Category Archives: The People

The People

“15 years at the museum” – Rob

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Reader Rob Khoo got in touch with me last week with some lovely photos of the National Museum, which is situated right in the centre of Cardiff. So in today’s post, we talk chat to him. He’s been visiting the National Museum in Cardiff as a punter with his daughter Amy since she was a toddler.

rob khoo daughter

(Amy in 2006, sneeking a peek back in some drawers at the Museum when she was a toddler)

Rob:

“I’ve lived in Cardiff all my life. While the people I grew up with were being lured away by jobs and further education, I stayed where I was, to the bemusement of some of peers. But Cardiff has got everything for me – half an hour on my bike up the Taff Trail and I’m in the countryside with hills to wander up and down all day; ten minutes in the other direction there’s a compact city centre that contains more culture than some whole English counties. The Millennium Stadium, the New Theatre, The WNO, Chapter Arts Centre, the list goes on… and then there’s the National Museum of Wales.

“I’ve been going with my daughter Amy since she was a toddler, and even though she’s 15 now we still visit together on a regular basis. There are a few points that we have to pass through every time we go, like the dinosaurs (it took a fair while for little Amy to pluck up enough courage to get all the way through when she was small) and the natural history gallery; a lot of the time we are just happy to wander around in a wonderful space filled with wonderful objects. Bits and pieces have changed over the years but the essential character of the place has always remained the same, and I hope it always will. And it’s all free! How civilised is that? What a marvellous city.”

 

Thanks Rob! Check out some of Rob’s photographs of the museum today:

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Rob Khoo is a bicycle obsessed chef and musician who lives in Canton. He has lived in Cardiff all his life and has no intention of moving away.

You can view the full set of photographs by Rob on Flickr here: National Museum of Wales 2014

The People

“Chip shop chicken curry flavour…” – Emma

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This week we have a chat with a Cardiffian who has made it through to the final of a competition to name a new Walker’s crisp flavour… how do you feel about chip shop chicken curry, eh? 

Walkers Do Us A Flavour finalist Emma G with her flavour Chip Sh

 

Q. Tell us about yourself

Emma. I was born in Cardiff in Heath Hospital, and I grew up mainly in Penylan until I was about seven and went to Marlborough Primary School. We had a lane behind our house which backed onto a lot of other kids houses so it was a fun time as there used to be a lot of other people to play with. I remember my dad teaching me to ride my bike down there which usually resulted in me falling off and being covered in cuts. I can ride a bike now though, just about.
We then moved to near Roath Park and I went to Cardiff High School. I probably wasn’t the best student but I loved high school.

My parents still live in this house and I’ve recently moved back in with them after about eight years. It’s quite odd trying to adjust to that but actually having food in the cupboards is a nice change.

My mum grew up in Cardiff with her brother and they both still live here, not far from each other. My dad’s father (my grandad) was a paratrooper so my dad moved around a lot when he was little to different army bases. I think he went to 11 different primary schools. He eventually went to live with his grandparents (I think he was about 10 or 11) on a farm just outside of Brecon until he went to Uni in Cardiff. Him and my mum met when they were working in a childrens home in Cardiff. I have one brother, David who also lives in Cardiff apart from the weekends when he stays with his girlfriend Becky in Newport.

Q. What do you think is the best thing about Cardiff?

Emma. Cardiff is like a big extended family. Everyone knows each other and you can’t really go too far from your door without bumping into someone. It’s also a nice size for a city, everything is pretty close and accessible… I would say within walking distance but I’m not big on walking anywhere.

Q. What are your current hobbies?

Emma. I’ve recently started doing pilates with one of my friends which is pretty relaxing, you can definitely feel it working your core though. And I really want to take up climbing once my dissertation is out the way. My dissertation is actually on climbing and has kinda inspired me. At the moment my dissertation has taken over my life, although I try and make time to see my friends. I can’t stay staring at a computer for too long.

Q. What’s your favourite Cardiff pub?

Emma. Hmmm that’s a tricky one. The three archers is my local and since moving back home I’ve been going there a lot more. It’s a really nice pub and the staff are really friendly. Other than that I probably go to the Claude the most, I worked there a very long time ago and I love the atmosphere and the interesting people who always have a story to tell. I was actually in there last night playing pool, I think I won once by default.

Q. Best place for a Cardiff breakfast?

Emma. It used to be Calcio’s on Crwys Road but I think that’s been gone a long time now. Cafe 37’s breakfast is definitely it’s replacement. The breakfast in there is awesome and good value. Also Salad Bar on Clifton Street does some really good breakfast baguettes.

Q. If you had friends visiting Cardiff for the weekend, where would you take them?

Emma. Definitely Roath Park, the fact you can be in the middle of a city and go and sit on a boat on the lake feeding the ducks is a pretty awesome thing, although I’m pretty scared of the swans. I took my friends daughter there not long ago to feed the birds and I ended up picking her up and running to safety. I don’t even think she was scared (she’s three).

The Vaults on Bute Street is probably another place. I love the idea of a club in a bank vault and I think everyone should experience it. They usually have some pretty good nights ran by Catapult Presents and Cellar Door each month

Q. Now, to the Walker’s competition – how did you end up entering?

Emma. I saw it advertised and thought I’d give it a bash. I entered last time they ran the competition so I thought why not enter again? I don’t think anyone really thinks about winning when they enter competitions. I’m still in shock from when I got the call. I’m not sure it will ever completely sink in.

