If you’re after fresh produce in Roath, the Farmers Market is the place to head to. Great prices, local producers – each week you’ll find up to 30 producers selling the best in fresh, local Welsh and organic food. Photojournalist Veronika Merkova went along to snap some of the treats on offer.
If you’re hungry, you’ll also find delicious home-made ‘world’ foods representing the diversity of Cardiff, from bread and cakes, fish and meat, flowers and fruit and veg, to farmhouse cheese and Welsh organic whisky – the first certified organic whisky in the world.
Roath Market
Every Saturday 9.30am – 1pm
Mackintosh Sports Club, Keppoch Street
CF24 3JW (opposite Gate Arts Centre)
Veronika says: “Visiting the farmers markets around Cardiff was a great experience as I found it an alternative that is needed. We have big chains and supermarket sourcing our food and we usually don’t know where they come from as well as the quality isn’t the best that we can get. I was very excited to see the range of vegetables and fruits that the farmers provide. The actual quality was amazing too and the taste was nothing like shopping from a super market. It is also a very nice feeling of supporting the local community. Both Roath market, even tho a little bit smaller, and Riverside market were full of stalls and lovely people that would be happy to tell you all about their product.”
My latest post for Caught By The River was published recently, for my Wandering the River Taff column. In it, I explored the history of Clarence Bridge, which connects the wards of Butetown and Grangetown. I always end up doing about ten thousand percent more research than I can fit in the columns, so get ready for all the interesting extra bits I couldn’t cram in.
The basic history of the bridge is documented in the piece:
A wooden swing bridge went over the Taff, about a hundred or so metres south of where the bridge is today, joining ‘Lower Grangetown’ to the Docks. This bridge connected the areas from 1861 to 1890 – the period when the docks started booming. Increasing numbers of people started using the bridge to get to work from Grangetown, but the Taff Vale Railway Co leased the bridge privately, and started charging for its use.
(Map: Glamorgan XLVII, surveyed: 1878 to 1879. Published: 1885)
Towards the top right of the picture, you’ll see James Street running horizontally across (it’s where you’ll find the police station today). If you stretch that line out directly to the left, you’ll find the current location of Clarence Bridge.
I did quote from the wonderful Grangetown Cardiff’s history section in my column, but I didn’t manage to get all the details in. On the day they introduced the toll, local residents rioted and threw the bridge’s gate off its hinges and threw it in the river.
The Times reported that 1,000 men took part in the protests each day against the railway company. There had been “upmost good humour” for the most part, as 200 police stood by, but then there was direct action. “They rushed at the newly-erected toll gate and tore it from its hinges, throwing the structure in the river.” The first gate was replaced the following day, as well as a sentry box for the toll-keeper. The toll house was also damaged. The paper later publishes court reports of three men who were arrested for causing the damage, costing £5 – Cornelius Dacey, William Smith and William Webb, all under 23. Police were also after another man called William Drew, who was heard to shout “Go it boys, that’s right, pull it off!” The court was told of “200 armed navvies with iron bars up their sleeves.” The three were found guilty and the judge expressed sorrow at having to sentence them to a month’s hard labour.
Eventually the Cardiff Corporation relented to the chaos and built two proper public access bridges – Clarence Bridge, which spanned the River Taff, and the James Street Bridge, which spanned the Glamorganshire Canal. You can see both these bridges appearing in maps from 1898 onwards. Also note the original wooden swing bridge has disappeared – been dismantled by this point, leaving Hamadryad Road cut off abruptly by the Taff.
If you want to see the location of the original wooden bridge, head to Hamadryad Road on the Butetown side. You can’t reach the Taff directly as there’s a big fence up, but if you face the water, you’ll be standing roughly where that original bridge was – well over 100 years ago. It had cost £60,000 when it was originally built.
Grace’s Guide shows the original plans for the bridge, which was designed by William Harpur. I’d never heard of him before, but turns out he’s a fairly important figure in Cardiff’s modern history.
William Harpur, the bridge’s engineer, is not really a household name, but modern Cardiff has his fingerprints all over it. He was appointed Borough Surveyor in 1883, and as such had final and ultimate say over all proposed street layouts and individual buildings that were going up through the city’s boom years.
If you’ve walked down Castle Street, visited Cardiff Indoor Market, or been to Roath or Victoria Parks, you’ll have first hand experience of his work. There’s also the civic centre at Cathays Park, the widening of the Hayes and Working Street. He built the city’s first municipal hospital (the Hospital for Infectious Diseases – later Landsdowne Hospital) and also the Pumping Station – now an antiques market.
Harpur was also engineer to the tramways department, and carried out the construction of the track for the electric cars. As his obituary so delicately puts it, his mark is left on the lay-out of every inch of modern Cardiff: all the plans of new roads, buildings, bridges etc having had to receive his approval.
