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

On Monday, 5th September, MarkDrakeford, AM, officially opened thefinal stage of the three stageredevelopment of Dan y Bryn CheshireHome. Professor Simon Smail, Regionalboard member of Leonard CheshireDisability, introduced Mr. Drakeford andoutlined the improvements which havetaken place over the last two years.Starting with the accommodation wingalongside the main house, followed bythe demolition of the rooms on thesouth side of the building beingreplaced by modern en-suite facilitiesand the final stage upgrading the houseinto purpose-built activity rooms,kitchen and dining area. Upstairs has

been converted into more en-suiteaccommodation.

The invited guests, all supporters of thecharity, were given a conducted touraround the premises and were impressedwith the quality of the building, theinnovation of new technology and theprovision of en-suite facilities for theresidents. Each block has its own kitchenand dining area equal to a four-starhotel. Individual users are able to usethe assistive technology to remotelyswitch on their TVs, open and closedoors, shut curtains, open windows anduse the telephone from theirwheelchairs.

The gardens have been newlylandscaped. There is a closed area full ofnew plants and bushes, kindly providedby Pugh’s Garden Centre, the newgarden to the rear of the building is setamongst the trees and to the south anew lawn where more recently youwould have seen a host of portacabinsand builders rubble. What atransformation!

This Victorian building has beenconverted into a modern purposedesigned home for thirty residents, allenjoying their own privacy whilstreceiving first-class medical andresidential support from a dedicatedteam of professionals.

As a community, we should be proud ofthis home situated in the centre of ourvillage and give it all the support we can– both financially and in voluntary timefor a good cause. Funds have beenprovided for this project by LeonardCheshire Disability, Henry Smith Charity,the Big Lottery Fund, sponsors and localsupporters. You will recall last year,Martin Williams, a resident of the home,was pushed up Snowden in hiswheelchair to raise funds for this project.

If you get the opportunity to visit thehome in the near future you will beimpressed with these new facilities. Youcan see photographs of the opening onthe village website – www.radyr.org.uk –click on the news item which will takeyou to the Dan y Bryn pages.

DAC

Norman and Barbara Clewer’s garden at 6Windsor Avenue achieved its best result everin the Cardiff in Bloom competition. As wellas being best in the Electoral Division, it wasalso rated third in the whole of Cardiff.

For the first time this year the Garden was inthe “Yellow Book” of the National GardensScheme, with an open day in July, whichwas well attended and enjoyed, in spite ofrather bad weather.

Thanks to all who supported the day, andthus contributed to the National Gardenscharities.

Radyr Garden is judged3rd Best in Cardiff…

The Official Opening of the Refurbished Dan y Bryn Cheshire Home

RADYR CHAINFree to every home in Radyr and Morganstown

Number 196 October 2011

Radyr & Morganstown Community Council held its secondcommunity environmental event in Windsor Gardens. We had a lot offun planting shrubs and bulbs to add colour to the gardens. We madebird and bat boxes, found out about Radyr and Danybryn Woodlands

and wove willow into dream catchers and sharks

Community Environmental Eventheld in Windsor Gardens…

This year’s Summer Reading Challenge,Circus Stars has proved hugely popular withchildren throughout Cardiff and it’s great tosee the young people of Radyr joining in sowholeheartedly.

Children throughout the UK take part in thisReading Agency initiative and research hasshown that there are clear benefits for thereading development of children who are outof school for six weeks during the summer.

continued on page 13

Summer ReadingChallenge…

The winners ofthe colouringcompetition

We draw your attention to thePACT and Association meetingsthat are poorly attended. If youhave any concerns, why notattend and bring them to thenotice of the Police or yourCouncillor.

EDITORIAL

Letters, articles, reports and other contributions are invited and should be submitted byNovember 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, 1 Windsor Grove, Radyr. 2084 2615E-Mail address - Chain@radyr.org.ukWhat’s On - Mary Pearce, 1 Windsor Grove, Radyr. 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.ukOctober3 Radyr & Morganstown WI Birthday Dinner at

Radyr Golf Club. 7.30pm8 Radyr Parish Music Group. A Night at the

Races. Race evening with light supper. All welcome. Old Church Rooms. Tickets available from Martin Coysh on 20842954.

7.30pm8 Twinning Fellowship AGM. O.C.R.Weir

Room 8.00pm10 Radyr & Morganstown WI, Old Church

Rooms. Members Evening - an opportunity to find out more about our special interest groups and members activities. 7.30pm

10 Morganstown Village Hall Annual General Meeting will take place in the Committee Rooms (enter by rear outside steps) All Welcome. 8.00pm

11 PACT Old Church rooms. Come and discuss police and community issues with PC Huw Thomas and Cllr Rod Mckerlich.

7.00pm11 Imaging 2000 Old Church Rooms -

Technical Night on Raw and Photoshop. Photographers welcome. 7.30pm

12 Radyr, Morganstown & District Gardening Club "Plant Hunting in China" an illustrated talk by Joseph Atkin giving his personal experiences of plant hunting in China.New Church Rooms. Meeting open to members and non members for more information contact Richard Gregory (029 20842084) 7.30pm

12 Rail Correspondence & Travel Society. Old Church Rooms. John Spencer Gilks "Railtours of Wales" All welcome. Visitors £2incl coffee. 7.30pm

13 Tenovus Coffee Morning, Radyr Golf Club.Please ring 20842096 or 20843108 for tickets. All are welcome. 10.30am

15 Twinning Fellowship. Wine Tasting Quiz night..O.C.R Garth Room.Tickets £10 from Caroline 2084 250 or Maggie 2984 2995All welcome ..maximum in team 8 people...

All welcome 7.30pm17 Festival Meeting. Old Church Rooms. All

representatives of organisations welcome todiscuss the 2012 Festival. 7.30pm

22 Posh Nosh Supper. Radyr Guide Centre 7 for 7.30pm. Tickets £17.50 available from Judith Turnbull 2084 3371. Licensed Bar. Come along and join us for a Posh Nosh Supper - Good Food, Wine & a chance to catch up with friends old & new. In aid of Guide Centre Building Fund. 7.00pm

25 Imaging 2000. Old Church Rooms - "Print Appreciation" by Robert Lloyd. Photographers welcome. 6.30pm

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

27 R&MCC October Meeting. Chain Room, OldChurch Rooms. Members of the public are welcome to attend.

November5 CHARITIES FAIR and COFFEE MORNING

Please support our Annual Charities Fair and Coffee Morning at Radyr Methodist Church. Enjoy a cuppa and chat with friendsold and new, before you buy your ChristmasCards and Gifts, plus Scout Stamps. £1.50 entrance, includes Coffee/Tea and biscuitsMore details later. 10.00am

7 R&M ASSOCIATION GENERAL MEETING, OCR. Come along and hear Rhodri Morgan (former Radyr resident) speak. Topic to be announced. All welcome. 7.30pm

8 PACT Meeting at 7pm in the Old Church Rooms. all welcome 7.00pm

9 Radyr, Morganstown & District Gardening Club. "Turkish Delights" a talk by Linda Nottage illustrating the range of plants from Turkey which have found their way into our gardens. New Church Rooms. Meeting open to members and non members, all welcome. For further information please contact Richard Gregory (029 20842084)

7.30pm9 Rail Correspondence & Travel Society

Old Church Rooms. Terry Nichols "Images of Steam in the West Country". all welcome.Visitors £2 incl coffee. 7.30pm

10 PIGSTIES AND PARADISE. Radyr and Morganstown Local History Society. For the last talk in the current season Liz Pitman willgive a talk on a nineteenth century diarist in Glamorgan. Old Church Rooms. All are welcome. 7.30pm

14 Radyr & Morganstown WI, Old Church Rooms. Annual meeting. Election of officers etc. your opportunity to get more involved inour WI. 7.30pm

24-26 SAILOR BEWARE. Radyr Drama Society present the delightful 1950's comedy7.25pm

24 R&MCC November Meeting. A meeting of the Council will be held in the Chain Room, Old Church Rooms. Members of the public are welcome to attend. 7.30pm

DO YOU WISH TO SENDGREETINGS TO

FAMILY & FRIENDS THISCHRISTMAS?

WHY NOT USE SCOUTSCHRISTMAS POST 2011.

Once again, Radyr Scouts areproviding the opportunity for you to

send Christmas Greetings through theScout Post to family and friends living

in the Cardiff and Vale areas.

If you wish to support scouting inRadyr and Morganstown, please

purchase your scout post stamps fromthe local area outlets:

Pugh’s Garden Centre,Morganstown

Pzazz Hair Designers, CastleCourt, Caer Graig

Radyr Library, Park Road

Veg Vendor, Station Road

Section Leaders and members ofRadyr Scout Group

We are grateful to these localbusinesses that support scouting inRadyr and Morganstown by sellingstamps during such a busy period.

Can I thank all those people who havesupported Scout Christmas Post in

previous years. By purchasing yourstamps locally, you are providing the

Radyr scout group with its largestsource of fund raising during the year.

Leaflets giving information on ScoutPost 2011 will be delivered to yourdoor at the beginning of November.

Stamps costing 20p will be available atthe local outlets from the start of

November.

Please note that scout postgreetings will only be delivered to

the Cardiff and the Vale areasindicated on the scout post 2011

leaflet.

The last date for posting this year is

Monday, 5th December, 2011.Please use the post boxes provided at

the outlets and the scout hall.

Be prepared to post early andsave money by using

Scout Christmas Post 2011.

JBT

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

All services come with quality and value

General Groceries - Chilled Foods & Ready Meals - Fresh Bread DailyConfectionery - Fruit & Vegetables - Crisps & Snacks - Ice Cream

Quality Wines - Beers, Lagers & CidersCigarettes & Tobacco - Photocopying - Greetings Cards - Phone top-up Cards

STATION ROAD, RADYROPEN: Mon to Sat 8a.m. - 10.00p.m.

Sunday 9a.m. - 10.00p.m.

