The 31st season of Wales’ National Classical Music Festival is happening in Cardiff in July!
Founded by Owain Arwel Hughes CBE, the Welsh Proms takes place in Cardiff’s St David’s Hall.
The festival – which celebrates its 31st season in 2016 – annually features some of the world’s top orchestras, soloists and and additional artists, and continues to be a major focal point in the cultural calendar of the Welsh capital.
The 2016 Welsh Proms Cymru will run from July 16 to 23 and feature the world renowned Welsh National Opera Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, The Cory Band & Massed Male Choir, and London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Full details of the 2016 programme of events, all conducted by Welsh Proms Artistic Director Owain Arwel Hughes CBE, are now available here. July 16th-23rd St David’s Hall, Cardiff Tickets priced £7.50 – £30.50 can be purchased from St David’s Hall Cardiff, tel: 029 2087 8444 16.7.16 Verdi Requiem with an all Welsh cast – WNO orchestra, 3 Cardiff choirs and
Welsh soloists 19.7.16 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra perform Holst’s The Planets; the world
premiere of a newly commissioned work to commemorate the Battle of the
Somme by Paul Mealor; and For the Fallen by Karl Jenkins. 20.7.16 An evening of favourite classics ending with the 1812 Overture performed by the
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. 22.7.16 The Cory Band and two Male Voice Choirs performing choruses and hymns. 23.7.16 The Last Night featuring two world premieres – Aberfan by Chris Wood and Mr
Dahl by Bernard Kane plus Gareth Wood’s Songs of Wales where the audience
joins in the singing and flag waving.
All the concerts are conducted by Owain Arwel Hughes CBE.
Full details on www.welshproms.com
We have a new writer and editor over here at We Are Cardiff! The wonderful Cat Johnston is going to be curating our good news, seeking out the goodness in our community and spreading it around like melted Nutella.
So that referendum happened, and the result came out, and a whole lot of reaction came after it. There has been so much hate and anger, from both sides, and we want to change that. Whether people voted leave or remain, whether they regret their decision now or stand by it, is irrelevant compared to that reaction. The media has not helped, with negative and sometimes spiteful and hate-inducing stories dominating our screens. In an age where news stories and peoples’ opinions are so readily available through multiple outlets, whether we want to hear them or not, that negativity can feel overwhelming.
There is so much more good going on in the world though, and right here in Cardiff. We want to claim back that good, we want to claim back nice (a massively underrated word) and we want to share it.
We don’t want to be overwhelmed by the negative: we want to highlight the uplifting, inspiring and heart-warming, and if we can inject a bit of humour in along the way then all the better! Whenever there is something bad in the world, look for the good: it’s always there. Look for the helpers, they are always there but not always seen. Look for the people who are turning the situation into something positive. Look for the love. If you can’t find it, then be that good yourself.
This blog is about us being that change, sick of all the negativity and wanting to focus on the more important things. We want to bring you wonderful, amusing, joyful stories of goodness, niceness and humanity (and sometimes animality!). In our own small way we will be fighting this negativity and hatred, through smiles and togetherness. We are together, We Are Cardiff!
For today, it seems like a good place to start our sharing of good news stories on the positive outcomes people are bringing from this referendum, irrespective of how they voted. The Cardiff for Europe event in town on Tuesday 28th June is a brilliant example of this. This was not a protest at the result: it was a positive celebration of Europe and our togetherness. The event included speakers from a variety of organisations talking about the impact of the referendum and sharing the message of hope not hate. A glance around the crowd that had gathered in The Hayes was inspiring: from the young to the older; fluent Welsh-Speakers to those who felt the need to clap along even though they didn’t understand the language; commuters who had joined on their way home from work, to people who had planned to be there; French, Polish, and no doubt many other nationalities, all listening to messages of positivity, of hope, and of cohesion. All there for a common goal: to celebrate our differences as much as our commonalities.
In true Cardiff style, the rain joined in the party with vigour, but that didn’t deter people. It was like an urban Glastonbury, minus the mud and face paint. There was even a performance from Gruff Rhys from the Super Furry Animals, but the real musical treat was a spontaneous burst of Mae hen wlad fy nhadau by the crowd at the end as people started leaving, proving the Welsh really are all beautiful singers!
