A Radyr resident and his daughter are both running theLondon Marathon on Sunday 13th April. John and ElunedHyde, who live in Llantarnam Drive, Bro Radyr, are trying toraise sponsorship on behalf of MACS which is the Mico andAnophthalmic Children’s Society. This is a very small charitysupporting children born without an eye in the eye socket(Anophthalmia) or with a small eye in the eye socket(Microphthalmia)

There is no method of detecting that a baby has no eyeswhilst in the womb and the range of conditions can varyenormously – from a child having very poor vision in justone eye to a complete absence of vision. For many MACSchildren, the absence of eyes is then linked to brain

development and they can suffer from learning difficulties and behavioural problems.Nothing can be done to improve the child’s sight and treatments are mainly cosmetic.MACS is run by a team of volunteer parents with only one paid member of staff and they support over 500 families across theUK. For more information on MACS please see www.Macs.org.uk

John and Eluned would like to raise as much money as possible for this charity and have arranged for contributions to be madethrough the Virgin Money Giving web site as below:

www.uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ElunedHydePlease telephone John Hyde on 02920 842286 if you would like further details on this worthy cause.

Printed by J & P Davison, 3 James Place, Treforest, Pontypridd CF37 1SQ Tel. 01443 400585

Christmas in Radyr & Morganstown

Gap Year Funding Appeal

December saw the erection of Christmas trees in Morganstown, WindsorGardens, Lychgate Gardens and Station Road. The dedicated team of treeerectors, under the leadership of Chris St. Leger and Mike Diment, were out inall weather making such that the 30 foot trees fitted into their base and weredressed with lights – not an easy job! Nick Hawkins and his team were busydressing the smaller trees for display above the shops in Station Road.

My name is Zoe Delport and I am 18years old and currently on a gap year. Ihave been accepted to participate in thegovernment funded InternationalCitizen Service which sends youngpeople aged 18-25 to work on projectsin developing countries. I will beworking with the charity RestlessDevelopment alongside local people inSouth Africa for 11 weeks from March.

Restless Development targets some ofthe world’s most deprived communitiesfocussing on developing young peoples’employability, livelihoods, and healthchoices. All volunteers are encouragedby ICS to raise money for the charities

they are supporting. In order to raiseawareness and show my commitment tothe programme, I’ve been set a target of£800 towards the project in South Africa.Almost half the world, over three billionpeople, live on less than £1.50 a day andI will be joining them, for just a week,from the 16th-22nd of February to raisemoney for Restless Development. Theproblem is: I can choose when to spend£1 a day on food, whereas over threebillion people have no choice to live onless than £1.50 a day. By sponsoring me,your money will go to help young peoplein the most deprived countries, havebetter livelihoods, better civic

opportunities and better informationabout health choices, things we oftentake for granted.

It would be much appreciated if youcould spare a small donation for this

great cause atwww.justgiving.com/Zoe-Delport1.

…more on page 7

…continued on page 5

Free to every home in Radyr and Morganstown

RADYR CHAINNumber 210 February 2014

In 1988 the then Councillor forRadyr and Morganstown, MrsMarion Drake, put wheels inmotion to start a Good NeighbourScheme when she realised that thisarea, unlike most districts inCardiff, did not have the benefit ofsuch an organization. The aim ofthe Scheme was to help the elderlyand infirm with small neighbourlytasks – shopping, letter writing,befriending, changing librarybooks, local transport etc. In 1989the first May Tea was held duringthe Radyr and MorganstownFestival for the senior residents inthe community. Volunteers madesandwiches and cakes and provided

transport for many of the guests.Between 45 and 70 residents haveattended this joyous occasion everyyear since then; Bryn Deri Schoolhave provided entertainment andthe May Queen and attendantshave always visited. In 1992 aweekly coffee morning was started,a chance to get out of the housemeet some friends and have a chat.1993 saw the first Friday lunch inThe Old Church Rooms, seniorresidents could meet friends as wellas being provided with a hot meal,cooked by volunteers. Those whowere too frail to come under theirown steam were picked up byvolunteer drivers. Every special

occasion has been celebratedBirthdays, Jubilees, Valentine’s Day,Easter, Royal Weddings, Christmasand many, many more.

Over the years the Schemeexpanded to cover Danescourt andwhen the boundaries changedGwaelod, Pentyrch and Creigiauwere encompassed. The namechange to Radyr and District GoodNeighbours and in 1998 a secondlunch club started in Pentyrch.

Over the years the main source offunding has been from CardiffCounty Council with small grantsfrom the two Community Councilsin our area and from otherorganizations for specific events.Long before the recession, in 2002,Cardiff Council stopped the smallannual rise. (In effect a cut) In 2011Radyr and Morganstown festivaldonated all money raised to Good

Obituary for Radyrand District GoodNeighbour Scheme

The cast of ‘An Inspector Calls’

Letters, articles, reports and other contributions are invited and should be submitted byMarch 15th. Submissions may be subject to editing at the Editor’s discretion.The views expressed in the Radyr Chain are not necessarily those of the Editors.Editor - Mary & Robert Pearce, 91 Dan-y-Bryn Avenue, Radyr CF15 8DQ. 2084 2615E-Mail address - Chain@radyr.org.ukWhat’s On - Mary Pearce, 91 Dan-y-Bryn Avenue, Radyr CF15 8DQ. 2084 2615Advertising - Jerry Bray, 41 Hazel Tree Close, Radyr. 2084 3387E-Mail address - jerrybraychain@tiscali.co.ukHon. Treasurer - Ellis Jenkins, (to whom donations may be sent; they will begratefully acknowledged) 62 Windsor Avenue, Radyr, CF15 8BYDistribution - Chris Wills, 1 Llwyn Drysgol, Radyr. 2084 2197

COMING EVENTS

N.B. Details of all coming events can be found inthe Diary section of the website

www.Radyr.org.ukFebruary3 R&M ASSOCIATION GENERAL MEETING

Come and hear Gwyn Rhys talk about the Glamorgan Family History Society. To be held in the Old Church Rooms. All residents of Radyr & Morganstown are eligible to be members of the Association and are invited to attend. 7.30pm

8 Reduce your energy bills! Radyr Library is hosting Cyd Cymru/Wales Together to discuss their collective energy switching scheme which is open to all householders across Wales. 10.00am

10 Radyr & Morganstown WI. Memories are made of this... by Julie Waller. Old Church Rooms 7.30pm

12 Railway Correspondence & Travel SocietyFreedom of Wales 1962 by Nigel Wassell, a presentation based upon the classic 1972 Railway Magazine article of the same name. Old Church Rooms 7.30pm

12 Radyr, Morganstown & District Gardening Club, 'WOMEN IN WELSH GARDENS IN THE18th & 19th centuries'. An illustrated talk by Jean Reader. New School Rooms, Christ Church, Heol Isaf. Meetings open to all, talk followed by refreshments and chat! Contact Richard Gregory tel : 02920842084 for more information. 7.30pm

