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Issue 48

• No word of a lie, we have Rob Brydon, sex and a thistle and the Welsh Artist of the Year
• Another busy three weeks of parties in the capital
• Resident hedonist Jamie Rees gives his view on Cardiff after dark
• Untitled by Raymond Depardon (as part of the Shanghai Series)
• We’ve got JLS (cue the screaming girls) and Pet Shop Boys (cue lots of cool art-house gazing)
• Three Cardiff Life ladies had the arduous task of sampling some summer sizzlers courtesy of the Cardiff mixologists. We never said this job was easy
• Laura Rowe heads to the hills for a meal at the Orangerie Restaurant
• Gennaro and Antonio; yup, they’re friends again. These Italians, huh.
• This Ed’s Choice is brought to you by the letter T – tiny tots who travel
• Talking of which, we visit a toy shop with a difference in Roath
• Nostalgia ain’t what it used to be, but you can still plant an old-fashioned meadow
• The usual lowdown on Cardiff’s buzzing business scene
• Rhi Lewis finds numerous reasons Wye you should head to Monmouthshire
• Peter Reilly gives his expert opinion
• We talk to local sports presenter Sam Lloyd about... you guessed it, sport

 

Issue 47

 

• Now this is what we call news – Rob Brydon, Steffan Rhodri, Doctor Who and The Fonz... Yes, really. He’s known by his Valley pals as the Ffonz, don’t you know
• The Cardiff Life team escape the sun and cool down at some of the city’s top spas
• We’ve been out on the town, a lot. We’re crazy like that
• Cutlery Chair by Osian Batyka-Williams at project/ten
• Certainly enough to keep you busy for the next few weeks – we’ve a wailing Leona Lewis, the legend that is Elvis Costello and lots and lots of grub at the Cardiff Food & Drink Festival
• Laura Rowe talks to Justin Kerrigan of Human Traffic fame about his latest autobiographical film project, I Know You Know, as it hits the shops
• Rhi Lewis takes a look at the finalists of this years’ Welsh Artist of the Year competition, and Jamie Rees gets ready for storytime
• If you’re pining for a risotto, Laura Rowe knows where you should go
A duo of indulgent chocolate puddings, brought to you by Laurian Veaudour of Cocorico Patisserie
• In case you didn’t know, Father’s Day is coming up. Well we’ve got to spoil the boyos at least one day of the year...
• Dan Llewellyn takes a very manly trip to Pavilion Clothing
• Win yourself a full day on the Challenge Wales yacht for two people
• Make like a Roman and shear some shape into your garden
• The latest business news from Cardiff’s suited and booted
• If you’re a sucker for a pretty lakeside farmhouse with 105 acres of land, you’ll certainly like this one
• Our resident property expert keeps us up-to-date with the latest property market news
• Jason Dixon talks us through the ins-and-outs of polo and his favourite places to relax ahead of Polo at the Castle

 

Issue 46

• A sheep called Nick (honestly), a Dogue de Bordeaux christened Ruby and a Doctor named Matt. And, our new Cardiff Life quiz. We do spoil you readers
• Oh we do like to be beside the seaside, says Laura Rowe, as she gives her top ten reasons to visit Penarth
• What a busy bunch of socialites we've got. From charity dinners to fashion shows and literary lunches, we've five pages of events this issue
• Twthill by National Eisteddfod 2009 gold winner Elfyn Lewis
• We've the Stereophonics, Pendulum and Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel. You should come up and see them some time...
• Laura's been getting her fill in The Fig Tree this month
• Mark Freeman cooks sea bass and tiramisu
• Kitchen sync: brighten up your home with our selection of the city's gadgets and accessories
• Louise Edwards heads to Penarth's foodie haven, Foxy's Deli
• Business woman Connie Parry shows us how to work three looks for the office
• Your chance to win a weekend in 
the Cotswolds
• Keeping you posted on Cardiff's corporate goings on
• The new Penarth town house: Rhi Lewis gets seduced by contemporary living down at the Marina
• Emma Bond lets us in on the secrets of guilt-free gardening
• Rhydian Roberts lets rip on Cowell

Issue 45

• Central Library is voted one of the top six libraries in the world, and Rhydian sings for his supper
• Make (for the) Bay while the sun shines, with our round-up of some of Cardiff Life's favourite al fresco venues
• Devils, artists and rugby players - it's been your standard spring societyfest
• Motion Artefact by Tim Perks
• Francis Rossi plays sans Rick, Ray Davies and Mark Knopfler show they don't need their brothers, and it's Bafta Cymru time again - this year hosted by Cerys and Aled
• Take your seats, Cardiff: this is your new National Theatre
• We eat in the company of Dylan, Burton, Rhys and Cerys. Where are we? We are at the Cameo Club
• Anand George of Chai Street teaches us the art of Indian city food
• Spring has sprung and the season's larder just got exciting
• Get out into the garden
• Blame it on the bougie:The Yankee Store
• We bag some bargains with the help of their very own personal shopper at Bridgend's Designer Outlet
• Win return flights to Faro for two. Volcano permitting
• One essential element for a successful trip to London is finding the right hotel
• The usual update on those busy city professionals
• A contemporary home in the heart of the eclectic Cyncoed
• An insight into the new-housing market from property developer Christian Amodeo
• Introducing independent MP George Burke  

Issue 44

• Stop press: ferrets on the loose in Cardiff!
• Llama-eating trees and a million bees – it can only be the National Botanical Garden of Wales
• We’ve got six pages of events, including Cardiff Life’s spring bash at the Cameo Club
• Study for Annunciation by Clive Hicks-Jenkins
• Think Cymru, from last issue’s cover girl Cerys Matthews, the Lostprophets and a post-Work Experience Rhod Gilbert
• Queer as Folk meets Moulin Rouge with a smidgeon of Braveheart... this is Welsh theatre, says Jamie Rees
• Laura Rowe gets Ffresh at the Wales Millennium Centre
• Casanova’s Antonio Cersosimo cooks up a simple but elegant two-course Italian supper
• Your chance to win £500 worth of Emma Bridgewater goodies. That’s a lot of china in anyone’s money
• We indulge in this season’s prettiest trend with our pick of Cardiff’s top florals
• Laura Rowe gets her loose tea fix at Waterloo Gardens Teahouse
• Hannah Carr unearths more than a few local treasures
• Emma Bond on the wonder of wood and  injecting colour into the garden for spring
• The latest from Cardiff’s busy professionals
• Club class; a fine home bordering on Dinas Powys Golf Course
• The latest on the market from those in the know
• The MD of Waterstone Homes talks property, Pontcanna and rock reunions