Q. How hopeful are you of winning? And what will you do if you win?

Emma. Well it would be lovely to win but I don’t want to get carried away. I think there’s some really good ideas and all of the contestants are really lovely so I would be happy for whoever won. I think people have been quite shocked how well we all get on with each other. I need a new car as mine sounds like it’s going to explode and I would like to do something for my friends … I think a night out somewhere is in order… They have been campaigning for me so I think it’s the least I can do. Other than that I’m not really too sure right now. I’m trying not to think about it too much. The concept is pretty surreal to be honest.

 

Emma Garnett is a student at the University of South Wales. She currently lives in Roath. You can follow her on twitter @chikeree or via her Facebook page; ‘chip shop chicken curry for the win‘

The People, Whats on

“Butetown has been changing all of my life” – Keith Murrell

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In preparation for the first Butetown Carnival for 16 years, we asked organiser Keith Murrell to chew the cheese with us. The carnival takes place this Monday 25 August in Canal Park in Butetown. We hope to see you all there!

keith murrell by lann niziblian

(photo of Keith by Lann Niziblian)

 

Q. You’re involved in running the Butetown Carnival. Can you tell us something about the history of the event?

Keith. The first events I remember were in the mid 1960s (it was called Mardi Gras in those days) – I understand that there were smaller, more spontaneous things that preceded this.

 

Q. When did you get involved?

Keith. As a member of the local youth club in the early 1970s … as a musician in the early 80s … as an organiser in the early 90s.

 

Q. Is there a particular Butetown carnival that sticks out in your mind as being a great one?

Keith. I remember one of the earlier Mardi Gras’ which was a quite small event mostly taking place in a Marquee alongside the Community Centre … I guess this one sticks in my mind as it was all still new to me –and I saw ‘real’ people that I knew playing and singing something other than hymns … no doubt later Carnivals were ‘better’ but they were also quite similar to each other … and I also remember the first year our band got paid

 

Q. Do you live in Butetown? What’s your history in Cardiff?

Keith. I am Butetown born and bred and lived and worked in the community for most of my life – I currently live in Grangetown.

 

Q. What do you think about how Butetown has changed over the years?

Keith. Butetown has been ‘changing’ all of my life: the “slum clearance” programmes of the 60s had not actually been completed by the time of the urban regeneration led by CBDC in the 80s & 90s – which in turn has been followed by various area renewal schemes of the current era… the more things change the more they stay the same …

For me, the most significant changes have been in community demographics and characteristics … what was once the most diverse and cohesive communities has been replaced by ‘larger’ ‘minority’ groups with minimal interaction and integration.

I would say that this is a direct result of gerrymandering by Cardiff Council, Housing Associations and other service providers.

 

Q. Can you tell us something about the city in general? How has it changed?

Keith. Thinking about the city entity has all kinds of political and civic connotations – and my impression is “all fur coat and no knickers”… But I’m more interested in people and places around me … and there’s nowhere else that I would rather be.

 

Q. What’s your favourite place in Cardiff to go for a drink?

Keith. The kitchen sink

 

Q. Favourite place to get breakfast?

Keith. The settee

 

Q. Tell us a Cardiff secret or little known fact

Keith. Cardiff Castle is (mostly) a fake

 

Q. What are you hoping for this year at the Carnival?

Keith. That all kinds of people from all over will get together and feel alright – and develop a habit for it!

 

Keith Murrell will be mostly all over the Butetown Carnival, taking place this Monday 25 August in Canal Park. There’s also a Butetown Carnival Dance taking place this Saturday 23 August at Butetown Community Centre, with all proceeds going towards the Carnival. See you at the front!

butetown carnival dance

 

 

 

The People, Whats on

My Cardiff geography – Bill Trub

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Today’s Cardiff geography comes from long time friend of the blog and one time Cardiffian, poet Bill Trub. If you’re in the Cardiff area TONIGHT MONDAY 14 JULY 2014, he will be doing a poetry reading at 7pm in Gwdhiw. So get down there!

Bill Trub

Q. Tell us about yourself

Bill Trub. I’m not great at this which must be why my online dating profile gets little action.
I’m a 32-year-old American writer and wanderer. I’m currently on a UK tour of my debut book of poems, All Men Are Afraid (Cinnamon Press). It took me ten years to write and get it published, so I’m really savouring sharing the poems with friends and strangers around England and Wales. The book’s a beer-soaked romp through the world, a collection of bizarre, stray underdogs trying to break through, a tangle of dysfunctional relationships, a call to readers to reexamine gender identity. It’s an awful anniversary gift, but great for your weird friend’s birthday. If you don’t have a weird friend, you’re the weird friend so you can buy it for yourself. When I’m not reading to adults, I am a lecturer of English at a university in China.

Q. Explain your Cardiff connection

In 2003, I booked a one-way flight, packed two suitcases and moved to a mythical, dragon-protected place called Cymru. I didn’t know anyone in all of the UK and didn’t know what to expect, but I remember being confident in the decision. I enrolled in an MA at Cardiff University and became very comfortable very quickly. I was a brash, young kid in a brash, young capital with a castle zonked down in the middle of it. By day, I was in creative writing seminars with poets and novelists from all over the world. By night, I was dancing to the pulse of St. Mary’s or Womanby Street. Weekends, you could find my on cliff’s edge in the Gower, exploring Brecon or eating hummus in Bute Park. Even though Cardiff is no longer my full-time home, I packed part of it with me when I left.

