Tag Archives: cardiff

The Arts, The City

100 days in Cardiff – The hidden chapel of menswear

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We Are Cardiff contributor Jeremy Rees is recording his days in and around Cardiff with 100 photographs of local points of interest. We’ll be publishing some of them here on We Are Cardiff – and make sure you tune in to Jeremy as he presents the Saturday Soulful Breakfast on Radio Cardiff!

The hidden chapel of menswear

hidden chapel of mens wear by jeremy rees

“I give you the curiosity of the Chapel in the middle of the House of Fraser (ex Howells) department store. Evidently when the shop wanted to expand sometime after the war, it simply built around the structure standing next to it – which happened to be the Bethany Chapel. There it remains – and if you stand in the shirts section and look up you can clearly see the whole front facade, still intact.” 

 

Thanks Jeremy! Catch you next time…

The Arts, The City

100 days in Cardiff – the Queen Street Clock

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We Are Cardiff contributor Jeremy Rees is recording his days in and around Cardiff with 100 photographs of local points of interest. We’ll be publishing some of them here on We Are Cardiff – and make sure you tune in to Jeremy as he presents the Saturday Soulful Breakfast on Radio Cardiff!

The Queen Street clock

south wales echo clock by jeremy rees

“Today I give you a clock in Queen Street, Cardiff. It commemorates the centenary of the local paper ‘The South Wales Echo’ in 1984. It got me to thinking about how much reading a newspaper used to be part of my life every day, but now I get my news online and buying a paper is a rarity. So much has changed since that clock was installed 30 years ago – I wonder how long it will be before that newspaper is consigned to history – and who will then pay the bill to have the clock mended when it brakes down or needs to be put forward….”

Thanks Jeremy! Catch you next time…

The Arts, The City

100 Strangers Project Cardiff – Just Ard

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Recently I came across the 100 Strangers Project on Flickr. It’s a group described as “a learning group intended for those wishing to improve both their social and technical skills needed for taking portraits of strangers and telling their stories … The challenge: Take at least 100 photographs of 100 people you don’t know. Approach anyone or a group of people, ask for permission to both take a photo of them and to post it to this group. Get to know your stranger/s. Who are they? What is their life like?”

Pretty great project, no? As half of what gets posted on We Are Cardiff is portrait photography, I thought this was a great idea for people interested in photography to get some portraits under their belts. I found a lovely set of 100 Strangers photographs posted by a local photographer who goes by the name of Just Ard (or Wayne, presumably to his mum). His photographs – along with descriptions – are posted below, for your viewing and reading pleasure, along with a Q&A with him at the end. Helia

Gerry
Gerry #1 100 Strangers

Gerry is the first person in my 100 Strangers Project.

I met Gerry in Costa Coffee in Caerphilly, Wales. I was sitting alone and he asked if the seat opposite was free. He was pleased to sit by the window. He had popped in for a coffee whilst his wife was shopping. He was quite chatty, and we had a good conversation about pubs in the valleys and different real ales. A TV cabling engineer during his working life, he is retired now. I asked if he would mind if I took a few shots and explained the project, and he was pleased to oblige. I didn’t want to take him away from his coffee so I took the shots in situ.

Peter

Peter #2 100 Strangers

Peter is the second person in my 100 Strangers Project. I was walking along the Hayes in Cardiff, looking around me for my first shot of the day. I noticed Peter sitting on a bench with his little dog by him. I thought he would make a good subject for my strangers project. I approached him and asked if I could take his photo. He replied with “You thought to yourself he’s a good character to take a photo of, did you?” I had to admit yes, and that he stood out among the people that were walking around us. We both nodded. “Go on then,” he said.

I ran off a few shots, then he asked me if I would like to have a few shots with Queenie, his dog in. I took a few shots of them both. When I finished, I gave Peter my card and in return Peter gave me one of his, explaining he was there on business, and deals in Militaria, so as a thank you to him, I have put a link to his site here.

Priya

Priya #3 100 Strangers

Priya is the third person in my 100 Strangers Project. I was walking along Working Street in Cardiff, not long after taking a shot of my second Stranger, when Priya smiled across at me, so I went towards him. I have seen Priya in Cardiff before in the same area. He is a monk and uses his time to collect for charitable causes. He opened the conversation with “Have I spoken with you before?” I replied “Yes”. “Ah, I remember,” he said “You said to me, “You are a wonderful Monk, and I would love to donate.” I said “Nah, definitely the wrong person.” We chatted for a while, then I asked him if he would allow me to take his photo. I explained the project and he was very interested. I took a few shots, thanked him, then left him to continue with his work.

