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

New Sponsorshipfor Radyr CricketClubAs I write this Radyr Cricket Clubfinds itself halfway through the2017 season. We have enjoyedunprecedented weather for thistime of year and to date have onlyhad one game abandoned. All foursenior sides are playing a highstandard of cricket the first XIplaced fifth in the SEWCL 2ndDivision and the second XIunbeaten flying high at the top oftheir respective division.

Our run up to the season welcomedex Glamorgan and England bowlerSimon Jones to the ground to put thebowlers through their paces. Simonhas been working with our first XIand the youth through the season todevelop their skills. It is a greatexperience to face Simon in the netsas it’s not everyday you get to batagainst a Test cricketer especially onethat was the scourge of internationalbatsmen the world over!

As we moved into the 2017 season,as with every year, we look tobalance the books and finance theclub. It is a huge challenge just tomaintain out facilities to providecricket to the community. Twopitches and the three lane permanentnet facility take large amounts oftime and money to maintain thestandards we set ourselves. This isall achieved by our members andvolunteers and is a real testament tothe club that we can provide cricketfor four senior league sides and oneSunday non league side. We mustalso not forget the cricket we providefor both boys and girls from 5 yearsupwards, with the most recentaddition being an Under 19 T20team.

We had been looking long and hardfor a new shirt sponsor and felt that‘local’ was the way forward. So itwas with great pleasure thatCicchetti of Station Road agreed topartner us for the next three seasons.We would like to thank Paulo andeveryone at Cicchetti for thissupport. Our thanks also extends tothe continued support of Radyr

Photo-call for the Women’s Institute groupsin Radyr and Morganstown

continued on page 23

RADYR CHAINNumber 231 August 2017

Free to every home in Radyr and Morganstown

And the Circuscame to…Radyr Primary!Pupils at Radyr Primary Schoolwere excited on Friday 14th Julywhen the Big Top suddenlyappeared on their school field.Happy Circus had come to visit fora second time.

The children were already in thecircus mood having taken part in“circus workshops” at school in theweek leading up to the circus. They

learnt that you need patience and determination whentrying new skills such as juggling, plate spinning, diablo.With the excitement building the PTA had bbq andrefreshments. Everyone waited for the big tent to open.With great anticipation they took their seats and werewowed by a fantastic show of clowns, and breathtakingbalancing and juggling acts.The dancing acrobatics and aerial silks work wasspectacular. The performance ended with Serge the clown amazingeveryone with his balancing act. Great hilarity followedas he and Mr Happy ended up splashing everyone withlots of water!Everyone was excited at the end of the performance asthey made their way home sleepily.

Building BirdBoxesThe photograph shows members ofthe Fourth Radyr Brownies withmembers of the CommunityCouncil and their helpers who hadprepared and helped the Browniesto make bird boxes in time for thisyear’s Fathers’ Day. Sue McKerlichhad also prepared a session oncommon garden birds.

Radyr should have a much largerbird population from next summeronwards.

Letters, articles, reports and other contributions are invited and should be submitted bySeptember 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.Receiving Editor - Jeff Davison, 3 James Place, Treforest, Pontypridd CF37 1SQE-Mail address - Chain@radyr.org.ukAdvertising - Linda Turner, 19 Sycamore Tree Close, Radyr. 2084 3562E-Mail address - lturner4@btinternet.comHon. 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.uk

Radyr Lawn Tennis Club - summercamps. Children play lots of differentsports (mainly tennis) during the dayin a fun environment. Hot dogs will

be provided for all day sessions although itis a good idea to bring a packed lunch aswell. Tennis Camps are held Monday toFriday from 31st July, 7th August, 14thAugust, 21st August and 28th August atRadyr Lawn Tennis Club.

10:00 Probus of Cardiff West. Radyrgolf Club. An illustrated talk by theRev. Michael Wishart on being a"Royal naval Chaplain". New

members welcome. Contact Mike Thomas20408056

19:30 Rehearsals start for ‘Me AndMy Girl’ performed by Radyr ParishMusic Group at the New SchoolRooms, Christ Church, Heol Isaf,

Radyr.. We welcome existing and newmembers. Please see our article includedin this edition for more details.

10:00 Probus of Cardiff West. RadyrGolf Club. An illustrated talk byAlistair Guthrie - "A visit toDubrovnik" New members welcome.

Contact Mike Thomas 20408056

19:30 Radyr and Morganstown WI.Our speaker this month is RomeoBasini with his talk entitled "TheItalian Connection Part 1". Visitors

are always welcome.

19:30 R&M Film Club - To beAnnounced. Old Church Rooms.Tickets £4. Join our Mailing List -Email rmfilmclub@btinternet.com

19:30 RMA GENERAL MEETING.Come along to the R&M Associationmeeting in the Old Church Roomsto hear what is happening in your

community. Our speaker will be IanThomas, Chief Executive of Age Cymru. AllWelcome. Contact 2084 2561 orrma@radyr.org.uk for further details.