 

Issue 43

• Who’s got the best pie in Britain? We have! Well, when we say ‘we’, we’re being patriotic. Adam Pavey at The Goat Major in Cardiff has really, if you want to be pedantic about it
• Laura Rowe talks to the wild child of Brit pop, Cerys Matthews, about motherhood, music and Pembrokeshire mussels
• Cardiff’s been getting chic, partying for charity, visiting one of the city’s funkiest galleries and – as they say – much more
• Peppa Pig for the kids, Editors for the grown-ups and N Dubz for those inbetween
• The Cardiff Life dining team re-visits Bully’s in its new posh Pontcanna location
• Tino Pardon at Brasserie Centrale gives us his definitive lamb cawl recipe
• We’ve got some eggsellent gift ideas for this Easter
• Say cheese – there’s lots to smile about at Madame Fromage, says Deri Robins
• Four pages of inspiration for your home this spring 
• Rhi Lewis retraces her roots back to West Wales and finds a surprising connection with Ireland
• Rhi Lewis is dazzled by a contemporary new build in the Vale
• Our regular update on the movers and shakers of the Cardiff business community
• Look behind the impressive interior of this Roath Park classic, and you’ll find the ideal blend of the old and new
• Win tickets to the RHS Show Cardiff, and lunch to boot!
• Deri Robins chats to the inestimable theatre legend, Michael Ball

 

Issue 42

• Only Men Aloud have been nominated for yet another award, while the RSPCA has been working its magic in Barry
• Laura Rowe gets chatting to a few of the stallholders at Cardiff’s farmers’ markets
• Guests get ffresh at WMC and brides get ready for the big day at the Manor Parc Country Hotel and Restaurant
• Peter Andre, Lady Gaga, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and so on and so forth
• Know your retro from your antique? Alexandra Shakespeare talks us through shopping for vintage
• Does Miller and Carter offer the best steak in town? 
• The gang at The Beech Tree Inn cook us a fishy dishy
• Mother superior – have you got your mum’s present sorted yet?
• Roath’s newest gallery-cum-gift shop celebrates the best of the old and the new
• Vidal Sasson’s a cut above the rest, reckons a newly sleek Deri Robins
• Rhi Lewis is dazzled by a contemporary new build in the Vale
• Our regular update on the movers and shakers of the Cardiff business community
• Meet Go Evans, MD of local ethical clothing brand ArcEnd

 

 

Issue 41

• Doctor Who cleans up at the National TV Awards, and a Really Welsh food festival comes to town
• Rhi Lewis takes a look around a stunning Georgian-style home
• It’s double-bubble glamour time in the city with Lost Prophets frontman Ian Watkins, and the opening night of Les Mis
• Laura Rowe gets her cultured cap on and brings you the best of Cardiff’s galleries
• Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, Peter Andre and a bunch of Hobbits – that’s what
• You may think that Paris is the capital of romance. Well, think again
• A chance to win a romantic night in Cardiff and gain entry to the Park Plaza’s wedding showcase
• Louise Edwards checks out the newly refurbished North Star
• Alun Thomas from Miller & Carter is here to show you how to cook a perfect steak 
• Bad news, boys – when it comes to Valentine’s Day, she’d prefer a serious bit of bling to a fluffy teaddy clutching a red plush heart. Hey, you can always sell the car
• Laura Rowe continues the diamond theme with a look around Pravins, one of Cardiff’s best loved family jewellers
• Cardiff’s answer to Trinny and Susannah dress the team up in a trio of new styles
• A new eco hotel on other side of the Channel is bringing sexy back
• We bring you the latest from Cardiff’s suited and booted
• Food writer and celebrity chef, Angela Gray talks samosas, shops and afternoon strolls  

Issue 40

• The farmers are feeling frosty and Holiday on Ice comes to town. Notice a theme? Brrr
• A wholly 21st-century home offering traditional comfort and style in a small hamlet on the eastern fringes of Cardiff
• The Lord’s Taverners Wales Region has been busy with no less than three lunches; while the RSPCA officially opened its new flagship centre for Wales
• We bring you some handy tips for making sure that your nuptials are a piece of (wedding) cake
• The Hairy Bikers and auditions for Big Brother
• Give the green light to healthy, but hearty, eating says Louise Edwards
• Find your self lost in the Gower of a weekend? Be sure not to miss out on the hearty fare at King Arthur Hotel
• Sous chef at The Manor Parc Country Hotel and Restaurant, Alun Thomas, serves up two winter warmers
• You’ve said yes – now comes the fun part. Our pick of the city’s top wedding-related rings and things
• Laura Rowe enjoys some tea and cake down on Wellfield Road
• Now the Christmas decorations are down, inject some sparkle back into your home with one of this season’s new looks, says Laura Rowe
• Emma Bond goes kale crazy this January
• Deri Robins discovers Kefalonia at its unspoiled, most relaxed best. Lucky devil
• Win a makeover with Ken Picton
• The Park Plaza Hotel gets all arty and the COS Group of Barry gives the St David’s Foundation a new year to remember
• Steve Garrett, the chair of Cardiff’s top farmers’ market talks about the local harvest

 

