Neville pub sold at auction The Neville, pictured in about 1910, has been open for 120 years. The Neville pub on the corner of Clare Road and Allerton Street has been sold for £230,000 at an auction. The Victorian building, which had been offered at a guide price of £275,000 freehold, has been bought by a local property developer - who says he wants a bar to continue downstairs, with the hope of student flats in the living accommodation above. It was featured in the South Wales Echo heading a list of pubs under threat. Mark Mayes, who currently manages the Neville, told the paper that he was reliant on entertainment and match days to bring in customers. He said trade could be “demoralising”. He told the Echo: “I don’t get a lot of people after 9.30pm. If I stay open until 11.30pm I’ll be lucky to see one person." A sale of pubs included the King's Castle, even older than the Neville and one of the oldest surviving buildings in Canton. New owner of the Neville, Amir Ashtari, who runs a local lettings agency, told the Echo he was "looking at it as a long-term investment with a view to running it as a bar on the ground floor with maybe a couple of flats above it". He added: "“It is a nice old building – it has just got something about it". Grangetown History Society were keen to see the building retained. The pub, which dates from September 1889, started life briefly as the Saltmead Hotel when it was built for the Hancock's Brewery, before its change of name within about a year. If it closed, it wouldl leave just two pubs left in Grangetown - The Cornwall and The Grange. The pub, which includes six bedroom accommodation, was offered for sale by Sidney Phillips, which has dozens of pubs in Wales for sale. See Wales Online Old Baroness pub for flats plan Plans have been put forward to turn the old Baroness Windsor pub in Penarth Road into flats and a shop. The pub, which dates from the 1860s, has been empty and boarded up for more than two years. The conversion plans to Cardiff Council forwarded by the owners of nearby Yang's restaurant, include four self-contained flats upstairs in the building. The shop would be in the downstairs of the old pub, with two two-bedroom flats on each of the other two floors, with dormer windows. The flat entrances would be in North Street. The applicants say they're basing it on the flats and shop development involving nearby Youngs greengrocers. It marks the latest changing face of pubs in the area, following the demolition of two pubs in recent years - both of which had been empty for some time. The Inn On The River and the Plymouth have both made way for social housing developments. Car protest over English-only police correspondence A Grangetown woman and her children held a sit-in in her car, in a Welsh language protest over English-only correspondence issued to her by South Wales Police over two parking tickets. Lleucu Meinir, 35, "occupied" her car, which had been clamped, awaiting bailiffs to arrive to re-possess it in Llanmaes Street. The vehicle was due to be towed away and sold at auction after Ms Meinir's refusal to pay two parking tickets of £60, because the police had filled out the forms in English only. After five hours of protest, Ms Meinir agreed to pay the fine after a police superintendent offered to discuss the force’s language policy. Ms Meinir, a member of the Welsh language society Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg said: “South Wales Police treat Welsh in a completely tokenistic way, making life much more difficult for those who really want to use the language. I’ve had to fight over and over again to get a service in Welsh." Quins kick off with new name Cardiff Grange Harlequins have kicked off their new league season with a new name - and in a new division. The 75-year-old football club, based at the new Leckwith Stadium, were called Cardiff Bay Harlequins for a season but are now reflecting their long Grangetown association in their name. Following a controversial shake-up of the Welsh League, Quins are now playing in division three, after six clubs were relegated. They also has a reserve team in the Cardiff and District Reserve League and a youth section. The next home games are against Bridgend Street (Sept 11, 2.30pm) and UWIC (Sept 14, 7.45pm). We hope to feature the Quins soon here - and here more from them during the season. So go along, and support your local team! There's an excellent feature on the work the club is doing at community level, with black and ethnic minorities and with junior football in the recent Football Focus magazine.