Thank you Priya, it was a pleasure talking with you, and always is watching you approach people and put a smile on their faces.

Philip

Philip #4 100 Strangers

Philip is the fourth person in my 100 Strangers Project. I first saw Philip as he walked out of St John’s Churchyard Gardens in the centre of Cardiff, to the area outside the Indoor Market carrying a film camera on a tripod. He was with two lovely young women, one of whom was carrying a large microphone. They set up their camera, which Philip was operating, and began encouraging people to talk on camera. I took a few shots of this and left them to carry on whilst I went on a wander for a while.

When I walked back around they had moved along and were setting up again, and interviewed a few people and I got a couple more shots. When it went quiet I approached them and asked what they were filming for. They explained they were doing Vox Pops about who people thought would win the Rugby 6 Nations Competition. They asked me who I thought would win. Fancy asking a Welshman! I replied “Italy…No Chance”, and laughed, then said “England…Not, Ireland”, and they stopped me and pleaded that I do that on camera. I agreed and, at the time the camera was on me forgot what I had actually said, but said something along those lines, and obviously finishing with Wales of course.

When I finished, I asked them what they were filming for and they are in Cardiff University studying for Masters Degrees in Journalism. It was really fun watching them work to encourage people to get in front of the camera. I decided to ask Philip if he would allow me to take his photo, as he seemed the wildest of the three of them. They were all bubbly, but, sorry girls it was his smile. I explained to them about the 100 Strangers, and it was at that point that I found out that Philip is from Uganda.

The photos started with a sort of pose, nothing to do with me, but what Philip adopted to a fun face then to the standard portrait. I decided to use this shot, the fun shot, as I think it shows how I saw Philip. I hope you can see his character through this.

Irmak

Irmak #5 100 Strangers

Irmak is the fifth person in my 100 Strangers Project. I first saw the lovely Irmak taking photos of St John’s Church in the centre of Cardiff. With her was Penache. I took a couple of shots of her taking photos. They saw me and spoke to each other and smiled. They went around the church and Irmak continued taking photos. I was wandering in the same direction.

As they walked outside the Indoor Market, still taking photos I approached Irmak and explained about the 100 Strangers Project and asked if I could take her photo. She hadn’t heard of Flickr, but Penache had. I think Irmak and Penache to a degree had trouble understanding my Welsh accent, and they spoke between themselves, but I couldn’t work out what language they were speaking in. Irmak agreed to have her photo taken but Penache didn’t want to.

I took some shots and showed them to Irmak. She asked me to take some more, which I did and on reviewing them, asked that I use the one you see. I asked where she was from and it was Turkey. A town called Bursa, which is south of Istanbul. She was on holiday and staying with Penache and returning home on Monday.

Q&A with Wayne Lovatt, aka Just Ard

Q. What’s your Cardiff connection?
A. I was born and raised in Fairwater, Cardiff, hence my affiliation to the city. I moved to Pontypridd in my early twenties and have lived there now for over 30 years. Apart from a three year period, I’ve always worked in Cardiff, so have stayed familiar with how it has changed over the years. If we go back about 45 years ago, I know the streets in the centre of Cardiff had become slums, with no bathrooms and outside toilets, whole communities were moved from Newtown (what is now part of the centre of Cardiff), and the Docks area, to the new estates of Pentrebane, Llanederyn and Pentwyn. Moving all the communities out to the new estates on the outskirts of Cardiff ripped the centre apart. Over many years since, the centre has changed, and is now just a commercial centre, without the character of what it once was. The main commercial centre has grown outwards. You have to go outside it to see anything like the Old Cardiff, areas such as Splott, Roath, Grangetown, Riverside, everything that skirts the centre.

Q. Tell us about your background in photography.
A. I first studied photography in school, many years ago now, where I learned to develop and process my own photographs. Over the years other interests came along, though I did keep a little interest in photography. Then about two years ago a work colleague and friend, who was really enjoying his photography and using Flickr spurred my interest. From that point I started to find focus. In June 2012 I decided to try some new technology and invested in a Nikon D7000. Wow what an upgrade. My main focus through 2012 was flowers, which was the same in 2013. Then, came street photography.