Issue 39

• Before whizziing its new Doctor off to God- knows-what time-space continuum, the TARDIS pauses to celebrate New Year at Caerphilly Castle
• Yet another idyllic South Wales home to make you rush out for a lottery ticket
• It’s celebrations all round! We have anniversaries, birthday parties, and fashion shows galore
• If Christmas and New Year have gone to your waistline, our eight-point plan for surviving the new decade may just be your saviour
• Brendan Cole tippy-taps his way into town, and the 2010 Big Brother auditions begin. Well, it proved to be a decent career move for Imogen and Glynn.
• Dan Green’s Cardiff characters – it’s all abour diversity
• The rise, fall and rise of an Abergavenny institution
• The North Star’s head chef Gwyn Myring serves up a luscious linguine dish
• Is your skin in need of a New Year pick-me-up? We’ve got the perfect solutions
• Louise Edwards discovers a Roath boutique  that’s almost worth getting pregnant for
• You can stay wrapped up warm this winter and still look fabulous – Kate Authers explains how
• Laura Rowe goes all Calzaghe on us
• Your chance to win a fabulous Devils Laundry goodie bag, worth £100
• Deri Robins takes a memorable cruise aboard the Royal Clipper
• Keeping you up-to-date with all the gossip from Cardiff’s busy professionals
• Maskreys’ interior designer, Kathryn Hughes gives us some top tips on how to spruce up our homes for the new year

Issue 38

• The Welsh rugby team get suited and booted, and Ioan Gruffudd’s melodious tones enliven new Welsh-language children’s show, Igam Ogam
• Yet another idyllic South Wales home to make you rush out for a lottery ticket
• Award ceremonies, Fashion shows, casino charity nights – and the Merlin cast switch on the lights 
• As Jamie’s Italian opens in Cardiff, Jamie O talks to Deri about pigs, politics and pasta, and why it’s good to be a bit of a lunatic
• Lily Allen, Barrowman in Robin Hood and Les Mis; talking of which...
• As Cameron Mackintosh prepares to storm the WMC with Les Miserables, he talks to us about the new production; meanwhile, we keep it local with Peter Finch and his estimable new Real Cardiff volume
• Cardiff Life and daughter head to Ten Feet Tall for some pre-theatre fare
• Rhys Keogh creates an Italian feast to recreate at home, if you can’t be bothered to make it to Jamie’s
• Forget the tinsel – this season is all about robots and tree huggers
• Eat local, drink local at the Bay’s top independent coffee house
• Win a pair of watches, courtesy of Links of London

 

 Issue 37 

• Joe Calzaghe is helping to beat bullying in South Wales; while the Welsh rugby team go pink for charity
• An 18th-century home in rural Rudry
• The South Wales Business Awards; looking forward to the Ryder Cup at the Celtic Manor Resort; Bryn Terfel at WMC; plus some devilishly handsome ice hockey players and the launch of a new music night at St david’s Hall
• Yes, the time has come. Ho ho ho.
• That lovely boy Will young is back in town. But there’s plenty more in store if blue-eyed soul sin’t your thing
• Fancy some winter sun? bmibaby has teamed up with Cardiff Life to offer one lucky reader a pair of tickets to Alicante or Faro
• Jamie Rees of St David’s Hall gives us the lowdown on the new Welsh sounds
• Ex-Sandhurst cadet Joe Woodward meets up with veteran rocker Francis Rossi for a true meeting of minds. Think hugh Grant reviewing sci-fi for the Horse and Hounds in Notting Hill
• For some reason it’s taken us two years to get round to it, but finally we review the Laguna Kitchen & Bar
• This issue Gareth Phillips of New House Country Hotel’s new restaurant, Sequoias Louise Edwards finds one good reason to take a trip up to Abergavenny

 

 Issue 36

• There’s magic in the air this Christmas; and Griff Rhys Jones gets creative
• A 200-year-ol barn in Rudry
• A glamorous fashion show (complete with hunky Blues players); a charity ball; launches galore; and, Rhodri Morgan, twice!
• Our complete guide to interiors shopping in and around Cardiff
• What’s hot and what’s not this season
• Keeping you abreast of what’s going on this month in the city
• Deri Robins goes behind the scenes at Wales Millennium Centre as it celebrates its fifth birthday
• The Cardiff Life dining team head to an unlikely destination for a taste of fine dining
• Ba Orient’s head chef serves up two simple suppers
• Feel inspired? Give your home a makeover this autumn with our selection of the city’s best buys
• Ten tips to get you ready for the big day
• Deri takes one (or two) for the team
• Joe Woodward dons his salopettes and heads for Kitzbuhel
• We keep up to date with Cardiff’s professionals
• Meet local interior designer and star of DIY SOS, Deborah Drew

 

Issue 35

• Jamie Roberts is the new face of Eden Park, Katherine Jenkins has been busy running for charity and columnist Brian Lee gives us a sneaky look at his latest book, Cardiff: Remember When
• Deri Robins visits a seven-acre estate, complete with Queen Anne House, in Rhoose
• Cardiff’s movers and shakers have had another busy three weeks of launches, award ceremonies and charity gala dinners
• The Welsh are like the Italians in the rain, apparently. Find out why…
• What’s on? Lots, as usual.
• Rhi Lewis discovers what drew playwright Lee Hall to the tale of The Pitman Painters; while Vicky Green talks to Matthew Bourne about his latest show, Dorian Gray
• Laura Rowe dines solo at one of the best Italian restaurants you’ll find this side of the Channel
• We’ve got two authentically Italian dishes for you to try at home, courtesy of Lorenza’s head chef, Walter Scoppetta
• Laura Rowe looks forward to the Cowbridge Food and Drink Festival 2009-09-29 Take a look inside Italian deli, Gusto Emporio
• Our very own Italian gets transformed at Aqua in Birchgrove
• Kelly Roberts drives an Italian saloon that puts its competitors in the shade
• Lucy Piper gets out her walking boots
• The latest from Cardiff’s professionals
• Meet Capri-born pâtissier, Massimo Bishop-Scotti

Issue 34

• Alex Jones can’t wait to predictive text yn Cymru, we’re right onto all things curds and whey in the city, and we wonder whether Cardiff can cut the architectura mustard
• What could the Georgians learn from us?
• Cardiff’s socialites are climbing the walls, quite literally, to use the word correctly for once
• Why should the kids get all the learnin’? From kickboxing to interior design, we’re here to expand your mind
• A whole host exhibitions, the NoFit State Circus, and the incomparable Michael McIntyre – have you got tickets?
• Deri Robins gets all charmed and simpery for Neil Morrissey as he prepares to get his acting rocks off for Rain Man at the New Theatre; and we hear how a contemporary Llandaff art gallery gets the A-Factor
• The Cardiff Life dining team discover a rural pub proper in Michaelston-y-Fedw
Michelle Cooper gives us a simple recipe ideal for a work or school lunch
• This issue: special brew
• “We’re Cardiff’s best-kept secret, but we don’t want to be…”
• We discover some of the cutting edge treatments on offer at a Whitchurch salon
• St David’s who? Let’s take a fresh look at the fashion destinations we already know, love and trust
• Those busy Cardiff professionals are having a devil of time
• Meet ken Picton, hairdresser to the stars

