Whitchurch and Llandaff Living Issue 17 March/April 2012

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SAMWARBURTONWhyTHATtacklewillspurmeontobetterthings

Issue 17Mar / Apr ‘12

LivingWHITCHURCHAND LLANDAFF

WWhhiittcchhuurrcchh aanndd LLllaannddaaffff LLiivviinnggEEddiittoorrss//AAddvveerrttiissiinngg:: Patric Morgan & Danielle DummettAAddddrreessss:: 222 Pantbach Road, Rhiwbina,

Cardiff CF14 6AGTTeell:: 07772 081775 and 07974 022920EEmmaaiill:: [email protected]:: www.livingmags.co.uk

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy ofthe contents, the publisher cannot accept any responsibility forerrors or omissions, or for any matter in any way arising fromthe publication of this material. Every effort has been made tocontact any copyright holders.Whitchurch and Llandaff Living

is an independent, apolitical publication.

Advertising booking and copy deadline for Issue 18 - Friday 20th April 2012. Issue 18 publication date - May 2012. Whitchurch andLlandaff Living is published 5 times a year.

33--44 NNeewwss

55 LLeetttteerrssLetters to the Editors

88 IInntteerrvviieewwWales captainSam Warburton

1122 SSpprriinngg ooff HHooppeeGardening ThroughThe Seasons

1155 MMaann oonn aa MMiissssiioonn::A Whitchurch ManTakes on the World

1166 TThhee NNiigghhtt NNaazziissCCaammee ttoo CCaarrddiiffffby Keith Flynn OBE

1199 MMeemmoorriieessLlandaff North

2222 SScchhoooollssAll the latest fromour local schools

2255 PPeettss’’ PPaaggeeYour questions answered

2266 TThhee FFuunneerraall SSuuiittA short story by a local author

3311 BBaacckkllaasshhMusings of the editor

Welcome to your spring edition of Whitchurch and Llandaff Living.We hope that you’ve had a good start to the new year and that you’re settlingnicely into spring. We’ve had time to recharge over Christmas and it’s actuallygood to be back in the swing of things once again. We’ve used our time awayeffectively though - we’ve rebuilt our website to accommodate the large numbersof visitors we’re getting - over 350,000 individual visitors since July 2010!This issue, we met up with former Whitchurch High School pupil Sam Warburton.At time of writing, Sam is hoping to lead Wales to Six Nations success, but herehe reflects on the past few years that have seen him rise to great prominence onthe world rugby stage.On page 12, Llandaff North’s Keith Flynn guides us through spring from agardener’s point of view. We are delighted to be able to reproduce work by Cardiff’s Keith Flynn OBE.Keith got in touch with us about his book, Canton’s War. He very kindly grantedus permission to use extracts from his book, which provides a first-hand accountof a young boy’s walk from Canton to Llandaff the day after a night bombing raidon the city. For those who are too young to remember the war, it serves as a realeye-opener. For those who are old enough, it’ll possibly bring back memoriesboth good and bad.We’ve got all the big stories from our local schools on page 22 and resident vetChris Troughton answers your pet-related questions on page 25. Chris worksmainly out of the Rhiwbina branch of Heath Vets, but you’ll be pleased to knowthat another branch is opening soon in Llandaff!It’s a real treat to see the community really get involved with our magazines. Weregularly get submissions from readers, both in terms of letters and stories.Elizabeth Cunningham is one such resident. Her short story on page 26 is one tosavour over a cup of tea and a biscuit.Lastly, please remember to support our advertisers. We do our best for them. Ifit wasn’t for them, Whitchurch and Llandaff Living wouldn’t exist!See you in late spring!

EEddiittoorrss

WelcomeCroeso

Patric and Danielle

WWeellccoommee

WWhhiittcchhuurrcchh aanndd LLllaannddaaffff LLiivviinngg PPaaggee 22

NNEEWWSSWWHHIITTCCHHUURRCCHH HHOOSSPPIITTAALL PPLLAANNSS EEXXTTEENNDDEEDD

Campaigners trying to saveWhitchurch Hospital have beendealt a body blow as Cardiff Councilhave extended outline planningpermission for another four years.The council’s planning committeevoted in February by a majority of 5-3 to approve the planning extension,despite some committee memberslabelling Cardiff and Vale UniversityHealth Board’s (UHB) proposal as‘fantasy’ and ‘fiction’.Campaigners have fought longand hard to stop the scheme. Theyclaim that the plans could destroyWhitchurch, as well as threateningthe wildlife at neighbouring ForestFarm Country Park.The plans, which would require fullplanning permission before beinggiven a go-ahead, include theconstruction of 150 houses, 180flats, shops and amenities and anew hospital. The plans were firstdrawn up back in 1996.With the plans being so old, thereare concerns that they aren’trelevant nearly two decades later. Recent traffic statistics show thatcongestion had not worsened sincethe mid nineties.The planning report suggests that300 new houses will create a “28peak time vehicle movements” andthat the traffic on Park Road andPendwyallt Road has been on asteady decline since 1991.

Matthew Lock of MyWhitchurch.comsaid:“I’m not sure what planet they areon but it must be on a planet whereyou don’t have to drive throughWhitchurch to get to it as the wholehighways system in the village is atbreaking point at any time of theday.”Whitchurch councillors LindaMorgan and Tim Davies also addedthat the area had changedsubstantially since the housingproject was first announced 17years ago, and claimed the addedtraffic would bring Whitchurch to a“standstill”.Friends of Forest Farm have got anemail of support from BBC Naturepresenter Iolo Williams and areurging members of the public toshow their support to the campaign.He wrote:“I was horrified to hear that morenew houses are planned for the landadjacent to Forest Farm. This is awildlife sanctuary and providesvaluable habitats not just for wildlifebut for people too. There areprecious few ‘wild’ areas left in oururban environments.“I am disgusted that thesedevelopments are being pushedthrough at a time when we areunable to fill newly-built houses. Wecannot afford to keep losing ourgreen areas to brick and concrete.”

The Insole Court Trust and CardiffCouncil have successfullyachieved the first stage of the Community Asset Transfer of InsoleCourt from Cardiff Council to theTrust. The Trust is working towardsa secure future for this fineVictorian mansion and gardens forthe citizens of Llandaff and Cardiff.The Friends of Insole Courtrecently announced the formationof the Insole Court Trust, to enablethis transfer to happen. Thefounding Trustees have beendrawn from many sectors of thecommunity. They are: Sir NormanLloyd-Edwards, Yvonne Apsitis,Elaine Davey, David Hamley andDr Geoff Morgan.It is hoped that, with the supportof the Community Asset TransferFund and Cardiff Council, InsoleCourt will be restored to a standardbefitting its position in the history of the capital city of Wales. The number of rooms currentlyavailable will be increased from four to 14. Accommodation will beavailable to hire for events, smallcommunity enterprises andworkshops – as well as thecontinuation of adult educationclasses and heritage tours. A TeaHouse will be built in the gardens,and there are plans for child and adult services, and a shop in thenewly-restored Stable Block.

IINNSSOOLLEE CCOOUURRTT PPLLAANNSSAADDVVAANNCCIINNGG WWEELLLL


Radyr Weir has been earmarked asa source of natural power afterCardiff Council submitted a planningapplication to install two hydropowerturbines at the scenic spot.It has been estimated that thesystem will generate enough energyto power three of the city’s leisurecentres. In addition, it will save 700tonnes of CO2 per year.The £1.5m proposal would involveselling the electricity produced to theNational Grid. This would eventuallygenerate additional income for theCouncil. If successful, it is likely thatother hydropower plants could beintroduced to other beauty spotsalong the River Taff - Llandaff Weirnear the rowing club, and Blackweirfurther downstream.The proposals must first meet withapproval from the EnvironmentAgency Wales. At present, they areresearching what impact the planswould have on the wildlife both in

and around the river. They are alsolooking into the potential of theincreased likelihood of flooding inthe area. To counter this, the councilhas applied to divert the water fromthe watercourse. The construction ofthe turbines can only go ahead ifpermission is granted to alter thewater course.“We know there is a lot of pressureon electricity prices so it’s very

attractive for local authorities to lookat how they can get new sources ofincome,”Councillor Mark Stephenstold the press.“This is a sustainable and long-termsupply of cheap electricity.“It’s not without its technical issuesand we are discussing these with theEnvironment Agency, but we aremaking progress and we would liketo be onsite this summer.”

f

The Welsh Government has

announced that Llandaff North train

station is to get a £1.67m boost to

improve accessibility for

passengers. The project will see a

new footbridge with wheelchair

accessible ramps installed at the

station by March 2014.

