Jamie Roberts and Sam Warburton go head to head to support schools rugby

Posted by Now Cardiff on Apr 23, 2012

Two of the Blues’ Grand Slam heroes will be breaking ranks next week to support their old school rugby sides, at the Welsh Schools Cup Final.

Ysgol Glantaf and Whitchurch High School will contest the final at the Millennium Stadium – with Blues stars Jamie Roberts and Sam Warburton cheering from opposing sidelines.

The two teams have already played each other once this season, with Whitchurch High School coming out on top with a 9 points to 7 win.

Whitchurch High School won this cup competition in 2007, when Welsh captain Sam Warburton was in the victorious side against Neath College.

The same school-year produced cricketer Tom Maynard, Spurs and Wales footballer Gareth Bale, and rugby league international Elliott Kear. The school also boasts Olympic cyclist Geraint Thomas as one of its sporting alumni, and its football team has also qualified for the equivalent schools final this year.

Sam Warburton attended one of the final training sessions at his old school earlier in the week, to wish good luck to a side that has won 8 out of 9 games this season against 1st Division league opponents:

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Olympic Countdown: Help set a hockey record on the hayes

Posted by Now Cardiff on Apr 20, 2012

Hockey takes centre stage at The Hayes on Monday when an eight foot giant hockey ball rolls into the city centre as part of the city’s countdown celebrations to the Olympics games.
The npower Big Dribble event organised by Great British Hockey is calling on Cardiff schools, sports teams and anyone who comes along to The Hayes to take part in the  nationwide record attempt to ‘dribble’ a hockey ball 2012km across the UK.
The event will start at 5pm on Monday,April 23 and along with the giant hockey ball there will be plenty of fun hockey activities for the whole family to enjoy.
The npower Big Dribble will visit 40 locations across the UK with the finale at Trafalgar Square on May 2.
Cardiff will play host to the very first London 2012 event, with women’s football taking place at the Millennium Stadium on July 25.
A Cardiff Council spokesperson: “It’s a great privilege that Cardiff will host Olympic Games events. To celebrate a number of events will be taking place towards the run up to the Olympic Games.”

Rogue traders targeted in day of action

Posted by Now Cardiff on Apr 19, 2012

Council officers from Cardiff and the Vale joined forces with South Wales Police and a range of other agencies on Tuesday to tackle rogue traders in the west of Cardiff and Penarth.

Operation Rogue Trader focused on reassuring the community, reducing crime and taking action against unscrupulous traders in what agencies have hailed a “hugely successful” day of events.

The exercise, which started at the crack of dawn and was led by Cardiff Trading Standards and South Wales Police, included high visibility patrols and targeted stop-check searches of people and vehicles believed to be involved in door-stop selling and rogue trader activity.

Shoppers visiting the Leckwith Retail Park were also provided with guidance and advice on crime prevention and cold calling by the local Neighbourhood Policing Team and Council officials.

As a result of the operation the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) interviewed eight people and six are under caution pending further enquiries.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) booked 17 vehicles for not having vehicle excise licenses.

Trading Standards found three overloaded vehicles and imposed immediate bans on each preventing them from returning to the highway until their loads had been sufficiently reduced. The drivers were also reported for prosecution. Additionally, five trading companies were questioned and served notices for not correctly complying with regulations protecting customers’ cancellation rights.

HM Revenue and Customs stop checked 22 vehicles and found one vehicle using red diesel. This was seized by officers and later returned for payment of purchase.

While the Environment Agency stop checked 15 vehicles and two were reported for waste carrier licence offences; waste management officers from Cardiff Council stopped 11 vehicles and served notices for a variety of infringements relating to the loads they were transporting.

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World book night celebrated in cardiff

Posted by Now Cardiff on Apr 19, 2012

Libraries across Cardiff will celebrate World Book Night on Monday April 23, with the event marked across the UK, Ireland, Germany and the USA

World Book Night is a celebration of reading and books, and sees thousands of people share books within their communities for people to benefit and enjoy. People from across the UK have registered to receive free books so they can distribute within their local community.

The night is a great incentive to encourage library users new and old to go along to their local library and find out about the great services and events on offer.

Operational Manager of Cardiff Libraries, Elspeth Morris, said:  “Reading a book can be a life-changing experience!  World Book Night is a great opportunity to celebrate and share the benefits reading can bring to people who may not be avid readers.

“Libraries are fundamental to reading so naturally we want to see everybody reading, not just on World Book Night, but every night!”

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Britax Baby Safe Infant Carrier recall

Posted by Now Cardiff on Apr 18, 2012

Cardiff Council’s Trading Standards is warning owners of certain Britax Baby-Safe infant carriers that were purchased between 1st February & 31st March 2012 about a voluntary recall due to a quality issue.

The reason for the recall is that the handle of a number of the infant carriers could be damaged or, in adverse circumstances, detach, if sudden force is applied to it. This may cause the infant carrier to swing, to separate, to fall to the ground or to arrive in other unsafe situations when carrying the product and can pose a risk of injury to the occupying child especially if the child is – against the user instructions – not harnessed. The defect may not be recognised by the consumers instantly.

Cardiff Council’s head of Regulatory and Supporting Services, Dave Holland, said: “Cardiff Council takes the issue of child safety very seriously. We ask consumers in possession of these particular infant carriers to stop using them with immediate effect and contact the manufacturer.”

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