NOWAVAILABLE

PayPoint

TEAM ATLANTICDASH 2011

Two Fire Fighters from South Wales FRSare attempting to raise £100,000. forcharity this winter by rowing across theAtlantic Ocean. The pair are raisingmoney for four charities being the FireFighters charity, Breast Cancer Care,Help for Heroes and the WRVS.

John Haskell and Jamie Windsor whowork in Ely and Whitchurch Fire Stationsare the prospective shark bait. Jamiewent to Radyr Comprehensive Schooltwenty years ago! They will be leavingthe island of La Gomera in the Canarieson the 4th December and arriving inBarbados (ish) some three months later(ish). The teams’ slogan being:

4 Charities3000 Miles3 Months at sea2 Men1 Boat 0 Items of clothing

The “0 items of clothing” is causing themost interest and concern, not least forthe crew. The reason for the prolongednudity is that salt crystals form over thebody during the trip and these thenchafe the skin during the tow, causingopen sores. Nudity presents its ownproblems, mostly being sunburn andhungry seagulls.

The two main aims of the trip are to raisemoney for the chosen charities and notdying. The event is a seriousundertaking and the crews will face 40-50ft waves, sharks, tropical storms,navigation, winds and currents. Morepeople have been into space than haverowed the Atlantic!

The duo will row the 3000 mile trip usinga two hour rotating shift day and nightburning 10,000 calories each day. The

pair will be eating freeze dried food andthe occasional bit of fish. (They cannotfish too much as this will attract sharks!).

The pair are linking in with otherorganisations, principally to use thepublicity we are gaining to promote firesafety and to talk with/motivate youngpeople to do something interesting thathelps others.

John had the idea for the fundraisingevent after his wife recovered frombreast cancer. Given the support hereceived from this charity he wanted togive something back. Jamie has alwayssupported the elderly as being a fire-fighter, he goes into many homes andsees great people in need of somesupport.

The team are raising money at variousevents, being:

Fireworks night at Whitchurch firestation. (Tickets will be available as usualat the station soon)

Car Washes

Corporate sponsors (We desperatelyneed more corporate involvement. Ifyou can help, please contact us)

Marathon Treadmill runs atsupermarkets

Public donation

If you would like to donate any amountit would be greatly appreciated by theteam and this can be done on thewebsite below.

If anybody is available to help in anyway, then could you please contact:

John 079 2004 5325Jamie 07831 455 605

www.atlanticdash.co.uk

Please search for us on You Tube or youcan follow us on:

FacebookTeam Atlantic Dash 2011

LLONGYFARCHIADAUCONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to Manon Rhys,Goetre Fawr, Radyr for winning theProse Medal at the National Eisteddfodheld at Wrecsam during the first weekof August.

The prestigious prize was for a prosework of less than 40,000 words on thetheme of rebellion and Manon won itwith her novel Neb Ond Ni (No-oneExcept Us) which examines the close,mystical relationship between twochildren with special needs.

To add to the occasion, the Medalceremony, held in the Eisteddfodpavilion, was officiated by her husband,T. James Jones, the current Archdruidof Wales.

Llongyfarchiadau i Manon Rhys,Goetre Fawr, Radyr am ennill y FedalRyddiaith yn Eisteddfod GenedlaetholWrecsam ddechrau Awst.

Cynigwyd y wobr eleni am gyfrol o dan40,000 gair yn dwyn y teitl‘Gwrthryfel’, ac fe’I henillwyd ganManon am nofel, Neb ond Ni, sy’n sônam y berthynas ryfedd rhwng Dewi aSiriol, dau o blant a chanddyntanghenion arbennig.

Ychwanegwyd at yr achlysur gan yffaith mai g˘r Manon, yrArchdderwydd T. James Jones, aweinyddai’r seremoni wobryo.

HISTORY NOTESForty-one people turned up forthe “Open Doors” walk onSunday, 11th September. Thewalk ended at the MelingriffithWheel which was working afterits recent restoration and SteveRowson – an expert on theGlamorganshire canal – was onhand to explain the history.

The History Society’s nextmeeting is a talk by Liz Pitmanentitled “Pigsties and Paradise”,a look at a nineteenth centurydiarists visit to Glamorgan. Themeeting is on Thursday, 10thNovember at 7.30pm in the OldChurch Rooms. All arewelcome.

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

Who was there, where did they live andwhat did they do?

Now, through the fully available 1911Population Census, we can take anexact one-hundred-year look back intime at the lives of Radyr andMorganstown residents who were (it issometimes alleged) “basking in the sunof the late Edwardian Era” (the horrorsof the First World War being just overthe horizon).

In 1911, Radyr and Morganstown had apopulation of some 1,340 in 261dwellings, which included about 100souls in that part of the parish which isnow separate from our communitycouncil area and lies in Danescourt andwest of the Llantrisant Road. It was atime of considerable influx to the areaand many families were newcomers withnumbers in the villages having increasedby over 400 in the preceding ten years.The only named roads were WindsorRoad, Junction Terrace, Station Roadand Woodfield Terrace in Radyr wheremost of the growth had been.Morganstown had been largelycompleted earlier in the century withChapel Road, Gelynis Terrace, PostOffice Row, Springfield Gardens andTeamans Row (see “The Story of theWilliams Family and the Making ofMorganstown” available at the CardiffLibraries). Main Road ran the length ofRadyr and Morganstown.

This mass of intriguing detail can bestudied at the new Glamorgan ArchivesCentre off Sloper Road at Leckwith, oron-line with the aid of Findmypast orAncestry. Our many new 21st centuryincomers to the village could find this agood introduction to researching localhistory. As a ‘taster’, a few of theaspects of life in 1911 Radyr andMorganstown are highlighted here.

How Welsh was Radyr? Not very, is theanswer. Only 164 persons claimed tospeak Welsh, while just over half of the261 households were headed by anadult born in Wales (and a great numberof those were from ‘debatable’Monmouthshire). Most of theimmigrants were, not unexpectedly,from the neighbouring ‘ring’ of WestCountry counties – Hereford, Gloucester,Somerset and Devon. Several otherEnglish counties also contributed, whilethe only slightly more ‘exotic’ householdheads were John Templeton, Maes yLlech Farm, from Ayrshire, Scotland;Isaac Williams, Bryn Melyn, Station

Marjoram, the “golf club maker” and hisfamily were in Main Road, HenryGooding the “golf groundsman” had towalk from Rose Tree Cottage inMorganstown to get to the club,perhaps with young Reginald Francis,age 14, who lived in Gelynis Terrace andwas a “caddy”. Or, maybe Henrypicked up his fellow Devonian elderbrother Thomas, who was also agreenkeeper at the club and lived atDriscoll Cottages.

The area, by 1911, had a fairly goodrange of public and private services. ThePrimary School (in what would becomePark Road) was partially complementedby the private St. Winifred’s School inMain Road, Radyr, run by Miss BerthaWilson and one teacher for bothboarders and day pupils. The oldestablished church of St. John Baptist inthe south of the parish had been joinedby the new Christ Church in 1904 tocater for the growth of populationnearer the centre of the village. Non-conformists had been served by BethelChapel in Morganstown since 1842,while competition was provided in 1901by a new Methodist Church in Radyr.Also providing competition was theancient Ty-Yn-Y-Nant Inn at thenorthern entrance to Morganstown,with host John Jones from Devon“assisted in business” by three of hisadult children. More solid sustenancecould be had at the bakers (sharing thepost office) in Morganstown, Newman’sgrocery in Chapel Road and The Shoprun by the Woods’ family in StationRoad. Constable Davies lived, with hisfamily, in the police station on MainRoad, which had been the prominenthouse on the rise built by MorganWilliams, the founder and developer ofMorganstown and which still stands as“Woodfield” overlooking the “grannypark”.

Of course, most of the land was farmedand much of interest can be found inexamining the Census returns of theBales of Gylinis, the Watkins of Cwm,the Llewellens of Goitre, the Templetonsof Maes y Llech, the Lowries of RadyrFarm and the Bassetts of Waterhall.

In some ways it must seem like anotherworld (especially to schoolchildrentaking up local history), but many wholived in that era were readily recalled byfriends and relatives (and severalsurvivors were interviewed) when theRadyr Local History Group published its“Memories” in 1993.

Cliff Curry - Radyr. August, 2011.

Road, “Commercial Traveller Tea”, bornin Cork; Joseph Piffarette, The Laurels,Main Road (now Heol Isaf), “WholesaleShips Stores Dealer” from Switzerlandand Jacques Dupont, “Coal ExportManager”, Dhu Artach, Main Road, alsofrom Switzerland.

The ‘big houses’ were probably at their‘peak’ at that time. The largest of all wasColonel Henry Oakden Fisher’s “TyMynydd”, with five indoor servants andthree outdoor workers to look aftertwenty rooms, a family of five and thegrounds. Also on the ‘estate’ were threecottages for a gamekeeper, a gardenerand a butler/valet; plus The Lodge forthe coachman and the laundry run by awidow with her 7-year-old son. Onlyslightly less grand were the FranklinThomases of Dan-y-Bryn, the Joneses atFrondeg and the Lewises of TynantHouse.

The ‘small houses’ are just as interesting.For example, The Old Mill (now a ruin)at the confluence of the Ty Nant and theTaff had four rooms for the six occupantsof a cowman’s household. One of theMaerdy cottages (on the golf course)had only three rooms for the Bodenhamparents and their seven sons. Theadjoining cottage did have threedaughters! Smaller still were the fourgypsy caravans (one with nine in thefamily) drawn up in Quarry Road (nearRadyr Court) where the Prices andThomases all claimed to be “basket andpeg makers”.