This follows much campaigning by

locals, and politicians Julie Morgan

AM and former AM Jonathan

Morgan.

The DfT announced that a bid from

Arriva Trains Wales to its new Mid

Tier Access for All fund had been

successful and £1m had been

awarded to the project. However, the

work at Llandaf required an

additional contribution from SEWTA,

the Regional Transport Consortia of

£672,500.

Carl Sargeant, Minister for Local

Government and Communities in the

Welsh Government has now

confirmed he is finalising the funding

details with SEWTA to ensure the

remainder of this vital project is fully

funded and delivered.

BBC Cymru Wales is giving you the

opportunity to apply for tickets to

visit its new drama studios in Cardiff

Bay on Saturday 10 March and

Sunday 11 March.

Roath Lock is the home of BBC

Cymru Wales's drama productions

and to celebrate its official opening,

1,000 tickets for special studio tours

are being given away.

Visitors will get the chance to see

the Casualty set, including the

hospital and the new ambulance

station, as well as the Pobol y Cwm

sets.

LLLLAANNDDAAFFFF RRAAIILLWWAAYY SSTTAATTIIOONN SSEETT TTOO BBEENNEEFFIITT FFRROOMM ££11..6677mm FFUUNNDDIINNGG

BBBBCC TTHHRROOWWSS OOPPEENNSS IITTSS DDOOOORRSS TTOOTTHHEE PPUUBBLLIICC


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LLEETTTTEERRSS

DDeeaarr EEddiittoorrssIf you ever walk along the west bankof the Taff at Radyr Court Road andthe track that leads up to the oldRadyr Sidings, you will find lots ofpieces of broken pottery, china andglass on the river bank. The area between the railway andriver was obviously a dump for manyyears. Indeed, when they werebuilding Clos Gerddi Taf, I collectedwheelbarrows full of old bottles fromwhere the foundations had beendug. I have given any bottles oflocal interest to the City museum.I would love to know more aboutthis area. When was the area usedas a dump, and how did the rubbishget there - by road or by rail? Was itever officially a dump or was it just afly-tipping ground? The highdefinition maps in the city library donot offer many clues.TToonnyy MMoooonnRRaaddyyrr CCoouurrtt RRiissee LLllaannddaaffff

DDeeaarr EEddiittoorrssI am writing to let you know that atthe recent AGM of South WalesNeighbourhood Watch AssociationCardiff, I was not re-elected asChairman and so as such I will notbe writing any more articlesregarding Neighbourhood Watch foryour magazine. I would like to say it has been apleasure writing these articles foryour excellent magazine and gettingto know you and for your kindness inpublishing them. If you have spacein the next issue perhaps you couldmention my standing down and alsomention how much I reallyappreciated the many kindcomments from your readers overthe years, they really did mean a lotto me.I would like to take this opportunityto wish you all the very best for thefuture of the magazines and alsosend my very best wishes to youand your family for the future.With kind regardsBBiillll FFaarrnnhhaammWWhhiittcchhuurrcchh

DDeeaarr EEddiittoorrssAs a driver of many years, I amfinding that Cardiff Council’sapproach to traffic management isbecoming somewhat ill-thought out. Some of the area’s supposed‘traffic-calming’ measures actuallyincreases stress to both drivers andpedestrians. I often travel between Llandaff andBarry. The quickest route for me isthrough Fairwater and St Fagans. If anyone has ever driven throughFairwater, they’ll know that thetraffic-calming there has beenimproved recently. But you’ll still findbus stops placed directly afterchicanes, pedestrian crossing oonnthe chicanes and speed bumps thatyou can simply drive around,providing no-one is parked in theparking bays on the side of the road. On to St Fagans, and a few weeksago I was delighted to find that thevery high speed bumps had beenremoved. A few weeks later, I findthat they’ve been replaced again -this time they are placed so far apartthat you can simply drive straightthrough them! Worse still, some arein such a bad state, that I’m forcedto drive into the middle of the road toavoid damage to my car.SShhaarroonn LLllooyyddLLllaannttrriissaanntt RRooaaddLLllaannddaaffff

RRaaddyyrr SSiiddiinnggssMMyysstteerryy

DDeeaarr EEddiittoorrssI live on Western Avenue Northopposite Tesco Extra, and ambecoming increasingly annoyed atparking by what I presume arestudents attending the UWICCampus nearby.Cars are often parked onpavements, blocking residents’

driveways and generally causingobstructions.I’m taking this up with the councilbut I’d like to know if any otherresidents around UWIC are havingsimilar problems.KKrriiss JJoonneessWWeesstteerrnn AAvveennuuee NNoorrtthh WWhhiittcchhuurrcchhCCaarrddiiffff

BBiillll FFaarrnnhhaamm SSiiggnnss OOffff

Bill Farnham receives a Community Award in 2011

TTrraaffffiicc CCaallmmiinnggDDrriivveess MMee CCrraazzyy!!

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Young female teachers, all neckrashes and flushed cheeks,squeal like mice. The few male

teachers try and play it a bit cooler,leaning back on their chairs andraising a hand to the young manwho’s just walked into the back ofthe school hall. The kids sittingcross-legged on the floor can’t sitstill though and crane their necks tosee the local superstar in theirmidst.Then Sam Warburton strides to thefront of the school hall. His god-likestatus sends the children intoraptures. A ‘throne’ awaits him atthe front of the hall, and he takes hisrightful seat at the front. Sam is making a welcome return tohis old primary school in Rhiwbina.The visit is helping promote hardwork in school, something Sam wasrenowned for as a pupil.But for Sam, it also brings backmemories:

“It’s funny the things youremember - stupid things - theguttering, the slats in the fence thatwe used to climb through to fetchour footballs back.”Sam is addressed by small pupils,clutching their prepared questionson pieces of paper.“Which teacher gave you your firstrugby lesson?”; “How do youprepare for a big match?” and“What was your favourite subject inschool?”Over the past few years, Sam hasbecome accustomed to questions,media and fame. Later on, we headdown to Caedelyn Park to shoot afew photos.“It’s all still a bit odd to be honestthough - I walk into a school full ofkids and they’re all singing songsabout me. It’s all a bit bonkers - it’sonly little me.” But his rise through the ranks ofWelsh rugby has come as less of a

surprise to those who have beenkeeping tabs on the 23 year-old.He represented Wales at all levels,including captaining the Under18’s,19’s and the Wales Under-20’s teamfor the 2007–08 season. He also ledWales to the under 19’s and under20’s World Cup semi-finals.But his real rise to prominencecame in last year’s Rugby WorldCup. His performances were lauded,but cut short by an infamous tackleon a Frenchman.


