Category Archives: Whats on

25 things to do in Cardiff as recommended by a local

Recently, Metro UK asked me to come up with a list of the 25 things you MUST DO when visiting Cardiff. It was pretty hard to put this list together. Here’s what ended up getting published:

25 things to do in Cardiff as recommended by a local

I had a short list of about 100 things, but quite a few of them were things like:

  • seek out Ninjah at the Riverside Market and spend an hour discussing how the end of the world is heralded and how Pendragon is our ultimate warrior saviour and how he caused the tsunami in Japan; (for the uninitiated, watch Ninjah in action below)

(photo by Maciej Dakowicz)

  • take visiting friends to The Full Moon and make them down a pint of the “green shit” they sell there;

green_shit full moon

  • bump into Gruff Rhys and his tribe of children wandering around Pontcanna;

  • take friends from London to estate agents’ windows and compare how much house prices / rent prices are here compared to there;
  • finish work late, head straight to town to meet your mates, neck a bottle of rose in a doorway then stumble into Clwb / Dempseys and pogo around at the indie disco until you fall over, break your nose and get taken to casualty;
  • go out on the piss in town after the rugby when you said you were going straight home, wake up on the couch in someone else’s house feeling full of self-loathing and regret and then go for a run in the rain up the Taf Trail and see how much redemption you feel at the end of it.

cardiff_parkrun

 

But those are the little secret joys that Cardiffians like to keep to themselves, eh? Don’t want EVERYONE finding out about the real joys of living here!

Anyway, basically the point of this is to say I put together a list of 25 things you MUST do in Cardiff, a family-friendly version, for Metro. You can read it by clicking the image below, or this link: 25 things to do in Cardiff as recommended by a local.

Millennium Stadium

 

What would you have on your unedited, NSFW list? Let us know in the comments…

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H. Hawkline residency, Thursdays in February 2015, Clwb Ifor Bach

To celebrate his forthcoming album on the Heavenly label (oooo!), the delectable H. Hawkline has escaped his tour duties with Cate le Bon and Sweet Baboo and landed his very own residency at Clwb in Cardiff, on Thursdays throughout February. Each show will have some very special guests. Read on for more info…

H Hawkline

“I wish I knew where I’d left me keys…”

Here are the shows – more guests are to be announced! (keep an eye on the Facebook event)

5th Feb

GWENNO
JOY COLLECTIVE DJs

12th Feb

TENDER PREY
NO THEE NO ESS
NOEL (LESSON NO.1) DJ

19th Feb

ALEX DINGLEY

26th Feb

V spesh guests TBA!

 

More details about the rest of the tour….

h hawkline tour 2015

H Hawkline Clwb Ifor Bach residency – Facebook event
H Hawkline Facebook page

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Who doesn’t love a teen movie? Beyond Clueless director Q&A, 3 Feb 2015, Chapter Arts Centre

I was recently contacted by Catherine Bray, producer of an independently funded film called Beyond Clueless which is having four screenings and one director Q&A in Cardiff at Chapter, asking if we’d promote it on the blog. Obviously we can’t promote everything on this blog, or I’d be doing literally nothing but blog posts about mobile phone shops and hotel deals and you’d all want to punch me in the face.

beyond_clueless

However … having worked on something similar for We Are Cardiff, I had sympathy for her mission to find low-cost ways to promote a film, so thought I’d put something up here about it. Also, teen movies are the BEST, aren’t they?? The greatest film ever made is, after all, Richard Linklater’s AMAZING 70s teen rite of passage movie, Dazed and Confused. If you want to argue it, we can take this outside.

ANYWAY. So, back to Beyond Clueless: it’s a docu-essay about teen movies in the 1990s-2000s, it got a nod from Paul Bradshaw in the Guardian.

