Download - Whitchurch and Llandaff Living Issue 11

AAtt tthhee hheeaarrtt ooff tthhee ccoommmmuunniittyy Issue 11Dec’10/Jan ‘11

Shoppers hustle and bustle around the villages as we start to prepare our homes forthis magical season. Logs are put on fires, and tempting feasts are created in the

kitchens. Whitchurch and Llandaff Living wishes you all a very Happy Christmas.

FREEWHITCHURCHAND LLANDAFFLiving

WHAT’SINSIDEHistory:

Llandaff Cathedral

Out and About:Radyr

Your Whitchurchand Llandaff

More Memoriesof Melingriffith

Schools’ News

Pets’ Page

Short Story: The ChristmasEve Visitor

Christmas Recipes

Local News

Welcome

Whitchurch and Llandaff Living

Whitchurch and Llandaff Living & Rhiwbina LivingEditors/Advertising: Patric Morgan & Danielle DummettAddress: 222 Pantbach Road, Rhiwbina,

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

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of thecontents, 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 isan independent, apolitical publication.

Advertising booking and copy deadline for Issue 12 - 4th February 2011. Issue 12 publication date - late February 2011.Whitchurch and Llandaff Living is published 5 times ayear.

3, 4 NewsThe latest news from the area

5 LettersLetters to the Editors

7 Schools’ News

10 Your Whitchurchand LlandaffPenned by Living Magazine readers

15 More Memoriesof Melingriffithby Les Gibbon

16 HistoryLlandaff Cathedral

20 Out and AboutRadyr and Morganstown

25 Pets’ PageLocal vet Chris Troughtonanswers your pet questions

26 Short StoryThe Christmas Eve Visitorby M. Beasley

29 Christmas Recipes

31 Crossword

Welcome to your Winter Issue ofWhitchurch and Llandaff Living - theofficial magazine for Whitchurch,Llandaff and Llandaff North.Winter has most certainly arrived and already the villages ofWhitchurch, Llandaff and Llandaff North are preparing for the holidayseason. We have been receiving a lot of submissions from residents sowe’ve decided to devote a page to printing some of your articles inthis issue. This is your magazine, so feel free to get in touch if arefeeling creative and would like to see your name in print. YourWhitchurch and Llandaff is on page 10. Our history feature this issue looks at the marvel that is LlandaffCathedral. The site of this great church has long been used as aplace of worship. The building itself has undergone manyrestorations over the centuries. Read the complete history of it onpage 16.Radyr is the subject of our Out and About feature on page 20. It’s asuburb of Cardiff that always looks beautiful at Christmas.Local vet Chris Troughton answers more of your animal questionson page 25, while there’s a great Christmas story from a local authorto get you into the festive mood on page 26.Don’t forget that you can keep up-to-date with all our news and

features on our webspace - www.livingmags.co.uk/blog.Enjoy your Winter Issue of Whitchurch and Llandaff Living, andremember to support your local advertisers who keep our magazinesalive! Have yourselves a wonderful Christmas!

Editors

WelcomeCroeso

Patric and Danielle

with Bill Farnham

The first quarterly meeting ofall co-ordinators in theWhitchurch and Tongwynlaisarea was held in October andwas very well attended. Iintend to hold the secondmeeting in late January 2011,and all co-ordinators will benotified of meeting details.The new member ofWhitchurch and TongwynlaisNeighbourhood Policing Team,PC Paul Tebbutt, is settling inwell and is becoming betterknown to residents. PCTebbutt is also the WildlifeOfficer for the area, so if youhave any queries in thatrespect, please contact him on07584 771217.I have been asked about coldtelephone calls and how tostop them. If you are havingproblems, please contact thetelephone preference serviceon 0845 0700707 and registerwith them.The date of the next PACTmeeting in the Whitchurch andTongwynlais area is the 18thJanuary 2011, at the CardiffInternational Hotel,Tongwynlais, followed by 1stMarch 2011, at the WhitchurchCommunity Centre, OldChurch Road. Both meetingsstart at 7pm.The next meeting of theCardiff West NeighbourhoodWatch Association is on 21stFebruary 2011, at FairwaterConservative Club, Ely Road,Llandaff at 7pm. A member ofthe Community Payback Teamwill be our guest speaker forall co-ordinators and WatchMembers are invited to come.

News

NEIGHBOURHOODWATCH UPDATE


BILL PICKS UP PRESTIGIOUS AWARD

Living Magazines columnist BillFarnham, who writes theregular Neighbourhood WatchUpdate column (left), has wonthe prestigious CommunitySafety Volunteer of the YearAward 2010.Bill, who has been involved

with the Neighbourhood WatchScheme since 2001, picked uphis award at a glitteringceremony at the PrincessRoyal Theatre, Port Talbot, onthe 30th September.Bill told Whitchurch and

Llandaff Living:“Wherever I go, I try to ‘sell’the idea of setting up aNeighbourhood Watch. I havehad some very satisfyingresults.”Bill beat off competition fromthree other impressivenominees to pick up the prizeat the awards ceremony.

LLANDAFF SET TO SPARKLE AT CHRISTMAS

Llandaff is set to be turned intoa Winter Wonderland thismonth when the officialChristmas lights get switchedon.This year’s Christmas TreeLighting event will take placeon Wednesday 8th December.Visitors are advised to arriveearly as Llandaff High Streetwill be closed off to all traffic.The lights will be lit at 7.30pm.The Guest of Honour this yearis former First Minister RhodriMorgan. Father Christmas

himself is also hoping to makean appearance. Music will beprovided by Oriana, and theCathedral School Band. Last year’s event was anadmirable success, when thelights were turned on by TV’sweather experts, DerekBrockway and Sian Lloyd. It ishoped that the weather thisyear will remain dry and crisp,to give the residents of Llandaffa night to remember, and tomark the start of their festiveperiod.