13 The AGM of the Radyr and Morganstown History Society will be held at the Old ChurchRooms. ALL ARE WELCOME. 7.30pm

15 Cardiff West Constituency Surgery, Ely LibraryKevin Brennan MP and Mark Drakeford AM hold their weekly surgery for constituents to raise issues with them in person. For further details see markdrakeford.com or call 029 2022 3207. NB from April the Constituency Surgery will change venue to the Jasmine Enterprise Centre in Ely 10.00am

18 Festival Queen Auditions. To be held in RadyrGuide Centre at 6.30pm. Open to all girls of 10 or over living in the R & M Community Council area. Girls MUST be free to attend ANY Festival Event during the Fortnight, This will run from Saturday 3rd May until Sunday 19th May 2014. Further details from Maggie 2084 2995 6.30pm

22 Cardiff West Constituency Weekly SurgeryEly Library 10:00am -12:30pm - see also 15th

26-28, 1 Mar.Radyr Parish Music Group presents:Thoroughly Modern Millie – a sparkling 1920s set musical with catchy songs and foot-tapping dances performed with a twenty-piece orchestra at the Bishop of Llandaff High School. For tickets contact Maggie Roberts on 029 2084 2995 or Sue Thomas on 029 2031 0894. 7.30pm

www.radyr.org.uk is…a one-stopshop for local information 3

March1 Cardiff West Constituency Surgery, Ely Library

Kevin Brennan MP and Mark Drakeford AM hold their weekly surgery for constituents to raise issues with them in person. For further details see markdrakeford.com or call 029 2022 3207 NB from April the Constituency Surgery will change venue to the Jasmine Enterprise Centre in Ely. 10.00am

2 Family Fun Church at Radyr Methodist Church. Children of all ages, with accom-panying adult(s), are invited to join us in our new venture: FAMILY FUN CHURCH. Every first Sunday afternoon of the month for fun, craft, Bible story and song, plus refreshments.From 4pm to 5.15pm at Radyr Methodist Church 4.00pm

8 Cardiff West Constituency Weekly SurgeryEly Library 10:00am -12:30pm - see also 1st

10 Radyr & Morganstown WI. A celebration of youth. Old Church Rooms 7.30pm

11 PACT. All welcome to discuss police and community matters 7.00pm

12 Railway Correspondence & Travel SocietyA Pennine Journey from Attercliffe to Accrington by Stephen Gay; Old Church Rooms 7.30pm

12 Radyr, Morganstown & District Gardening Club 'GLADIOLI FOR GARDENS' with RobertEvans New School Rooms, Christ Church, Heol Isaf. Meetings open to all, talk followed by refreshments and chat! Contact Richard Gregory tel : 02920842084 for more information. 7.30pm

RE-BIRTH OF THE RADYR &MORGANSTOWN CHORAL

SOCIETY

In response to the advert in theDecember issue, the meeting heldon 15th January attracted 43 peopleexpressing an interest in forming thegroup. Peter Esswood, Director, wasdelighted with the result and saysthat over the coming months hefeels confident there will be othersthat will wish to become members.

The choir is planning to meet onWednesday nights in the NewChurch Rooms from 7.30-9.00 andover the coming months concertplans will be put in place.

If you are interested please contactPeter by email or mobile on 07831300 617

Email esswoodp@hotmail.com

Updates will also be placed on theRadyr and Morganstown website.

RADYR PARISH MUSICGROUP

The Radyr Parish Music Group heldanother successful Open Rehearsal inSeptember to launch our 2013-2014season. As well as attracting a numberof new members it was an opportunityto introduce our production team for ourFebruary musical, Richard Morris andDick Scanlan’s Thoroughly ModernMillie. Jane Clarke who stepped into therole of Producer for last year’s musicalOklahoma will once again direct theshow. She will also be in charge ofchoreographing what promises to be afest of toe-tapping musical numbers!However we do hope she hasremembered that many of us have twoleft feet! Ben Pinnow continues asMusical Director with the addedresponsibility of training and conductingour orchestra of young players.Unfortunately Simon Davison who hasbeen our show conductor and orchestramanager for many years was unable tojoin the team this year due to his manywork commitments. We welcome LeighBracegirdle to the team as our newaccompanist.

Thoroughly Modern Millie will beperformed at the Bishop of Llandaff HighSchool on Wednesday, 26th February toSaturday, 1st March, 2014. Tickets(priced at £10. and £8. for concessions)will be available from January fromticketsource.co.uk/rpmg or from MaggieRoberts (029 2084 2995), Sue Thomas(029 2031 0894) or from RPMGmembers.

We are always looking for extra peopleto help especially during the week of theproduction – if you would be interestedin helping out backstage please email uson music@radyr.org.uk. For more detailsplease visit our website atwww.radyr.org/music.

Julia Hallinan

MUSICIANS WANTEDYoung keyboard player and drummer

Looking for young musicians to join mewith a view to starting a band.

I am interested in hearing from you ifyou play Bass or Lead guitar or are avery outgoing accomplished vocalist.

I am in Year 8 Radyr Comprehensiveand have my own garden practice

room in Morganstown.

Please email me onjackmorganwhite@aol.com

Or call Jack on 07772 519 091

www.radyr.org.uk is…a photo-archive for our local community 5

OBITUARY FOR RADYRAND DISTRICT GOODNEIGHBOUR SCHEME

…from front cover

Neighbours and so thanks to a lotof hard work from the localcommunity our much depletedcoffers were replenished. Last yearthe grant was cut by 10% at thelast minute. This year we havebeen advised that with effect fromthe 1st April our grant will ceasecompletely. Without that Grant theScheme cannot continue. Thegrant pays one part-time employeeand the general costs associatedwith running a small office.

Over the twenty six years that thescheme has been in place hundredsof local senior residents have beenhelped and have enjoyed the manysocial events which have beenorganized by the scheme. Thescheme has brought the youngestand oldest members of thecommunity together enabling thesenior residents to see the positiveside of the young, not just thenegative stereo types the media liketo portray. Volunteers have freely

given thousands of hours in helpingthe local community and very fewhave claimed expenses. Withoutthe support of the GoodNeighbours organisation and co-ordinator the lunch clubs coffeemorning and other activities cannotcontinue. Sadly the Radyr dinerswill not be having a 21st birthdaycelebration. Nearly half of thediners attending the lunch club aretransported by local volunteers, forsome it can be the only time theyare able to leave the house.

We all appreciate that the councilhave to make huge financial cuts tooperate effectively. However, at atime when we are hearing thatmany elderly people who visit theirdoctor with depression are actuallylonely this decision will affect manysenior, local residents. This Schemeand the one in Llanishen are theonly two independent schemes andthey are also the only two GoodNeighbours Schemes to lose theirgrants, despite being the cheapestto run and this scheme being theonly one that runs lunch clubs.Over the years I have been tonumerous meetings where thecomment has been “Oh Radyr, the

rich, green, leafy suburb, they donot need any help” I cannot helpbut wonder if the thinking isentirely financial. While we can allacknowledge that this area ofCardiff is not deprived comparedwith other areas that does notmean there are no residents in realneed of the type of support thescheme has provided. Noteveryone in our communities is welloff and some of the neediest arethe most elderly and vulnerable.