Q. Street photography? Go on…
A. I was on Holiday with my wife in Falmouth September 2013. We found ourselves on the streets of Falmouth where there were  lots of characters, a great photographic opportunity. On returning home, I took a look at others work on Flickr who shoot people  on the street. I really liked the work of Leanne Boulton, a photographer from Glasgow, and contacted her for advice, with which she was so helpful. We still keep in  contact. A big influence to me was Thomas Leuthard, a Swiss photographer.

Why do I shoot street photography? It gives such a buzz. In a way it takes over and you have to have your fix. I
suppose some people would call my work “Street Portraiture”, but like with any labels, you restrict people to limits. You have to use the element of surprise. If someone sees you they automatically, without even thinking change either their stance, expression, look away or smile when all you want is to catch them naturally in their
environment.

If we look back through time we see old photographs of the rich and famous. Before that drawings and paintings of
Kings, Queens and nobility, but so little is known about the “man in the street”. If you look at those old photos, the best ones are not the Lord sitting posing, but the farrier hard at work, covered in dirt and sweat, with the steam billowing from the horseshoe as he plunges it into the water, or the miners and their families on a charabanc outing. Ordinary people doing ordinary everyday things. This genre of photography also gives me time to study
how people behave in different environments, and also to see what is around me and not just to look.

Q. Any advice for budding street photographers out there?
A. If I have any advice for others, the first would be to get a Flickr account. Things have changed on Flickr over the last year, but whichever way you look at it, you get 1 Terabyte of FREE space to store your photos. That is one hell of a lot of photos. Check out the “Street” groups on flickr, you will be amazed at how people interpret the genre, and the terrific levels of skill and art there is. Then put that into your head and get out on the streets and shoot away. The only way you will progress is to shoot. Don’t worry about the length of the lens. If you feel nervous use a longer lens until you feel more comfortable, I did, I started with a Sigma 70- 200mm zoom, then onto a Sigma 105mm, but now on nearly every shot use my Nikon 85mm, because that is what suits me. Remember you take these shots to please one person: yourself.

To see more of Just Ard’s work, visit his website, Tumblr, Flickr or his publications.

The People

Cardiff: my personal geography, by Neil Badmington

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A new series here on We Are Cardiff, where locals and those who live nearby let us into their key locations around the city … and tell us a little bit about themselves in the process. First up – Neil Badminton, lecturer at Cardiff University. 

Penarth by Helia Phoenix

In Cardiff, home is…

Not in Cardiff at all, actually: I live in Penarth. (As Staten Island is to Manhattan…) There’s something fatally reassuring about living at the end of a railway line. All things terminate here. No passing through, no going on. For other destinations, go back the way you came. We have reached the end of the line and are waiting quietly for the sea to claim us.

Favourite Cardiff eatery …

Mission Burrito on The Friary has been seducing me recently, but I have long carried a torch for the garlic aubergines at the Riverside on Tudor Street.

Ideal first date in Cardiff …

A first date in Cardiff would have been my dream as an unloved and unlovable teenager marooned in the Welsh borderlands. These days, as an unloved and unlovable adult, I’d choose for a first date the ink display stand in Pen and Paper, in the Royal Arcade. If you can’t embrace my love of ink and fine fountain pens, this relationship is going nowhere.

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

I was one of Cardiff’s buskers in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Van Morrison’s ‘Gloria’ was always a money-spinner, although on one occasion a man put £5 in my guitar case and then took it back out again when, on a giddy whim, I segued from ‘Gloria’ into M’s ‘Pop Muzik’ via an ambitious harmonica solo. ‘Same chords! Same chords!’, I yelled, hoping that he’d change his mind and put the money back. ‘Different shit, mate’, he replied.

Earliest Cardiff memory

I grew up about forty miles away from Cardiff, so many of my weekends involved escaping on the train from small-town narrowness to the unbound promise of the city. I have countless memories of Cardiff, then, but one goes back further than the others. I’m standing on the pavement of Queen Street before the road was pedestrianised, holding hands with both of my parents. The traffic seems impossibly fast, loud, and dirty, and I’m wondering how we are going to make it to the other side of the road without dying. One of my parents tells me that the street is soon to be paved over. ‘And the cars will go away’,  I say. The pedestrianisation happened in 1974, so my memory must be from around that date, when I would have been three years old.

