Creating a Community Garden 8

In this strand, I have been following the creation of Nightingale Community Garden in Dinas Powys (see links below), on a site that was formerly an unsightly abandoned play area. This month, local residents started gardening there for the first time.

The contractors (Gerald Davies Ltd) finished work on the Community Garden on 6 March, when the compacted red gravel pathways were completed.

On 14 March, Stuart Hockley led work on subdividing the plots with wooden planking, helped by Keith Hatton and Rob McGhee of the Vale of Glamorgan’s Community Foodie initiative. I helped with a couple of borders, including the one to my own plot.

A secure shed was erected on the concrete area at the back of the site. Four deep beds have also being set up in this area. Giles Metcalf has worked on the deep beds and the wood from the cut trees, some of which will be used in the garden.
 

More recently, screening has been placed along the far fence by the shed to provide the neighbour on that side with more privacy.

A tap now provides water in the garden. Rain water is also being collected off the shed roof in a storage tank.

On Sat 16 March, the official hand-over took place. Elizabeth Millard collected the money, in her role as chairperson of the Dinas Powys Resident’s Group (who have taken on the lease of the land from the council), and Plot Holder Agreement forms were signed. Merry Metcalf took on the role of garden secretary on a temporary basis, making sure all the necessary paperwork was in order for the handover.

Charges are being made according to plot size: £1 per metre squared. This should raise £537 in the first year toward water rates and other running costs of the garden, which now needs to be self-financing.

Councillor Keith Hatton, who co-initiated the project and has been involved throughout, along with Rob McGhee, welcomed local residents on hand-over day. They explained arrangements for the combination locks (on the gate, shed and water tap) and future plans for the garden (e.g., greenhouses). Plot-holders were reminded not to park on nearby grass verges, not to hang coats over fences, not to walk mud onto the public footpath, and generally respect the fact that the garden is in a residential area. An official Opening Day is being planned for May or June.

The first plants in at Nightingale Community Garden were broad beans transplanted by Angela Peterken and her team. Angela is working with five families associated with Dinas Powys Infants School on the garden’s largest plot.

Unfortunately, the weather during the first couple of weeks was very cold and wet. This, together with the heavy clay soil that is hard work to dig over and retains the water, meant that little work got done during the rest of March.

Many of the plots were rotavated on 11 April to help break up the clay. This made a big difference. Sand and grit is also coming this week, for those who want to work it into their plots.

On Sat 13 April, this rhubarb was the first thing I planted in my plot.

I expect when spring eventually does arrive, we will see more action on the gardening front and I’ll report next month on developments. In the meantime, a group from Nightingale Community Garden, myself included, went on a Community Foodie-organized trip to the Riverside Community Garden (Coed Hills near St Hilary in the Vale of Glamorgan) to pick up some tips. That will be the subject of my next post in this strand of the food blog.

Previous posts:

March 2013
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/creating-community-garden-7.html
Feb 2013
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/creating-community-garden-6.html
Jan 2013
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/creating-community-garden-5.html
Oct 2012
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/creating-community-garden-4.html
Aug 2012
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/creating-community-garden-3.html
Feb 2012
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/creating-community-garden-2.html
Jan 2012
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.com/2012/01/creating-community-garden.html

 

Pontcanna 2

We are in Pontcanna, Cardiff. Turn right into King’s Road. On your left is The Dairy (200 King’s Road). I found little information about this building actually being used as a dairy, but it was formerly Pontcanna Pine Warehouse, a flea market, and it was nearly turned into 14 flats and a convenience store. More recently, it was a design hub and the location for a Ffotogallery exhibition in 2011. Now, at weekends, it has become Cardiff Street Feast: a large-scale Supper Club with Milgi, Chucks, and the Tiny Rebel Brewery.

Opposite, down a courtyard:

Artisan Brewing Co.
183a King’s Road CF11 9DF
Simon Doherty started the Artisan Brewing Co. in a converted garage at the end of the driveway here in 2008. His microbrewery specializes in making continental-style lagers, and he is not afraid to experiment. The beers have been sold under the Bare Naked Beer brand-name. However, Pepsi won a two-year copyright case to stop the use of the word Naked in this context. I interviewed Simon for the Buzz Food and Drink Guide 2011 (link below), and caught up with him again for this post to find out about the rebranding of Artisan Brewery Co. beers.