 Issue 33

• Katherine Jenkins gets her running shoes on, while survival expert Nick Gough takes his off and gets all caveman/castaway on us at Flat Holm Island
• We get hit by the Plasturton effect
• Rock stars aplenty this issue with a couple of Goldie Lookin’ Chains, The New 1920 and that nice chap from The Automatic
• Laura has 15 tips for eco-living in the city
• Plenty – how does the prospect of Engelbert Humperdinck, Juh-Juh-Juh-Jospeh and uberminstrel Tim Minchin strike you?
• Rhi Lewis gets her own back for the Six Nations at Tides Restaurant
• Pigs’ cheeks anyone?
• Deri has the unenviable task of testing out Cardiff’s top cocktails. Rubbish! The things we have to do…
• Re 15 shades of green not enough for you then? Ok, here a few more ideas from Cardiff’s environmentally-friendly stores
• For wine glasses made from recycled beer bottles and t-shirts made from bamboo, look no further than Halcyon Daze
• Lesley Taylor lures us into her boudoir
• Deri gets a manicure with a difference at The Loft in Canton
• The Robins family are let loose at Boulders Indoor Climbing Centre
• Alex Potts is impressed by a new take on an old favourite
• It’s business as usual
• Jewels Canley Interiors officially open its new showroom
• Is there anything Mark Eager can’t do?

 Issue 32

• In which John Barrowman expresses a desire to put Cardiff on the map. Last time we looked, John, it was already there – but there’s no denying that you add a certain sparkle to the city…
• Selling your Radyr home for a cool £1.3 million? Fancy spending the same on a Gatsbyesque pile surrounded by its own 22 acres of Carmarthenshire soil?
• Lots of arty launches and events this month
• Entertaining at home; what with the recession and all, it’s the new going out
• Slightly less than during the autumn, winter and spring, admittedly – but you won’t find yourself stuck for things to do
• It’s the Albany Gallery’s Summer Show, and there’s something to tempt every palette
• Ehys and Eggsy press their faces up against the window of Julian Hodge Bank, while RTD, more predictably, poses with a cyberman
• Food like your Napoli nonna used to make? That’s a more.
• As Cardiff’s new Blue Radisson hotel opens, we grab exec chef Mattias Wenngren and ask him what he fancies cooking tonight
• And speaking of all things Blu… (see what we did there?)
• Michael may have gone to the big Neverland in the sky, but his sartorial influence lingers on in Pontcanna
• High days and holidays: sorted
• “Faltering clothes for real women”
• “Walnut flooring is the backdrop to a warm blend of creams, chocolates and berry”
• In praise of the Fiat 500C
• It was good enough for Fellini; why not head to Rimini?
• How does a year’s free membership of the Laguna Health and Spa sound to you?
• Professional affairs
• It’s the turn of that man about town, Mr Geoff Lloyd

Issue 31

• “Libraries gave us power” quoth the Manic Street Preachers in their anthemic Design for Life. So guess who turned up to open Cardiff’s new central library?
• In praise of the classic Victorian vicarage
• It’s a Welsh 17th century farmhouse, but not as you know it
• Cardiff likes a party, so we asked our friends and colleagues to join us at the Mocka Lounge
• Life’s a beach for those who live in South Wales – and how grateful are we for that?
• What’s On? Loads
• Pull down the yellow curtains, fashion them into lederhosen and take it to the hills – they’re alive with the sound of music, you know…
• Yet another new eatery down at the bay. Will gastronomic comuccopia ever end?
• The nice folk at Canteen prove conclusively that you don’t need meat to eat – how about beets, say?
• We’ve been shopping with the beach firmly in mind
• Step forward, Roath and Cathays
• It’s all about the kitchen sync
• What’s the story, crowning glory
• “The sun shone, and out came all the celebrities in their punchy shades”
• Russell tells us how to choose a shirt…
• …while Lisa sings the blues
• The inspiring world of Arne Maynard
• We’re offering you a chance to find love, which, we are reliably informed, makes the world go round
• More from Cardiff’s professionals
• BAFTA Cymru winner John Hardy talks Tongwynlais, Dolly Parton and bee-keeping monks

Issue 30 

• We still don’t have a clue when Torchwood’s going to be transmitted, but at least we can tell you what the new action figures look like. Oh, and here’s a global award for the Bay; take that, Bay detractors
• So, you have £1.25 million burning a hole in your pocket, and are understandably keen to spend it on property in the Cardiff area.  How about a contemporary four-bedroomed house in Radyr? Or – wait for it – your own private island?
• Here are all those party photos we would have brought you last month if we hadn’t been so star-struck by the BAFTAs
• What does the phrase ‘festival’ mean to you? If it involves cheese, flying Frenchmen or listening to The Beat in a yurt in Usk, this section of the magazine is definitely for you
• All the Manunian megastars have been and gone, but there are plenty more acts to fill the likes of the CIA, the WMC, St David’s Hall, etc etc etc
• Ah, Eve Myles. Isn’t she lovely? We riff around this theme for another 1700 words or so
• Also very lovely, but in a grizzled, iconic sort of way, is Pete Townshend, who tells us that real Mods don’t wear parkas. Bet that doesn’t stop half the New Theatre audience turning up in them for Quadrophenia
• Solid comfort in Cowbridge
• Two delicious, nutritious and practically guilt-free recipes for you to try at home
• Which of the area’s spas makes the biggest splash? Cardiff Life goes undercover, and indeed underwater, to find out
• In our book, if it has a swimming pool, it’s a spa; if it doesn’t, it’s a salon. Here are some of the latter
• Thing you’ll need if you’re camping or festival-going, and things you’ll want even if you’re not
• CFII – crafts, café society, the Cameo and the crachach: this issue’s street life is brought you by the letter c
• So – you think you know the correct way to choose a suit?
• Floaty fabrics, florals, flocks of birds: this issues’ interiors feature is brought to you by the letter f
• Richard Arnold – now there’s a man who’s really Welsh