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

Mon31

July

Thur3

Aug

Fri1

Sept

Thur7

Sept

Thur21

Sept

Mon25

Sept

Mon11

Sept

Incident involvingfamily pet at ParcRadyr EstateHello,I am very much hoping that the RadyrChain would be able to help us. Weare desperately trying to locate andretrieve our young cat which wasknocked down on entering Parc Radyrestate on Thursday 22 June at 8.00am(gates to the park at Plas y Mynach).We have been informed by witnessesthat the driver didn’t stop but a ladyvisiting someone on the estate actuallyremoved our cat. We have contactedall the local vets, put posters up, beenknocking on doors and deliveringleaflets but to no avail.This would be as a last resort. I don’tknow what else I can do except appealto the people who had a lady visitor(drove a dark colour range rover/landrover evoke) and who was leaving theestate on 22 June who removed ourbeloved. We rescued Beatrice and herbrother from the RSPCA nearly 2 yearsago and desperately want her back,her young brother is very much lostwithout her as they were inseparable.She was a very much loved member ofthe family and we so desperately wanther back and want to know what thelady has done with her.Regards - Mrs Sonia Hine (name and address supplied)

It is with great regret that weannounce the retirement of Maryand Robert Pearce as Editors of theRadyr Chain. They have been Editorsof the Chain since 2002 and hadworked as reporters since the veryearly days.

All those involved with theproduction of Radyr Chain send themsincere thanks for their hard workover many years.

The Chain will in future be edited byan editorial Board headed by JeffDavison. Copy will still be acceptedup to the 15th of the month prior topublication, that is the 15th ofSeptember, November, January,March, May and July. Copy shouldbe sent electronically toChain@radyr.org.uk or by post toRadyr Chain, 3 James Place,Treforest, Pontypridd CF37 1SQ.

The Editors reserve the right to editor shorten items as required.

Eisteddfod Fund Raising.Saturday the 15th of July saw a wineand cheese evening in the OldChurch Rooms to launch the start ofRadyr and the Garth's programme ofevents to raise funds for the 2018National Eisteddfod to be held inCardiff Bay.With little more than a year to raisethe £35,000 that the area has beenasked to raise Radyr andMorganstown have amalgamatedwith Gwaelod y Garth, Taffs Welland Tongwynlais and calledthemselves Radyr and the Garth.Other nearby areas are Pentyrch andCreigiau, and Llandaff andDanescourt.A busy year of events has beenarranged starting with a book launchon September the 15th, a lunch timeHog Roast in the Golf Club onOctober 1st, A Christmas ChoralConcert, a grand Dinner to CelebrateSt Dwynwen's Day in January – StDwynwen is the Welsh St Valentine.Other provisional events includesomeone taking part in the Iron Mancompetition taking place in Tenby inthe autumn, a grand auction ofsporting memorabilia and promises.Coffee mornings and much muchmore.If you would like to get involved orhave any ideas for fundraising pleasecontact the Chair, Huw OnllwynJones at onllwyn@mac.com

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

New Boardwalkfor Radyr WoodsIf you go down to the woods todayyou’re in for a big surprise. The 60mmillennium boardwalk constructed in2000 by the British Trust forConservation Volunteers wasdeteriorating to such an extent that itwas decided to replace it withrecycled materials. So this year, over 4Sundays in April and June the ForestFarm based, Cardiff ConservationVolunteers undertook to build the newboardwalk from recycled plasticincluding decking boards made locallyin Ebbw Vale. The Radyr WoodsWardens undertook the arduous taskof dismantling the old boardwalkbefore the CCV started the rebuild.What can be salvaged from theoriginal oak structure will be used inthe woods for various maintenancetasks including steps and path edging.

The completed boardwalk follows theexact 60m path of the original as itwas possible to reuse the originalnylon piles driven into the ancientriver bed and boggy ground. A small‘viewing platform, a feature of theoriginal boardwalk will be replacedlater this year.

The project was funded by the Radyrand Morganstown CommunityCouncil with additional input from abequest held by the Wardens to beused for the boardwalk. An officialopening event will be arranged overthe summer.

Radyr Woods, as a designatedCommunity Nature area is an amenityavailable to all. It is as ancient semi-natural woodland that provides awide variety of wildlife habitats andfeatures, including ponds, springs,grassy glades and heath land.

Over 75 species of wildflowers havebeen identified in the woodsincluding, Yellow Archangel, Pignutand Travellers Joy. Kingfishers arefrequent visitors and moorhenfrequently breed in both ponds. Workbegan on the derelict site in 1982 andit was officially opened in November1984 with much input from youngvolunteers who were reveived thefirst Royal Jubilee Trust communityservice certificate awarded in Wales.Prince Michael of Kent visited the sitein 1985 and the managementagreement was handed over to theCommunity Council in 1986, and they

have been responsible for the 14 acresite since then.

The volunteer Woods Wardens arelocal residents who maintain the areaspaths, steps , bridges, ponds, floraand fauna. Many trees and wildflowers were planted in the earlyyears by local schoolchildren andthere is a regular input fromprofessional contractors for specifictasks.

A large band of litter pickers take partin a weekly rota all year, but over thesummer months the litter problemdoes increase and everyone can helpby avoiding leaving any litter in thewoods. New bins arrived this year atthe Taff Terrace and Woodfieldentrances and there are bins in theplay area adjacent to the site. We areplanning to put more bins near thevarious picnic benches, but this has tobe carefully planned as they need tobe strong enough to resist the malignattentions of certain visitors and theywill need to be emptied regularly.

