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

My name is Gareth Bird and I will berunning thirteen unforgiving milesto raise vital funds for AtlanticCollege RNLI Inshore Lifeboat (ILB)Station. Atlantic College is aninternational sixth formestablishment boasting a largelystudent run RNLI station responsiblefor rescue operations along 20km ofthe Bristol Channel.

HALF MARATHON FOR R.N.L.I.

During my two years at AtlanticCollege I was heavily involved withthe ILB Station. After morninglessons had finished, myself andother student volunteers walked tothe station to see what work neededdoing. Some afternoons trainingboats would launch allowingpracticing of boat handling skills,other days were spent in the

workshop changing wonkypropellers or patching holes andwhen the sea was very rough we’dshelter in the station office and runthrough chart reading, navigationand radio communication skills.

Students wishing to join the college’sRNLI operations make a two yearcommitment to join the InshoreLifeboat (ILB) Service. The firstyear is spent gaining basic skillsneeded for lifeboat crews. In thesecond year, students join thelifeboat crew or train as RYAInstructors. I was asked by theStation Head to train with the RYA asa Powerboat Instructor. Isubsequently worked in a close knitteaching team ensuring new studentshad the skills and confidence neededfor their second year.

The Bristol Channel is one of thebusiest shipping waterways in theworld and is often hit by storms andhigh seas. It is therefore essentialthe Atlantic College RNLI crew aretrained to the highest possiblestandards. Almost every afternoonthe RNLI crew launch the lifeboat toundergo training exercises.

continued on page 5

WILDLIFE WATCHINGDr. Mary Gilham has written a mostentertaining and informative bookfor those wishing to explore thecountryside around Radyr andsometime further afield.

Dr. Gilham is a botanist who hastravelled widely, lecturing in NewZealand, Australia, Nigeria andlatterly in Cardiff and she is theauthor of a considerable number ofbooks. Advancing age forced her toleave her dearly loved cottage andgarden in Gwaelod-y-Garth and nowshe is settled in a flat at Brynteg.

The book emphasises the joys ofstrolling off the beaten track in theincreased leisure time of retirement.Brynteg is ideally situated for theobservation of wild flowers, birds andbutterflies with the river and FforestFarm so close. Walks on theGlamorgan Heritage Coast, South

Pembrokeshire and South Devon arealso described.

I was impressed by a paragraph in Dr.Gilham’s introduction. “It is pointlessto retire enwrapped in a wet blanketof nostalgia and regret. We can stilllive enquiringly, with a lively curiosityand interest during our final years”.

The book may be obtained from theauthor at 8 Cwrt Brynteg. Pleasetelephone 029 2084 2582

Two of her other books of localinterest are:

A Natural History of Cardiff –Exploring Along the River Taff

from the Taff Gorge to Cardiff Bay

The Garth Countryside Cardiff’sGreen Mantle.

RADYR CHAINFree to every home in Radyr and Morganstown

Number 190 October 2010

The Rainbows were challenged to GOWILD! By Girlguiding UK as part ofour Centenary celebrations. As wedon’t have any jungles or rainforest inRadyr we opted for the next best thingand went on a pond dippingexpedition to Forest Farm. Armed withnets and white trays the expedition setoff one Friday evening in June.

The Rainbows had lots of fun catchingmini beasts big and small – help wason hand from expedition leaders Alecand Raj (Forest Farm’s Rangers) toidentify the creatures and tell us abouttheir life cycles. Our favourites werethe dragonfly nymphs and the beetlesthat have a very ingenious way oftrapping air to allow them to breatheunderwater. We were lucky enough tofind discarded dragonfly nymph casesin the grass nearby too. The girlsenjoyed a picnic before reluctantlyleaving, clutching their GoWild!Badges. We certainly plan to GOWILD! Again.

RAINBOWS GO WILD!

Anothermajor watermainproblem inHeol Isaf

report on page 9

It is lovely to hear the happy sound ofchildren playing across the road inRadyr Primary School yard. It issomething we mist during holidays.We were kept very busy with this year’sReading Challenge, the Space Hop.Jen and Anne visited the local schoolsto present certificates and medals tothe successful children. The “scratch

FUN AT RADYRLIBRARY

see page 11

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 - Victor Evans, (to whom donations may be sent; they will begratefully acknowledged) 3 Woodfield Avenue, Radyr CF15 8EF. 2041 2869Distribution - 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

OCTOBER

Radyr & Morganstown Indoor Bowls Club. The current season has already started but this does not mean new members will not bewelcomed. We meet at Morganstown VillageHall on Wednesdays and Saturdays 2.00 and 6.00pm each day throughout the winter months. For more information see www.ibc.radyr.org.uk

27 NSPCC invite you to join us for a bowl of homemade soup with bread and cheese at St. John’s Church Hall, Danescourt. 12 noon

NOVEMBER25 NSPCC Coffee & Mince pie morning. Radyr

Golf Club. Tickets £2 from committee members or pay at the door. 10.30am

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

EDITORIAL

It is good news that The GoodNeighbours Scheme has beenadopted as next year’s Charity byThe Festival Committee. Itsvolunteers offer support to many inour community and it urgentlyneeds funds to ensure that it cancontinue to provide this muchneeded service.

We have received several articlesfrom young people. These are verywelcome and we hope they willencourage others to send usarticles – long or short.

Congratulations to the Cricket Clubon having had such a successfulseason. We wish them Good Luckin next season’s competition.

We also congratulate Alastair Joneson winning both the Welsh Amateurand Youth Golf titles, the first personto accomplish this double.

DO YOU WISH TO SENDGREETINGS TO FAMILY &

FRIENDS THIS CHRISTMAS?

Why not use ScoutsChristmas Post, 2010.

Once again this year, Radyr Scoutsare providing the opportunity for youto send Christmas Greetings throughthe Scout Post to family and friends

living in the Cardiff Cowbridge,Penarth and Barry areas.