The big switch-on at last year’s event

Former Whitchurch residentJeff Day has recentlyreceived a remarkable doublehonour by becoming theCitizen of the Year in both hishome town of Seaton, andalso in the French town ofThury-Harcourt in the sameweek. Jeff has worked hard overthe last 27 years to twinSeaton to various townsacross Europe through theSeaton & District TwinningAssociation. Thury's Mayor, PaulChandelier (seen with Jeffabove) presented him withthe award at a specialreception. He congratulatedJeff’s association on havingan excellent website andexplained that through it, hisCouncil had discovered theaward bestowed on Jeff. Subsequently, they decidedthat they too wanted torecognise Jeff for his greatwork for internationalfriendship and understanding.They made him Thury's‘Citizen of the Year’ as well,and had a special medalproduced.Jeff, formerly of HeolPenlan, attended WhitchurchGrammar School between1959 and 1964.

Whitchurch has become one ofthe first suburbs of Cardiff tobe featured in the city’s firstinteractive map. The website includes a fullstreet-by-street map ofWhitchurch, and highlights allplaces of interest to bothresidents and visitors. Userscan also benefit from the fullinteractive element that hasbeen incorporated into the site.All train stations and bus stopsare included and times of thenext train or bus will pop upwhen the stop is clicked on.

The website is the brain-childof Whitchurch resident PaulSims. He is aiming to developthe map further and to extendit to all areas of Cardiff.The map can be found atwww.whitchurchmap.com


News

FORMER WHITCHURCHMAN HONOURED

WHITCHURCH COMES ALIVE IN ITSFIRST-EVER ONLINE MAP

ARE YOU ONE OF THE CLASS OF 1972?

A local historian is looking forreaders of Whitchurch andLlandaff Living to help putnames to faces.Steve Nicholas, who hasseveral books published aboutthe local area, is in possessionof a photograph featuringRhiwbina Junior School Choir. The photo was taken around1972. Steve told LivingMagazines: “I received a copy of the photoby email on the 25th October2010 from Chris Bourne, who

now lives in Hampshire. Hevisits Cardiff a fair bit and oftenpops into the Plough and theFox & Hounds in Whitchurch.He is pictured in the photo.Many of the children in thephoto would have attendedWhitchurch High School afterleaving the Juniors.”Readers can get in touch withSteve via his website atwww.whitchurchandllandaff.co.uk. The site also contains otherphotographs of historic interestto locals.

Jeff (right) receives hisaward from Thury's Mayor


Letters to the Editors Keep your letters coming!Address on the inside

front cover

Letters

Dear EditorsMy name is Judith Hunt and Irecently completed a CycleChallenge in China on behalfof Professor Winston’sGenesis Trust. The charitysupports important researchinto the causes of infertility,miscarriage, premature births,still births and all femalediseases including cancer.The event took placebetween 10th and 18thSeptember and entailed a 300mile cycle ride around theBejing Province in China. Eighty women from all overthe UK and Ireland took part inthe event which was the first offour trips to China. We allfollowed a recommendedtraining plan for six monthsprior to the event, but nothingcould prepare you for the fortydegree heat in which westarted our challenge.We cycled sixty miles dailyfor five days and got to seesome incredible sights withinChina. The local villagers werevery bemused to see so manyWestern women cycling

through their countryside. Thelocal guides told us that wewere considered ‘heroes’.The photo (below) was takenafter the finishing line inmonsoon conditions. It was anadventure of a lifetime and Iwas privileged to meet somevery courageous women. As well as the difficultphysical challenge ofpreparing myself for the event,I had to raise a minimum of£3,300. To date, I havecollected £3,500. I am still collecting after theevent, and if anyone would liketo make a donation, they canvisit my web page atwww.justgiving.com. Simplysearch for Judith Hunt in the‘Search for a Friend’ box.Alternatively, cheques may besent to Women for WomenCharity, Wolfson and WestonResearch Centre for FamilyHealth, Imperial College,Faculty of Medicine, Du CaneRoad, London W12 0NN.Judith HuntWhitchurch

Dear EditorsI was very interested in LesGibbon’s article on theMelingriffith Tin Plate Worksand his commentsconcerning the MelingriffithWell. Since this article waspublished, volunteers fromthe Friends of Forest FarmNature Reserve havecleared the rubbish from thewell and surrounding areas.In future months, we will belooking to remove the treesthat are damaging the wallsand also repair them. I have also been in contactwith CADW to see ifanything can be done toprotect the well for futuregenerations. Hopefully, nowthat the area has beencleared, it will no longer beused for dumping rubbish.This project was one of themonthly projects undertakenby the Friends Of ForestFarm as part of our 20thAnniversary. Volunteerevents take place on thelast Sunday of each month(excluding December andAugust) between 10.30amand 1.30pm, meeting at theWarden’s Centre, ForestFarm Road,Whitchurch. Projects vary but aresuitable for all ages andabilities. We are alwayslooking for volunteers tohelp us maintain and protectour local nature reserve.Martin ChamberlainSecretaryFriends of Forest Farm

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Schools’ News


On one Wednesday in theautumn, the whole of Howell’sSchool trailed out of thefamiliar school buildings andmade our way to LlandaffCathedral. Firstly, we crossed the roadand walked to Llandaff fields.We all trudged along, so theleaves made a rustling noiseand we swished our feet sothat the autumnal foliagesoared into the air and we gotloads of it in our hair! As wetrekked along further, it wasalmost as if we’d formed ahuman barrier across LlandaffFields! When we had ventured out ofthe fields we passed variousbuildings before approachingthe long bridge. We strolledover the bridge peering underand watching all the vehiclesdrive through. Eventually, we

all jumped off the steps andafter a while we reached awoodland path and wentthrough.When we reached thecathedral we were all amazedat the immensity of it. We allfiltered in and sat down. Fromour seats we could see thehigh windows, the flags –some tattered, some brandnew – the altar and the choir.The Thanksgiving Service wasgreat. The Bishop wasinteresting when he talkedabout the connection betweenthe cathedral and Howell’s andhow we should keep it strongin the future. We all thoroughlyenjoyed the whole afternoonand would love to go againnext year. We all realise howimportant the service is to ourschool.Pippa and Ella, Year 6