While Simon was overwintering in Australia and Thailand, a re-branding competition to name ‘The Beer with no name’ (I liked that name!) was running on the Artisan Brewing Co. website. After due consideration, Simon announced the new brand-name last Saturday (2 March). In the end, it was one he had been thinking about himself for a while: Pipes. He is surrounded by pipes in his garage brewery. So we need to get used to ordering “a pint of Pipes”. The new artwork will be unveiled shortly and, reassuring, the beers remain the same. You can buy bottled beers direct from the brewery on Saturday afternoons (noon to 6pm), and get them on draught there on the first Saturday of each month or in independent bars around Cardiff, including Milgi Lounge. I had a fine pint of the Bavarian wheat beer in Gwdihw last week, before a meal in Madeira. Other current brews include Bohemian Pilsner, Helles Lager (Munich style), Smoked lager, and ALT beer.

My interview with Simon Doherty in Buzz Food and Drink Guide 2011 (p. 24): http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1tciv/BuzzFoodandDrinkGuid/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=
Across the road:

Kemi's at Pontcanna
186-188 King’s Road CF11 9DF (2037 2055)
Kemi’s opened here in Septmber 2012, building on the success of Kemi’s@Craft in the Bay (Cardiff Bay). There was a free sampling celebration last Friday (1 March) to mark the first six months. The Lunch Menu offers salads, including Kemi’s salad feast and exotic salads, quiche, baguettes and jacket potatoes; with plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. There are cakes and desserts, served with hot and cold drinks, from 9am to 5 pm (10am weekends). Kemi’s is family-friendly, with the Little Menu aimed at little ones.  The café is eat-in or take-out, with a range of food in the deli-style display counter. Kemi’s cater for dinner parties and weddings, and also run a cookery school. This was formerly the site of Wyatt’s Garden Store and, for a while, Crème Café.

On the other side of the King’s Road:

Mimosa Lounge (175 King’s Road) closed in July 2012 and this site is currently empty (Mimosa Kitchen & Bar in Mermaid Quay, Cardiff Bay, on the other hand, has recently re-opened after a major refurbishment).

The Cinnamon Tree
173 King’s Road CF11 9DE (2037 4433)
A popular and traditional family-run Indian restaurant, owned by the Uzzaman Brothers; their father opened the family’s first Indian restaurant in 1960 on Wellfield Road. Classic Indian restaurant dishes, though the menu also features surprises that have previously included ostrich, duck and venison dishes. The restaurant is one two floors, with the buffet being a popular option.

It's worth having a look in Caban (160 King’s Road), a Welsh-language bookshop that also sells Welsh-language and local artist CDs. You can get a coffee here at the counter, and there are a couple of seats by the window.

King's Road carries on in a southerly direction to join Cowbridge Road East (we visited La Cuina, 11 King’s Road when we walked down Cowbridge Road East).

Turn around, cross Sneyd Street, pass Flowers with a Twist florist, and start walking up Pontcanna Street.

On you left:

Cameo Club
3-5 Pontcanna Street CF11 9HQ (2022 0466)
The Cameo Club Bar Bistro and Lounge is a members-only club that dates from the 1960s. A recent development lets non-members eat in the bistro at lunchtime.

Keep walking along Pontcanna Street. On the corner with Estyn Street:

Brava
71 Pontcanna Street CF11 9HS (2037 1929)
Brava café and restaurant opened just over a decade ago. It offers breakfast and brunch, from 8am (e.g., American pancakes, eggs benedict, smoked salmon and scrambled eggs), and lunch (e.g., soup, quiche, burgers, pasta dishes and salads). In the evening, Brava takes on a bistro atmosphere and serves meals until 9pm. Brava encourages BYO: no corkage after 6pm. Owners Andrew and Lee are keen to source Welsh produce. Brava displays work by local artists.

The Smoke House
77 Pontcanna Street CF11 9HS (2034 4628)
Earlier this year, Diner 77 closed on this site. It had operated here since 1977. Fans of its American dining ethos, however, need not fear, because new venture - The Smoke House - will retain the American-style diner feel while updating the style. The new owners are Richard and Jaz Davies, and the Head Chef is Sean Lewis. Authentic American BBQ will be on offer from their Hickory Burning Smoker: ‘Memphis’ style dry rub pork ribs, Hickory slow smoked beef brisket and BBQ chicken. Also on the menu will be grills and burgers, including classic rib-eye steak and blackened butt (I guess that one might taste better than it sounds), while you will also find dishes for “non-smokers”, including shrimp and tuna. All will be revealed when The Smoke House opens later this month, on Friday 15 March.