Scout Post stamps will be available at20p each. If you wish to support

scouting in Radyr and Morganstown,please purchase your scout post

stamps from the local area outlets:

Pugh’s Garden Centre,Morganstown

Pzazz Hairdesigners,Castle Court, Caer Graig

Radyr Library, Park Road

Veg Vendor, Station Road,Radyr.

Stamps will be on sale from thebeginning of November.

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

Can I take this opportunity to thankall those people who have supportedScout Christmas Post in the past. Bypurchasing your stamps locally, youare providing your local scout group

with its largest source of funds duringthe year.

The last date for posting this year isMonday, 6th December, 2010.

Please use the post boxes provided atthe outlets and the scout hall.

Be prepared to post early andsave money by using Scout

Christmas Post, 2010.

JBT.

Are you a GoodNeighbour?Could you sparean hour once amonth to helpsomeone in thelocal community?

Radyr and District Good NeighbourScheme is a small, local, charity thathelps to improve the quality of life forpeople in our community who needhelp. The Scheme started in 1988and has helped hundreds of peoplein the local area. We support twoweekly lunch clubs with nearlyseventy members and run afriendship group. Some of ourmembers have to rely on lifts to andfrom the venues. It takes a short timeto collect them from home and takethem back home again, for somemembers it can be the only time theyleave their homes. We also help withshopping library book changing, letterwriting etc. and provide aninformation service. Most GoodNeighbour Schemes are run by AgeConcern we are one of two in theCardiff area that are independent.The success of the Scheme isdependent on volunteers. The peoplewe help are usually elderly residentswho find it difficult to use publictransport or to walk a great distance.No regular commitment is required.Even if you could only help us atcertain times - school term, mornings,odd days etc we would be delightedto hear from you.

Volunteering is a good way of makingnew friends and getting involved inyour local community. If you think youcan help us, please contact us, 20842404 (the office is staffed part timebut please leave a message and yourcall will be returned).

If you think we may be able to helpyou or a relative please ring theabove number. (Please note we arenot able to help with gardening,personal care or cleaning)

Half Marathon forR.N.L.I.

continued from back cover

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

REDEVELOPMENTPLANS FOR RADYR AND

MORGANSTOWNFollowing the recent issuing of the “Radyrand Morganstown Village PlanQuestionnaire” certain issues facing thecommunity have been brought to light.The questionnaire was produced by theCommunity Council in order to help directour communities’ future and tocompensate for the needs of the everexpanding community as a whole. A copyof the Village Plan Questionnaire Reportcan be found at www.radyr.org.uk

The questionnaire has helped to set outthe potential for future development byaddressing three main issues; the practicallimits to further housing development, thepotential for establishing jobs within thearea so as to minimise traffic generationand potential future visions for the area.

The recent construction of threeadditional housing estates has led to a50% increase in population; half of thecommunity believe that there are toomany houses in the area and the otherhalf believe that there is the rightamount. Therefore, the overriding opinionis that Radyr and Morganstown should notbe further developed, but more publicfacilities including shops, transport linksand community areas should be provided.

Other future plans and projects includepromoting existing facilities, possiblyinvesting in a community leisure centre,investigating the possibility of adventureplay equipment, reviewing the use ofPentwyn Park, supporting a new cycle pathto Hayley Park, investing in the SidingsCommunity Plot, improving communitypolicing systems, promoting adultseducation courses, aiming to reducecongestion and traffic impacts within thecommunity, extending the pavements onWindsor Road and many more schemes.

Jessica Ure.

This emphasis on training results in alot of wear and tear on the crew’sequipment. Fortunately, the college’slifeboat is in good condition so I don’tneed to raise the £160,000 to buy anew one, or the £48,000 needed torefit it! I am setting my sights on moremoderately priced, but no lessimportant, items. Below is a list ofessential inshore crew kit.

Gloves: £16.Drysuit: £319.

Thermal Suit: £82.Helmet: £166.

Lifejacket: £222.

It would be wonderful to raise enoughto cover the costs of some items; I’msure a new drysuit with no leaks or anew pair of warm gloves would be verymuch appreciated by current andfuture crew members.

If you would like to donate to or findout more information about myfundraising effort, you can do sothrough my fundraising website:www.justgiving.com/gareth-bird (It isjust like online shopping. You ‘pay’ bycredit or debit card through a securewebsite, all funds are held byJustGiving until the Half Marathon isover and are then transferred securelyto the RNLI).

Many thanks for taking the time toread this and for any donations youwould like to make. Every donationlarge or small is greatly appreciated.Please wish me luck for the big day!

HANGING OUTTHE BAUBLES

Need a pre-Christmas tonic? Fedup with Christmas already? ThenRadyr Drama Society’s nextproduction, A KICK IN THEBAUBLES is the answer for you.This saucy seasonal comedy byGordon Steele will blow awaythose yuletide blues.

The action takes place in thehome of Frank and Jean Bailey onChristmas Eve, yes this ChristmasEve. This is the first time inseveral productions that RadyrDrama Society has performed aplay that is right up to the minutemodern. Frank does not wish“that it could be Christmas everyday”, in fact he is dreading thearrival of his snobbish in-laws.Throw in a couple of larger thanlife neighbours and all is set for a“car crash” of a Christmas.

The Society has received manycompliments on the sets of DaveBurgess; they usually receive around of applause as the curtainopens. This time he will not onlybe responsible for the set but alsofor the production. Stand by forfireworks.

A Kick in the Baubles will beperformed at MorganstownVillage Hall on Thursday, Fridayand Saturday, 25th, 26th and 27thNovember at 7.30pm. Ticketsprice £7., £6. concessions, £5.students are already on sale fromVeg Vendor, Station Road, AllanCook 2084 3176 or Sheila Phillips2084 2585.

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

RADYR &MORGANSTOWN

FRIENDS OF TENOVUSRadyr Golf Club will be the venue forthe forthcoming Friends of TenovusAutumn Coffee Morning to be heldon Thursday, 14th October at10.30am.