 Issue 29

• The usual heady mix of occurrences from the last three weeks
• A duvine converstion at Duffrn’s Lydmore Barns
• It’s carchach central at the WMC as mediaville turn out for the 18th BAFTA Cymru awards. Along with Cardiff Life, of course, dressed in their very best frocks
• Following a tip-off from Marty Wilde, we took a trip to Abergavenny
• Take That, and that, and this and that
• Win tickets to Joust at Cardiff Castle
• Ex-Stereophonic Stuart Cable speaks out on Kelly, drugs and rock’n’roll. What did you expect him to talk about, flower arranging?
• How do you pick the perfect lunch venue in Wale’s foodie capital? Eeny meeny, miney – hang on, only one of them’s open for lunch. Sorted!
• You know him from Great British Menu’ now Stephen Terry from The Hardwick shows us a few culinary moves
• Enough of the Bay watching – put down that cappuccino and get out on the water, mun
• We’re just throwing things at you this issue – this time, it’s a chance to win a £500 shopping spree at Hobbs
• It’s a man’s world. Oh, stop it – at least we can have the decency to pretend, once a year, on Father’s Day
• The amateur gardener: the plot thickens
• More news from the boys and girls in suits
• The new head of cinema at Chapter Arts Centre tells us why all that’s missing from the newly refurbished Cinema 2 is a jazz-dancing dwarf and a backwards-talking blonde

Issue 28

• It’s a thumbs-down to giant daffodils, but thumbs-up for a new museum for the city. So it’s not all bad news
• In the left corner, an idyllic old mill in Caerleon. In the right, a pad in Pontcanna. Which one floats your property boat?
• “The Welsh have neither orchards nor gardens, but gladly eat the fruit of both when given to them” said the 12th-century Bishop Giraldus. Think you’ll find that things have changed around these here parts, Giraldus.
• Everyone’s growing their own these days, and who is Deri robins to stand in the way of zeitgeist?
• Bryn Terfel, John Barrowman, Rhydian, Seth Lakeman, Boyzone and Enrique – but all Laura cares about is the fact that Take That will be here in June
• Malcolm Pryce doesn’t consider his Aberystwyth books to be part of the Welsh noir tradition. We’ll be the judge of that, Malcolm
• Can Mint & Mustard cut the proverbial masala?
• Mimosa chef Alun Roberts says that cooking is just another way to get across his personality. This month, he appears to be in a seared swordfish with green chilli pesto state of mind
• At the risk of sentencing the capital to three months of solid drizzle, we present our top places for drinking, eating and generally kicking back out of doors
• “Wearing clashing colours is no longer a fashion faux pas” says Kate, who has never committed a fashion faux in her life
• This month, we’re yn yr ardd
• Cornwall’s answer to west Wales
• The latest from the boys and girls in suits
• People in glass houses: meet David Hardy of the National Botanical Garden of Wales

 

Issue 27

• Casualty is going Cymru and Max Boyce is messing around with leeks and daffs. Business as usual in Cardiff
• Deri visits a Grade-II barn conversion in the heart of the Vale
• The fashionistas have been out in force in the city with three fashion shows plus a premiere at the WMC and a meeting of minds at The Wharf
• Win the perfect Cornish escape
• Spot the TV presenter in our fashion shoot down on Barry Island
• A couple of blue men, a Spanish pop star and those crazy folk at Lazytown. That enough for you?
• Vicky Green goes back to our roots
• We spend an afternoon exploring Monmouth
• Chocoholics behold…
• Laura Rowe dines at Wales’s only Michelin-starred restaurant
• Matt Tebbutt tempts us with two gorgeous local recipes
• Feature walls are back, says Lesley Taylor
• The usual corporate bits and bobs
• There’s more to Sian than the weather, you know…

 

 Issue 26 

• We all know what Bryn and Ness did for Comic Relief – what did you do?
• £1.75 million to spare? How does a grand family home set in 3.2 acres of prime Old St Mellons countryside grab you?
• Dancing on ice, restaurant openings and boys and their toys
• April, reckoned TS Eliot, is the cruellest month. Clearly the man had some experience of school-age children, unleashed for the • Easter break
• Mary Poppins, the RHS Flower Show, Lionel Richie, lots more stuff like that
• It’s Brief Encounter, but not as you know it
• Ever wondered what it might be like to stay at stars-hotel-of-choice, St David’s?
• Here’s a chance to win an overnight stay, along with tickets to the RHS Flower Show
• There’s more to the Vale Hotel than golf and the spa, reflects Laura, thoughtfully licking the chocolate off her fingers
• We make the credit less crunchy by offering you a chance to win a dining table and chairs set worth more than £1500
• As Chris Martin might comment, while hopping up and down in that way he does, it’s all yellow
• We discover why George Street is on Newport Road
• Dim sum and Saigon slings, down at the Bay
• Dimitri Baylis at Coed y Mwstwr Hotel cooks us an Easter feast. Lamb, you will not be startled to discover, is involved
• Let Gill Richardson inspire your interiors this spring
• Keeping you posted on Cardiff’s professionals
• Mary Unwin loves Cardiff; doesn’t mean it’s perfect, mind

 

 Issue 25

• Photography competitions, environmental campaigns and renaming the city’s suburbs – it’s all going on in Cardiff
• Go green with envy over our 200-year-old showcase property
• We’ve got those handsome Cardiff Devils. Need we say more?
• Laura Rowe talks shop with a collection of Penarth’s independent businesses
• Get that diary out – we’ve got another month of events not to be missed
• Deri takes a backstage tour at Sherman Cymru; and, lucky girl, meets Rhod Gilbert
• Forget chrysanths this mother’s day – it’s all about the beehouse…
• Laura needs her foodie fix – will Thai House cut the proverbial mustard?
• Meet the head chef of new Cowbridge restaurant, The Market Place
• Feeling ‘green’? You will be…
• Win a trip to London
• How to blag your way through the Six Nations
• Interior designer Lesley taylor provides inspiration for our spring interiors
• Beat the credit crunch with new business Boomerang
• Meet Broadway star Tim Flavin