Cibo
83 Pontcanna Street CF11 9PH (2023 2226)
Cibo Italian Café Bar opened here about 15 years ago and is popular for its Italian bistro food and coffee. The menu features pizzas, such as the Fiorentina (spinach, egg and nutmeg), calzones like the Calzone al Cibo (Gorno’s Italian sausage, tomato, spinach, parmesan and taleggio), pasta dishes, and main course salads. They do take-away and delivery, which can now be done online.

Fish at 85
85 Pontcanna Street CF11 9HS (2002 0212)
Fishmonger and restaurant operated by Channel Fisheries (of Brixham, Devon). Opened in June 2011 and managed by John Lester, this is the company’s first retail outlet (although they supply many restaurants, shops, and even the Royal Family by appointment). Padrig Jones is Chef. Mussels, oysters, scallops, squid and a wide range of fish on the menu and on the fishmonger’s slab, some fairly unusual. You can come in and purchase fish to cook at home, or choose your fish and get them to cook it. They supply several top local restaurants with fish and seafood; when I walked past the small Pier 64 van pulled up outside. A new a la carte menu has been launched in the 20-cover restaurant, which includes Roast Monkfish, boulangere Potatoes and creamy curried mussels; and Sole, pak choi, mash, sherry and shallot Jus. There’s also a fixed-price menu. Eating here is not for everyone, with the sight and aroma of the long fish counter nearby, but it has become a minor mecca for Cardiff’s fish and seafood lovers. Fish at 85 has recently starting cooking classes.

Pontcanna Post Office and Pontcanna Stores
89-93 Pontcanna Street CF11 9HS
Convenience food store, off-licence and post office.

At the end of Pontcanna Street you’ll see Coffee #1, the big Brains-owned coffee shop, which we will pass again shortly when we walk down Cathedral Road. Take the left turn down Mortimer Road.

Walk along to the junction of Mortimer Road and Conway Road:

The Conway
58 Conway Road CF11 9NW (2022 4373)
The Conway pub had a major overhaul when the Knife and Fork Food Company (who also own Woods Brasserie in Cardiff Bay) took it over in 2009. Inside, the division of traditional drinker’s bar for locals and lounge dining room has been retained. The new Conway quickly gained a good reputation for food (and has had repeated entries in the Michelin Pub Guide). Chef Stefan Nilsson likes cooking fish and offers signature dishes like Hake, new potatoes, samphire and cask cider sauce. Vegetarians are well-catered for, with dishes such as Halloumi stack with sweet pepper and avocado butter chips and onion rings. The menu is constantly changing, as you would expect when good seasonal food is on offer. In addition to modern takes on classics like fish and chips, expect the odd curveball (e.g., Chocolate ganache with Irn-Bru caramel). Wye Valley ales are the house beer. A model gastropub (just when it was becoming a dread word). Quiz night is Sunday. The Conway also hosts special event evenings. Recently Nick Otley was here launching a new Otley Brew, while on 12 March there’s a Pudding Club, with the patisserie chef Stefan Romare visiting from Stockholm.

Creating a Community Garden 7

For the past year, I have been chronicling the creation of a Community Garden in Dinas Powys, Vale of Glamorgan. The garden was recently christened Nightingale Community Garden, because it lies between Nightingale Place and Sir Ivor Place. The first meeting was held in January 2012 and the main contractors - Gerald Davies Ltd - started working on the site a year later. They should be finished by the end of next week. Local residents will take charge of their plots in mid-March and start growing their own food.

The topsoil started arriving on 18 February: 340 tons of it from a location in Llantwit Major. It was spread about a foot thick across the site.

Once all the topsoil was down, the compost started arriving. This was obtained from a farm on the far side of Cowbridge. It was made from the Vale of Glamorgan’s kerbside kitchen caddy and garden waste recycling collections. Local residents were very understanding, as the process was a little smelly. The compost formed a layer 6-8 inches on top.

The pathways were marked out, and constructed using wooden edging and gravel.

The area left to concrete in the corner behind the electricity sub-station will be used for a communal shed, seating and BBQ, and deep-beds. In the longer term, a greenhouse is also planned. A tap will soon be fitted in this area, from an extension of the Welsh Water network.

The steering committee drew up plans for the plots and assigned them to those who have expressed an interest. At a meeting this morning (2 March 2013) people saw for the first time the size and location of their plots. Gravel boards will be used to further sub-divide the main plots.

Elizabeth Millard (Chairperson of the Dinas Powys Residents Group) and Councillor Keith Hatton, who initiated the project over a year ago, addressed those assembled. They thanked Rob McGhee of Creative Rural Communities for project managing so effectively and stressed the community aspect of the garden. They summarized what had been achieved and what is planned.

