Radyr Tennis Club celebrate 100 years this year. The original wooden club house was rebuilt in the 80s and extended during 2011. The club has always been recognised as one of the best tennis clubs in Wales with superb facilites. It is only in the last few years that the grass courts were converted to all weather surfaces. Most of the courts are floodlit for evening tennis matches. A very active club with many social events. The 100 years is being celebrated with a dinner at Cardiff City Stadium in Leckwith on Friday 6th June.See photos of the Dinner – click here

The Club presented LATCH, the Festival charity with a cheque of £600 raised by members.

A release from the Post Office gives news of a change to the Post Office services in Station Road, Radyr. The Post Office is to be relocated within the Martins Newsagent shop with effect from June 2014. The existing area is to be closed off and the service counter will be incorporated alongside the retail service till. This will obviously be a congested area for the staff and queuing customers. The branch will be open longer 6am to 5.00pm/5.30pm on weekdays and open on Sunday from 7am to 1pm. Some of the services will be withdrawn and there is no mention of any agreement with NatWest Bank to clear cheques or provide any additional facility. A full service for the Post Office will be provided at the Whitchurch office some 4 miles away.

A customer questionnaire has been set up on the following website www.postofficeviews.co.uk. This site will be open until the 21st May. The Post Office (and the shop?) will be closed for three days in June. However the details and the form requesting feedback can be accessed here and here. We urge as many Radyr residents as possible to send in their views.

The Post Office appear to be responding to the questionnaire with individual letters. Does this mean they are listening and are willing to change? They have indicated that there is no special arrangement with NatWest Bank locally, however they state that agreement has been reached on a national bases!

We have been formally notified that the Station Road Branch of NatWest is to close on the 31st July 2014. This is despite the bank’s promise ” We never close the last branch in town”.

A Campaign group has been formed to lobby the Welsh Government to scrap Cardiff’s Local Development Plan and re-instate it with a Regional approach to planning and development. The Welsh Government has the power to take these steps similar to Scotland, they have already accepted the principle of regional economical planning – why not housing? Over 25 years the population of Cardiff is forecast to increase by 42% against a historical increase of around 4%. 41,000 new dwellings are proposed to built with 18,000 on green field land with little improvement to the infrastructure. There are proposals to open up, junction 33 of the M4 and run a tram/rail link from Creigiau to Llandaff, demolishing several relatively modern houses along the way! There is a considerable number of vacant properties around Cardiff, estimated to be 10,000 of which some are in need of renovation. If you would like to join this campaign please complete the form below and send it by email to: neilmcevoy2004@yahoo.co.uk or call 07974439640. There is a facebook page – “No LDP Cardiff”

Our R&M Community Council along with other local councils have formed a working group to oppose the LDP in its present form.

At the consultation meeting last Monday the Council officers issued an “Alternative Site Representation Forms” for residents to complete. The form can be found on the Cardiff County Council site – www.cardiff.co.uk which can be emailed to LDP@Cardiff.gov.uk. You are being encouraged to support the deletion of Strategic Site C – “North West Cardiff”. This will force the planners to review the development West of Radyr to St Fagans.

I append a description of the changes to local bus service which will take effect on 20^th April. I know that partial restoration of the link to Canton will be popular and realise that the reduction in service to Radyr Gardens will cause disquiet; I objected to this cut and was advised that hardly anyone uses the service to Radyr Gardens except early and in the early evening when the service remains

County Councillor Rod McKerlich

Route 63: Overall there will still be 2 buses per hour to and from the Central Bus Station via Cathedral Road, Llandaff, Danescourt as now except most journeys will end at Radyr (Caer Graig) with the extension to Ffordd Berllan is discontinued except for Mondays to Fridays where two journeys will start at Ffordd Berllan at 0733 and 0800 to maintain a peak hour journey to the city centre and provide the facility for pupils from the Ffordd Berllan area to travel to Radyr Comprehensive School. The journey at the end of the school day will also continue beyond Radyr (Caer Graig) to Ffordd Berllan for returning pupils. Customer who travel during the daytime to/from Ffordd Berllan are directed to new route 66.

Route 66: Certain journeys on route 66 now start and end at Ffordd Berllan after serving Fairwater and Danescourt. These journeys will also serve the Caer Graig and Dan-y-Bryn Avenue areas of Radyr restoring a link direct to and from the shopping centre in Canton. Unfortunately there are only 4 return journeys on route 66 but this is the best possible provision under the circumstances.

The levels of cuts announced by Welsh Government in making changes to the All Wales Concessionary Travel Scheme are large. We have gone through and evaluated every journey on every service to understand the levels of usage and best match our resources to that demand. We have also looked at our own cost reducing exercise and efficiency measures internally and we are too working through them. Making cuts to services or increasing fares are always a measure of last resort for us. Our aim is to always provide the most comprehensive bus service across the city that we can.