Born TToo LLeeaadd

Interview“I saw Clerc coming at me. At thetime I thought it quite cheeky that hewould try and attack my channel butI knew I had to stop him. We’realways told to tackle at a 45 degreeangle as this takes a lot of the powerout of the hit. But most playerswould also try and run through me;most of the time I go back in thetackle. But not Clerc on thisoccasion. It’s almost as if he wasn’twanting the collision. I came in hardas I always would. But Clerc’ssudden unwillingness to makecontact meant that he took the fullhit upwards. At the time, I thoughtnothing of it but then as I got up,there was a bit of handbags. Andthen I got shown the card.“My mind went numb. There wasnothing I could think. It was too bigto take in. It was only when I satdown on the bench and looked atthe replay, that I realised how bad itwas. I couldn’t blame the refereebecause as the rules go, that was ared card.Neil Jenkins, who was acting aswaterboy came over to me,oblivious to the red card:“What’s up Warby?”“I’m off.” I replied.“What? For ten minutes?”“No. For good.”Neil smashed one of his waterbottles to the floor in anger. Then heburst into tears.“The boys didn’t let it affect themtoo much though. They came in athalf-time still talking about winningthe game. There was a genuinebelief that we could win it.”Sam holds no grudges againstAlain Rolland, the referee who senthim off. “He was just doing his job. Thingslike that happen to all players in theircareers. I just hope that it all equalsout and that I get something positivehappen that’s as equally dramatic.”In an ironic twist of fate a few dayslater, Sam found himself sat next toVincent Clerc, the French playerhe’d tackled and been red-cardedfor on the flight out of Auckland.“There must have been about tenflights out of there that day. I’d hadto stay behind for an IRB dinner. But

the chances of me sitting next tohim were thousands to one. Butthat’s what happened. I didn’tparticularly want to speak to him. Itwas quite awkward anyway but tomake it worse, he spoke brokenEnglish. He joked about getting amassage, we briefly spoke aboutour immediate plans once we gothome. Then I stuck my headphoneson and didn’t speak to him for therest of the journey.”Sam was quick to move on from. “The last thing I was going to dowas blame the referee and drag thewhole thing out for longer. Blamingthe referee is not something I’vebeen taught as such - just the wayI’ve always played the game.”Sam’s attitude, both throughoutthe World Cup, and after, drewplaudits from across the world. Itwas perhaps quite fitting then thathe should pick up the Rugby UnionWriters Club's Personality of 2011,beating off the likes of GrahamHenry and Shane Williams. “I didn’t know too much about it tobe honest. My agent rang me upand told me that I needed to be atan awards ceremony in London as Ihad a good chance of winning. So Iwent up, thinking it’d be a smallaffair. When I walked in, there wereabout 500 people sat there - peoplelike Jonny Wilkinson and other well-known faces. I read the list of pastwinners and thought ‘they’ve gotthis wrong’. The names on thereread like a Hall of Fame - JonahLomu, Francois Pienaar and GarethEdwards. I nearly fell of my seatwhen I was announced the winner. Igenuinely thought there had been amistake and that I should have beenin some kind of newcomer’scategory.”Despite Sam’s success with theWelsh team, he’s realistic aboutholding onto the captaincy of Wales. “It was a weird concept at firsttaking charge of a senior Welshside. But once I’d gotten overmyself, it felt totally natural. I knowthat other players have just as muchright to be captain as me so if it getshanded to someone else, I cancompletely understand.”

As for long-term plans, he’s got nodesire to move away from Cardiffjust yet.“My girlfriend and I have beenlooking at houses in Rhiwbina. I’m aRhiwbina boy and it’d be nice tosettle down here.”

Neil Jenkins said:“What’s up Warby?

“I’m off”“What for ten minutes?”

“No. For good”Neil smashed one of his

water bottles to the floor in anger.

Then burst into tears.

“

Photographs © Patric Morgan

Tel: 07836 265259 Email:[email protected]

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UUNNFFUURRLLIINNGGSlowly but surely the extremes ofwinter ease and almostimperceptibly life begins anew ashesitant new life unfurls from the leafmould. Showing no respect forartificially imposed calendar dates itbegins when it begins; when anumber of natural phenomena comeinto alignment and the weatherbecomes more temperate. Spring seems to be the longest ofthe seasons stretching from theuncertain flowering of the first bulbsto the voluptuous blooms of the firstrose of summer. Winter flowers don’tcount – spring is at hand when thesnowdrops fade not when their budsemerge uncertainly through residualsnow and hellebore flowers fade asthe days warm up. Prunussubhirtella ‘Autumnalis’ bears anoccasional blush pink flowerthroughout winter whenever the sunshines for a day or so andtemperatures deign to stay abovefreezing. An extraordinary transformationoccurs in early February whenpreviously unremarkable trees revealthemselves to be the ornamentalplum, Prunus ceracifera, as palelavender-pink blossom billowsacross suburbia. A particularly fineshow is to be seen on WhitchurchCommon; there is no going backnow - spring is truly sprung.

CCHHEERRRRYY BBLLOOSSSSOOMMOrnamental cherry blossom soonfollows; Prunus Okame is among thefirst and most striking, shortlyfollowed by a plethora of Japanesehybrids. For a few weeks, Britain’sparks and gardens resemble thoseof some Eastern paradise, westerlygales and April showersnotwithstanding. The flowering season of ornamentaltrees is multi-layered in itscomplexity, some requiring longerdays, others responding to theincreasing warmth of the sun andthe two do not always go hand inhand. In some years the displaygoes on for months but as with lastyear when a hard winter is followedby a warm spring, the whole displayis concertinaed up into a few hecticweeks. First the introductoryblossom of ornamental plums andcherries, then the pretty, fragrantcrab apple blossom before thedarker pink, long lasting ornamentalhawthorn trees. The steady procession of blossomon trees and shrubs slowly buildsand threatens to become a riotbefore the calming green leavesemerge to restore order andoutrageous individuals are mergedin one homogenous verdant crowd.Magnolia buds have been swelling,gently changing in colour fromwinter silver to spring gold and

SpringOf Hope

LLANDAFF NORTH’SKEVIN REVELL TAKES USTHROUGH THE JOURNEY OFSPRING AS SEEN THROUGHTHE EYES OF A GARDENER

spring gardens

spring gardens


amber before the sepals split and fallrevealing the silken petals within,which expand like chalices tocapture the spring sunshine.

LLLLAANNDDAAFFFF’’SS CCOOLLOOUURRSSLlandaff is blessed with somewonderful magnolias and a walkaround Palace Road at this time isbreath-taking while the hidden gemsof Insole Court are worth seekingout. Bursting with inherent energy, anunholy alliance of pink and yellow isrevealed in suburban shrub borderswith the flowering of Forsythia andRibes, sure to get the pulse racing orthe blood boiling. Whether thesecolours associate well together is amatter of taste but these twocertainly come as a pair to heraldspring in no uncertain terms, soon tobe followed by the frothy spumes ofwhite that are the inflorescences ofSpiraea arguta. Hedgerow blackthorns are mirroredin the orchards and fruit gardens bythe damson, gage and plum treeswhich are star-spangled white,shortly followed by pears and finallythe pretty, pink buds opening pure,perfumed white of apple blossom.They light up the garden like greatwhite torches before scattering theirfloral confetti around the gardenleaving an unfeasible number ofminiature fruitlets behind. Perhaps the epitome of spring isthe blossoming of the fruit treeswhich given good weather willensure a fruitful autumn harvest.Bees are the obvious vectors ofpollination but it is surprising howmany other insects share the taskfrom hoverflies to small beetleswhich remain largely unseen in thegarden for the rest of the year.

BBEEAAUUTTYY OOFF BBLLOOSSSSOOMMBlossom laden branches peak andfade with the emergence of thefoliage as a million green windowpanes filter the warming sun,harnessing the energy like mini-solarpanels, casting dappled light of theground beneath which diminishes asthe season progresses. The view ofthe garden from the lounge windowchanges daily as green tingedbranches become draped in their

verdant finery. Bright green becomesthe dominant colour in thecountryside as trees and hedgerowsre-foliate and newly fertilised pasturesprings into growth. Plants on thewoodland floor or growing undertaller trees and shrubs need to growand complete their life cycles earlybefore the canopy closes over.