The entire event was put on at the last minute by a small group of impassioned people who wanted to do something good and positive and to share that message. We are going to continue to share good news stories like this with you, but also letting you know what you can get involved in Cardiff, to create your own good news. We’ll be keeping this page updated but if you have a story you want to share, or something you’d like us to write about, then let us know.
Before we go though, here’s a lovely uplifting video to give you the serious warm and fuzzies today. Hope it makes you smile and be thankful for all the good people and animals in the world making their tiny corner of it that much brighter. This is, after all, the point of our good news initiative.
While the news continues to burble on in the background and no one seems to have a clue what to do, we’re pressing on sharing the best of Cardiff’s alternative culture and arts scene.
Today we want to tell you about a project called The Ageless City: Intergenerational Spaces for Culturally Diverse Neighbourhoods in Europe. It’s an experimental project that brings together young and senior residents of culturally and ethnically diverse neighbourhoods in two European cities – Mouraria in Lisbon (Portugal) and Butetown in Cardiff.
The main goal of this intergenerational project is that these different generations reflect on alternative ways to improve the appropriation of urban spaces, social interaction and the preservation of their city’s cultural heritage through humanities-based activities. The project is funded by the European Cultural Foundation, just by the way … so best make the most of this kind of thing while we still can.
Organisers are currently recruiting participants from Butetown aged 10-16 and over 60 years old.
PLEASE head along to see the implementation of the project:
10am – 12pm, 11 – 15 July, at The Cardiff Story museum.
A brave, compassionate, intelligent woman was murdered for her beliefs yesterday. She spent her life fighting for change through democratic, peaceful debate – not violence.
We give a shit about the same issues that Jo Cox gave a shit about. Maybe this is part of why her assassination, which happened only 200 miles away from us, feels like a very personal attack on our country’s belief that change comes through discussion, not war.
But our democracy is more fragile than we think. When someone can end democratic discussion in such a simple and brutal way, the fundamentals of our world start to change. In the words of the Guardian, “the slide from civilisation to barbarism is shorter than we might like to imagine.”
Jo’s husband said that she would want people to “unite to fight against the hatred that killed her.” So today, in respect to a woman who had a go at the Russian ambassador over the terrible way his country behaved in Syria, we are going to spread some love to our 40,000 followers to try and counter the viciousness that’s gestated in recent debates.
Some of it’s political, some of it isn’t. But we believe in pluralism – that different political, religious and cultural beliefs can exist peacefully side by side.
We also believe that while things are a mess right now, the good outweighs the bad:
Refugees are being welcomed into our city
Millions of people are fleeing their home countries because of war and crisis, and our city is doing what it can to welcome them in beautiful and creative ways. Next week is Refugee Week, so there’s lots of stuff going on.
Writer and refugee Eric Ngalle Charles has written a book about what it means to be a refugee – caught between two worlds and condemned by both. He came to Cardiff on a Zimbabwean passport after fleeing persecution in his village and being illegally trafficked into Russia. The book, Asylum, features several refugees he has met through the creative writing classes he runs at the Welsh Refugee Centre in Splott.
An exhibition of photos by Megan Howell opened yesterday. Through photographs taken in the Jungle refugee camp over a three-month period in early 2016, it explores the nature of the State, the role of violence and the characteristics of being a refugee in Calais. The exhibition runs until Sat. 25th June. There will be a special event talk on Sunday 19th June 3-5pm in the gallery cafe to discuss the nature of conflict, as well life in the camp by people who have witnessed it first hand.
The Oasis Centre support refugees and asylum seekers every day, providing classes, employability workshops, dance classes, a women’s only area, mother and toddler groups and support with letters and phone calls about asylum and refugee issues.
But there are still issues with the Welsh response to the refugee crisis. While every council has committed to resettled refugees, only 78 have been welcomed so far. The fair proportion of the UK number would be 724. Get active and push for change if you believe that’s what is right.
Yep, some of them are awful, some are odd, or detached, or thoughtless. But from personal, daily experience, the vast majority do the job because they want to make people’s lives better. The success of this relies on the engagement of the people they represent to push them on the issues that matter.