Finally, a huge thank you to all ofour volunteers, past and present;thank you to the current CountyCouncillor Rod McKerlich and thecommittee who have worked veryhard on our behalf exploring allavenues for funding; to allorganisations, groups andindividuals (all too numerous tomention) for the help and supportwhich they have given us over theyears and to Marion Drake who’sinitial idea has helped the elderly inthis small leafy suburb have abetter quality of life in their autumnyears for the past twenty six years.

To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Radyr Guide Centreopening & also raise funds for expensive structural repairsRadyr Friends of Guiding are holding a Posh Nosh Supper,on Saturday 29th March 2014 a chance to meet friends old& new over a glass or two of wine and an enjoyable meal.

Tickets £20 Licensed Bar

Contact Judith � 029 2084 3371 or Julie � 029 2084 2923 for further details,purchase tickets or book a table (8 persons)

Radyr Friends of Guiding

Posh Nosh Evening29th March 20147.00 for 7.30pm

Contact Judith 029 2084 3371 or Julie 029 2084 2023 for further details, purchase tickets or book a table (8 persons)

www.radyr.org.uk is…a window on our local history 7

CHRISTMAS IN RADYR &MORGANSTOWN

…from back cover

switch on the lights of the communitytree.

Both choirs then had to move swiftly tthe centre of the village for the lightingof the Windsor Gardens tree and a fewmore carols, this time to theaccompaniment of a keyboard player.Lights now switched on, we all had toventure across Heol Isaf to the shoppingcentre for the switching on of theoverhead lights – sponsored by ourCounty Council. Nick Hawkinsintroduced Martha and Patch, theLATCH dog. After a countdown from 10to 0, Martha switched on the lights toloud cheers. It was now time to shopand wait for the arrival of Santa. Sittingin his sleigh he was inundated by all thesmall children anxious to tell him whatthey wanted for Christmas. SueThomas, Santa’s helper together with agroup of scouts, marshalled the queueand made sure that each child had asmall gift of a tangerine.

The evening weather remained dry butcold encouraging people to find thebarbecue, manned by Allan, Chris, Ralph,Terry and our cashier Geoff. The mulledwine served by Bob and Maggie Robertsran out very quickly, despite increasinglast year’s quantity. Everybody seemed tobe enjoying each other’s company andcatching up on gossip!

Bucket collections for the Festival Charitytotalled £469. to be supplemented by anumber of generous donations – BrynDeri Primary School £823, Radyr PrimarySchool £500, The Orchard Café £30.,Morris Dancers £92. to make a grandtotal exceeding £1900. for LATCH. Anexcellent start in support of our 2013/14village Charity thanks to the generosityof our community.

David Cargill

Rotary inRadyrDecember was a busy month forCardiff West Rotary Club. At thebeginning of the month we did ourannual door-to-door collection forCardiff Foodbank. We’d like togive a huge thank you to everyonewho donated. Later in the monthwe welcomed our newest member –Hani Youssef – to the club. Hani, aRadyr resident, has been visitingour club for the last couple ofmonths and we are delighted thathe has now joined us.

For our Christmas meeting, Côr PlantCaerdydd came and entertained us.Côr Plant Caerdydd is a Welsh languagechoir of schoolchildren who sang someChristmas songs for us, which wethoroughly enjoyed.

At the beginning of January, we heldour first social event of the year. Our“Poems and Pints” night was aresounding success, with both clubmembers and guests joining in. Wehope that all our future events in 2014are as successful and well attended.Our next event is a Quiz at St. Fagan’sCricket Club on Friday, 28th February.

January has been an important monthfor Rotary and the campaign to endpolio as it marks the third year since thelast polio case in India. However, thereis still a way to go to a polio-free worldand in 2013, 400 million children werevaccinated against the disease. Rotaryis heavily involved in this fight, withmany Rotarians travelling to endemiccountries to help administer vaccines.

New Members WelcomeIf you would like to come along to oneof our events, further details are on our

websitewww.cardiffwestrotaryclub.wordpress.com as are our club evenings or you canemail sec.cardiffwestrotary@gmail.com

for more information.

Follow us on twitter @CardiffWestRota;like us on Facebook

Everything was now ready for the bigswitch on – Friday, 6th December.Station Road became the centre ofattraction – the shops had dressed theirwindows and promised to stay open late.The winners of the window displaycompetition were Headway and ener-chi. Stallholders arrived to set up theirChristmas goodies and at 5pm the roadwas closed, despite a few cars stilldetermined to park. Special lights wereset up above the gazebos to aid thestallholders, the barbecue was lit andmulled wine brought to temperature.The Association in conjunction with theCommunity Council were seen busyfinishing off all the arrangements for thebig switch on.

Meanwhile, Bryn Deri Primary Schoolchoir was congregating in the GrannyPark in Morganstown to sing specialcarols prior to the switching on of thetree lights by the Festival Queen, Ericaand her attendant, Rose. Park RoadPrimary School choir made their waydown to Lychgate Gardens to sing carolsand assist the Queen’s second attendant,Emma and our special guest Martha, to

www.radyr.org.uk is…a place for you to air your views on local matters 9

NEWS FROM RADYRLIBRARY

Happy New Year. We would like to thankeveryone who so kindly sent us Christmascards, gifts and good wishes. We hopeyou all had a lovely Christmas and enjoyedsome the Christmas book titles which wereon display in the library. Thank you, too,to the wonderful ladies of the Knitting andCrochet group who made cakes andserved coffee and donated prizes for ourcharity Christmas coffee morning. Wewere delighted to find we had raised£170. for the National Autistic Society andwould like to thank everyone whosupported the event.

2014 has started with lots of enthusiasmfor Jen’s wonderful rhyme and storytimesfor the under 5s. The morning session isnow extremely popular so if it gets too busyyou might prefer to come along to theafternoon session. Both are on Tuesdays at10.15am and 2.15pm. We are hoping thatKate’s replacement to run our Amser Storiwill be starting shortly, so we are lookingforward to lots of fun with Welsh songs andstories on Wednesdays at 10.30.

Cyd-Cymru will be visiting the library totalk to people about collective energyswitching to get the best deals. They willbe in the library on Friday, 24th January 2-6pm and Saturday 8th February 10-1pm.If you are considering changing energycompanies, please come along and have achat with Cyd-Cymru. If you areconcerned about your energy costs, youcan ask at the library to borrow anelectricity monitor. These can beborrowed in the same way you wouldborrow a book – for three weeks. Themonitor can be used to check how muchenergy you use when different appliancesare plugged in.