Grangetown mum's eco-friendly baby project Grangetown resident Laura McClelland-Morgan and her sister have set up Baby's First Planet, a website that aims to help parents recycle their mother and baby/children items. As well as helping parents in the time-consuming battle of finding second hand baby goods, it also hopes to promote eco-friendly parenting and ways of energy-saving. The website has been set up by and is run by volunteers and is completely free to use. It m aims to make the process easier for like-minded parents. The website is run by volunteers, is free and generates no financial income. "It strives to make eco-sound parenting more accessible to everyone," says Laura. "The main feature of the site is a Babycycle section which enables parents either to request specific second hand items or to advertise goods that they are no longer using. "There are also tips regarding money-saving strategies, topical blogs and ideas for upuse, reuse and recycling of various goods." Although the site was initially designed for local residents only, there has been wider spread interest and the site now has in excess of 300 members across the UK but with most in the Cardiff area. The team currently consists of two trustees and four volunteers. Its aim is to provide a cost-free, accesible and user-friendly service for all parents in the UK who wish to learn more about ecosound parenting. BFP encourages any parents who are interested in recycling and reusing mother and children’s goods to use the Babycycle service, even if this is a financially rather than environmentally motivated decision. Overall, the hope is to encourage a decrease in consumerism, an increase in upuse and recycling and the use of reusable nappies. The site aims to be progressive by aknowledging the stresses and time-constraints of modern life and showing parents that ecoparenting is not nescassarily an ‘all or nothing’ phenomenon but that small changes can be made where time permits, resulting in positive impacts on the environment. For example, using reusable nappies over night and at weekends can decrease the number of disposable nappies going to landfill by about 20 nappies per child per week. One bundle of baby clothes can maybe serve two or three families before being sent to textile recycling facilities. Aside the environmental and financial benefits of the site, it hopes to nurture and encourage a sense of community amongst local families. So if you have a either bag of old toys gathering dust in the shed or a pile of clothes that could keep another baby snug then please…..give them to your neighbour! This the start of a chain that ultimately leads back to you. Zebra crossings there in black and white Two new zebra crossings have been set up on Cornwall Street, following years of campaigning by local residents. The crossings, at the junctions with Stafford Road and Hereford Street, were agreed by highways officials. It follows petitions from North Grangetown Residents' Association and lobbying from local councillors. Traffic speed has been an issue on the road. Dog nuisance leaves residents barking mad Nuisance from dogs - and their owners - continues to leave Grangetown residents barking mad, as heard at the area's August PACT meeting at the Samaj Centre. Problems of dog mess, as well as uncontrolled dogs damaging trees and causing a problem in parks continue to be reported. The problems seemed particularly acute in Pentre Gardens and Courtmead Gardens. This is despite the efforts of police, who organised a dog show at the end of July at Grange Gardens. Animal charities and dog display teams attended, while 40 local dogs were entered into the show. It was aimed at offering advice to owners and showcasing good behaviour. However, residents spoke of hostility if confronting owners for not clearing up after their dogs, while at Courtmead Gardens, the promise of gates being removed or locked open had not been met - allowing owners to "race" dogs around the small park. Some residents demanded that police or city dog wardens take action, particularly those cross-breeds which may even be illegal. Meanwhile, as reported above, problems of damage to young trees in the Marl were reported, which had so far affected about eight trees, which had been stripped of bark. . Other issues raised included the need for CCTV to be switched on in Windsor Quay, with an increase in anti-social behaviour and damage to cars; problems of fly-tipping, including in the lanes. Meanwhile, with councillors absent from the meeting, there was a request for them to attend the next one to update on council-related issues. This included on tipping and providing details of local traffic and parking management, particularly since the start of the new council-controlled red-cap wardens. General anti-social behaviour in parks, along with dog control issues, were agreed as PACT priorities. Prostitution was also, again, another priority, with one resident complaining of nuisance in one particular street which had seen activity from one prostitute and associated kerb crawlers bothering her and other residents on lighter, summer evenings. The next PACT meeting is at Channel View on Tuesday September 28th, 7pm. More news on our crime/police page Guardian has a fix on street level The Cardiff blog site run by the The Guardian is not only updated regularly during the day by the local Cardiff reporter, it also seems to have taken a pulse for things going on in the city, including communities like Grangetown. There is also plenty of room for interaction, including the excellent Fix My Street section, which is a fabulous facility for registering moans and groans on issues ranging from potholes to dog fouling, which is sent on to Cardiff council. If you thought you saw a super-hero in Clare Road recently... This is doing the rounds on You Tube - US alternative singer-songwriter John Grant came to Cardiff, including Clare Road in Grangetown, to record the video for his single Chicken Bones, with a little nod in the direction of Jackass. * Warning: Please don't view if easily offended - the video contains strong language Grange News - community articles welcome The Summer edition of the long-established community newspaper Grange News is now out. We would welcome any articles of local news and interest for a future edition. Please send any contributions to: grangetowncommunitynews@hotmail.co.uk or hand into GCC at Grangetown Library. Any inquiries about advertising, to call 029 20 377010 Mon-Fri, 10.30am-12.30pm.