So, find out which politicians speak on the issues you care about, know how to tell them your thoughts, and get engaged. Democracy is our best tool against violencebecause we all have equal influence. If you’re angry and passionate, push for change through this peaceful process.
In Wales, we have elected representatives at multiple levels. Different representatives are responsible for deciding on particular issues.
For example, if you are concerned about the number of refugees that the UK is committing to resettle, you need to talk to your MP. But if you want to find out about how our hospitals are being run, follow what’s going on in the National Assembly for Wales. For local issues like potholes, the council is responsible. Our MEPs are elected by us to make decisions on EU law and funding like the money that gets spent on programmes and buildings in Cardiff.
You can contact your councillors, Assembly Members, Members of Parliament and the Lords, and Members of the European Parliament through the brilliant writetothem.com website.
Good people are doing good things for people in crisis
Earlier this week, I visited the Trussell Trust at their food bank in Barry. They provide emergency food for people with nowhere else to turn, and they do it without judgment, prejudice or conditionality.
Last year they provided food to 85,000 people in Wales. There are 19 food banks around Cardiff , where people donate food, which volunteers sort, store and then distribute it when someone is referred to them by a professional.
Food banks don’t just provide food though – they also providing a range of new services like money advice and Fuel Banks, helping people to break the cycle of poverty.
These incredible organisations are supporting people in our own communities who don’t have a safety net. They do it for free, and with love.
We celebrate magical, mischievous, creative people like Roald Dahl
Cardiff will soon be transformed for the centenary of one of its most well-known sons, Roald Dahl. As well as being one of our best storytellers, Dahl repeatedly experienced tragedy and pain during his life. He saw the pointlessness of violence and war and chose to use his voice to lighten the world, instead of darkening it.
He was also outspoken and political; he refused an honour from the Queen and spoke about the absurdity of the diplomatic service (he famously said “I’d just come from the war. People were getting killed. I had been flying around, seeing horrible things. Now, almost instantly, I found myself in the middle of a pre-war cocktail party in America”).
In September, the city will be taken over and transformed into a place where the laws of physics and civic predictability give way to the laws of magic, mischief and the unexpected.
They’re seeking 6000 performers for this landmark celebration, needing 2,000 choristers, 1,000 dancers, 50 Morris Minor drivers, 40 bald men, 13 magicians, four brass bands, three excavator drivers, a Spitfire pilot, firemen, circus artists, aerialists, rock climbers, grandparents, children and a performing mouse.
We don’t get political very often over here at We Are Cardiff. But with the total fucking omnishambles of the latest EU debates, and all the misinformation being bandied around by the big media outlets, we thought we’d stick our oar in.
Some people think that the UK would have more money if we left the EU. But we think that financial support and opportunities available to people in Cardiff as a result of being in EU (some direct but many indirect) is a net benefit to the city by miles.
When you’re deciding how to vote on 23 June, bear some things in mind:
Some programmes are funded by the EU but badly managed/delivered by the UK government, Welsh government or local councils – don’t blame the EU for a local political issue;
Recent research has estimated that Wales’ net benefit from the EU budget is around £79 per head;
Wales doesn’t fully exploit the opportunities available to it through the EU – the conclusion of an Assembly committee inquiry – there’s so much more to gain;
Don’t underestimate the value of the EU to your everyday life; just because there isn’t an EU logo on it, doesn’t mean it hasn’t contributed in some way;
It’s massive, it’s complex and it has flaws – but spend some time considering whether it’s worth throwing the baby out with the bathwater before you vote to leave, or not to vote at all.
To help you decide, we thought that we’d try and illustrate how Cardiff as a city has benefitted from the EU through some specific examples, from life-saving cancer research to job creation, and from arts funding to regeneration:
The incredible Welsh TV drama Hinterland/Y Gwyll wouldn’t have been made without EU funding. Fiction Factory Films, based in Cardiff Bay, received development funding of €45,000 during script development, and then €500,000 under the television broadcast scheme for the production of the first series.
The learning and work opportunities available to people in Cardiff are broader
The ERASMUS+ exchange programme allows students and staff of Cardiff universities to study at European universities. It’s a fantastic opportunity that helps students improve their chances of employment. Over 300 Cardiff University students went on ERASMUS exchange in 2013-14.