William Harpur – 1853-1917, Cardiff city engineer and surveyor
How exciting is this! The brand new Welsh Cheese Company (run by a founding member of the awesome Barry Horns) is launching on Monday! They’ll be selling the very best artisan Welsh cheeses online through their website, working directly with 12 cheese producers, and stocking over 50 cheeses. They’re also doing a subscription service called Clwb Caws and a range of hampers and gift boxes – just in time for Christmas!
Cardiff-based musician Tom Pinder – who plays the sousaphone in Welsh Supporters’ band The Barry Horns and the trombone for world famous performers such as Paolo Nutini – is about to embark on a new adventure after founding The Welsh Cheese Company, an online retailer selling the very best Welsh cheeses. You can check out the produce at www.welshcheesecompany.co.uk, or on Twitter @welshcheeseco.
WHY CHEESE, TOM?
Tom decided to create the company when he realised Welsh cheese doesn’t always get the attention it deserves:
“Over recent years I’ve been getting more and more interested in the sourcing and the quality of the food I eat, and as a non meat-eater I’ve been particularly interested in the dairy side of my diet.
I’ve been eating a wide range of amazing Welsh cheeses from the delis in Cardiff, and local farmers’ markets, but I was frustrated that I couldn’t get all of the Welsh cheeses I’d come to love from one supplier, so I thought I’d do something about that and start a business that would bring together cheese from my 11 or 12 favourite Welsh cheese producers in one place.”
Since founding The Welsh Cheese Company, Tom has enjoyed getting to know the producers behind his favourite varieties. He is now keen to introduce more people all over the UK to these cheeses.
“The producers are so passionate about the cheeses they make, but Welsh cheese often seems to be a bit overlooked somehow. Some of the English cheesemakers are great at publicising themselves, and promoting themselves online, but some in Wales don’t seem to be as well known, despite often being even more critically acclaimed than their English counterparts.”
One of the most important parts of The Welsh Cheese Company’s mission is to tell people the story behind the cheeses it is selling. The website will have lots of information about all of its cheesemakers, and the farms that each cheese comes from:
“We’re working directly with producers, and buying direct from the farm, so we’ll be able to get cheese to the customers in the best possible condition.”
Tom isn’t stopping at cheeses, either: The Welsh Cheese Company will offer a glorious selection of other Welsh produce to compliment its cheeses:
“We’ll be offering a range of hampers and gift boxes, all full over the very best Welsh artisan food and drinks, to suit every budget. From gin to chutney, and from beer to chocolate, there will be something for everyone!”
Meet Tom Pinder, he’s great
The Welsh Cheese Company’s founder Tom Pinder is well known in Wales as a founding member of the Welsh football team’s official supporters’ band, The Barry Horns, but his career in music has taken him on many other adventures, including travelling the world with acclaimed Scottish singer-songwriter Paolo Nutini.
“It’s taken me all around the world,” he says. “The tour of the last Paolo album took us to New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, South Africa, Canada, the USA several times, and most countries in Europe. Our last tour was to South America just a few months ago.” He plans to continue performing with Paolo as much as possible, as well as continuing to play with the Barry Horns at Welsh international football matches too.
“The Barry Horns has been a big part of my life over the past 7 or so years. When we started the band it was just a small group of close friends who had played in Cardiff bands together for years, but it’s grown and grown and been an amazing experience. The Euro finals in France last year were absolutely incredible.”
Tom has been working primarily as a musician ever since finishing his music degree at Cardiff University in 2002.
“During university I was in a couple of bands, and when I graduated I moved into a two bed house with the six other members of one of the bands, and we toured round Europe and the UK for a few years. In 2006 that band came to and end, and I decided I should try to get a proper job. I worked briefly in public affairs in the Bay, and then more music opportunities came along, so I started touring with Get Cape Wear Cape Fly, and then with Paolo Nutini, and that’s been my main job since then really.”
Alongside the touring, Tom also set up a music rehearsal studios business in Cardiff around six years ago, called the Cardiff Arches. That’s still going strong and has been his main preoccupation when he’s not touring. With the new cheese business taking off he will be handing over the running over the studios to colleagues.
“I’m very excited about The Welsh Cheese Company and it’s refreshing to be doing something outside of music – although I remain as passionate about music as ever, and will always continue to play in bands,” he says.
To our wonderful pals over at Creative Cardiff, we bid you HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
Creative Cardiff is two years young! And we would love to celebrate with you on Monday, 16 October at ffresh in Wales Millennium Centre from 7pm at our bumper Show & Tell. You can expect truly exceptional speakers, entertainment and, of course, birthday cake! SIGN UP FOR THE PARTY
Creative Cardiff’s ‘Show & Tell’ is a quarterly event that gives a platform to the exciting range of creative people and projects in the city. It brings together Cardiff’s creative community, from emerging talent to old hands, to hear about their current projects and ambitions.
