The Cardiff Podcast

This podcast is the second part of a homelessness special and focuses on an initiative going on in the community that makes a genuine difference to the lives of homeless people.It’s easy and lazy to think nothing is being done to help those who live on our streets, on our sofas or in hostels.  But there really is and Cardiff Council has been working with previous podcast guest Gemma Price and all the great people at Llanrumney Phoenix Boxing Club to provide a safe space to share experiences, train, get fit and benefit from all the mental health enhancing powers that boxing brings.  It’s serious training too, the formidable Tony really puts them through their paces.I speak to Rob Green from Cardiff Council, two young men who’ve benefitted hugely from the scheme and of course Gemma Price who’s just been been honoured by the Big Lottery on ITV for the work she’s done with lottery funding. Richly deserved too.

This podcast is part one of a homelessness special to mark the staging of the homeless world cup in Cardiff with actor Michael Sheen bringing the event to the Welsh capital.  I spoke to co-founder of the homeless world cup, the inspirational Mel Young.We talked in depth about how lives are transformed by street football and how we should approach the issue of homelessness, an open sore in our and many other societies around the world.I caught up with some of our Welsh players and the men’s team coach, Wayne who all have very different tales of how they ended up on the street. I also had the joy of bumping into a previous guest on this podcast, the very lovely Rhydian Bowen Phillips who was doing a great job on the PA on the main pitch.Part 2 of the homelessness special is a return visit to Llanrumney Boxing Club and a very special project for homeless people in Cardiff that is transforming lives and will go out at the end of August.

This podcast is a treat for all Great British Bake Off fans as Newport’s Jon Jenkins joins me to reflect on his time in the famous tent last year.In a series full of characters, Jon with his trademark Hawaiian shirts, certainly stood out as one of the most memorable contestants as proved by the Hawaiian shirt tribute the week after he was knocked out.So we get a great insight into just what’s it like to be on the show and indeed how to get on it in the first place.Jon is great company, so grab yourself a Chelsea bun and enjoy.

Joining me on Episode 19 is Gemma Price, a woman who truly hit rock bottom when she was trapped in a toxic and abusive relationship. Gemma used a chance encounter with a punch bag as the inspiration to fight back in epic style to set up the Boxing Pretty club that empowers, builds confidence and supports women and girls.We explore what boxing did for her mental health and the amazing response from women across Cardiff as she set the club up.It’s so much more than a boxing club, it’s a safe space in the community and has now been recognised by Cardiff Council and Welsh Government who have funded a complete renovation with their Llanrumney base fast becoming a modern training centre for aspiring boxers, both male and female.She is also working on a host of projects there that we will return to in the future for sure.Gemma’s story is harrowing but ultimately inspirational and a great example of how you can bounce back from the worst life can throw at you.

Joining me on Episode 18 is David Clubb, a renewable energy champion who is coming to the end of a 7 year spell with Renewable UK Cymru.David is a passionate and well-travelled man who has lived and worked in such places as Denmark and Spain, fully assimilating and taking on board many schemes and approaches to renewable energy that inform his thinking today.We met on an alarmingly warm and sunny February day in the beer garden of the excellent Cricketers pub in Cardiff to talk all things environment and sustainability.We explore his exciting new venture and the many frustrations and triumphs over the last 20 years and how each and every one of us can play our part in tackling the ongoing climate emergency.

Joining me on Episode 17 is Ian Thomas, chief executive of Trivallis housing association.Ian is a passionate advocate for social housing and the wider regenerative projects Trivallis and other organisations do in valleys communities. We talk about the key role housing associations play at a time when there is major pressure on the very basic requirement of finding somewhere decent to live.We also explore Ian’s long and varied career path as well what a fifteen year old valleys boys got up to in Cardiff in the 70s.

For episode 16, I’m delighted to say I’m joined by Louis Heaps, bassist from Cardiff band and very much emerging act the Himalayas who’ve enjoyed a fantastic coupla years and are really getting noticed across the UK and beyond.If that wasn’t enough, Louis also now owns Deli Rouge in Roath, one of my very favourite coffee havens in Cardiff.I joined Louis in the café and we explored extensively his experience in the band and the contrast with owning a Cardiff café as well as how he ended up in Cardiff in the first place.You lucky listeners can even suggest a new name for the café as Louis talks about his plans for the place.

This week’s guest is TV presenter Rhydian Bowen Phillips though presenter doesn’t really do the man justice at all.Rhydian does the stadium announcing for the Wales football team, writes and presents for Cardiff City and has even played a bad boy on legendary Welsh soap, Pobol y Cwm not to mention being a member Welsh boy band, Mega. We reflect on all this plus reminisce on Wales in the Euros, assess Cardiff City’s chances of staying up and explore all manner of topics in the 40 minutes we had together including his passion for the Welsh language.He’s also recently tied the knot too but let’s hear it all from the man himself as we catch up in the brilliant society standard on Whitchurch Road.

