write a short 

story? 

Short stories are a great way to 

exercise your brain and provide 

you with a creative outlet. They 

are also the perfect place to 

start your writing career. They 

allow you to practise the art of 

planning, structuring and then 

layering your work. They allow 

you to develop characters, to 

master plot twists and to create 

your own worlds and share them 

with others. 

The love of writing can also be 

rewarded with that warm feeling 

when someone tells you that 

they were moved by something 

you wrote, or that they love your 

work. 

Whether you’re writing for 

pleasure or for money, there is 

joy to be had in mastering the 

art of the short story, and by 

creating something that can be 

kept forever. 

40 

Where to start 

Before you even start your short 

story, you're going to want to think 

about themes and ideas. 

It's often hard to come up with 

ideas off the top of your head so it's 

always useful to carry a notepad 

around to jot ideas down as they 

come to you (you can always use 

your phone for this too). 

Look out for possible story ideas 

during your every day routine, 

whether it's an advert on a Post 

Office noticeboard or a second-hand 

wedding dress in a charity shop. 

Some themes may be of interest 

to you and you can blend these 

in with any story lines that you are 

developing. 

There are two main types of writer 

- the Planner or the Panster. The 

Planner gets the entire outline of the 

story down before committing to 

fleshing the story out. A Panster may 

have a general idea of where their 

story is going but takes a more seewhere-this 

goes approach. 

Neither approach is right or wrong 

but there are significant benefits 

to thoroughly planning your short 

story, insomuch that you can angle 

your story lines perfectly with your 

ending. 

A short story should ideally come 

in between 1,000 and 5,000 words 

but you can go shorter if you wish. 

Flash fiction often sits anywhere 

between 500 and 1,000 words while 

micro-fiction ranges between 5-350 

words.

Endings 

Logistically, and from a planning 

point of view, it makes things 

a lot easier to start at the end 

because from the very start 

of your story, you can channel 

each and every storyline to the 

ending. 

In every story, there is usually 

some kind of conflict or problem 

that needs to be resolved and 

if you already know what the 

resolution is, you can retro-plot 

your characters, objects and 

actions to set the ending up 

perfectly. Of course, you keep 

your reader in the dark about 

the resolution until the very end 

and you do this by gradually 

revealing ever-increasing 

problems that your main 

character has to overcome. 

Openings 

With a short story, you don't have time 

to create a long, rambling back story. 

Instead, you need to drop your character 

straight into the action. Suggest a back 

story via dialogue if you like but the sooner 

your character hits their 'conflict', the 

better chance you have of keeping your 

reader glued to the page. 

Drop something into the opening that will 

reappear at the end, whether it's an action, 

an object or a piece of dialogue. 

Development 

Now that you've got your ending and your openings sorted, you need to 

get your character and your story from the start to the end via the middle 

section. This is where you develop your plot, your characters and your 

theme. 

Traditionally, the character in a story will face larger and worsening 

problems but you won't have time to do that in a short story. Instead, 

you'll have to compress the time frame into something smaller - every 

word counts. 

In addition to the structure 

and plot, unless your story is 

purely a descriptive piece, 

be economical with your 

descriptions. Long ruminations 

can often cost a short story its 

flow. 

Keep your pre-planned 

ending in mind at all times as 

your middle section will be 

leading directly up to it. 

Editing 

Editing is where you hone, prune and 

polish your work. A sculptor doesn't 

work on their finishing touches until the 

very end and this is what editing is all 

about. 

Once you've finished your first draft 

(which won't be perfect), leave it 'stew' 

for a few days before returning to it. 

You'll be looking at it with fresh eyes. 

In a short story, every word counts so 

be ruthless with unnecessary words 

that will bloat your story and drag it 

down. If your story is intended to be an 

exciting one, you'll be aiming to use 

short sentences in any case to up the 

tempo. Once you've done a first edit, leave it for a few days and repeat the 

same process over and over until you're happy with it. 

Get the full course 

The full course is available as a 

download from 

www.brand.patricmorgan.com 

and includes an in-depth guide, 

showing you how to create your 

own short story, and how you can 

make money from them. 

Publish your work 

Now that you've written your short 

story, you can always look to get it 

published. 

There's always the option of 

approaching magazines or blogs, 

or you can go direct to a publishing 

house. 

Self-publishing is also now one of 

the quickest ways to get your work 

into print and make money. 