 

Issue 24

• Two reader competitions, a chance to win a signed copy of John Barrowman’s Anything Goes and a luxury spa weekend at Celtic Manor Resort – along with our usual round-up of local news
• Now here’s a proposition. Not only do you get to own a superbly refurbished home in one of Cardiff’s best addresses, but the chance to have a Merc and chauffeur at your beck and call for a year
• It’s the usual mix again – rockstars, athletes and business gurus,
• Is Cardiff getting Welsher?
• Some of the UK’s top comedians are heading for the capital, along with The Killers, an Indian Food Festival and naked Lynda Bellingham
• Arctic temperatures, economic gloom – boy, do we need cheering up. Fortunately, the cream of British comedy talent is headed to Cardiff during the next few months. Oh, and speaking of which, we meet Mark Watson.
• We’ve got two winter warmers from the head chef at Haveli – Jay Z eats there, you know
• We’re flying the flag – quite literally, in some cases
• Can you resist the smell of Jo’s cranberry and white chocolate Welshcakes down at the Bay?
• Laura Rowe’s got brunette ambition
• The latest from Cardiff’s professionals
• He’s Wales’ very own sex bomb

 

Issue 23 

• Not quite ready to pack up your Christmas decorations yet? Well, neither is Cardiff Castle. Shine on!
• There’s no place better for living the New Cardiff dream than the Penarth Marina
• We’ve got rugby stars, the Cinderella on Ice cast, singers and socialites – if we’ve left you out, you only have yourself to blame
• We gaze into the art of Cardiff
• The Chuckle Brothers, Chubby Brown and the Chinese State Circus…this What’s On is brought to you be the letter C
• As Mary Poppins prepares to fly into the WMC, Deri meets the man who worked for Walt
• Laura’s got plenty of ideas to keep your Valentine sweet
• We’re won over by Bully’s
• Chef-de-partie, James Milward, at New House Hotel gives us two quick and easy recipes for Valentine’s Day
• Red roses just won’t cut it…here are some much better ideas
• Kate Authers says there’s no excuse not to look fabulous on the slopes this winter
• Introducing one of Roath’s trendiest streets
• The first in a regular series on education matters – this issue, urban schooling
• Julia Brigdale gets reflective
• Past troubles made famous by a certain captain’s mandolin have done nothing to diminish Kefalonia’s breathtaking beauty, or indeed, Victoria Green’s enthusiasm for it
• Win a year of one-to-one life coaching with Designs on Life
• What’s your business been up to? Keep us posted…
• Find the key to true love with director of Searchmate, Rosie Cook

 

Issue 22

• This issue’s fascinating fact: the Millennium Stadium keeps a hawk to prevent other birds damaging the pitch. No, it does, really
• Like the idea of living in Cyncoed, but not a fan of arts & crafts panelling? Got £1.75 million to spend? No problem!
• The section guaranteed to induce paranoia in all those who didn’t make the guest list. Don’t worry. We know for a fact that the invitation got lost in the post
• Cardiff Life does its bt for the planet by replacing nasty chemical cleaners with baking soda, and eating oddly shaped vegetables
• Don’t you wish your girlfriend was as hot as The Pussycat Dolls?
• New year, new home – The National Orchestra of Wales settles into the WMC
• Our very own Tokyo Joe shamelessly shows off about sashimi
• Yet another fabulous-sounding recipe for you to cut out and keep, though past experience clearly shows you’ll never get around to cooking it. Your loss
• Laura flies the flag for the Welsh leek
• Skin chapped by the blustery Ogmore winds or ravaged by alcoholic excesses down at Mermaid’s Quay? A pot of these lotions and potions will see you right.
• Plastic fantastic: why there’s more to Spillers than classic vinyl
• We look on with mingled horror and respect (but only the dimmest glimmer of comprehension) as Joe embarks on a new fitness regime
• Kate’s been cruisin’
• Too lazy to dead-head? It’s good news for the winter garden
• You too can be featured in this interesting section, as long as you send us an email telling us what you’ve been up to
• Andy Jones tells us which half of the pantomime horse is preferable, and why

 

Issue 21

• Woss occurin’? Christmas specials with a local flavour on the box, limited-edition art prints and Rhyd goes up against the choirboys for the Christmas number one
• So – what would you do with an eleven-bedroom, five-reception room manor house in the Teifi Valley?
• We’re got Matthew Rhys, Huw Stephens (love that guy!) and 3,000 Christmas puddings – it could only be the Cardiff social scene
• A naked bike ride, the BAFTAs, UFO sightings, increased rift activity and another Grand Slam win – we look back at another blinding year in the city
• Carol concerts, winter wonderlands and pantos. Remind us what month it is again…
• Nine good reason to stay in over Christmas
• Joe Woodward finally gets around to desciribing the food at a recently made-over Vale gastro pub
• A fail safe recipr for a festive feast; we’re spoiling you
• Rubbish at choosing presents? Luckily for you, we’re ace ay it, as long as your tastes run to Welsh cakes and Torchwood dollies
• A festive day’s shopping in the Vale’s unofficial capital, Cowbridge
• Cardiff’s boutiques yielf up their finest as Kate Authers goes in search of the perfect Christmas party frock
• Our usual round-up of what Cardiff’s pros have been up to

Issue 20

 

• The USA may have the presidential elections, but we’ve got Whistling Wilfred, the oldest duck in the world
• Cool, collected and contemporary – and yes, we are talking Penarth here
• Traditional on the outside, cutting-edge on the inside: that’s the mojo that’s been worked in a new Panylan development
• Gethin and the Blues, Meic and Huw, Baulch and Bond… anyone we’ve forgotten to name-drop?
• Christmas is coming: run away, quick. Or at least, read our survival guide
• The Cardiff Life team skate their way with ineffable grace through the switching-on ceremony, yet still manage to take some photos. How do we do that?
• Carol concerts, pantos, ballets and other such festive treats. Oh, and The Stereophonics. Oh, and Bryn Terfel
• That nice Will Young talks to us about his new album, the tour, and why he’s wearing legwarmers on his arms. Awww.
• In which we put another dime in the jukebox, baby, and head for the Hard Rock Café
• …Shaken, stirred, or set aflame? Cardiff’s top mixologists tell us how they like it
• Decorating the tree, Cardiff Life style
• It’s a man’s, man’s world in the Morgan Arcade
• Eat yourself under the table this Christmas with a little help from Cardiff’s most alcoholic chocs. All for under a fiver, there’s cheap!
• Win a party at Las Iguanas
• Festive inspiration for the home
• Keeping you abreast off all things corporate
• Meet Llandaff’s legendary Paul Bullimore