MMAAGGIICCAALL WWOOOODDLLAANNDDSSNow is a magical time to visit ancientbluebell woods alive with birdsong.Fragrant lilac and wisteria take upthe floral baton as dull twiggybranches are transformed by theemergence from anaemic pale violetbottlebrushes erupting intocascading waterfalls of fragrant,brilliantly bi-coloured lilac andamethyst flowers when spring trulyarrives between April and May. Thisdramatic transformation is presagedby a gentle rain of protective sepalsfalling to the floor where they blowand collect in corners like the husksof winnowed grain. At first theflowers are shy to emerge and clingto the warm south facing wall forprotection or sulk through Aprilshowers but within a week theyemerge in a floral crescendo to beadmired for a few short weeks. Theinflorescence consists of tightlyclosed clam-like individual flowersgrouped together in racemes whichreveal their beauty on opening to thefamiliar pea-like blossom. Thependant clusters of jewelled flowersare gilded with a touch of gold abouttheir honeyed throats, each of which

produces a small hint of scent butthe flowers are produced in suchprofusion that an invisible, perfumedcloud emanates from the pergola.The floral canopy comes alive withbees from dawn till dusk. They must

communicate news of this bounty farand wide for all the bees in theneighbourhood are drawn to thisfloral cornucopia. To standunderneath, beguiled by theperfume and lulled by the hummingof bees is surely the highlight ofspring.The final flowering of commonlygrown blossom trees comes with thelaburnum as spring slidesimperceptibly into summer.Perfumed golden chains hang free; ametaphorical sign of the release ofsummer. Another true indicator ofspring has long been apparent – thechirruping of birds and their constantactivity as they attend to the manynests dotted around the garden. Now is the time to see wildlifegardening in action as the roses andfruit trees are stripped of their aphidsand caterpillars, an experiencedenied to anyone impatient enoughto spray insecticides about withabandon. Hastily grabbed momentsspent in the garden between springshowers are soon replaced by longsultry evenings dead-heading rosesas the nights shorten and summerhas finally arrived.

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WHITCHURCH RESIDENT ANTONY METCALFE HAS SET HIMSELF A GRUELLING SCHEDULE OF PERSONAL CHALLENGES FOR 2012 TO RAISE

£10,000 FOR TWO CHARITIES. TWELVE MONTHS. TWELVE CHALLENGES. ONE GOAL

man on a mission

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Call it a mid life crisis, but as I hit the age of 40 in 2012,I'd like to think of it as a chance to try and make adifference. I've set myself a year long mission tocomplete a number of personal challenges raisingmoney for two charities close to my heart. The toughestof these will be a 400+ mile crossing of the GreenlandIce Cap on foot this spring but I'll also be aiming to run adozen half marathon or 10km races throughout 2012,concluding with the New York Marathon in November2012.

WHITCHURCH RESIDENT ANTONY METCALFE HAS SET HIMSELF A GRUELLING SCHEDULE OF PERSONAL CHALLENGES FOR 2012 TO RAISE

£10,000 FOR TWO CHARITIES. TWELVE MONTHS. TWELVE CHALLENGES. ONE GOAL

REPAYING SACRIFICES

I am certainly no adventurer or war hero. I grew up on a council estate in Bracknell, Berkshireand come from Yorkshire working class stock. My fatherdied when I was very young but my mother dedicatedher life to bringing me up - I owe her and the rest of myfamily a great debt of gratitude for the sacrifices theymade. I went to a comprehensive school in Bracknelland due to a number of inspirational teachers, I was thefirst from my family to go to University in 1990. Aftergraduating I was selected into the Royal MilitaryAcademy Sandhurst and then commissioned into theRoyal Tank Regiment in which I served until 2006.

During my 12 years in the army I was deployed on activeservice to the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq anddeveloped a love of the cold and cross-country skiing(though not in any of the aforementioned countries). After leaving the Army a career in the charity sector hasbeen a natural step and I have focused on youthdevelopment, initially for Skill Force for whom I ran theBath & North East Somerset Team from 2006 until 2009. My current role is Head of Centre for Fairbridge inCardiff. Fairbridge merged with the The Prince's Trust inApril 2011 to form the UK's largest Youth Charity.

Over this period I also got involved with an organisationcalled Ice Warrior and thanks to my instructors MattO’Brian and Mark Wood I took part in two expeditions -firstly a training expedition in 2006 and then anunsupported expedition around Svalbard Islands in2007. I have been looking at fresh challenges ever since.In both the military and now in the charity sector, I havebeen privileged to meet dozens of people who haveovercome adversity or personal disadvantage. I wouldlike to put something back and raise much needed fundsto support these two charities in these tough times....when their services are needed more than ever.I will therefore be using the challenging events of thisyear as a fundraising platform for both The Royal BritishLegion and The Prince's Trust. I aiming to raise around£10,000 to be split between the two. All the costs of theexpedition and race entrance fees are coming out of myown pocket.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

I will not be able to meet my goal of raising £10,000without YOUR support. There are a number of ways youcan support me to raise as much money as possible forcharity in 2012.

Donate On line at: hhttttpp::////uukk..vviirrggiinnmmoonneeyyggiivviinngg..ccoomm//aannttoonnyymmeettccaallffeecchhaalllleennggeess22001122..

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man on a mission


local charity

January 3rd 1941 was another bright and frost-filledmorning, the sort of morning when one would say “It’sgood to be alive.” It was and I was impatient to get out ofthe house. As I looked out into the road, I half expected to seeevidence of destruction and damage. But nothing. Nodebris, no windows broken, nothing to indicate or evensuggest the terrors that we had known a few hoursearlier. As I made my way towards the school I had my firstunpleasant surprise, one which was a salutary reminderthat looking for visual gratification or sensual excitementafter an air raid was not a worthy pursuit. Just yards inside Glamorgan Street, I came face to facewith the result of a direct hit by a bomb on a dwellinghouse. Debris had spilled out across the road, testimonyto the gaping rubble-filled hole that had been a familyhome. A middle-aged woman, a coat thrown over hernight clothes was standing nearby staring at the diggingand scrambling rescue workers. She saw me and said:“My mother’s under that.”She was not crying or animated in any way. Just staring.I walked on and turned the corner into Market Roadwhere I met a school friend coming from the direction ofthe school and wearing a big smile. “The school’s goneup in smoke,” he said and I saw over his shoulder thesmouldering skeletal remains of the school’s roof. Frozenhosepipes threaded Market Street and in the distance, asmall crowd of excited schoolboys had gathered infestive mood. I don’t know why I didn’t join them but as Imade my way home I felt a sudden elation when Irealised that my Latin homework had also ‘gone up insmoke’.

real life

the nightNaziscame toCardiff71 YEARS AGO THIS SPRING, GERMANBOMBERS WERE BLITZING CARDIFF. AS A YOUNG BOY, KEITH FLYNNRECALLS THE WALK FROM CANTON TOLLANDAFF THE MORNING AFTER ADEADLY NIGHT RAID

cardiff at war


Later in the morning I went to Llandaff to see theCathedral that I was told had been bombed. As I nearedthe top of the High Street in Llandaff and approached theVillage Green, I was quite unprepared for the scene ofdesolation that faced me. The centre of the old CathedralCity has always represented an oasis of ancient cultureand peace which, along with surrounding roofs andwindows, was now completely shattered. A large crater,some 50 feet across straddled the hill in front of theCathedral and tomb stones lay in various attitudes wherethey had been hurled in the explosion. Early thatmorning, a school friend of mine had found theparachute on which the mine had descended hangingon the remains of a nearby tree. It was of green silk andhe told me that he had handed it in to the police station.Nothing was heard of it again.Three parachute mines fell at the same time onLlandaff, all within a radius of half a mile. One on theCathedral, one in the quadrangle of St. Michael’sTheological College that destroyed the chapel, and onewhich failed to explode when the parachute’s linescaught the branches of a pine tree. Fortunately, all thestudents at the college were on vacation at the time,otherwise there would have been many casualties andhad any of the mines landed in 50 yards away in anydirection, Llandaff would have been obliterated. The onlycasualty however was the Cathedral’s verger whosehearing was damaged by the blast. That morning,rumours and the recounting of personal experiences theprevious night were common and while official reportswere to emerge later, many a story entered folk legendthat day.A parachute mine had landed on Cardiff Arms Park,demolishing the north stand and creating a crater 45 feetin diameter and 12 feet deep in the hallowed turf. Twoparachute mines landed in the Riverside area causingimmense damage and many casualties and while itappears that, on this occasion, Canton and Riversidehad borne the brunt of the raid, other parts of Cardiff hadalso suffered. The current story was that the bombershad mistaken the rivers, the Rumney to the east of thecity, the Ely to the west, and the Taff that ran through thecentre. The city centre and the docks largely laybetween the rivers Rumney and Taff, whereas most of thedamage occurred between the Taff and Ely in Cantonand Riverside. As the day wore on, the stories multiplied. The Dean of