Our research and innovation are world-leading and saves lives
Cardiff University’s Brain Research Imaging Centre was opened by the Queen last week. It has been called the “most significant advance in brain imaging in Europe in the last 10 years”.
The Maindy Park building brings together four hi-tech scanners under one roof. One of them, described as the “Hubble space telescope of neuroscience”, and is the first outside the United States. The centre is the biggest of its kind in Europe and one of the best equipped in the world. The £44 million facility received £4.5million of its funding from the EU.
Through the EU’s Horizon 2020 support, TrakCel Ltd in Cardiff is working with international partners to develop cell therapy technology that could change the way cancer is treated. It received £315,000 from the EU.
The European Investment Bank recently confirmed £110 million of funding for the Cardiff Energy Recovery Facility. The ERF treats waste from local authorities and local businesses and diverts at least 95% of non-recyclable waste in South Wales away from landfill and generates 30MW of electricity for the national grid, enough to power around 50,000 households.
Other Cardiff companies such as Cleartech Live and Net Consulting also received funding through Finance Wales from the EU.
The Centre of Excellence in Mobile Applications and Services (CEMAS) at the University of South Wales EU funds. It supported small and medium sized businesses by helping them to develop, test and find a route to market for their mobile application products.
The Wales Co-operative Centre is not-for-profit co-operative development agency, which received nearly £1million of EU funds in 2014 to support social enterprises. Our project the We Are Cardiff Press received advice and support from the Centre to establish a non-profit publishing house to showcase writing and art in Cardiff.
Our poorest communities are supported and regenerated
The Butetown Regneration Scheme received £2 million of EU funds. It provided: a youth centre on Dumballs Road, a new Community Centre on the site of the existing centre on Canal Park, Butetown Employment and Training Centre (BEST), improvements to the Christina Street area and Better Buildings For Butetown Grant Scheme.
Cardiff Council’s EU-funded NOVUS scheme has helped over 700 unemployed people, particularly parents, back into work or learning. New programmes such as Comunities4Work, Parents, Childcare and Employment (PACE) and Healthy Working Wales have all had funding approved, and will help people in Cardiff get jobs, more money and better skills.
Not mentioned here are the rights of workers, the number of skilled EU citizens that we rely on in our hospitals (and everywhere else), the increased opportunities for trade, safety and peace, travel, equality and non-discrimination, political clout around the world……
Jeez, that’s a whole other article.
Get engaged, people of Cardiff! You have the chance to vote on the most important political and economic decision of our lifetime – make it count, be informed.
*** We’ve tried our very best to research this piece in depth but if you spot any errors, or you want to argue with our assertions, just write a comment below.
As always, we are open to reasonable debate, just don’t be a dick and shout at us without basis. ***
UPDATED! As this piece is one of our most read, we’ll keep updating the main details, costs and facts. Last updated – January 2020.
I got an email recently from someone who had recently discovered the blog. I’ll call her Bethan. She sent in this very lovely email:
Over the past five or so years have fallen in love with Cardiff on my trips to visit. Following a trip this weekend I found your blog on my way back to London.
I’ve lived in London for the best part of the decade and am getting fed up with no money and a rubbish quality of life. Apologies for the slightly random email but I just wondered if you thought someone Londonified but loves Cardiff would be happy if they moved there? Or any challenges or tips you have?
My gut instinct is that I’d be very happy there as there’s so much on offer but in a much more friendly and welcoming place where you’re not bankrupted when you leave the house! Any thoughts etc would be greatly appreciated
Are you feeling like Bethan? Struggling in London, underpaid, bummed out, in need of fresh air, cheaper pints, in a city you can walk across? Then why not consider a move to Cardiff.
Here’s what I sent back to her.
Hi Bethan!
If you’re getting fed up with being broke and having a rubbish quality of life, then I highly recommend Cardiff to you. I mean, I don’t know anything about you really, other than you have a friend in Caerphilly and you live in London, but I’m presuming you have a job you don’t mind much about leaving, and that you’re into the sort of thing we write about on We Are Cardiff, so that’s mostly what I’ve based this answer on.
YOUR QUESTIONS
I’m going to run through some reasons why Cardiff is awesome now. Also if you don’t believe me, there are STATS to support this, like the fact that the population of the city is currently growing at a faster rate than any UK city. People are moving here. Our secret is getting out!