The next meeting at Nightingale Community Garden will be on Saturday 16 March at 10am. Plot holders will be given a Plot Holder Agreement to sign and asked for the first years hire money (to cover costs of water etc - the Community Garden needs to be self-financing). They can then take control of their plots. I will report back, as the first plants are transplanted and the first seeds are sown.

Previous posts:

Feb 2013
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/creating-community-garden-6.html

Jan 2013
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/creating-community-garden-5.html

Oct 2012
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/creating-community-garden-4.html

Aug 2012
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/creating-community-garden-3.html

Feb 2012
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/creating-community-garden-2.html

Jan 2012
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.com/2012/01/creating-community-garden.html

Creating a Community Garden 6

In this blog strand, I am following the progress of Nightingale Community Garden in Dinas Powys, from the very first planning meeting to completion and beyond. I am doing this as a source of information for local residents, but also in the hope that it will be useful to those planning similar ventures in other areas. The contractors first arrived on site, at the time of my previous post, last month.

The first contractors on site were Acorn tree surgeons. They spent a couple of days cutting trees. These were cut into logs or turning into wood chips. A couple of larger logs were retained, to be made into benches.

The main contractor, Gerald Davies Ltd, started work on 22 January. The first job was to erect the security fence alongside the footpath, including the double gates that will provide the main access to the site. Work was delayed by poor weather conditions and was expected to last for about a month.

On 28 January, the contractors started taking up the rubber surface on the former play area. The rubber was, in places, up to 3 inches thick. Once removed, it revealed where the swings, roundabouts and other play equipment was fixed into the concrete.

 

The next day, Gerald Davies and his small team started breaking up the concrete. The concrete was piled up for removal by dumper truck at a later stage (down a temporary track to a skip on Sir Ivor Place).

They also removed the fence between the two parts of the site, so the full extent of the garden could be seen clearly for the first time. A new wooden fence was erected along the boundary with a neighbouring garden. This will be extended in front of the concrete shed and will eventually join the new metal fence by the footpath.
 

On 7 February, a drain was dug along the back of the site.

 

Today, a trench for the mains water pipe was being dug. The mains water will come from Sir Ivor Place and go across to a tap near the electrical sub-station (where a communal shed will be built).

The mounds of gravel currently on site will shortly be used to form a temporary track (above, after the water pipe trench is filled), for taking out the broken-up concrete and bringing in the topsoil. The topsoil is currently scheduled to arrive early next week.

 

A site meeting for those interested in having a plot in Nightingale Community Garden (which will also be opened at certain hours for general recreational use) has been scheduled for 10am on Saturday 2 March, when the layout of the garden should be clear.

Here is the Nightingale Community Garden logo, designed and painted by Merry Metcalf:

 

 

Previous posts:

Jan 2013
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/creating-community-garden-5.html

Oct 2012
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/creating-community-garden-4.html

Aug 2012
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/creating-community-garden-3.html

Feb 2012
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/creating-community-garden-2.html

Jan 2012
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.com/2012/01/creating-community-garden.html
 

 

 

 

Pontcanna 1

We are in Pontcanna, Cardiff. Walk down Romilly Road, from its junction with Llandaff Road.

On you right:

The Romilly
69-71 Romilly Crescent CF11 9NQ (2025 6345)
The Romilly Hotel is a traditional Brains pub, with a strong sense of community. It’s family-friendly and has a pub garden. There’s bar snacks, classic pub meals, Sunday roast, and vegetarian options. The tricky Pub Quiz has its own website, where you can buy past questions to help you get up-to-speed before hitting the lounge on a Sunday evening.

Pass the junction with Conway Road. On your left:

Stefano's
14 Romilly Crescent CF11 9NR (2037 2768)
Family-run Stefano's Ristorante Italiano has been serving Italian food with a modern twist since it opened in April 2002. Stefano Caramella and his team must be doing plenty right, as this week they were voted Best Italian Restaurant in the South Wales Echo Food & Drink Awards 2012/13. Regional Italian cuisine gets highlighted, for example, earlier this week there was a “Taste of Sardinia” night. Notable dishes include Seared scallops on a bed of sweet potato, Italian meatballs, and fishcakes. You will also find numerous pasta and pizza options, with vegetarians being well catered for. There is also a children's menu. Tuesday is live music night.