Miss Christmas'sChristmas Pudding(Miss Christmas is Howells’cookery teacher)Preparation Time: 20 minsCooking Time: 4 HoursIngredients:10 oz butter10 oz soft brown sugar2 tbsp black treacle5 eggs10 oz brown bread crumbs1lb sultanas1lb raisins4 oz currants4 oz glacé cherries4 oz chopped almonds½ oz angelica4 oz chopped mixed peel1 oz chopped crystalisedpineapple1½ oz crystalised or stemginger1 tsp ground ginger3 tbsp dark ale

Method: Cream butter and sugar.Add eggs and treacle – mix.Add all dry ingredients andbreadcrumbs.Add liquid.Put in a pudding basin andsteam for 4 hours.This makes two very largeChristmas puddings or threemedium ones!

NASA astronaut Michael Goodrecently made a flying visit toWhitchurch High School. Michael was part of the sixperson NASA team visitingCardiff as the first leg of theirWorld Tour having returnedfrom space some four weeksearlier. Michael had a distinguishedcareer in the US Air Forcebefore becoming an astronaut,logging over 3000 hours inmore than 30 aircraft. He hasserved on two space shuttlemissions and has logged over24 days in space as anastronaut. Years 7, 8 and 9 hadindividual assemblies in themorning and watched a film ofthe missions. Afterwards, therewas an opportunity to putsome questions to Michael,which he expertly answered.

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community website

Has advertising in Living Magazines worked for us? Yes it has!

Will we be advertising in 2011? Yes we will!Matt Trevett,Absolute Care (Wales) Limited

We have been advertising in bothRhiwbina Living and Whitchurch andLlandaff Living since their very firstissues, and not a week goes by withoutsomeone saying that they have seen ouradvert in the magazines. We arepleased to be associated with suchprofessional magazines and we canhonestly say that it’s far better to be inthe magazines than not!”Paul Ballard, Serenade, (South WalesEcho’s Winner of ‘They’re theBusiness’ Award 2010), Rhiwbina

I placed an advert in Rhiwbina Living inautumn this year to try to boost my foodtrade and was extremely impressed withthe results. The advert generated aterrific amount of new trade through thedoor. It’s now very difficult to get a tablein my restaurant on a Sunday afternoon!I was so impressed that in the nextquarter, I placed an advert in both theWhitchurch and Llandaff Livingmagazine as well as the Rhiwbina Livingmagazine for a second time.I am looking forward to a bumperChristmas now!Paul Beales, Landlord, The ButchersArms Rhiwbina

We decided to advertise in both editionsof your publication in 2010 and werevery pleased with the response itgenerated in terms of attracting newcustomer enquiries and commentsreceived from our existing customers.Your magazine is eagerly anticipated byits readers and most importantly readunlike other free publications. Matt Trevett, Absolute Care (Wales)

When I opened my new Lighterlifecentre in Whitchurch I was looking forthe very best way to get the news out tolocal people - Living Magazines was theanswer. I found the help from the editorsinvaluable in identifying how to bestreach local residents and let them knowall about my weight loss/weightmanagement business. This coupledwith a beautiful, interesting and top endglossy magazine made it a fantastic toolto use to promote my business. Manylocal people have changed their lives atLighterlife thanks to reading the articlesin Rhiwbina Living and Whitchurch andLlandaff Living. Janet Pardue-Wood, Lighterlife

2011 will be an important yearfor many businesses. In thecurrent economic climate, theproverbial tightening of beltswill be a common feature.Businesses still need to drawcustomers to their order books,yet they still need to keep costsdown. It’s not easy.Our beautiful magazines havehad one purpose sincelaunching back in 2007 - tosupport local business. Localtrade is the heartbeat of thecommunity, and without it,villages become abandoned.As local residents, we areproud of our area and want tohelp maintain them.47,600 copies of our high-quality, full colour and glossy

magazines are distributed byus per year. Whitchurch andLlandaff Living is published fivetimes a year, and its oldersister publication, RhiwbinaLiving, is published quarterly.We understand that placingan advert can feel a riskymove, but we do everything wecan to get your message intothe hands of thousands ofpotential clients. With prices starting at £52.50per issue, and generousdiscounts for block booking andcross-bookings, we’ll take careof everything for you.Call 07772 081775 / 07974022920 or visit our website atwww.livingmags.co.uk for moreinformation.

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Your Whitchurch and Llandaff

Many years ago, I watched adocumentary on TV about yourlovely country of Wales. Theshow featured LlandaffCathedral and as an American,I always made it my intentionto pay a visit if I ever made it toWales.In the winter of 2009, I wasfortunate enough, at long last,to make the journey acrossThe Pond. My husband and Ilanded in London early

December for a 10 day visit to the UK. We explored London, took a trip to Scotland but kept Wales until last. And oh boy, was it worth the wait! We both agreed that Wales has all the best castles and certainly the best

mountains in the UK. Butneither of us could have beenprepared for the beauty thatwas Llandaff Cathedral. As it was coming up toChristmas, the main street wasbusy and both my husbandand I were surprised to seepeople still drinking coffee ontables and chairs out on thesidewalk! It was freezing! We visited the cathedral andalthough it was a lot smallerthan we had imagined, it was

still so beautiful.We were delighted to attend aChristmas Carol concert there.The service was incrediblymoving - the music seemed tohave come from another world.The choir were fantastic! After the service, we headedinto a local bar opposite wherewe were told that some of yourlegendary rugby stars hangout. We saw an interview withJohn Dawes that you ran,hanging on the wall and took aphoto.We werelater tofind outthatLlandaffwas usedas a set for Dr. Who, which isbig here in the States. Meredith Calbrese, New Jersey,USA

Letter from

America

Do you have any memoriesof our local villages?Drop us a linewith your storyor poem. Contact details on insidefront cover.