Each of the speakers will give a 10-minute lightning talk. And they’ll bring an object. The object might be the source of their inspiration, a tool of their trade or a comfort blanket. The speakers will share their work and explain the importance of the object they’ve brought along.
Speakers include Karen Mackinnon, Director of Artes Mundi International Visual Arts Exhibition and Prize, Jamie Rees, Director of Marketing at Chapter Arts Centre and star of one man show Oh Hello and Mark Woods, Co-Founder & Chief Technical Officer of AMPLYFI.
Oh, and did we mention that WE’RE DJING? Because we are!
If you haven’t joined the Creative Cardiff community yet, YOU SHOULD, because it’s totally FREE, plus you get year round events, a monthly newsletter with loads of REALLY handy links, job listings, and to take part in cool research about how the city is developing. SO JOIN NOW!
Local outfit Astroid Boys hit a sweet milestone recently, with the release of their Broke album. Photojournalist Aiyush Pachnanda went along to document the night!
In their own words: Rising out of Cardiff’s unlikely CF10 area code, Astroid Boys have cultivated a movement that transcends multiple sub-cultures – a growth that defines them less as a band, and more as voice for the youth.
With a DIY ethos rooted in the punk and hardcore scene, mixed with the raw, narrative approach of grime culture – their sound fuses together multiple perspectives, channeling their aggressions and woes into a platform for creative expression and escapism.
Bringing everything to a climax through their high-energy live shows, the combination of attacking vocals, crushing guitars and Dellux’ signature production never fails to get a crowd bouncing, both cult followers and innocent bystanders alike.
We’re not quite sure what part of We Are Cardiff Zelda will be working on yet. Possibly Head of Napping and Stress Relief.
Earlier this year I had a mental health run-in that left me thinking that perhaps I needed to add exposure to happy furry things to my life. I registered as a walker with Cardiff Dogs Home and visited the home a few times, taking out various different dogs for walks around the Penarth Road Industrial Estate and over to Grangemoor Park (or Asbo Hill, behind Ikea).
Anyway, fast forward past numerous doggy dates and finding a pooch on Borrow My Doggy to spend some days with. A couple of weeks ago, four ex-racing greyhounds were taken in to Cardiff Dogs Home, and the stars aligned, Saturn returned, etc. We met Zara and Dougie, who were both adorable … flipped a coin … and ended up adopting Zara (who we’ve renamed Zelda, in honour of the magnificent Nintendo series).
Cardiff Dogs Home
Every local authority has a statutory obligation to house stray and abandoned dogs for a period of seven days. After seven days, local authorities may ‘dispose’ of the dog (you’ve guessed what that means). Cardiff Dogs Home has a group of volunteers called Friends of the Dogs, who work tirelessly to make sure no healthy dogs are put down by supporting adoptions and fundraising for the home.
So many wonderful dogs pass through facilities like Cardiff Dogs Home every year – loving animals that could be wonderful pets for people. So this is why they say adopt – don’t shop!
Walking through the kennels is a heartbreaking experience – although the dogs are sheltered, fed, watered and walked, kennels can be a stressful place. All those dogs would much rather be on someone’s sofa. And you can’t beat the feeling of giving an abandoned dog a good home.
How can you help?
Have you got space in your life for some furry joy? Go and wander around the kennels and see if any of the dogs take your fancy and adopt a dog. Alternatively the Friends of the Dogs post photos up on the Adoption Forums, so you can look before heading down there.
Need convincing? These are some of the beautiful animals that went through the kennels that were adopted and given a second chance …
If adopting a dog is too much commitment, you can register as a walker. Just fill in a form online and then head to an induction session, where you’ll be taught how to greet a dog, how to walk them, and a whole range of other things – safely, and with minimum stress to the dogs. Once you’ve been through the induction, you can head down to the home during opening hours and take a pooch out for a walk. More about registering as a walker at Cardiff Dogs Home.
Friends of the Dogs also fundraise, and sometimes have specific roles that you can volunteer for (helping out on the forums, etc). If that sounds like your bag, see how you can volunteer for Friends of the Dogs.
Dogs and mental health
There are plenty of reasons why hanging out with a dog is great for your mental health: they increase the amount of exercise you get, they distract you and keep you in the present moment, petting them reduces stress, and they are always happy to see you. More on this: Psychology Today, Mental Health UK, Psychiatry.org.
Here’s Zelda on her first walk (of many, I’m sure) through the wetlands in Cardiff Bay.
I’m sure you’ll be hearing more from Zelda in the future, but for now, this is her, saying WOOF!