41

Musical Harmony 

As lockdown confined us to our homes, a group of musicians 

collaborated in isolation to produce a celebration of melody 

When lockdown was announced 

at the end of March, many soon 

realised that life as we know it 

would change, possibly forever. 

Workers were told to either work 

from home or not work at all. 

Joel Piacentini was one of them. 

The musician from Rhiwbina was 

stuck at home, his creative outlet 

cut short by the pandemic. 

"I'm a self-employed financial 

adviser by day and work through 

lockdown has been very difficult. 

Work just stopped. My wife was also 

shielding so as a family, we had to 

follow the same rules as her. Like 

many others, I found myself at a 

loose end, looking for something to 

do with my time." 

Joel's affinity with music started at 

an early age. 

"I’ve been an active musician since 

I was a child. I started playing the 

guitar at 6 years old. My brother-inlaw 

Robert taught me my first ever 

chords." 

42 

Since then, Joel has spent his life 

performing live music to various 

audiences in various different 

guises. 

"Up until the lockdown, I played 

live music regularly and the 

frustration of not being able to do 

that made me think about doing it 

virtually online. 

"I celebrated my birthday during 

April and I had some basic 

recording equipment and it got me 

thinking about creating music with 

fellow musicians. The first people I 

approached were my friend Stuart 

and my nephew Gareth and we 

released our first recording on 29th 

April on Facebook." 

Joel and his band's first 

performance was quickly shared 

around social media, and was 

quickly followed up with another. 

"It grew from there," says Joel. "I 

reached out to other people I knew 

in the community, musician friends, 

and they put me in touch with other 

people, some of whom I've never 

met. We've got a young drummer 

called Callum on our videos and 

I've never met him in real life!" he 

adds. "We were all performing in our 

own locations so we came up with 

the name of the Lockdown Buddy 

Band." 

The performances have a very 

polished feel to them but Joel 

is quick to point out that a lot of 

unseen work goes into each video. 

"When we first set out doing these 

videos, we tried doing a live session 

over a Zoom call. The problem 

was the time lapse and we found 

it impossible to create a cohesive 

piece of music. 

"So we had to come up with other 

ideas. Most of the tracks start with 

me performing my part on guitar 

and voice. I stick to a strict time and 

record it on video. 

"The next step then is to send out 

my video to all the other musicians 

who then record and video their

part in isolation. When it all comes 

back in, it's then down to me to 

stitch it all together. 

"Before lockdown, I'd dabbled a 

few times in creating music digitally 

but I've learned a lot over the last 

few months. The technology side of 

things has been a challenge but I 

understand it a lot better now." 

The band doesn't have an official 

members list, as Joel calls on a 

rotating list of musicians, most of 

whom are based in and around 

Cardiff. 

"Most of the musicians are from 

the city. I'm in Rhiwbina but others 

come from Cyncoed, Whitchurch, 

Lakeside and Thornhill. Our violinist 

Kim Thomas teaches at Llanishen 

Fach Primary School in Rhiwbina." 

In a wonderful twist of fate, Joel's 

ex-Cardiffian brother-in-law, who 

first taught him how to play the 

guitar, now features on some of the 

videos. 

"He plays piano all the way from 

Vancouver so that certainly makes 

us an international set up. It's great 

to think that technology now allows 

us to create music together, even 

though we're opposite sides of the 

world." 

The band plays an eclectic mix of 

music, ranging from The Beatles, 

through to Elbow and the likes of 

The Lumineers and The Fratellis. 

"I’m a little older now so we've 

been trying to play a few songs 

that have been released within 

living memory," laughs Joel. "We 

felt that people needed cheering 

up and we've had some wonderful 

comments from people." 

The performances have been met 

with acclaim from all over, including 

from overseas. 

"My great grandfather was Italian. 

He was from a village in Tuscany 

and we've had some lovely 

feedback about our performances 

from that part of the world." 

The warm welcome that the 

performances have accumulated 

have made Joel think about the 

future of his music. 

"There has been such a positive 

reaction to all of our performances 

and our aim has always been to 

provide something for people to 

focus on when things get scary 

out there. We've had people get in 

touch who have been very isolated 

these last few months and it's really 

perked them up. 

We have had 

lovely feedback 

about our 

performances 

from all over 

the world 

"Nobody is really sure how long 

it will be before live music returns 

to our lives so it's given me some 

thought about what my future could 

look like. 