What was the last film you saw?

David Lean’s Brief Encounter. This is my favourite film, and I need to watch it every few weeks or I become worryingly optimistic about the universe. I crept back to it late last night with a cup of lime blossom tea and the promise of reviving gloom. When I was staying in Lancaster a few years ago, a friend took me to nearby Carnforth railway station, where much of Brief Encounter was filmed. In many ways, the station has been modernised beyond recognition, but the clock and the underpass are still there, and there’s a charming platform café which has been designed to recall the one in the film. I wanted never to leave. ‘No, no, I don’t want that time to come ever. I want to remember every minute, always, always to the end of my days.’

Favourite Cardiff shops

Wally’s delicatessen in Royal Arcade has been a world of wonder since I was a child. Pen and Paper, further down the same arcade, satisfies my endless desire for ink and paper. Troutmark Books in Castle Arcade always contains something surprising, as does The Pumping Station on Penarth Road.

Best Cardiff-based leisure activity

The word ‘leisure’ suggests rough games to me, or possibly outdoor activities. I detest sport and nature. If ‘leisure’ can be stretched to sedentary film-going, I’d single out the cinema at Chapter, although I make a point of avoiding anything by my beloved Woody Allen there, as audiences tend to take the screenings as competitions to see who can laugh loudest at obscure Kierkegaard references, thus drowning out the dialogue. That’s the only bad thing I can say about the wonderful Chapter, though. I will never forget my first visit there in 1988 to watch, for reasons I can no longer recall, Mississippi Burning. I had never seen so many effortlessly cool people; I knew even then that I would never be one of them. To this day I feel inadequate whenever I step through the doors. (Shouldn’t I have a piercing? A tattoo? A tattooed piercing? And shouldn’t I be on my way back from photographing a DJ in a Gabalfa garage?)

What was the last book you read?

The Days of Anna Madrigal — the ninth and final volume in Armistead Maupin’s ‘Tales of the City’ series. I was bereft when I reached the last page. I spent a lot of time in San Francisco and the surrounding area when I was a student in California in the early 1990s. I’ve never been back, but these books, with their perfect sense of mischievous place, have been a constant connection.

Best Cardiff pub/s

I hate pubs and the dim place of alcohol in British life, so I can’t answer this question. If Temperance Town still existed in Cardiff, I’d be one of its secular inhabitants, banging my dry drum on my high horse. (A colleague tells me that I spend my life on my high horse, to which I say: better a high horse than a Shetland pony.) St. Mary Street should be a wonderful, elegant boulevard (look at the architecture, the built possibility), but instead it’s a valley of vomit. Sentences from Tolstoy’s ‘Why Do People Stupefy Themselves?’ ought to be carved into the paving stones … if the latter were visible beneath the grease, the jilted thongs, and the caked bodily fluids.

Favourite Cardiff discovery

At some point in the second half of the 1980s (probably 1986), word began to spread around my secondary school about a place known only as “Jacob’s”. Hidden away beneath a dark and dripping railway bridge near Cardiff Central, the myth whispered, this was an indoor market on several floors which sold second-hand clothes capable of transforming the wearer into an authentically angst-ridden teenager. Ordinary kids disappeared there over the weekend and turned up in school on Monday looking like they’d shuffled out of a Anton Corbijn Joy Division photo-shoot. I saved my money; I made the trip. I came back with a long black Crombie coat which was heavier than I was, and which transformed my keen posture into a defeated hunch. With the help of this magic cloak, I spent the rest of the 1980s being disaffected in various locations in south Wales, always staring solemnly into the distance for something lost, something better.

I’m delighted to see that Jacob’s is still there, although the surrounding area is unrecognisable when I compare it to my memories. The place no longer has quite the same appeal, but the mere sight of the building from the passing train transforms me instantly from a tubby middle-aged man back into a skinny teenager. I discovered by chance a couple of years ago that my favourite trader from those distant days, Tails and the Unexpected, still exists, but now operates from a house in Penarth, just around the corner from where I live. Mark, the owner, sold me that original Crombie coat, and these days he oversees with elegance and charm my desire for hats.