National storytelling week takes place inearly February and we are hoping to havelots of classes visiting the library thatweek. As a follow up to that, we will beholding a “Storytime Saturday” onSaturday, 22nd February when we will bemaking and telling stories and having funfrom 10.15am. This is for children aged 8and over and places are very limited.Please book a place by calling in to thelibrary or giving us a ring and we can giveyou more information.

We have had a great response to the freee-magazines and lots of you are nowdownloading magazines to your tabletsand phones. If you haven’t tried thisservice yet, please ask for moreinformation at the library or go onto ourwebsite, www.cardiff.gov.uk/libraries andgo to “Books to download” and use theFrequently Asked Questions (FAQ)section.

It is National Libraries Day on Saturday,8th February. Please show your support

for libraries by joining the library or usingthe library on that day. Don’t forget, ifyou have not used the library for threeyears, your ticket may no longer be valid.Just bring some identification with yourname and address or name on it (drivinglicence, bank card or similar) and we cansort out a new library card for you. Withso many wonderful books, ebooks and on-line services available, you don’t want tomiss out.

As we reach the end of the financial year,our stocks of recycling, food and dogwaste bags are more limited. We areunlikely to get any more dog waste bagsthis financial year. For all types of bags,please only take what you need. The foodbags are supplied in small cardboardboxes. If anyone has a use for theseboxes, either as a one-off or on a regularbasis, please get in touch as we wouldrather reuse them if we can. Similarly, wealso dispose of old newspapers, so ifanyone would like some let us know. Bothwould need to be collected on a regularbasis as we have almost no storage space.

And finally, someone left a bracelet in thelibrary a couple of months ago. If youthink it might be yours, please get intouch.

Looking forward to seeing you in thelibrary soon,

Caroline, Jen and Anne.Radyr Library 2078 0996radyrlibrary@cardiff.go.uk

DIABETIC FOOT CAREPeople with diabetes are more likely to beadmitted to hospital with a foot ulcerthan with any other complication.

This is because the condition can lead topoor circulation and reduced feeling inthe feet, meaning that patients do notfeel when their feet are sore or beingrubbed by an overgrown or ingrowingtoenail. A corn left untreated or cracks inthe skin could also irritate the foot andlead to blisters, infection, wounds organgrene. Poor circulation unrelated todiabetes, certain medications for bloodpressure or statins or steroids, or anyother prescribed medications can alsomean that wounds don’t heal as well –and are more likely to become infected.

ANYONE can cut toenails, but notanyone untrained or qualified can be aChiropodist. It takes three years toqualify and to be experienced to spot thefirst signs of diabetes or any other foothealth issues. The title of Chiropodist orPodiatrist is a protected title under statutelaw and anyone using these titles must beregistered with the Health and CareProfessions Council, who monitor itsregistrants to comply with nationalstandards, keep up-to-date with trainingand continue in professional developmentstudies (which includes First Aid).

We are the first professionals to see anddiagnose many foot problems such asingrown toenails, corns, cracked heels,infections or even arthritis. A DiabeticScreening Assessment (using a Dopplerdevice to hear the circulation in the foot)and feeling for pulses in the foot are allpart of the consultation process. Yourmedical history including medications arealso taken into consideration whendiagnosing your foot health problems andadvising on correct footwear to preventblisters and keep you mobile. Don’t takea chance on a low cost nail cutting servicewho are not trained to diagnose yourparticular foot health condition.

So, as you can see, our job is more thanjust a nail cut … and may just save YOURlife.

Book your next appointment with award-winning Podiatrist and Author, Tracy GillMSc – at Enerchi, Heol Isaf, Radyr,Thursday Evening 5-7.30pm or daytimehome visiting service (Tel. 07850 019804).

Read more:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2518628/The-shocking-images-reveal-

diabetes-feet-just-10-DAYS.html#ixzz2nSPK5jBL

1st Creigiau Scout GroupCommunity Update

New Heating Installed in ourCreigiau HQ for 2014

1st Creigiau Scout Group is delighted towelcome in 2014 with the installation of ourbrand new heating system. Our hall,kitchenette and restroom area are now forthe first time fully heated! We look forwardto opening up the hall to bookings and use byall community members throughout the year.We typically offer hire services 7 days a weekfrom 9.00am – 10.00pm.

Our facilities include:

1. Full 25m x 15m hall

2. Modern kitchen facilities with servinghatch for functions

3. Modern and clean cloakroom and toiletfacilities

4. Full disabled access and disabled toiletfacilities

5. Ample free onsite parking

6. Maintained private grounds

As a charity all proceedings are put back intohelping young people within our communityexperience the outdoor adventure thatScouting offers.

For repeat bookings and/or private viewingscontact our Bookings Secretary Nick PhillipsTel: 07917 638 140Email: bookings@creigiau.org.uk

www.radyr.org.uk is…a record of the work of our Community Council 11

Dear Editor

I read with considerable interest thecorrespondence in your December issueregarding both the parking around allthe Radyr schools and the speeding onvarious thoroughfares in the Radyr andMorganstown (R&M) areas. I wouldlike, in addition, to highlight similarproblems surrounding the village shops,the station area, around the Monumentand along Kings Road. Untowardparking in these areas not only poses athreat to school pupils but also to thelocal residents and in particularly, themore elderly. The latter group need tobe able to get to and from the shoppingareas in safety as they are very relianton these facilities.

All these issues have been raised at thePartnership and Community TrustMeetings (PACT) and have beenfollowed by several initiatives.Councillor Rod McKerlich has raisedthese matters at Cardiff CouncilMeetings and letters have beendispatched to the local police authority.Sadly, one of the main conclusions hasbeen that the majority of inappropriateparking is committed by local residentsparticularly during the school runs. Thepolice force can only apprehend thosewho are illegally parked or arespeeding. The main solutions to thesenumerable problems therefore liespredominantly within the community.

The other major issue which couldcompound these problems is thepossible effect that the Cardiff LocalDevelopment Plan may have on theR&M Areas. The proposed planenvisages a possible 6,000 homes to bebuilt along both sides of the LlantrisantRoad from Danescourt to Rhydlafar.The local community cannot opposethese proposals along the lines of ‘not inmy back yard’. PACT has thereforesubmitted a letter of opposition basedon the following grounds:

1. The required increase in publictransport will only add to the presentcongestion. In addition, Llandaff in itscurrent form already constitutes a majorbottle neck.

2. Access to and from Radyr railwaystation is presently a very majorproblem. Commuter traffic and school

Letter totheEditor…

run times lead to very heavy congestionalong Heol Isaf, particularly around theMonument area

3. With the inevitable increase inschool pupils, will the two primary andone comprehensive schools be able tocope? It would be unlikely as theprimary schools and the comprehensiveschool are near to overflowing. Inaddition, all these schools aresomewhat in need of major upgrading.

4. There is some doubt whether thecurrent local medical and dentalfacilities could cope with an increaseddemand. The current hospital facilitieswould also come under considerableincreased pressure. Furthermore, thevarious accesses to the hospitals canonly become more difficult.