It is a haven of peace and quietavailable to everyone. Althoughfrequented regularly by dog walkersand joggers there has been a slightshift this year to more youthfulresidents enjoying activities ofdubious social acceptability. It wouldhelp balance the social mix if moreadults or families could make use ofthis Community Nature Area.

And if anyone is inspired to help lookafter it, the volunteer Warden’s groupis always ready to enlist new helpersin whatever capacity they canmanage. Some get involved with theheavyweight building works, othersjust with pruning and step cleaning oronly take part in the litter pick rota.Every little helps safeguard what is asurprisingly large and variedenvironment.

If you would like more informationabout the Woods or would like to jointhe Wardens please contact the Clerkof the Community Council on 02920842213 or clerk@radyr.org.uk or theWardens secretary on 02920 666999keylegal@btinternet.com

“Radyr Woods lie between WoodfieldAvenue and the Comprehensive School tothe west and and Fisher Hill Way and thenew houses to the east. It is accessed viagates in Taff Terrace, Woodfield avenue,Fisher Hill Way, Junction Terrace and thepublic footpath from Danescourt.”

Radyr Woods Wardens dismantling theold boardwalk

The state of the old boardwalk supports

Cardiff Conservation Volunteersconstructing the new Boardwalk

–completed June 11

The new plastic ‘wood’ should lastlonger than the original oak in this

environment

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

LEANING ON ALAMPPOST.......In early September Radyr ParishMusic Group will begin work onthe musical ‘Me and My Girl’ to beperformed next February during itsusual half term slot at the Bishop ofLlandaff High School.

If the above words mean anything toyou then you will already have anidea of the popularity of the musical.This and other well known songssuch as ‘The Lambeth Walk’ and‘The Sun Has Got His Hat On’feature in a colourful plot with manyindividual characters across theUpstairs Downstairs spectrumincluding dancers and Pearly Kingsand Queens.

If you don’t know the plot I’ll notspoil it for you now; suffice it to saythat the Group starts rehearsing onFriday 1st September at 7.30pm inthe Schoolroom at Christ Church,Heol Isaf, Radyr and anyone whofeels the urge to come along and joinus is warmly welcome.

The first rehearsal will be a lighthearted introduction to the musicaland refreshments will be available.After that we continue to rehearse onFriday evenings and on thefollowing Thursday 7th Septemberauditions will be held at the samevenue. Further details are availableon our websitewww.rpmgweb.weebly.com Wewould particularly welcome youngersingers and dancers to come and joinus in this production.

The Music Group also have aprogramme of social eventsbeginning with a quiz on Saturday7th October which is open to all so ifyou are new to Radyr please comealong - this is an excellent way ofgetting to know people in thecommunity.

Why not come to our first rehearsalon the 1st of September and join thegang! We are a very friendly crowdand we are always happy to

Radyr Parish Music Group

welcome new members. If you feelthat being on stage is not for you wewelcome extra help back stage andwith make-up, costumes etc so if youare interested in any aspect ofputting on a great musicalproduction please come on 1stSeptember or contact our SecretaryJudith Jones on music@radyr.org.ukfor further details.

Douglas HoggChair of RPMG.

The picture shows sponsored walkers before setting off on their walk along theTaff Trail from Cardiff Castle to Radyr. They enjoyed lovely June weather,company on the Trail and refreshments when they all reached Hailey Park. AtChristchurch in Radyr they were served a delicious Strawberry Tea by membersof the Friends of Tenovus Group. Non walkers also supported the event atChristchurch and enjoyed the afternoon tea. Sincere thanks go to all, includingthose who walked on an alternate walk on the following weekend, for raising avery large sum of money for Tenovus Cancer Care.

Tenovus Walk

RADYR METHODISTCHURCH TEENY TOTS

GROUPThe group which is run byvolunteers from the Church meetsevery Friday morning during termtime. We welcome parents andgrandparents with pre-schoolchildren from the community inthe Radyr area. The adults enjoymeeting for a coffee and chatwhile the children have anopportunity to play together,make jigsaws, have stories andjoin in with craft activities. Drinksand biscuits are also a highlight ofthe morning and we regularlycelebrate birthdays. We end themorning with singing and playingour musical instruments.

We wish to thank the Radyr andMorgastown Community Councilfor their generous cheque whichwill help us to purchase moreequipment for the group.

Thank you

ISONThe Scout Organisation in Radyrwant to say a big ‘THANKYOU’ toISON. A local window cleaningcompany who gave the exterior ofScout Hall a complimentary clean.ISON readily responded to ourappeal for help and promptlyundertook the job. The long reachwater jet and hardworking operativewashed away the green mildew onthe fascia boards. ISON vans are oftenseen in Radyr and based on the workdone on the Scout Hall they do agood job.The Scouting Organisation is acharity that appreciates all help andsupport. This enables the childrens’subs to be used for Scouting activitiesrather than hall maintenance. We arenow on the lookout forapproximately 30 stacking chairs toreplace old rickety wooden chairs.Perhaps you know someone who canhelp?Oh and of course we are alwayslooking for Scout Leaders….. maybeyou are aware that 50.000 children areon Scout waiting lists in the UK.Radyr has a waiting list. Demand tojoin Scouts exceeds the number ofavailable places. This is primarily dueto a lack of adult volunteers andleaders. Perhaps you can help?For more information, please contactakela@radyrscouts.org

David Bird

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

CHAIN COOKERYCORNER

BLACKBERRY ANDHAZELNUT CRUMBLE

Blackberries are very early thisyear. This recipe has a dark

sticky juice with a crisp, nuttycrust.