Your Whitchurch and Llandaff

by Paul Walden

Many Whitchurch residents willhave noticed the War Memorialnext to the library.I recently decided to have acloser look at the storiesbehind the names, and wasshocked by the number ofWhitchurch residents whogave their lives in both WorldWars. To my surprise (and shame,never having looked at itproperly despite walking pastit daily) the Memorial has thenames of the fallen on threesides and also lists the namesof ten residents of the villagekilled in air raids in WWII.The monument lists 127casualties in the WWI and 143killed in action during WWII. Even without doing researchinto individual casualties, themere sight of the names isdeeply moving. Alec and AlbertSprudd of Davies Place bothdied in 1918, Albert in April andAlec in October, just a monthbefore the end of the war. Onecan only guess at the griefexperienced by their parents,Harry and Emily.Thomas Jenkins wasassistant cook on the SSRapallo and died on 13thJanuary 1918, aged justfifteen. The ship wastorpedoed and sunk off thecoast of Sicily en route fromTaranto to Messina.Hugo Webber served as anable seaman on HMS GoodHope and died in the Battle of

Coronel in the South Atlanticon November 1st 1914. Thiswas the first British navaldefeat since 1812. The GoodHope and HMS Monmouthwere both sunk by a Germannaval squadron and 1,600 menwere lost. There is a memorialto them in the Falkland Islands.From the Second World Warlist, one name that sprang outwas Marcel Amerlinck of theWelsh Guards. Marcel was theson of Whitchurch residentAlice Jenkins, who met andmarried Henry Amerlinck, awounded Belgian soldier, inCardiff. They moved toBrussels where Marcel wasborn. Sadly, Marcel’s fatherdied of his wounds and Alicereturned to Whitchurch withher son where she marriedWilliam Thomas. Marcel metand married a Polish refugeein France in 1940 after she hadescaped from Cracowfollowing the Nazi invasion. Hewas the first BEF soldier tomarry in France since the startof the war. His bride, Mariana,came to the UK at the end oftheir honeymoon to join hermother in law. Tragically,Marcel was killed in action on22nd May 1940. He is buriedat the Arras CommunalCemetery.Harry Watkins was a PettyOfficer on the minesweeperHMS Cromarty and died in1943 when the ship struck amine in Bonaficio Strait nearSardinia.This Christmas, or the nexttime you pass the monument,stop for a few minutes, have agood look at it and think aboutthe sacrifices that were made,the debt that we owe to themen and the individual storiesbehind every name.

EEggllwwyyss NNeewwyyddddIt is of older Whitchurch I often thinkAs I journey back through time

And put down my thoughts in pen and inkAnd try to make them rhyme

Those were the days of Edwards storesThe Maypole shop and Charlie Yung,The rugby field and Elyn’s scoresAnd Jimmy Armer’s fields and dung

Bill Flay ‘The Move’ and Joe Pring ‘TheFruit’

Are both remembered wellSo is ‘Cabby Hill’ in his age worn suitOn his horse drawn hearse with a bell

Idris Evans who baked our cakes and pudDan Phillips, a draper proper

Midwife Nurse Green - she was so goodSo was ‘Foggy’ Farr, the carpenter

So many memories now flooding backOf Sunday School and Whitsun treatsOf walks along the railway track

And the Rialto Cinema’s tuppenny seats

Melingriffith Works - its band was greatTom Powell quite the master

Turning up for practice a minute lateWas, to him, a real disaster

The omnibuses, all open toppedWith their winding stairs outside

Were only quiet when the engine stoppedBut the drivers beamed with pride

Gazooka bands they did aboundIn costume bright and neat

And made the most unusual soundMarching up and down the street

Those far off days of strikes and floodsAnd the foot and mouth disease

Of us building dens in the RhiwbinaWoods

And swinging from the trees

An airman in a biplane brightWould buzz across the sky

The word ‘Persil’ in smoke he’d writeAnd to finish, dot the ‘i’

Tim Burke

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Many of the dishes on offer are Juboraj originals, often copied by others. One such dish, the Jamdhani Haash, a whole breast of tender duckling gently cooked in light spices, honey and lime juice giving an exquisite taste.

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With an extensive wine list, irresistible desserts and high quality coffees and liqueurs you can be sure that you’ll experience one of the best Indian and Bangladeshi restaurants Cardiff has to offer at the Juboraj.

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More Memories of Melingriffith

Iwas talking to my goodfriend Mr Harry Davies awhile ago and he told me

about a piece of ground youcome to which lies in front ofthe houses of Sunny Banks. Itwas quaintly called ‘TheDungle’. This was wherepeople put their householdrefuse. They covered it withashes which was then clearedup by the Council every fewweeks. The rents were threeshillings and sixpence in the1930s. I have a photograph of mestanding at the back of MrEvans’ house which was No.7.The pantry can clearly be seenbricked up in the hospital wall,which was known as the ‘WhiteWall’ at that time. Comingdown to the New Houses,there used to be a shop atNo.11 owned by Mr Alf Robins.In this shop, the people paid apenny a week towards theannual outing to Barry Island.There was also a shop atNo.17, which was run by two

sisters – Aunt Mary and AuntCassie Richards. When welived at No.7, there was afamily tragedy. My olderbrother Gordon, who was twoyears old, ran out into thesnow with nothing on his feet.He caught pneumonia anddied on Christmas Day. Going up the road, there wasa weighbridge. It was called‘Cox’s Cabin’ after the manwho worked there. I don’tremember him very well, butthe man I do remember wasMr Bill Warrington who lived onPantmawr Road. He wouldalways give us a wave as wepassed by. A little further on,there was a large house called Forest Hall, where themanager of the Works lived.