A good example of the many newmiddle class households could be St.Elmo on Main Road, Radyr, whereMatthew Warren, 43, born in Cheshire,Clerk of the Rural District Council, livedin eight rooms with his wife Beatrice, 34,born in Staffordshire, two sons, twodaughters (all born locally) and onefemale servant. Another was Bronwydd,Golf Road (now part of Windsor Road),where Floyd Stephens, born in Cardiff,was a 37 year-old “toy and fancydealer” living with his (Welsh speaking)wife Edith, 36, from Pembrokeshire,their two daughters born in Cardiff anda “sick nurse” from Durham.

The presence of Radyr Golf Club,founded in 1902 (see Ron Jones’ officialcentenary history “Playing throughTime”), was felt across the village by1911. James Randall, the steward andhis wife, the stewardess, lived with a sonand two female servants in the fourrooms of Golf Club House. Harry

RADYR – ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO

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

NEWS FROM RADYR &MORGANSTOWN

WOMENS’S INSTITUTEThough we held no meeting inAugust we did have a “day out” toAberglasney which was veryenjoyable. It included a stroll aroundthe beautiful gardens, a talk about thehistory of the buildings and some ofthe very colourful characters who hadlived there and, of course, the usualobligatory leisurely lunch break.

On 12th September, we resumed ourmeetings when Jan Gosney was thespeaker as the first meeting of theAutumn term. Her talk “Sea Shells ofthe World” was the result of a longinterest in shells, all her extensiveknowledge gleaned by means of selfstudy. Her exhibition included manybeautiful examples and items ofjewellery such as pearls and cameos.

Also in the September meeting as wellas the usual business, Anne-MariePhillips gave a brief presentation on“Operation Christmas Child”. This

was an appeal to WI members to fill ashoe box with suitable Christmas giftsfor a child in the impoverishedcountries of Eastern Europe. In pastyears she has had a very goodresponse from us and many otherorganisations in the village. She ishoping to replicate past success thisyear.

By the time the next “Chain” is inprint we will have held our annualbirthday celebration at Radyr GolfClub on Monday, 3rd October. Thefollowing weeks, Monday, 10thOctober, will be our 600th meeting ofthe Institute. To mark this occasion,we are planning to hold an exhibitionof our current activities and our pasthistory and achievements, includingthe famous WI pantomimes of the80’s.

Monday, 14th November is the dateof our Annual Meeting when we willelect new officers and committeemembers. Nora Starkey, ourProgramme Secretary, Val Convery,our Secretary and I will be standing

down this year. Val and I have servedeight years on committee duringwhich we have both been Presidents.We have enjoyed our committeeyears very much but feel it is time fornew people with fresh ideas to takeover. When it was first formed, Radyr& Morganstown Institute instigatedthe rule that the President should bein post for a maximum of three years,a wise decision which ensures that theorganisation continues to change anddevelop. However, I shall stillcontinue as the “Chain”correspondent and will activelysupport our Institute in all itundertakes.

Until November, should anyone beinterested in more information,contact Lesley Hall 2084 3630 or ValConvery 2020 6130 or visit ourwebsite.

The names of new officers andcontact numbers will be published insubsequent editions of the RadyrChain after our November election.

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

RADYR &MORGANSTOWN/ST.

PHILBERT DE GRAND LIEUTWINNING FELLOWSHIP

The Twinning Committee weredelighted when Bryn Deri Schoolagreed to move their annual visit toJean Rostand School in St. Philbert tocoincide with the 25th Anniversary ofthe Twinning in St. Philbert in May.We were also very pleased thatCouncillor Mike Diment agreed tocome along, with his wife Ruth, torepresent our Community Council.

Our numbers were slightly down forthis celebratory occasion as severalTwinning family weddings were takingplace around this time. One of theseinvolved Chairman Caroline Williamsso our past Chairman, Maggie Roberts,ably deputised.

St. Philbert Council had taken over thearrangements for this very specialweekend and invited their other Twintown of Bickenbach, Frankfurt,German, to join us, to celebrate theirfifth anniversary. They had certainlygone to town … St. Philbert wasadorned with flags and banners, shopshad displays and the streets weredecorated with stencilled dragons orGerman flags. Although both groupswere only there for a weekend, aweek-long Festival had been arrangedin conjunction with the two Twinningcommittees. Activities included films,conferences, discussion groups onEurope and exhibitions. Had weknown in advance, those of us whohad arrived earlier in the week couldhave possibly participated.

The Bickenbach party arrived mid-morning on Friday, 28th and weregiven a welcome luncheon. Later thatday at 6pm another welcomereception was held, this time for theWelsh Twinning members. We were,as always, very warmly greeted by ourhost families before the receptionwhich was quite unlike any that hadbeen held in previous years. TheGerman visitors also came along joinedby a noisy group of young men fromBelgium, in St. Philbert for the footballtournament. We were introduced to aline up of St. Philbert Councillors andothers who had been involved inplanning the week-long festivities.Speeches were made, twice translatedand other activities planned for theweekend announced … advance

effort into the weekend, which we allappreciated, but we felt that notenough emphasis was put on thereason for such celebrations – the St.Philbert/Radyr & Morganstown’s 25thAnniversary. This was due perhaps tothe fresh enthusiasm of those involvedwith Bikenbach.

Everyone had a good time and enjoyedthemselves over the weekend, as wealways do and the first timers thoughtit a wonderful experience. Wecontinue to have a very strong bond offriendship with our French friends andare looking forward to welcomingthem back to Radyr next May.

If you are interested in joining theexciting Twinning Fellowship for an

insightful taste of France, outcommittee would be happy to hearfrom you. Phone: Caroline 2084

2250, Diana 2056 4711 or Maggie2084 2995 for more information.

knowledge would have meant thatsome of us could have tried the Nordicwalking and Archery.

The rest of the evening was spent withour host families and friends at dinnerparties and soirees and as usual we allhad a lively and very enjoyable time.

Saturday morning most of the WelshTwinners headed off to visit ChateauLa Chabotterie, a very importanthistoric site during the terrible Vendeewars that took place during the FrenchRevolution. A very interesting andinformative morning was enjoyed byall including some of the Germanvisitors which gave us an opportunityto get to know them. Those among uswho had met the visitors fromBickenbach on other occasions werehappy to be re-acquainted.

The official ceremony to celebrate bothanniversaries was held later thatafternoon in the 9th Century Abbey.We were joined by the school childrenwho opened the proceedings withtraditional songs. The May of St.Philbert, Monique Rabin, then spokefollowed by Councillor Mike Dimentand the Mayor of Bickenbach, GunterMartini. Chairmen Alain Fourrier,Claude Limonnier, Maggie Roberts andKarin Coradill then spoke on behalf ofthe respective Twinning Fellowships.This was followed by the signing of theCharters, reaffirming our friendshipand the exchange of gifts. A delightfulchampagne reception followed in theAbbey gardens before the AnniversaryDinner of Breton fare with traditionalfolk music and dancing in the spaciouscommunity centre.

The Sunday morning conference waschaired by the Regional EuropeanRepresentative, the theme being“Twinning in 2011- What’s thepoint?” Significantly, this wasattended by few of the visitors,although challenging issues concerningthe future of twinning were raised (onwhich UK enquiries are now in train).In the afternoon there were games andexhibitions with interesting regionalfood tasting and displays in thelandscaped grounds of a formernunnery but we were unable tocontribute as we had not received anyadvance information. In the eveningthis event developed into a “bigcountry picnic” which united residentsand visitors and ended with amagnificent fireworks display.

St. Philbert Council put an enormous

ARE YOU RETIRED?WOULD YOU LIKE SOME COMPANY?

If your answer was yes to both ofthese questions come and join Radyrand District Good NeighbourScheme. Our coffee morning is heldevery Wednesday in RadyrMethodist Church Hall, just £1. for acup of freshly made coffee and abiscuit. No fund raising, just a small,friendly group who meet for a chatand a cuppa from 10.30-11.30.

We also have a weekly lunch clubevery Friday in the Old ChurchRooms, where a hot, two-coursemeal, cup of tea or coffee and a raffleare available, all for just £4.00. Newmembers always welcome (we havemale and female members). Thelunch club must be pre-booked bycontacting Radyr & District GoodNeighbour Scheme, by 9.30am onthe preceding Thursday. No need tobook for the coffee morning, just callin if you are passing.

If you would like to join either ofthese groups but you are unable towalk to the venues or use publictransport, we may be able to helpyou with a lift with one of ourvolunteers.

Telephone 2084 2404 to book aplace at the lunch club or for moreinformation about Radyr andDistrict Good Neighbour Scheme.

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

RADYR LAWNTENNIS CLUB

It’s an exciting time for Radyr LawnTennis Club – we have a new coach whojoined the club in August and we’reworking hard towards making the clubeven bigger and better.

Our new coach is Drew Lumb, who hasjoined RLTC from Caerphilly and hasalready introduced a hectic schedule ofcoaching for juniors and adults, offeringa range of coaching for all ages andlevels.

And if you’re a budding Sharapova orMurray but haven’t played since you leftschool, don’t worry! There’s even RustyRackets coaching for adults keen to getback into the game.

As well as lessons for kids, ranging fromMini Tots (aimed at 2-4 year olds) up tohigh school level, Drew has introduced anew singles ladder, touch tennis, anover-50s drop-in session, daytime adultcoaching and cardiotennis – a fantasticworkout which may even improve yourtennis skills too!

We enjoyed a very successful OpenWeek – with Theresa Evans winning thewomen’s singles title and ladies doubleswith her partner, Helen Morteo and anew member, Richard Greaves winningthe men’s singles and mixed doubleswith his partner, Michelle de Villiers.

The infamous beer and wine was alsoenjoyed by all, with Theresa Evansadding to her trophy tally by winningalongside Simon Coley. The Celts tookon the English on the August bankholiday weekend tournament and theclub also hosted the Open Junior RadyrTournament.

Teas on a Saturday afternoon haveremained hugely popular with everyone– what could be better than a game oftennis followed by cake and sandwicheson a sunny (or wet) afternoon?