Sight and Sound have also given it some serious props:

“Titles are cut up into masterfully edited mosaics, so that stock teen-movie scenes – house parties, first sexual encounters, school corridor walks, masturbation, etc – are shown in fluid multi-movie montages in which each film, like any high-schooler, must struggle to maintain individual identity in the crowd. Accordingly, even as Lyne charts the cliques, codes and rules of teendom itself, he is also revealing the building blocks that constitute every high-school movie. Beyond Clueless is, after all, a structuralist work, using a compelling collation of similar imagery from different sources to make accessible and intelligible the system beneath the chaos of adolescent experience, real and represented.”

Beyond Clueless is showing at Chapter Arts Centre on:

Friday 30 / Saturday 31 Jan / Tuesday 3 / Wednesday 4 February, with a special Q&A with director Charlie Lyne on Tuesday 3 Feb.

Get tickets

NB: Wanna know what I’m on about above? Watch the We Are Cardiff film that was so stressful it caused me to flee the country. Literally. Not because of its harrowing content. It’s actually a very nice film. WATCH IT.

Peas

x

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Save Cardiff’s Library Service – National Libraries Mass “Read In” Protest, Sat 7 Feb 2015

Sharing an event and some news from Cardiff People’s Assembly … save Cardiff’s Library Service

Save Cardiff's Libraries

Cardiff’s public library service is being dismantled. The Central library, voted one of the top six libraries in the world, is now going through a second year of budget cuts. Last year they lost the top floor and a quarter of their staff, and closed one day a week. Next year it could become a “Super Hub” and lose even more floorspace when Marland House, the housing benefit and council tax centre, moves into the building. Hundreds of books have already been removed and library staff have been warned not to talk about the cuts on social media.

Meanwhile up to seven community libraries in Cathays, Radyr, Rhiwbina, Rhydypennau, Roath, Rumney and Whitchurch will stop receiving any council funding at all. The plan is to ‘hand buildings over to the community’ by making trained staff redundant and replacing them with volunteers. If these “community groups” cannot be found to take over they will have to close completely.

Libraries are more than a place to store books – they are the only free space where residents can meet in the winter, and a vital place for elderly, disabled and unemployed people to access computers and to search for work. Our right to participate in cultural life is essential for a democracy, and if we don’t put up a fight for these libraries now we won’t get another chance.

Be part of history. Defend our library service in our capital city. Make the council provide a comprehensive service as the 1964 Libraries and Museums Act demands: Save our libraries!

THE EVENT:

Get yourself down to CARDIFF CENTRAL LIBRARY on Saturday 7 February. This protest will take place in front of the library (not inside!). Please bring a book to hold up as a symbol of freedom, and banners, placards and signs. Authors, campaigners and members of the public are invited to read a three minute passage from a favourite book. Join in or go along and listen.

Saturday 7 February, 12:00 midday, outside Cardiff Central Library, The Hayes.

Join the Save Cardiff Libraries Facebook event

OTHER THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP:

Sign and share Unison ‘Save Cardiff Library Service’ petition:
https:you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-cardiff-library-service

Write to the paper –

Email a letter the South Wales Echo (under 250 words to be published include address and phone number which will not be published) explaining what the library service means to you and why it must be defended, not cut back: ecletters@walesonline.co.uk

Write to the politicians –

In Liverpool, 11 libraries where saved when 500 authors, musicians and educators wrote to the mayor along with hundreds of school children sending love library letters. (See Cathy Cassidy’s love letter on the Internet).

Be part of history. Defend our library service in our capital city. Make the council provide a comprehensive service as the1964 Libraries and Museums Act demands. Write your love library letter to the leader of Cardiff council. Exercise your freedom of speech by discussing library cuts freely on Twitter, Facebook, Walesonline and letters to the papers. Show solidarity with library staff who have been banned from doing so.