His name was Mr ShirleyGazard. It is now a picnic area.Across the road stands ForestFarm, which was run by MrSam Perry. I still remember theSunday morning he caught abunch of us groping apples inhis orchard. He was a small man, but what a temper! Goingup to the weir, there was aman known as ‘Harry theHerbalist’. He lived down thesalmon trap in the late 1930s.He made a living by collectingherbs around Melingriffith andselling them – mainly toDranes the Chemist on QueenStreet. Some of the residentsof Velindre Road wouldsometimes ask him in for a cupof tea and bite to eat.


Memories

by Les Gibbon

At the heart of the community Issue 8June/July ‘10

Summer is here. As long hazy days approach, Whitchurch, Llandaff and LlandaffNorth bask in the sunshine. It’s the season for barbeques, picnics and seaside breezes.Enjoy your Summer Issue of Whitchurch and Llandaff Living

WHAT’SINSIDE

Exclusive interviewwith rock

legend Andy Fairweather-Low

History: Whitchurch

Common by PeterFinch

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Llandaff Cathedralis one of twocathedrals in

Cardiff, yet hasbecome recognised

throughout theworld for its beauty.

Its outline on thecity’s skyline hasetched itself into

the memory of passers-by for

centuries

Evidence of ancient CelticChristian worship exists on thesite of Llandaff Cathedral. Theoriginal church is believed tohave been built by St Teilo in560 AD. The site, on the banksof the River Taff, was tobecome a shrine for the saintafter his passing. Thesubsequent monasticsettlement remained for manycenturies before theestablishment of the Dioceseof Llandaff at some pointshortly after 1020. The originalchurch no longer exists, but

the standing Celtic crosstestifies to the presence ofChristian worship at the site inpre-Norman times.By the early 1100s, theNormans were occupying thearea of Glamorgan. Theyappointed Urban as their firstbishop in 1107. He instigatedthe construction of thecathedral in 1120. Urban sentfor the remains of Saint Dyfrig,who lay in Bardsey. The workon the cathedral however, wasnot completed until 1290. Thewest front dates from 1220,and contains a statue of Teilo.The statues of the cathedralwere donated by Bishop Henryde Abergavenny. The LadyChapel was built by William deBraose, who was bishop from1266 to 1287. Later in the 13th century, theChapter House was built andbefore the century ended, theLady Chapel, which has largelyescaped the damage anddecay that the cathedralsustained over the following700 years. In the 14th century came thereplacement of the Normanwindows by new ones in the

‘Decorated’ style. Then, beforethe end of the 15th Centurycame the building of the NorthWest tower by Jasper Tudor.The tower was a new home forthe bells which had previouslybeen housed in a detachedbell tower. This bell tower hadbeen built two hundred yearsearlier at the top of a small hill.In pre-Norman times, this belltower provided the originalchurch and community thatlived around it with securityfrom the unwelcome attentionof marauders sailing up theBristol Channel little more thana mile away. Jasper Tudorassumed the lordship of Cardiffafter the accession to thethrone of his nephew, KingHenry VII of England. Until the time of King HenryVIII, pilgrims thronged to theshrine of St Teilo whose tombstill stands in the sanctuary,and their gifts supported thechurch. When pilgrims wereforbidden and other revenuestaken away, it was no longerpossible to maintain thebuilding adequately and overthe next 200 years it fell into astate of near-ruin.

History


Within these stones

In 1734, a large restorationproject was started. Thepopular style of the day wasthe ‘Italian Temple’ style. JohnWood, the Bath architect,planned to rebuild thecathedral in this style using thefabric of the medieval stones. The construction was neverentirely finished and theoriginal walls and pillars -those that were still standing -still remained. A hundred years later, newlife and growing prosperity inthe diocese, made possible afresh restoration undertaken byJ F Seddon and JohnPritchard. Much of the presentstructure including the SouthWest tower and spire,completed in 1869, is owed tothem. These structuresreplaced the early-12th centurytower which had collapsed in1722.On the evening of 2ndJanuary 1941, a landmine wasdropped by Nazi bombers nearthe cathedral during the CardiffBlitz, blowing the roof off thenave, south aisle and ChapterHouse. The top of the spirealso had to be reconstructedand there was also damage tothe organ. Of Britishcathedrals, only CoventryCathedral was damaged more,during the infamous CoventryBlitz. No-one was killed but agreat deal of the 19th centurywork inside was lost.The restoration was entrustedto George Pace who aimed atblending new work with whatremained of the old and atgiving the cathedral a sense ofspaciousness which it hadpreviously lacked. The HighAltar was lowered and thetriptych of the Seed of Davidby D G Rossetti which stoodbehind it was moved to a new

position in the St Illtyd Chapelat the foot of the North Westtower. Pace built the WelchRegiment Memorial Chapel buthis greatest achievement is thereinforced concrete archsurmounted by Sir JacobEpstein's aluminium statue ofChrist in Majesty. It standsbetween the Nave and thechoir without interrupting theview of the whole building -from the top of the steps insidethe West door, to GeoffreyWebb's Jesse Window at theEast end of the Lady Chapel.Today, the choir consists ofchoristers, lay clerks andchoral scholars. The boys (andgirls) are selected at voicetrials and awardedscholarships at the CathedralSchool which cover a largeproportion of the fees. The modern choir has a largerepertoire of music from thesixteenth century to thepresent day and sings six fullchoral services every week ofterm.In February 2007, thecathedral suffered a severelightning strike. Particulardamage was caused to theelectrics of the organ, whichwas already in poor condition.This prompted the launch, on13th July 2007 (the 50thanniversary of the re-hallowingof the nave following thewartime damage), of an appealto raise £1.5 million for theconstruction of an entirely neworgan.Work on installing the new

organ, by the Nicholson's ofMalvern firm of organ builders,began in autumn 2008.Though not fully completed, itwas brought to a playablestage by Easter 2010 and hadits inaugural performance (theGloria of Louis Vierne's Messe