On an enjoyable visit to Stefano's in November last year, I liked the Agnello (tender lamb fillet served with pesto) as a starter, followed by the excellent Cervo al vino rosso (wild Scottish venison in a rich red wine sauce, served with polenta mash and seasonal vegetables). My partner went for a vegetarian main, with courgette, ricotta, parmesan and salad. The dishes of seasonal vegetables, which we shared, included rosemary-flavoured sweetpotato, roast potato and mushrooms. There is a take-out menu, which includes a number of their distinctive restaurant dishes, available from Mon to Sat evenings.

Oscars
6-10 Romilly Crescent CF11 9NR (2034 1264)
Oscars of Cardiff opened in April 2011. Head Chef John Cook has assembled wide-ranging brunch, lunch and dinner menus. The international range lends itself to interesting fusion opportunities. On Wednesdays, Oscars put on a range of themed evenings (e.g., Vegetarian, Fish Supper, Sizzling Steak, and Burger Nights). Sundays feature roast dinners, although a range of other ‘lazy Sunday’ options are available during the afternoon. Oscars is family-friendly, and its dedicated children's menu is served until 7pm. The current evening menu includes Lamb confit, Chicken schnitzel, White bean and cauliflower curry, and Cornish crab cakes. There’s an extensive wine list. Oscars is located on the site previously occupied, from May 1998 to Feb 2011, by French restaurant Le Gallois.

I have not eaten at Oscars of Cardiff, but I have eaten recently at its older sibling - Oscars of Cowbridge. Much of the menu is the same, although the different clientele in the two places means that it is starting to diverge. My partner had one of the day’s specials: a beef and chorizo meatloaf with mashed potatoes containing feta. I had the Classic Oscars Burger, with aged beef, a popular menu item at both locations. It had a quality seeded bun, a thick moist patty, included bacon and cheese, and looked like this:

I don’t often go for the burger option, so if you want to know more about burgers in Cardiff then I recommend you seek out Gourmet Gorros’s blog. Ed Gilbert, for it is he, is looking for Cardiff’s best burger. He writes: “Oscars’ Burger is the epitome of tasteful… a burger for the refined individual.” He says he likes his burgers a little filthier, but with budget and fast-food burgers containing up to 85% meat filler and reconstituted meat slime, not to mention horsemeat additives, I’ll settle for refined!

The Fat Pig Deli
4 Romilly Crescent CF11 9NR
This café deli opened on 13 Dec 2012, next door to Oscars. In its day, La Gallois used to have a deli here; though Fat Pig Deli is a new company, owned and run by Barry Pickup and his partner Carys Simpson, so is not connected to Oscars of Cardiff. The Fat Pig serves breakfast and lunch. A range of home-made deli sandwiches, soups, stews and cakes are available to eat in or take-away. There is a Welsh and Spanish flavour to the food (e.g., Full Welsh or Spanish breakfast). You can get a Bloody Mary at 9am, croissants, or indulge yourself with American pancakes, maple syrup and bacon. I met a friend here for lunch this week. I had the Albondigas (Spanish meatballs in a roll) and he had Garlic mushrooms on toast; both no-thrills and substantial. There’s an eclectic range of tinned and bottled items at the back to browse, although I assume the impressive row of cookbooks are for their reference and not for sale.

Across the road:

Bully's
5 Romilly Crescent CF11 9NP (2022 1905)
With its distinctive modern French cooking, Bully’s has carved itself a unique and much-admired niche on the Cardiff food scene since it opened in 1996. Scallops and crayfish, more unusual fish such as black bream, Welsh beef, venison, Barbary duck, and a limited number of interesting vegetarian options, feature on the menu. There are popular Food and Wine Gourmet evenings (up to 7 courses), while a lunchtime Tasting Menu has been introduced. Owner Russell Bullimore previously wrote with intent on a 2012 menu that "you can have fried foie gras on anything". There is a notable wine list, with suggested wines for each dish on the menu. It’s small and intimate; you may need to book. The quality and originality of the food on offer has garnered Bully’s a number of awards, and it was Highly Commended  in the General Restaurants section on this week’s South Wales Echo Food and Drink Awards.

On the junction of Romilly Crescent with Severn Grove, Wyndham Road, Wyndham Crescent and Severn Road:

Monk’s Bakery Coffee Shop (90-92 Severn Road CF11 9EA) is currently closed. A notice on the door states that it will reopen in September, but I guess that was last September, so things don’t look promising. Next door:

Pete’s Plaice
89-98a Wyndham Crescent CF11 9EG
Traditional small fish and chip shop, concentrating on a small menu. Pete is keeping up the fine tradition of punning fish and chip shop names in Cardiff.

Across the road:

Philip Morgan Wine Merchant
126 Wyndham Crescent CF11 9EG (2023 1450)
Philip Morgan & Sons are an off-licence selling wine, beer and spirits. Beers from Untapped Brewing Co. and other local breweries can be purchased here.