Address your letters/emails to

Leader of Cardiff council
Cllr Phil Bale
Leader’s Office
Room 525
County Hall
Cardiff, CF10 4UW

email Phil.Bale@Cardiff.gov.uk

with copies to:

Deputy Leader
Cllr Sue Lent
7 Pen-Y-Wain Place
Roath
Cardiff
CF24 4GA

email Sue.Lent@Cardiff.gov.uk

and:

Cllr Peter Bradbury (libraries portfolio)
10 Yarrow Close
Cardiff
CF5 4QS

email Peter.Bradbury@Cardiff.gov.uk

Please copy in cardiffpeoplesassembly@gmail.com and let them know of any replies.

See you on the streets!

This event and civic action is called by Cardiff County UNISON & Cardiff People’s Assembly. More power to the people!

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Independent Venue Week – Cardiff, 25 – 31 January 2015

Support your local independent venues! As part of the national Independent Venue Week project, two of Cardiff’s best watering / dancing / music holes are putting on some special nights. Don’t miss out!

Clwb Ifor Bach

independent_venue_week_clwb_2015

The mighty mighty Welsh Club has a load of great events on to celebrate!

TUESDAY 27 JANUARY

Imperial Music proudly presents When We Were Wolves for their first headline show at Clwb Ifor Bach Cardiff, they hit the stage on Tuesday January 27th as part of the Independent Venue Week with support from Set To Break plus two acts to be announced.

Imperial Music presents When We Were Wolves / Set To Break
Facebook Event – http://on.fb.me/1wrtxE9

THURSDAY 29 JANUARY

We’re excited to announce that Turnstile Music will be hosting a night of entertainment on Thursday 29th! They’re bringing along with them Cardiff’s own R.Seiliog – Bristol’s TRUST FUND and the mighty Los Campesinos! for an exclusive DJ set!

Turnstile Music presents R.SeiliogTRUST FUNDLos Campesinos! DJ Set
Facebook Event: http://on.fb.me/1GoKC4y

FRIDAY 30 JANUARY (SOLD OUT)

Welsh pop-punks, Save Your Breath, have announced their plans to disband following a final UK headline tour in January 2015. The band will play ten final shows, finishing with their LAST EVER show at Clwb Ifor Bach on Friday 30th January 2015.

GB Live presents Save Your Breath (Last Show) / As It Is / Cardinals
Facebook Event: http://on.fb.me/1rUGYN0

As part of the Independent Venue Week celebrations, I Ka Ching Records curate a line-up showcasing some of the best artists on the label.

Recordiau I KA Ching Records presents…. Candelas / Sŵnami / Yr Eira
Facebook Event: http://on.fb.me/1C7Jxyc

Zerox
Clwb Ifor Bach’s PARTY Jukebox Night – Classic tunes & a wild disregard for genres, every Friday at Cardiff’s longest running independent venue. FREE entry with a wristband for the Save Your Breath/Candelas show.

SATURDAY 31 JANUARY

Future Of The Left / The St. Pierre Snake Invasion / TBA
Event: http://on.fb.me/1vn1iAX

Cardiff’s own Future Of the Left close the weeklong celebrations! Future of the Left are a rock band from Cardiff, Wales. They were formed in 2005 as part of a plea agreement following their involvement in an arms deal which left an actor playing tony blair dead, or at least pretending really well. They are made up of Andrew Falkous, Jack Egglestone, Jimmy Watkins and Julia Ruzicka.

Nos Galan
Cardiff’s longest running Saturday night. Expect a huge variety of musical genres as we take over all three floors to deliver you a uniquely varied Saturday night out.

Dirty Pop – Downstairs pop and disco dancing rules the roost with DJs Ian Cottrell, Esyllt Williams, Johnny Bull and their Dirty Pop. Voted ‘Best DJ Night’ at Swn Festival 2009, it’s hot, sweaty and more than a little dirty.

Mr Potter’s Proper Disco – A veteran of the festival circuit. Mr Potter keeps the party poppin’ on the middle floor with his jump-jive, soul, funk, rhythm and blues disco.