Solennelle) at the Easter Vigilservice on 3 April 2010. Thestops still lacking are those ofthe enclosed solo and somepedal stops, due to thenecessary funding not yethaving been acquired. This isthe first entirely new organ fora British cathedral since thatbuilt for Coventry.The Cathedral Church of SSPeter & Paul, Dyfrig, Teilo andEuddogwy (to give it its fulltitle) is now the mother churchof the Diocese of Llandaff andis the seat of the Bishop ofLlandaff. The diocese, one of the sixdioceses comprising theProvince of The Church inWales, covers the general areaof South Wales bounded byCardiff in the South East toNeath in the South West, theHeads of the Valleys to theNorth and Rhymney Valley tothe East. The cathedral also serves asa Parish Church, the Deanalso being the Vicar of theParish of Llandaff.


History

The damaged spire after thelandmine hit in 1941

Information and pictures courtesy of Llandaff Cathedral

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Out and About

Radyr and its closeneighbourMorganstown lie six

miles north west of Cardiff.Geographically, it sits to thewest of the River Taff, mostlyon high ground, and situatedon a point which marks theboundary of the coastal plainof Glamorgan.These days of course, it is apleasant residentialcommunity, which reaps thebenefits of good road and railcommunications. But itshistory, like other villages inNorth Cardiff, start inprehistoric times.Its rock formations showindications of desert rockdebris from 275 million yearsago. At this point in time,Radyr, like the rest of SouthWales, lay on the samelatitude as the modern-daySahara. As the glaciersretreated at the end of the lastIce Age, the glacial valley ofthe River Taff cut through thisrock, and woodlands began to

flourish on the new fertile landsthat spread down from thevalleys.Archaeological discoveries inthe early 20th century confirmthat early man had beendwelling in the area in theStone Ages (5000BC-3000BC). Worked flint thatwould have been used byhunters was discovered in alocal cave in 1912. Fragmentsof pottery dating from theBronze Age (1000BC) werefound in later excavationsalong with needles and combsmade from animal bones. Thecave seems to have beenabandoned not long after this,although there was someevidence of its use in the DarkAges (5th-7th centuries). At theSouthern end of Taff Terrace(and to the east of WoodlandAvenue) lies a mound ofburned stones which wouldhave been used by prehistoricman to assist in cookinganimals after a hunt in theearly Bronze Age.

The first recorded reference toRadyr can be found in the Lifeof St Cadog, which was writtenin the 11th century. It waswritten by the son of BishopHerewald of Llandaff, who laterbecame Archdeacon ofGlamorgan. Lifris wrote aboutevents in 530AD when Cadogwas beckoned to his fatherwho lay dying. His route canbe traced from the old churchin Whitchurch and St John theBaptist at Radyr. Cadog’sservant, Istan described howthey found the river at Radyrimpossible to cross, but theywere helped by a hermit wholived in the river bank. Thehermit was also said to strikehis staff into the ground,creating a spring of healingwater near St John’s Church. Aspring still exists in localwoodland at the southern endof the marshalling yard atRadyr railway station. It wasreferred to by railway workersin the 19th century as the‘Pitcher Cooler’. The historical

RRaaddyyrr

Adapted from information provided by the New Horizons History Group


account by Lifris confirms theexistence of a settlement andpossibly an early church in the11th century. The effects of agriculturewere already having an impacton North Cardiff by the time ofthe Norman conquest of SouthWales. ‘Commotes’, or hamletswere grouped into larger areasand protected by a local Welshchieftan. These ‘cantrefs’extended from the BreconBeacons down to the coast. The Normans were quick torealise the benefit of the fertileland and between 1081 and1095, took control underRobert Fitzhamon. CompleteNorman rule was achieved in1247, when Earl Richard deClare brought together all theneighbouring commotes. It wasaround this time, in 1254, thatthe church of St John theBaptist was officiallyrecognised in an officialdocument, being valued fortaxation purposes at £4. The river Taff would have

played an important part in thelife of Radyr. In addition tofishing, the river also poweredthe mill which was an essentialpart of everyday life.The people of Radyr wouldhave diverted the current intothe mill stream to what wouldbecome known as MelinGriffith. It was named afterGriffith, son of Ifor Bach,whose infamous raids onCardiff Castle are well-documented.Devastation to Radyr wasbrought about by revolts by theWelsh lords in 1316 (LlewellynBren) and 1400 (OwainGlyndwr). The villages wererebuilt and for the 150 yearsleading up to 1469, wereadministered by descendants

of Iestyn ap Gwrgant, the lastWelsh Lord of Morgannwg.After this, Radyr passed intothe hands of Thomas Mathew. There were two large manorialhouses in Radyr around thistime: the original manor houseof Radyr Isha near the church,and Radyr Ucha, on the sitenow occupied by the entranceto the Radyr ComprehensiveSchool.Much of the land surroundingthem became a deer park atthat time, whilst Radyr Uchaitself became a farmhouse.Radyr Isha eventually fell intoruin and a new house, whichbecame known as RadyrCourt, was constructed by theMathews. The Mathews hadbecome one of the leadingfamilies in the area. David Mathew was renownedfor his hospitality to travellers.Pilgrims who often passedthrough Radyr on their way tothe shrine at Penrhys would beentertained and tended to atthe Radyr Court. From 1801 onwards, acensus was carried out,enabling a more accuratepicture of the area to be kept.A tithe map made in 1841showed that there was a groupof cottages facing Heol Isafwhich are no longer visible.