Tenovus Charity Christmas cards willbe for sale and there will be a home-made cake stall, a book stall and arepresentative from Enerchi in RadyrVillage who will give a talk onessential oils! A raffle will also beheld.

Tickets priced £2. are available fromLucille Sharp (Tel. 028 2084 3108) oryou may pay at the door.

Thee Tenovus Mobile CancerSupport Unit continues to providetreatment and advice in localcommunities. This is proving to bemost successful and now covers awider geographical area throughoutWales.

We look forward to your support atthis local event.

Alison Skidmore.

RECORD EXAMINATIONRESULTS AT RADYR

COMPREHENSIVEThis summer a record 87% of Year11 students at RadyrComprehensive achieved five ormore higher grade (A*-C) grades intheir GCSE examinations. Thisbeat the previous record by over 7%and continues the upward trend ofrecent years. The past four yearshave all produced better resultsthan at any other time in theschool’s history. Equally pleasingwas the fact that over 99% ofstudents achieved five or more A*-Ggrade passes – another record forthe school!

A Level results were just as pleasingwith a pass rate of over 98% andalmost 60% of entries resulting inA*, A and B grades.

Headteacher, Steve Fowler, paidtribute to the hard work of studentsand staff and said “It is not justthese record raw scores thatpleased us so much. The fact thatso many of our youngsters achievedfar more than could have beenreasonably expected of them isterrific. For some years now, ourstudents have made more progressfrom Year 7 to Year 11, in academicterms, than those in almost anyother school in Cardiff. They haveachieved this whilst taking part inwhat is probably the biggest extra-curricular programme in the area.Whilst we’re delighted with theirsuccesses it’s so important thatschools are more than justexamination factories”.

FOR YOUR DIARY

Cheese, Wine andCraft Evening

at New School Rooms, Christ Church

on Saturday, 27th November at 7pm.

Proceeds in aid of Horse &Pony Rescue Society.

Tickets 029 2084 2579or pay at door.

TREFORGAN WI‘What did I do with my time before Ijoined the WI? is a familiar cry fromTreforgan members.

In the WI organisation, there are somany opportunities for so manydiverse activities. A choice has tobe made by individuals and localgroups.

At national level, we have chosen tocomplete a Tri-athlon. Spread overa few months, it involves 100% ofour members making a contribution,however small, to swimming,walking and cycling mileage. It’s anattempt to keep us active. Some ofus qualified for the cycling categoryby riding around Sophia Gardens onhired bikes and trikes, lookingfetching in hired helmets. Theprospect of a pub lunch motivatedus.

At country level, we competed in aquiz night with two hundred WImembers from all over Glamorgan.We didn’t win but have convincedourselves that it’s the taking partthat is important.

Locally, some of us entered theRadyr and Morganstown Tenovussponsored walk – also allowed aspart of the Tri-athlon.

And as an Institute, we haverecently set up a bridge group. Wewill play on a Friday afternoon, oncea month, at the same convenienttime as our ordinary meetings.

In September at our usual Thursdayafternoon meeting, we are going tolearn about bee-keeping and mighteven adopt a beehive. The nextmeeting after this publication will beon 21st October at 1.15pm inMorganstown Village Hall with a talkby the multi-talented Eleanor Kapp.On 18th November we will hearabout the common cold fromProfessor Eccles. More details onthe Radyr and Morganstownwebsite.

These are a few of the things we areinvolved in and enjoying – wehaven’t managed to fit in jammaking yet. If you would like toknow about anything connectedwith Treforgan WI, please ring SueSmith on 029 2084 3920.

40 WINDSOR AVENUE,RADYR, CARDIFF. CF15 8BY.

Tel. 029 2084 3739

I would like to say a heartfelt thankyou to everybody who so kindly

delivered wool to me at 40 WindsorAvenue.

The response was wonderful but ifanyone else has wool which they willnot use, it would be well received. Iwill keep you updated as to where all

the knitted items go.

Many thanksBarbara Brunt.

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

UPDATE FROM YOURCOUNTY COUNCILLOR

Ruptured Water Main: (see photoson front cover). Once again trafficalong Heol Isaf was disrupted butthis time, with the benefit of the“rehearsal” two years ago, I was ableto speak quickly with Welsh Water,the contractor, South Wales Policeand Cardiff Council Highways Dept.We agreed a programme of actionswhich were explained on the localwebsite and the nuisance wasminimised. To reassure residents Imet with Welsh Water to be briefedon the cause of the burst and theprobability of a repetition. The mainis fairly new, having been installed inthe 1950’s, is in good condition andshould be fine for another fifty years.The cause was a failure of the valvefeeding Radyr Reservoir (nearFairwater) and this created asignificant back-surge causing thetwo bursts. This valve has beenserviced and is being monitoredclosely. In some recompense for theproblem, Welsh Water is donating£250. to Radyr Good NeighboursScheme.

Radyr Weir: In a return to itsindustrial past the prospect is beingassessed of using the weir to createindustrial power. Installing anArchimedean Screw Hydro Turbinean output of approximately 400KWcan be generated with an annualtotal of about 1.82MWh. Theturbine is designed to be safe for fishpassing through. I will providefurther information as the projectadvances.

Disabled Access to Radyr Station:While I have been unsuccessful inpersuading Arriva Trains to modifythe access, they have conceded thatthey have an obligation to assistdisabled passengers to travel bytrain. If the company is contactedabout an access problem, it willsuggest a solution, probably theprovision of a taxi from Radyr Stationto a station which has disabledaccess.

Local Development Plan: As Iadvised before, the initial plan hasbeen withdrawn and a new plan isbeing prepared from scratch whichwill take four years. This has

potentially profound consequencesform Radyr and Morganstown and Iwill keep you informed.