the Cathedral on fire-watch duty had forgotten his steelhelmet and had settled for a colander, giving rise tomany a wry comment about ‘holy’ protection. Pupils whohad visited our still smouldering school on the morningafter the raid reported seeing the headmaster in tears ashe gazed sadly at the destroyed pipe organ.One of the school’s masters had been on warden dutyin Llandaff when he saw a parachute mine descending infront of him. It came to rest when the parachute caught inthe branches of a tree where it hung a few feet from theground. It was exploded by the Army a few days later.Near the Conservative Club in Riverside, a rescue partydug for six hours to rescue a six year-old boy crouchedunder the shattered stairs. They were guided to him ashe sang God Save The King, the only tune he knew. TheRiverside Conservative Club was reduced to rubble andwhen Winston Churchill visited Cardiff in April, hepromised onlookers:“We’ll more than repay them for this.” He had openedthe club 40 years earlier and promised to return when itwas rebuilt.When I returned home, it was to find a very determinedattempt being made by everyone to return to normal.Although we were all tired and very much ‘on edge’,difficulties were overcome and a genuine attempt wasmade to maintain morale. There was no gas and all waterhad to be boiled but my grandmother made tea on aone-bar electric fire. In the afternoon, the sirens againsounded their warnings when the obligatory high-flyingenemy reconnaissance plane made its brief appearance.In trepidation, we awaited the coming night but it was notdiscussed. The sirens did sound again, but the horrors ofthe previous night were not repeated - at least not forsome time.

cardiff at war

GET THE BOOKYou can read more about KeithFlynn’s stories in his book Canton’sWar. Keith was born in Canton andserved three years in the RoyalNavy. He was awarded an OBE in 1985. Booksare available from Hardings Books, 226 CowbridgeRoad East, Canton; Chapter Arts Centre, Canton andWindsor Book Shop, Penarth or from Keith himself byemail at [email protected]. Priced at just £10,all profits from sales go to The Royal LifeboatInstitution.


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I grew up in Llandaff North from 1965when I was 6; Ty-Mawr Road to beprecise. My friend Diana Evans lived onHazelhurst Road, backing ontoHailey Park and I have manymemories of playing 'over the park','over the swings' and down the river'.If we were being very daring, wewould go up the Long Woods buthad to be back by dark. Sometimesmy mother would send my brotherDavid out to look for me and bringme home. Many years later, my daughter wasbridesmaid at Diana's wedding toHuw in All Saints Church but sadlywe have lost touch over the years. IfBarbara her sister reads this, maybe

she could get in touch and put meback in contact with Diana. I stillhave the bridesmaid dress mydaughter wore that day back in 1981I believe.Harris's shop was on the corner ofmy road. Penny lollies, Jubilees,Anglo Bubblies were sold. I used togo down with my large pennies andhalfpennies. Into Evansfield Road there wasPablo's, the Greek owner. He soldfruit and veg but the shop alwaysstank of garlic and sweat....urgh! Then Chick's the Chemist. Mr Chickwas well known in the community, sohelpful and kind. Onto the main road, Station Road,was Celia's general store and fruitshop, and Kings Ironmongers run byMr and Mrs King. Gardeners thebicycle shop was where I also visitedfrequently with my dad to buyparaffin, blue or pink. Yes it used tosmell of new bicycles but also thestrong smell of tobacco as MrGardener was rarely seen without acigarette in his hand. Percy Evans the sweet shop was afavourite of mine. There for manyyears and run by Abe Simms, theshelves filled with jar after jar ofcolourful sweets, he would appearthrough a doorway in the centre of

the shop when the bell rang on entry.It was sure a treat to visit PercyEvans. George Masons on the corner ofTy-Mawr Road was also at somepoint, The Maypole, where mybrother's friend Richard deliveredorders on his push bike. He wasknown as 'The Order Boy'. Fawcetts the hairdressers camenext on the other corner of Ty-MawrRoad, Atkins the butchers andPerris's the haberdashery storewhere they sold everything includingcotton, elastic, wool, dusters andteatowels. The lady who served inPerris's was a pleasant, large ladywho always wore her hair up in abun. Then Cartwrights paper shop. The'old' Mr Cartwright was a blind manwho wore a tweed cap with darkglasses. He used to always sit on astool and serve over a woodencounter. It constantly amazed me, asa child, how he managed to give thecorrect change! Llandaff North, a village full ofcharacters that we will never forget.It holds many happy memories formany residents. I stayed pretty closeand now live in Whitchurch but I willalways class Llandaff North as myhome.

My Memories of

LlandaffNorth

by Patricia King


memories

It’s such a greatfeeling knowing ourgrandchildren will be taken care of...Ensure your family will benefit from your estate and notthe government

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The Bad NewsIt’s not surprising that few of ushave considered what theeffect might be on our savings,our investments – even ourhomes, if we ever neededresidential care later on in life.But unless carefularrangements have beenmade, our assets could betaken to pay for residentialhome fees.

Currently, anyone with assetsin excess of £23,250 (thisincludes the family home) maynot be eligible for state helpwith their residential care fees.The result? Anyone who ownstheir own home is unlikely toreceive such assistance.Family homes are being soldto pay for care fees, that onaverage, top more than £700 aweek!On top of this, around 70% ofBritons do not have a Will. Thisis bad news for families andgood news for the Treasury.Why? If you died tomorrow andhadn’t made a Will, yourchildren could be taken intocare. If you’re not married,your surviving partner may notget anything at all!

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IItt’’ss ssuucchh aa greatfeeling knowing ourgrandchildren will be taken care of...Ensure your family will benefit from your estate and notthe government

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The Bad NewsIt’s not surprising that few of ushave considered what theeffect might be on our savings,our investments – even ourhomes, if we ever neededresidential care later on in life.But unless carefularrangements have beenmade, our assets could betaken to pay for residentialhome fees.

Currently, anyone with assetsin excess of £23,250 (thisincludes the family home) maynot be eligible for state helpwith their residential care fees.The result? Anyone who ownstheir own home is unlikely toreceive such assistance.Family homes are being soldto pay for care fees, that onaverage, top more than £700 aweek!On top of this, around 70% ofBritons do not have a Will. Thisis bad news for families andgood news for the Treasury.Why? If you died tomorrow andhadn’t made a Will, yourchildren could be taken intocare. If you’re not married,your surviving partner may notget anything at all!

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STATE SCHOOL OF THE YEAR

On Thursday 3rd November,Whitchurch High School won theprestigious ‘State School of the YearAward’ at the 7th Annual Aviva -DailyTelegraph ‘School Sports Matters’National Awards held at TwickenhamRugby Football Union Stadium.These awards recognise and honourthe best schools, teachers, team andindividuals throughout the UK. Thereare eleven categories of awards fromindividual to school level.James Cracknell OBE, presentedthe Award to Gwyn Morris,(Departmental Leader for PE), BernieGood (Head of Girls’ PE), andStephanie Harris and NathanWilliams, the school’s Gold YouthAmbassadors for Sport.James told the audience:“I wanted to avoid using the clichéthat separating the top three schoolswas virtually impossible but it was.Two had incredible sportingperformances which were more thanmatched by the increase inparticipation rates at the third. In theend I went for Whitchurch HighSchool, Cardiff, for not just theirperformances on the field of play butthe ‘sports for all ethos’ they’vedeveloped and variety of fields thattook place on hockey, athletics, golf,rugby, volleyball, tae-kwon do,netball, table tennis and even a bit ofrowing!”The school were previous runners-up in 2007 in the same category.