Either use dark or mediummuscovado sugar.

(Serves 6-8)

700g. (11/2 lb) blackberries

175g.(6oz) muscovado sugar ( youcan use a little less)

few fragrant leaves (optional)scented geranium, or mint

50g.(2oz) flour

25g.(1oz) rolled oats

50g.(2oz) chopped hazelnuts

75g.(3oz) unsalted butter

Heat oven 180C/ Gas 4

Put blackberries into buttered piedish

Sprinkle one third sugar over

Scatter leaves on top

Mix flour,oats,nuts and remainingsugar

Rub in butter roughly

Spoon over blackberries

Rough up with fork

Bake 25-30 mins.

Serve warm with cream oricecream

A.M.P.

News from Radyr& MorganstownWISummer End of Term Report

Our 8th May meeting began withthe presentation of the CommunityAward. Our President, EnidBrooker, welcomed Dr. Roe, Headof 6th Form at RadyrComprehensive and Iwan Jones,accompanied by his parents. Iwanwas nominated by Dr. Roe toreceive the Community Award foran outstanding contribution to theschool, particularly in behind thescenes support of the variousdrama productions. He is also anexcellent sportsman. Enidpresented the trophy, together witha cheque for £30. Photographswere taken and the guests then leftas the usual WI business meetingwas due to take place, followed bythe voting on the NationalFederation WI Resolutions andfinally our own Annual Meeting.In fact, the May meeting is quite amarathon, demanding a great dealof planning!Our Glamorgan Federation Adviserfor our Annual Meeting was ClareAtherton who is no stranger toRadyr, having been our adviserseveral times. After receiving allthe reports, she noted how verycommunity minded our WI is andexpressed surprise that this busyInstitute only has eleven committeemembers out of a currentmembership role of 65. Thankfully,all existing committee membersstood for re-election and Enid wasunanimously elected as President.Our meeting of 12th June openedby Enid reading out acongratulatory card from ClareAtherton. She also said what apleasure it had been to meet IwanJones, the recipient of theCommunity Award. The meetingfor June had the guest speakerJeannie Rebane, whose talk entitled‘Coincidences’ was thought-provoking. Members had beenasked to submit coincidences basedon personal experiences, and

audience responses to her talkincluded comments such as‘intriguing’ and ‘fascinating’. Shedrew on a quote from thepsychologist Carl Jung, whosebook ‘Synchronicity’ exploredjuxtapositions that scientificrationality could not adequatelyexplain. Jeannie’s talk covered thepossibility that coincidences aremore than ‘quirky events’, but arerather ‘meaningful synchronisticevents that can confirm we are onthe right path’. An interestingevening - just proving that the WIgets its head around a wide rangeof topics.

Also in June two social events tookplace. On 9th June a group ofmembers had an interesting guidedtour of Glamorgan Archives and onthe last day of June, a lunch at theLong House took place.

Finally to the July meeting onMonday the 10th our speaker wasYvonne Rees, who told the story ofher parents life in service as a cookand butler to wealthy families onboth sides of the Atlantic. Somewere aristocratic, some militaryand some ‘new money’. Yvonneand her growing children wereprivileged to enjoy holidays in herparents accommodation withinthese luxurious homes. Herparents were usually providedwith a car as well. It was afascinating insight into ‘How theother half lived’.

As it was the last meeting prior tothe summer break, we ended theevening with a celebratory glass offizz and cakes. Speaking ofcelebrations, on Thursday, 19thOctober at 7.30pm in MorganstownVillage Hall we will be celebratingour Instituteís Diamond Jubilee!Yes, there has been a WI in Radyrfor sixty glorious years. Prior toour July meeting, Mick Sullivantook an official photograph to markthe occasion. If you are a formermember and would like to be partof the celebration, contact us onour email.

We begin our Autumn meetings on11th September with a talk byRomeo Basini called ‘The Italian

Connection Part 1’. Walks, tripsand a trip to Hidcote Gardens areplanned for Autumn. All othergroups - book clubs, walking,genealogy and craft haveprogrammes in place.

For more information contact us onemail at radyrandmorganstownwi@yahoo.com

Meanwhile, enjoy the Summer.L.J.H.

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

A Report fromthe Radyr andMorganstownCommunityCouncilAfter the last local election in June,those Councillors who stood for re-election were returned unopposed.The three councillors who did notstand for re-election were CouncillorsS Mckerlich, M Diment and C StLeger .All three have made veryconsiderable contributions to theCouncil. It would be mostappropriate to express our gratitudeand sincere thanks for all theircontributions over many years.However, all three have stated thatthey will assist the Council as andwhen required. After advertising forlocal residents to join the Council, theresponse has been excellent. It ishoped that the remaining fivevacancies will be filled with the newcouncillors taking up their posts atthe September Council meeting.