"In the past, I've been performing 

as part of a trio that plays to social 

clubs, bars and at private functions. 

My most recent residency was at 

people 

Penylan Social Club, but of course, 

all that has changed now. Many 

of the musicians in the videos are 

people I've performed live with over 

the years. 

"As 'normal life' is slowly starting to 

resume, we are going to continue 

with the online performances. 

Output has slowed a little as some 

of our musicians have started going 

back to work. Ultimately, I would 

love to do at least one concert 

locally and recreate all of the tracks 

with all the individuals. There's also 

been talk of creating a charity CD 

or DVD, but there would be things 

such as copyright issues that we'd 

need to look at before we started 

any work on that. 

"I definitely want to continue 

working with my lockdown buddies, 

but perhaps not in our current setup 

as we move out of lockdown. 

"The list of band members is 

still growing. I currently have 16 

musicians, including myself, two 

nieces, one nephew, one brotherin-law 

and my wife." 

Joel's vision has kept both himself 

and his musician friends busy 

during the lockdown, but more 

importantly, they've put a smile 

on the faces of those who have 

perhaps spent too much time alone. 

You can find Joel and his band on 

YouTube. Search for 'Joel Piacentini 

and the Lock-down Buddy Band’. 

They are also on Facebook at 

www.facebook.com/rhiwbina.ldbb 

Top row (l-r): 

Joel Piacentini, 

Rebecca Thayer, 

Jeremy Lukins 

Bottom row l-r: 

Kim Thomas, 

Paul Thomas 

43

Providing full tree, grounds 

and estate maintenance and 

landscaping services. 

We’re very proud of what we do for our clients and like most 

people who work in nature we spend a lot of time on our 

knees in one way or another. This is always humbling. 

Now, whether you call it humility or respect or admiration 

for nature, if you’re looking to work with a company that 

cares about these things TR33 could be what you’re after. 

at Brook House, Brook Road 

For a free no obligation quote please contact 

0800 298 3686 I info@tr33.co.uk 

www.tr33.co.uk 

DOUBLE GLAZING REPAIR SERVICE 

* Broken Glass 

Replacement 

* Misted Glass 

Replacement 

* Faulty/Broken 

Hinges, Locks, Doors, 

Handles 

* Patio Door Problems 

* Draughty/Leaking 

Windows, Doors, 

Conservatories 

* Catflaps, Letterboxes, 

New Door Panels 

* Stained Glass 

Repairs and 

Replacements 

* Glass/mirrors of all 

types cut to size 

* uPVC New 

Windows/ Doors 

Installed 

* Upgrades to Locks 

and Handles 

* Fascias, Guttering, 

Cladding 

* Shop Fronts 

For a free quotation by a reliable, 

competitive company, please feel 

free to get in touch 

UPVC WINDOWS AND 

COMPOSITE DOORS 

Composite doors are 

a great choice if you 

are thinking about 

replacing the doors 

in your home. They 

offer excellent energy 

efficiency and are 

available in a range of 

colours and designs to 

suit your budget. With 

a choice of glazing 

options and styles, 

we are sure to have 

the right door for you. 

Our UPVC windows 

and doors come in a 

range of styles and 

colours and conform 

to insurance standards. 

All new installations 

have an insurance 

backed guarantee. 

Decostains@aol.com 

www.doubleglazingrepairscardiff.co.uk 

Unit 3 Western Business Centre, Robert St, Ely, Cardiff , CF5 5AS 

(formerly of Western Avenue, Llandaff) 

02920 566694

If your marriage has broken down 

If during your lockdown, marriage has we’re broken here to down help. 

during lockdown, we’re here to help. 

With lockdown forcing so many couples to spend time together for months on 

end, reports are that, sadly, divorce rates are set to soar. 

Kate Thomas, Head of Family Law and Matrimonial Law at Harding Evans 

With lockdown forcing so many couples to spend time together for months on 

Solicitors, answers some of the most common questions on seeking legal 

end, 

advice. 

reports are that, sadly, divorce rates are set to soar. 