Policing: At a recent meeting withthe Chief Constable and the ChiefSuperintendent responsible forCardiff, I reiterated that our area hassuffered a substantial cut in the levelof policing and expressed concernthat “intelligence lead policing”implied a willingness to neglectrelatively low crime areas.

Radyr Library: Plans will besubmitted shortly and the project tobuild a new, much larger library inPark Road is on schedule.

Surgery: I will hold a surgery in RadyrLibrary on Saturday, 6th Novemberbetween 10am and 12noon. If youhave a concern or want furtherinformation on the above issues orany other matter, come to thesurgery or contact me, as set outbelow.

Cllr. Rod McKerlichTel. 2084 3106 or email

rmckerlich@cardiff.gov.uk

CYLCH Ti A Fl A CHYLCHMEITHRIN RADUR A

PHENTRE-POETH

Mae'n ddechrau tymor unwaitheto. Mae Cylch Ti a Fi Radur aPhentre-poeth yn gyfle gwych ideni sydd â babanod rhwng 0 a 4oed ddod i gyfarfod â rhieni eraillmewn amgylchedd hamddenol abraf ac mae digon o deganaunewydd ar gael i'r plant chwarae.Yn ogystal, caiff y rhieni baned abisged a chaiff y plant ddiod affrwythau! Mae hefyd yn sylfaengwych ar gyfer y Cylch Meithrinsy'n cael ei gynnal gan AntiRachael ac Anti Angharad drwygyfrwng y Gymraeg. Y thema ytymor hwn yw Saii Mali. Bydd yCylch hefyd yn cynnalnosweithiau i godi arian ar eigyfer sy'n rhoi cyfle i'r rhienigymdeithasu. Mae'r CylchMeithrin yn cyfarfod ynYstafelloedd yr Hen Eglwys, Heoly Parc, Radur o ddydd Llun iddydd lau ac mae'r Cylch Ti a Fiyno ar fore Gwener rhwng 9.15 a10.45. Mae croeso cynnes ibawb.

Cylch Meithrin Radur aPhentrepoeth

Autumn Term Events

Thursday 21st October:Halloween/Nos Calan GaeafCoffee Morning£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 decorationsand crafts for your Nos CalanGaeaf/Halloween celebrations.

Bake Sale Week: B-12 NovemberFundraising for Meithrin - how youcan help

Bake a batch of cakes or cookies(with the help of your child/children)for sale to colleagues at your or yourpartner's workplace, or any otherpublic event. The money you raise willbe used to fund the purchase ofessential equipment for Meithrin.

Register to take part (registrationform, advertising material and recipeswill be available from Meithrin fromNovember 1st).

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

Thursday 18th November: Ladies’Dinner and Auction (8pm till late, YMochyn Du)Enjoy a glamorous ladies’ night out,with a delicious three-course meal atY Mochyn Du, Sophia Gardens. Thehighlight of the evening will be anauction of brilliant prizes and servicesdonated by local businesses andfriends of the Cylch. A greatopportunity to pick up a real bargainand some unique Christmas gifts!

£25 a head, tickets to be purchasedfrom Meithrin or by contactingrhianfflur@live.co.uk.

Saturday 11th December: SionCorn’s Christmas Fair (1100-1300Old Church Rooms)Join Sion Corn and friends as theyprepare for Christmas/Nadolig with afun-packed Festive Fair, featuringcake and confectionery stalls,Christmas craft-making workshops,snack and mince pie bar, raffle andplenty more. Also a chance topurchase crafts and other gifts in timefor Christmas.

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

RADYR, MORGANSTOWN &DISTRICT GARDENING CLUB

Tending the autumn garden andharvesting the allotment came to astandstill for 26 of us on Wednesday,8th September as the GardeningClub visited David Austin Roses atAlbrighton and the nearby WightwickManor both close to Wolverhampton.We set out early from Radyrtravelling through the Usk and WyeValleys in early Autumn mistsarriving mid morning to be met bysunshine and David Austin staff witha welcome cup of coffee andcroissants. A conducted tour of theRose Gardens followed; each of thewalled gardens has a different themewith many roses developed by DavidAustin and still in flower. Our guide,Diana, is involved with the breedingof new varieties and was veryknowledgeable on the history ofDavid Austin Roses, the history anddevelopment of the rose and thecultivation and maintenance ofroses. There were many questionsfrom us all and it was only whenlunch called that the discussionscame to an end. After an excellentlunch the plant sales beckoned!Having spent our money andthanked the David Austin staff wemoved on to Wightwick Manor andGardens.

Wightwick Manor is a National Trustproperty, formerly the home ofindustrialist Theodore Mander. Thehouse itself is a late Victorian manorhouse furnished under the influenceof the Arts and Crafts movement andboasts works by William Morris,Rosetti, Burne-Jones and others.The formal gardens were designedby Thomas Mawson (DyffrynGardens). Some of the party optedto tour the house, others decided ona gentle stroll round the formalgardens and the new kitchen garden(now into its second year). From aninteresting discussion with the HeadGardener we learned that theNational Trust is developing thekitchen garden with varieties ofvegetables in keeping with theperiod of the house; it will beinteresting to see how it progresses.After a much needed cup of tea itwas back on the coach for the returnto Radyr.

Although it was a long day all agreedthat it was an excellent day out andour thanks go to David Austin’s staff,particularly our guide Diana and toour Chairman, Jane Parry, fororganising the visits.

The Gardening Club’s next meetingis:

Wednesday, 13th October withRichard Arnold talking on“Really Welsh Daffodils”

This will be followed on 10thNovember by “Fascinating Fungi” with Linda Nottage.

We hope that there is somethingfor everyone and would encourage

you to come along.

All meetings are at the NewChurch Rooms, Heol Isaf on thesecond Wednesday of the month

starting at 7.30pm and are followedby refreshments.

Please see village notice boardsand Radyr website

(www.radyr.org.uk) for programmedetails and any changes.