Store volunteers serve up a colourful change for youth club

A team of volunteers from John Lewis in Cardiff have given Grangetown Boys and Girls Club a fresh look.

It was part of Give and Gain Day in July, which saw 15 volunteers from the Cardiff store paint the activity room and toilets to provide a fresh new atmosphere for the club. The John Lewis team created colourful murals to enhance the lower level rooms and brighten the centre.

Claire Thomas, recruitment coordinator from John Lewis Cardiff, said: "We knew that it was something we would love to be involved in. At John Lewis we are passionate about the local communities in which we work.

"The Grangetown Boys and Girls Club provide an invaluable service to the local boys and girls in the area, and the chance to help them regenerate their building was something we were keen to help with.

"Fifteen of our 'Partners' attended on the day, and they really enjoyed taking part. All of them have said that they wanted to make a real difference to the lives of people in our community, and that they would like to do something similar in the future."

In Wales, more than 300 employees from 25 companies donated their time for community work on the day, which was organised by Business in the Community. Across the UK, 6,400 people took part.

Owen Evans, director of Business in the Community Wales, said: "This year more businesses than ever have demonstrated their commitment to their communities through volunteering on Give and Gain Day. The hard work undertaken by the team from John Lewis will help leave a lasting impression locally, and will benefit so many local children who use the facility."

For more information about employee volunteering, visit Business in the Community's website or phone 02920 780 050.

Festival fun in the garden

Pictured above, roses in the pick-a-ticket raffle at Courtmead Gardens, the raffle stall, decorating cakes and the community police team and the art of fun fingerprints.

North Grangetown Residents' Association, and Cornwall Street Baptist Church, held a joint garden fete in Courtmead Gardens on 17th July. The event included a fun finger-printing workshop for children with South Wales Police's community team, a craft-making stall, face-painter and raffle.

Trophy as Albion seconds finish first

In baseball, Grange Albion’s reserve team won the historic Lord Ninian Stuart Cup, writes Tony Hicks. Albion beat near neighbours, Cogan Coronation 1-0. The game’s only goal was scored 15 minutes from the end by Albion captain, Stephen Ayres.

Farewell to cigar factory

A century of cigar-making at the Freeman's factory in Grangetown has gone with the closure of the plant at the end of November.

The company, which mostly employed generations of local women in its 115 years in Cardiff, finally moved work to Northern Ireland. Workers were each presented with a history of the factory, filled with historic photos. The factory, which also once had an facility in Bridge Street in the town centre, had opened in Clive Street in the first few years of the 20th century, before moving eventually to a new factory in Penarth Road in the early 1960s. It was very much part of the Grangetown landscape, with whole families having worked there. A history of the factory can be found here.

Future Communities First funding fear

Leaders of Communities First, which has a project in Lower Grangetown, admit to being "disappointed" at news that future funding of the project is to end.

Voluntary Action Cardiff is in negotiations "to determine what options we have open to us that will make best use of the remaining time left in the current programme."

As well as Grangetown, the project also operates in South Roath and Rumney. Talks are being held with Cardiff Council and at a later date with the assembly government.

