This is a
community website for Grangetown in Cardiff, highlighting people, business, community
activities, local news and things to do in the area...and linking other websites.
We live locally; this is a voluntary project - in connection with Grangetown
Community Concern - completely free and not a profit or money-making
or political initiative.
The idea is to create a community resource, which can also act as a window
for those outside the immediate area.
E-mail us if you'd
like to help or to send any contributions for inclusion. Also if you'd
like to be included FREE in our DIRECTORY, FILL IN
YOUR DETAILS ON OUR E-FORM or email us.
COMMUNITY
NEWS Last orders Pubs set for demolition + Muslim Centre
+ Pupils' DVD on local streets |
| DIARY DATES:
Every Saturday: Bay Women Singing, 10am-1pm at Salvation Army
Community Centre, Corporation Road, Grangetown (Free). Welsh National
Opera poetry and songwriting project, leading to performances in June
and July. Open to all women over 18 from the Butetown, Grangetown and
Riverside areas. Drop in or contact: Asa Malmsten WNO Max producer, 029 20 635063, or email
Tuesday May 20th: Grangetown Community Concern annual general
meeting, St Samson's church hall, 7.45pm, all welcome.
Sat June 7th: Bay Women Singing at the Tesco Open Stage, Wales Millennium Centre, 10.30am (Free). WNO Max presentation as part of WNO Open Day, and part of song-writing workshops for women in Butetown, Grangetown and Riverside.
Friday June 13th-Saturday 21st June: Grangetown Festival and
Carnival. This is the 30th anniversary of the week, organised by Grangetown
Community Concern, who are hoping to have a 1970s-theme to some of the
activities, including the parade and carnival day on the Saturday. Anyone
with ideas or who would like to volunteer to help, please contact GCC.
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Bay women in harmony
The Welsh National
Opera is running a weekly song-writing workshop for women in Grangetown, aimed at performances in the summer.
Led by composer Stacey Blythe and performance poet Clare Potter, the sessions
for women from Butetown, Grangetown and Riverside, encourage song-writing and
poetry. There is currently a group of about a dozen women, but organisers say
there is still time - and room - for more to join in the free Saturday morning
sessions.
Asa Malmsten, producer with WNO Max, said: "We talk about issues close to women's
hearts, and have so far delved into stories about our mothers, grandmothers
and food.
"On Saturday (May 10th) we will start work on a new song about sisterhood
and friendship. It is a singing project, but no previous musical experience
is necessary."
Workshops run every Saturday morning, 10am to 1pm at the Salvation Army Community
Centre, Corporation Road. It will lead to performances on June 7th (10.30am) at the
WNO open day, and then again at 1pm and 3pm on July 12th - all performances
on the Tesco Stage at WMC.
The project is free to join, and open to any women over 18 who would like
to become involved in this amazing new project, for women, in the area. To take
part please contact Asa Malmsten WNO Max Producer, 02920 6350 63, email asa.malmsten@wno.org.uk,
or just pop along to one of the sessions.
Every month we
select a "photo of the month" to help showcase the work of the digital photographers
from the Grangetown Flckr Group. The competition is just a bit of fun and
is now into its second year!
There was a great selection for May to choose from and it was a difficult
job. In the end, we opted for one of two excellent "aerial"
shots of Grangetown housing by Steve Chapple. The winner gives something
of a honeycombed, mosaic pattern effect to roofs. Check out others on
the site too.
Share your photos of Grange A photo-group website has been set up for people to share their images of Grangetown.
The Grangetown Flickr
Group was created to allow people to add their photos of Grangetown
places, people and events. "To be honest my prime motive was to put
Grangetown on the map," says webmaster Sean Kisby.
A great idea and we're happy to help. What's good about the photos there so
far, is there's a mix of people and places - the "disappearing" and
sadly "disappeared" landmarks of Grangetown, as well as some more
off-beat and domestic shots.
If you'd like to contribute, follow the link at www.flickr.com/groups/grangetown
Past months winners
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NOW WE'RE THIRTYSOMETHING - TIME TO REMEMBER THE 70s
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This year marks two special birthdays
- it's the 30th anniversary of the Grangetown Festival Week and Carnival - and
also it's 30 years since the Grange News community newspaper was first published.
To mark the occasion in June, we're hoping to go back in time as part of the celebration.
We hope to adopt something of a 70s theme for carnival week. A bit like the TV
series "Life On Mars," we hope to be heading back to the 1970s - except
we want to be back in our own time by the end of the Saturday!