Fun at Radyr Librarycontinued from front cover…

and sniff” stickers and “glow in the dark”prizes proved popular once again. At timeof printing, in excess of 150 medals andcertificates have been given out.Congratulations and well done everyone.

We would also like to congratulate NicholasYoung, Mali Hurford and Elin Preest forwinning the Space Hop Treasure Hunt. Theirprize was a picture signed by Stephen G.Bowen who was one of the crew on thespace shuttle Atlantis’ last ever mission.Well done.

A prize was also presented to Emily Williamsfor naming our space ship (the Children’sarea), “Shooting Star”. Congratulations.

Anne would like to thank everyone for theirkind wishes, cards and letters during herrecent leave of absence. Her ribs havecompletely healed and she wasoverwhelmed by customer’s concern.

Jen starts her maternity leave early inOctober. She is expecting a baby boytowards the end of October. We are sureeveryone will wish her and her family well.

There are a few free Wartime Memoriesbooks available to Radyr and Morganstownresidents. The book was published tocommemorate the 60th anniversary of the

end of the Second World War. It was aproject set for Class 6, Bryn Deri School byMr. Cox. An interesting read!

Our “Space Hop” launch was a big success aswe mentioned in the August edition of theRadyr Chain. We hope you enjoy thephotos. There is a display on show in thelibrary. Thank you all for making this anenjoyable event.

A couple of items of children’s clothing anda few soft toys have been abandoned in thelibrary. If you think your child may have leftsomething, please contact the staff.

As the nights are drawing in, what betterway of relaxing than curling up by the firewith a good book? We have regulardeliveries of new books and if we don’t havethe book you want in stock we can usuallyorder it from another library. This service isfree of charge. It is so easy to join thelibrary. All you need is one form ofidentification and your library card will beactivated straight away.

Check out our websitewww.cardiff.gov.uk/libraries

This site allows library members to renewbooks, search our catalogue and accessreference from the comfort of your ownhome. If you have any queries about usingthe site please ask the staff who will behappy to assist.

Happy reading,Jen, Anne and Hannah.

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

JUNIOR CAPTAIN’S DAY At RADYR GOLF CLUBOn Thursday 29th July Junior Captain, Matthew Charlton hosted his Junior Captain's Day at Radyr GolfClub. The day was well supported by junior members and their parents. 22 junior members took part in an18 hole competition. In third place was Rachel Jones with 39 points. Owain Evans came second with ascore of 40 points, however he was beaten to first place by Matthew Jones who scored 41 points. A ninehole competition was also held with 12 players taking part including 4 girls. The winner of this competitionwas Callum Meyer with A net score of 35 points. Ryan Butterworth finished second with a score of 37. Thelongest drive was won by Megan Matthews, a real achievement for a newcomer to golf. Elliot Jones tookthe nearest the pin prize. The event was supported by the Club Captain, Mike Cornish and the Lady CaptainCarol Anthony who assisted Matthew Charlton in presenting all the prizes. For any children who may beinterested in taking up golf there is a Junior Coaching Academy at the Club for juniors aged 8 and upwards.They are given professional coaching in a group setting once a Week on a Sunday. Further details can beobtained from Simon Swales, the Club Professional. Anyone interested in joining the Club, as a junior,senior or social member should contact the Manager, Gareth Morgan at manager@radyrgolf.co.uk

SENIORS CLUB FINALS DAY AT RADYR LAWN TENNIS CLUBSaturday 10th July Radyr Tennis Club was all set up for the 2010 Club Final's Day. The deck chairs werelined up and the Pimms was ready for serving. The Grass courts, the last in South Wales, were busy withcompetitors rallying and smashing the ball over the net. The final results were as follows:

Ladies Singles - Winner - Michelle de Villiers Runner Up - Dawn Hodnett Ladies Doubles - Michelle and Dawn. Runners Up - Angela Champion and Sarah Smith

Mixed Doubles - Michelle de Villiers and Nick Smith. Runners Up - Dawn Hodnett and Jim Martin

Men's Singles - Nick Smith. Runner Up - Jack Robinson Men's Doubles - Jack and Justin Robinson. Runners Up - Ian and Nick Smith

Ladies Plate Singles - Lianne Booth. Runner Up - Rachel Frost Men's Plate Singles - Andrew Mainwaring. Runner Up - Lee Marshall

Mixed Doubles Plate - Teresa Evans and Richard Azzapardi.

Membership for the Tennis Club is still open and for further details you should contact 075630750542 or the Secretary Rachel Mainwaring. Email address: rach.j.mainwaring@btinternet.com

12

There has been considerable concern about the future of part of Radyr Woods. I am verypleased to say that much is being done by the Radyr Woods Wardens, with the backing ofthe Community Council, to secure it for the community. Some three quarters of this area is

owned by Cardiff Council and the other quarter, the steeply wooded section below Taff Terrace, is owned bythe Earl of Plymouth’s family. The Community Council had a lease for 25 years from Lord Plymouth for thewooded section and we had been discussing the best future after the lease expired. We had hoped thatCardiff Council would buy the land so that they owned the whole area and the Wardens could continue tomanage it as before. However, Cardiff did not want to take on the liability of ownership and neither did theCommunity Council. After much discussion when Lord Plymouth’s land was put up for sale the plan now is forthe Wardens to buy this part of Radyr Woods. The Community Council has met all the maintenance costs forthe past 25 years and will continue to do so as part of its management agreement for the rest of the RadyrWoods area. Of course, other improvements have been funded by external grants awarded to the Wardens.When there is more news, we will put it on the website as well as the Chain.

The Friends of Danybryn Woods have met over the summer and continued to clear back the brambles. Wefound some hazel nuts which may have been opened by dormice so we are getting a formal identification.This is very exciting as dormice are not known to be numerous in Wales and are a European ProtectedSpecies.

The bye-election for Radyr South cost £2238 which was a little less than expected. That might sound a lot for239 ballot papers returned but, of course, the cost isn’t dependent on the number of votes and the higher theturnout the better the value!