Pie firm merges bakeries

One of Grangetown's best-known names, Clark's Pies, is to centre all its baking operations in the area.

The family firm, set up nearly 100 years ago, is closing its Victoria Park bakery and moving its production and workforce to Grangetown, where it has a bakery in Bromsgrove Street.

The firm, which says it won't be making any compulsory redundancies, says the move this summer will allow it to plan for business growth in the future.

"It’s an exciting time for the company," said Dennis Dutch, grandson of the founder of the firm, Mary Clark, a mother-of-seven, who started making pies in her kitchen at home. "Merging our two bakeries will focus expertise on one site, which will help to make us fitter for the future, allowing for greater business opportunities."

Both shops in Grangetown and Victoria Park will remain open. "Clarksie's" with their unique recipe and unmistakeble crust, have been popular down the generations, including with Cardiff City fans, and have inspired local poets and songwriters.

The Grangetown connection once included a shop in Paget Street, but the business has been for yearsin Bromsgrove Street.

Clark’s Pies will continue to be run by the fourth generation of founder Mary Clark’s family - commercial director Ceri Dutch-John and her cousins, production director Amanda Rosoman and purchasing director Beverley Pemberton. They are pictured above with Dennis Dutch.

Flats plan for old laundry site

Plans have been unveiled again for the site of the old laundry on the corner of Mardy Street and Pendyris Street.

This time, they involve 34 flats - social housing planned for Taff Housing. There have been previous applications for the site over the last couple of years, involving similar housing schemes, while the site is currently being used as a car park aimed at commuters.

Other plans in the pipeline include converting a house in Clare Road into a hotel/B&B and plans for a cashpoint on the outside of the chemist/post office on the corner of Cornwall Street.

Gabby finds Grangetown roots

TV and radio presenter Gabby Logan took to the streets of Grangetown to research her roots - and found a heartbreaking story about her ancestors.

She took part in the Coming Home series for BBC Wales, along with her father, former Wales football manager Terry Yorath.

She was shown her family tree and Grangetown connections, on a visit to Clive Street Baptist Church, close to where her great-great grandparents lived - in York Place and Hewell Street.

She is emotional as she uncovers details about her great, great grandmother Clara Yorath. Clara’s husband, Cardiff docks labourer David Yorath died of TB at just 35, leaving her with five children to bring up. Gabby’s determination to find out what happened to Clara and her orphaned children leads her to more heart breaking discoveries. As a mother Gabby is devastated to hear how two of Clara’s children died of malnutrition. And the fate of Clara’s surviving three children also makes for uncomfortable listening, involving the workhouse among other misfortunes.

Of learning about the cruel twists in Clara’s life, Gabby says: "I felt absolutely heartbroken. It’s beyond any comprehension of people in our society today. I feel really drained. You don’t realise how emotionally draining it is to hear and take on all that information. I can’t begin to imagine how she dealt with all these deaths as a mother."

Coming Home was shown on BBC1 Wales on 23rd November.

Tribute to head teacher and "good Samaritan"

Tributes have been paid to a former head of St Patrick's RC School and a devoted worker in the Grangetown community, who has died aged 78.

Peggy Rein was a teacher at St Patrick's for 38 years, including 15 years as head. She had a 45-year association with Grange Catholics Baseball team, and had remained serving as chairman. The club held a tribute before the start of the first game of the season, as did Grangetown Community Concern, before its annual general meeting. Peggy was a former treasurer and committee member of Community Concern, and still delivered its newspaper near her home. She was born the youngest of six children at the family home and shop in Clare Road, where she lived all her life and where she died in May.

Her nephew Michael, pays this tribute: "Margaret Winifred Rein was born in 1930 in Clare Road and lived there all her life. Their home was not just a home to the Rein family, but also a shop serving the Grangetown community. It was here Peggy learnt about not just weights, measures and money - which would prove so useful in schooling and her teaching career, but also servitude. Something to which Peggy dedicted her entire live. She was known as Peggy to her friends, Miss Rein to her former pupils and Auntie Peg to her many nieces and nephews.

