Rhiwbina Living Issue Autumn 2016: Read it here first!

Autumn arrives and nowhere is this wonderful season more keenly felt than in our lovely village of Rhiwbina. 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.

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.

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 North Cardiff 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 Rhiwbina played a part in his journey to the Games.

We also had a chance to speak 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.

As the kids head back to school for another year, Rhiwbeina Primary School highlights all their latest news. 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!

The community and people of Rhiwbina are celebrated in our local authors feature, and Rhiwbina’s Andrew Thomas explains how he and several others have planted the seeds of a community-based cider orchard. We’ll be looking forward to that coming to fruition in years to come!

For history buffs, there’s a feature about the local factory on the outskirts of Rhiwbina that used to make nuclear weapons. It’s a fascinating read.

Local gardener Kevin Revell shows you how to make the most of your garden’s autumn colour and if you fancy getting out and about to make the most of the beautiful autumn scenery, we’ve put together a Taff Trail Cycling Guide.

We’ve got three excellent competitions for some lovely prizes this issue on page 49.

Finally, with our Autumn Warmers, short story and a celebration of things about living in Rhiwbina, this issue should keep you busy for a while. So make yourself a hot drink and snuggle down to read our 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.