On a more prosaic note, we will shortly be installing the last two new litter bins in Windsor Gardens bringingthe total to six. These have helped stop litter escaping or being removed by birds. They are also fire-resistantwhich helps to minimize damage from some of the friskier visitors to the garden.

Helena Fox - Clerk

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

September means the days are getting shorter, the nights colder and damper andeventually we will have the first seriously foggy morning of the season with a crop of

accidents caused by fog. However, is it the fog that causes accidents in these conditions? Without doubt,car crashes in this sort of foggy weather are caused by people who drive their vehicles too fast and tooclose together, simply unable or unwilling to adjust their driving pattern when visibility is poor; fog is definedas occurring when horizontal visibility falls below 1100 yards and thick fog when below 220 yards.

The well-known meteorologist, Henry Charnock, once put it “Situated as we are at the downwind end of theAtlantic, we should not be surprised that cloud and rain are essential ingredients of the average Britishsummer”. (Summer is defined as the months of June, July and August).

For Cardiff, this year’s summer started dry but ended wet with rainfall of 18.1mm, 22% in June, more in Julywith 84.9mm, 106% and very wet in August with 154.00, 151%, despite no measurable rainfall from 27thAugust to 4th September as the active hurricane season in the west Atlantic and the Caribbean had nowstarted.

August had two very wet days in Cardiff with 28.8mm on the 19th and 39.1mm on the 25th when the daymaximum temperature only reached 15C, whilst 16C has been recorded in Cardiff in January. Since 1990in Cardiff there have been five wetter Augusts with the most in 1997 when there was 254.1mm. Regardingsummer rainfall, Cardiff receiver 257.0mm, 97% compared with 417.8mm in 2009, whilst the daytimemaximum temperature was 20.7C, -0.7C with 2010 being the fourth year running with below averagetemperatures.

The weather summary - by John Trenchard

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

www.radyr.org.uk is…a window on our local history 13

MORGANSTOWN MOTTEDRAWING OF MOTTE

AND BAILEY

The next meeting of the R&M HistorySociety will be held on Thursday, 11thNovember, when Dr. Amelia Pannett willgive a talk on Cambrian Archaeology andthe Morganstown Motte.

Last year Cardiff County Councilcommissioned Cambrian Archaeology toundertake a survey of Morganstown Mottewhich was undertaken by Dr. Pannett andcompleted last autumn. Unfortunately thediscovery of an infection in therhododendrons has resulted in the Mottebeing sealed off and much of the tree andground cover cleared. Hopefully somework will be possible on the Motte in thenot too distant future.

Morganstown Motte is the best preserved ofa series of motte and bailey castles built bythe Norman invaders of Glamorgan alongthe foot of Caerphilly mountain. Thiswould have been the first frontier betweenthe Normans and the Welsh in these parts.It would have consisted of an earth moundwith a wooden stockade creating a woodencastle. At the foot of the mount would havebeen a small township. The earth bankwhich surrounded the township can still beseen to the east of the mount. Whenattacked the inhabitants of the townshipwould have moved with their goods andlivestock into the protection of the castle.

Some mottes had stone built castles toreplace the wooden structure; a goodexample of this is the Norman keep atCardiff castle, a stone building on a mound.It is unlikely that Morganstown Motte everdeveloped to that stage. While veryimportant in the early stages of theconquest, commanding the entrance to theTaff valley and facing the Welsh castle atCastell Coch, it would have becomeredundant once the Normans had capturedthe kingdom of Senghenydd and builtCaerphilly Castle.

The meeting on the 11th November will beheld at the Old Church Rooms at 7.30pm.All are welcome.

RADYR GUIDE CENTRE HAS A MAKE-OVERRadyr Friends of Guiding has been working hard over the summer holidays to givethe Guide Centre a huge make-over. A new kitchen and boiler have been installed,the cloakrooms have been decorated and the hot air hand driers updated too. Therehas also been work to repair the guttering, downpipes, wall and steps damagedearlier in the year. The grounds are also in the process of being tidied.

Radyr Guide Centre is well used the community – it is home to Radyr Rainbows,Brownies and Guides, as well as Playworks After School and Wraparound Care Clubs,Yoga, Extend and Judo classes.

Now that all the work has been completed the Guide Centre offers a very welcomingvenue for parties or meetings. If you would like to hire the Guide Centre, pleasecontact Penny Nash 029 2084 2000 or Julie Davies 029 2084 2923. CHILDREN’SPARTY SPECIAL OFFER £20. (THREE HOURS).

CAN YOU HELP US?We are twelve blue dinner and dessert plates that live at the back of thekitchen cupboard in the Guide Centre with our friends the cups and saucers.We are very sad and lonely as we have lost eighty of our friends.

Perhaps you have seen some of them in your kitchen. Did you borrow someplates once for a party or function? We would really like to be re-united.

Pentwyn ParkCommunity

EnvironmentalEvent

More than fifty localpeople joined theCommunity Council in anenvironmental event inPentwyn Park onOctober 2. We plantedhundreds of native Tenby

Daffodils, sowed wild flower seed and made bird and bat boxes. Theevent was part of a Village Plan project to enhance our local greenspaces. Some of the bird and bat boxes will be put in the park’s treesand some went home tolocal gardens. The weatherwas perfect and it wasterrific to see peopleenjoying the outdoors,many of whom asked to dothis more often. Especialthanks go to all the childrenwho worked really hard,saving worms anddiscovering mini-beasts asthey dug!

www.radyr.org.uk is…a photo-archive for our local community 17

widespread disease, and thelikelihood of a cholera outbreakleading to an epidemic. Tragicallythe reality of the situation is thatcontaminated water sources willinevitably lead to the spreading ofdisease, and the aid required to solvethis problem simply isn’t meetingthe demand.

