Whitchurch and Llandaff Living Autumn issue

Autumn arrives and nowhere is this wonderful season more keenly felt than in our lovely villages here in North Cardiff. Our greenery turns into a blaze of reds, oranges and golds and there’s always the smoky aroma of log fires drifting through the air.

To celebrate all things Autumn, we have put together an issue which reflects the wonder of the season and enables us to really savour this time of the year.

The evenings are already darker and there is a distinct autumn chill in the air. If you are looking for inspirational ideas to make your home cosy this autumn, head to our Autumn Décor feature and bring some warmth into your home.

Llandaff recently celebrated the 100th birthday of its most famous son, Roald Dahl. The Llandaff Society was instrumental in the day of celebrations which saw no less than four new plaques being unveiled throughout the village. It capped off a fine summer of city-wide celebrations that took place in Cardiff.

Talking of the summer, Team GB put in such a performance at the Rio Olympics, that we ended up coming second in the Gold Medals table. That cause was helped along by one young man from Whitchurch by the name of Owain Doull. Along with Sir Bradley Wiggins, Steven Burke and Ed Clancy, he picked up Wales’s first gold medal of the Games – and we got to chat with him afterwards. Read our exclusive interview with him and discover how Whitchurch played a part in his journey to the Games.

We spoke exclusively to 80s heart-throb, Shakin’ Stevens. Shaky has just launched his latest album and he spoke to us about his music – and about growing up here in Cardiff.

We were also fortunate to speak to Welsh singer-songwriter Judith Owen. She now lives in the US but is returning home this autumn for a concert in Cardiff. Her story is an inspirational one!

As the kids start a new school year, both the Bishop of Llandaff High School and Whitchurch High School highlight all their latest news and successes.

To keep the kids entertained now that the warmth of the summer sunshine is a distant memory, head to the Autumn crafts page that we have put together to enjoy some quality time creating together. And with Halloween fast approaching, if you are thinking of throwing a party, take a look at our party feature for all kinds of ghoulish games to incorporate!

For history buffs, there’s a feature about local hero Bill Pritchard. He took part in what is considered the greatest raid in World War 2 and he has gone down with his comrades in history for his bravery.

Local gardener Kevin Revell shows you how to make the most of your garden’s autumn colour and if you fancy winning some tickets to top events, we’ve got two excellent competitions for some lovely prizes in this issue.

Finally, with our Autumn Warmers and a short story, this issue should keep you busy for a while. So make yourself a hot drink and snuggle down to read our biggest and cosiest issue yet!

As always, we’d encourage you to shop local and use the services of our advertisers who continue to support our community life.