Kate Thomas, Head of Family Law and Matrimonial Law at Harding Evans 

For many people, the last few months of lockdown have given Q: What is the actual process I’ll need to go 

them a rare opportunity to enjoy Solicitors, spending time answers at home some with their of the through? most common questions on seeking legal 

families and reconnecting with their advice. partner. But we know that the A: Whilst you can attempt to manage the process 

stresses of the enforced lockdown will have led to misery for many yourself, it’s usually best to contact a specialist divorce 

For others, many forcing people, them to last re-evaluate few months their of marriages lockdown have and realise given that lawyer, Q: What especially is the actual if there process are children I’ll need involved to go or if 

them this is a rare not the opportunity life they want. to enjoy spending time at home with their your through? partner doesn’t agree to the divorce. 

families and reconnecting with their partner. But we know that the A: Whilst you can attempt to manage the process 

stresses We’d urge of the anyone enforced to think lockdown carefully will about have starting led to misery divorce for many A yourself, divorce petition it’s usually will best prepared to contact and a specialist filed at Court. divorce 

others, proceedings forcing at them this time to re-evaluate of great stress their and marriages uncertainty. and realise But if that Once lawyer, your especially spouse has if there acknowledged are children this, involved you’ll need or if 

this there is not really the is life no they way through want. for your marriage, we’ve answered to your prepare partner a Statement doesn’t agree in Support to the to divorce. proceed, which 

some of the most common questions, to help make things clearer will lead to pronouncement of a Decree Nisi. Six weeks 

at this difficult time. 

and one day later, you may apply for your Decree 

We’d urge anyone to think carefully about starting divorce 

A divorce petition will be prepared and filed at Court. 

Absolute. 

proceedings at this time of great stress and uncertainty. But if Once your spouse has acknowledged this, you’ll need 

Q: Can anyone get divorced? 

there 

A: You 

really 

can 

is 

get 

no 

divorced 

way through 

in England 

for your 

and 

marriage, 

Wales if you 

we’ve 

have 

answered 

been Financial to prepare issues a Statement and any arrangements in Support to for proceed, children which 

some married of the for most over a common year, can questions, prove that to your help relationship make things has clearer may will lead be dealt to pronouncement with either by using of a a Decree local mediation Nisi. Six weeks 

at permanently this difficult broken time. down, (citing one of the following grounds; service and one or day via an later, application you may to apply Court for to your determine Decree the 

adultery, unreasonable behaviour, desertion, separation for the distribution Absolute. of matrimonial assets and arrangements 

Q: last Can two anyone years), get your divorced? marriage is legally recognised in the UK and for children. 

A: the You UK can is your get divorced permanent in England home, or and the Wales permanent if you home have been of your Financial issues and any arrangements for children 

married spouse. for over a year, can prove that your relationship has Q: may How be long dealt does with it either take by to get using a divorce? a local mediation 

permanently broken down, (citing one of the following grounds; A: service This can or vary via an considerably. application to With Court no complications, to determine the it 

adultery, 

Q: What 

unreasonable 

do I need to consider 

behaviour, 

before 

desertion, 

applying 

separation 

for a divorce?A: 

for the 

may 

distribution 

be possible 

of matrimonial 

within four to 

assets 

five months, 

and arrangements 

but if there 

There will be a lot of things to consider, from arrangements for are financial issues that cannot be resolved, an 

last two years), your marriage is legally recognised in the UK and for children. 

looking after any children and child maintenance payments to how application to Court for Financial Remedy may be 

the 

you 

UK 

will 

is 

divide 

your permanent 

your money 

home, 

and property. 

or the permanent home of your 

required, taking six to twelve months. 

spouse. 

Q: How long does it take to get a divorce? 

A: This can vary considerably. With no complications, it 

Harding Q: What do Evans I need is to one consider of Wales’ before applying top 10 law for a firms divorce?A: and has may a be possible within four to five months, but if there 

specialist 

There will be 

team 

a lot of 

of 

things 

experienced 

to consider, from 

Family 

arrangements 

and Matrimonial 

for are financial issues that cannot be resolved, an 

looking after any children and child maintenance payments to how application to Court for Financial Remedy may be 

lawyers. If you would like to speak to one of the team, 

you will divide your money and property. 

required, taking six to twelve months. 

please call on 01633 760678. 