Vinyl Vendettas – The top floor plays host to the first ladies of the Cardiff scene; The Vinyl Vendettas. Their mix of indie, classics and rock & roll has graced festivals across the land and it’s to Clwb’s considerable pride that they have decided to make our venue their home.

Clwb have also put together a rather nifty playlist of all the bands you can expect to see there this week: listen on Spotify

 

Gwdihw

independent_venue_week_gwdihw_2015

Everyone’s favourite owl-themed bar is putting on three mighty shows to celebrate IVW! And remember it’s 50 PERCENT OFF EVERYTHING AT THE BAR UNTIL 8pm ALL THROUGH JANUARY, AND 9-10pm ON EVERY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY TOO! (#uhoh)

THURSDAY 29 JANUARY

Huw Stephens presents: Frankie & The Heartstrings with Houdini Dax &Wasters | Thu 29 | 8PM | £5/7
EVENT: http://on.fb.me/1C4d4ch

Kicking off on Thursday Jan 29th, we’re ridiculously excited that local musical maestro, Huw Stephens is bringing the unquenchably enthusiastic Indie-Rock of Frankie & the Heartstrings for a special intimate show, with incredible support from Houdini Dax & Wasters.

FRIDAY 30 JANUARY

Johnny Cage & The Voodoogroove‘s Rock n’ Roll Revue | Fri 30th | 9PM | £3
EVENT: http://on.fb.me/13h3PGg

We have the 1st of a years worth of the brilliant rock and roll revues of Johnny Cage & The Voodoo Groove, who will be bringing their rollicking cuban guitar sound and a host of special friends bi-monthly, with amongst other things, burlesque dancers, DJ’s, amazing support acts and of course, themselves – the UK’s most righteous rock n’ roll party machine.

SATURDAY 31 JANUARY

Hully Gully x On The Corner Records Tropical Discotheque Part Deux w/ DJ Izem & J-Buck | Sat 31st | 9PM | £3
EVENT: http://on.fb.me/1u4CTXu

To polish off a wonderful trio of shows, Hully Gully bring another Tropical Discotheque (Part Deux), with On the Corner Records choosing guest DJs to choose the finest in turntablist funk & soul, with DJ Izem & J Buck heating up the dancefloor with tropical grooves with an edge of horns and bass.

Get yourselves out on the town and ENJOY!

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NoFit State Circus – Archive Project launch

We’ve featured the internationally acclaimed, Cardiff-based contemporary circus, NoFit State on here a couple of times before. This January, the circus has begun work on a yearlong project to archive the company’s history and heritage.  The project, supported by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund will catalogue a huge archive of printed material, artefacts, film, photos and documentation covering the company’s 30 year history and will culminate in an exhibition and a new interactive website.

NoFit State Circus - Bianco by Seventh Wave

Bianco on tour, 2014

The project titled ‘From Ball’s Up to Bianco’ will tell the story of how a group of youthful Cardiff-based jugglers assisted by thousands of performers, crew, advocates, audience members and partners became directors of one of the most successful contemporary circuses of the century. It will also show the impact NoFit State has had on the growth of contemporary circus in the UK and further afield, as well as how well rooted it remains in the community of Cardiff. 

NoFit State Tent and audience

The Big Top at the Bath Fringe Festival 1999

Ali Williams, founder member and now Creative Director of the company comments, “It’s really very exciting to be starting this project, and to be working with experts from Glamorgan Archive and The Cardiff Story Museum to make some sense of all our archive which we have been collecting and storing for so many years. It’s a great fusion between the creative and heritage sectors and very pertinent to our local Cardiff community”.

NoFit State was born in Splott, and the company opened their new professional training space on Four Elms Road in 2014 while maintaining their community training space on John Street in the city centre. Recent tented tours have taken the company as far as Australia to Perth Festival. Currently, their show Bianco is part of the International Circus Festival in Marseilles and Noodles, the company’s theatre show will be presented at this year’s London International Mime Festival.