It is vitally important that thePakistan flood appeal continues tobe supported. You can becomeinvolved in supporting this cause byparticipating in any one of thefollowing organisations or eventswithin Cardiff:

Iftar for Pakistan flooding –Emergency Appeal

22/08/2010 5.30pm-9pm City Hall, Cardiff

Islamic Relief Wales presents acommunity iftar with all proceedsgoing towards the Pakistanemergency appeal. Three coursemeal provided and special guestvisitors. Tickets £10, to book ticketsand for further information call07817528379

www.savethechildren.org.uk www.dec.org.uk or 0370 60 60

900 www.WaterAid.org/Pakistanflood

By Jessica Ure

An emergency appeal has beenlaunched in order to raise funds forthose affected by the tragedy thathas come of the recent Pakistanflooding. The United Nations havedeclared that the countries worstflooding in over a century is nowknown to have affected over 16million people and taken the lives ofat least 1600 citizens. Althoughcharities from all over the worldhave been quick to respond toPakistan’s cry for help, it is essentialthat aid continues to be provided forthe remaining survivors. Fresh floodwarnings mean that basic suppliesare in higher demand than everbefore, and it is essential to thewellbeing of the remaining survivorsthat aid continues to be sent towhere it is needed.

Representatives from the British RedCross have been situated in some ofthe hardest hit provinces, and haveso far delivered aid in the form offood, clean water, shelter andmedicine to over 35,000 citizens.Also the DEC, an umbrellaorganisation of 13 humanitarian aidagencies, is said to have successfullydelivered essentials to over 300,000survivors.

The biggest threat facing survivorsat this point in time is the risk of

Relief for Pakistan FloodingFund Raising Events in Cardiff

MARTIN’S TAITHMYNYDD MAWR

Martin successfully made it in hisquest to climb Snowdon in hiswheelchair with his carrying crew – histwo sons Richard and Dan, as well asShaun, Martin, David, Paul Gareth,Darren, Richard H, Graham, Lee,Craig, Damien, Stuart and Gethin whoalso drove the coach. Well done boys!

Thanks to all of the staff andsupporters who helped make this trippossible.

Thanks to Edwards and John Lewis,thanks to Invacare for the loan of thewheelchair and a special thank you toSeren Ventures and all the staff thatsupported us. A successful trip andenjoyed by all.

See the justgiving website for morepictures …

www.justgiving.com/MartinsTaithMynyddMawr

Martin had an interview with GoodMorning Wales and has had an articleon the online news bulletin (seebelow).

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-10981183

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00tfbrx/Good Morning Wales 14 08

2010/

Christine MooreCapital Appeal Fundraiser,

DanybrynLeonard Cheshire DisabilityTelephone 07827 996 020

Email:Christine.more@LCDisability.org

www.justgiving.com/MartinsTaithMynyddMawr

Love to run or know someone whodoes? Put your best foot forward

and run to support our work. From5km fun runs to ultra-marathons,we have running events to suit

everyone. Find our more atwww.LCDisability.org/ilovetorun

www.radyr.org.uk is…a window on our local history 19

NEW WELSH CHAMPIONS– NEXT STOP WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIPSSEPTEMBER 2010

With the build-up to the TaekwondoWorld Championships being held inSeptember, members of the Steve TottleSchools of Taekwondo have been honingtheir skills in local and internationalchampionships.

Gethin James from the Rhondda andNicola Turecek who trains in Pontypriddand Bridgend both travelled to Sardiniaas part of the TAGB British Squad tocompete in the WASCO WorldChampionships. This tournament is opento Karate, Kung Fu, Kickboxers andTaekwondo practitioners from all overthe world. The students compete in pointsparring and continuous sparring with thetournament lasting for five days.

Steve was very pleased with the results,with Nicola winning Gold in LadiesLightweight continuous sparring andSilver in point sparring and Gethinwinning Bronze in Men’s Heavyweightcontinuous sparring.

This weekend the Welsh AreaChampionships were held in Cardiff withstudents competing in point sparring,continuous sparring, team sparring andpatterns. This tournament was open tocoloured belt and black belts.

The results were as follows:

Bridgend –Liz Gordon

Red Belt 3 gold and 1 silver

Iwan HillGreen Belt Bronze

Josh HulseBlack Belt Gold

Emma NelsonRed Belt 2 silver and 1 gold

Jasmine Over Black Belt Silver

Steve SawdayBlue Belt Gold

Kristian WilliamsGreen Belt Gold

Angel Williams - Yellow Belt Gold

Pontypridd –Nicola Turecek - Black Belt Gold

Radyr –Robert Hooper

Green Belt Bronze

Vale –Bethany BurtRed Belt Gold

Jessica BurtGreen Belt 1 Silver and 1 Gold

Rhiannon WilliamsBlack Belt Gold

Rhondda –Gethin James

Black Belt 2 Gold

Dominic GreenBlue Belt 1 Gold and 1 Silver

Dylan NashYellow Belt Silver

Mike JonesRed Belt Gold and Bronze

The Taekwondo Schools run all throughthe year – we do not stop for the SummerHolidays. Anybody interested in learningself defence, Taekwondo, Kickboxingskills should contact Steve Tottle on01443 226 452 or go to

www.tagb.biz orwww.blackbeltschools.com

With over 700 schools in the UK therewill be a TAGB School near you.

Please note that the action pictures are ofNicola Turecek and Gethin James, thetwo children are Bethany and Jessie Burt(914) (917 is some of the Bridgend crewand (923) is the Rhondda group after thetournament.

RADYR’S RACHEL DOES TAEKWONDOSCHOOL PROUD TAKING SILVER MEDAL ATTHE WORLD TAEKWONDO CHAMPIONSHIPS

The World Championships were held in Telford International Arena onthe weekend of 11th and 12th September.

Over 1800 Competitors took part from every continent in the world. AJunior event was held on the Saturday and the Senior event on theSunday. Participants from all styles of Taekwondo took part in fullcontact WTF (Olympic Style), semi contact Taekwondo InternationalStyle, Patterns and Destruction.