Jacob's Antiques by Walt Jabsco

Old gramophones in Jacob’s Antiques

Last album you listened to

Van Morrison’s Veedon Fleece. I listen to this most days with a sense of wonder.

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

There’s unbearable ethical pressure in this question. I’m never comfortable showing people around or making recommendations: no one’s going to be interested in my fancies. (It was once put to me, rather wearily, that a romantic weekend in Paris should contain more than an artisan ink maker’s studio and Proust’s grave.) All I’d recommend, then, is structuring the day around two seductive views of the city. Start the morning at the top of Cardiff University’s towering Psychology Building, near the top of Park Place, from which you can see for miles in all directions. When day is done, when darkness has fallen, look back over the water at the illuminated city skyline from Paget Road in Penarth. In between, well, I’m not getting involved.

Neil Badmington teaches English Literature at Cardiff University.

Photo of old gramophones in Jacob’s Antiques by Walt Jabsco on Flickr

The People

“I train and fight a style called Muay Thai. It is known as the art of eight limbs” – Tanya

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I grew up in Cogan and Penarth. As a child I was very shy, quiet and worked hard in school. I was always sporty in primary school. I was on the school football team and also lacrosse team which won the under 12s British championships. In secondary school I used to play hockey and enjoyed cross country running and swimming. In secondary school I was bullied really badly, both physically and mentally. I was different, and that never goes down well in a school full of sheep. My dad wanted to find a way to give me more confidence and to help look after myself. He found classes in a local hall in Penarth. My twin sister was doing Aikido and wouldn’t let me join her, so the next class on was Muay Thai and that’s how I fell into the sport.

Ater I left university and took up the sport again I realised that I wanted to pursue it seriously. My fitness improved and my technique progressed, I decided I needed to learn more, which meant flying over to Thailand and training in a camp out there. It was there I was offered my first fight, and I accepted. I wanted to see if I really was any good at this sport.

I train and fight a style called Muay Thai. It is known as the art of eight limbs. You strike with kicks, punches, elbows and knees. It is very aggressive and highly technical. It requires you to be fast thinking, sharp, controlled and skillful in order to out maneuver your opponent and score points.

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I’m currently training for a fight, so will train around 10-14 times per week, work commitments permitting. This means on the days off from work that I have, I’ll train twice – sometimes three times a day. When I am not training for a fight, I still train every day to keep my fitness in check. I train between two gyms, doing my strength and conditioning at Dave’s Gym in Roath and I do my fight training and pads at Eagles in UFC gym in Roath Cardiff. I also run most days, between seven to 13 kilometres.

I have lived in Cardiff on and off since I was 20. I have been in Roath now for the past four years. One of the main reasons I decided to settle in Roath is because its close to both my gyms, near to town, easy for me to commute to work. I have the best of everything. Cardiff really is a brilliant place to live, it’s big enough to have everything you want and small enough that your now overwhelmed like it can be in places like London etc. Roath is the best place for me, it has a young vibe and some cool places to hang out in.

My advice for people interested in fighting would be to try out an interclub first. If you have been training a while and want to see if you can put what you have learnt into practice, participate in an interclub. This is a controlled environment where novices fight (with shin pads and big gloves) in a ring to a time. This will give you a taste of what a real fight will feel like, and how you control your nerves and perform against an unknown opponent. It’s also a really fun day as lots of gyms get together and everyone has a laugh and watches some potential shine through with the new up and coming fighters.

My favourite Cardiff places – if I had some friends visiting me for the weekend, I would have to take them around the parks we have. I run around Roath Park every day, and I love it there. I’d also have to take them for tea and cake, as well as heading into town and showing them round the castle, stopping off for a drink or two (if I am not fighting of course!)

Tanya Merrett is 30 years young and has been training Muay Thai for nine years, fighting professionally for two and a half years. She fights out of Eagles Gym in Cardiff. Her ambition is to become a world champion and take her fighting up to the very highest level, and fight the best out there. Her next scheduled fight is against Christi Brereton A Class on 6 April 2014 in Manchester – for more details, visit her Facebook page: Tanya Merrett.

Tanya was photographed at her gym by Joe Singh.