We also have plenty of events to lookforward to, including the conclusion ofour handicaps tournament, the annualprogressive supper (the perfect way tomeet members you haven’t got round totalking to yet) and our Fireworksextravaganza on Saturday, 5thNovember. Come and enjoy thespectacular Fireworks Display with a pintand a hotdog from the barbecue, as wellas plenty of sweets and drinks for thechildren. Look out for our advertisingbanner outside the club, with moredetails. We also have a brand new

website, making it much easier to findout more about the club, withmembership details and forms, coachinginformation and plenty of info about theclub. Log on to www.radyrtennis.co.ukwww.facebook.com/RadyrTennisClub forfurther information and additional tennisevents throughout the year.

Don’t forget we also have a big screenfor all the big sporting events, especiallythe Rugby World Cup and key footballmatches and a well-stocked bar forplaying and non-playing members.

Drew Lumb

DIOLCH/THANK YOUI bawb sydd wedi cyfrannu: Cetris Inc,Hen Ffonau Symudol a Stampiau wedieu defnyddio yn Llyfrgell Radur atymgyrch Merched y Wawr/Achub yPlant. O ddiwedd Medi byddwn ynterfynu’r casgliad hwn. Rydym ynfaich o gyhoeddi fod ymgyrchMerched Y Wawr, trwy Gymru eleniwedi cyfrannu dros £9,000. I gronfaAchub y Plant.

To everyone who contributed: used inkcartridges, old mobile phones andused stamps to Merched yWawr/Save the Children project atRadyr Library. As from the end ofSeptember, this collection will cease.We are pleased to announce that theMerched Y Wawr project for this year,throughout Wales, contributed over£9,000. to Save the Children.

SCIENTISTS OF WALES– POSTERS PROJECT

Over the period 1992-1995 I produced aset of four posters indicating aspects of thelife and work of scientists of Wales. Thiswas done with the help of officers of theWelsh Joint Education Committee with agrant from the then Welsh Office.

Each poster carries information about eachof ten scientists (face photo, briefbiographical information, strikinglycoloured background pictures indicatingthe scientist’s principal field of interest).Thus the set of posters depicts fortyscientists. The textual information is inWelsh on one side and in English on theother side of each poster. One set was sentto every school and college in Wales fordisplay; many are still to be seen. Most ofthe depicted scientists were still active.

The posters were produced in order toconvey some knowledge of the richinheritance of Wales with respect toscience, an inheritance still in process. Thereason for showing some biographicalinformation, most significantly the namesof schools attended by each scientist, was

to inform the young observers that thesefamous people had actually attended ‘our’school, thus planting the seed that sciencewas a pursuit for all, not confined tosomeone rich who attended a favouredschool faraway.

The passage of time since 1992 has takenits inevitable toll, so I have embarked on aproject to produce another set of posters,depicting a new gallery of those who havepursued and are pursuing the sciences. Inthis context, ‘science’ is given a wideinterpretation, encompassing thedisciplines that arise from classical biology,chemistry and physics. To this extent, theposters will not depict those engaged in‘social sciences’, but will, on this occasion,include mathematics, computer scienceand information technology, thus betterreflecting some changes that have becomeprominent since 1992.

There is only ONE condition for a scientistto be considered for inclusion on theposters, namely that he/she shall havebeen educated in schools in Wales, eitherprimary or secondary or both. This isbecause the main function of the posters isto inform and encourage those who areengaged in science courses in Wales. Bynow these courses are collectively knownby the acronym STEM (science,technology, engineering, mathematics).

I completed a new set of four posters (42persons depicted) in April this year. Withfunds from the Welsh AssemblyGovernment for printing and distribution,each of 1633 schools in Wales received aset in May. Copies of the 1995 set are nowout of print, but the new sets (four posters)are available from me for £10. each.

Neville Evans.

We welcome a new Councillor to R&MCC: Cllr Ann Martin-Jones was co-opted in July. CllrJones lives in Morganstown and brings another business person's knowledge to the Councilas proprietor of The Filling Station in Station Road.

In early September there was a meeting to discuss ideas for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in June 2012.We were delighted with the suggestions put forward and the number of people who have said they would like tobe involved. There is a Soapbox discussion on the R&M website where you can see a list of possible eventsand other comments. We are starting to narrow down the possibilities by looking at costs, timings andpracticalities. Please feel free to add your thoughts on the Soapbox or contact me if you have any suggestions.We will keep you informed of the plans through the website and in the Radyr Chain.

On September 17 we held an environmental event in Windsor Gardens. The heavy rain held off and we had alot of fun planting shrubs and bulbs, making bird and bat boxes, finding out about our woodlands and weavingwillow into dream catchers and sharks! Many thanks to everyone who worked hard to make the event happenand to the Radyr Methodist Church who kindly let us use their facilities. See photos on front cover.

Helena Fox - Clerk to R&MCC

Radyr & Morganstown Community Council, The Old Church Rooms, Park Rd., Radyr, Cardiff, CF15 8DF.Tel: 029 2084 2213. E-Mail: clerk@radyr.org.uk

Clerk/Clerc: Helena Fox

RADYR AND MORGANSTOWN COMMUNITY COUNCIL’S COLUMNS

So much ofour summer weather depends on the position ofthe Azores area of high pressure to the SW of the UK and

the area of low pressure in the Iceland area.More often than not the UK liesbetween these two pressure areas,with the southern parts having the bestweather ( no doubt cricket lovers will have noticed)

Sometimes the Azores High moves north to give good weather,but if it is too farto the west it allows cool Wly winds to develop over the British Isles whilst atother the low pressure moves south from Iceland giving us changeableweather.mostly in Northern Areas.This is the pattern this year leading to thecoldest daytime temperatures since 2001. However since 2001 there have been5 wetter and 5 drier summers.

The summer pattern described above can change in September as thehurricane season in the western Atlantic reaches a peak around the loth as seatemperatures reach their warmest.This sometimes leads to hurricanes movingeast across the Atlantic reaching the British Isles as a deep and intense autumngale,as recently experienced in Scotland and northern England.,this started itslife as a tropical wave,becoming a hurricane and then a deep Atlanticdepression.

The weather summary - by John Trenchard

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

SAILOR BEWAREFor their autumn production the DramaSociety have decided on the hilarious1950’s comedy Sailor Beware. Eventoday it is unusual for a play to open inthe West End of London without a starname to draw in the audience. SailorBeware was the exception. It opened atthe Strand Theatre in 1955 with no stars.Back in 1955 all the London pressattended the first night and reviewsappeared the following morning. PeggyMount made such an impression as thebattleaxe, Emma Hornett, that she wasinstantly shot to stardom and by the timethat she arrived at the Strand Theatre onthe second night, her name was up inlights, “Peggy Mount in Sailor Beware”.

She later went on to repeat the part inthe film version with Shirley Eaton as herdaughter and Gordon Jackson as theScottish best man, Carnoustie.

Sailor Beware takes place over two days,the day before and the day of thedaughter’s wedding. Emma has had nohelp from her hen-pecked, ferretfancying husband, Henry. She blamesHenry for introducing Shirley to theorphaned sailor, Alfred, of whom shecertainly does not approve. Ad a battysister-in-law, a nosy neighbour, aScottish best man who’s afraid of womenand a scheming bridesmaid, togetherwith a dose of measles and you have theperfect set up for a classic farce.

Many of the Drama Society’s regulars

will be seen in the production, HelenWindsor as Emma, Roger Page as Henry,Zoë Pearce as the batty sister-in-law andPauline Watson as the nosy neighbour,Mrs. Lack. Three newcomers to theSociety play the younger parts and SailorBeware will see the welcome return ofJim Cowan as the Scottish best man,Carnoustie Bligh.

Allan Cook, who is directing thisproduction, said “I normally prefer towork in the round, but this classic farceneeds the claustrophobic north countryliving room that you get with aproscenium production and I know thatDave Burgess will give me one of hisclassic sets”.

Sailor Beware can be seen atMorganstown Village Hall onThursday, Friday and SaturdayNovember 24-26 at 7.30pm.

Tickets £8. Adult. £7. Concession. £5.Child/Students

From Veg Vendor, Station Road, Radyr,Sheila Phillips 2084 2585

Allan Cook 2084 3176

Medical help will be on hand for thosewho can’t stop laughing.

www.radyr.org.uk is…a photo-archive for our local community 25

I used to have a good appetite but lately Ifind that I’m just picking at food when I’m athome and I can’t be bothered to cook aproper meal anymore. The other day Irealised that I was sitting in front of the TV,eating an assortment of food from the fridgeonly because it was close to its use-by date.

As long as your general health is ok and youare not experiencing major changes in yoursleep patterns or mood swings, it might justbe that you are in a rut. If you are picking atsnacks and junk food then it is probablybecause they are available in your kitchen.One of the opportunities to kick start yourselfback into healthy eating habits is to start witha shopping list, written at a time when youare feeling positive and self disciplined. Asyou increase the amount of fruit andvegetables in your kitchen and review thetype of snacks that you are buying, it willmake it harder to get away with just reachingfor a packet of noodles for tea!

One technique is to imagine that you arehaving a guest to stay with you – even a filmstar if you want! Each time you sit down toeat, your guest is having the same meal.Would you give a friend or neighbour cheese,crackers and a banana for an evening mealon a cold night? Would you give a specialguest a cup of packet soup in a mug whilstyou stared listlessly at something bland onthe TV? Try and make each meal time anoccasion. Bring out your favourite crockery,your best glass or mug, set the table and treatyourself as if you were your best friend.

You might even think about joining a cookeryevening class – not only will you definitelyhave something new and different to each atleast once a week, it may stimulate yourinterest into trying new dishes and invitingfriends round to sample them!

I share an office with five other people andwhilst some of the time we all seem to get onwell and we have a good laugh, there aresome days when they seem to complainabout the slightest thing and it feels like allthey do is whinge all day. It’s really gettingme down. I tend to think of myself as apositive, happy, easy-going person but somedays I leave work and I feel as though I can’tface going back the next day.