It is therefore essential that theinfrastructure is put into place beforethis development is implemented. Iwould urge R&M residents to supportall the responses made by theCommunity Council, The Associationand PACT to ensure that the too littletoo late scenario is prevented.

R.S. VaughanChairman, Radyr & Morganstown

Endangered Species List. Dr. Rich spokeabout and illustrated the processes thathe and other research botanists haveundertaken to establish Wild Asparagusas a unique species. He concluded histalk with examples of the conservationwork being undertaken at the UK sites,most of which only have a handful ofplants, to help ensure the plan does notbecome extinct in the UK.

Our programme continues in February,March and concludes in April:

12 February – “Women in WelshGardens in the 18th & 19th Centuries”with Jean Reader whose illustrated talkwill trace the history and influence ofwomen in gardening with particular

reference to Welsh Gardens

12 March – “Gladioli for Gardens”with Robert Evans; this illustrated talkshould dispel the “Dame Edna” imageand encourage you to try growing a

plant with a wide range of colours andforms

9 April – “Tresco and the Scillies” withSue Duffield. Sue is a member of the

Gardening Club and very muchinvolved with the Cowbridge Physic

Garden; she visits and Scillies regularlyand her talk will introduce the many

gardens and wide range of plantsgrowing on the Scilly Isles. The

meeting will be preceded with a shortAGM

Meetings are open to all and take placeon the second Wednesday of eachmonth from September to April (withthe exception of December) withillustrated talks and demonstrations.Some speakers bring examples of theplants they talk about and others bringplants for sale.

Visitors and New Members will bemade very welcome. You don’t have toknow the Latin names of plants or havegreen fingers to come to a meeting; fewof our members would claim to beexperts. We just share an interest ingardens, plants and generally growingthings. So come along – you will bevery welcome.

All meetings (apart from visits) are atthe New Church Rooms, Heol Isafstarting at 7.30pm and are followed byrefreshments.

Please see village notice boards andRadyr website (www.radyr.org.uk) forprogramme details and any changes orcontact any committee member or ourChairman – Richard Gregory (029 20842084)

RADYR, MORGANSTOWN& DISTRICT GARDENING

CLUBI hope you had a pleasant Christmasand I wish you a Happy Gardening NewYear, not that there has been muchopportunity these last few weeks forany serious gardening; so that shinynew trowel and those gloves FatherChristmas brought you will have to waitfor the evenings to get lighter and therains to stop before being put into use.In the meantime, you can always dreamabout your garden plans andexpectations, but for inspiration comealong to a Gardening Club meeting,listen to interesting speakers andexchange ideas, thoughts (andsometimes plants) with other likeminded people.

The second half of our 2013/14 winterprogramme started on Wednesday, 9thJanuary with a fascinating talk by Dr.Tim Rich on “Wild Asparagus”. WildAsparagus is rare plant species in itsown right and not to be confused withthe cultivated culinary asparagus. WildAsparagus grows in a limited number ofcoastal locations in Southern Englandand Wales and is on the European

www.morganstown.org.uk is…a one-stopshop for local information12

CHAIN COOKERYCORNER

Specialtoad-in-the-hole

A satisfying and tasty family dishserving 3-4.

175g (6oz) plain flour2 tsps mustard powder3 large eggs

450ml (3/4 pint) whole milk500g (1lb) sausage meat1 shallot finely chopped1 apple peeled and grated4 rashers streaky bacon finelychopped [I prefer smoked bacon]1 tbs freshly chopped sage1 garlic clove finely choppedApprox. 5 tbs olive oil (or yourpreferred oil)

You will need a 3.6 litre (6 pint)dish or tinPreheat oven 180C/350F/Gas 4Sieve flower, mustard, salt andpepper into mixing bowlWhisk eggs and milk together inlarge jugMake a well in centre of flowerGradually pour in egg mix beatingwellCover and set aside in cool placeMix sausage meat, shallot, apple,bacon, sage, garlic and seasoningin large bowlShape mixture into 9-10 ballsHeat 1 tbs oil in frying panFry sausage balls for four minutesuntil just brownedPour remaining oil (to coat base)into dish or tinPlace in oven for 5 minutes untilhotArrange sausage balls in basePour the batter (this should beeasy to pour; if too thick, add alittle cold water) overCook for approximately 40minutes until the batter is puffedup and golden brownServe immediately Delicious with onion gravy

THE HORSE AND PONY RESCUE SOCIETY FROM TY GWYNYOUNG RIDERS CLUB

… would like to thank the dedicated and enthusiastic riders at the annual sponsoredHalloween fancy dress ride on Saturday, 2nd November riding from Graig Fach Farm,Caerphilly to the Penrhos abandoned railway sidings.The weather was extremely windy with heavy rain and deep pools of water on this route.A grand total of £422. was raised at this event which has been donated to the horsehospital at Monmouth who need an awful lot of money to keep going for food and vetsfees, being two major costs.This money will be used for the neglected horses which are abandoned, starved and illtreated. All the rescue centres are overcrowded due to the downturn in the economy.Many thanks to all the sponsors who supported this needy event and a rosette wasawarded to all the riders. Val Allen

www.radyr.org.uk is…a photo-archive for our local community 15

Spring has finally sprung, and it's a true joy to see the garden begin to awaken after the long, cold wintermonths. It's also one of the busiest seasons in the garden - so we've quizzed our in-house experts to bring

you your essential guide to Spring gardening no matter what your garden size, style or experience!

Try This!Colin The Gardener’s Top Tips For Spring…

Protect new spring shoots from slugs! Arguably the simplest, cleanest way to banish slimy friendsis chemical warfare. Slug and snail killer is a fail-safe option, and I recommend the pet-friendly‘Growing Success Snail & Slug Killer’ (available now at Pugh’s), which is harmless to both petsand surrounding greenery. Copper tape and garlic-infused spray are also great organicalternatives to chemical warfare.

Plant onions, shallots and potatoes – we've got a huge selection now in stock!

Mow the lawn fortnightly – but only ever reduce the length of the grass by a third to avoidscalping the lawn .

Collect rainwater and investigate ways in which your garden can best recycle water for irrigation– we've got a huge selection of water butts now in stock which are perfect for this.

Lift and divide overcrowded crops of daffodils and other spring flowering bulbs.

Want to maximise the impact of your spring bulbs next year? Apply high potash liquid feedaround the clumps to boost your buds.

Fast growing French or English marigolds (now in stock at Pugh's) are ideal for companionplanting with your vegetables – and when planted in a greenhouse will also prevent whitefly

When sowing carrots, try planting spring onions or chives (we've got a huge selection now instock) in between the rows to keep carrot flies at bay when thinning.

Now is the time to get working on your herb garden – and we’ve got a host of herbs, fromparsley and thyme to lavender and rosemary – that will add plenty of colour and aroma to bothyour garden and your culinary efforts from just £1.49 per pot.