 

Issue 19

• It’s all about local talent, of which there is a positive embarrass de rcihesse
• What does £2 million buy you in the Vale? Quite a lot (as you’d hope, really(
• If you’ve ever wondered what gethin ones looks like when he’s having his hair done, here’s your chance to find out
• With that dubious theme song from quantum of Solace stuck in out heads, we’re all about Bond glamour and bling
• The Modfather at the CIA, that’s what – and plenty of other stuff too, for those who’ve never forgiven him for The Style Council
• Oh, now you’re talking. We’ve got Max Boyce, who tells us that he never planned on being a star, and Ruth Jones, who we’re trying really hard not to call a national treasure
• We find the perfect place to eat when someone dumps you at the last minute and you’re sadly forced to dine alone
• Panna cotta from Penarth. It’s not as odd as it sounds; lots of Italians live there
• We knock ourselves out trying to come up with Bond puns. If you think you can do better, feel free to have a go; our contact details are on page 3
• Diamonds are forever; they won’t leave you in the night; there’s no fear that they might desert you
• A close shave for Jamie Robinson
• Win a hair makeover from Yume, then turn to page 79…
• “Do you expect me to talk?” “No, Mr Roberts, we expect you to drive.”
• Cardiff Airport now flies to Mauritius; that was all the excuse we needed
• …where you can also win a Christmas party at St David’s. If you’re preternaturally lucky, maybe both
• We tell you what Cardiff’s professionals have been up to (well, at least during office hours)
• How lovely is that Alex Jones?

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Issue 18

• The Blues, the Big Issue and a new bridal store in Castle Arcade
• If you’re going to pay a visit to Wales’s most haunted house, why not take along a leading psychic?
• The best of  The Big Issue at the WMC
• Two of the UK’s top psychics tell us what to expect from their nationwide tours
• Latin dining
• Three local chefs cook up the ultimate cawl
• Frock, horror... this year, we’re more about the treating than the tricking
• Italian style and glamour at Natuzzi
• We put five of Cardiff’s interiors shops to the test
• Hot tips to brighten up your autumn interiors
• Win a bracing weekend break for two in Dartmoor.
• We get big and bouncy at Yume
• Meet the very groovy  Mr Huw Stephens 

 

Issue 17

 

•  A luxurious family home doubles as the base of a successful business

• Who are South Wales’ food heroes?

• Alison Steadman on Bennett, Barry and back-to-backs

• Make a classic crème brulee

• We test five juices

• The one-stop shop for all your interiors needs

• Autumn fashion trends

• Suction treatment for the Cardiff Life girls

• Win a holiday to Cyprus

• Meet Men Aloud’s baritone Craig Yates

Issue 16

• A trip to Big Pit

• A photographic celebration of the Welsh coastline

•Testing a Southerndown apartment

• The best wildlife photography of the year

• Cool kit for schoolkids

• Autumn fashion for the boys

• A trip to the Metropolis

• Eating out at Illtuds 216

• Cooking up the autumn harvest

 

Issue 15

• A Penylan home gets a gleaming reinvention

• Canoeing down the Wye

• Dining at the deli

• Cardiff’s best muffins

• Cook like Adam at the Parc Hotel

• Italy’s undeveloped Cliento coast

• Meet Nigel Roberts

Issue 14

• Up Close with Doctor Who

• A new exhibition about a Cardiff childhood

• Fine dining at Woods

• Back to sundae school

• The best ice-creams in Cardiff

• Shopping in Cardiff’s best kids’ shops

• Summer fashion

• Escape to Crete

• Kids in the garden

• Meet Belonging’s Andrew Phillips 

 

Issue 13

• Cook like the chef at Park Plaza

• Drive a super-car

• A leading local poet waxes lyrical about the city

• WIN a pamper day at Cardiff’s newest spa

• Get down and dirty with uber-gardener Arne Maynard

• Posh frocks at Seren

• Great food at Glo 

 

Issue 12

• Caerphilly does it

• Old Cardiff remembered

• Shopping for Fathers’ Day

• Dining at Le Gallois

• Chukkas away: it’s polo season

• Meet The Point’s Richard Jones 

 

 

Issue 11

 • Our seven-page photo special of the Bafta – how many celebs can you spot? And that wasn’t all that happened during the last few weeks...

• Life after St David’s Hotel: meet the Austrian chef who is now wowing diners in Llantwit Major

• So, what do Europe’s other capital cities have to offer? First up, Dublin... 

 

 

 

 

 

Issue 10

• What's On?  Katherine Jenkins, Darcy Bussell, Angelina Ballerina and Girls Aloud, that’s what – and if that all sounds too  girly for words, there’s always Monster Jam 

• Laura Rowe takes a look at the Fifth Dimension kitchen inside Wales’ first food and wine school
• The Cardiff Life team finds out who froths the best cappuccinos in town

• Meet Jason Soudah, an up and coming musician who loves Roath and questions ‘Chippy Lane’

                                                                   

Issue 9  

• We’re starting to wonder whether South Wales’ sporting élite are spending more time on the catwalk than on the playing fields. Fine by us girls...

• Big ballerinas, Lazytown and the ’babes – what more could you want from a month’s entertainment?

• We take a look behind the scenes of the New Theatre; and talk duty-free lipstick and terrorism with Pam Ann creator Caroline Reid

• Don’t follow the trends, set them, at Pontcanna’s most individual boutique

• The Cardiff Life team dine on good pub grub on an Arctic night at The Yard

• An exotic little number from the head chef of one of Cardiff ’s (and Wales’ for that matter) top Thai restaurants, the Thai House

• Vicky wishes they’d name a daffodil after her, like they did for Katherine Jenkins

 Issue 8 

• What makes Xantippe special?