For episode 14, our guest is former politician and tireless equality campaigner, Siobhan Corria.Siobhan was a Cardiff Council cabinet member who had a very public falling out with the Labour Party and now works as head of inclusion for Action for Children. She also campaigns for Sepsis awareness with her partner and past podcast guest, Terrence Canning and sits on the board as an executive director for the Welsh Amateur Boxing Association.This woman has energy to burn and we cover a lot of ground in our forty minutes or so at her home in Llandaff North.  Sit back and enjoy...

This week's guest is Jeff Collins, a familiar face to many after a long and distinguished career in news and sports broadcasting in Wales and across the UK.Jeff is a huge music fan and has written books on Stuart Cable and the famous Rockfield Studios where he got to rub shoulders with many luminaries from Rock's hall of fame.He's also a roving reporter on Soccer Saturday as well as a DJ on Hard Rock Hell Radio so we had a lot of ground to cover and cover it we did.Jeff reflected on Cardiff and Swansea City's fortunes, the changing face of news, working with Stuart Cable and interviewing many of rock's superstars among many other topics so sit back and enjoy the soothing tones of Jeff Collins.Thanks to Jez Rhys for providing the music.

Andrew Falkous, brains behind Mclusky, Future of the Left and Christian Fitness, joins me on Episode 12 of the Cardiff Podcast.Falkous is responsible for some of the finest music I’ve had the pleasure to listen to over the last 20 years or so.Clever, funny, catchy and very loud, his music is made for live performances and listeners to 6 Music will be familiar with his work.He’s also a writer and family man who recently made the move from Cardiff to London with his wife Julia and daughter, Ella – fertile ground for Falkous’ unique take on life.He reflects on this move, the challenges of making music today, the creative process and writing fiction with predictable insight and humour.Thanks to Jeremy Rhys for providing the excellent intro and exit music.Please note this podcast does, very occasionally, contain 'bad language.'

This week’s podcast is a bite-size football special. I managed to squeeze in a couple of hours at last weekend’s FAW Coaching Conference at the Celtic Manor, sitting in on presentations and q&a’s with football legends such as Ian Rush.  Hugely enjoyable it was too.It was a packed conference with hundreds of delegates but I managed to grab a word with two footballing legends from different eras.First up, I had a chat with Alan Curtis who played for both Swansea and Cardiff and remains one of the finest players I’ve been lucky enough to watch in the flesh. He scored the best goal I’ve ever seen live or on the box in the Welsh Cup Final for Cardiff against Wrexham at the Vetch in 1988.He was a total gent as he reflected on Swansea’s relegation, Cardiff’s promotion and just how hard it is to stay in the Premier League. We also touched on coaching in the modern era, the state of Welsh football and of course, THAT goal.I then caught five minutes with someone totally rocking a Wales shirt, a certain David bloody Ginola of France, Newcastle and Tottenham fame, who was almost ridiculously charming and obliging. Enjoy this short but sweet football special.

My guest on the Cardiff Podcast this week is Collin Brooker.Collin owned Sorrento's Cafe in Cathays but not content with that he decided to sell up and develop a shark repellent along with his son Simon and business partner, Jane Fallows, and solve a problem that has haunted coastal beauty spots all the over the world.This passion for a humane way of repelling sharks has taken to him to the beaches of Cape Town where tests have proved very encouraging indeed with scientists, business people and local authorities really starting to take notice.An ideas man with the vision and self-belief to see a project through, Collin takes us on an odyssey from Cathays to Cape Town.

It’s possible you’ve become more and more aware of the blood poisoning condition, Sepsis in recent years and that’s in no small part thanks to Terence Canning, Wales Executive Director for Sepsis UK.Terence tragically lost his brother to Sepsis in 2012 and only found out that was the cause of death when he looked at the death certificate.As he explains, he didn’t know what it was and in the intense shock of grief resolved to find out more about Sepsis.On discovering it’s entirely preventable and treatable it changed the course of his life and he has campaigned and raised awareness ever since.There are people who become driven by an adverse life changing event and Terence is one such person. I joined Terence prior at a fundraising event and he told me his tragic but ultimately inspiring story.

This week's guest is Chris Kelly, a well known face on the Cardiff live music scene.He's a singer-songwriter and a founder member of The Scooters back in the 90's where they jetted off to LA to break America at the tender age of 22.They signed a deal, made albums and lived the rock and roll life out in LA which makes for a great story from Chris.A busy boy with a magnificent beard, he also runs Rock Club Wales and Rock at Work helping children young people and workers get a taste for playing live music.Fair to say he's a packed a lot into his life...