Sometimes it’s ok to have a bit of a moanabout the weather or the traffic as it can justbe small talk to start the day off. However,when others join in, I tend to picture it as asort of tornado. Whilst initially the energywas just moving between two people as theyexchanged whinges as more people join in,the energy begins to tale pm a swirling effectand starts to spin.

It is fed by people’s negativity yet after awhile it takes on a force of its own andactually starts to spin faster, drawing energyfrom everyone it touches. If you can imaginethis tornado beginning to spin around theoffice and even drawing energy from peoplewho visit the room and who contribute witha whinge of their own, you will begin to seehow it is draining the energy from everyone.By the end of the day, it has burnt out, lavingyou feeling exhausted.

The good news is, it can be resolved. If youfeel confident to share your experience withyour colleagues, you could agree a codeword – just as tornado – to highlight whensomeone has started moaning. Often peopledon’t realise they are even doing it. Ofcourse, there may well be one or twopersistent moaners but the problem onlystarts when others join in, so by encouragingthe majority to not join in, to change thesubject and to keep things light, I’m sure itwon’t be long before your happy-go-luckyenergy is buzzing around the office again.

Just Ask JaneJustAskJane@orangehome.co.uk

Jane is an experienced Change Coach and any questions can be sent to her atJustAskJane@Orangehome.co.uk Jane will try and respond to all emails, but pleaseinclude a comment as to whether you would agree for your question to be published

CHAIN COOKERYCORNER

Summer Fish Quiche 10 in. (25cm) chilled quiche case2 medium onions1 tin tuna (7oz. 200g)4oz. (100g) peeled prawns4 anchovy fillets1 oz. butterSmall bunch parsley1 tbs. oil1 carton cottage cheese (4oz. 100g)4 eggs1/4 pint single cream (5fl. Oz. 150ml)or yoghurtSalt and pepperPinch Cayenne 3oz. (75g) Cheddar Cheese1 oz. white breadcrumbs

Peel onions and chop finelyMelt butter with oil and cook onionsover low heat until softGrate cheeseDrain tuna and flake.Using a food processor or beating byhand, mix together cottage cheese,cream, eggs, seasoning, anchovies, halfcheese and parsley.Spread onions and tuna over base ofpastry case.Spread prawns on top.Pour over egg mixture and top withbreadcrumbs and remaining cheese.Bake at 375. 190C Reg. 5 for about 35minutes until golden.

QUICHE PASTRYThis is quite a different pastry recipethat can be rolled out to line the quichedish/tin, chilled, then filled and bakedWITHOUT the need to bake blind.

To make two 10 inch (25cm) cases:12 oz. (350g) SR flourPinch of salt5oz. (150g) butter or margarine1 small eggDry sherry or dry white wine

Sieve dry ingredients into mixing bowl.Cut butter into small pieces and rub inuntil fine. Beat egg and add to flourusing a knife. Gradually add enoughliquid until dough forms a ball aroundknife. Cover and place in fridge to cool.Roll out to fit quiche dishes, prick thebase with fork and chill until use.

A.M.P.

Erratum: 1 heaped teaspoon bicarbonateof soda was omitted from the GingerCake recipe in the last issue - apologies.

CRAFT COUNCILCan you knit or crochet?

Craft Club is a national scheme to teachchildren yarn skills in fun and livelycommunity settings using the help ofvolunteers. If you can knit or crochetand want to learn how to pass on theseskills, come and join us at one of the freeCraft Club volunteer training daystaking place across the UK fromSeptember.

After a successful first year with over350 active clubs in schools Craft Club isexpanding in to community settingsincluding museums, cinemas andlibraries. It will work on the samepremise with volunteers passing on theirskills to others in a fun and livelyenvironment – in this case to parents aswell as children.

There are seven confirmed training daysacross the UK. More will be announcedsoon on the Craft Club website.

If you can’t commit to a whole day, youcan find out more about Craft Club withour short talks at the Knitting andStitching Show, Alexandra Palace, 6-9October. Book your free place at one ofthese talks here.

National Wool Museum,Carmarthenshire – 14 October, 2011.

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

Neville Evans was this year’s recipient ofthis Medal; it was presented to him at theEisteddfod, which this year was held inWrexham. The Medal is awarded ‘toacknowledge and honour a substantialcontribution to the use of Welsh in theworld of science’. The Eisteddfod is anannual festival of literature and music, butby now (forty years after the first‘incursion’ of science) the science andtechnology pavilion is a very popularattraction. The Eisteddfod moves to adifferent location each year, attractingabout 20,000 visitors daily over the week(always the first full week of August) of itsevents.

After a short formal presentation of theMedal by the President of the Court of theEisteddfod in the main pavilion (about3000 seats), a special presentationceremony, arranged by the Central SciencePanel of the Eisteddfod, was held in one ofthe smaller (250 seats) locations, ThePagoda.

At this ceremony, after a statement by theChairman of the selection panel about theprocess of choosing the winner of theMedal and the reasons for this year’schoice, Neville was duly re-presented withhis medal (that is, the medal on its ribbonwas again hung around his neck) by theChairman of the Eisteddfod Council.

This was followed by the presentation of aframed poem which had been written byGlenys Roberts, who lives in Llantrisant.She was last year’s winner of the Crown(one of the two prestigious poetrycompetitions, the other is for the Chair).The Crown is awarded for the best poemwritten in free verse, while the Chair is forthe best in the strict metre of Cynghanedd,an ancient poetic style. It was especiallypleasing for Neville that Glenys herself was

present to read her poem, which tracedNeville’s early years, his love of science andhis dedication to the promotion of sciencethroughout his life.

Then followed a tribute by anotherscientist, who was a contemporary ofNeville’s at Swansea University; for severalyears the two have done a lot with respectto science in the Eisteddfod and in otherways.

To end, a choir of young girls sang twounaccompanied songs, one a hymn,Pererin Wyf (Pilgrim that I am) to the tuneAmazing Grace and a folk tune Deryn ybwn o’r Bala (just a bit of fun). They wereconducted by Angharad Thomas (also aphysicist, as well as a gifted harpist andsoprano), well-known to Neville; she is theWales Field Officer of the Institute ofPhysics to which Neville has belonged forover fifty years.

This year was actually a two-celebrationevent because on the following day Nevillewas received into the Gorsedd (Institution)of Bards. It was, fortunately, a lovelysunny day so the ceremony was heldoutside. Neville wore a green robe andhead-dress. Lots of people have askedabout the differences in the colours ofrobes and how they are warded. I will tryto explain in simple terms. The green robes– The Ovate Order – are awarded inappreciation of ‘substantial service toWales’; among those with Neville wasNigel Owens, the international rugbyreferee. The white robes – The DruidicOrder – are for those who have made a‘substantial contribution to Literature,Music, Scholarship or Art in Wales andothers ‘for their recognised contribution’,often in their fields of expertise; a fewyears ago The Archbishop of Canterbury,Dr. Rowan Williams, was recognised, as

was Robert Croft, the Glamorgan cricketer.The blue robes are for those who havepassed the Gorsedd examination;graduates of the universities of Wales inWelsh and Music may apply for acceptanceto this Order.

Those who wear white and have a greenheadband (laurel leaves) are those whohave been winners of past competitions forthe Crown, the Chair or the Prose Medal.

Each person who belongs to the Gorseddhas a bardic name. Neville’s bardic name isNefyl Gendros–Nedd. He chose this, partlybecause he has always wanted to have ahyphenated surname, but mostly toacknowledge his upbringing in Gendroswhich is on the western outskirts ofSwansea and in the Neath area.

The event takes place (weather permitting)within the circle of Gorsedd Stones close tothe main Eisteddfod field; these stones arereminiscent of Stonehenge in their shapebut smaller. Up until a few years ago eachEisteddfod had its own stones, whichusually remained at the location of theEisteddfod (e.g. Ynysangharad Park inPontypridd). However, the logistics offinding and placing these large stones at achosen location each year becameproblematic, so now the stones are madeof heavy plastic and are used each yearwherever the Eisteddfod is held.

The ceremony to receive new bards is acolourful spectacle with the existing bardssitting in an arc together in their differentcoloured robes; invited guests (usuallyfamilies of the new bards) complete thecircle. Spectators form an outer circle asbest they can to get a good view. TheArchdruid, who serves for three years,stands in the middle on a large stone (YMaen Llog/The Logan Stone). Theproceedings open with a prayer, a hymn, afloral dance by a group of about sixteenprimary age girls and the presentation ofthe Blodeuged, a sheaf of ‘flowers from theland and soil of Wales’, by a young womanof the area of the Eisteddfod to theArchdruid.

Each new member (on this occasion, 19green, 13 white) is called to the LoganStone and a short description of him or heris read out and the bardic nameannounced. He/she is then welcomed tothe Gorsedd by the Archdruid. When allhave been received, the ceremony closeswith the national anthem.

It is worth mentioning that although theGorsedd has druidic similarities, there isnothing pseudo-religious, certainly notsacrilegious, about the ceremonies. Thewhole enterprise is intended to honour thebest of Wales and the dressing-up is just abit of theatre, just like weddings and othercelebrations.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY MEDAL OF THE NATIONALEISTEDDFOD OF WALES, AUGUST 2011.

I have never written an article for theRadyr Chain before so I hope youenjoy this. The Malvern Challenge is aweekend especially for Scouts andGuides, to come together, and at theend the aim is to feel as if you haveachieved something and to have fun.

So, on Friday afternoon some verylucky people got the afternoon offschool. Sadly I was not one of thesepeople. They set up the tents andthen went to the pub for dinner. Asusual me and my sister Nia (and mymum) were the last to arrive. I blamemy dad (only joking). When we gotthere it was raining so we went downto the barn. The barn is a place whereyou can go if you want to listen tosome good music or watch someentertainers. They do a talent showand as one of the acts started singingHigh School Musical, there were loadsof people that turned around andheaded for the door. Also, although Ididn't see it, apparently one of theleaders got a tinsy bit tipsy, so whenyou see this - You know who you areand I've read the leaders booklet andyou are not allowed to get drunk onscout camp!!! That's also a warningfor any other scout leaders!! Now thatI will surely be kicked out of the Scoutgroup I can move onto the nextmorning.