If any of you are on Instagram, you can follow her retirement from racing and integration into society here: @IGZeldaPooch
A treat for you today: Splott resident Tamsin Stirling tells us about her Cardiff edgeland: the fabled Splott Beach.
My edgeland: Splott Beach
When people ask me, as they often do, ‘is there really such a thing as Splott beach?’, I answer an emphatic yes. It’s not your archetypical white sandy beach, but a beach there is, sandwiched between the Bristol Channel and the Tremorfa waste water treatment works.
I’ve lived in Splott for over 20 years and only discovered Splott Beach a couple of years ago thanks to our wonderful hyperlocal news service Inksplott. I’m now a regular visitor, usually with my camera. I’ve met a few other walkers there and a couple of fishermen hoping to catch cod, but I am usually on my own, accompanied by the rumble of traffic along Rover Way.
Face out to sea and there’s the Somerset coast, the screech of gulls and curlews and, if the tide is out, beautiful skeins of runnels left in the mud. Face inland and there is a fascinating jumble of buildings and tanks that take storm water and sewage from south east Wales and, using oxygen and bacteria, make it clean enough to be discharged into the channel. And further back, the Celsa steelworks, a 24 hour-a-day workhorse which turns scrap metal into steel reinforcing bars, generating noise and dust which Tremorfa and Splott residents are so familiar with.
Splott beach is an industrial archive. Bricks, tiles, parts of the former East Moors steel works –broken crucibles, substances produced by heat, there are endless objects to be found on the beach. It’s a joy for someone like me who enjoys pottering about and taking photographs. There is so much beauty in degraded industrial objects. Less beautiful are current human interventions; the beach and the coastal path are frequently used as an alternative to the Lamby Way tip.
The Wales Coastal Path runs just above Splott beach going east, along the water treatment works fence. Beyond the works, the path rises up a bit and there is a fantastic viewpoint to the city and beyond. This spot demonstrates the location of Splott in a way that I knew logically, but had never seen laid out so clearly before. It also provides a fantastic vantage point for the whole of the steel works – lorries bringing scrap metal, a water truck damping down the slag heap, diggers constantly shifting metal and ash.
Splott beach is physically on the edge of our city. For me, it is also a brilliant example of what Robert Macfarlane and others refer to as ‘edgelands’ – places that do not attract much interest or attention, that are not known by many, but where plenty of beauty and interest thrives.
On and around Splott Beach, an edgeland down the road from where I live, there is constant ebb and flow – of tides, of traffic, water, steel, people … It is a fascinating place, ever changing, always different from the last time. Yes, Splott Beach is most definitely a thing …
Tamsin Stirling has lived in Splott since 1997. She is a freelance researcher, working on housing and regeneration issues. She is fascinated in how places and communities function and particularly in the very different experiences of individuals living in the same city. She loves to walk and take photographs. @TamsinStirling1
Cardiff Book Festival started off as a fairly modest affair last year, but this year it’s bigger, brighter, and even has its own literary-themed disco! We’ve combed through the programme (the best value ticket is a weekend wristband for £30, btw) and found our picks for the weekend. So get your read on, and let’s go …
Cardiff Book Festival: Where the written word comes alive, aloud, and off the page in the Welsh capital!
Friday 22 – Sunday 24 September, The Angel Hotel, Cardiff
OUR PICKS:
Friday 22 September
Catherine Mayer – Attack of the 50 Ft. Women: How Gender Equality Can Save The World!