Q. What’s your favourite food?

Cold sandwiches… A chicken and bacon baguette with butter and salad. Pita and hummus. Tomato, pesto and mozzarella wrap. Chicken tikka on a bun. Salt bagel and cream cheese.

Q. What book are you currently reading?

‘Telling Tales’ by Patience Agbabi. It’s a reworking of Chaucer’s ‘Canterbury Tales’, set in modern Britain. Agbabi has accomplished something brilliant and important with this book. I saw her performance of it last month in Rochester Cathedral and was gob smacked. There’s even a poem about Cardiff.

Q. Last film you watched

I’m tempted to lie and say a really cool indie flick, but honesty is my biggest flaw. I watched We Are the Millers at my friend’s house last week. It was actually really funny. When Jason Sudekis’ character encourages his faux son to give a Mexican cop a blow job by saying, “Just pretend it’s a girl’s penis,” I couldn’t stop laughing. I’m laughing now. Also, it has Nick Offerman in it and he is the man.

Q. Current favourite band

I’m listening to Little Dragon quite a lot on long bus, train and plane rides. I dig their songs “Paris” and “Pretty Girls” but the whole Nabuma Rubberband album is solid. Generally, I like music with a unique female vocal and strange beats. Think Bjork, Portishead, MIA, Santigold, Morcheeba, Tori Amos, Missy Elliott, Aluna George, Roisin Murphy, Robyn, Nelly Furtado.

Q. Tell us a secret

I’ve been living out of a backpack for the last five weeks. I didn’t have anything to wear to my book reading and signing tonight (Monday, July 14, Gwdihw Bar, 7pm) so rather than do laundry and iron, I just bought more clothes at a shop on Queen Street.

 

Thanks Bill! Hope to see some of you tonight. In the meantime, here’s some more info about him …

Facebook.com/billtrub
Twitter.com/allmenareafraid
Purchase All Men Are Afraid

(Photo by Nathan William Meyer 2014)

The People

Cardiff: my personal geography – Dan Barnett of Samoans

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In today’s personal geography, we speak to Dan Barnett of Cardiff band Samoans, who have recently released ace new record Rescue. If you live in Cardiff, order the vinyl and you may even get it hand delivered to your door by a member of the band! Read on for Dan’s map of the city!

Dan Barnett by Simon Ayre

 

Q. Tell us about your band! Where can people see you play soon, are there records they can buy, etc….

I’ve been in Samoans since 2008. It all started when Calvin (our bassist) crashed a party at my house. We instantly hit it off and within about a month decided to start a band together. We haven’t looked back. It’s been a good sixe years now and I can’t believe we’re only releasing our debut album now!

But that is one of the great things about being in the band. We always set out to do things our way and not be pressured in to releasing music for the sake of it. Being realistic about being in a band has been integral to us and we all still work full time jobs as I know all our other musician friends do to.

We’ve achieved a good amount, being championed by BBC Introducing to play Reading & Leeds Festival in 2012 was a big highlight. We’ve also played with some of our favourite bands like Los Campesinos!, And So I Watch You From Afar and Minus The Bear.

This year we were awarded funding through Arts Council Wales which has helped us loads in promoting our album, Rescue, which is out on 14th July on 12” vinyl and download. I’m pretty excited to finally have a release on vinyl as me and my dad used to sit around for hours listening to his records when I was growing up.

The line-up we have now is the best we’ve had so far. In 2012 we enlisted our friend Chris Rouse who was playing drums for another band who we’d played with a few times called Hold Your Horse Is. We were drummerless and he posted up online that he was looking to play drums for some other bands. It seems like fate was on our side. We took the decision to bring in Oli Miles on guitar after we had recorded the album last year. It made total sense as the sound we have adopted is more expansive than our previous material and he’s also better at playing guitar than I am!

You can listen to and buy any of our releases from samoanstheband.bandcamp.com.

Q. Are you Cardiff born and Cardiff bred? If not, how did you get here? 

I was born in Bridgend in February 1984 as my parents had moved from Whitchurch in Cardiff to Brynna, near Llantrisant. My dad was Bristol-born but had moved to Cardiff when he was young and my mother was born at her family home on Velindra Road in Whitchurch. So I’ve always had strong ties to Cardiff since I was a child.

My mother is one of fourteen children so there were always plenty of visits, especially to Heath where I used to spend a lot of time with my cousins. The one thing that always springs to mind when I’m on Whitchurch road heading towards Gabalfa is a piece of graffiti that was drawn on a wall opposite the school. It was a huge illustration of a newsreader with a speech bubble that read, ‘hello, good evening and b*****ks’. I think that piece of graffiti pretty much set the tone for my sense of humour and it stayed there for years until it weathered away which I’m gutted about.

When I was four, my parents moved us to Caerphilly to be closer to my dad’s work at a sawmill in Senghennydd that was built on the top of the old coal mine. Growing up I always felt that I wanted to leave the town though and university gave me that opportunity. I was accepted in to Cardiff University to study Welsh and Ancient History in 2002 and have pretty much been based in Cardiff ever since.

Q. What local bands would you tip for people to go watch?

Kutosis are probably my favourite Cardiff band. I used to live with two of them so it may seem a bit biased, but in all fairness they are great songwriters and excellent people!

I would also say to check out my friend Jimmy’s band The Epicdemics. A little bit of me died when Strange News From Another Star stopped but I was chuffed to see Jimmy form this band with Julia from Future of The Left and Bernie from Right Hand Left Hand. Jimmy is a true talent!