MONEY
Cardiff has a cheap cost of living for a capital city. It’s much easier to get by on a low salary here than somewhere in London – there are lots of house shares (particularly in Roath, Splott and Canton) where you can find a double room in a beautiful old Victorian terrace (very common type of Cardiff house) with like-minded people from £300 a month to £800 a month (including bills). I did a quick search on SpareRoom using the CF24 postcode (which covers Roath – a popular, artsy location near the university and close to town) just to sense check my figures and as you can see from this Cardiff room search on SpareRoom, there are loads of options within that price range.
There was a survey published recently that gave some actual figures which back up my abstract wafflings (I’ve included it in the links below – NOTE THESE FIGURES ARE FROM 2016, I AM SEARCHING FOR UPDATED ONES!)
Average weekly household spend of £384.60 compared to a UK average of £426.30;
Disposable income per head stands at £16,520, which is below the UK average of £17,559 but up 3 per cent on 2014 levels;
House prices are 6.6 times the value of salaries compared to a UK average of 8.8.
So! There you go on the stats. That’s enough of that.
QUALITY OF LIFE
Well, I suppose it all depends on what you mean by quality of life, but going back to stats again, Cardiff achieved a life satisfaction score of 7.53 out of 10 (ONS data). From a completely subjective position, what that means for me is the following things (which you will see reflected throughout the We Are Cardiff content!):
varied nightlife (a whole bunch of pubs, clubs, bars, pop-up restaurants etc)
lots of artsy stuff going on (we’ve got the Welsh National Opera here, NoFit State Circus are based here, we have touring musicals and theatre on a weekly basis, there are loads of smaller scale cabaret type events all the time, circus skills workshops, hula hoop classes, open mics, writer’s groups, art exhibitions).
farmers markets, community gardens, a growing sustainability / green interest community
LOADS OF GREEN SPACES, like EVERYWHERE. The centre of town pivots around the castle and behind it, the endless green swathes of Bute Park. Nearly every neighbourhood has some super lovely park nearby
it’s 20-30 minutes drive to the gorgeous Brecon Beacons (MOUNTAINS!!!)
it’s zero minutes drive to the coast (WE ARE ON THE COAST!!!!)
there are castles everywhere (castle fact: Wales is actually the country in the world with the most castles – built and ruined)
if you like running, we have an awesome Park Run around Bute Park and Grangemoor Parks on the weekend
if you like cycling, the Taf Trail runs all the way from Cardiff to the source of the river Taf up in Merthyr Tydfil – you can take your bike up there on the train and cycle all the way back, stopping in pubs on the way, it is THE BEST
it’s very small so easy to get around on foot and bike
also because it’s small it’s to find things you’re interested in and meet people / get involved in things
also because it’s small you bump into your friends! all the time! it’s lovely!
Bristol is only an hour on the train – loads of gigs and great nightlife going on there
if you like roller derby, we have one of the top women’s teams (go Tiger Bay Brawlers!)
I am in no way into sports (like, not at all) but we have LOADS of massive sports events here. I should really appreciate this more.
DRAWBACKS
I don’t think this would be a reasonable email if I didn’t also tell you about some of the drawbacks of living here.
the smallness can be stifling for some people. I haven’t really experienced this, I think if you grow up here it’s more of a thing than if you move here from somewhere else (I have been informed by locally born and raised friends that on Tinder that you can run out of people to swipe right!)
we often get overlooked for gigs because Bristol is just an easier option, especially if bands are continuing north or the other way on to London. However, Bristol is easily visited in an evening (see above).
you might suddenly develop massive smugness at how much better your life is here and become unbearable to all your other friends. this is normal and hopefully should die down at some point (!)