NEW MUSEUM AND LIBRARY

One of the oldest schools in Wales,Howell’s School in Llandaff, GSDT inCardiff, has been bringing its historyto life with the opening of a museumin the room where its Governorshave held their meetings since 1859. On 28th January, about 250 visitorscelebrated its official opening as wellas that of the completely refurbishedlibrary. The school was opened for 30orphan girls and 30 pay boarders in1860, and on display in the newmuseum are items from the veryearliest days, such as an originalcandle reading lamp, lock and keys,and even a soap-cutter and soapfrom the laundry. One of severalmannequins shows the outerclothing worn by a boarder in thelate 1870s, including a long cape,bonnet and socks, which werediscovered in a locked cupboard inthe 1990s. Information panelssummarise the school’s historyabove display cases containingdocuments and other artefacts fromall periods of the school’s history.The room in which the museum islocated doubles as a meeting roomand reception area, so visitors areable to view it. Mrs Janet Sully, who is in charge ofthe school’s archives, said: “We are very fortunate that so manyitems from the past have beenpreserved and it seemed a goodidea to enable visitors to the school,as well as current and former pupils,to be able to see some of them. Wehave so much material that we areonly able to show a selection ofdocuments at any one time, so weplan to rotate them.” At the opening ceremony, six of thecurrent pupils donned uniforms fromdifferent periods in the school’s

history and spoke about what lifewas like at those times.The original library, built in 1933after a great fire destroyed asubstantial part of the school, isused for silent study and researchand has been named The GoarinReading and Research Room. Thiswas in honour of the father of aformer pupil, whose generosity hasenabled the refurbishment. It wasonly after François Goarin’s deaththat his daughter Elisabethdiscovered that he was awarded thehigh military honour, the Croix deGuerre, for bravery during World WarII and, as he loved studying, shewanted to honour him in a wayconnected to research.The other main section of thelibrary, which was originally createdin 1982 as a memorial to a previousdistinguished headmistress, MissMargaret Lewis, has now beenofficially named after her. Theadjoining Careers Centre has alsobeen given a completely new look. Mrs Jane Wilks, the Head of Libraryand College Careers Adviser, said: “The newly refurbished Library andCareers Centre have been a real hitwith the students of Howell’s whonow have a beautifully designedspace to read and relax in comfort, amore formal area to study in silencein preparation for exams as well aseasy access, via the bespoke libraryshelving, to all the resources theyneed to succeed in their studies. It isthrough the generosity of those whodonated to the Annual Fund and MrsElisabeth Bayliffe’s contribution thatwe were able to finish thisrefurbishment and offer a wonderfulenvironment for the students ofHowell’s today and for many years tocome.”

schoolsWHO’S DONE WHAT, WHO’S WONWHAT AND WHO’S DOING WHAT INOUR LOCAL SCHOOLS


Students at the opening

Elisabeth Bayliffe cuts the ribbon

VISIT TO WESTMINSTER ABBEY

In November, Cathedral School’sHead Boy, Head Girl, Senior Prefectsand Junior Prefects travelled toLondon with the Headmaster,Chaplain and Governors to take aleading role in a service atWestminster Abbey to mark the birthof one of the country's leading lightsin the field of education.Joined by over 1,000 other staffand pupils from the Woodard familyof schools, the service celebratedthe 200th anniversary of the birth ofeducational visionary and Woodardfounder, The Reverend CanonNathaniel Woodard (1811-1891).Headmaster at the CathedralSchool, Stephen Morris said: "Taking part in this national servicewas a huge opportunity and honourfor everyone involved in Woodardschools, especially our pupils, whowere an absolute joy to share thisspecial occasion with."

LLANDAFF TO LLANGRANNOGBy Jack Vaughan 5LM (Llandaff CityChurch in Wales Primary)

Llangrannog was great! When wegot on the bus we were all feelingvery excited, we all wanted to get toLlangrannog so we could have lotsof fun! The rooms were really niceand quite cosy. A man who worked at Llangrannogtold us about the bell signals andsaid that each school had differentbell and that ours was four bells.Then he told us the activities wewere doing and split us into twogroups. My group were going to dotrampolining followed by swimming.After that we went for a walk to thebeach the walk was really long butwe all entertained ourselves bytalking to each other. Then we had aplay on the beach and built a damout of stones. We all preparedourselves for the cold walk back toLlangrannog, but luckily just as wewere about to start walking aLlangrannog minibus driver savedthe day! He said that he could take16 of us at a time back toLlangrannog. The next day, when we woke up wehad to wait for the bell to ring andwhen it did ring we all cheered!After breakfast we all had free timeand me and my friends went to thepark to play tag. After that we weretold what we were doing in the day. My group did: go-carting,tobogganing, nature walk, dry slopeskiing, team-building games andarchery. In the evening we went tothe gift shop and spent our moneythere.

CAPTAIN SAM PAYS VISIT

Wales captain Sam Warburtonvisited his former primary school inFebruary.The Cardiff Blues player spent acouple of hours at Llanishen FachPrimary School where he wasentertained by both staff and pupilsalike.Sam was invited to watch theschool’s rugby and netball teamstraining. Then he toured the school’sclassrooms, fielding questions fromthe pupils before taking his place ona ‘throne’ at the front of the schoolhall assembly.The pupils were very excited to seethe Wales player. Sam also settled along debate between two teachersas to who was the first teacher to getSam interested in the game of rugby.Sam then surprised everybody bytelling the crowd that it was neither ofthe two who had laid claim to thestory.

Llandaff City Primary pupils enjoy LlangrannogSam Warburton visits Llanishen Fach Primary


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WELSH NUMBER ONE LEADS TEAM TO SUCCESS

Rhiwbina Squash Pro and Welsh No.1 Peter Creed wonhis first professional squash title in Wroclaw, Poland inJanuary, lifting him to No. 98 in the world. Creed defeatedEngland’s Eddie Charlton, in 34 minutes during the finalwinning 11-7, 12-10 and 11-9.This is the third Professional Squash Association (PSA)Tour final for Pete. Last year, Peter lead Rhiwbina Squashto team success by becoming South Wales Premier Teamchampions for the first time in the Rhiwbina Squashclub’s history.Pete’s success has followed many great achievementsfrom the club’s thriving junior section with Lloyd Rutterbecoming the North Wales Junior Open (U15) Championand Joe Rhys a finalist in the U13 age category.The club welcomes players of all abilities from expertsto complete beginners. Rhiwbina Squash Club has 7UKCC fully qualified and insured squash coaches whowill be happy to provide coaching sessions to improveyour fitness or just start you off on the basics.Social events are an integral part of Rhiwbina SquashClub, with regular events being hosted throughout theyear.If you are interested in joining Rhiwbina Squash Club,please visit www.rhiwbinasquashclub.co.uk or call 07946568098. There is a free Squash Open Day on Saturday31st March between 1-4pm with some free coaching.