We went to have our breakfast. Beansare supposed to be good for the heart,but by the time Malvern had ended Iwas sick of them. The breakfast wasgenerally good though and the veggiesausages were very nice. Then wecollected our lunch, our tactics werenot to push-in but to just queue-hop.That way we got to the front of everyqueue. When I found out my patrol Iwent to talk to them. Our patroldecided that we had to be the firstback so we were told that we had torun the whole 8 miles around thecourse. I refused and then got toldthat they would leave me behind then.We got told by our leaders David andMark to take it easy, but we still endedup running a lot of the way so I woke

up the next morning with a really soreleg. It didn't help that the tent wallswere really thin so that we were keptawake by people running aroundscreaming “Where's my tent” and“Free Hugs”. David and Mark turneddown my idea of doing loads offundraising, selling all the tents andthen buying those really bigcampervans or caravans.

On Saturday night we watched a fireshow and a strange contortionist, itwas disgusting and I felt slightly sick.He put a T-shirt in beer and thenthrew it out in to the audience. Oneof our scouts caught it but wheneveryone was trying to grab itsomeone ripped off the sleeve. Hewent back to the tents, smelling ofalcohol.

We were the only Scout group toenter the netball knockouttournament and came second, nottoo shabby. In the morning thepresentations happened. Our patroldid very well in the first aid controlpoint but we unfortunately did notget that medal, so we were all sunbathing and it said the winners ofCheck point 5 are 1st Radyr Scoutsand everyone was like oh, we won,wasn't expecting that! It made iteven better that it was my patrol thatgot the medal, coming an overall27th. Not bad considering there wereover 460 groups taking part. But oneof our other 1st Radyr team that dideven better, coming 5th overall.

Then we went on all of the rides,which were part of the MalvernChallenge fair and all of the rideswere really good. By that time wehad to go home. On the way homewe stared with jealousy at a car withits roof down as it was so hot andthen we fell asleep and didn't wakeup again before coming into ourhouse. My Mum read this andlaughed the whole way through sothis article can't be that bad can it?Anyway thank you for reading it.

By Erin Berry.

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

The MalvernChallenge 2011

GNOSTIC INSTITUTE OFANTHROPOLOGY

The time has arrived to search and getanswers to our most intimatequestions. To know one’s self is themost important step to give in ourlives. Have access to the knowledgeand practices given from ancientcivilizations to take the important stepto transform ourselves andconsequently our lives.

The Gnostic Institute of Anthropologyis an international organization, witha presence in UK for more thantwenty years and in Wales since2008. We are based in Radyr andfrequently give public lectures aboutdifferent subjects related with Art,Science, Philosophy and Mysticism.

Samael Aun Weor – founder of theGnostic Institute of Anthropologysays:

“To theorize is of no use, you must goto the heart of the matter, to the facts.The teaching is given in a dialecticway but I repeat, don’t simply contentyourselves with mere bookishinformation. Turn doctrine into facts.Today, with these practical andprecisely didactic exercises, anysincere aspirant can provoke a GreatChange, the authentic radicaltransformation. What is truly neededis continuing of purposes”.

Public Lectures for September, everyTuesday at 7.30pm, venue to beconfirmed.

6th SeptemberIntroduction to Meditation

13th SeptemberSelf Remember and Self

Observation20th September

Tibetan Secret of Rejuvenation27th September

Tibetan Secret of Rejuvenation II

For more information call us on2084 2342 or visit our website:

www.gnostic-institute.org/cardiff.htm

www.radyr.org.uk is…a window on our local history 27

RADYR &MORGANSTOWN

ASSOCIATIONHere is our usual run through ofsome items that have beeninteresting us recently.

We are a little concerned about thefuture of the regular PACT meeting(PACT stands for Partnerships andCommunities Together, by the way).If you look on the R&M website youwill find them described as a ‘forumwhere the police and other groupsthat serve Radyr and Morganstownmeet with residents. They take placeonce a month in order to deal withthe issues that affect resident. Theyare organised and run by the police’.Dr. Ralph Vaughan has been chairingthe meetings since their inceptionand doing a good job trying to holdthings together. However, he wouldlike to hand over to a successor andhas announced that he will standdown at the beginning of 2012.Councillor Rod McKerlich alwaysattends and gives a report.However, the meetings are not wellpromoted; they are seldom wellattended; the same people seem toattend on each occasion; and oftenthe same issues are raised.Unfortunately, the last meeting hadits date changed three times. TheAssociation are asking the question –who are the meetings for and whatthey are achieving.

You might conclude from this that weadvocate they cease, but that is notour intent. We would like to seethem built up and serving a widerpurpose. Where else can you attenda short (they normally last less thanan hour) open meeting to learnabout important aspects of ourCommunity, to raise any issues thatconcern you (not just police related)and actually prioritise matters ofimportance? So, please watch outfor the dates of future meetings.They should be listed in Radyr Chainbut they do change so check on theevents diary on the R&M website ifyou can. And come along and beinvolved. The next meeting isscheduled for Tuesday, 11th October.

As mentioned in the last RadyrChain, we are now planning theChristmas Tree lighting ceremony,which will be on Thursday, 8th

December. Thanks to funding fromboth the Community Council and thelocal shops we will definitely havenew lights in Station Road which willbe switched on at the same time asthe main Christmas Tree in WindsorPark. We have applied to haveStation Road closed (from 5pm) onthe evening to allow the set up ofstalls. There will be lots to do. Lookout for more details onadvertisements and on the R&Mwebsite – www.radyr.org.uk

Look out for more details of the nextAssociation meeting on 7thNovember. Rhodri Morgan (whoused to live in Radyr) will beaddressing us and he says he willchoose the topic nearer the time.Not to be missed!

We have just heard and we expectthis will be reported elsewhere in thisedition of Radyr Chain, about twoplanning matters. Firstly, planningpermission has been granted for thenew library in Park Road. Despite ourmisgivings about the way things havebeen handled, this is good news. Wehope to be involved in discussionsabout how the new building will befitted out. If we have any on-goingconcerns it is the length of time thelibrary will be shut. If we can find anymeans to minimise that, we will.Secondly, we have heard thatplanning permission has beenapplied for by Taylor Wimpey for tenhouses on what we have been callingthe ‘Community Plot’. Sad butinevitable. We do not think we willoppose the application. We arepretty certain that we will be able touse the plot this Christmas. Wealready have plans for adoptinganother site on the Sidingsdevelopment for future activities atChristmas and other times.

If you would like to become amember of the R&M Association(there is no charge for membershipand you will receive our regular two-monthly Newsletter), or would like tohear more about Associationactivities, contact the Secretary, NickHawkins (029 2084 2561 orrma@radyr.org.uk) or have a look atour web pages on www.radyr.org.uk.Incidentally, we will shortly beputting our newsletters on the villageweb site.

TREFORGAN WIEvents and opportunities proceedapace in Treforgan WI.This year weare the hosts for ‘the Taff Trailers’ – agroup consisting of the adjacent WI’sof Taffs Well and Tongwynlais,Pontcanna and Canton, Radyr andMorganstown and Treforgan whoenjoy getting together from time totime. In the past we have gone onwalks organised by Taffs Well andTongwynlais; visited Chapter theatrewith Pontcanna and Canton andjoined Radyr and Morganstown for aChristmas event. Now we have beenchallenged to a skittles match, we areplanning a Christmas eveninginvolving all of us and a memberfrom Treforgan went as a delegate tothe annual meeting of the nationalFederation of Women’s Institutes inLiverpool, bearing voting instructionsfrom all four ‘Taff Trailers’.

The adopted resolution concernedpublic libraries and we are nowcharged with preventing any furtherclosures. So ‘love your libraries’, ‘usethem or lose them’ and please signour petition if you are approached.Enough support and the governmentwill have to discuss the matter.

Closer to home, we have continuedwith our lively monthly meetings andexcursions. For example, we tried toride with Pedal Power again but rainstopped play. However, it was not sowet that we couldn’t enjoy the lunchwe had arranged in the Mochyn Dduon the same day. We went mapreading in Sophia Gardens – that wasrather muddy too. WE had a tour ofTaffs Well Quarry, equipped withfetching hard hats in daffodil yellow,again followed by lunch – this time inthe Tynant. Not all of us youunderstand, just the more energeticamongst us who chose to participate.

In August, our meeting was relaxedand self indulgent with a ‘strawberryspectacular’. We chatted overstrawberries and cream, strawberrysponge cakes and cheesecakes andhome-made strawberry jam. Therewere strawberry banners, crochetedstrawberries made into book marksand prizes of mugs with strawberrydecoration. An amble to see themedlar trees in the nearby park wasthe most strenuous activity on offer.

Plans for our programme for 2012are in hand and look intriguing. Formore information, contact Sue Smith2084 3920.

www.morganstown.org.uk is…a photo-archive for our local community14

generate funds for us without itcosting you a penny! Simply registerat www.easyfundraising.org.uk andselect Radyr Comprehensive SchoolAssociation as your cause to support.There are over 2000 retailers linked tothis portal who all offer a donation forpurchases made through the site withno extra cost to you. Please considersupporting us as you start to thinkabout your Christmas shopping.

Funds that we have raised over thepast two years have made a realdifference to the pupils at RadyrComprehensive School. We havepurchased electronic keyboards for themusic department, computers for thelibrary, made a donation to the schoolcouncil and most recently have fundeda Wireless Cloud System which allowswireless internet access for pupilswithin the school, while maintainingthe security of the school internetsystem. This will make a hugedifference to internet access for bothpupils and staff within the school.