“It’s really a ‘done good’ story,” says Liz Lavender, Volunteer Co-ordinator for the project, “and we hope it will inspire people in many ways. We will be running a volunteering programme so people with very varied interests can be involved. We hope through working with local people through Volunteering Cardiff we can involve people in the whole process, from specialised activities where training will be given in oral history recording and editing for example to preservation techniques, event coordination, administration, web development and exhibition creation”.

For more information or to get involved contact liz@nofitstate.org.

NoFit State are also keen to hear form anyone who has memories of seeing or being involved with any of the company’s community based shows or activities in the past.

About NoFit State

NoFit State was founded in 1986 by five friends. During a politically charged time, in a recession, and as a creative reaction to the world around them, the circus was born. Today, NoFit State is the UK’s leading large-scale contemporary circus company, producing professional touring productions and a wide variety of community, training, and education projects for people of all ages. www.nofitstate.org

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The best Welsh songs of 2014 – the Cardiff version

Dave Owens is my favourite Wales Online writer, because he covers music and arts and all the fun local stuff. Back in December he wrote an article about the 51 best Welsh songs of 2014, and it’s taken me this long to get through it!

There’s some great Cardiff talent in the list. Check out the following:

Kutosis: Crystal Beach (listen)

Kutosis

Cardiff’s favourite pot-punk trio give it large! More about Kutosis here – you can get their last album and other merch on the Kutosis Bandcamp page

 

Manic Street Preachers – Futurology (R Seiliog remix) (listen)

Manic Street Preachers

It’s heavy! R Seiliog is playing in Clwb on Thursday 29 Jan, with Trust Fund and Los Campesinos! Catch him live there! If you want to catch the Manics live in Cardiff though, you’re too late – all tickets for their epic castle gig be SOLD OUT!

 

Gulp – I want to dance (listen)

gulp

Obviously we’d have a Super Furry Animal in here somewhere, right? Guto kicks out the jams with his expansive upbeat electronica. Gulp Facebook

 

Houdini Dax – Get Your Goo On (listen)

Houdini Dax

If you can catch these guys live, do. They’ll whip you up into a proper frenzy! They’re playing Clwb on 28 Feb (Facebook event)

 

Fireproof Giant – A Place to Start (listen)

fireproof giant

Gotta include these guys, because they’re amazing and because the lovely Gareth made all the spooky music for the ghost-hunting podcast I did back in October! Fireproof Giant Facebook

Listen again: We Are Haunted – a guide to the spirit city

 

Slowly Rolling Camera – Into the Shadow (listen)

Slowly Rolling Camera by Claire Cousin

Last on our list (but definitely not least!) is Slowly Rolling Camera – this cool yet epic jazz group have brought the sound back in a new and fresh way. They’re amazing! They’ve got no dates lined up for the time being, but keep an eye on their Facebook for when you can see them next: Slowly Rolling Camera Facebook

 

Honorable mention…

Samoans – I Am Your Density (listen)

They didn’t make it into Dave’s list, but I’m a big fan of Samoans. Their last album Rescue came out last year, and this is m favourite track from it. Find out when they’re next playing live on the Samoans Facebook page.

 

FULL PLAYLIST!

For some light listening, here’s the full playlist:

Check out Dave’s A Sound Reaction Facebook page (where he posts all his stuff).

Also see the original story on Wales Online: The 51 greatest Welsh songs of 2014

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Cardiff est Charlie, Sunday 11 January 2014

Photojournalist Peppe Iovino went along to an event held in front of the Senedd in Cardiff Bay on Sunday, where Cardiffians gathered to show solidarity with the French community after the terrible events taking place in Paris last week.