Cardiff County Council’s Budget proposal which includes the closure of Radyr Youth Centre. (response closed on the 13th Feb)

Extract from the budget statement:

Youth clubs will no longer be provided from: Radyr Youth Centre, plus provision at Creigiau and Gwaelod y Garth, Whitchurch Youth Centre plus provision at Tongwynlais, Llanishen Youth Centre, Ty Celyn Youth Centre, Howardian Youth Centre, Pentwyn Dome, Trowbridge , and Dusty Forge, Ely. Additionally we propose to reduce funding for open access youth provision at Cathays Community Centre. However, through the community building review we are planning to continue offering training for young people from the Dusty Forge; Duke of Edinburgh awards through school premises in North Cardiff; and street based and mobile youth services for the North of the City.

Go to www.cardiff.gov.uk/content.asp to have your say.

22nd February: There has been a reconsideration of the proposal and some youth activities may well be saved !

The Wardens of Forest Farm have given notice that work is going to commence in late Summer on the turbine project at Radyr Weir. This will result in the Taff Trail being diverted around this area. The work will take up to 9 months to complete. Trees are being felled now to clear the site for this work to commence.

Alun Michael, the South Wales Police Commissioner, made a presentation with questions and answers at the International Hotel, Tongwynlais on Thursday 13th February 2014. Alun gave a report on his first year in the office and outline his future plans for policing in our area. Free refreshments were served from 6.30pm. The meeting will started at 7pm. There were a number of stalls, including Age Concern and Cardiff Neighbourhood Watch displays. All residents were welcome to attend.

His speech included –

plans for crime reduction and improved reporting of crime statistics,

working with County Councils to ensure that youth and Senior Citizen’s activities were maintained,

making the police more accountable,

setting up of a scrutiny panel to review police cautions and out of court disposals,

increasing the South Wales precept by 5% (to recover spending deficits compared with other areas of Wales),

working with other agencies such as Neighbourhood Watch to prevent crime,

attempting to improve 101 system and police response to 999 calls,

working with the Chief Constable and senior officers to ensure that front line policing is protected.

Both primary schools made a special presentation to LATCH, this year’s Community charity. The proceeds of their Christmas concerts were donated by the pupils of both schools to the charity at a presentation held in the schools on Monday 20th January. Lyn Howell, a volunteer from LATCH showed a video of the work of the charity and where the funds will be going to help children with cancer. Steve Murray, also a volunteer, accepted the cheques on behalf of the charity totalling £1325.

We are delighted to report that the meeting held on 15^th January attracted 43 people all eager to be a part of a new Choral Society. Peter Esswood gave details of his career to date and said how delighted he was with such a good turnout. He also said that he felt confident there would be others that will wish to become members. He even got those present to sing a short Chorale from Bach’s St Matthew Passion – unaccompanied and from scratch. It worked, sounded good, and even stayed in pitch. Good vibes for the future.

With such enthusiasm and capability, it was agreed to start rehearsals immediately. They will be held on Wednesdays either in the New Schoolrooms or Christ Church itself, starting at 7.30pm next Wednesday, 22^nd January. They will probably go on to 9.00pm.

Whilst members will be expected to be reasonably proficient in choral singing, it was decided not to ask people to go through an audition. Instead, people interested in joining should just come along and see how they get on. There will need to be a subscription but the level of that has yet to be set – things are happening very rapidly. So members will asked to pay just £10 to start and a further £2 per rehearsal attended thereafter. Once the subscription has been worked out the amount paid up-front will be deducted from the agreed fee. People will be free to leave at any time in this starting phase, but money will not be refunded.

Peter also managed to get a few volunteers to start the task of sorting out all the administration side – tedious but ever so necessary. Anyone who thinks they can assist in any way should contact him. He has great ambitions for the Society, even suggesting that one of his favourite works was The Dream of Gerontius, but that might be running ahead rather too quickly. He hoped the Society would put on three or four concerts a year, perhaps in different locations. The first ‘outing’ will be during this year’s R&M May Festival.

If you would like any further information, please contact Peter by email here or mobile, 07831 300617.

There has not been a proper Choral Society in R&M since the closing down of the old Radyr & District Choral Society over ten years ago. This is a great pity as there are many choral singers in and around the R&M Community, many of whom have gone off to sing in other societies.

But this could all change soon. Peter Esswood, who recently retired from the Royal Welsh School of Music and Drama – and lives in Radyr – has said he would like to get a choir going. Peter conducted at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations at the Golf Club in 2012 and at the ‘Concert in the Parc’ at the end of last year’s May Festival.

Peter is inviting all those who might be interested in joining a new choir to come along to a meeting at the Old Church Rooms at 8:00pm on Wednesday, 15^th January. Singers of any age will be welcome but some choral experience might be an advantage – there will probably be a simple audition to join! However, do not be put off by that. If you have been watching the programmes with Gareth Malone, you will know that good singers can appear from anywhere. You will also have noted just how much fun singing can be.

The repertoire of the new Society is up for discussion but Peter sees it as being mainly classical, with an emphasis on the ‘great choral works’.

So, if you are interested or just intrigued, come along on Wednesday 15^th January.

If you want any more information in advance, then Peter can be contacted via email here or ring him on 07831 300617.