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The People

“I’ve spent the last two Christmases with my flood bag packed in the car, on standby!” – Jen

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I joined Penarth lifeboat station as a trainee crew member in July 2008. I had recently moved to the area and wanted to get involved in the community somehow. A colleague who was already a helmsman at the lifeboat station suggested I became a crew member. I was told when I visited the lifeboat station that if I wanted to join it would be a serious hobby I was taking on and that I needed to give as much time as possible to the training. The appeal for me was the challenge of learning a new skill (actually a huge set of new skills!) and meeting and getting to know people in the area. I also had a draw to learn the skills as my aunt had sadly drowned whilst out on a yacht back in 1960, and I wanted to be part of a team who had the ability to go out and help people like her who get into difficulties.

Within two years I became a fully trained crew member and I am now training to be a helm myself. The excitement and discipline of a shout is immense. Putting into action the training you have been doing. In the first year when the pagers went off I’d find by the time I got in the water to launch the boat I’d have shaky legs and thought, god I’ve got to get fitter! But I soon realised it was the adrenaline giving me shaky legs! I’ve learnt to channel the adrenaline now to better use. It’s especially helpful using it to help wake me up properly before getting on the boat when we have our shouts in the middle of the night.

I joined the Flood Rescue team, West Division in 2012; learning how to stay safe in fast flowing water and how to execute different rescue scenarios.

I’ve spent the last two Christmases with my flood bag packed in the car, on standby! It’s like having a shout that you know is coming, you just don’t know when and you’re continually making adjustments in your life just in case the call comes in and you have to go. My family and boyfriend are extremely understanding and so is my work, which I am extremely grateful for. In fact some of my presents this year were items for my flood bag! Waterproof mobile phone holder and gadgets that will charge my mobile phone without a plug point.

This Christmas the West flood team were all on standby but to different areas. Seeing the support the RNLI Flood Rescue Team gave to those people in both North Wales and Aberystwyth who were either completely stranded or flooded out of their homes makes me very proud to be part of the team. Being one of those people who can put a smile on someone’s face who really has got a lot on their plate is a great feeling.

Life in Cardiff is great as the adventure facilities continue to expand. The white water rafting centre has been great for a bit of fun on the water as well as training days for the Flood Rescue Team – we’ve even put cars in there to train with. Indoor surfing at the centre is my next challenge! I’m so lucky to have adventure races right on my doorstep with the Cardiff Burn running in Cardiff giving me a chance to get my bike, kayak and running legs out. With talk of a real-snow indoor ski slope coming to Cardiff too it really is an exciting place to live!

Jen Payne is a Cardiff local who volunteers as a crew member at Penarth RNLI lifeboat station.

The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. The RNLI relies on public donations and legacies to maintain its 24-hour rescue service. To find out more about the RNLI and how you can donate, click here: http://bit.ly/1f4Mlhd

Jen was photographed at Penarth lifeboat station by Ffion Matthews

If you’re interested in the history of the RNLI in Wales, Phil Carradice recently wrote an interesting piece on them for BBC Wales Blogs.

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The People

“Cardiff happened to me totally by chance” – Biv

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Cardiff happened to me totally by chance. If it weren’t for my best mate from home not going to University and getting a job in Cardiff, I wouldn’t be writing this article today.

Born and brought up in Doha Qatar, I went to University of Warwick following school. At this point, my mate from home came to Cardiff University to pursue his undergrad. Hence, I’d been to Cardiff a few times and liked it straight away. It reminded me a lot of my hometown; though it was small, being a capital city, it had everything you’d want. Friendly people, lots of restaurant and café options, and a great vibrant night life. So when it came to applying for graduate jobs, I didn’t think twice before putting down Cardiff as my first choice for a graduate scheme with a national employer.

It’s been almost seven years since I moved to Cardiff with work; the city and its people have been very welcoming and I consider it as home. Though I’ve been approached with job roles in other parts of the UK, I can’t come to terms with leaving the city and my mates behind now. I’m in a comfort bubble but it’s one that I’m happy not to burst for the time being.

Having lived in Cathays, Cardiff Bay and now Roath, I probably love Roath the best. The neighbourhood cafes and local establishments, the park and lake, the Farmers market are just some of the things that make this a great neighbourhood to live in. Its proximity to town is also a bonus which means that it’s a reasonable distance to stagger back home after a cracking night out in town!