One of the significant contributions toour community has been theinstallation of an Automatic ExternalDefibrillators [AED] at three sites,the Old Church Rooms,Morganstown Village Hall andoutside the Opticians on StationRoad. These apparatus are critical inCardiopulmonary Resuscitation[CPR] following a Cardiac Arrest. Itis extremely sad to report that thelatter, generously funded by severallocal organisations, was removed by aperson or persons unknown. It istragic to report this removal, as thisAED could save a life in anemergency situation. Fortunately, thelocal Council has purchased areplacement. However, on thisoccasion, the AED will be kept in alocked cabinet which may delay theresuscitation. There are appropriatewritten instructions on how toproceed on the cabinet. There arealso AEDs at the Medical Centre andRadyr Golf Club.

Training for CPR is available throughvarious organisations which includethe local branch of St John’sAmbulance, Cymru. They meet everyTuesday evening at 7.00pm in the OldChurch Rooms. To assist those whofind themselves involved with a

person who has had a cardiac arrest,the very helpful document theCHAIN OF SURVIVAL is illustratedbelow.

The Council has funds available tosupport local projects. Anysubmission should be sent to theClerk at the OCR. It was a greatpleasure to award a sum of money,following their excellent submissionfor a grant to purchase additionalapparatus, to the Teeny Tots groupwho meet in the Methodist Hall everyFriday.

The Council has recently establisheda page on Facebook which willaugment the information available on

the Web-site so that the residents ofboth villages are kept informed ofcurrent developments.

Last year there was considerablereference to problems faced by theCommunity Council over allegedbreaches of the Code of Conduct and,even, unlawful behaviour. Until nowit has not been possible to correctthese wild accusations as they weresubjudice. Eight out of 12 communitycouncillors were reported to the localgovernment ombudsman for variousalleged breaches of that code; all eightwere completely exonerated overeach and every accusation.Furthermore the Community Councilhas successfully defended itself overa claim for breach of contract plusassociated costs made to an industrialtribunal; the judge dismissed bothapplications. Radyr andMorganstown Community Councilhas continued to serve ourcommunities throughout a difficultperiod; we are glad to now reportthat we will continue to do so andthat we are content to have beencompletely cleared.

The Teeny Tots group

BASIC LIFE SUPPORT IN ADULTS. CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION(CPR) AND AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATION (AED)

1 ADULT NOT RESPONDING AND NOT BREATHING NORMALLY.

2 CHECK ENVIRONMENT FOR PERSONAL SAFETY e.g. NO ELECTRICWIRES.

3 CALL FOR HELP, DIAL 999 FOR AN AMBULANCE AND ASK FOR AN AED.

4 IMMEDIATELY INSTIGATE CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION [CPR].

a TILT HEAD BACKWARDS AND PULL THE JAW FORWARD.

b PERFORM 30 CHEST COMPRESSIONS WITH THE PERSON FLAT ONHIS/HER BACK.

c ADMINISTER TWO RESCUE BREATHS MOUTH TO MOUTH ARTIFICIALLUNG VENTILATION].

5 CONTINUE CPR AT THE SAME RATIO ie 30 CHEST COMPRESSIONS TOTWO RESCUE BREATHS.

6 APPLY THE PADS OF THE AED TO THE CHEST, SWITCH IT ON ANDFOLLOW VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS

7 CONTINUE WITH CPR UNTIL HELP ARRIVE

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

Sad News at RadyrPrimary…

Mrs Linda Bale

We were saddened to hear news ofthe death of teacher Mrs Linda Baleon 24th May after a short battlewith cancer. Mrs Bale had been ateacher at the school since 1998. Sheworked in both Foundation Phaseand Key Stage 2. Mrs Bale taughthundreds of pupils during her timeat the school and so many presentand past pupils have fondmemories of her. Staff and pupilshave spent a lot of time sharingtheir memories of Mrs Bale, sheloved all things to do with theenvironment and nature and manychildren remembered her love ofhedgehogs and rugby. Althoughborn in England Mrs Bale was anavid Scarlets fan and she supportedWales and Llantwit Major (whereher son played from a young boythrough to seniors) rugby teams.Mrs Bale had planned to retire atthe end of May to pursue her dreamto visit New Zealand for the Britishand Irish Lions rugby tour. MrsBale’s contribution to the schoolwas immense she worked tirelesslyto improve the environment, she setup the School Council and led theschool in gaining our first GreenFlag. We remember all the times shedressed up for World Book Day, herrepertoire was wide Percy the ParkKeeper, The Worst Witch, GangsterGranny and Goldilocks to mentiononly a few. In January sheintroduced Year 4 pupils to a topicon Tudor Times by arriving atschool as Queen Elizabeth 1-astoundingly royal is all we can say.