Events planned for this term include aChristmas Shopping Evening in theschool hall in early November and aChristmas shopping trip to the BathChristmas Markets on Saturday, 26thNovember. For further details aboutthese events, please contactsusandavies@cardiff.gof.uk. Pleasesupport us in any way you can – weare not looking for a big commitmentbut are very grateful for any help sothat we can continue to support theexcellent work of all of the teachersand staff at Radyr ComprehensiveSchool.

Karen Pardy, Secretary, PSFA

RADYR COMPREHENSIVESCHOOL

PARENTS STAFF FRIENDSASSOCIATION

The Radyr Comprehensive SchoolParents Staff and Friends Association(PSFA) was re-launched two years agoand during that time we have beenworking hard to raise funds in supportof all the pupils at the school. Ourcommittee meets once a month duringterm time and new members arealways very welcome. With the re-launch we organised a logocompetition for pupils and receivedsome excellent and imaginativeentries. The competition was won byNia Berry 9S.

We have held a number of successfulfundraising events including a MurderMystery Evening, a Quiz night,Christmas Shopping evening and aseries of popular Car Boot Sales. Animportant source of funding remainsour subscription draw, with monthlycash prizes. Further details andinformation about the SubscriptionDraw can be found on the schoolwebsite.

Another source of funding is theeasyfundraising website. If you usethis portal to access a huge range ofon-line shopping sites you can

The difference between mymum and dad’s generationand ours is what they did whenthey were bored compared tous. As our parents ramble onabout how a ball gave them, aschildren, years of enjoyment,we just think “Not this again!!”

When we are bored, we play ‘Callof duty’ on the Playstation. I willadmit I love video games, blastingzombies, facebooking etc. Another

thing I like to do with my friends isa town trip.

We take the train to Cardiff QueenStreet and make our way to the St.David’s Centre. We look inHollister cloths shop, grab adoughnut, buy a copy of the latestgame. But how can we do thatwithout our whole wallet beingwashed out into an empty pitwhere we keep our “Krispy Kreme”loyalty cards? Well, it sounds hardbut I do it every time.

First I search online for deals onwebsites likewww.vouchercodes.com and see ifI can find some discount tokens.Occasionally you find some Tescoclub card points for a free meal[not including drinks!] which helpswith the budget.

When on the train always bring asmall bag of sweets, nothing fancyjust something cheap andshareable – it helps because thetrip is quite long but do not hop onthe wrong train [me and a fewfriends did and ended up in AberHalt which I now know is nearCaerphilly!!].

When in town have a good lookround and when choosing a t-shirttry to go a bit away from Hollister,it’s expensive and really notoriginal. Instead, try ‘Jack-Jones’ –they have trendy tops that could fityou as size small and are about tenpounds each.

Also, I would recommend a shopcalled ‘simply shakes’ that makeblended milkshakes out of milk, icecream and a chocolate of yourchoice – they are near the postoffice in the Queens Arcade andare better priced than their rivals!

When in the cinema treat yourself[my favourite is ‘Ben and Jerry’s’ice cream cookie dough flavour!]and make sure to see a goodmovie. If you’re there with a groupmake sure everyone pays for theirown tickets because it’s fair thatway!

You could become a member ofyour cinema or order your ticketsonline but I would recommendchecking the time first and makingsure your group all want to see themovie. But here is a tried andtested idea – try to squeeze all yourfriends into a photo booth with aphoto for one!

So there you have it – a brilliant dayout that’s changed a lot in ageneration. What did yourgeneration do when they weretwelve?

Matthew Walker[Aged 12]

A TWELVE YEAR OLD’S TRIPINTO TOWN …

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

NAMIBIAEXPEDITION

2012In the summer holidays of 2012, Iwill be part of a group of 22 studentsand 4 teachers from RadyrComprehensive School who aregoing on a month long expedition toNamibia, in South West Africa. Thisexpedition is organised partly by thecompany Outlook Expeditions andpartly by us, the students. OutlookExpeditions chose the destination,we decided on the itinerary. Thisincludes:

A week long community project, inwhich my group and I will help builda pre-primary school and a village incentral Namibia. Aim: to gainexperience of different cultures andto help the local community.

A wildlife tour in one of Namibia’sfamous National Parks. Aim: tofurther our knowledge of Namibia.

A sightseeing visit to see the oldestsand dunes in the world. Aim: to seesome of Namibia’s most famous andbeautiful venues.

A week long trek in the Naukluftmountains. Aim: to build teamworkskills and further personaldevelopment.

As an expedition like this is veryexpensive, every member of thegroup is responsible forindependently raising their ownfunds. Some of the methods includebagpacking, selling raffle tickets andtaking part in sponsored events. Lastweekend, I completed a sponsoredabseil in the Sea Walls section of theAvon Gorge, just outside Bristol.When we got to the Avon Gorge Iput on the helmet and harness andjoined a group and we practiced howto let the rope through our harnessto control our descent. Then we allhad to walk up a tiny steep path tothe top of the cliff. Once we were atthe top, we formed a queue and thefirst two abseilers went to the twosafety ropes, which were tied aroundtrees. After they had got to thebottom, one of the instructors called

me over and hetied two ropes tomy harness: onesafety rope incase I fell; onerope that wouldallow me tocontrol mydescent. Thencame the scariestpart of the abseil– leaning rightback andstepping over the 85 foot drop!Looking down made me nervous, soI just faced the cliff and started offwith very small steps. I gradually gotmore confident and by the halfwaymark I was going quite fast! Thehardest part was when, about 20 ftfrom the bottom, it got very slipperybecause the rock was wet from therain earlier that day. I managed tokeep my footing though and got tothe bottom in one piece! [AlthoughI nearly sat on a hawthorn bush atthe very bottom because I wasn’tlooking down]. I was very relieved tobe at the bottom, but it was still agreat experience and I woulddefinitely like to abseil again in thefuture. I managed to raise quite a lotof money, but there is still asubstantial amount to raise. Becauseof this, I have decided to offer myservices as a babysitter anddogwalker [for more details, pleasecall 2084 4991 – all proceeds to myNamibia fund]. I, along with theother members of the group, will betaking part in more bagpacks in thecoming months. Please feel free tocome along and support us in raisingfunds for this once-in-a-lifetimeexperience. The dates of ourbagpacks are as follows:

-Sunday, 2nd October-Tesco, Western Avenue-Saturday, 15th October-M&S, Culverhouse Cross-Saturday, 12th November-Tesco, Western Avenue-Saturday, 10th December-M&S, Culverhouse Cross

I can’t wait until next summer whenI will be able to do my expeditionand I hope to write another article onmy return! Ciara Berry

PRESS RELEASE

SUPPORT YOURLOCAL HOSPICEWALK FOR HOPE

10.00am Sunday, 9thOctober, Bute Park, Cardiff

Nursing patients who need us.Helping families who love

them.

Enjoy a lovely Sunday morning walkthrough Cardiff’s Bute Park. Joinlocal celebrities, Cardiff Cityfootballers, members of the WelshNetball Squad, fancy dress walkersand many others in a morning of fun.At the same time support the localhospice for Cardiff in helping localpeople facing Cancer and other lifethreatening illnesses. Walk as anindividual, with your family or with agroup of friends or work colleagues.

Join the Walk for Hope in support ofthe work of George Thomas HospiceCare the local hospice for Cardiff thatat any one time in caring for andsupporting hundreds of patients inCardiff.

The Walk for Hope will set off fromthe Temple of Peace in Cathays Parkat 10.00am on Sunday, 9th October.

Details of the Walk and SponsorshipForms and a wide range of otherfundraising events for the localhospice for Cardiff can be obtainedfrom Nicky Piper, Fundraising andEvents Officer and Sarah Harris,Community Fundraising Officer andGeorge Thomas Hospice Care at thecontact details below:

Nicky Piper or Sarah HarrisGeorge Thomas Hospice Care

Ty George ThomasWhitchurch Hospital Grounds

Park RoadWhitchurch, Cardiff

Telephone: 029 2052 4150Email: nicky.piper@gthc.org.uk

Sarah.Harris@gthc.org.uk

www.morganstown.org.uk is…a window on our local history16

Monday, 17th October: Halloween-Nos Calan Gaeaf Coffee MorningDydd Llun 17fed Hydref:Bore CoffiCalan Gaeaf

£5., pay on the door or tickets to bepurchased from Meithrin. Come alongfor a relaxing chat with good coffeeand exquisite cakes. Also a greatchance to stock up on decorations andcrafts for your Nos CalanGaeaf/Halloween celebrations.

£5., i’w dalu wrth gyrraedd neu drwydocynnau o flaen llaw. Dewch ifwynhau danteithion lu yng nghwmnirhieni a chyfeillion y Cylch. Fe fyddhefyd yn gyfle da i brynu eitemau argyfer Noson Calan Gaeaf.

Bake Sale Week: 7-11 NovemberWythnos Bobi: 7-11 Tachwedd

Fundraising for Meithrin – how youcan help.Bake a batch of cakes or cookies (withthe help of your child/children) for saleto colleagues at your or your partner’sworkplace, or any other public event.The money you raise will be used tofund the purchase of essentialequipment for Meithrin. Register totake part (registration form,advertising material and recipes will beavailable from Meithrin from 1stNovember).

A prize will be given for the mostmoney raised in a week!

Codi arian I’r Cylch – sut y gallwchhelpu.Pobwch gacennau (gyda help eichplentyn neu blant) i’w gwerthur i’chcydweithwyr neu gydweithiwr eichpartner yn y gweithle neu mewnunrhyw ddigwyddiad cyhoeddus arall.Fe fydd yr arian yr ydych yn llwyddioi’w godi yn cael ei ddefnyddio i brynuoffer hanfodol i’r Cylch. Cofrestrwch igymryd rhan (fe fydd ffurflen gofrestri,pamffledi hysbysebu a ryseitiau ar gaelo’r Cylch o Dachwedd y cyntaf)

Fe fydd gwobr i bwy bynnag sy’ncodi’r mwya o arian mewn wythnos.