We'd like schools and carnival-goers to think of 70s dress and themes for
the parade and we hope to have a 70s feel to the events. A 70s disco and band
will kick off the week on Friday 13th June, culminating in the annual parade
and carnival day on Saturday 21st.
For the carnival day, we'd like people to think of a 70s theme for the parade floats and costumes.
The summer of 1978 when the carnival was first held, John Travolta and Olivia
Newton John were Number One with You’re The One That I Want, Scotland were crashing
out of the World Cup in Argentina and local MP Jim Callaghan was prime minister!
Highlights
of past festivals from the 1990s and 2000 above.
There will also be a special edition of the Grange News paper to mark its own 30th birthday.
Victorian library set for auction
The
landmark old Grangetown Library building is set to be auctioned off, as part
of plans to convert it into flats.
A "realistic price" of £400,000
has been put on the Victorian building, which has been empty for 18 months - since
the new libary opened.
Residents, who submitted a 1,000-name petition, and local councillors had
won a battle to save it from demolition. Plans were agreed last year to convert
the distinctive redbrick building into 13 one and two-bedroomed flats. The proposal
for the flats involves "making full use of the attractive internal features,"
including high ceilings, internal arches and high mullioned windows.
Newport-based agents Newland
Rennie Wilkins, who have fixed the sale for 22nd May at the Parc Golf Club
at Coedkernew near Newport (7pm), called it a "an exciting and rare" development
or investment opportunity.
The proposal was put forward by London-based Deauville
Developments, at the end of 2007 with designs by Cardiff-based CFW
Architects, who have experience in projects involving restoring old buildings. The plans agreed by the council are for five one bed apartments and eight two bed apartments,
The building in Redlaver Street, dating from 1900, had been under threat of
demolition to make way for housing after it closed on August 19th 2006.
Cardiff council needed permission by the Welsh Assembly Government to accept
a lower tender to save the building. There were two options on the table from
the same company - they would pay more to buy the site to demolish it, or a
lesser tender for the more costly option of converting it.
The Echo had previously reported that the council was likely to make
£71,000 from any housing refurbishment of the old building but redevelopment
could see the council pick up a £565,000 profit.
Grangetown councillor Francesca Montemaggi, appealing for the building to
be saved back in 2006, said she hoped it could be conserved. "It's part of the
community and although it's not Grade II listed, it's a much loved building".
Lorraine Barrett AM said: “It would be an act of vandalism to demolish this
beautiful building which is held in high regard by people in the community.
If it is to be used for residential purposes, it is possible to keep the structure
of the building whilst redeveloping the inside.”
The petition was organised by local residents and the Grangetown Historical
Society. Grangetown Community Concern also expressed its support for keeping
the building, which is next door to the historic - and listed - Grange Farm,
both on land once owned by Margam Abbey. It was built at a cost of £3,521
and the winner of a design competition.
A look back at Grangetown - a century ago
Another story in the Western Mail involves a tugboat owner from Amherst
Street who was after a separation order from his wife and to make an arrangement
for maintenance. "The cursed drink" loomed large, with even his mother-in-law
admitting to the court her daughter was "always, always drunk..and the children,
the poor little lambs, are allowed to go around in an awful dirty state. "
More next month
MAY 1908: A couple
of stories of marital issues this month. Ellen Ann Harris summonsed her estranged
husband to court for destertion and wanted a separation order. She had been married
to Benjamin Harris, a boilermaker, for 13 years, lived in Penhaved Street and
they had a child. The court heard that Mr Harris had treated his wife "in a diabolical
manner" by "staying out night after night". She turned detective after obtaining
certain information and found her husband in bed with another woman. He was told
to pay the price, at 25 shillings a week.
Remembered - the wartime sailor who postponed wedding for action
The sacrifice of a Grangetown sailor during World War One has been remembered
90 years after his death in April 1918, thanks to the Friends of Cathays Cemetery.
John Cleal, 24, had served in the Navy for six years and it is believed he lived
in both Clive Street and Holmesdale Street. He had postponed his wedding to
volunteer to take part in the raid. Eight Victoria Crosses were awarded, but
the casualty rate was high with more than 200 killed and a further 300 wounded.
The South Wales Daily News reported ahead of his funeral: "He was engaged to
be married to Miss May Price, and the wedding was only postponed in order that
he might volunteer for the great exploit. His brother George is serving in the
army, and one of his brothers-in-law has been killed." His memorial was erected
by public subscription but had been neglected over the years until his story
was re-discovered last year by two researchers James Lister and Peter Gronow.