Turn left up Severn Grove.

On your right:

Robin Hood
16 Severn Grove CF11 9EN (2037 8829)
The Robin Hood Hotel was originally built in 1901 and is a traditional, relatively small, but very lively pub; with bar, lounge, beer garden (rear) and terrace (front). Pub food is served at lunchtimes and in the evening; steak and chips and other pub classics, with a mid-week curry night. There’s live music at weekends, a quiz night and other community activities, including French boules in the garden. This former Hancocks pub was once run by Charlotte Church’s mother Maria; the current landlord is Paul Careless. Brains beers on draught.

Creating a Community Garden 5

I am chronicling the creation of a Community Garden on an area of derelict land (an abandoned play-area) between Sir Ivor Place and Nightingale Place in Dinas Powys.

Since the previous post, there has been a clearance day, the garden has been officially named, and contractors have started work on the site.

To recap, the project was initiated by Elizabeth Millard (Chairperson of the Dinas Powys Residents Group) and Councillor Keith Hatton, and is supported by Creative Rural Communities (through their Community Foodie project) with Rob McGhee being the Rural Regeneration Officer involved. Most of the funding for the project has come from Tidy Towns Wales.

On Saturday 10 Dec 2012, a group of volunteers assembled to do some clearing up. This provided the first opportunity for hands-on work at the Community Garden, as the land has now been officially leased by the Vale of Glamorgan Council to the Dinas Powys Residents Association (for an initial period of ten years). Here is a photo of some of those who took part.

 

At a meeting on Monday 7 January at Youldon House a name was agreed: Nightingale Community Garden. A number of details were discussed, at this and at a subsequent meeting on Monday 21 January, including plot size, site security and plot holder agreements. In addition to being an area were the community can grow its own food, the garden will include a recreational area with seating.

 

Merry Metcalf and Giles Metcalf, between them, have designing a logo for Nightingale Community Garden, conducted an information mail-drop to local residents, established a Facebook page and an email address for the project (see below), and helped adapt an existing Plot Holder Agreement (tabled by Rob at a meeting) for discussion.

 

On Monday 21 January, Acorn tree surgeons removed trees from part of the site. The logs and wood chips will be used in the garden; for instance, some of the larger logs will be used for benches.

 

 

Gerald Davies, the main contractor, arrived on site for the first time on Tuesday 22 January. They knocked down a wall to allow access to the site (the wall will be rebuilt) and today (23 Jan) started to erect fencing. This stage of the project will take about four weeks and will also involve the breaking up and removal of hard-core and rubber surfaces, the laying of paths, marking out plots and building deep beds, and the arrival of topsoil and compost.

 

 

There will be an opening day in the spring (further information to follow). I’ll post again soon, with more photos, as Nightingale Community Garden takes shape.

Nightingale Community Garden on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/nightingalecommunitygarden/

Email: enquiries@nightingalecommunitygarden.org.uk

Previous posts:

Oct 2012
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/creating-community-garden-4.html

Aug 2012
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/creating-community-garden-3.html

Feb 2012
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/creating-community-garden-2.html

Jan 2012
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.com/2012/01/creating-community-garden.html
 

 

Creating a Community Garden 4

In a series of posts (links below) I am following the creation of a Community Growing Area in Dinas Powys, on an abandoned play area between Sir Ivor Place and Nightingale Place.

This project was initiated by Elizabeth Millard (Chairperson of the Dinas Powys Residents Group) and Councillor Keith Hatton. The project is supported by Creative Rural Communities (Vale of Glamorgan Council), with Rob McGhee being the Rural Regeneration Officer involved. More specifically, the Dinas Powys Community Growing Area falls within the Community Foodie initiative, which aims to identify, develop and support community food growing activities.

Rob (pictured) came to Dinas Powys on Saturday (20 Oct) to give an update on progress. The meeting, in Youldon House, was attended by over 30 people. Keith outlined the history of the project and introduced Rob, who summarized achievements to date (see previous posts) that include identification of the site, fund-raising, community engagement, and an initial plan for the site that takes into account all skill levels and includes raised beds for those with restricted mobility. He also talked about successful community growing projects in other parts of Wales.

Funding is in place and a contractor (Gerald Davies) is due to start clearing the site later this month. Security fencing will be erected, top-soil put down, and water pipes extended into the site. A communal shed will be erected near the electrical sub-station.