Monday, 21st November: Ladies’Dinner and Auction (8pm till late,Seasons Kitchen and Bar)Dydd Llun 21ain Tachwedd: Noson i’r

Merched a Ocsiwn (8pm tan yr hwyr,Seasons Kitchen and Bar)

Enjoy a glamorous ladies’ night out,with a delicious three-course meal atSeasons Kitchen and Bar, in the heartof Radyr. The highlight of the eveningwill be an auction of brilliant prizes andservices donated by local businessesand friends of the Cylch. A greatopportunity to pick up some uniqueChristmas gifts!

£25. ahead, tickets to be purchasedfrom Meithrin or by contactingrgn@cadarn.net

Noson o fwynhau yng nghwmnimamau a chyfeillion y Cylch gydaphryd tri chwrs yn Seasons Kitchen andBar, yn Radur. Uchafbwynt y nosonfydd ocsiwn o eiternau fydd wedi eurhoi gan fusnesau lleol a chyfeillion yrYsgol Feithrin. Fe fydd hefyd yn gyfleda i brynu ambell i anrheg Nadolig.

Tocynnau £25 y pen i’w prynu o’rCylch neu drwy gystlltu ârgn@cadarn.net

Friday 2nd December: MagicMemories MorningDydd Gwener 2il Rhagfyr: BoreAtgofion Melys

With Christmas just around the corner,be sure to come to our MagicMemories Ti a Fi morning: you andyour baby will be able to create uniquepersonalized gifts for family andfriends.

Â’r Nadolig yn prysur nesau peidiwch acholli’r cyfle ar y ail o Ragfyur yhnystod Ti a Fi i greu anrheg unigryw i’chteulu a’ch ffrindiau.

Saturday, 3rd December: ChristmasFair (1100-1300 Old Church Rooms)Sadwrn 3ydd Rhagfyr: Ffair Nadolig(1100-1300 Ystafelloedd yn HenEglwys)

Join Sion Corn and friends as theyprepare for Christmas/Nadolig with afun-packed Festive Fair, featuring cakeand confectionary stalls, Christmascraft-making workshops, snack andmince pie bar, raffle and plenty more.Also a chance to purchase crafts andother gifts in time for Christmas.

Ymunwch a Sion Corn a’r ffrindiauwrth iddyn nhw baratoi at y Nadolig.Fe fydd digon o gyfle i brynucacennau, danteithion a chreftiauNadoligaidd yn ogystal a chyfle i droieich llaw at ambell grefft. Bydd hefydraffl, siop mins peis a chwnter fwyd.

CYLCH MEITHRIN RADUR A PHENTREPOETH

Autumn Term Events/Digwyddiadau Tymor yr Hydref

CORRECTIONThe St. David’s Day pictures

printed on the cover of the Apriledition of ‘Radyr Chain’ were of

the children of the Cylch Meithrinand not Bryn Deri School.

Ed.

MORGANSTOWNVILLAGE HALL

ANNUAL GENERALMEETING

To be held inTHE COMMITTEE ROOM

on10th OCTOBER 2011

at 8.00pm

ALL ARE WELCOME(Entrance at the stage door)

CF15 Tutoring

Dr. Steffan Cook

Science& MathTutor

(Welsh or English)

07401509848“trial lesson is free”

Editors 29 Ravensbrook,Radyr Chain Morganstown29

August, 2011

Dear Editors,Thank you for the August edition,which maintained your usual highstandards, except in our respect.

The piece that describes the careerof Dr. Charles Williams was veryinteresting to read, especially since itgives another illustration of the factthat we are more than a nation ofbards and singers as our nationalanthem declares. You indicate thathe was educated at Canton HighSchool and at Oxford University andthen pursued a career in thechemical industry. You also note hisprowess in athletics.

I could not but admire hisachievements, but also could notbut wonder how much more hemight have achieved had hereceived formal primary education.Since you do not mention hisprimary school, I have to assumethat either he was secretly educatedup to the age of eleven or that hesuffered some degree ofdeprivation, such as illness.

Alternatively, the explanation lies inyour own attitude to primaryeducation, one of disdain, derision,scorn and reluctant forbearance.This attitude, which I have noted inmany researches, is common toeditors of many differentpublications. It is also found inWelsh, as I pointed out recently in asimilarly gentle rebuke to the editorof Y Dinesydd, the Cardiff paper.

This attitude, in its essence, betraysa mode of thinking that contendsthat primary schools are meantmainly, even solely, to keep the littledarlings/horrors quiet, teach themmanners, multiplication tables andcorekt sbelinngs. They should stopall this nonsense of pretending toteach science, informationtechnology, history, geography and,in particular, thinking skills. Thiscountry does not need people tothink, just obey.

I write in despair and in anger, butalso in hope that this mild rebuke

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

(try not to get me really upset) willtouch your heart and disturb yourbrain.

Yours forgivingly,Neville Evans

P.S. I take this opportunity to expresspublic thanks to Miss Lewis, MissThomas, Miss Eustace, Miss Lloyd,Miss Davies, Mr. Adams, Mr.Jenkins, Miss Lloyd (not theaforementioned, who had to leavewhen she became Mrs. Jenkins, notwife of the aforementioned), Mr.Williams and Miss Fenton, most ofwhom contributed to my earlyeducation in Gendros, Swansea. Iimagine that each is now in thatstate of abundant (I nearly wrote‘warm’, but that could be religiouslymisconstrued) appreciation.

Editors’ Comment

We recognise that the part ofPrimary Schools is often notacknowledged and agree with yourcomments.

C.D. Williams tells us that hereceived an excellent education atLansdowne School, which includedthe teaching of Welsh. He won ascholarship to Canton High Schoolwhich reflects the excellence of theteaching at Lansdowne.

CHARITIES FAIR

RADYRMETHODIST CHURCH

SATURDAY5th NOVEMBER 2011

10-12am

Entrance £1.50(to include refreshments)

Proceeds to

Christian AidCome and buy your charity

Christmas cards,

Scout stamps,

Traidcraft gifts and more

RADYR &MORGANSTOWNINDOOR BOWLS

CLUB(The RAMS)

Our new season 2011/12 hasopened which runs fromSeptember to April next.We meet at Morganstown

Village Hall every Wednesdayand Saturday afternoon (2-6pm) and evening (6 - 9pm.

We are a very friendly club forboth men and ladies.

We play occasional matchesagainst local indoor clubs, have

our own competitions andspecial fun nights where

sometimes we are prepared tomake fools of ourselves.

Previous experience of bowlingis not necessary - there is

plenty of members willing to letyou borrow their bowls and giveadvice - not always necessarily

the best!

Why not try before you buy!Come and try your hand at a

new experience - you may evenenjoy yourself.

The only thing we ask is thatyou wear shoes (or slippers)

without a deep heel.

If you would like any furtherinformation give our secretaryJerry a ring at 029 2084 3387.

Or you could have a look at ourweb page at

www.radyr.org.uk/I-644

We look forward to seeing yousoon.

The Great HatchWhen you think of pets what do youthink of Normally people think ofsomething furry and cute like a cat ordog maybe a rabbit or another smallfurry. Well unlike normal people Ihave an extraordinary pet. we havesix chickens! they tick all our boxes:They're not to hard to keep, They'realright for handling, They havebrilliant personalities, They eat allleftovers, They also give eggs back toyou for looking after them!

We have six: Crystal, salt, pepper,Winnie, Lola and speckles. Eachchicken has its own food preferenceand rank in the 'pecking order.' myfriends keep saying I should namethem things like 'curry, roast E.T.C

Hatching hens is a real adventure!We put eggs under a broody hen, (abroody hen wants to hatch theeggs!) Then we waited 21 daysroughly! The hen would only justfeed! l was 'shell-shocked' (bad pun)one day after school to go, check thehen and collect the eggs, I heard agentle cheep which was one of thesweetest sound I've ever heard,

A tiny, fluffy, yolk yellow head with aflorescent, orange beak peek out themothers wing followed by a fewmore! I rushed to the phone to tell all

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

Summer ReadingChallengeFrom front cover…

As the children read they collectrewards such as bookmarks,chatterboxes, wristbands and yoyos.

And for all those children who readsix books, librarians visit their schoolsin the Autumn term to presentmedals and certificates.

It’s good for readers and it’s good forlibraries as we get to know the bookschildren really love and enjoy as wellas recommending titles and authorsthey may not have discovered.

For further information aboutchildren’s library services in Cardiff

please contact:

Heather Noble, Children’s LibraryServices Manager/Rheolwraig

Gwasanaeth Llyfrgelloedd PlantCardiff Libraries/Llyfrgelloedd

Caerdydd

Community Facilities/CyfleusterauCymunedol

Tel/Ffôn 029 2078 0973;Mobile/Ffôn Symudol:

079 7725 2507

the news to mum, dad and mybrother sam! I was amazed andhypnotized to the cuteness of thechicks and rushed to the gardencentre for a bag of chick crumbs (thefood you feed chicks!)

They grew up fast and one morning Iheard distantly a loud cockerelscrow! We had to do something andended up boxing them into acardboard box! Dad thought the boxwas empty but my brother and I triedto warn dad that Sam carried a henINTO the box as he picked it upEventually we convinced him to begentle. I thought the birds were forthe chop or being relocated andgiven to our friends at Sutton-Maurfarm (a 'small' holding which I wouldrecommend!) but sadly Sutton-Maurwere busy so we took them to a farmand caravan site called Treavaynewhich we LOVE! They happily tookthem and I can still see them intreavayne chick hatchery settlingdown and when I walk past I

feed them a slug! (I once spookedtwo lads with my knowledge of thebirds!) I would recommend chickenkeeping to anyone as they are funand child friendly and a real pleasureto have! They are also good to talk toand feed if you've had a bad day alsothey spellbind little kids!

Catching up on sleep!

Circus Day at the Library