Finally I’d tell everyone to go watch Right Hand Left Hand. They do the business!

Q. What neighbourhood do you live in? What’s it like there?

I currently live in Splott, which gets pretty bad rep. It feels like Splott gets a little forgotten by the council in all honesty. The amount litter and dog mess on the streets is insane. I don’t think the council do enough in our area to promote keeping the streets clean or changing people’s attitudes.

Q. Fav Cardiff venue?

Hands down has to be Clwb Ifor Bach. I’ve seen some of my all-time favourite shows in that venue.

Q. Fav Cardiff eatery?

There’s too many places for me to choose just one, so here are a few!
– Fresh in Royal Arcade makes a mean sandwich. Gareth & Co are always friendly and I always walk away satisfied.
– Lilo’s on City Road does some amazing mezza, falafel and sea bass and the juices are great!
– Tenkaichi on City Road do a great tekka don and spider maki
– Canteen on Clifton Street is always interesting as they mix up the menu frequently and cater for mainly vegetarian meals.
– Vegetarian Food Studio over in Riverside. Two words: Atom bombs.
– Mirchi on City Road do the best paneer curry I’ve ever tasted.

Q. Best Cardiff pint?

Hop Rocket it Urban Tap House

Q. Best Cardiff fry up

The Pot on Crwys Road do THE best Welsh breakfast and they’re ace people too!

Q. If you were going to take someone on a first date in Cardiff, where would you take them?

St Fagans. It’s just such a nice place to walk around and buy sweets and bread from. Plus I get to tell the story of Me and my friend Joe watching our friend Emma break in to a wheel of wax-covered cheese with a key in front of a troop of horrified young French kids.

Q. What’s the best / most memorable gig you ever went to in Cardiff?

I’ve been to some amazing gigs in the past, Lightning Bolt at The Point, Biffy Clyro in Barfly and last year seeing one of my all-time favourite bands, Dinosaur Jr playing Cardiff was incredible but I’d say my most memorable gig is probably Reuben at Clwb Ifor Bach in 2008. I’d seen their first ever Cardiff gig in Barfly in about 2003, but the show in Clwb felt significant and special for me. It was rammed upstairs and the band played pretty much everything they’d ever done, including early songs. It almost felt like a greatest hits set, which was apt as they broke up not long after, so to see their final show was special and they remain a huge influence on me musically.

 

Q. What’s the last film you saw?

Wrong Cops. It’s a spin-off of another film called Wrong. Both utterly insane and make no sense, which thankfully is right up my cup of tea!

Q. What’s the last gig you went to?

Nine Inch Nails at the CIA (or Motorpoint Arena as it will never be known to our generation!)

Q. What are you currently reading?

I’ve just finished reading The Ocean at the end of the lane by Neil Gaiman which is a great read. His writing is so vivid and allows you to properly escape.

Q. Tell us a secret about you

It was nice to hear somebody else has this problem too. When I heard Gareth from Fireproof Giant say he hates people touching his belly button I was like “EXACTLY!” That’s my personal space! I don’t want someone digging round for fluff in there!

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Thanks Dan! Why don’t you go on over and take a look at the Samoans Bandcamp page or their Samoans Facebook page, eh? YOU KNOW IT MAKES SENSE

Dan was photographed by Simon Ayre

The People

“Cardiff will always be synonymous with friendships, good music, and unlimited fun” – Gwen

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Today’s We Are Cardiff piece goes back in time … and visits a lively gal by the name of Gwen Love, who – in 1996 – is enjoying her 20s in the city of ‘cool Cymru’. Read on to find out what she’s been up to!

gwen love

 

I cannot imagine being anywhere more exciting than Cardiff in 1996. I am thrilled to be a part of this amazing city at such a buzzing time. Right now, Cardiff is at the heart of the Cool Cymru movement. It has been amazing to witness the explosion of the Welsh music scene before our very eyes – watching our home-grown talent become part of the Britpop brigade has made us all proud of our heritage and roots. I have been lucky enough to see Catatonia and Super Furry Animals morph from obscure Welsh language bands to being on Top of the Pops and playing with some of the biggest bands of our time. I love the fact that I have seen these bands live several times at venues around the city – and that they just get bigger and better.

I knew I wanted to study in Cardiff as soon as I set down my country-bumpkin-North-Walian feet in the bus station in 1993 – three years ago. An excited gaggle of us were here for the university open day and it was as though we had found utopia. Cool people, friendly bars, and live music. This was what I had yearned for throughout my awkward, frustrated teenage years. I’m ashamed to admit that I paid a lot less attention to the details of my course of study than I did to the events calendar.

It’s not just live music that Cardiff excels at either. The variety of night life is endless. As students we are spoiled with our fantastic Student’s Union and we have all enthusiastically taken part in Fun Factory, Jive Hive, or Cloud 9 at some point in time. The town centre offers everything from the sterility of Zeus (RIP Cocos) to the dirty, dingy yet delightful Metros. At the moment my favourite venue and night out is Clwb Ifor Bach’s newly opened Popscene. A fantastic indie club upstairs playing everything from Oasis to Puressence, where the DJ will kindly oblige to the musical whims of most indie kids. Then, downstairs, for a change of tempo is the Cheesy Club; funk, disco and cheese. It is impossible to dance without a smile. It’s the happiest dance floor in town.