LINKS
There have been countless reports and surveys released over the past year or so that frequently name Cardiff as the best city to live in (or one of) in Europe. I’ve included below a list of the most recent ones that might be of interest to you:
Storage Giant wrote this report on why Cardiff is The Place To Do Business (not necessarily all of interest but definitely the headline stuff is interesting)
OTHER PEOPLES’ EXPERIENCES
I’m not sure how much of We Are Cardiff you’ve looked through (there are, I just realised, over 700 posts on there now!!) but there are a couple of people who have written pen portraits of themselves and have similar pasts to you (ie they’ve come from other places and now live in Cardiff)
Now then – this next story is actually completely the other way round – it’s written by a guy who is from Cardiff but moved to London during the ‘bleak’ 90s, but then came across We Are Cardiff and wrote a blog post about it based on what he remembered of Cardiff as a youngster and his feelings about it now, and also a bit about his current life in London. I thought it was really fascinating reading and beautifully written which is why I posted about it:James – ‘It’s where you’re between’
Generally speaking to get what ‘the people’ are saying about Cardiff, flick through the ‘People‘ section on the website. Also I’d like to say I don’t edit anything for content – people are free to write what they want, I don’t in anyway force them to be positive about Cardiff, and again for balance I’ll point you to Lee’s post.
I have lived in loads of different places, but love Cardiff to pieces. It’s really friendly, there’s plenty of variety of nights out and places to eat and communities to join and things to do – if you’re into the alternative vibe, you’ll find lots of that here.
Also I’m glad you’re enjoying the blog. It was set up a few years back as a response to the mass of negative news reports we were seeing about Cardiff in the mass media (this was around 2010). Back then it was mostly pen portraits about Cardiff written by people that we knew – today obviously it’s a very different thing, but the aim of the blog is to showcase the variety of amazing things that go on here, and still interview people involved in the local scene. So it’s fabulous that you found it, and I’m pleased it’s making you consider a change!
If you want to add your comments to anyone thinking about moving to Cardiff, please do so below!
On May 7 in Cardiff City Centre, Cardiff CSC (Cannabis Social Club) organised their sixth annual march through the city centre, in protest against the prohibition of cannabis for medical and recreational use.
We sent photographer Daniel Damaschin along to document the day.
Ooooo an exciting new performance company! Bad Egg Theatre tells us about their campaign for a new pram so they can perform their hilarious material at Glastonbury!
We are Olga Kaleta, Rosy Roberts and Maddy Lennox. Together we are The Bad Egg Theatre Company, an emerging company specialising in street theatre. As a company we were brought together by a shared desire to create work focused on current issues. Using a unique blend of physical and verbal comedy, our ambition is to create highly entertaining, multi dimensional work that makes the audience think & question. We’re developing an outdoor street show that will be performed at arts festivals, community events, parades & fairs.
“The Sprats”
The Sprats are a wicked take on the limits of our responsibility and knowledge. The twin babies contemplate. They debate. They discuss political apathy and the wealth divides. They also cry a lot and poop. They want to entertain you, but they’re on the edge. Kind of like Robbie Williams, but much more naughty and a little bit less famous.
Story so far…
… we have spent two weeks devising and have showcased the project in Somerset. We’ve developed a prototype pram with support from Take Art. But our main issue is that our pram doesn’t move… This limits us in both a practical and artistic sense. Therefore we’re currently crowd funding for a new pram that will be motorized, all-terrain and easily maneuverable (in collaboration with former Scrapheap Challenge winner- Paul McGarry).
We are scheduled to premier the new version of The Sprats at Glastonbury Festival 2016!!
Why do we do it?
We really believe in this project. In addition to being highly entertaining and visually striking, it also creates a platform to speak about uneasy social and political issues. Children are the ultimate buffoons. Unconfined by social sensitivity, they can say the unspeakable and get away with it.
Here are some lovely things that people said about “The Sprats”:
“Startling and very funny- made some sharp observations too. Great script and acting. As good as any sketch I’ve seen on TV.”
“Spectacularly odious children! Grand children of Jeremy Clarkson? Clever staging and utterly brilliant!”
“Up to date comedy- appropriate for all ages…”
Fundraising
We launched our Kickstarter campaign on the 4th of April. The project will only be funded if we reach our target by the 4th of May 2016. You can support by donating here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1495800494/the-sprats?ref=discovery.
You can also help us by sharing our campaign with your communities.
Just south of Cardiff lies the sleepy, seaside town of Penarth, which forms a nice stop off if you’re hiking the Wales Costal Path, or just want a slow-paced day out from Cardiff. There are plenty of nice eateries there, one of which is a pub that got a mention in this year’s Michelin Guide: The Pilot.