Cardiff est Charlie Peppe Iovino

From Peppe: “Cardiff people took to the Senedd square, united with the Welsh French community to demonstrate their solidarity after the terrorist French attack against the Charlie Hebdo satire magazine newsroom and the following 17 deaths. A square made by many different nationalities, religion beliefs, political ideals, social backgrounds and ages, families and students all together under one flag, one colour, the peace one, one silent shout to say We are Charlie, united global human tears under one flag, the peace: one.”

Cardiff est Charlie Peppe Iovino

Cardiff est Charlie Peppe Iovino

Cardiff est Charlie Peppe Iovino

Cardiff est Charlie Peppe Iovino

Cardiff est Charlie Peppe Iovino

Cardiff est Charlie Peppe Iovino

Cardiff est Charlie Peppe Iovino

Cardiff est Charlie Peppe Iovino

Cardiff est Charlie Peppe Iovino

Cardiff est Charlie Peppe Iovino

Cardiff est Charlie Peppe Iovino

Cardiff est Charlie Peppe Iovino

Cardiff est Charlie Peppe Iovino

Cardiff est Charlie Peppe Iovino

Cardiff est Charlie Peppe Iovino

Cardiff est Charlie Peppe Iovino

RIP: Catapult 100% Vinyl, Cardiff’s only independent dance music record store

catapult

The death of the independent record store has unfortunately been a trope of the changing high street over the past 20 odd years. And it was with a heavy heart that I learned, just after the new year, of the closing of Catapult 100 % Vinyl, which had been Cardiff’s only independent dance music specialist for some years.

There’s an open Facebook group that’s been set up where people who loved the shop (and spent a lot of time there over the years) are encouraged to share photos, videos, and memories of the place. If it was a place you loved, please join (or leave comments beneath this blogpost): RIP Catapult Facebook group.

When I moved back to Cardiff for university in 2000, I went out wandering through the city centre looking for a part time job to support me through my studies. I ended up getting a job in Catapult and spending all my wages on music: vinyl, CDs, whatever. And it was the best investment I ever made.

I had some good times in that shop. Made some great friends there. And bought amazing music there.

I’ll truly miss it, and what it signified for dance music culture in Cardiff. Is this the end of drum and bass in the capital?

We had a couple of photo shoots in and around the shop, during the life of this blog. Here’s Adam Corner, who used to work there, and his We Are Cardiff story about Cardiff’s nightlife

The shop has its fair share of successful alumni too – people who’ve worked there have gone to start record labels, work at 1Xtra and Radio 1, DJ at festivals all over the world, and even top the charts. Below is a short film I put together about Lincoln (aka High Contrast), who I used to work with at the shop a decade ago (argh!), and the album launch party he had with Hospital Records in the store.

I’ve been meaning to do a proper post about Catapult since I started this blog. Guess it just goes to show you can’t wait forever on things you want to do, because life doesn’t wait.

The shop was a massive part of my younger days in Cardiff, as I know it was for so many others. And I’ll really miss it. RIP Catapult Records.

Butetown Carnival 2014 – in photos!

Okay, so it was a couple of months ago now … but I forgot to publish photographer Jess Ventura’s lovely pictures from the Butetown Carnival! What a silly selsig I am.

If you’re super-keen, next year’s carnival is already booked in – join the Butetown Carnival 2015 Facebook event to keep up to date on it!

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See you there next year? 🙂

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Mary Bijou’s Nut Cracking Christmas Cabaret – Review

We sent Darryl J Carrington along to Mary Bijou’s Cabaret to review it for us. Read on, and enjoy!

Mary Bijou by Tom Beardshaw    Mary Bijou by Tom Beardshaw

I was met at the door of the four elms by a grumpy looking reindeer and other curious looking characters. I was enticed in by the smell of mulled cider and friendly faces. What I found was a fantastic cabaret setting, with a lovely warm Christmas glow about it.

From the off, Mary Bijou did not disappoint, with the charismatic host George Orange opening the proceedings, welcoming us and making us laugh straight away with his quick wit.