A tour of the site was followed by a discussion back at Youldon House, in which everyone stuck post-it notes with ideas on the proposed plan (pictured below). Suggestions included a brick BBQ, the use of wood from the felled trees to make benches, water butts, communal compost, solar lighting, increasing the proportion of raised beds, establishing links with schools and the recently-established Food Bank in Dinas Powys, a play area for young children, and a skills database.

The meeting was used to identify those who want to serve on a Growing Group, which will help to drive the project forward. Further meet-ups, including a clearance day, will be held on-site in the coming months. I’ll keep you posted.

 

This well-attended meeting was a significant step forward in raising awareness and channelling enthusiasm for the project. Elizabeth’s vision of turning this ugly derelict area into an attractive community gathering and food-growing area, where she can come to sit in the sun and read a book, became a step closer to reality.

As a footnote, an upcoming date for your diary: Paul Mobbs (author of ‘Energy Beyond Oil’) will be speaking in Lee Hall Dinas Powys on Thursday 22 Nov (7pm). There will be a small entrance fee to cover costs. Greater community self-reliance, in which growing areas play a significant part, is a key theme of the Transition Town Movement that is planning for the post-oil future. Linda Ware, the organizer of this talk, has initiated another community growing project in the village - the Dinas Powys Orchard Project.

Previous posts on Dinas Powys Community Garden:

Aug 2012

http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/creating-community-garden-3.html
 

Feb 2012

http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/creating-community-garden-2.html

Jan 2012

http://sfnottingham.blogspot.com/2012/01/creating-community-garden.html

 

 

Wales on the Menu

Recently, I interviewed Simon Wright for a profile that was published in the Buzz Food & Drink Guide 2012 (link below).

In a wide-ranging career, Simon has been a food critic, author, restaurateur, consultant and broadcaster.  In May this year, Simon opened Wright’s Independent Food Emporium, with his wife Maryann. This shop in Nantgaredig sells a range of Welsh products, including meat, cheeses, and fresh fruit and vegetables, and has a café at the heart of the operation. Last year, Simon was involved in the planning stages of Sospan, a new restaurant in Llanelli.

Simon is currently presenting the fourth series of Wales on the Menu, which started on BBC Radio Wales last Saturday lunchtime (1pm). In the programme, he challenges home cooks to put their speciality dish on the menu of a top restaurant.

In the first show, amateur chef and food blogger Bill King tried to get his salmon quiche up to standard for the menu of Y Polyn, a restaurant near Carmarthen that the Wrights at one time co-owned. Among the judges was food blogger Ed Gilbert (a.k.a. Gourmet Gorro). The quiche sounded good, but was judged not quite good enough to meet Y Polyn’s high standards.

The Wales on the Menu team are looking for keen cooks from across Wales who would like to participate in future challenges. If you are interested you can email them on walesonthemenu@presentable.co.uk

There is also a Wales on the Menu Facebook page, where you can find recipes, behind the scenes photographs, and further details of how to apply to take part in the series either as a novice cook or a judge: https://www.facebook.com/WalesOnTheMenuBBCRadioWales?ref=hl

If you miss the programmes themselves, you can find them on the BBC iplayer.

Buzz Food & Drink Guide 2012. The Wright Taste (pp. 28-29):

http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1y455/FoodandDringGuide201/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=http%3A%2F%2Ffree.yudu.com%2Fitem%2Fdetails%2F577403%2FFood-and-Dring-Guide-2012

 

Y Polyn:

http://www.ypolynrestaurant.co.uk/

 

Fellow Bloggers on Twitter:

Bill King @billking

Ed Gilbert @gourmetgorro

Vale Foodbank in Dinas Powys

One of the big under-reported stories of the summer has been the impact of government austerity measures on individuals, families and communities. The recent figures have been shocking. For instance, 13 million people live below the poverty line in the UK; while here in Wales over one in ten people of working age are now out of work, a level of unemployment not seen for almost twenty years.

Communities can act to combat local poverty and hidden hunger by supporting schemes such as foodbanks. The Trussell Trust acts as an umbrella organization for foodbanks across the UK. The Vale Foodbank was established under this umbrella in October 2011. It is based at Coastlands Family Church in Barry, and aims to open food distribution centres around the Vale of Glamorgan to help people who are struggling to make ends meet.

A Vale Foodbank distribution centre opened today in Dinas Powys, in the Bethesda Chapel. It will open for an hour every Wednesday. Free emergency food supplies will be exchanged for vouchers given to people particularly identified as being in need by social workers, doctors, police and other community groups (in total 40 partners across the Vale). One voucher can be exchanged for enough food for three days.