Downtime, when I’m not studying hard, can be spent idling in the beautiful parks with friends after a magnificent breakfast from Ramones. What better way to cure a hangover than by watching the beautiful people play baseball, turning slowly pink in the sun amidst the sleepy floral scents.

When the student loan has been freshly deposited in my bank account my other method of relaxing is to shop, shop, shop. I love Cardiff for its independent shops. I love exploring the arcades to find an elusive vinyl, that perfect 70s shirt to emulate Jarvis, or some beautiful, hand crafted jewellery. It is so easy to buy retro in Cardiff and develop your own sense of style.

I hope to graduate this summer but have no plans to leave Cardiff just yet. I love this city and feel very proud to be studying and partying here. Whatever the future holds, whereever I will be in 20 years time, Cardiff will hold a very special place in my heart and will always be synonymous with friendships, good music and unlimited fun.

 

Having graduated from Cardiff University in 1996, Gwen Love then moved to Bristol and spent many years in marketing until she retrained as a primary school teacher. She has been teaching for 10 years and is a mother of two young children. Her retroblog came about through her love of music and through a selfish need to do something creative for herself. She always wanted to write and, as she was still in possession of her eventful diary from ’96, she was inspired to write a blog set in that year. During ’96 she left her long term boyfriend, reached the grand old age of 21, and graduated with a respectful drinker’s degree – all to a thoroughly researched Britpop soundtrack. Follow Gwen on Twitter @GwenLove3 and on her blog site www.gwenlove76.wordpress.com. She hopes to publish as a novel in the near future. During 1996 Gwen lived in Cathays. She currently lives in Canton.

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The People

My Cardiff geography – Fireproof Giant

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In today’s personal geography, we speak to Gareth Jones of Fireproof Giant. Read on for his map of the city!

Fireproof Giant by Jon Pountney

In Cardiff, home is…

Splott/Roath….so….Sploath!

How did you get into making music initially?

I’ve played music since the age of five but I really started creating music when I was in Italy performing an outdoor site specific theatre piece. The director encouraged me to write for the show and I haven’t been able to stop since.

Tell us about your band, Fireproof Giant

The band developed over a number of years. Whilst I was touring around with Nofit State Circus people in the audience kept asking where they could get the music or hear it again so I finally gave us a name (Fireproof Giant). Now we’re running away from the circus and playing music for music’s sake. I tend not to think of genre whilst writing and just let my mood direct the song. But now I’m having difficulty describing our music whenever we’re asked. The best way to describe it so far is Pop-rock/folkstep with classical influences.

Who were the last band you saw live?

Sigur Ros

Favourite Cardiff eatery …

Penylan Pantry

Ideal first date in Cardiff …

Walking a dog in Roath Park

Last album you bought?

If you leave by Daughter

Earliest Cardiff memory

Staying with my brother and watching Apocalypse now the directors cut. It’s very long.

Do you have a favourite record shop in Cardiff?

It’s a battle between Kellys and Spillers

Last book you read

I’m a massive comic book fan…..so…..death of the family. Does that count? If not, the hungry caterpillar.

Best Cardiff pubs

The City Arms, followed closely by Porters

Favourite Cardiff discovery

The tiny models in the metal pillars outside St David’s 2

Tell us something that most people don’t know about you

I have a fear of people touching my belly button

If you had friends coming to Cardiff for a weekend, what would you recommend they do?

If they’re around on the weekend and it’s a sunny Sunday morning then I would suggest Riverside market for some chai tea and the best butchers in Wales.

Gareth Fireproof Giant by Jon Pountney

Why don’t you go on over and take a look at the Fireproof Giant Facebook page? There is music and information there galore!

Gareth Jones grew up in Swansea and very quickly found a passion for the arts. As a teenager he went from instrument to instrument learning to play whatever took his fancy. Although music was a large part of his life he found himself heading towards acting and after completing school he went to study performance art in the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. During his three years there his music took a backseat role but occasionally crept forward as more and more directors asked him to compose music for them. After graduating from RWCMD in 2007 Gareth joined Nofit State Circus as a musician/performer and began touring around Europe meeting musicians from different cultures who would help him shape and develop his musical style. After three years of touring Gareth then became Musical Director and Composer for Nofit State and spent the next three years directing and leading a band in over 300 shows. Now Gareth is exploring his music for music’s sake and is running away from the Circus to share his sound with whoever will listen. If you see him around, don’t touch his bellybutton, whatever you do…

Gareth was photographed by Jon Pountney

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The People

Cardiff: my personal geography, by Gwion Thorpe

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gwion-thorpe-web

In Cardiff, home is…

Canton with the wife, kids and the coolest 3-legged dog in Wales.

Favourite Cardiff eatery

Hangfire Smokehouse at The Lansdowne

Ideal first date in Cardiff?

Fry up at Saffron, boating on Roath Lake, watch Wales beat England (again!) at the stadium, pints at Tap House, curry at Purple Poppadom, early night 😉

Tell us something that most people don’t know about you

I have the longest tongue in Wales (unofficial)

Earliest Cardiff memory

Watching Paul Bodin miss THAT penalty at the Arms Park and seeing grown men cry

What was the last film you saw?

Frozen (for probably the 20th time this week)

Favourite Cardiff shops

Rules of Play, Riverside Market

Best Cardiff-based leisure activity

Chilling in the park (take your pick). Simples.

What was the last book you read?

The Prodigal Daughter, Archer.