• Win the most comfortably trainers you’ll ever put on your feet

• Escape to the south of France

• Peter Philipps of Cardiff International Airport tells us what’s special about Cardiff

• We stumble into El Puerto and discover it’s hardly a well-kept secret

• Why there’s more to the spring garden than daffodils

 

 Issue 7

• Ethical eating – an eco-guide to the local larder

• Fashion that needn’t cost the Earth

• In praise of snowdrops

• Venice – it’s Italy’s answer to Cardiff Bay…

• Win tickets to see Cliff at the CIA

• Recreate the Farthings dessert trolley in the comfort of your own home

 

 

Issue 6

• Neo-Georgian splendour in a picturesque rural setting

• Win a luxury weekend break for two

• Small but perfectly formed: The Grape & Olive reviewed

• Q&A with Mermaid Quay’s marketing manager

• A new year makeover from Kamigata

• Where Wales’s glitterati buy their jewellery

 

 

Issue 5

• WIN three months’ membership to the Bay’s most beautiful spa

• We visit a popular Bayside brasserie

• Learn to cook some haute Indian cuisine

• Why detoxing needn’t equal deprivation

• Keep warm while looking cool on the slopes

• Meet Welsh Woman of the year Julia Cartwright
 

Issue 4

• We offer you a chance to win a shopping spree at House of Fraser

• Dave Williams fights his way through a Cowbridge gale to sample some traditional pub grub

• The head chef of Mezza Luna offers up a Lebanese feast

• Laura gets cooking with the month’s seasonal larder

• Kate gets glitzy with this winter’s range of glamorous make-up, and talks us through the best frocks for the party season

• The second in our two-part look at the best of Cardiff’s historic arcades

• We meet the Welsh Woman of the year 2007
  

 

Issue 3

• A Penarth home with views of the sea, and a fascinating architectural pedigree is the home featured in this issue’s Property Showcase

• Our usual round of homes with a wide variety of locations, styles and prices. All that remains is deciding where to put the Christmas tree . . .

• The Cardiff Blues as you have never seen them before, and the Teletubbies turn on the lights all featured in our social diary.

• With a Winter wonderland theme -  Christmas Day takes up roughly 24 hours of the holiday. What are you going to do with the kids during the other days? And what’s with the Elvis connection?

• We also look at why the traders in The Friary are simply having a wonderful Christmas time.

• We blank out the unprintable bits of Francis Rossi’s interview, and relate the heartwarming tale of a Cowbridge artist. After all, it’s Christmas.

• Are you planning a polar expedition, or just feeling a bit chilly in Caerphilly? The competition this issue is a jacket that will keep you cosy.

• It’s out with the old and in with the new at this excellent St Fagans eatery is featured as our restaurant review this issue. Still on the subject of food we travel to the wilds of Llandaff for this month’s recipe. ‘Tis the season to wrap your icy hands around a nice cup of hot chocolate. We put some to the test.

• The Cardiff Life team are a bunch of overgrown kids, we get all excited about decorations for the tree. We are also dreaming of a white (as opposed to grey, overcast and mildly nippy) Christmas? Why not head for Lapland’s fields of cold...

• We have a ho-ho-holistic time at Neal’s Yard Remedies and if you fancy some fresh air then Joe Woodward takes on the sporting side of life.                              

Issue 2 

• Cardiff Life features some great properties this issue. Looking for a Plas close to town? You could do a lot worse than this uber-trendy Cathedral Road conversion... or maybe you would like to look at something old, something new, something Merthyr, something Bute...

• We have pictures from the Cardiff Life launch shindig, naturally; some pop stars, and a party for the hardworking press.

We go Out and About and get mediaeval with William Burges at Castell Coch. Santa and his reindeers come to Cowbridge on 25 November.

• There's a Shakespearean comedy at the New Theatre and the Swn down at Chapter; let it never be said that Cardiff Life does not cast a wide cultural net.

• We find some of the best Indian cooking in town behind the modest façade of Moksh. On the subject of food we find out who bakes the best brownies in town - yum. Even if you can't cook, won't cook you will still want the kitchen accessories featured in this issue's editors choice.

• After all the food talk we get some serious pampering at Holm House in Penarth. We will be returning.

• We have two competitions this issue. A pair of tickets to win a flight to New York City, how cool or if you fancy staying put then you can win tickets to hear the mighty Quo.

• Joe comes over all Richard Hammond as he tests the very sleek Aston Martin V8.

• Plus lots, lots more...

Issue 1

• Meet the team! We introduce you to Deri, Laura, Kate and Joe – the team behind Cardiff Life.

• Our Property Showcase this issue is a striking converted Victorian water tower on Cyncoed Road. The prize-winning conversion blends old (Gothic castellations, tall windows, Victorian brick) with new (aluminium, glass, clean lines, open plan spaces) to breathtaking effect. The property is on the market with Fine & Country.

• Other properties featured include Colby Moor, a 16th Century farmhouse in Llawhaden boasting a wealth of original features as well as 11 acres of grounds, Craiglas, a Grade II country residence with far-ranging views over the Usk Valley, and neo-Georgian manor house Angleton Hall, whose old style grandeur and modern layout offer the best of both worlds.

• Elsewhere, Deri visits St. Fagan’s National History Museum, where their newest addition, St. Teilo’s Church, originally situated in Pontarddulais, has just opened its doors. This month’s restaurant review is of Tides Bar & Grill, with elegant, watery views and a chic interior the venue exudes an air of sophistication – pick up a copy of the magazine to see whether the food matched up to its surroundings.

• Our Reader Competition this issue offers readers a chance to dine in style with a fantastic three course dinner for two and a trip in a chauffer driven Bentley – look out for details on page 60.

• For all this plus Laura’s trip to Cowbridge ahead of its annual food and drink festival, Kate’s pick of Cardiff’s cosiest accessories and a trip to the Park Plaza’s luxurious spa, look out for Issue 1 of Cardiff Life, out soon.