The standard of competition was obviously very high, people train foryears specifically for this event.

Wales had an excellent haul of medals, the students we would like tomention here train in the schools in Bridgend, Rhondda, Radyr,Pontypridd and the Vale. For the past year these students in particularhave trained in all these schools. continued…

Ladies Blue Belt Light HeavyweightSparring

Rachel Mortimore - SILVER

Ladies Black Belt PatternsNicola Turecek -

GOLD

Radyr Golf Club.

Over the last year, there havebeen extensive improvements atRadyr Golf Club. The lounge hasbeen refurbished, the access forthe disabled has been brought upto current legislative standardsand the continued work on thegolf course has enhanced it’sreputation as being one of thebest in the Principality. In addition,the catering at the club isoutstanding and has proved verypopular with the members ,localresidents and visiting societies.

I am writing therefore, to therecipients of the Radyr Chain toinvite them to participate in all theclub activities.

Firstly, the club would welcomeapplications from residents whowish to be full playing members.Secondly, we would be delightedto receive applications for thosewishing to become SocialMembers. The joining fee for thelatter category is minimal butwould enable such members touse all the facilities. Furthermore,it may act as an incentive toyounger family members to join asjunior members. Currently, thejunior section is very vibrant,competitive and very enjoyable.

The club would also welcomeenquiries in regard to the otherfacilities. There are rooms for hirefor both large and small privatemeetings. The club canaccommodate most activitiesranging from christenings,weddings and any othercelebratory activities. All enquirieswill be most welcome.

One of the most popular facility isSunday lunch. Currently, it is sopopular that a booking is essential. Naturally, children are mostwelcome. The only restriction isthe wearing of Denim Jeans.

The club manager, Mr GarethMorgan, will be delighted to hearfrom you and the club looksforward to meeting you in thenear future. Please contact him orMrs Cynthia Tombs, ClubAdministrator on 20842408.

Ralph Vaughan, Vice Captain.

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

Other results:

Ladies Red Belt MiddleweightSparring

Liz Gordon - BRONZE

Ladies Blue Belt Light HeavyweightSparring

Rachel Mortimore - SILVER

Mens Blue Belt MiddleweightSparring

Steve Sawday - BRONZE

Ladies Red Belt Team SparringLiz Gordon and Emma Nelson -

GOLD

Boys Green Belt Team SparringKristian Williams - GOLD

Students from Bridgend in the morning before the opening ceremony

Emma Nelson (centre) and Liz Gordon (right) who won the Red Belt Ladies Team eventwho travel to Radyr from Bridgend for extra training on a regular basis.

Particular praise goes to Nicola Turecek as there were 92 competitors inher division and 3 hours to complete.

Has anyone lost this postcard dated January 10th 1911? It was found inside a book recently returned to Radyr Library

www.radyr.org.uk is…a place for you to air your views on local matters 23

RADYR CRICKET CLUB, 2010.The end of the club’s most successfulseason ever saw it win five differenttrophies. The 2nds, 3rds and 4ths all wontheir respective leagues with the 4ths beingall the more commendable as it was thefirst time the club had ever run such a side.Our Indoor League team won the Cardiff &District Winter League and our Under 13’swon the Grand Final in early September.Even the 1sts who didn’t get promotionmissed out by only one place finishing in3rd position with one of our players,

Moshin Arif, scoring hundreds in threeconsecutive games – a feat neverachieved at Radyr before.

The massive increase in numbers playingthe game over the last few years has beenincredible. Now running four verycompetitive league sides every Saturdaymeans we have some sixty seniormembers plus two hundred juniormembers who compete at Under 9’s, 11’s,13’s and 15’s. The more talentedyoungsters over thirteen years of agesupplement the seniors and in certaingames, they have been the match winners.The standards are also higher than theyhave ever been and the facilities have tomatch. It costs a lot of money plus timeand effort to prepare two pitches for eachweekend while also running junior cricketevery Monday to Friday. This is onlyachieved due to the commitment anddedication of senior players and parents ofjuniors who have thrown themselves intothe life of the club.

There is no doubt that the club will continueto go from strength to strength and in thenext few months it will be awarded“Clubmark” status which is anacknowledgement that the managementand organization are in place for theexacting demands that people make ofmodern sporting clubs. Should you or anymember of your family, of any age orgender, wish to join us please give theClub’s Secretary, Alun Williams a call on07817 053 756 or email him onalunvw1@aol.com Alternatively speak tothe club’s Youth Manager who is GwynMorris on 07980 801 665 or email him on

RADYR CRICKET CLUB 2010

RADYR CRICKET CLUB YOUTH SQUAD 2010

Merched y Wawr Bro RadurCroesawyd tua hanner cant ohonom i gyfarfod cyntaf y tymor dan ein Llywydd,Elsbeth Edwards. Atgoffodd ni am lwyddiant nifer o’r aelodau mewn cystadlaethauyn Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Glyn Ebwy. Diolchodd Eirlys Davies, Trefnydd y DeDdwyrain i’r aelodau am eu rhan yng nghyflwyniad y Rhanbarth ar y prif lwyfan a’rgefnogaeth i babell y mudiad ar y Maes.

Y Parchedig Kevin Davies oedd y gwestai ar y noson gyntaf. Rhannodd ei syniadaua’n rhoi ar y llwybr cywir wrth osod blodau. Defnyddiodd Dymor y Diolch a’rCynhaeaf fel ei thema. Mae ganddo ddawn y meistr i wneud rhywbeth anodd iedrych yn rhwydd wrth iddo greu pum gosodiad trawiadol. Gwledd yn wir i’rllygaid a dechrau bendigedig i raglen y flwyddyn!

Cofiwch am y cyfarfod nesaf ar Hydref y 6ed pan fydd Ieuan Evans yn siarad amGrochenwaith De Cymru.

Dwy aelod lwcus a enillodd drefniant o flodau yng nghwmni Kevin Davies: Elen Lewis acEirlys Davies.