Mike Grove from Bethesda Chapel welcomed people to the official opening this afternoon. Susan Lloyd-Selby, the Vale Foodbank co-ordinator, then talked about the success of their first year, in which they have managed to feed everyone who has been referred to them. When they started they expected to feed 800, but in fact have fed 1,643 people since October 2011.

Of those referred, 30% have been plunged into crisis due to delays in benefit payments. Others are referred due to low income, while there has been a dramatic rise in the number in debt. 68% of the food distributed has gone to feed children under the age of 16.

Sue related some stories of the real people behind the statistics: a man who hadn't eaten for two days, a woman homeless after leaving home due to domestic violence, a couple suddenly plunged into debt after an accident. She stressed that it was not just about giving food, but providing wider support and advice through contact with the regular volunteers. Sue thanked these “lifechangers” (with reference to Olympic “gamesmakers”), and also thanked all the people who donated over 115 kg of food during the past year. Future Vale Foodbank plans include free money management courses.

Photo: Councillor Val Hartrey (Chair of Dinas Powys Community Council), Jane Hutt AM, Mike Grove and Susan Lloyd-Selby (the cakes spell "Vale Food Bank").

Jane Hutt AM opened the Dinas Powys distribution centre today, just as she opened the first Vale Foodbank in Barry last year. An active supporter, she noted that action needs to be taken to stop so many people falling into poverty, especially through reasons such as delays in benefit payments and loss of tax credits. Jane also stressed that Foodbanks provide a framework for offering wider help and support, to give people back some dignity and restore hope.

The food given out at the Vale Foodbank is donated by businesses and individuals. You can donate to the Bethesda Chapel during Foodbank opening hours. Individuals are asked to give dried and tinned foods (see contact details below).

In addition to making donations of tins and packaged food, Jan and Tony Mapstone of Valley View Fruit Stores in Dinas Powys also donate fresh fruit and vegetables (they wear dark blue in the photo below).

To those who have questioned why a relatively prosperous community in the Vale of Glamorgan needs a foodbank: wake up, this is the reality of life today.

The Vale Foodbank

Coastlands Family Church, Tennyson Road, Colcot, Barry, Vale of Glamorgan CF62 9TN

admin@valefoodbank.org.uk

The Trussell Trust:

http://www.trusselltrust.org/

Reference for Welsh Unemployment:

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2012/09/04/welsh-unemployment-much-worse-than-official-stats-claims-new-report-91466-31758526/

 

We noted the Olympics earlier. Therefore, just room to note that ATOS, partners for the London 2012 Paralympic Games, are the firm charged with assessing disability benefit payments in a government money-saving operation. Removal of benefits is fuelling the need for foodbanks. Currently, at least one new foodback opens every week in the UK.

An Olympic Diet: Final Part

One of the ironies evident on visiting the Olympic Park during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games was that sponsorship restrictions helped create an environment largely devoid of branding. It was very refreshing to see such a brandless environment at a major sporting event, both inside the venues and around the food areas (e.g., World Square, Britannia Row, Orbit Circus).

The Locog catering operation, headed by Jan Matthews, was said to have been the largest attempted in the UK during peacetime. They succeeded in offering a dizzying range of dishes to competitors and visitors.

 

Outside the obvious sponsor outlets, all the food stores were labelled generically (and usually offered three simple menu choices). This “calling-a-spade-a-spade” catering had a certain charm.

 

Among the outlets were: Fish and Chips, Pies, Pasties, Cornish Pasties, Deli, Traditional Roast, British Bakery, Gourmet Sausage, Hog Roast, Jacket Potatoes, Fresh Salad Bar, Speciality Coffee, Bar, Ice Cream, and the Champagne and Seafood Pavilion.

 

World cuisine was represented, for example, by Asian, a French-style Brasserie, Indian, Italian, Mexican and much more besides.

The three Asian options, for example, were Thai curries, Singapore noodles and Vegetarian stir fry. Our Thai Curry was pretty good. Other things we sampled (e.g., bacon roll) were basic. Most of the food we ate was from the Deli outlets, where reasonably-priced sandwiches could be obtained with minimal queuing.

 

Some feared that it would be branded burgers and fizzy drinks, and little else, for sale on site. In reality, there was plenty of no-nonsense food and drink choices; even some healthy salads if you sought them out!

Finally, what a great atmosphere there was on the Olympic Park and I am sure everyone who visited will remember the experience for a long time to come.

See also:
An Olympic Diet: Part Two
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/an-olympic-diet-part-two.html

An Olympic Diet: Part One
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/olympic-diet-part-one.html