If I had to pick one place that I love the most and would be able to take with me wherever I went, that would be Milgi. The awesome ‘your living room’ feel, the friendly staff and the eclectic mix of clientele are desirable extras to the lush drinks (hot and cold) that they serve. However, not a big fan of the ‘only vegan’ turn that they have adopted over the last few years as that’s limited me to ordering only drinks. But hey ho, I’ve still got umpteen amazing local establishments to choose from to satisfy my palate.

Cardiff ticks all the boxes for me; like every city, it has its undesirable aspect / elements but it isn’t in your face and you have the option to stay clear of them. When one does that, don’t see why this city wouldn’t rank as one of the best to live in the nation.

Oh, those bloody seagulls!! Forgot about that…

Bivin Mathew is 29 years of age and still unsure what the fuss is about turning 30 – a sports loving foodie and movie buff who uses an accounting qualification to pay the bills. Biv has been living in Roath for the past three years and remains unconvinced about moving to other parts of the city. Spare time is spent trying to play squash and tennis, or knocking a football around in a cage, watching films (Cineworld Unlimited card should be given its own star on the Hollywood walk of fame!) and enjoying all the delicacies that the various restaurants and cafes that Cardiff has to offer. Follow Biv on Twitter @bivlar or by blog.

Biv was photographed in Waterloo Tea Rooms and in Waterloo Gardens by Tom Beardshaw

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The People

“Malaysian – Cardiffian – a harmonious fusion between two cultures, two cities and two lifestyles” – Zainah

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I am sat at my cafe having a cuppa and reflecting on the last 10 years living in Cardiff. It has been eventful in many ways, yet calming at the same time.

My husband and I actually met in 1991 when we were both studying at Cardiff University. In 1995 we got married in Kuala Lumpur during his year out for his Architecture degree. We returned to Cardiff a happily married couple and stayed for another 12 months. He could have continued his degree at another university, but opted to stay in Cardiff instead. Looking back I think it was because we felt at home in Cardiff but didn’t quite realise it yet.

We left for Malaysia and lived there for another seven years. In the following years, we had two daughters and several jobs. In April 2003, we felt we needed a big change and my husband wanted to study an MsC in Environmental Design. We had the whole of the UK to choose from, but chose Cardiff again. We felt it was the right place to bring up two very young children. When we arrived in Cardiff on the 18 August 2003, it was like we never left. I even caught up with Eastenders within a week!

Cardiff was wonderful for us and our children. Unfortunately recession hit and my husband was made redundant from an architects firm in Cardiff. I was still working at a solicitors office on a part-time basis.

Unable to find a job after 12 months, we made a huge decision for my husband to go back to Kuala Lumpur to work. The plan was for me to try to sell our house and move to Kuala Lumpur with the children once the sale was completed. When the house was put up for sale I had an uneasy feeling. We were well rooted in our lovely Penylan/Roath community and it seemed a little scary moving back to Kuala Lumpur after eight years in Cardiff.

Well, it’s 2013, and we are still here! We had to find a plan B and decided to open a Malaysian Cafe on Wellfield Road. It ‘s called called KL Canolog, named after KL Sentral – the main train station in Kuala Lumpur.

So, we are now in a perfect place. If I were to think back about what we remembered most about Cardiff is probably Roath Park. We used to imagine having a picnic there whilst our two young daughters ran about appreciating the fresh air, the lovely flowers and the friendly Welsh people. This still holds true to me but in the last few years I have had to face animosity for being foreign, for presumably overstaying, for taking what was not ours, basically negative press everyday. This seemed to be everywhere in the UK and not just Wales. We were able to overcome this as there was that Cardiff part in us and in our three children (oops I forgot to mention we adopted my son in 2006 from Malaysia). So we embraced the bad and good.

The 18 of August marks our 10th year in Cardiff (if you include our student days that’ll be 15 years). This is where we call home. We are supporters of the Welsh Rugby team and Cardiff City FC. We are very happy to share our Malaysian heritage with our community and feel that it is time we gave back to Cardiff what we have been enjoying for example Welsh cakes, barra brith, chips from Chippy Lane, to name a few.