"There are four areas that are all interwoven in her life: her family; her school life; her life in the Grangetown Community particularly St. Patrick’s Church and her involvement with Grange Catholics Baseball. Peggy was involved in the baseball for over 45 years and was very committed to Grange Catholics team. Peggy was also very involved within the community: she was a member of Grangetown Community Concern and at one stage was the Treasurer; she also delivered the meals on legs around the area for many years and lately was auditor to the Concern accounts. Her association with St Patrick’s school began when she started at St. Patrick’s Infants school in 1935, moving on to Heathfield House and then the College of the Immaculate Conception, Southampton, to train as teacher. She then returned to St. Pat’s as a young teacher in 1950 eventually becoming headteacher in 1973 until she retired in 1988. As in the wonderful film Goodbye Mr Chips, Peggy taught in an era when manners and honour were primary values and when spending ones; life in service to others was considered a noble art. Thirty eight years of devoted teaching in St. Patrick’s school. I know how proud she was of St. Patrick’s and its staff and pupils – she considered it to be a wonderful school as she would often tell people and as Dan O’Neill discovered when she wrote to the Echo in response to some comments he had made in a recent article.

"When she retired, Peggy loved to travel, and visited many countries including Russia and America and a number of European cities. She also enjoyed meals with friends and family, as good food and good conversation were two of her great hobbies. Her involvement with the church played a significant part in her life. Her informed faith was very important to her. Peggy was a Eucharistic minister regularly taking Communion to the sick of the parish; she was also a reader at Mass and was an active member of the Parish Council. She was a true Christian who lived the Gospels: faith, hope and charity dominated her life. When talking to numerous people offering their condolences to the family I was struck by one simple comment – they said that Peggy was a ‘Good Samaritan’ – two words that I believe are a true reflection on Peggy’s’ life – a person who was always available, always willing to help others and was held in great esteem by friends and family."

Parents' concern over "amazing" nursery

Parents are worried about the future of Grangetown Nursery School, after a proposed shake-up which could see it amalgamated with Grangetown Primary School.

Cardiff Council's executive have voted to put out the amalgamation plan to public consultation. It would involve the 60-year-old nursery becoming part of Grangetown Primary School and the post of head teacher disappearing. Officials say amalgamations have so far taken place elsewhere without any compulsory redundancies, while "continuity on the existing site will be maintained." The nursery school has recently won plaudits for its excellent inspection report, in which teaching standards were said to be outstanding and there was said to be "very positive relationships" between staff and 140 children.

Parents organised a meeting and protested before the council meeting. Parents said they were worried about the effect on education standards, the local community and worries over "the loss of leadership" of the head teacher. The proposal would save an estimated £56,000 a year and is part of a city-wide policy of bringing nursery education within primary schools. It is part of a shake-up which also involves primary schools in Canton and Adamsdown. The plans also would see an integrated children's centre, serving Butetown and Grangetown, at St Mary The Virgin Primary, to include special needs, speech therapy and children with protection issues.

One parent Karen McCabe, who moved to Grangetown from New Zealand, wrote to us about how the nursery provided a stimulating environment for her son, with encouragement for pupils to enjoy the outdoors and features like a nature area. She said it also played an important part of family life: "Grangetown Nursery is not your standard nursery! The outstanding leadership and staff members, are the ones that have made this amazing nursery comply with the foundation polices put in place by the Cardiff Council.

"The future of the UK depends on amazing nurseries like Grangetown, to develop an outstanding base for our children to build on. Not only does it teach the children to live a full and happy life it encourages the parents to take an active part in it. My family is extremely lucky to have been able to be a part of Grangetown Nursery and hope that many many more children in Wales are lucky enough to have the same opportunity that we have had."

A similar proposal is being put forward for Tremorfa Nursery School. Executive member for education and lifelong learning Cllr Freda Salway, said: "We will work closely with the existing schools in order to achieve a smooth transition now these proposals have been approved."