In the 18th and 19th centuries,the village was served by onlya small number of roads, ofwhich the main ones were thehighway to Llantrisant and thepresent Heol Isaf leading to theTaff Gorge. With the birth of

industrialisation in the late1800s, ironworks became aleading industry. Furthermore,the Glamorganshire Canal wasconstructed through the areato supply the docks of Cardiffwith coal from the valleys. Gaslighting saw increasing usageand in 1907, the Radyr ElectricCompany was created toprovide a number of houseswith electric lighting.Some of the middle classresidents had maids, whilelarger houses employed full-time staff. Cars began toappear in the village. At first,these were mostly driven bychauffeurs for the rich.Social, educational andbusiness venues were soonestablished, and providedservices to the residents ofRadyr and Morganstownthrough the years of war andpeace during the 20th century.The area has thus settled tobecome the community thatexists to this day.

Out and About

Engine Sheds, Radyr 1930s

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Dear ChrisMy 11 yearold cat Maisiehas beenlitter trainedsince shewas a kittenbut she stillinsists on using corners of the room as a toilet. Whywould she continue to dothis?Emma WestPlymouth

You don’t say if this is a newproblem, or if Maisie hasalways used corners of theroom, in spite of using the littertray too.If it has always been aproblem, it is likely thatsomething is putting her offusing the tray on the occasionsshe chooses to use the corner.Some cats are very fastidious,and won’t use a litter box againuntil it has been cleaned out,particularly if another cat hasused it, so she might prefer touse the carpet. Others are veryprivate about toileting andchose not to use the litter trayif there are other animals orpeople in the vicinity when theywant to go. I would suggesthaving two litter trays indifferent areas of the house.That way, it is more likely thatone or the other of them will beclean and private for Maisie touse.If Maisie’s toileting behaviouris a new problem and relatesto her urination, it could be thatshe has a medical problemsuch as cystitis (inflammationof the urinary bladder) orkidney problems. This couldmake her want to urinatefrequently and with someurgency, so she may not be

able to make it to the litter trayin time. Unless you are surethat the cause is as suggestedin the previous paragraph, youshould get her checked overfirst. If it turns out she doesn’thave a medical problem,detailed discussion with yourvet might help to reveal thecause of the behaviour andfind ways to alleviate it. Whatever the cause, it isessential that you remove thescent of urine/faeces from theareas she has used, as thelingering odour will encourageher to use the same spotagain. Because her nose ismuch more sensitive thanyours, just using a disinfectantis unlikely to work; you need touse a biological cleaner whichwill actually digest away theodour-causing particles. Theseare available from your vet orlocal pet shop.

Dear ChrisI bought a very lively 2 yearold springer spaniel earlierthis year. I’m beginning toregret it as his energy levelsare way above mine. I’mespecially worried with therun up to Christmas as I’mworried that he might try andeat things he shouldn’t.What can I do?Stanley TudorWhitchurch

Oh dear! This is not an easyone to solve, as your dog

doesn’t have a problem – it’syou! As you have found out,springers are very active dogsand require plenty of regularexercise to keep them happy. Ifyou are unable to give himsufficient exercise, it could beworth employing a dog-walkerto help – there are plenty ofreputable people offering thisservice (although of course,you must satisfy yourself as totheir credentials). As far as the risk of himeating things he shouldn’t isconcerned, it goes withoutsaying that you must not leaveanything which could possiblyharm him within reach.Particular festive risks includechocolate, grapes and fruitcake. Without enoughexercise, he could be boredwhen left alone, and this couldlead to stealing food ordestructive behaviour. Youcould try one of the ‘puzzle’toys, where a few biscuits arehidden in the middle of a toy;playing with it graduallydislodges the biscuits andrewards the dog.

Pets

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(029) 2062 1511


The old man made hisway slowly up LlandaffHigh Street. It was

getting dark and the hustleand bustle of Christmas Eveshopping had subsided. Shop-keepers were closing theirdoors early, rolling in theirawnings and pulling down thewindow sashes. Snow hadbeen forecast, and they werekeen to be home with theirloved ones before it set in.The old man was certainlydressed for the cold. Hishands were buried deep in hislong grey coat, and his winterhat was pulled down well overhis face. An expensive-lookingscarf was wrapped around hisneck, and served to stop thebiting wind from getting to him.But he seemed in no rush.He had been here before. Along time ago though. And hehadn’t stopped. He’d wantedto come back for many, many

years. This year was the firstyear that he was free to makethe journey. Looking aroundthe street, he watched as theshop-keepers rushed to closetheir shops - an emptyrestaurant with a lonely-looking manager peering outof the window; the last of theglamour girls coming out of thehair salon; and the middle-aged woman totting up theday’s takings in the gift shop.People were heading into theglowing warmth of theButcher’s Arms, embracingeach other on the door beforeheading inside for the evening.The man smiled to himself. Approaching the top of thestreet, the man noticed aflower shop. The lights wereon and it still looked open.Steadying himself, heascended the steps, openedthe door, and stepped insidethe shop.

“Hullo!” said the young girlbehind the counter. She wasfinishing off a large display ofred and white flowers. “Good evening.” replied theman. His voice was quivering.The girl couldn’t tell whether itwas the cold or his age thatcontributed to his fragile voice.“Anything I can help youwith?” she asked, pushingdown another flower into thevase.“Erm…I vaz ‘oping zat youmight have….errrr…what youcall?….errr a reet.”“A reet?”“Yus. Ze thing you put onerrr..gravestones.”“Ah. You mean a wreath?”“Ah! Yus! The round……”The man gestured a roundbouquet of flowers.“Well I’m afraid that we don’thave any of those left and it istoo late to make one up foryou as they take some time.”