7.15 PM – DRAGON SUITE, THE ANGEL HOTEL
Not a single country anywhere in the world has achieved gender equality. In more than a few countries, progress for women has stalled or is reversing. If gender equality promises benefits not just to women, but to everyone, why aren’t we embracing it? And how can we speed the pace of change? In ‘Attack of the 50 Ft. Women’, journalist and co-founder of The Women’s Equality Party Catherine Mayer tackles those questions and many more, sharing inside views and experiences. In her insightful, revelatory, often hilarious, and hugely inspiring book, Catherine Mayer takes us to a place she calls Equalia. What is it like? Does gender equality make for a society that is more equal in other ways too? Who does the low-paid jobs? How does gender express itself in a place freed from gender programming? What’s the sex like? What’s on the telly? (£7 full price, £5 concessions)
Dylan Jones on David Bowie: A Life in conversation with Mike Williams sponsored by Capital Law
8.30PM – DRAGON SUITE, THE ANGEL HOTEL
Dylan Jones is the award-winning editor of GQ magazine, a position he has held since 1999, winning the British Society of Magazine Editors “Editor of the Year” award a record ten times. A former editor at i-D, The Face, Arena, the Observer and the Sunday Times, he is the author of New York Times best sellers on musical heroes including Jim Morrison and Elvis. His new book David Bowie- A Life is an engrossing, magisterial biography unlike any Bowie story ever written. It’s an epic, unforgettable cocktail-party conversation about a man whose enigmatic shapeshifting and irrepressible creativity produced one of the most sprawling, fascinating lives of our time. Drawn from over 180 interviews with friends, rivals, lovers, and collaborators, some of whom have never before spoken about their relationship with Bowie, this oral history weaves a hypnotic spell as it unfolds the story of a remarkable rise to stardom and an unparalleled artistic path. By turns insightful and deliciously gossipy, David Bowie- A Life is as intimate a portrait as may ever be drawn. It sparks with illuminating, never-before-seen material from Bowie himself, drawn from a series of Jones’s interviews with him across two decades. Dylan will be interviewed by Mike Williams, the editor-in-chief of NME, himself a winner of the British Society of Magazine Editors “Editor of the Year” award during his time at Kruger Magazine, which is where I also cut my journalistic teeth. RIP KRUGER. (£7 full price, £5 concessions)
Saturday 23 September
Scientists of Wales/Gwyddonwyr Cymru
1PM – PRINCE OF WALES SUITE, THE ANGEL HOTEL
The University of Wales’ series of books Scientists of Wales/Gwyddonwyr Cymru charts the lives, times and works of Welsh scientists, and of people active in science in Wales. This event will see lively discussion in Welsh and English about Wales’ place on science’s world map, taking in the stories of William Robert Grove, a pioneering researcher who anticipated the general theory of the conservation of energy, and was a pioneer of fuel cell technology and Evan James Williams, whose work included attempting to prove the existence of Hidiki Yukawa’s hypothetical pi mesonparticle, and working on the MDS (magnetic detection of submarines) system to tackle the U-boat menace of World War II. (£5/£3)
35 years of Fighting Fantasy with Ian Livingstone
2.30 PM – DRAGON SUITE, THE ANGEL HOTEL
Ian co-founded iconic games company Games Workshop with Steve Jackson in 1975, launching Dungeons & Dragons in Europe. In 1982, he co-authored The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, the first Fighting Fantasy gamebook in the series which has sold almost 20 million copies worldwide. His best-selling titles include City of Thieves, Forest of Doom and Deathtrap Dungeon, and his new book, The Port of Peril, marks the 35th anniversary of Fighting Fantasy. When serving as Executive Chairman at Eidos, he launched global video games blockbusters including Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Ian has a passionate belief in the power of play as a contextual hub for learning, and he is a leading advocate for the importance of having Computing on the National Curriculum. His book Hacking the Curriculum is an essential guide for teachers to promote creativity, computational thinking and problem solving in the classroom – meta skills for the digital age. He was awarded a BAFTA Special Award in 2002 and a CBE in 2013. Ian will share a reflection on his career before a Q & A session chaired by BBC Radio 1’s Steffan Powell. (£7/£5)
Sanctuary – Refugee writing in Wales
8.15PM – PRINCE OF WALES SUITE, THE ANGEL HOTEL
Eric Ngalle Charles is a poet, dramatist and novelist and a former Cameroon refugee. His first book ‘Asylum’ deals with what it means to be a refugee, caught between two worlds, destitute and unable to move forward with one’s life. He’s joined by others seeking asylum and refuge in Wales whose stories, poetry and essays about their journeys feature the extraordinary histories of the men, women and children who are seeking sanctuary in Wales. (£5/£3)
Sunday 24 September
Merthyr: the crucible of modern Wales? Sponsored by Modern Wales, Parthian
1PM – PRINCE OF WALES SUITE, THE ANGEL HOTEL
Dai Smith interrogates Joe England’s claim that Merthyr was the crucible in the development of Wales in the 19th Century and moving on a century asks why Huw Lewis’s moving memoir of growing up in Aberfan in the 1960s and 1970s, The Skylark’s Song, has so much to say about the past as a foreign country. (£5/3)
How Bullshit Conquered the World with James Ball
2.30 PM – DRAGON SUITE, THE ANGEL HOTEL
2016 marked the birth of the post-truth era. Sophistry and spin have coloured politics since the dawn of time, but two shock events – the Brexit vote and Donald Trump’s elevation to US President – heralded a departure into murkier territory. This is the story of bullshit: what’s being spread, who’s spreading it, why it works – and what we can do to tackle it. This is bigger than fake news and bigger than social media. It’s about the slow rise of a political, media and online infrastructure that has devalued truth. The Pulitzer Prize-winning James Ball should know. He’s worked in political, data and investigative journalism in the US and the UK for BuzzFeed, The Guardian and the Washington Post in a career spanning TV, digital, print and alternative media. (£5/£3)
Neil M.C. Sinclair
6.30PM – DRAGON SUITE, THE ANGEL HOTEL
Afro-Celtic author and historian, Neil M.C. Sinclair is a native of Tiger Bay, the oldest multi-ethnic community in Wales. He has written extensively on the history of his unique hometown, a place which is now the subject of the new musical ‘Tiger Bay’, premiering in Cardiff this November. Sinclair’s insider’s view of the area draws on personal memories, family history and a lifetime’s worth of connections within one of Cardiff’s most celebrated communities. Supported by Wales Millennium Centre’s Tiger Bay the Musical, 13th-25th November 2017. (£5/£3)
UPDATED 31st AUGUST! While one half of We Are Cardiff is a proud Cardiff Bay-er, the other half lives in Canton. As Cardiff is so small, we always take it for granted that everyone knows all the nice places to eat and drink. But we met someone the other day who didn’t know Canton beyond Chapter, so we thought we’d do a little round of our favourite spots in Canton (and slightly beyond) that you may not know about.