MRS BALE

Mrs Bale was a wonder

Rays of light she made fill the class

Such a jolly soul she was

Belongs in our hearts

Always and forever she lives eventoday

Lovely is the only word to describeher

Extinct she will never be as long aswe remember her

A poem by Mason Jones year 4

Special AssemblyOn July 7th the school held a specialassembly outdoors to celebrate andremember Mrs Bale and her work atschool. The children shared theirmemories of her, and sang songs weknow she would have loved. Wecarried out a number of activities toraise funds for Marie Curie who hadcared for Mrs Bale whilst she was ill.As part of our fundraising all pupilsenjoyed a hedgehog topped cake atplaytime. Parents and governorsjoined in the celebration enjoyingafternoon tea before our assemblystarted. We were delighted to beable to present a cheque for £1131.26to Mrs Burn and Mrs Hull fromMarie Curie when they attendedassembly during the last week ofterm. We have installed a woodenbench into our school grounds foreveryone to remember her in yearsto come.

Max Clapham year 4 enjoys a quietmoment on our new bench.

Remi-Nicole Evans year 4 made this fabulous hedgehog to remember Mrs Bale.

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

Scouting inRadyrExpedition Challenge

A few weeks ago on the 27th ofMay some of the older Scouts fromthe 1st Radyr Scouts Group went ona Leavers expedition which lasted 2days. We started off by taking thetrain to Trehafod from Radyr. Thenwe had to use maps, compasses anda sheet of directions to make ourway to the Creigiau Scout Hutwhere we would spend the night.The hike was quite enjoyable, wellmost of it, about a quarter of theway thought it started rainingextremely heavily so we all gotcompletely soaked. The rain lastedfor ages but when it stopped itbecame really sunny which wasvery nice because it dried us offcompletely, except for our socks,they were still drenched butnothing from our rucksacks waswet. We walk through a lot of niceareas and in one of the fields wewent through there where twohorses and they were the friendliesthorses I’ve ever met they walkedover to us and followed us all theway to the gate on the other side ofthe field. When we finally got to theCreigiau Scout Hall we had a breakand we all took off our boots andsocks because they were wet andput fresh ones on. We then starteda fire and started to put up all thetents and put our bags in them, wewere using most of the skills wehad learnt at scouts on thisexpedition. Once we had all eatenwe set up ours sleeping bags andwent to sleep. The next morning wewoke up and cooked bacon forbreakfast, it was delicious! Whenwe had finished the food we startedtaking our belongings out the tentand taking the tents down, once wepacked them up we started headingback to Radyr. The walk back was alot shorter than the walk previousday so we got home quite quickly.The expedition was very enjoyablebecause we were out in thecountryside and we were using theskills we had learnt previously inScouts. I would recommend Scouts

to anyone thinking about goingbecause it is very fun and you get tolearn a lot of skills you wouldn’tknow otherwise.

By Drew Cleaver

Coasteering in Gower

We arrived at the campsite withamazing views of the beach and theocean. We unpacked and put upour tents. Our scout leadersprepared our evening meal to eataround the campfire, whilst weplayed hide and seek in the sanddunes.

A thrill a minute

Following a good night sleepand packing a few essentialswe set off for our coasteeringadventure in Gower. Webegan the long walk down tothe coastal area which tookmuch of the morning.Arriving just after one o’clockwe got changed into ourwetsuits and swam out to thelifeboat. With choppy waters,changing tides, made theswim difficult. We must haveswam a good 200 metres tothe life boat. It was a fiveminute ride to the rockingcoastline. We did someexercises to warm ourselvesup before we started the rockclimbing. I started well until Islipped and gashed myknuckles. Luckily my handswere so cold and numb that I

couldn’t feel the pain but it was allworth it.

It always rains and it pours … on abank holiday weekend

Absolutely no-one was surprisedwhen it rained the last night of ourtrip. We woke up to a well-deservedbacon breakfast. Just before we setoff, it was a great excuse to have awater fight between the older andthe younger scouts. You can guesswho won!

By Anil Patel

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

Radyr’s budding youngphilanthropists give big to local causes

received £250 from students ElleSmith, Georgina Edwards, OrlaDavies and Sian Innes. Mental healthcharity Gofal Cymru also won £250after students Rachel Morris, KiraDevine, Rosie Davey and JessicaWade came joint second. Olivia Copner CommunityFundraiser for Alzheimer’s SocietyCymru said ‘There are currently45,000 people living with dementiahere in Wales, which is why we areso grateful of the support from localcommunities to help those affected.It was a real pleasure to meet thegroup from Radyr ComprehensiveSchool. Their presentation waspersonal and heart felt and it reallydemonstrated how dementia canaffect the whole family. I was reallyinspired and impressed with thisgroup and their ability to deliver thepresentation with confidence. Theprize donation of £1000 will help somany people living with dementiahere in Wales.’Rhiannon Morgan who leads thedelivery the First Give programme atRadyr Comprehensive, said: ‘Ourschool final was brilliant. Parents,school staff and our students were soexcited after the event. This has beena great opportunity for students todevelop their public speaking skillsand raise money for some great and

First Give and Radyr ComprehensiveSchool have joined together to helpyoung people give back to theircommunities and speak out forcauses they believe in. Pupils at theschool have won grants totalling£1,500 for charities in their local area.

The whole of Year 8 at RadyrComprehensive School took part inthe First Give programme, wherestudents investigated social issuesand identified and met with localcharities that address those issues intheir community. The students thenmade professional presentationsabout their chosen charity andcompeted with each other in a publicspeaking competition to win grantsfor their charities.