Today, it’s a bright and breezy boozer, part of the Knife and Fork group (that also own The Conway in Pontcanna), and sports white, wooden panel walling, and nautical themed details dotted around the place. There’s a restaurant area, a lounge, and tables outside for those brief moments when the sun’s out.
A few years ago, before it was taken over by The Knife and Fork I used to live just up the street from The Pilot, when it was a very different beast: full of surly locals, dark and dingy inside, and with the vague sniff of waccy baccy as you’d wander past, keys in hand (just in case, like). I only dared go in for a drink once, and it was the fastest pint I ever drank.
Today the place couldn’t be more different: it’s friendly and welcoming, and the day I visited, it was full of “ladies doing lunch” (any TV execs reading this – you should immediately be preparing for the ‘Housewives of Penarth’, right?), along with a couple of hikers and cyclists who had stopped for refuelling on their way. The restaurant area has a cosy wood burning stove and beautiful views over Cardiff Bay. What’s not to love?
There’s a special lunch menu, which mostly consists of baguettes / sandwiches for around a fiver (perfect if you’re just stopping for something quick), or you can order from the main a la carte menu. There are also daily specials. As we weren’t in a rush, we went for three courses (sharing the starter and pudding).
For a shared starter, we picked the squid and prawn with Asian slaw.
Looks delicious, right? It really was. The squid was soft and tender, and the prawns grilled to perfection.
For mains, there was a wide selection on the a la carte menu (salmon, lamb, and beef) but we picked the duo of pork and the beetroot risotto (obviously to eat sharesies). We also asked for a recommendation of wine to accompany the pork (I let my dining partner deal with this, as I’ve never been a wine drinker).
The duo of pork was a big winner: particularly the belly pork, which was cooked to perfection (especially the crackling …).
The risotto was a sweet main, with torn chunks of goat’s cheese to cut through the sweetness. Also some beetroot crisps on top. It was delicious (so if you’re a vegetarian, you’re in good hands in The Pilot!).
I could bang on about how nice it was (and it really, really was very nice), but it’s probably easier to just show you:
I did wonder whether we’d manage to stuff in anything else after that, but obviously there’s always space for pudding, right?
I was tempted by the Earl Grey creme brulee, but the bread and butter pudding was recommended so we picked that instead. I hadn’t eaten the old bnb since school (and didn’t have great memories of it from then), but it was light and fluffy, and served with some insanely good vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. If you can imagine me doing a Homer Simpson style face drool, that’s what happened here.
We just about managed a couple of coffees before falling into a food coma. Luckily, The Pilot is right on the top of the hill on the northern edge of Penarth, overlooking the Bay and Cardiff beyond it.
If you’ve got a healthy appetite, you’re in luck here: the portions are generous, the food is delicious, the service is friendly, and it’s a lovely location to while away some long hours in the afternoon.
So if you’re on the Wales Coastal Path, just wandering vaguely across the Barrage, or looking for somewhere to get out of Cardiff, The Pilot comes highly recommended as a place for food or just drinks. They have a different ale on tap everyday, as they support a local Vale of Glamorgan brewery.
They do plenty of offers that chance on a weekly basis (for more info, check @ThePilotPenarth Twitter feed). Steak Wednesdays? Six Nations burgers? Yes please!
Every single suburb of Cardiff offers something different. But there’s something about Roath … Ellie Philpotts went along to investigate one project that certainly makes the area special.
As readers of We Are Cardiff, you probably know just how vibrant this city is. Every day brings something new, while no resident has the same experience of living here. Plus, each suburb has its own cultural quirks. Where better to demonstrate this than Roath?
As a relative newbie to Cardiff, since moving here in 2014 to start English Lit and Journalism at Cardiff Uni, I’ve only ever lived in Cathays. Despite this, my favourite district has always been Roath. The place has it all – more international cuisine than you realised you could ever squeeze into a road (City Road, I’m looking at you); a beautiful lake, park and botanical garden; a tangible community spirit, with events such as the annual Made in Roath and Made in Spring festival; and now, of course, the Actual History Museum of Roath.