Biggest ambition

For my children to be proud of me and not to have any regrets on my death bed

Best Cardiff pubs

Urban TapHouse and The Lansdowne

Favourite Cardiff discovery

The New York Hoagie

Last album you listened to

Gipsy Kings, self titled (instant sunshine).

If you had friends coming to Cardiff for a weekend, what would you recommend they do?

Take me out on my ideal first date (minus the early night)!

Your ambitions for the future?

No regrets and make my children proud

What do you want to achieve this year?

Four million people taking part in The Big Lunch on June 1st!! 

Gwion Thorpe is involved in a number of social / community projects in Cardiff / Wales. Current day job is social marketing for The Big Lunch, a wonderfully simple campaign to help strengthen communities and spread a bit of happiness by encouraging people to have lunch with their neighbours annually on the 1st Sunday in June.  Also proudly a Director for Cardiff’s award-winning RCMA Social Enterprise (home of the Riverside Market) and a (very) part-time blogger at inspiringcardiff.com, sharing the stories of awesome people doing really cool things across the city. Cymro Cymraeg!

Gwion was photographed at The Lansdowne by Adam Chard

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The People

“I saw Dylan, The Stones, The Beatles, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd – all playing live in Cardiff!” – Elizabeth

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I was born in Carmarthen, but lived in Scotland until the age of six before coming to live in Cardiff. I lived in Rumney, where my parents owned the Monkstone, a private club catering for weddings and evening events. Although my education and time spent with all my friends in the local schools was very normal, I have always remembered that my childhood was slightly different to my friends, because of where I lived. All my friends had normal family lives during the early sixties, but my early life was surrounded by parties, music, and late nights while my parents worked. Obviously I was always meant to be sleeping….but my memories of this time (good and bad) have stayed with me all my life.

Eventually in 1967 I left home at the age of 17 and went to Cardiff Art College in the old Friary. I was free to live my life as I pleased, and the sixties were a perfect time to do it! During my time in art college I studied fashion and textiles…although I could have worked much harder, I chose not to….and just enjoyed life as much as possible.

During the sixties we had many coffee bars and small venues where they played great music all night. I particularly remember The Kennard Rooms in Roath, The Victoria Ballrooms in Canton, The Estonian Club in Charles Street, The Scene Club, Whisky a Gogo, The New Moon in the Hayes, and The Casablanca in the Docks. The regular place for meeting then was upstairs in The Kardomah in Queen Street. All the mods would meet there regularly on a Saturday…. we would get to know about parties that were happening that night….sometimes huge numbers of mods would turn up on scooters at some unsuspecting home most often in Cyncoed or Lisvane.

Music was at its best for me at this time … Dylan,The Stones, The Beatles, The Who, Yardbirds, Kinks, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd … too many to mention. I feel very privileged to have been able to see all these amazing groups and singers in their early years performing live in Cardiff mostly at The Capitol, Sophia Gardens or Top Rank … and at very little cost. One memorable event for me was at The Stax Tour seeing Otis Redding singing just a few feet away on a small stage in Top Rank in 1967 just before he died. The event was amazing to see … with Arthur Conley, Sam and Dave, Booker T and the MGs, Eddie Floyd and The Markeys.

Life changed for me when I married and had my daughter, although, our life style always remained unconventional. We opened Wild and Woolly in 1973, selling our own designs, hand made using Liberty Print Fabrics. We had a range of ethnic clothing and jewellery from Peru and Afghanistan. In later years we introduced what was then called secondhand clothing. I had always worn and collected “vintage” clothing since I was a student and now we had hit on something new….and it was very successful. Second hand and antique clothing was easier and cheaper to find in the seventies, but times changed and we had to move with it, to Jacobs Market which is still trading there now and worth a visit.

Eventually in 1985 my husband and I both worked in the television industry at HTV, freelancing in the costume department, but we continued designing, making and selling to various fashion outlets in Cardiff.

I am very nostalgic and miss the old Cardiff that used to be. I miss all the old streets behind Queen Street and St Mary Street, all the old pubs, cinemas, and cafes. I miss the individuality of all the local department stores and shops of that time. I find it quite hard to accept that we (society) are happy to destroy so much of our past so easily, only to replace it with something that has no relevance whatsoever and now most cities look the same. Having said that, I think that Cardiff is still a beautiful city. Luckily we have kept our arcades and of course our castle and civic centre makes Cardiff as special as it is. We are lucky to be a few miles from the sea, close to the country side and the mountains are just a short drive away.

My life now is as busy as ever. I’m still buying and selling vintage clothing, under the label http://www.artofvintage.com. More recently I have started another small venture http://www.artofvintagesouk.com, importing Moroccan kelims, cushions and unusual artisanal goods. I love Morocco and travel there regularly to many different areas, including the desert and south Saharan coast, sourcing interesting items for the business.

I continue to design and make costumes for television and private commissions, and if that wasn’t enough I work on weekends in The Albany Gallery helping to organise exhibitions and selling art!! All my work combines to enable me to remain reasonably free and independent, a way of life that interests me and keeps me active.

If I had friends coming to visit me in Cardiff for a weekend, because my house is too small for guests I would first send them to stay at The Lincoln House Hotel in Cathedral Road where they would be well looked after by Kath and Neil. There are so many great places to go in Cardiff. I would obviously take them to see the art in The Albany Gallery in Albany Road. We would probably have coffee in one of the many new cafes in Wellfield Road. We would visit the new Cardiff Made shop in Lochaber Street. I expect I would take them to the Pumping Station in Penarth Road, or I would take them to Chapter for casual food and drinks and chats with loads of familiar faces or to see a film. We would possibly go down to the bay to the original old pub The Packet, my favourite pub. If it was the right weekend, we would go to Cafe a GoGo in Gwdihw for some soul music, a regular event there.