Your EssentialSpring

Gardening Guide!

Seedy BusinessNow is the perfect time to get seed sowing indoors...

Sowing seeds indoors is a great way of started off tender plants earlier in the season to allowthem plenty of time to grow and bulk up before being planted in the garden or vegetable plotonce the weather warms up. As Colin the gardener explains;

“Many vegetables, including tomatoes and runner beans, can be started off indoors, and will infact benefit from the longer growing season that this method provides. Annual bedding plants,such as sweet peas, marigolds and sunflowers can also be started off indoors to createspectacular flower displays for the summer.

“Some tender perennials, such as cannas and begonias, can also be sown from seed indoors, butpatience is necessary as these specimens can take up to two years to reach flowering size! However, these perennials will liveindefinitely, so a slow start will certainly pay off in the long run!

“With a heated greenhouse, or enough space and light in the home, some varieties, such as radishes and sweet peas, can besown indoors as early as January, though most flowers and crops can be started between February and May for planting outlater in the season once the risk of frost as passed.”

Pugh's has a huge selection of seeds in stock - along with all the tools, accessories and further advice needed to get youstarted on your propagating journey this Spring - so why not pay us a visit today and get sowing?!

www.pughsgardenvillage.com

www.radyr.org.uk is…a window on our local history 17

Pugh’s Garden VillageTynant Nurseries, Radyr, Cardiff CF15 8LB

Tel. 029 2084 2017www.pughsgardenvillage.com

Find Pugh’s on Facebook & Twitter!

Green Green Grass

At this time of year, the lawn is actively growing and a simple lawn care programme of feeding, weeding and regularmowing will keep your home turf in tip-top condition. Regular and correct mowing is essential. Aim to cut the grasswhen it is growing – which can be weekly as the weather warms up. Most lawns should be kept at around 1-1.5 inchesin height, but aim to keep lawns that are subject to a lot of wear and tear at around 2 inches and shadier lawns at around3 inches high.

A good feed in late March with a lawn fertiliser will not only make the grass greener, but will also encourage thickergrowth and increase its strength, vigour and general health. When feeding, look out for signs of pest or disease andapply moss killer if required. There is a range of feeds and fertilisers available for spring, but we’d recommend stoppingby your local garden centre to find out which product is most suitable for your unique lawn.

A strong, health and well-fed lawn will be able to deal with weeds and moss far better than one that hasn’t been tendedto appropriately. However, if weeds – or particularly moss in damp, poorly drained lawns – do set in, it’s essential to dealwith them quickly. We now have a fantastic range of weed killers andtreatments at both Garden Villages so stop by to discuss which variety will bebest suited to your garden.

After moss or weeds have been removed, or where grass is growing sparsely,over-seeing may be necessary. Sowing new grass seed into the existing lawnwill not only rejuvenate the lawn and bring it back to life, but increasing thedensity of the grass will also reduce the likelihood of weeds and moss invading.For more information on Spring lawn care tasks and products, simply stop byyour local garden centre where the friendly and knowledgeable staff will gladlyassist.

Four of the Best: Outdoor Potted PlantsWhether you’re looking to maximising a small outdoor space or simply wanting to brighten up a patio area, these brilliant

buds are ideal for container gardening…

TulipsAvailable in a

variety ofstriking shades,tulips are one ofthe easiest andmost rewarding

container garden

Pansies One of Britain’s

favourite flowers, thepretty pansy is easy tocare for (enjoying anysort of most, rich soil)

and will add awelcome splash of

colour to anycontainer

DahliasDashing dahlias grow

extremely well inlarge pots or gardenboxes and can copewith most soil and

environmentalconditions

ClematisThese colourful buds

like a sunny spot(though they can

cope in shady areastoo) and moist, well-

drained slightlyalkaline soil

The Christmas celebrations went wellthis year. Again, huge thanks must go toall those who helped to make thishappen, in particular, the RMA, R&MCCand the shopkeepers of Station Road.For those who don’t know, R&MCC paysfor the three big community Christmastrees, their lights and the street lights inStation Road. Cllrs David Silver, MikeDiment and Chris St Leger were mostably helped, once again, by Jeff Dunn,Mike Fairclough and Bernard John inwrangling the trees and lights.

Cllr Bethan Vaughan Cartwright hasresigned as a community councillor soCardiff Council will be starting the

www.radyr.org.uk is…a place for you to air your views on local matters 19

Radyr & Morganstown Community CouncilCyngor Cymuned Radur a Threforgan

election process in the near future. Wethank her for her work on the counciland the R&M website. Keep a look outfor the notification which will be on thewebsite as well as local notice boards. Ifanyone is interested in joining thecommunity council and would like toknow what we do and how we do it, justlet me know.

Although the latest consultation on theLocal Development Plan has closed weare continuing to work with ourneighbouring communities to lobby forthe LDP to be implemented well. We areinterested in the Cardiff Civic Society’scall for the NW of Cardiff to be

developed as a garden city or suburb andvery pleased to see that the top priorityof the Cardiff Metro is a link from theBay, through the city centre to NWCardiff. We are hoping to meet withboth Mark Drakeford AM and RogerLewis, the Chairman of the new SEWales City Regional Board to discussthese issues.

Helena FoxClerk to R&MCC

The Old Church Rooms, Park Road, Radyr, Cardiff CF15 8DF

Tel. 029 2084 2213Email : clerk@radyr.org.uk

LATCHEach year the Radyr & MorganstownAssociation sponsors a charity for awhole year and this year the Charity isLATCH. The first event in thesponsorship year was the lighting ofthe Christmas trees in early December.This was a very successful evening in all

LATCH is a charity that supports thechildren who are receiving treatmentfor cancer at the Children’s Hospital forWales and their families. As you canimagine, having a child diagnosed withcancer comes as a devastating blow.Faced with a period of months andsometimes years of gruelling treatmentand an unknown future, the relatedups and downs are often referred to byfamilies as like being on a rollercoaster.

Many have to make a 200 mile roundtrip to come to Cardiff for treatmentleaving their support network of familyand friends behind at home. This iswhen LATCH steps in to help. LATCHprovides an on-site accommodationsuite for families to stay at the hospitalwhilst their child is having treatment.Each family is allocated a LATCH social

worker who provides practical,emotional and financial support.LATCH also funds medical positionsand equipment to make the children’slives more comfortable on the wardand at home. The LATCH psychologisthelps the children and their familiesthrough any troubles they are facingand the LATCH buggies help childrenwith mobility problems to get out andabout.

Children can be on treatment for up tothree years, so LATCH organizes arange of activities to help keep thespirits up, such as trips to OakwoodTheme Park, Build a Bear Workshopsand a Christmas Party – as well asproviding activities and buying toysand games for the ward. LATCH alsogives families an annual holiday grantso families can take a much neededbreak.