The finalists from year 8 took part inthe School Final event at RadyrComprehensive School on 24/05/17.It was a truly special night whereseven teams delivered outstandingprofessional and emotivepresentations to a room full ofparents, charities and a panel ofjudges.

Alzheimer’s Society came away with£1,000 after students Alex Brown,Adil Miah, Evan Marshall, SamJones, Toby Jones and Huw Rileyscored top points from the judges.

Latch – the children’s cancer charity

local causes. We are already planningnext year and would like to thankFirst Give for the opportunity towork them.’

Radyr Comprehensive is one of 30schools in Wales taking part in theFirst Give programme this academicyear, meaning that over £45,000 willbe won for local charities by localchildren all over South Wales. Nextyear, the charity will work with upto 50 schools in South Wales and anyschool interested in taking partshould contact Leon, the charitiesProgramme Manager in Wales onLeon@firstgive.co.ukFirst Give is a philanthropyeducation programme that developsthe professional skills of studentsand ignites their social conscience. Itengages them in their communitiesand develops more employable andwell-rounded individuals.?First Give provides an interactiveand fully-resourced scheme of workdelivered across an entire secondaryschool year group. After researchingand visiting charities, students takepart in a public-speakingcompetition to advocate and wingrants for their charities in a schoolfinal.?For more information visitwww.firstgive.co.uk or Facebook@FirstGiveUK

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

Grand Slam on thetennis courts atRadyr LTCOn Saturday 11th July, Radyr LawnTennis Club hosted the finals of itsannual Open Tournament. Theweather was glorious and the TigerTurf courts looked immaculate,basking in the sunshine, thanks to theeffort of groundsman, Jim Goodwin.

All in all, it was a great team effortwith local volunteers from the clubhelping to organise the tournament,tending the bar and playing theimportant role of umpire for the hotlycontested matches.

The matches themselves providedgreat entertainment for the supportingcrowd with family and friendscheering on the finalists in highsporting spirits. There were men’s,women’s and mixed finals, and plateevents for competitors knocked out intheir first rounds, giving everyone achance to play more tennis. It wasgreat to see such a range ofcompetitors with players from all agegroups making it through to the finals.

We were all rather impressed withTeresa Evans who managed to securea triple crown Grand Slam for thesecond year in a row by winning theladies singles, the ladies doubles withZara Cottle (wearing her luckyWimbledon socks), and the mixeddoubles with Dave Bono. It was areally good performance by Teresaand not an easy achievement. She wasproperly stretched by Caroline Lai inthe singles, just winning by 7 games to5 in the third set. There was anotherclose encounter in the mixed doubles,and youngsters Ellen Ambler and MegSmith fought a hard battle in theladies doubles too.

The men’s singles title was won byhead coach Drew Lumb, whonormally enters to provide clubmembers with a challenge. This yearhis opponent in the final was excellentjunior player Nick Lai who put Drewunder considerable pressure, takingthe first set and only finally falteringtowards the end of the third. Drewalso took the men’s doubles title withhis skillful partner Nick Smith.

It was an excellent day for everyonewho attended the finals matches,with the club’s traditional afternoontea of sandwiches and cakes being

taken on the lawn. The event wastopped off with the trophypresentations and a party in theevening.

Anyone for tennis?

For info on Radyr LTC summer tenniscamps please visit:www.radyrtennis.co.uk/school-holidays

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

Our allotmentshave becameFamous! Pobol y Cwm the Welsh TV serieshave been filming on our site sinceMay . You can see the first episodeon Friday 18th August on S4Cnormally 19:30or 20:00 and thewhole week is repeated as anomnibus edition on Sunday 20thAugust. They have filmed 5episodes to date .

Anybody interested in renting aplot contact Derek our chairman on dh.pm.smith@btinternet.com to beincluded on the waiting list.

History SocietyAfter successful visits to the RoyalMint in Llantrisant and a visit tothe National Trust property atStourhead in Wiltshire, the last visitof the season is to the NantgarwChina Works on Thursday 28th ofSeptember.The first two talks in the Winterprogramme are;Thursday 19th October. Chris Dalewill continue his series of talks onRoman Emperors with Hadrian.Thursday 16th November. Theleading authority on the MedievalWelsh Church Dr. Madelaine Grayon Medieval Tombstones in Wales.Talks take place at 7.30 in the OldChurch Rooms. All are welcome.The visit to Nantgarw is a morningone. For more details phone AllanCook on 02920843176. Line Drawing of Nantgarw China Works. Author’s Collection.

The Ken InnesTrophyAt the final meeting of the 2017Festival Committee the Ken InnesTrophy was presented to JulieDavies, the leader of RadyrGuides.

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

Pictured is the presentation to St. John Ambulance of a cheque for £10,500 which covers all the donations from theAssociation, the schools and all other organisations in the village.

Thanks go to them all for their generous support of the charity. Next year’s charity is the Alzheimer’s Society.

Sat 15 July 10.30am Summer ReadingChallenge

Launch – storytime and craft

Week 1Tue 25 Jul 10:15am Storytime for

under 5’s

Fri 28 Jul 10:30am Stories and poemsfor older children – ages 7+

Week 2Tue 1 Aug 10:15am Storytime for

under 5’s

Fri 4 Aug 10:30am Helping HedgehogsLearn about hedgehogs, and what wecan do to make sure they are happy

and healthy. Have a go at making somehedgehog crafts. Age 5+.