LOCAL TOUR OPERATOR CELEBRATES 20 YEARS

A Rhiwbina-based school and group tour operator iscelebrating 20 years of success this year.Schools Into Europe was started by Paul and LesleyDenison in 1992, and has since gone from strength tostrength, now employing 17 staff, ten of whom areModern Foreign Language speakers. ‘We are a family-run business specialising ineducational travel within Britain and to Europe’ saidLesley, who grew up in Whitchurch. ‘Our offices in NorthCardiff work with over 600 schools across the UK. Wealso work with a number of different groups andorganisations. For example, in March this year we arecarrying over 1,000 children and adults to St David’sWelsh Festival at Disneyland® Paris’.Schools Into Europe is an ABTA bonded company, andis proud to be one of the national leaders in school andgroup travel. The company maintains its personalisedservice and attention to detail, whilst also offering thesecurity and experience of a large organisation. Thecompany has furthermore recently been awarded theprestigious Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC)Quality Badge, which is presented to organisations andeducational establishments who provide inspiring,engaging and memorable learning experiences beyondthe classroom walls

II hhaavvee aa ffrriieenndd wwhhoo hhaass aavveerryy ffrriieennddllyy ddoogg.. II''vveeoofftteenn sseeeenn tthhiiss ddoogg lliicckkiinnggtthhiinnggss iitt sshhoouullddnn''tt.. MMyyffrriieenndd lleettss tthhee ddoogg lliicckk hheerrffaaccee ssaayyiinngg tthhaatt tthhee ddoogg iissggiivviinngg hheerr aa ''kkiissss'',, bbuutt IIaallwwaayyss ssttoopp tthhee ddoogg ffrroommlliicckkiinngg mmyy cchhiilldd''ss ffaaccee..AAmm II rriigghhtt ttoo ddoo ssoo?? II ccaann''ttiimmaaggiinnee tthhee ddoogg''ss mmoouutthhbbeeiinngg ppaarrttiiccuullaarrllyy cclleeaann..

Puppies lick their parent's face whenthe adult has returned to the denafter hunting. The licking stimulatesthe adult to regurgitate food for thepuppies to eat. Face-licking of theowner is often seen in adult domesticdogs and it starts as a submissivegreeting behaviour, though it maybecome more widely used by anindividual who is rewarded for it bythe recipient's response. However,

you are right to be concerned aboutthe health risks of allowing this,particularly with a child. The dog'stongue is used for all sorts ofexploratory and cleaning purposes,and is definitely not clean! Thecommonly-held view that licking awound will clean it and help it heal isa myth. There is also a risk that face-licking could infect the child withroundworm eggs. You shoulddefinitely NOT allow this behaviour.

II''mm tthhiinnkkiinngg ooff jjooiinniinngg aanneeeeddlleewwoorrkk ccllaassss.. HHaavviinnggaa vveerryy ppllaayyffuull ccaatt ccaalllleeddMMoolllliiee,, bbuutt II aammccoonncceerrnneedd tthhaatt sshhee wwiillllwwaanntt ttoo ppllaayy wwiitthh tthheetthhrreeaadd tthhaatt II''llll bbee uussiinngg..WWoorrssee ssttiillll,, II''mm wwoorrrriieeddtthhaatt sshhee mmaayy ttrryy aanndd eeaatt iitt..AAlltthhoouugghh II''dd bbee eexxttrraavviiggiillaanntt,, wwhhaatt sshhoouulldd II ddoo iiff MMoolllliiee ddiidd eeaatt tthhrreeaadd??DDoo II ttrryy aanndd ppuullll iitt bbaacckkoouutt??

Surprisingly, it is not that rare for catsto ingest needles & thread , and theycan certainly cause serious injury.Amazingly, a needle alone will rarelycause problems and often will travelright through the digestive tract andbe passed without incident. Thecotton can be much more serious asit can ruck up the intestines causingan obstruction. If Mollie were to eatthread, and you could still see anend in her mouth, you could gentlytry to pull it out. If there is anyresistance, don't pull hard but take tothe vet as an emergency. If you cantie the loose end to something tostop it being completely swallowed,that would be very helpful. If she hasswallowed the whole thread, try toestimate how long it is, and then takeher to the vet - but not as animmediate emergency. If you see athread protruding from her bottom,you could gently pull it - but again,any resistance would indicate theneed for a vet's help.

WWhhaatt ccaann II eexxppeecctt aafftteerrmmyy ppuuppppyy iiss ssppaayyeedd?? WWiillll tthheerree bbee aannyytthhiinngg IInneeeedd ttoo llooookk oouutt ffoorr iinnppaarrttiiccuullaarr ??

These days, most puppies get overtheir spaying operation very quickly,thanks to modern anaesthetics andpainkillers. When she comes home,you will need to make sure she rests- we always recommend leadexercise until stitches are removed.Jumping up onto furniture or goingup stairs is also best avoided as itwill stretch her tummy where thestitches are. The more active she is,the more the stitches will pull and getsore. If you are worried about hercomfort, ask your vet to have a lookat her.After an anaesthetic, a small lightmeal is advisable on the evening shecomes home. The following day, lightmeals are best. I would expect herappetite to be fully recovered by thesecond day after the operation - if it'snot, get her checked out.

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Old Jim Farrier was not a specialfriend of my grandmother’s orindeed, of my grandfather’s. So wewere all mystified by Gran’s deeplytroubled look when we heard of hisdeath. My sister, a year younger thanmyself, was very knowledgeableabout the ways of the world, andsaid perhaps it was Gran’s time oflife, and that ‘women went funny’ at acertain age. Another theory of sister Joan’s, wasnot doubt gleaned from her afterdark readings of the forbidden ‘Pegs’Paper’, the current copy of which,together with a torch, werepermanent fixtures under ourmattress. Her explanation was thatJim Ferrier had been in love withGran, and now she was mourninghim. I doubted this though. Not thatGran was all that bad-looking. Onthe contrary, but knowing the nowwidow Ferrier, she being a very largeperson (large in stature, in tongueand general nastiness), andmatrimonial infringement of her rightsby another would be extremelyhazardous. So really, we did notknow why Gran had been plungedinto this dark mood.As I said, the late Jim Ferrier,though he had not been on exactlyfriendly terms with my grandfather,was a fellow milkman and Grandpahad announced his intention ofattending his funeral. Already Albertand Ernest, my uncles and the onlytwo roundsmen, were planning thefuneral day. With my grandmotheraway, they could finish their milkrounds off early, and sneak off for afew hours at the local billiards hall.

There had not been a funeral in theoffing for many a year, so you maybe sure the two of them would not letsuch a golden opportunity slip by,without making use of it.It was the night before the funeral,and my grandfather was reviewinghis mourning apparel. He possessedonly one white shirt which mygrandmother had been instructed towash and starch, and which washanging apart from his other clothesin the wardrobe. It was not really awardrobe - more like a huge cavernof a linen press which dominated mygrandparents’ large bedroom. Theneat piles of check shirts, drawers ofthick woollen socks, long-leggedplaited wool combinations, elbow-length sleeved vests and corduroytrousers, described his way of life.The other side of the press was myGran’s territory, again showing whatlittle social activity there was for her.A navy blue suit hung there stiff as aboard, and a grey dress sidledlonely against a pretty blouse with afrilly jabot. The one drawer containedunderwear, mostly in keeping withmy Grandmother, except onedelightful concoction of tiny pink frillsand rosebuds, made of silk and tulle,which concealed a more practicalcirclet of elastic, on which dangledfour suspenders. This item of almostsinful luxury was almost tooludicrous. Gran’s explanation wasthat ‘it was much cooler to wear inthe warm weather than my corset.’Under this was the work drawer,filled with long black aprons,charcoal coloured skirts and plainwhite blouses - Gran’s every day

apparel.Came the day of the funeral, andmy grandfather was getting ready.As the mourners were meeting at theFerrier house at 10am, a lot had tobe done the night before. After thearrival of the evening milk lorry, therewas the bottling to do, ready for thefollowing morning first delivery. ThenTommy and Polly the two horseswere given a ‘once over’, and thecarts made ready for that morning,and the journey to the railway goodsyard, to collect the churns of milk.This milk covered the needs of thesecond morning delivery. Grandpa’s black boots were readypolished, and the white shirt, werewaiting with the black tie for the suititself. Gran was in a very fidgety mood.We could not understand it anddecided to keep out of her way. Wewere in the living room when the veryair was torn apart by an almightyroar of “Bessie!” from upstairs.Increasing in volume the shoutbellowed forth again.“Bessie! Where’s my funeral suit?”My grandfather’s head was nowthrusting around the bannister. “Where’s that damned suit?”We had now opened our door andsaw Gran going upstairs, her facethe colour of the marble wash-standin the bathroom.“Well now Will, isn’t it in the cornerof the press? You always hang it upin the corner.”“No it isn’t in the corner. It isn’t inyour corner either, it isn’t with myjackets, it isn’t in the bloody press atall. Where the hell is it?”