I’ve got to confess – I didn’t know much about this project, until We Are Cardiff’s wonderful founder, Helia, asked me pop along to do a piece on it. After as much research as I could do without ruining the suspense, I went along to the museum itself, and here’s what went down…
After getting kind of lost on the way (slightly embarrassing considering how close I live), I arrive at the address on Werfa Street, pretty soaked by that common thing called Cardiff rain, but excited to find out more. I’m offered a very warm welcome by the main curators, Dr Glen Roy and Sir Alfred Street, and before long we’re chatting away over a brew.
The first thing I want to know, from the horse’s mouth, is what it specifically is that the Actual History Museum of Roath represents? I’m told, ‘we bring knowledge to the ignorant, and open people’s eyes to the wonders of Roath. A lot of people know the aesthetics, of things like cafes, but they don’t think of the history much.’
Well now I’m intrigued. The Actual History Museum of Roath is a local project redefining Roath in a witty and unique way – leave your definitions of ‘truth’ firmly at the gate. The museum itself is in a garden shed at the Werfa Street home, featuring an interesting range of trinkets and artefacts which collectively form the north-eastern district’s rich history.
There are murals asking ‘what became of the Lake Roath Monster?’, plus maps, cave paintings and some rather amusing songbird rivalries with Splott…
The famous Roath vs Splott song goes as follows:
‘More beer landlord, I’m a happy fella, When I’m drinking in the Roath Bierkeller, When I was young I travelled far, I once went to Llanedeyrn, The people there smelled funny, And really did my head in,
(Repeat chorus)
Oh Roath it is a lovely place, The pies are always hot, Unlike those bits of gristle, That they call pies in Splott,
(Repeat Chorus)
Oh landlord bring a flagon and we will make an oath, To the greatest of all countries, The place that we call Roath.’
This little hideaway and its connections play a vital role in Made in Roath, seeing visitors frequently flock to find out more about the true history of the place. The team behind the Actual History Museum of Roath all go by very Roathian names – there’s Dame Shirley Road; Dr Glen Roy and Professor Sir Alfred Street – and are keen to make Roath be considered independent. There’s no question about it – they certainly think it’s the pride of the capital, but this is taken to new heights with ideas such as their ‘Roatherendum’. 400 voted, with only eight preferring to stay dependent within Cardiff. Independence now!
A photograph from the Museum’s collection: Sir Lancalot Werfa, ever the Explorer of Roath, was already planning his next adventure with Sir Donald Street’s grandfather Sir ” Jimmy” Quality Street. This adventure never took place, due to his failure to successfully return from his Roath Recreation Park Crossing (1908, permission Actual History Museum Roath).
Although of course unofficial and unrecognised by the government, the polls became quite the talking point around the close-knit community, and it seems even further afield – making it onto Radio Wales and Wales Online.
The Museum embodies the wacky charm that would surely only work on the good people of Cardiff. Engaging everyone by bringing a very new slant on what it means to be a Roath resident, I don’t think I’m alone in hoping the team keep up their open days; quirky Youtube videos and Made in Roath starring role for years to come. I’m just not sure their old rivals in Splott would agree…
PS – They’re expecting you to perhaps be a bit confused at first.
1959. What a year. Castro assumed power, the Dalai Lama escaped to India, and Britain recognised the independence of Cyprus.
But what was going on in Cardiff? I found this mad little video in the ITV Wales archives on YouTube (while looking for something else entirely, then got so absorbed in this, I forgot what I was doing. THE BLACK HOLE OF THE INTERNET)
Anyway, your turn. See what was going on in Cardiff in 1959!
So that referendum happened, and the result came out, and a whole lot of reaction came after it. There has been so much hate and anger, from both sides, and we want to change that. Whether people voted leave or remain, whether they regret their decision now or stand by it, is irrelevant compared to that reaction. The media has not helped, with negative and sometimes spiteful and hate-inducing stories dominating our screens. In an age where news stories and peoples’ opinions are so readily available through multiple outlets, whether we want to hear them or not, that negativity can feel overwhelming.
ent Welsh-Speakers to those who felt the need to clap along even though they didn’t understand the language; commuters who had joined on their way home from work, to people who had planned to be there; French, Polish, and no doubt many other nationalities, all listening to messages of positivity, of hope, and of cohesion. All there for a common goal: to celebrate our differences as much as our commonalities.
We Are Cardiff 