TThhee CChhrriissttmmaass EEvvee VViissiittoorr

by Michaela Beasley

Short Story

Short StoryThe man’s face fell. “Oh. Oh. Erm….” He lookedaround the shop. Thecontainers of flowers weremostly empty.He went on.“Erm…. Do you haveanything left at all?”The girl looked around.“I’m sorry- that’s all that wehave.”An older lady appeared froma small door behind thecounter. “Good evening!”. Her voicewas sharp and shrill. She wasclearly excited that Christmaswas very nearly upon them.“Do we have anything elseapart from these?” asked thegirl. “The gentleman wantedsomething to lay on agravestone but that’s all wehave.”The older woman thought fora while, then disappeared intothe door. She immediatelyreappeared with a largebouquet of lillies. “These were supposed to becollected earlier but no-onehas collected them - they’reyours if you’d like them.” Sheheld them out to him.“Oh. Sankyou.” said the man.He took out a small leatherwallet and put it on the counterwhile he counted up his coinsin his hand. “That’ll be seven poundsplease.” said the girl, holdingout her hand to take themoney. “Sankyou so much.”“You’re not from aroundthese parts, no?” asked thegirl.The man chuckled as hecounted out his coins.“No. I am from some placeelse.”A short while later, after

wishing the staff of the flowershop a Happy Christmas, theman was heading down thesteps leading to the Cathedral.Across his chest, he carriedthe large bouquet of lillies. Afew families brushed past him,on their way to an EveningCarol Concert. As the manapproached the Cathedral, hestopped for a few minutes toadmire the large building thatfilled his vision. Then hemoved slowly to the semi-circular memorial for those lostduring the bombing raids ofWorld War II. He stood there.Carols floated from theCathedral.He dropped his head. Insidethe Cathedral, the majesticorgan fell silent. In silence, theman stood there thinking. Hisfrozen breath rose up over hishat and into the cold night.Then, he lowered himselfslowly down onto one kneeand lay the flowers at thememorial. Under his breath, hemuttered the words “I’m sorry.”Suddenly, he found himselfsurrounded by a group ofpeople. “Who are you?” asked a manimpatiently. The old man turned. Behindhim were three woman andtwo men, all middle-aged. Theman who had spoken movedtowards him.“I asked you who you were.”said the man. His Cardiffaccent was strong.The old man spoke softly.“My name is Henrich. I havecome to say sorry.”One of the women claspedher hand over her mouth.“I didn’t mean it. It voz amistake. We didn’t mean todestroy your beautiful building,

and most certainly not to killanyone....I...I...” His voicefaded to nothing.The Cardiff man’s frownmelted and he purged hisbottom lip up. “Well....thankyou. Thankyoufor coming to say sorry. Wewere there too. It was a longtime ago.”Up at the top of the steps, theyoung girl from the flower shopwas searching. She grabbed apassing family.“Excuse me. Have you seenan old man? – long coat, hat.He’s left his wallet in ourshop.”The family couldn’t help, butthe girl assumed that he mayhave headed to the graveyard. Her guess was right. As shemoved quickly down the steps,she could see over the wall. Atthe foot of the memorial, shecould see the old man and thegroup around him. One byone, they took it in turns to hughim. The old man patted eachone of them on the back anddidn’t seem to want to let go. The man kept repeating thewords,“I’m so sorry”.The girl got to the bottom ofthe steps. She moved quietly,not wanting to disturb thegroup. But as she movedslowly towards them, both thegroup, and the old man,simplyvanished. All that was left wasa bouquet of lillies.

Whitchurch and Llandaff Living Information partly provided by the Rhiwbina Civic Society

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Festive Ham andVegetable Soup2 tbsp olive oil1 large onion, chopped2 garlic cloves, crushed200g/8oz chopped rawgammon1tsp turmeric2 tsp English mustard2 tbsp flour900ml/half a pint hot ham orchicken stock140g/5oz cauliflower florets,cut into bite-sized pieces200g/8oz mix equalquantities of diced carrot,celery, red and green pepper1 tbsp brown sugar1 tbsp white wine vinegarsauce2 tsp chilli sauceHandful of coriander orparsley, chopped

Heat the oil in a pan, addingthe onion, garlic and gammon,then cook over a gentle heatuntil the onions are soft but notcoloured. Add the turmeric andmustard and cook for twominutes. Stir in the flour andcook for a further two minutes.Stir in the heated stock, then

gradually add the vegetables,sugar, vinegar and chilli sauce. Stir well and simmer until thevegetables are just cooked butstill crisp – about five minutes.Check the seasoning. Add thecoriander or parsley just beforeserving with plenty of warm,crusty bread.

Maple and MustardGlazed HamTo save time on the day, boilthe gammon two days ahead.

1 whole leg of gammon,smoked or un-smokedaround 5 kg in weight1 cinnamon stick1 tsp peppercorns1 tsp coriander seeds2 bay leaves25 whole garlic cloves

Glaze200 ml maple syrup2 tbsp coarse-grain mustard2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce2 tbsp soy sauce

Put the gammon in a verylarge pan and cover with coldwater. Add the spices and bay

leaves. Bring to the boil, thenturn down and simmer foraround 1 hour 50 minutes,topping up the water level withboiling water if necessary.Scoop off any scum that risesto the top every now and then.Carefully pour the liquid away(or keep it for the soup above),then let the ham cool a littlewhile you heat the oven to190˚c/Fan 170˚c/ Gas 5. Liftthe ham into a large roastingtin, then cut away the skinleaving behind an even layer offat. Score the fat all over in acriss-cross pattern, then studcloves all over the ham. Thiscan now be chilled for up totwo days if necessary.Mix the glaze ingredients in ajug. Pour half over the fat,roast for 15 minutes, then pourover the rest and return to theoven for another 35 minutes,basting with the pan juices 3-4times as it bakes. Turn the panaround a few times duringcooking so that the fat coloursevenly. Remove from the ovenand allow to rest for 15minutes before carving. Thiscan be done on the day or upto two days ahead and servedcold.


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Last Issue’s Answers

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