the funeral suit


readers’ stories

byElizabeth

Cunningham

“Must be somewhere Will, but it’sages since you wore it last.”“I’m well aware of that, but it wasput back in the press, in this corner,by me, after I wore it last.”We now recognised Gran playingfor time. “Of course it’s years and years...”My grandfather burst through herline of reasoning.“I know it’s years and years since Iwore the blasted suit, but I put itback in the press, and here it shouldbe!”“Well I’ve not seen it, nor had it, nortouched it.”Even my grandfather knew thatwhen Gran spoke this well-knowndeclaration, her statement ofcomplete innocence, she had closedthe subject. No more to be said. Notby her anyway. Any further explodingby my grandfather would fall uponstoney ground, so we waited for herat the bottom of the stairs.She came down muttering to us.“There he is jumping up and downlike Rumpelstiltskin up there, cursedsuit, don’t know why he wants to goto the funeral anyway.”We followed her into the kitchenand knew she was in a bit of abother as the teapot came out.Rather absently, she poured somehot water from the smoke-blackenedkettle, which was kept on asimmering boil, into the teapot, thenremembering, put in a few scoops oftea.“Is Grandpa very angry?” My sistercould not wait any longer, but beforemy Gran had time to answer, mymother came into the kitchen. “What’s all the fuss about then?”I burst out feeling very important,knowing as I thought I did, the fullstory:“Grandpa can’t find his funeral suitand he’s very angry.”“His black suit isn’t there? Wellnow.” My mother did not seem at allsurprised.“Gran, last week, that tramp, theone who said he had the chance of ajob if he had a suit.....”Gran’s face told us the answer.“It’s not just that,” her voicemoaning the words,” I haven’t toldWill, I put the gold watch and chain

in the pocket of that jacket. I thoughtit would be safe there.”“Oh Lord above, the gold watchand chain.” My mother stoppeddead in her tracks and lookedaghast at Gran, who was justopening the cupboard door for thebottle of brandy.“Now I can’t find my gold watchand chain. Bessie, that man whopainted the bathroom. Where doeshe live?”My Gran answered as though in atrance.“The man who painted thebathroom last year? Oh yes. He waslodging with Gertie Morgan No.10.”Most of the neighbours werecustomers of my grandfather, andwere generally identified by thenumber of their house as well astheir name.“What do you mean ‘lodgingthere’?”“He left Gertie months ago.”For a few seconds, Gran did notfollow his line of questioning andprobing, but then, eyes blinking, sheseized on it with blessed relief of adrowning sailor for a lifebelt.“Oh Will, you don’t suspect him doyou?”“I’m not saying anything, but hewas the only stranger I can think ofwho’s been in this house recently. I’llask Gertie Morgan if he left a

forwarding address.”“But Will, even if he left his newaddress, you can’t go there andaccuse him of stealing your watchand chain can you?”My grandfather had to agree, andwent looking for Albert and Ernest.Of course, he would not go to thefuneral, and Albert, his hopes for anillicit few hours of riotous living, nowonly a dream, was delegated to go inhis stead. Well his courting suit wasdark grey and suitable, as Ernestpointed out, grateful he himself didnot possess a suit of any othercolour.The gold watch and chain werenever returned. My Gran alwaysmaintained old Bert the Tramp hadmet with an accident. As ittranspired, he had been a regularcaller, and ‘he was as honest as theday is long.” All credit to her powersof pacification, my grandfather finallyaccepted the fact, his funeral suit,gold watch and chain, were goneand never to return, and that youcould not go round accusing odd-job painters of robbery.My grandfather never boughtanother dark suit. My two uncles tookit in turns to represent him at futurefunerals.

EElliizzaabbeetthh CCuunnnniinngghhaamm


readers’ stories

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When the clock struck midnight onDecember 31st 2009, I was underthe impression that 2010 was goingto be another straight-forward year.I’d planned another year’s worth ofmagazines, but I’d also planned tofinally settle down for a life ofsingledom. It seemed ok sat thereon my shelf. I’ll get myself a nicetelly, maybe a nice computer. To me,they were exciting things that’d keepme occupied every evening (suchwas the extent of my ambition).But in 2010, I met my future wife. Ididn’t know she was going to be myfuture wife when we first met. We’dknown each other from our teenswhen Clare (my wife) worked in ashop. I’d come in pretending tobrowse, when in fact, I was visitingto ogle. Clare remembers me as‘boring and skinny’. Her words, notmine. Yet we lived less then fiveminutes away from each other, onopposite sides of a hill in Barry. Iremember seeing Clare walkinghome on balmy Saturday eveningsafter finishing work. It would benearly 20 years later before we saweach other again.By then, Clare had been aroundthe world with various jobs. Our firstdate was at a bar in Cardiff Bay. I’dpromised her a Greggs sausage roll(which sadly, I never bought her).Things were a little nervy at first, asthey always are on a date, but after20 minutes or so, we were talkinglike we’d known each other foryears. By the end of our first week,we’d written up a Life Plan. It’s stillstuck on our fridge.The wedding in the autumn of 2011was a small affair. Despite its size, itwas still a stressful affair in themonths and weeks running up to it.We’d had it quite easy really,deciding on the date, venue and

dress after two pints of Peroni in thesummer sun of Cardiff city centre.But as with all most things thatcause you headaches in life, it’s thelittle things- the little fiddly thingsthat you think would take a fewminutes. Then it was off to New York for afew nights. To me, New York was acity of childhood dreams. The sheercheek of placing buildings so hugein one place always amazed me,especially since I’ve always taken adislike to heights. But there I was, onan icy November day, stood at thetop of the Empire State Building,looking out over this sprawlingmetropolis.It was then that I realised thatsharing your life with someone iswhat helps you achieve dreams. Bysharing my ambitions with my wife,she’s helped me do achieve thingsthat have been sat on my ‘To-do List’since I was a teen: visit New York,get married and even fly a ‘plane(I was bought an aerobatic flyinglesson as a gift from Clare for ourfirst Christmas together). But moreimportantly, I’ve become contentwith my lot. I don’t have a flashy caror a house with electric gates (infact, I’ve no gates at all!). But I dohave happiness. But before I get too slushy, there ofcourse, a few down sides to beingmarried. ##11 I can’t leave dirty dishes in thekitchen to do the next day. If Clare isaway for a week, I can leave all myweek’s dishes and do them quickly afew hours before she comes home.She never knows the difference. I’lleven leave the hoover out andmaybe casually throw a towel overthe edge of the bath to make it looklike I’ve had a bath while she’s beengone.

##22 Invariably, two different peopleare going to like different things ontelly. Whereas Clare likes theseAmerican dramas (too full of murderand homocide for me), I prefer towatch historical documentaries andthe like. We’ve signed up toLoveFilm, where movies are sent bypost for you to watch. We both pickseparate lists to reflect our differinginterests. Several months ago,Clare’s offering of the latestcinematic blockbuster arrived. MyDVD was a programme about ants.##33 Differing body clocks createworry. If I dash out of bed when thesun rises, my wife thinks I don’t wantto spend time with her. Later on,when I’ve finished watching myprogramme about ants and want togo to bed at 9pm, my wife thinks Idon’t want to spend any time withher. ##44 I can’t actually think of a fourthone. I guess this goes to show thatthese things are nothing comparedto what I’ve gained.So the next time you moan aboutwhat you haven’t got, just take aminute or two to take in what you dohave and imagine what life would belike without it. These days, my wife and I both sitwatching telly together and eatingour tea. But that’s fine. I wouldn’twant to be sat eating my tea on myown, like I thought I would be atbeginning of 2010.So the smallthings become thebig things. Eatingtea togethershould besavoured.The dishes canwait till thefollowing daythough.

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Whitchurch and Llandaff Living Issue 17 March/April 2012

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Transcript of Whitchurch and Llandaff Living Issue 17 March/April 2012