I would take them to the Zio Pin Italian restaurant, not expensive and consistently good food and friendly staff. I’m always checking for live music events that are on in St David’s Hall or The Millennium Centre. Just sometimes there will be a rare performance on of some good music, and the next one I would recommend is Tinariwen, nomad musicians from Mali, in July in St Davids Hall. Not to be missed!

Elizabeth Lee has lived in Cardiff for nearly 45 years, though she still feels only 25 inside. See her current venture at www.artofvintage.com. She currently lives in Cathays.

Elizabeth was photographed in her workshop by Joe Singh.

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The Arts, The People

Cardiff: our personal geography – by Cavalry

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This week in our personal geographies, we’re squeezing in an entire band! Meet Cardiff band Cavalry…

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(C A V A L R Y from left to right: Joni Buckland, Richie Lovett, Dan Briggs, Gareth Hallybone)

 

Introduce us to the band

Hi all! We are Cavalry and we consist of Richie Lovett (vocals) Dan Briggs (guitar) Gareth Hallybone (bass) and Joni Buckland (drums).

How did you all meet, and how long have you been playing together for?

We all met at a house party that Richie threw (from what we can remember). They were legendary parties and somehow we ended up playing a New Year’s Eve show in his basement at one of the parties shortly after. We’ve been playing together for two years now, mainly rehearsing and refining our set in MusicBox Studios. We’re currently readying ourselves for a huge summer which will see the release of our debut single ‘Mexico’, our first music video to date, the launch of our new website www.wearecavalry.com and new Cavalry merchandise.

Explain your sound to us

Heavy nice, nice heavy?… When we write, we like to mix clean verse sounds with fuzzy choruses. Rich has a talent for signing soft, tuneful verses and then belting out huge anthemic choruses so it works well. Basically, we want our songs to stick in your head so you wake up the next morning and take a peak at our website or log on to Spotify to have a second listen…

What’s your favourite Cardiff venue?

It has to be the Globe on Albany Road. The sound is incredible, it gets hot and sweaty, you meet really cool people and there is a really intimate vibe at the shows.

How did you all end up in Cardiff?

We were all drawn to the bright lights of Cardiff from Newport and Maesteg. For us, it was a sort of natural progression to a bigger city and a lot of our friends did the same thing. Three of us (Rich, Dan and Jon) actually lived in the same house for a year which was great. There’s no better test of a band’s patience than being stuck in a house living together.

What parts of Cardiff have you lived in so far?

The 4 of us combined have lived in Roath, Cathays, Grangetown, Canton and Cardiff Bay. Rich definitely takes the award for living in the best rented accommodation in Cardiff. He lived in a four story mansion and had a gold fireplace in his bedroom. Beat that.

What was the last gig you went to?

We all went to see Royal Blood in the Globe two months ago and it was by far one of the best shows we have seen in a very long time. We caught them just before they really took off and it was amazing to see them in such an intimate venue. We will be definitely watching them at Glasto this year!

What was the last book you read?

(Dan) I last read Dial ‘M’ for Merthyr by Rachel Trezise. It’s an amazing account of being on tour with a Welsh band called Midasuno in 2005. It’s a real warts ‘n’ all account of life on the road which every touring musician can relate to. I would definitely recommend giving it a read!

Tell us a secret

Dan played session guitar for Tina Barett from S Club 7. Shortly after playing, Dan and Rich ended up drinking £1000 worth of Champagne with her and her boyfriend! Good times.

What’s your favourite place for breakfast in Cardiff?

The Deck in Cardiff Bay is the place to go. One word. Bacon.

What’s your local pub?

Our local is Dempseys on Castle Street. Even if we start off there and move on, we always end up back there at the end of the night! The bar staff are great, the Guiness is great and the atmosphere is great. God bless the Irish.

Tell us a hidden part of Cardiff that you love

There is a lighthouse on an island in the middle of Roath Lake. It’s a great little landmark but we found out the other day, it’s actually a four bedroom, rentable property?! It’s safe to say we were blown away when we find that out. We are hoping it will become Cavalry HQ in the not too distant future!

If you had some friends coming to visit for the weekend, where would you take them?

We would wake up in the morning, take them to the Deck for a ‘Hog and Hen’ roll (seriously you need to try one) and then go for walk around the bay. We ‘d pop in to Techniquest, pretend to be Brian Cox and then nip over to the Waterguard pub as we’d have definitely worked up a thirst by then. Next stop, the Mochyn Du to sample their selection of real ales and then trek across town to Milgi’s on City Road to chill out in their yurt and have a cocktail. Lunch would be an epic burger in the Grazing Shed in town and then on to Clwb Ifor Bach to catch a gig in the night. That actually sounds like a great plan. We might do that this weekend…

If people want to see you live, when’s their next opportunity?

We are playing Undertone this Friday 9 May! It will be our first Cardiff show so it promises to be quite an event and our good friends Ghosts as Alibis and Calling Apollo are on the bill with us. If you want any more information please visit the facebook event page on this link: https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/1413579325565844/

Thanks Cavalry! More Cardiff personal geographies real soon …

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The People

Cardiff’s volunteering dogs – meet Bob

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Back in April 2012, we posted this great story from David Wills about volunteering for Civil Aid Voluntary Rescue Association (CAVRA) with his dog, Bob. We never posted all the photos from the photoshoot though … and there are some sweet ones. Check out Bob in his goggles, above!