The friends group then contacted the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, arranged
for the grave to be tidied up. The Royal Naval Association joined the friends
group to rededicate the memorial. * The Friends of Cathays Cemetery would be
pleased to make contact with any living relatives of John Cleal. Contact GCC
and we will pass the details on.
Thanks to those of
you already interested in our Grangetown Local History section,
as we continue to build up features and photos about the area.
Recently added to the wartime page are memories
of growing up in Grangetown as a boy.
New on the other page is the story of a Cardiff
RFC rugby player who died a tragic death on the ice
Our latest appeal for memories, is anyone with something to tell about
the Irish in Grangetown. Maybe you had ancestors living in Grange in times gone
by - in the old Thomas Street area for example? Memories, old family connections
and photos all welcome.
Thanks to the Grangetown Local History Society (who meet the first Wednesday
of the month, Grangetown Library, 2.15pm), we're starting to publish some
photos from their archives, will hopefully re-tell some stories, include some
interesting facts about the area and run a "then and now" section.
It's been interesting already to hear from as far afield as the US and Australia
from people with family roots in Grangetown! So Email
your memories, stories and old photos
The grave of John Cleal had become unkempt and overgrown until the group stepped
in - and it was re-dedicated in a ceremony on April 20th to mark the anniversary
of the sinking of his ship. The stoker on HMS Iphigenia died of his injuries
on a hospital ship, the day after an attempt to sink three ships filled with
concrete at Zeebrugge.
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BASEBALL
Grange Catholics are champions of the Welsh premier baseball league with
a run of 12 league and cup wins, topped with win over reigning champions
ISTL Llanrumney at Trelai. Back in July, Catholics' Mike Sullivan put one
of the best Welsh Premier baseball performances of all time when the bowler
sent all 11 St Albans' batsmen off the diamond for just two runs and an
extra.
FOOTBALL: Grange Quins are playing in McWhirter Welsh League
Two. Gareth Morgan is the new manager. The League have given dispensation
so Quins can complete the move from the old to the new Leckwith athletics
stadium, with some home matches being played in Ely while the new
ground is being built. Full fixtures, including pre-season matches
are on the Quins
website.
Sites we like!
There are links to a lot of local websites
at the bottom - and more in the directory. If you'd like to be included,
please email us.
A few we came across recently, took the eye. First Cardiffians,
which is dedicated to assembling photos of old Cardiff - or old buildings
and landmarks in different districts across the city. A very promising
heritage site, which we're missing.
There's also a fantastic zoomable map on the recently created Grangetown
Map site, which homes in on local landmarks and shops too on the flash,
animated street plan. A good tech-y feature and if they extend it across
the city, it would be an excellent tool for locals and visitors.
Also, there's a very detailed and exhaustive Cardiff
Pubs website, a real labour of love and very informative.
You may already be familiar with writer Peter Finch's excellent Real
Cardiff series, which is a miscellany of prose, poetry and opinion
from journeys around the city. He also has Real
Cardiff web pages, which give a flavour of the books.
Among a few local community sites is one for Old St Mellons, being carefully put together by Rhys Gregory. Good to see
more springing up in different parts of the city, which network together
nicely.
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Grangetown Community Concern's newspaper
is a regular and long-running FREE link between thousands of homes in Grangetown
and parts of Butetown.
The summer edition - a special
to mark its 30th anniversary year - of Grangetown Community Concern's
newspaper will be out in May/June
We still need volunteer deliverers - especially for Stafford
Road. If you can spare half an hour every two or three months, contact
Christine or Joan in the office, (029) 20 377 010!
The deadline for the summer edition is April 18th.
Advertising rates for 2008:
Full page: £130 Copy and adverts - contact: Christine/Joan on 029 20 377 010.
Email contributions to grangetowncardiff@yahoo.co.uk
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Directory for Grangetown
A community directory of local
organisations, services and activities was distributed FREE to homes throughout
Grangetown and Butetown in May 2006.
Grangetown Community Concern assisted Butetown Healthy Living Programme
in the project.
As well as the printed version, we're updating an online
version, which also includes local shops and traders. If you want
to be included or amend your entry, you can e-mail
us here
We hope one day to be able to publish an updated printed version, so
help us keep it up to date. If there are any changes or inaccuracies, please let us know.
We'd be glad to receive contributions or relevant articles for the website, please email us at grangetowncardiff@yahoo.co.uk
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 City guides:
Cardiff
Council
BIG Cardiff Cardiffians (history/photos) Cardiff city map
© Grangetown Community Concern and webmaster 2008 |
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