Harding Evans is one of Wales’ top 10 law firms and has a

BBQ 

PDQ 

This sizzling selection of quick and easy mouth-watering recipes 

are perfect for outdoor dining on a hot summer's day 

Pulled Pork 

2 tsp ground cumin 

2 tsp smoked paprika 

2 tsp pepper 

2 tsp brown sugar 

1 tsp salt 

500-600ml of cider 

boneless shoulder of pork (between 

2-3kg) 

smoky barbecue sauce 

soft white rolls 

46 

☐ In a bowl, mix together the ground 

cumin, smoked paprika, brown sugar 

and salt. Rub the mixture over the 

boneless shoulder of pork. 

☐ Put the pork into a large casserole 

dish, skin-side up, and pour in half of 

the cider over the meat. 

☐ Cover the casserole dish with a lid 

and cook in the oven at 150°C/130°C 

fan/Gas 2 for between 4 and 8 hrs 

until falling apart. Check every few 

hours in case it gets dry – if it does, 

add another mugful of cider. 

☐ Take it out of the oven and put the 

meat in a big dish, leaving the liquid 

in the casserole. 

☐ Cut the skin off, then shred the 

meat using two forks. Ditch any fatty 

bits and skim any excess fat off the 

surface of the sauce. 

☐ Add a mugful of a good smoky 

BBQ sauce to the casserole, mix it 

in, then ladle some into a bowl for 

dipping. 

☐ Put the pulled pork back in the 

casserole with the juices so it stays 

moist. Season to taste. Can be made 

one day ahead. 

☐ Serve in soft white rolls with 

coleslaw and the bowl of juices on 

the side for dipping plus a tomato, 

cucumber and coriander salad. 

Tomato, cucumber 

& coriander salad 

6 ripe vine tomatoes, deseeded and 

chopped 

1 small cucumber, diced 

1 red onion, very finely chopped 

6 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped 

☐ Mix together the tomatoes, 

cucumber, red onion, and chopped 

coriander but don’t season until just 

before serving.

Vegan burger 

For the burgers 

400g black beans, rinsed and 

drained 

100g cooked brown rice (from a 

packet is fine) 

1 onion, grated 

1 tsp crushed fennel seeds 

½ tsp garlic salt 

1 tsp smoked paprika 

25g panko breadcrumbs 

1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf 

parsley 

For the mayo 

100g silken tofu 

1 tsp cider vinegar 

1 tsp lemon juice 

a pinch of English mustard powder 

1 tsp chipotle paste 

For the guacamole 

1 avocado, peeled and stoned 

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped 

1/2 red chilli, finely chopped 

1 tbsp chopped coriander 

juice of 1/2 lime 

☐ To create the burgers, tip all the 

burger ingredients into a blender and 

pulse until they're combined. Divide 

into 4 and shape them into burger 

patties. Place them onto a plate and 

rest them in the fridge for at least 30 

minutes. 

☐ Heat your barbecue or griddle 

pan to high. Brush the burger patties 

with some olive oil and then place 

them on the grill. Cook for 3 minutes 

before flipping, and cooking for 3 

minutes more. Touch the burgers 

as little as possible to maintain their 

shape. 

☐ To make the chipotle mayo, place 

all of the ingredients into a small 

blender with a pinch of sugar and 

food 

blend until smooth. Add 2 tbsp olive 

oil, and then blitz again until it looks 

like mayonnaise. Season, tip into a 

bowl, cover and chill. 

☐ To make the guacamole, mash the 

avocado with a fork, and then stir in 

the onion, chilli, and the coriander. 

Season and stir in the lime juice and 

then chill. 

☐ Lightly toast some buns and 

then layer the bottom bun with your 

mayo. Add the burger and top with 

guacamole and some tomato slices 

if desired. 

Salmon with 

soy marinade 

1 tbsp lemon zest 

1 tbsp minced garlic 

freshly ground black pepper 

5 tbsp soy sauce 

4 tbsp dark brown soft sugar 

5 tbsp water 

4 tbsp vegetable oil 

700g salmon fillet 

☐ In a small bowl, stir together 

the lemon zest, garlic, pepper, soy 

sauce, sugar, water and vegetable 

oil until the sugar is dissolved. 

Place the fish in a large resealable 

plastic bag with the marinade, 

seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate 

for at least 2 hours. 

☐ Preheat the barbecue to a 

medium heat. 

☐ Lightly oil the cooking grate. 

Place the salmon on the 

preheated barbecue and discard 

the marinade. Cook the salmon for 

6 to 8 minutes per side, or until it 

flakes easily with a fork. 

47

Whitchurch and Llandaff Living Issue 58

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?