Week 3Tue 8 Aug 10:15am Storytime for

under 5’s

Fri 11 Aug 10:30am Crimebusters!Have fun with our local police officers,learning about crime prevention, and

have a go at beingfingerprinted! Age 5+.

Week 4Tue 15 Aug 10:15am Storytime for

under 5’s

Tue 15 Aug 2:00pm Wise OwlsMeet some real life owls in the library,and make some owl crafts. Age 5+.

Fri 18 Aug 10:30am Puppy TalesMeet Nelson the guide dog, and learnabout all the work he does to support

his owner. Age 5+.

Fri 18 Aug 2:00pm Workshop – ‘A DayAt The Zoo’

This workshop, provided by ExploreLearning, aims to promote

communication and team skills. Age 5-7.

Week 5Tue 22 Aug 10:15am Storytime for

under 5’s

Tue 22 Aug 3:30pm Author visit:

BB TaylorMeet author BB Taylor, and her friendsYoshi and Hamster – she will be sellingcopies of her books, which she will be

happy to sign for you. Age 5+.

Week 6Tue 29 Aug 10:15am Storytime for

under 5’s

Booking for events is essential, asplaces are limited.

To book a place, please contact RadyrLibrary: 029 2078 0996

radyrlibrary@cardiff.gov.uk

Radyr andMorganstownAssociation UnitedAgainst Dementia

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

21st century’s biggest killer, withsomeone developing it every threeminutes, and so many people arefacing it alone. Alzheimer’s SocietyCymru is here for anyone affected bydementia. The charity carries outvital research as well as providing

The Radyr and MorganstownAssociation, better known locally asthe RMA, has been in existence since1987 and was awarded the Queen’sAward for Voluntary Service in 2015.The Association selects a charity tosupport and work with each year onevents throughout the year in therun up to a two-week May Festival.In the coming year the RMA will beuniting with Alzheimer’s societyCymru to raise awareness and fundsfor those living with dementia.

David Silver, RMA Chairman, said,“The Radyr and MorganstownAssociation is delighted to beworking with Alzheimer’s societyCymru over the next twelve months.The RMA was set up to make ourCommunity a great place to live andwork and we aim to interact with allsectors and ages. We are only tooaware how dementia affects familiesas well as individuals. We will raisemoney for the Charity but, moreimportantly, we will work withAlzheimer’s society Cymru to helpset up an on-going local supportgroup to which people can turn inthe future.”

Cheryl George Regional CommunityFundraising Manager, at Alzheimer’sSociety Cymru said:

“Dementia doesn’t care who you are;it could affect us all. It’s set to be the

information and support to makesure people don’t feel that way andthey know where to go for support.

“We are so excited to be workingwith the Association over the nexttwelve months and hope raise bothfunds and awareness that will makea difference in this community andacross Wales. There are lots of eventsplanned from the Christmas lightsswitch on through to the festivalcelebrations next May. We are alsolooking to form a volunteerfundraising group over the course ofthe year. This will start with an openinformation session on 2ndSeptember in the Old Church Roomsin Radyr”

If you would like to hear more aboutgetting involved in the localfundraising group then pleasecontact Cheryl George 07484510012or emailcheryl.george@alzheimers.org.uk

Over 3,700 people have dementia inCardiff. Alzheimer’s Society Cymruis here for anyone affected bydementia. The charity providesinformation and support, to find outmore call the National DementiaHelpline on 0300 222 1122 or visitalzheimers.org.uk

New Sponsorship forRadyr Cricket Club…from back cover

support. Our thanks also extends tothe continued support of RadyrGarage as well as new sponsorshipfrom Andrew Cox barbers, GlamorganTelecom, Thomas H Wood, U DesignLtd and Gwynt y Ddraig. Not allsupport however amounts to money; aspecial thanks must go to the Radyrand Morganstown Association inparticular Nick Hawkins for loaningus the marquee for our annual VicePresidents luncheon.Radyr Cricket Club is a vibrant, familyclub, proud of its 125 years of historywithin the local community. It iswonderful to have so much localsupport in all its guises.In conclusion if you or any member ofyour family are interested in playing,scoring, umpiring or even cutting thegrass do not hesitate to contact theclub via www.radyrcc.co.uk or justpop down to the ground.Jonty Wilson - 1st XI Captain

A Shop Too Far?Since I moved to Radyr overforty years ago, there has beena ‘corner shop’ on Station Roadand although there have beenmany changes over that timethis shop has been a constanton the ‘high street’ and for thelast twenty five years or so wehave been well serviced by Jeffand his family.

I am absolutely disgusted thatthe council has allowed a bigorganisation like the Co-op tobe given permission to opendirectly next door to this shop,both being retail food outlets.

I for one will remain loyal tothe Spar and will not beentering the Co-op premisesand I hope that many of theresidents of Radyr will do thesame. We do not need all thesebig organisations pushing outthe smaller businesses.

Please join me as a protest andjust support our local Spar.

(Name and address supplied)