A spokesperson for LATCH said “It’sreally important to note that all of thiswould not be possible without thegenerous support of our fundraisers incommunities across Wales and wewould like to give the Radyr andMorganstown Association a big“LATCH Thank You” for choosing usas their Charity for 2014”.

So come on Radyr and Morganstown.Let’s make sure that 2014 is a bumperyear for fund raising.

ways and a record bucket collectionwas made.

Both primary schools have generouslygiven the money they raised in theChristmas period to LATCH and we arenow well on the way to a record fundraising year. The next major event willbe the two week May Festival. Manyof you will not be familiar with thecharity LATCH so here are somedetails.

www.radyr.org.uk is…a record of the work of our Community Council 21

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROMRADYR & MORGANSTOWN WIWe have a brand new programme, newplanned community links, new activitiesand a great many new members so wehope that 2014 will be a year of innovationand development which builds on our longestablished traditions. Yes, we still keepthose including singing Jerusalem whichwe think we sing rather well!Our first meeting of 2014 was held on13th January and set the tone for the NewYear. It was fun, entertaining andinvigorating. Our speak for the eveningwas Rachel Williams. She is a native ofWales and has enjoyed a glittering careeras a Principal Dancer at the world famousMoulin Rouge and “Bluebell” at the Lido.She has also appeared in the London westend production of “Cats” and went on toproduce, perform and present a series ofsuccessful one-woman shows in LosAngeles and Las Vegas. Very tall, slim andelegant, she danced, sang and talkedentertainingly about her life in Paris,describing the scenes in Montmartre andthe gruelling physical hard work of theperformers in such a way that we felt wewere there. AS she was leaving she saidhow much she had enjoyed sharing her‘Vie Parisienne’ with such “a jolly bunch ofladies” – so if you want to be part of this“jolly bunch” just come to the Old ChurchRooms on the second Monday of themonth at 7.30pm.All our subgroups have started up againand we are looking forward to a busy year.We have three book groups, a weeklywalking group, two genealogy groups, twomonthly craft groups and an internetlearners group. A variety of outings areorganized throughout the year, the first ofwhich is a lunch at The Beech Tree,Culverhouse Cross on Tuesday, 11thFebruary. Many of our extra curricularactivities do involve eating and drinking!On a healthier note, the link group St.David’s Day Walk is planned forWednesday, 26th February and theGlamorgan Federation Walk (a guidedwalk in Bath) will take place on Thursday,27th March.Traditionally, we have links with both ourlocal Primary Schools but in addition, anew link with our comprehensive will beestablished in March when we willintroduce community awards forsecondary school students, but more ofthis in subsequent “Chain” reports.Membership of Radyr & Morganstown WIcan offer you opportunities to make newfriends, learn new skills and the option tobe involved in community activities. Whynot join us in 2014. Our email address isradyrandmorganstown.wi@gmail.comL.H.

This year the Government has decidedto start a four year commemoration ofthe First World War. What were Radyrand Morganstown like in 1914? Thisoccasional series will look at the Parishrecords of the period.

In January 1914, both Radyr andMorganstown were considerablysmaller than they are today.Morganstown was a little over acentury old, but had only recentlyadopted the name of Morganstown,while the new village of Radyr was lessthan fifty years old. The Rector, TheRev. David Phillips, was Chairman ofthe Parish Council and they met in theCouncil School, now Radyr Primary.

Two things were concerning the Councilin January 1914. They had recently setup a Radyr Fire Brigade which was besetby problems throughout the 1914-1918period and at the end of the war theParish Council decided to close it downand amalgamate with the newlycreated City of Cardiff.

The other was street lighting. Theywere having a discussion as to gaslamps with the Cardiff Gas Company.“Lighting the roads would be £2.11.0.per standard per annum; this was plusthe initial cost of about £3.10.0 perstandard. The £2.11.0. before-mentioned would include all upkeep,lamps etc., lighting and extinguishingand also gas to burn from dusk until

midnight. The gas company wouldrequire a minimum of thirty lamps andproposed that subject to the aboveparticulars being correct this Council isin favour of putting the Street LightingAct into force”.

By March motor traffic was a concern.“A number of complaints having beenreceived, the Chairman was glad toreport that the Estate had taken steps toimprove the dangerous corner off theGolf Road”.

In April, rights of way and mail servicewere the concern. “The clerk wasinstructed to write to the GeneralManager of the Taff Vale Railway to theeffect that the Council could in no wayaccept the Company’s contention thatthere was no right of way over theGelynis Crossing and again renewedtheir request that the Company shoulderect a footbridge over the crossing inorder to lessen the danger to thepublic”.

A letter was sent stating “that thisCouncil hopes the Postmaster will alterthe Radyr postal arrangements so that

The morning mail can arrive in Radyr bythe 5.11 train from Cardiff

A clearance of letters from the box onthe Station may be made in time for the10.03pm train.

If only!

REMEMBERING 1914

www.radyr.org.uk is…a one-stopshop for local information 13

~ FESTIVAL 2014 ~Details are beginning to emerge of abumper May Festival. One highlightwill be a visit by an old friend to theFestival, Fluellen Theatre Company inBrecht’s The Resistible Rise of ArturoUi. This brilliant satire, by turn savageand hilarious, parallels the rise of Hitlerwith the small-time Chicago gangster,Arturo Ui’s takeover of that city’sgreengrocer trade. Arturo Ui had asuccessful run at the 2013 ChichesterFestival and transferred to the DuchessTheatre in London.

Another highlight will be a first visit bySwansea’s Lighthouse Theatre as part ofthe Dylan Thomas 100 celebration.Lighthouse will bring their delightfulproduction of Thomas’s Reminiscences ofChildhood to Morganstown Village Hall.

Music will be catered for by anotherFestival first – a lunchtime piano recitalby an up-and-coming young pianist,Paul Israel, which will include theBeethoven Appassionato Sonata. Forthe first time the Welsh Academy ofVoice, that Finishing school for some ofthe great voices of the future, will givean evening concert at the Festival.

The closing Saturday will see a visit byPeter Karrie in his show, Peter Karrie andFriends. Peter has played the part of ThePhantom of the Opera in the LloydWebber musical in London, Toronto,

Vancouver, Singapore and Hong Kongand is the favourite Phantom of thePhantom Appreciation Society. He hasalso appeared in the west end productionof Les Miserables, as Fagin in Oliver,Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof and hasrecently had his own series on the BBC.

Peter Karrie

NEW YEAR’S HONOURS FORVOLUNTEER AND TRUSTEE

A dedicated volunteer at Danybryn CheshireHome on Heol Isaf is celebrating her 21styear as a volunteer at the service with a NewYear’s Honour.

Marcia Watts was awarded the British EmpireMedal for her work supporting people at theCardiff service and her support for the RoyalWelsh College of Music and Drama. She said“I feel very privileged to have beenrecognised in this way after devoting myretirement to charity. My volunteer work hasbeen a lifeline. I have made new friends andhope that I have helped to improve thequality of the residents lives”.