Mary Bijou by Tom Beardshaw

What followed was a delightful mix of incredibly high skilled performers, presenting well thought out and witty acts. Each with their own take on Christmas happenings, like Anna’s Austrian hula hooping yodeler, who reminded me of that crazy uncle everyone has!

Laura Moys’ Christmas angel routine was very funny and showed off her incredible control on the Chinese pole.

Kitsch’n’Sync’s ice skating routine had me in absolute stitches, as they paraded a ridiculous dance around the stage!!

Paul Evans singing Santa baby, was also a massive highlight of the first act, having the audience screaming with joy.

Jani’s triple cloud swing was like no other act I’ve ever seen. Tying himself in impossible knots and releasing himself with death defying drops – a true craftsman.

Mary Bijou by Tom Beardshaw

Hannah’s singing ballerina was also beautifully executed, and showed what is possible when using the voice and aerial equipment at the same time, very mesmerising.

Mary Bijou by Tom Beardshaw

There was a great dance done by the Kitsch’n’Sync girls and Mark who made a lovely nutcracker ballerina. 

As with all of Mary Bijou’s work, there was great use of physical theatre. Stories were being told in a very witty and amusing way.

Mary Bijou by Tom Beardshaw

I especially enjoyed, Anna and Tom’s ignored wife trapeze routine and Laura’s Virgin Mary on the back of a donkey smoking a fag gag.

Mary Bijou by Tom Beardshaw

During the performance some burglars got in and invaded the stage with a lovely dance/acro routine that surprised everyone! Where did they come from?

And some boxes danced and a pig and turkey emerged leading to the turkeys demise.

Mary Bijou by Tom Beardshaw

To top it all off George and Anna did a lovely ski workout, zat was full of laughs ya. That led into the wonderfully talented reindeer Adie Delaney, the big finale act that did not disappoint. With some really technical and impressive swinging trapeze sequences, she beautifully blended her character of a depressed reindeer that had us on the edges of our seats with excitement and laughter.

Mary Bijou by Tom Beardshaw

What a fabulous cabaret, one of the best I have seen. Was so lovely to see a Christmas cabaret that was not afraid to question the norms, but be incredibly amusing at the same time. I can’t wait to see the next outing by Mary Bijou.

For me; five stars!!!

Mary Bijou by Tom Beardshaw

Photographs by Tom Beardshaw

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Cathays Cemetery Military Insignia Walk – Jodie Ashdown

Writer Jodie Ashdown headed off for a Cathays Cemetery Military Insignia Walk on 26 October, 2014. Here, she spills all about the experience.

I had no idea that Cardiff Council held free walks, until my mother stumbled across it whilst looking for walks in Cardiff. We have a weird fascination with graveyards in my family, so this particular walk seemed like the perfect introduction to these free tours.

cathays walk jodie

Run by Cardiff Council Bereavement Services and Friends of Cathays Cemetery, this walk in the cemetery was focused around Military Insignia and Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstones. They also run lectures in Cardiff University as well as other, more general tours of the graveyard, but this had a specific leaning towards those that gave their lives during the World Wars – very apt for this time of year.

cathays walk jodie

We were led around the site by Phil Amphlett from Bereavement Services who pointed out and explained many of the fascinating and often tragic stories which are to be discovered in third largest municipal cemetery in the UK.

cathays walk jodie

We learnt about the various insignias, the religious and personal inscriptions on the headstones, and also about how the Commonwealth War Grave Commission regularly replaces headstones of the young men and women who gave their lives during WWI and WWII. Stories included the raid on Zeebrugge (for which one man postponed his wedding and unfortunately didn’t return) and a member of Churchill’s Secret Army (the Baker Street Irregulars). We also heard about the bomb which landed on the cemetery, blowing gravestones high into the air, and about a member of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force who died in a factory bomb blast. It was an incredibly moving and educational tour and was completely free.

You can find out more about walks run by Cardiff Council here: Guided walks (PDF)

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Thanks Jodie! Catch you soon…

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