We’re assuming here that everyone knows the well-established big hitters of Chapter, Bangkok Cafe, Calabrisella, Ichiban, Got Beef, Kimchi, Chai Street, Time and Beef and The Lansdowne. Have we missed any off this list?
This place has quickly become our new local since it opened in April. Run by the lovely James, he keeps us busy between free beer Fridays, delicious local ale, food popups from the likes of Pettigrew Bakery, Bearded Tacos and Great Eggspectations, pianos, games, dogs, babies, artwork and general warm, friendly lovely amazingness. We have SO MUCH love for this tiny micropub! (photos from @stcannas/@sarahchew1/ @pettigrewbakes)
Hidden away beside a mobile phone shop opposite Peacocks, we stumbled upon this place after moving to Canton. For £25 a month (no contract), you get access to a super friendly gym (run by the wonderful Mered), with a great selection of weights and cardio equipment and a fantastic selection of classes (no extra cost). From fitness pilates to to circuits, they also run socials and competitions. AND Mered let me rig my trapeze in the studio! What a hero.
It’s easy to miss Vivo Latino at the city end of Cowbridge Road, but it’s a great spot for big groups or a quick cocktail. When it first opened, we decided that their nachos are THE BEST in Cardiff. The staff are super lovely, the decor is cool and the drinks are great.
This place is a three-in-one: brewery, bottle shop and bar! The CD boyz make their own beer in Canton (I’m reliable informed it’s cracking stuff, especially the Mikey Rayer) the bar has a great atmosphere and they now have a big screen and Sky Sports out the back for SPORTZ. (photo from @craftdevilbrew)
Again, another hidden gem! If you wander through the Printhaus gate on Llandaff Road of an evening, you’ll find this oasis of tasty food and booze. Since they moved here about a year ago, it’s hard to get a table in the semi-outdoor restuarant. The pizzas are spectacular, with adventurous combinations and perfect dough. The environment is so special, and the staff are banging too.
Speaking of Printhaus, we couldn’t miss those guys off our list. Printhaus is an independent creative community based in Cardiff, offering artists’ studios, screenprinting workshops and event space. We’ve all taken workshops here, from bookbinding to screenprinting, and their frequent artists’ markets are ideal for presents, interior decor and art. Super friendly classes are a great way to try out different skills for a day, You can see their upcoming courses here. (photo from @ThePrinthaus)
The Bone Yard is a collection of fitted-out shipping containers in an old scaffolders yard at the back of the Printhaus. These colourful little boxes are home to myriad of creative, wonderful people and businesses including: Therapy at the Bone Yard, Free Range Frames, Twin Made, England Designs, Ffwrnes Pizza, Yurt in the City and Magpie Gallery among MANY more. So if you’re looking for a therapist, handmade books, galleries, craft classes, pizza, frames or regular markets and events – GO FIND IT!
Manglas Spice of Life, 587 Cowbridge Road East, @manglasspice
EVERYONE!Check out Mangla's Spice of Life, the new vegi Indian restaurant in Victoria Park. Amazing food, hilarious host. £5 taster on Sat! pic.twitter.com/jlQHFuH7IJ
We were lucky enough to check Mangla’s out in the first week of trading, and since then she has brought a burst of spice and happiness to the top of Cowbridge Road (opposite Victoria Park). Her exceptional skills as a cook are matched by her hosting and effervescent personality. It’s an Indian vegetarian restuarant, but also has great reviews on the vegan site HappyCow.net. Read Mangla’s story on WalesOnline!
We literally only tried this place out yesterday, after hearing our buddies RAVE about it. It DID NOT disappoint! It’s just a few doors up from Mangla’s, and sports a fresh and modern interior that overlooks Vicky Park. Bedecked with houseplants and trendy lighting, the open kitchen churns out incredible pizzas with unusual toppings like cashew cream with spinach, and tasty-ass starters like dough sticks with a tomato dip and HUGE green, lemon infused olives. Smashing staff, great Poretti beer on tap and kid-friendly. They are planning to expand the menu to include meatballs, and are starting Prosecco Sundays…. I don’t know that it involves, but I’m in.