Radyr resident Marcia Watts has been awarded the BEM in the Queen’s 2013 Honours list. Marcia has worked as a volunteer at Dan y Bryn Cheshire Home for over 20 years and has been involved with the Welsh Music College. She was a Community Councillor for Radyr, Castell View ward for a short time.

We are delighted to note that Radyr resident Marcia Watts has been awarded the British Empire Medal in this year’s New Year’s Honours list.

Marcia is secretary to the Friends of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, is a volunteer at Leonard Cheshire Disability, Danybryn, and was also a one-time member of the Radyr & Morganstown Community Council.

We all send her our heartiest congratulations.

Three
play readings will be held during June 2014. On Tues 10^th June, we
are reading ‘The Schoolmistress’ by A Pinero and on Tues 17^th June
the play will be ‘The Sunshine Boys’ by
Neil Simon’. On Thurs 26^th June, we will start with the A.G.M.,
followed by a reading of a play yet to be decided.

New members will be very welcome and further details are on the drama page of this web site.

LATCH – the Charity for children with cancer, has been selected as the village Festival charity for 2013/14. At the recent tree lighting ceremony bucket and stall collections amounted to £469. This was quickly followed by donations from our two local schools’ Christmas concerts. Bryn Deri donated £823 and Radyr Primary School £500. A further £92 was donated by the Cardiff Morris Dance group organised by David Silver and £30 from The Orchard tea house in Park Road.

The ladies of the Radyr & Morganstown WI have donated a community notice board for display at the Old Church Rooms in Park Road. This money is part of a grant received from the developers of the refurbished Radyr library for work performed by the WI. The rest of the grant has been donated to the Comprehensive School as a student award for community work. Pat Williams, Chair of the WI and members of the committee along with Nick Hawkins, chairman of the hall management committee formally handed the board over.

Yes, Radyr and Morganstown have finally moved into social media with the launch of the “Radyr & Morganstown Hub”. This is a Facebook Page for the entire community that we hope that local residents, organisations and businesses will come to make their own.

We launched the page just over two weeks ago and so far it has been very successful. We have already had over 150 people liking the page. These people will will get details of events and news fed straight into their own news feed without having to search for them. Over 1000 people have already looked at the page to see what is there.

We have been posting details of our own events ourselves, notably the Christmas Tree lighting event. There have also been posts about the RMA meeting speakers, Arriva trains new system of penalties for travelling without a ticket, Twinning, Bryn Deri School, Parish events, PACT, Cardiff Harlequins running club and the Radyr and Morganstown Rouleurs amongst others.

Obviously a number of groups and individuals have started using it. However, to make it really successful, we need more of you to start using it and posting on the page. We hope organisations will use it to tell the community what they are planning to do, where they need help and what they have been doing, with pictures if possible. Showing what you do will hopefully get you new recruits as well. Businesses can use it to tell us what they are doing.If you don’t have an account yourself, or no one in your organisation does, just send the information to us at events@radyr.org.uk and we will put it on for you. Another area where it can be used is if anyone wants to set up a group or start an activity that does not already exist. This is a great way to find like minded people. For those of you who do not use Facebook, why not start today. There are over a billion users worldwide and 30 million users in the UK, about half the population.

It is easy to get started by going to www.facebook.com or simply doing a google search on “How to open a facebook account”. You will be up and running in no time.

The Page is for everyone in R&M and it is there to supplement both the website and the Radyr Chain. Please use it to make it as beneficial to our community as possible

A large crowd gathered in Station Road for the switching on of the lights. Earlier Bryn Deri School choir and the Festival Queen assisted in switching the Christmas tree lights on in the Granny Park, Morganstown. At the same time Radyr Primary School choir and Princess Emma accompanied by Martha Pugh helped to switch the lights on the Lychgate Gardens tree. The crowd in Station Road were entertained with Christmas music, shopping at the many stalls and barbecue waiting for the lighting of the Windsor Road tree. The children from the two schools arrived to form a combined choir and sang two carols whilst the Festival Queen, her attendants and Martha helped the electricians to turn on the lights to be a big cheer. It was time to cross back into to Station Road for the overhead lighting to be switched by Martha and Patch, the LATCH dog, which was duly done to a count down from 10 to 0. Now was the time for the arrival of Santa, sitting in his sleigh with his helpers from the scouts. Sue was there to make sure that each child received a small gift from Santa and in the knowledge that their Christmas wish would be noted. Several hundred members of our community supported the charity stalls and local shops, who had stayed open for the occasion. Residents gave generously to the bucket collection for LATCH raising £469 on the night. This was in addition to a contribution made by Bryn Deri School from their Christmas carol concerts of £823. Radyr Primary School have donated a further £500, Morris Dancers £92 and The Orchard £30 – making a total of c£1900. A good start for our village support of this year’s charity. Other Charities also benefited from this event.

The Shop window display competition was won by Headway and the runner up was Ener Chi. It is thanks to all the shopkeepers, cafes and agents who took part to make the village a Christmas wonderland.

Many more photos in the GALLERY.