If you could spare an hour or two tovolunteer at Danybryn and help with ourcomputer club, fundraising, gardening, driveour vehicles, escort residents on trips or justcome and have a chat with residents, pleaseget in touch with our volunteer coordinator,Derek Bateman

Come and join us at the Plymouth Arms, St.Fagan’s at 7pm on Friday, 28th February for afundraising St. David’s Day Dinner withentertainment to be supplied by Con Vocéchoir – further details from Danybryn on 0292084 2237 or danybrynEmail@lcdisability.org

Set yourself a challenge in 2014 and run theLondon Marathon for Leonard CheshireDisability! You’ll get five star treatment witha Welcome Pack, running vest andfundraising support every step of yourmarathon journey. To find out more orregister for a place, please visitwww.lcdisability.org/londonmarathon orspeak to Klara on 020 3242 0264. Go on …make this year count!Derek BatemanVolunteer Co-ordinator, DanybrynLeonard Cheshire Disability Telephone 029 2084 2237 / 07738 329 525Email: derekbateman@lcdisability.org

HEALTH MINISTER’S VISIT TO RADYR COMPREHENSIVE

January is always a busy time, aseverything gets back to normal after theChristmas and New Year break. It was aspecial pleasure, however, to take timethis month to talk with some 150 sixthformers at Radyr Comprehensive aboutthe National Assembly and its work as alegislature. Although the Assembly is lessthan 15 years old it has evolved rapidlyover that period. In March 2011,following a referendum it acquired fulllaw making powers for the first time.

As Health Minister in the WelshGovernment a great deal of my time,during 2013, was spent in takinglegislation through the new processes andon to the statute book. The Food HygieneAct makes it compulsory for foodbusinesses in Wales to display theirhygiene standards in a position where itcan easily be seen by customers. As wellas being an important public healthmeasure, helping to prevent foodpoisoning and other related illnesses, theAct supports good businesses andencourages others to improve theirstandards. Early reports from Cardiff West

itself suggest that it is already working,with scores improving and customersusing the new system to good effect.

The new Human Transplantation (Wales)Act 2013 brings about a morefundamental change in the law. Whenthe system alters, from 1st December2015, residents in Wales will be able tomake one of three choices: to opt in tobeing a donor, by signing up on the donorregister; to opt out, and to have thatrecorded on the register or to take noaction and to become a donor through‘deemed consent’. A two yearinformation campaign will precede theAct which will put Wales at the forefrontof saving lives through the gift of organdonation.

All this, and much more, was discussedwith Radyr’s sixth formers, studying fortheir Welsh Baccalaureate. In a few weekstime they will be joined by my MPcolleague, Kevin Brennan, a formermember of staff at the school, who willlead a discussion of his work atWestminster. He’ll find an audience withan impressive grasp of public affairs and alively interest in the future of politics inWales. I look forward to my next visit

RADYRDRAMASOCIETY

Our next play will be the comedy ‘ThirdWeek in August’ by Peter Gordon.

When Sue decides to try and get awayfrom everybody on a solo caravanholiday, little does she realise that she’sbooked into the caravan site from hell!She is soon taken under the wing ofexpert but inadequate caravannerNeville…when he’s not engaged inbattle with his wife or trying to copewith his recently separated sister-in-law.

Matters become complicated with thearrival of the enthusiastic Tony and hissceptical girlfriend Jenny, who hasjoined him against her betterjudgement. In an effort to boost ‘campspirit’, Neville decides that a communalbarbecue is the order of the day…thenthings really start to hot up!

It will be performed 3rd-5th April atMorganstown Village Hall. Please visitwww.radyr.org.uk/drama for moreinformation.

www.radyr.org.uk is…a one-stopshop for local information 23

RADYR SCOUT POST 2013

This year’s Christmas Scout Post was again a successful fund raiser for the group.

I wish to thank the staff of the following local businesses for their efforts in sellingscout post stamps this year.

Pugh’s Garden Centre, MorganstownPzazz Hair Designers, Castle Court

Radyr Library, Park RoadSolo Hair & Beauty, Main Road, Morganstown

Vintage Gem, Station Road

Thanks also to our Leaders, volunteers, parents and the youngsters who helped sellstamps, sort and deliver post.Scout Post is organized by the Cardiff and Vale Scouts for the collection and deliveryof Christmas greetings in the Cardiff and Vale area. The collection and delivery ofpost is organized by local area scouts and voluntary organisations in areas where thereis no scout group.During the Christmas period for Scout Post, our team handled around 60,000 cardsin the scout hall.Finally, I would like to thank the residents of Radyr and Morganstown for supportingtheir local scout group by purchasing stamps locally.We look forward to your continued support again next Christmas. JBT

NSPCC RADYR BRANCHThe Radyr NSPCC Committee held a very successful Coffee Morning at Radyr Golf Clubon 21st November, 2013. The sum raised was £1278. This also included generousindividual donations. The money will be donated to the “Christmas Call for HelpAppeal”.Some children face an incredibly difficult and lonely time at Christmas. Childline isexpected to provide 80,000 counselling sessions to children and young people on issuesranging from family relationships to self harm and suicide. The goal of this appeal is toraise £320,000. to enable Childline to answer every single one of those calls.The special award of “Merit Certificate” was presented at the Coffee Morning by JoLennard of the NSPCC to Steve Dance, Manager of Radyr Golf Club. This award is givenin recognition of help given by individuals or organisations.The Club was nominated as it had allowed the NSPCC to use its premises, free of charge,for more than twenty years. It also acknowledges the helpful and supportive staff.It is no exaggeration to say that the Committee would have not been able to raiseanything like the amount of money without this help.This year again, we would like to thank the Management and staff and congratulatethem on their award. We would also like to say a special “Thank you” to Paul Cale whoworks so hard on our behalf.Our final event of the year was the NSPCC stall at the switching on of the RadyrChristmas Lights. The bran tub and balloons proved very popular with the childrenmaking the sum of £55.20 for the funds.Finally, the committee would like to thank our loyal supporters who give so generouslyand enable the NSPCC to continue its valuable work.

NSPCC Soup-and-a-sandwich lunch

Thursday 10 April 2014A short while ago I attended a talkat WI entitled “Parisian High Kicks”.The weather was miserable and Ithought twice about going out but Ishudder to think what I would havemissed. Within a minute or two ofRachel Williams beginning herpresentation the whole of the roomwas engulfed in laughter whichcontinued for the next hour as sheintroduced us to the secrets of therevues at The Lido in Paris whereshe performed with other BluebellGirls. Standing at more than 6 feettall and with an enviable showgirl’sfigure Rachel performed dancemovements and high kicks whichleft us all open-mouthed with envy.

On Thursday 10 April the NSPCCare holding another of their soup-and-a-sandwich lunches at RadyrGolf Club when, in reponse to mayrequests, Rachel will be repeatingher performance – an experiencenot to be missed!

Tickets at £12 are obtainablefrom Jan Doody (029 2084 2478).