— Pettigrew Bakeries Cardiff (@PettigrewBakes) June 17, 2017
YOU LIKE BREAD AND CAKES AND MERINGUES THE SIZE OF A CHILD’S SKULL? Yep, us too. The Pettigrew tea gang have built a baked empire of tastiness and long may it spread! Their innovative pop-ups (like pinxtos at St Cannas) are a fantastic way to sample their goods if you’re too lazy to walk up Cowbridge Road.
Falafel Wales, 122 Cowbridge Road East @falafelwales
We are always surprised how many people don’t know about this beautiful park that sits quietly between Canton, Victoria Park and Pontcanna. The beautifully kept lawns, gardens and trees are set across a gentle hill, and the field at the top has a great view across the city.
And so, to end, a classic. If your heels break 5 minutes before leaving for a party- they’re there. If you need a new key cut after an scuffle with a metal-eating wolf- they’re there. If you’ve realised that you don’t have anything but Converse to get married in- they’re there. Cheap, reliable, excellent quality, AND they have a great logo.
ADDITIONS – 31st August
We had lots of suggestions for additions to this list, so here goes:
The Bee & Honey, 63 Clive Road http://www.thebeeandhoney.co.uk/ @thebeeandhoney
This place only recently opened and we haven’t had the chance to visit yet. But, judging by the people who recommended it, we should head over soon! It’s a deli and cafe, and sells a wide range of goodies from freshly baked artisan breads and marinated olives to Welsh cheeses and homemade jams and pickles. The cafe menu looks fab too, we can’t wait to check it out!
Canton Grows Wild community garden, Lansdowne Road @cantongrowswild
— Canton & Riverside (@cantongrowswild) July 16, 2017
Since its establishment up a few years ago (we covered it here), this beautiful little patch of life has matured into something fabulous. They throw garden parties and gives Canton and Riverside residents a chance to get their hands dirty by volunteering.
Park View Cafe, 571 Cowbridge Rd http://parkviewcafe.org.uk/ @parkviewcafe
Another recommendation from a lovely reader: Park View Cafe is just opposite Victoria Park, run by “lovely people and good food and very affordable prices” in the words of Aivi! We were sold already, but the cafe is also a social enterprise- it supports trainees with learning disabilities, who may struggle to find regular employment, to give them the confidence and skills to find work.
Sally Williams left us a comment about the print workshop (unfortunately we couldn’t find a working website or Twitter account). She said “Cardiff print Workshop has a gallery and small workshop [..] It’s open every Saturday from 10.00 to 3.00. They sell original prints, handmade books, cards etc. All of the work is made by members and are original prints that have been either etched, embossed, litho or relief printed. The work is really high quality and they do classes! Watch for the latest dates and times pinned up on the front window.”
I’ve never been in there even though I live on the next street – one to put on the list!
How could we miss this out?! Beautiful crepes and waffles, in a stunning location. Amazing service too! We’ve been reliably informed that the milkshakes are banging.
If you haven’t been down to Cardiff Bay in the last few days, you won’t have seen the mesmerising new sculpture that’s currently visiting the Senedd. The ‘Weeping Window’ installation was originally at the Tower of London, where 888,246 poppies were displayed- one for every British or Colonial life lost at the Front during the First World War. Now you can see the whole piece up close on your doorstep, and there are loads of events surrounding it to suit all ages!
Photo credit : Geoff Caddick/PA Wire
The display forms part of Wales’ programme of events marking the centenary of the First World War, which are taking place across the country. The display of Weeping Window will coincide with the centenary of Battle of Passchendaele, which took the lives of many Welshmen, including the celebrated poet Hedd Wyn.
For the first time visitors will be able to view the sculpture from all sides, including behind, through the Senedd’s floor to ceiling windows.
Younger visitors will be able to explore a free Senedd Trail or try their hands at making a poppy. For those a little older, there will be free half-hour tours on the hour to illustrate why democracy at the Senedd is important to ensuring peace in society.
In addition, on Thursday evenings in August, the Senedd will be open until 20.00 for visitors to see the sculpture as the light changes, and the Senedd café will be open for longer to accommodate this.
Alongside Weeping Window the National Assembly for Wales will also host an exhibition titled Women, War and Peace. Renowned photojournalist Lee Karen Stow brings her world-famous exhibition to Wales, featuring the addition of specially commissioned portraits telling the story of Welsh women affected by war.
You can see Weeping Window until 24 September – trust us, don’t miss it.