I am also getting involved in several causes like the Depressed Cake Shop which has gone global from London to Cardiff, San Francisco and in Kuala Lumpur (organised by my sister living in Kuala Lumpur). This cause has also been mentioned on CNN and the LA Times. It is personal to me as I suffered a major breakdown before KL Canolog opened and have suffered with depression for most of my adult life. My father suffers from it too and it was difficult growing up with depression being such a taboo in the Far East. My daughters and I will be doing the Memory Walk on the 15 of September to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society. Sadly my mother-in-law is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. My life has changed from working in an office and being surround by four walls and the law. I am a lot happier and I feel working at KL Canolog has allowed me to meet so many wonderful people who are giving back to society and trying to make it a better place to live.

Made in Roath is also fabulous and I am blessed to have met Wayne Courtney and champion for everything good. I would also like to thank Miss Cakehead who is a genius! She has made it possible for me to be brave about my depression.

With everything we have been through, I have come to realise that you can’t take the Malaysian out of us but at the same time you can’t take the Cardiff out of us too. A harmonious fusion between two cultures, two cities and two lifestyles.

Zainah Ismail first came to Cardiff in 1990 to study Law at Cardiff University. After graduating with an LLB Degree, she worked as a banker in Kuala Lumpur. In 2004, Zainah started working at Geldards LLP before deciding to start a Malaysian cafe-deli called KL Canolog with her husband. Besides being involved with The Depressed Cake Shop Cymru and taking part in The Memory Walk, Zainah has recently involved herself with Free Cakes for Wales which provides cakes for adults and children who are unable to afford a birthday cake. Zainah currently lives with her husband, her two daughters and son in Penylan.

Zainah was photographed at KL Canalog by Jon Pountney

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The People

Street seen: home

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“I’ve lived in Roath for a few years now. I really like it there.”

As seen in: Riverside

Photograph by Helia Phoenix

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The People

“Cardiff has such a diverse range of people, humble, intelligent people” – Stephen

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I’ve lived in Cardiff since 2010, moving here to complete the Master of Architecture at the Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University.

Good friends who lived in Cardiff previous to 2010 always said what an amazing place it is to live.

Many weekend breaks to Cardiff later, I decided to choose Cardiff over London to continue my Architectural Training.

This June, after working for a number of diverse South Wales Architects, I decided to commit to Cardiff, founding my own Architecture Studio.

Colleagues who practice in London can’t quite understand why I want to be on the fringe of the architectural profession.

For me, it’s being able to cycle to work in the morning, walking to meetings. It’s the fact that I work in a historic, beautiful office in the Castle Arcade, a stones throw away from, unsurprisingly, the Castle and Bute Park.

Being able to ride from one side of the city to another in 25 minutes dissolves any barriers. With a better cycle network, I’m sure we could move around our city even easier.

Without becoming too focused on the built environment, the people of Wales and Cardiff really make this city. Such a diverse range of people, humble, intelligent people. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.

I’ve just awoken from my slumber in the Victorian Terrace I share in Grangetown, and soon I’ll be off around town, visiting the rock climbing centre, the city centre and Chapter later.

Looking forward to another day in Cardiff …

Stephen Paradise was a young boy who had an interest in all things art and design, and from a young age started to build multiple creations out of just one box of Lego, discarding the manual after a day. As the number of sets grew, so did the complexity of the designs; a Lego Super Jumbo Jet took its maiden flight down a set of stairs – to his mother’s dismay. Fortunately, many other ground based designs; army bases, towns, towers, castles & houses managed to avoid this ill fated mishap. This influential past time recently led the slightly older boy (now a young man about town) to found his own architecture and design studio in the heart of Cardiff.

This passion and dedication for all things ‘design’ culminated in a nomination for the Royal Institute of British Architecture Bronze Award 2009, exhibiting at Portland Place. The formative years of his career were spent at a small contemporary local practice, PADstudio, in the New Forest National Park, South England. He completed the Master of Architecture at the Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University and has since worked for a range of practices in Cardiff and Swansea for the past year.

Stephen was photographed by Jon Pountney in Castle Arcade.

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The People

Street seen: the right side of the river

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“We’ve lived in our current house in Roath for 34 years. We’ll never move – it’s too convenient over there. It’s sleepy. Laid back.”

Photograph by Helia Phoenix

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The People

Street seen: this place

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“I love Cardiff. I especially love it if I’ve been away somewhere and then come back. It’s such a great place!”

As seen in: Roath

Visit Dan Green’s Cardiff:Characters project

Photograph by Helia Phoenix

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