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“CAVRA was founded in 1998 at a time when flooding was overwhelming the emergency services in Cardiff and the Vale,” says Dave. “It is an entirely voluntary search and rescue organisation, and a registered charity. Our purpose is to provide back-up personnel and frontline assistance to the Emergency Services (Police, HM Coastguard etc) in a range of situations, including searches for missing persons, during times of adverse weather conditions, natural disaster or civil emergency. We are a lowland search and rescue unit specialising in flood and swift water rescue as well as recovery. At present CAVRA has around 30 volunteers. We are highly trained in First Aid and some of us have specialist skills in land search, All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) rescue, dog handling and water rescue. We also have a Rescue Boat on permanent standby in Cardiff Bay.”

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About Bob – the rescue dog: “Bobby is my latest dog and the only dog I have trained in Search and Rescue. I rescued him myself from Croft Kennels in Bridgend. I was looking for a medium sized dog that I could train up as a Cadaver Dog. I ended up with a large boxer-cross who has an uncanny knack for finding the living! Boxers are not normally good search dogs but Bob is crossed with something (we don’t know what!), giving him some invaluable traits. Normally Search dogs are air sniffing tracker dogs trained to national standards.”

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Civil Aid Voluntary Rescue Association (CAVRA) are always looking for volunteers. No experience necessary. You provide the time – they provide the training. http://www.cavra.org

David and Bob were photographed on the Cardiff Bay Barrage by Doug Nicholls.

The People

Reflections on Rhiwbina – Brian

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Brian Dodd

Set below a picturesque back drop of the rolling hills of the Wenallt, with its patchwork of fields and woods, lies this pretty yet busy northern suburb of Cardiff. It still retains much of its original charm and the unspoilt nature of a bygone era. Furthermore, it’s my home, albeit my adopted home!

Approached from the south, the main road arches over the brow of the hill , underneath which passes the single line railway track that connects directly to the city centre. On first seeing the village ahead you might wonder where on earth you’d arrived. The ‘Gateway to India’ no less, stands invitingly on the first corner, the name of the oriental takeaway. Further along and opposite is the celebrated Juboraj restaurant with its varied and sumptuous curries all authentically and carefully prepared.

The ‘green house’, or more strictly the green-roofed bungalow, stands on the same site as the once well-loved and oft frequented newspaper and sweet shop, which also had a green painted roof. It was a favourite destination for school kids on the way home and wanting a cheap fix of confectionery. Its replacement is a chiropractice, and next to that an aromatherapy clinic for ‘treats’ of a different sort but very much in keeping with our modern holistic lifestyle.

At the crossroads with Pen-y-Dre you are greeted by the rather incongruous looking life-sized figures of Laurel and Hardy with animal models close by. You would be forgiven for thinking that they were advertising some sort of waxworks or museum. In fact, they stand outside the Virtual Service Centre for cars. Does that mean there really isn’t a garage there? Well yes and no! There is no garage on the premises. If your car needs servicing or repair it is collected, taken away, fixed and duly returned afterwards. How civilised!

On the corner of the increasingly busy junction with Beulah Road, stands Beulah United Reform Church dating back to 1890 and opposite that Beulah Assembly Rooms a popular venue for clubs, meetings and concerts. It would be easy to hasten past and hardly notice the secret garden to the rear, a quiet place to just sit and think or simply contemplate, just yards from the general buzz of village life.

There are plenty of places to browse, including trendy craft shops such as Cwtsh Bach with its handmade Bespoke curiosities, Cariad with all things Welsh and the Victoria Fearn Gallery with its array of interesting objects such fun pencils with character tops, pottery, artwork and wooden instruments. If you have a sweet tooth and keen eye you’ll soon come across the aptly named Sugar Mouse, with a selection of sweets and chocolates that have names more familiar to children of yesteryear but still able to entice children and their all too gullible and more than willing parents.

As we know shopping can be thirsty, tiring work so where better to stop for coffee or light lunch than the Olive Branch, the church run cafe with its recent makeover and where there’s always a welcome, and a chance to buy books, cards and gifts. There are other places to eat and buy refreshments such as the Whittaker Lounge or on Beualah Road, Snails Delicatessan serving soups, coffees, cakes and ice creams. At the far end of the village is the one charity shop, Tenovus, though at first glance you might think it a niche high class clothing shop which befits its surroundings.

Take a small detour from the main street through a narrow side lane and you are suddenly transported to the original early 20th century Garden Village with its quaint array of white-bricked semis arranged as a square around a spacious lawned centrepiece. Built in the 1920s, as a more pleasant and healthy residence for the working class it retains the timeless quality, if not its purpose, that its founding fathers intended all those years ago.

Wander around, stroll along the Welsh named streets , walk by the gentle stream that meanders through or relax in the green open spaces and soon you will discover many more fascinating facts, facets and delightful nooks that attracts one to this enchanting, inspiring part of a beautiful city.

 

Brian Dodd is a retired primary school teacher having taught in Cardiff for almost 40 years. He moved from Bristol to Cardiff in 1973 and loves the city. He has lived in Rhiwbina with his wife and family for 17 years. His favourite spots in the village are the old buildings, the stream and the parks away from the main streets. He says the village from the railway bridge with the Wenallt backdrop is lovely anytime of the year, but more so in the spring …

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