Cardiff is slowly but surely becoming street food city, quite literally, and Feast Fest is one of our favourite ventures to be launched this year!
Feast Fest is launching a colourful outdoor ‘feastival’ on Womanby Street, with five weekends of street food, farmers market, music, vintage clothing, vinyl sales, skate competitions, DJs, craft beers, art exhibitions and much more.
The top street food traders in Wales, along with local food producers will be offering kerbside dining every Saturday and Sunday from July 29 to August 26.
Womanby Street is the city’s alternative heartland, just a two-minute stroll from the Castle and five minutes from the central train station. The street has some of the best loved music venues, bars, restaurants, indie shops, tap and ale houses in the city, and is often where we end up after a long night of hard drinking and fast dancing.
The bars and venues will be opening to provide daytime entertainment, craft beers, wines and much more. Award-winning street food chef Jamie O‘Leary of Jols Food Co, who is spearheading the event, said:
“As a chef I’ve grown to love the street food experience – the reward is seeing the customer’s face light up as they watch their meal cooked and handed to them moments later. With ‘Feast Fest’ I intend to put the street food experience back where it should be – on the street. And Womanby Street is such a rich, cultural and vibrant location in the capital – with the recent Save Womanby Street campaign it became apparent that this is a street that the citizens of Cardiff are proud of and therefore an ideal location for a summer-long food market.”
The market will be open at weekends between 12-7pm. Traders appearing on rotation at Feast Fest include Annand George Tuk Tuk, Jols Food Co, Rule of Tum Burgers, Dusty Knuckles Pizza Co, Mr Croquewich, Rackdogs, Shwarmarama, Ffwrnes Pizza, The Bearded Taco, Science Cream, Dixies Vintage Ice creams, The Pork Society, Mighty Soft shell Crab, Shelly’s, EL Chilango and Got Beef.
St Fagans National Museum of Welsh History is one of the best days out you can have out around Cardiff. They’ve just launched a new app to help you make the most of your visit. We sent intrepid reporter and local boylesque star Ernie Sparkles along to try it out and report back to us.
In June, I met Alison John, Producer at Yello Brick at the entrance of The National Museum of Wales, St Fagans. Armed with my iPhone, she handed me a pair of headphones and pressed the Traces Olion app button that I had pre-downloaded to my phone. Traces is a new app that Yello Brick had developed with Cardiff University and the Museum with the help of Hoffi to build the app. Their app description: “Traces is not an audio guide. Nor is it a tourist guide. It is a companion telling you a story that reveals fragmented moments of intertwining fact and fiction inspired by St Fagans; the space, its stories and archives.” Naturally I was curious as to what magic lay in store for me, and wow, I was not disappointed.
With the option of enjoying the experience in pairs or on your own, Alison agreed to join me for the adventure (it’s worth mentioning here that you must both press the buttons on the app at the same time as timing is important to the partner journey). The beautifully designed app is very self-explanatory and simple to use, and I later found out it continues to play even when you lock-screen so you can put it in your pocket to get the full adventure.
The clear, yet relaxing storyteller voice of actor Natalie Paisey is accompanied by beautiful music composed especially for the app by Jak Poore. Both of which lead you almost into a meditative state while you are guided around the castle gardens at the museum. The story (written by Sara Lewis) is based on material from the museum’s collection, and focuses on characters who may ‘have lived and experienced’ the castle and grounds in the early twentieth century.
During the course of the journey you are drawn into a new way of interacting with the place, noticing details and things you may not otherwise have noticed. The app takes you almost to a new dimension as you are taken beyond the realms of your usual audio trails and into a fully immersive experience. Pulling you into the world of the story, but leaving behind elements of your own story at the same time.
Like any good adventure, there are moments of pure beauty, but also of sadness, but always beautiful. I must admit, before I was fully immersed in the story there were a couple of laugh out loud moments that were a little cheesy – but you get over that pretty quickly!
A review left on the android app store from Lucy Hansen-Clarke says:
“What a wonderful, beautiful experience! It was an emotional journey and I fell in love with my partner all over again x” Lucy Hansen Clark
I must admit I did think shortly after the journey that it would make a perfect date activity!
The only downside to me was that there was no follow up or information as to which parts of the story were taken from the archives – perhaps the National Museum could be encouraged to create a page on their website or a small display in their new visitor centre when it opens its doors.
I would thoroughly recommend everyone goes and has the experience of Traces. It really is a beautiful 30 minutes out of your busy day and you will not be disappointed!
The Tracesapp can be downloaded from either the ITunes Storeor Google Play and you will need to have a pair of headphones to enjoy the experience fully. It is recommended to download the app, which is free of charge, before you arrive at St Fagans.
Yello Brick is a company that specialises in digital and physical events that intertwine narrative and brand into exciting and playful experiences.
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