This episode is a first and possibly last Cardiff Podcast Special. Why is it special? Well, I was lucky enough to pinch a sneak preview of the launch of Anim18, a celebration of British animation, which is taking place during the Cardiff Animation Festival that starts tomorrow, the 19th of April, at Chapter in Canton.So I chat to award-winning Welsh animator, Mike Mort about his Chuck Steel, Night of the Trampires film and set exhibition as well as fellow animator and director of the Cardiff Animation Festival, Lauren Orme about what we can expect from the weekend's events.I conclude by exploring the power and appeal of animation with Hana Lewis from Film Hub Wales and why we should celebrate British animation through the Anim18 project.Thanks to all the guests for taking part and Jane Thomas for setting up the interviews.

This week's guest is Ashli Todd, owner of the very marvellous Spillers Records - a Cardiff institution and the oldest record shop in the world.Ashli joined me for a blether ahead of Record Store Day on the 21st April and we chewed the fat on this big date in the diary that celebrates independent record shops across the world.We also talked about trading in this era of streaming music and iTunes as well as what Cardiff is like as a city to do business in.Finally, I had to ask who the most famous musician is to have visited the store...

This week’s guest is the Lord Mayor of Cardiff - Cllr Bob Derbyshire.Bob kindly took time out to tell me about the role and how in the eyes of many, the Lord Mayor is still an important position in the city.He outlines the part the Mayor plays in enhancing Cardiff’s reputation to the rest of the world and reflects on the great leap from the trenches of frontline local politics to the neutrality demanded by the mayoral role.We also reflect on how the city has transformed and what that has meant for people he has represented in his Rumney ward since 1999.We finish up with a look at modern day politics and the charities Bob chose to benefit from his year as Lord Mayor.

Kemi Nevins owns and helps run the marvellous Kemi's Cafe in Pontcanna.  She's a real force of nature with an infectious smile and never fails to give you the warmest of welcomes.I'm lucky enough to work nearby and as a regular lunchtime punter I've often wondered how such a vibrant character came to set up her businesses in Cardiff.The podcast provided me with the perfect excuse to ask Kemi just that and she kindly agreed to tell me all about it.It's a cracking tale involving London, Nigeria. Norfolk and Cardiff as well as the innovative use of surgical equipment for cooking... Enjoy.

This week I have total licence to talk utter rubbish as my guest is Louise Tambini, operations director for Keep Wales Tidy and co-founder of the Cardiff Rivers Group.Louise tells me of the many Keep Wales Tidy schemes that have transformed communities and had a life changing impact on those who have got involved. The same goes for the Cardiff Rivers Group, which she helped set up, and have won a Queen’s Award For Voluntary Service.We also explore how the brilliant Blue Planet series is harnessing people power to think about how we treat our planet and help stop the terrible pollution of our seas with plastic.So apparently there is hope and people like Louise are leading the charge…

This week's guest is Steve Dimmick, founder of global business, Doopoll and the CardiffRead book group.  Steve has also been heavily involved in Ignite Cardiff and any number of projects down the years in the capital.He's a very dynamic character and we cover a lot of ground over wonderful coffee in Chapter Arts Centre.  We explore how Cardiff has changed of course and what's it like to do business here and go off on many a tangent.It's a public space so babies and young children have their say in the background but you can hear us just fine.  Steve was great company so sit back and enjoy episode 2 of the Cardiff Podcast.

Cardiff man-about-town and the brains behind I Loves the ‘Diff, Chris Amodeo is the first guest in a series of revealing interviews with a diverse range of prominent Cardiffians from the arts, entertainment, politics, business and every part of Cardiff society.I’ve been a podcast enthusiast for some time but when searching for a general Cardiff podcast I couldn’t find one. So I thought I’d do one myself and I’ve really enjoyed it.All the guests have been warm and engaging with fascinating tales to tell from Chris Kelly making it with The Scooters in LA to the weird and wonderful way Chris Amodeo’s family came to settle in Cardiff.It’s not all blokes called Chris either. Lord Mayor Bob Derbyshire’s reflections on a life of public service in the capital are great value as is finding out how Kemi Nevins ended up in Cardiff to set up her brilliant Kemi’s Cafe in Pontcanna.And how on earth you did Collin Brooker go from running a café in Cathays to repelling sharks in South Africa?All the interviews are under an hour long and I hope you enjoy them as much as I did putting them together.It won’t be the slickest thing you’ll ever hear, it really is all about the chat but it is an evolving beast but for now kick back and enjoy the very first Cardiff Podcast with Chris Amodeo.